Devotional Text

Pastor David’s devotional for March 30, 2021

Ephesians 4:11-14a
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.14 Then we will no longer be infants

Romans 8:28
28 We know that all things work together for good[a] for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Sanctification. It is a theological word that is intended to capture the ways the Holy Spirit works within us to grow us in the faith. In Ephesians chapter 4, St. Paul compared sanctification to growth from infancy to maturity. When we first become a Christian, we are a like a baby in the faith—we have much to learn and experience. Over time, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we grow up in our faith until that day when we reach maturity or what Paul calls the full stature of Christ. This growth is marked by change—the Holy Spirit changes us in many ways. Some of the ways the Holy Spirit has changed me includes growing in humility, in patience, and (rather than having to know everything) being willing to embrace the mystery of God. What are some changes you can point to in your life since becoming a Christian?

And, as I have grown in my faith, I have times when I feel closer to God, and I definitely trust God more and more. How has growth in faith impacted your relationship with God?

Growth in faith has also brought greater awareness of the struggles and needs of people around me, and it has made me more aware of what I can do about the need. How has growing in your faith impacted the way you involve yourself in the lives of other people?

Sanctification always includes the Holy Spirit convicting us of times when we are wrong. While we might like admitting it, there are times when Christians “get it wrong.” We can have moments when we are judgmental, we can have times when we expect others to believe as we believe and behave the way we think most appropriate. As I mentioned in my devotional 2 weeks ago, for several years I was wrong when it came to my understanding of human sexuality. Thank God, the Holy Spirit worked on me and brought about change. Because of the work of the Spirit, I am more accepting and a better pastor for many members of our church. Early in my ministry the Holy Spirit convicted me concerning forgiveness. Before then, I held on to old grievances. Since then, I have learned to move quickly to forgiveness. These are just 2 examples of many I could offer from my life. How about you? Have there been times in your life when the Holy Spirit convicted you? Have there been times when you realized that you had been wrong about something or someone, and you needed to change?

In Romans 8:28. St Paul tells us that all things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose. This is a powerful affirmation of the power of God to use Christians like you and me, Christians who are not perfect and don’t always get everything right. Our limitations do not limit what God is able to do within us and through us. God can take our failures and mistakes and redeem them for God’s purpose, bringing good out of failures, struggles and even suffering. Have there been times in your life when you experienced God making your failures or struggles or suffering into something good and in the process blessing the life of another person?

Our God is a God of redemption, redeeming every aspect of our life. This brings us back to Sanctification. The goal of sanctification is that you and I love God and love people fully and completely. By the grace of God, I believe God will accomplish this in my life and yours.

God bless you! And I will see you in church.
Pastor Dave