Dear Friends,
On November 11th, we celebrate Veterans Day – a federal holiday dedicated to men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Marines recognize November 10th as the day the U.S. Marine Corps was born.
When a young man or woman joins the Marine Corps, he or she raises their right hand and takes an oath to protect and defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Upon taking that oath, they are officially a United States Marine. Of course, once they get on the bus to boot camp, they learn that they have a long way to go before they become combat-ready Marines.
It’s somewhat like that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are accepted into God’s Corps (His family) – but we are raw recruits, not fully equipped for the spiritual battles that lie ahead.
This week we look at two fifty-cent words that theologians like to throw around: “Justification” and “Sanctification”. Justification is something that happens for us when we accept Christ; sanctification is something that happens to us as we grow in Christ.
In Christian theology, justification is God’s act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin, while at the same time declaring a sinner righteous through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Justification is a point-in-time event. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” Romans 10: 9-10 (NIV). Once you accept Jesus as your living Lord and Savior, God declares you innocent of all charges – past, present, and future!
Now, going back to our Marine Corps analogy, sanctification is like going through God’s boot camp. It’s the process by which God, acting through the Holy Spirit, builds Christ-like men and women. God has a design and purpose for our lives. As we respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our faith grows stronger and we become equipped to fulfill God’s purpose.
The Apostle Paul wrote of the need for Christians to be well-equipped: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6: 14-17 (NLT)
In his book, The Language of Salvation, Victor Kuligan helps us understand the significance of each piece of armor presented:
The belt of truth: integrity, single-minded devotion The breastplate of righteousness: living holy and righteous lives Feet fitted with readiness: a willingness to share the gospel The shield of faith: fighting off the flaming arrows of Satan The helmet of salvation: confidence in our status as children of God The sword of the Spirit: knowing and effectively using the Word of God
We live in a world full of troubles, but Jesus left us with his Word to guide us, and with the Holy Spirit as our companion in the fight. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:15-17 (NIV)
Victor Kuligan asks, “What does it mean to be saved? It means being plucked out of danger by God and rescued from harm. It means being given the weapons of righteousness necessary to wage war against every ungodly force as we wait patiently for the return of our triumphant Lord. It means moving from defeat to victory.”
The motto of the Marine Corps – Semper Fidelis – means always faithful. Because God is always faithful, we can live “… being confident of this, he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV) Verses for the Week: 1 Timothy 6:12a (NLT) “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you …” Blessings, Your friends in Christ We offer our appreciation and thanks to veterans of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Reserve Forces – and a very Happy Birthday to the U.S.M. |
Because He Loves Us Press 