"Changed from glory to glory" (Part I): Called and appointed to be holy

I. Called and appointed to be holy

The moment we put our faith in the Lord Jesus, we have been counted as holy in God’s sight based on the finished work of Christ on the cross (Rom. 3:24-25; 4:5-6). This is to say that judicially, in God’s sight, we are already just, righteous, and perfect. He no longer sees our sins because it has been washed away by the blood of Christ and that we are covered by His righteousness through our faith in Him (Rom. 5:19; 1 Cor. 1:30-31; Rev. 7:14). It is by grace that we are saved.

However, the story doesn’t just end in our being saved / justified. After saving us from the penalty of our Sins, He also expects us to "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2; cf. Eph. 2:1-10). God didn't just call us unto a saving relationship with Him. He also called us to walk in all holiness to the praise of His glory!

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Pe. 1:15, KJV) 

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Pe. 2:9, KJV)

It is an amazing thing that God has counted us righteous in His sight (justified us) not by our own efforts, but He wants us to be practically righteous (i.e. Christ-like) as well.  This isn’t about maintaining our justification, but evincing the justification we had received once and for all. Concerning the difference and connection between justification and sanctification, Dr. Millard J. Erickson observes:

"...Sanctification is a process by which one's moral condition is brought into conformity with one's legal status before God. It is a continuation of what was begun in regeneration, when a newness of life was conferred upon and instilled within the believer. In particular, sanctification is the Holy Spirit's applying to the life of believer the work done by Jesus Christ...  

...In order to  focus more sharply the nature of sanctification, it will be helpful to contrast it with justification. There are number of significant differences. One pertains to duration. Justification is an instantaneous occurrence, complete in a moment, whereas sanctification is a process requiring an entire lifetime for completion. There is a quantitative distinction as well. One is either justified or not, whereas one may be more or less sanctified. That is, there are degrees of sanctification but not of justification. Justification is a forensic or declarative matter, as we have seen earlier, while sanctification is an actual transformation of the character and condition of the person. Justification is an objective work affecting our standing before God, our relationship to him, while sanctification is a subjective work affecting our inner person." (Christian Theology, Part IV, 46, pp. 968, 969)

"I am the Light of the world,” (Jn. 8:12) says Jesus Christ, and as Christians we must reflect His light which is in us by showing people that we changed! (Mat. 5:16). This has been God’s plan long before He called us; even before the world began:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:28, KJV) 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10; cf. 1:4-6, KJV) 

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,..” (2 Tim. 1:9, KJV)

You see moral transformation and sanctification isn’t optional.  It is every Christian’s duty and privilege at the same time. Striving to be more Christlike day after day manifests our deep gratitude to all the great things God has done in our lives.

But the question should be asked: Are we capable of doing this? Do we have the natural ability to reform ourselves for the better? This will be discussed in the next entry of this series.

To God be the glory!

Gusto kong bumait pero di ko magawa!

Tukso. Nariyan yan sa halos lahat ng dako. Sa barkada. Sa paaralan. Sa internet. Sa bahay. Kahit saan! Lahat ng kabataang mananampalataya ay humaharap sa samut-saring mga tukso ng sanlibutan. Lahat tayo ay dumarating sa punto na bumibigay tayo sa panggogoyo ng kaaway.

Pero teka lang. Hindi ba sa kaloob-looban ng puso natin eh hindi naman talaga natin gustong gumawa ng kasalanan sa Diyos? Ang ibig kong sabihin, hindi ba lahat naman tayo na tumanggap kay Cristo ay nagnanais magbago at lumayo sa kasalanan? Pero bakit ganun, mas pinipili parin nating magkasala sa tuwing inihahain ng kaaway sa atin ang masasarap niyang putahe?

Ayaw nating magkasala, pero ginugusto nating magkasala. Ang gulo noh? Nalilito ka na ba? Ako rin eh.

Ang phenomena na ito ay ipinaliwanag ni San Pablo sa kanyang sulat sa mga taga-Galacia. Ayon kay San Pablo:

"Sapagka't ang laman ay nagnanasa ng laban sa Espiritu, at ang Espiritu ay laban sa laman; sapagka't ang mga ito ay nagkakalaban; upang huwag ninyong gawin ang bagay na inyong ibigin." (Gal. 5:17)

Kaya pala! Ang pagkakaroon natin ng dalawang magkaibang pagnanais sa puso natin ay repleksyon ng nagaganap na gyera sa pagitan ng Espiritu na nananahan sa atin, at ng ating laman o lumang pagkatao. Taglay natin ang kagustuhang magbago, ngunit dahil nadadaig tayo ng pagnanasa ng ating laman, hindi natin magawa-gawa ang kabutihang nais nating gawin. Sabi nga ulit ni Pablo:

"Ito ay sapagkat ang ginagawa ko ay hindi ko nauunawaan sapagkat ang hindi ko nais gawin ay siya kong ginagawa. Ang kinapopootan ko ang siya kong ginagawa. Ngunit kung ang hindi ko nais ang siyang ginagawa ko, sumasangayon ako na ang kautusan ay mabuti." (Rom. 7:15)

Alam natin ang masama at mabuti. Sumasang-ayon tayo na ang kautusan ng Diyos ay mabuti. Sang-ayon tayo na ang anumang uri ng adiksyon o bisyo na nakasisira sa katawan ay masama at di kalugod-ludog sa paningin ng Diyos. Alam nating masama ang magsinungaling. Alam nating masama ang makipag-away. Alam nating mabuti ang maging masunurin sa ating mga magulang.

Pero bakit ganun, lalo parin nating ginagawa ang kasalanan? Anong problema? Ayon sa Kasulatan, ito ay sapagkat mahina ang ating kalooban o will hinggil sa katuwiran. Ayon nga sa apostol: "...ako sa aking sarili ay naglilingkod sa kautusan ng Diyos sa aking isipan, ngunit sa aking makalamang kalikasan naglilingkod ako sa kautusan ng kasalanan" (Rom. 7:25b).

Ang ugat ng problema ay nasa disposisyon ng ating mga puso. Ayon nga kay Jesus, gawin mo munang mabuti ang puno at tsaka ito makapagbubunga ng mabuti (Mat. 12:33). Ngunit sino ang may kapangyarihang baguhin ang kalikasan ng isang puno? May kakayahan ba ang puno na gawin yun sa sarili nya? Syempre wala.

Kung gayon, sino ang makapagliligtas sa atin mula sa miserableng kalagayang ito? Pakinggan ang wika ng apostol:

"O anong saklap ng aking kalagayan! Sino kaya ang magliligtas sa akin sa kalagayang ito na nagpapahamak sa akin? Wala nang iba pa kundi ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo na ating Panginoon! Salamat sa kanya!" (Rom. 7:24-25a) 

"Ito ay sapagkat ang Diyos ang kumikilos sa inyo upang inyong loobin at gawin ang kanyang mabuting kaluguran." (Php. 2:13)

Sa madaling salita, hindi natin ito kayang pagtagumpayan kung sarili lang natin. Sa katunayan pa nga ay wala tayong magagawa kung hiwalay tayo kay Cristo (Jn. 15:6). Ang Diyos lamang ang may kakayahang baguhin ang disposisyon ng ating puso upang ibigin natin siya.

Ayon sa Panginoon,

• "At tutuliin ng Panginoon mong Dios ang iyong puso, at ang puso ng iyong binhi, upang ibigin mo ang Panginoon mong Dios ng iyong buong puso, at ng iyong buong kaluluwa, upang ikaw ay mabuhay." (Deut. 30:6)

Sa mga taong may pagibig sa Diyos, ang mga utos ng Panginoon ay hindi mabigat o mahirap sundin (1 Jn. 5:3). Gayunpaman, ang pagibig na ito'y hindi bunga ng pagsisikap ng tao, kundi produkto lamang ng biyaya ng Diyos na binili ni Cristo para sa atin sa pamamagitan ng kanyang dugo (Rom. 5:5-6, 8:32). 

Kapatid ko kay Cristo, may mga kahinaan ka bang hindi mo mabitaw-bitawan at inaakala mong wala ka nang pagasa sapagkat hindi mo ito mabago? Gusto mo bang bumait pero di mo magawa? Tatapatin kita. Hindi mo talaga kaya! Hangga't hindi mo inaamin sa iyong puso na hindi mo kayang magbago at tanging Diyos lamang ang may kakayahang ipagkaloob ito sa iyo, paulit-ulit kang mabibigo - at hinding-hindi ka magtatagumpay. Sabi nga ng Kasulatan,

"Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon: Sumpain ang tao na tumitiwala sa tao, at ginagawang sandigan ng lakas ang kanyang sariling bisig, na ang puso'y walang pagtitiwala sa Panginoon." (Jer. 17:5)

O ano pang hinihintay mo? Babasahin mo ba ito at kakalimutan na lang? Bumalik ka sa krus ni Cristo NGAYON! Isuko mo ang lahat-lahat ng mga kahinaan mo sa paanan ng ating Panginoon! Kay Cristo lamang matatagpuan ang TUNAY at TIYAK na pagbabago!

Maraming salamat sa Diyos! Sa kanya ang buong kapurihan!

Amen!

A sad reality

A picture's worth a thousand words:

Pastor John Piper On Whether Christians Should Celebrate Xmas

"I sympathize with those who want to be rigorously and distinctly Christian, who want to be disentangled from the world and any pagan roots that might lie beneath our celebration of Christmas, but I don't go that route on this matter because I think there comes a point where the roots are so far gone that the present meaning doesn't carry the pagan connotation anymore. I'm more concerned about a new paganism that gets layered on top of Christian holidays.

Here's the example I use: All language has roots somewhere. Most of our days of the week—if not all—grew out of pagan names too. So should we stop using the word "Sunday" because it may have related to the worship of the sun once upon a time? In modern English "Sunday" doesn't carry that connotation, and that's the very nature of language. In a sense, holidays are like chronological language.

Christmas now means that we mark, in Christian ways, the birth of Jesus Christ. I think the birth, death and resurrection of Christ are the most important events in human history. Not to mark them in some way, by way of special celebration, would be folly it seems to me.

I remember I lived next door to somebody back in seminary who didn't celebrate birthdays for their kid. The idea was, partly, that all days were special for their kid. But if all days are special then it probably means that there are no special days. Yet some things are so good and precious—like anniversaries, birthdays, and even deaths—that they are worthy of being marked. How much more the birth and death of Jesus Christ!

It's really worth the risk, even if the date of December 25 was chosen because of its proximity to some kind of pagan festival. Let's just take it, sanctify it, and make the most of it, because Christ is worthy of being celebrated in his birth.

There is no point in choosing any other date. It won't work."

~ Pastor John Piper (Source)

Man's will has a role to play in Salvation — C.H. Spurgeon

C.H. Spurgeon | "Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely." According to this and many other texts the Scripture where man is addressed as a being having a will, it appears clear enough that men are not saved by compulsion. When a man receives the grace of Christ, he does not receive it against his will. No man shall be pardoned while he abhors the though forgiveness. No man shall have joy in the Lord if he says, "I do not wish to rejoice in the Lord." Do not think that anybody shall have the angels pushing them behind into the gates of heaven. They must go there freely or else they will never go there at all. 

We are not saved against our will; nor again, mark you, is the will taken away; for God does not come and convert the intelligent free-agent into a machine. When he turns the slave into a child, it is not by plucking out of him the will which he possesses. We are as free under grace as ever we were under sin; nay, we were slaves when we were under sin, and when the Son makes us free we are free indeed, and we are never free before. 

~ Excerpt from Spurgeon's sermon entitled "God's Will and Man's Will"

Paano Kinukuha ng Diyos Ang Ating Atensyon

Texto: Deuteronomio 1:42-44

Ang pito (whistle blower) ay sadyang inimbento upang umagaw ng atensyon. Ang tunog nito'y ginagamit sa pagsita sa mga pasaway, o sa pagbibigay ng mga senyales (halimbawa, sa mga larong isports). Karaniwan itong ginagamit ng mga pulis, traffic enforcer, at mga sports referee. Ang tunog ng pito ay senyales upang tayo'y tumigil at upang alamin kung bakit ito sinipol.

Paano ba kinukuha ng Diyos ang ating atensyon? Minsan inaalis niya sa atin ang mga bagay na pinaglalaanan natin ng lubos na pagpapahalaga. May mga pagkakataon na ginagamit niya ang ibang tao upang tulungan tayong maunawaan ang anumang nais niyang sabihin sa atin. Ang pagpapala rin ay ginagamit ng Diyos upang kunin ang ating atensyon (Rom. 2:4). Sa mga pagkakataong ganito, dapat tayong tumigil, manalangin, at itanong sa Diyos, "Panginoon, mayroon ka bang nais sabihin sa akin?"

Minsan ay pinahihintulutan ng Diyos na manatiling walang kasagutan ang ating mga panalangin upang nang sa gayon ay maging mas pokus tayo sa kanya. Maaari rin niyang hindian ang ating mga petisyon upang makuha niya ang ating atensyon. Ang mga kalumbayan, kahirapan, at pagkabigo ay ginagamit din niya sa gano'ng layunin. Ngunit kung tayo'y sensitibo, daglian natin siyang hahanapin. Sa mga trahedya, krisis pang-pinansyal, at problemang pangkalusugan, hinihintay lamang tayo ng Diyos upang itanong sa kanya, "Diyos ko, kinakausap mo ba ako?"

Dapat nating ibigay sa Diyos ang ating hindi nahahating atensyon, ngunit kadalasan ay abala tayo sa ibang mga bagay. Siya'y naghihintay lamang upang kausapin natin siya, subalit mas abala pa tayo sa mga bagay na ating tinatangkilik. Kaya naman, maging sensitibo tayo palagi sa pagsipol na ginagawa ng Diyos upang makuha ang ating atensyon. Tanggapin nating maluwag sa ating kalooban ang lahat ng bagay na nangyayari sa ating buhay--negatibo man o positibo--sapagkat ang bawat bagay ay "gumagawang magkakalakip sa ikabubuti ng mga taong nagsisiibig sa Diyos" (Rom. 8:28). Sa bawat pagkakataon ay mayroong nais ituro sa atin ang Diyos, at dapat natin itong tuklasin.

-Jeph