Crockpots and Crackpots – Part 1
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves [2 Corinthians 4:7].
I’ve been thinking… No, I don’t mean to suggest that’s something new! It’s what I’ve been thinking about that’s the issue here. I’ve been thinking about why I’m not in heaven already. Why am I still stumbling and bumbling through life, ill-equipped to overcome sin and win the victories in spiritual warfare.
Oh, I know I’m not supposed to say such things. It’s not PC—not “politically correct” but “powerful Christian”, for you spiritual novices. We Christians are supposed to be spiritual macho men. We can conquer anybody and anything because Jesus can…yada yada ho hum. Fine sounding words, but I’ve yet to see the reality.
No Christian this side of eternity overcomes sin perfectly. The Apostle Paul didn’t, and he was a giant among Christians! Don’t believe me? Read Philippians 3:12-16 and 1 Timothy 1:15. I personally become suffused with a flushed face, at the mere suggestion that I am without sin.
No, dear friends. We Christians are not Jesus. Only He is without sin. Because He died for our sins, while having none of His own, He pays the penalty for our sins. This removes them from our account and leaves our balance at zero, paid-in-full, tetelestai!
But after being born again we still need to avail ourselves of His payment daily. We do this through confession of sin and repentance. God reckons our debt as paid-in-full because of what Jesus did on our behalf, not because we are without sin in our own right. Theology textbooks call this as justification.
Simultaneously though, we have to work out the salvation which God already worked in us. Theology textbooks call this sanctification. This side of eternity we Christians, every last one of us, stand before God justified; but our day-to-day state is that we are being sanctified. We aren’t there yet, but praise the Lord we are working on it!
In the Scripture quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul noted that we have salvation “in earthen vessels”. Our frail earthly bodies come from the dust of the ground (cf., Genesis 1): they are “earthen vessels”. At the rapture these frail earthen vessels will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye into new resurrection bodies, just like the Lord Jesus has! But this side of eternity we are still weighed down by frail earthen vessels.
Which brings me back to where I began this study. Why am I not already in heaven? Why do I still have to carry around this body of sin, the frail earthen vessel? Why don’t I already have my resurrection body? Is God a sadist? I don’t mean that last question in a blasphemous way, dear friends. Logically the question follows, if we don’t know the truth of Scripture.
But not to fear. Paul afforded us the answer. We only need refer once more to the Scripture quoted at the start of this study. We still have our frail earthen vessels because…because…because… “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves”.
Huh? What does that mean? You say you feel let down by the answer? I’m sorry. We’ll have to do something about that. But we can’t today because we are out of time! Tomorrow we will though. For now enjoy some time with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I’ve been thinking… No, I don’t mean to suggest that’s something new! It’s what I’ve been thinking about that’s the issue here. I’ve been thinking about why I’m not in heaven already. Why am I still stumbling and bumbling through life, ill-equipped to overcome sin and win the victories in spiritual warfare.
Oh, I know I’m not supposed to say such things. It’s not PC—not “politically correct” but “powerful Christian”, for you spiritual novices. We Christians are supposed to be spiritual macho men. We can conquer anybody and anything because Jesus can…yada yada ho hum. Fine sounding words, but I’ve yet to see the reality.
No Christian this side of eternity overcomes sin perfectly. The Apostle Paul didn’t, and he was a giant among Christians! Don’t believe me? Read Philippians 3:12-16 and 1 Timothy 1:15. I personally become suffused with a flushed face, at the mere suggestion that I am without sin.
No, dear friends. We Christians are not Jesus. Only He is without sin. Because He died for our sins, while having none of His own, He pays the penalty for our sins. This removes them from our account and leaves our balance at zero, paid-in-full, tetelestai!
But after being born again we still need to avail ourselves of His payment daily. We do this through confession of sin and repentance. God reckons our debt as paid-in-full because of what Jesus did on our behalf, not because we are without sin in our own right. Theology textbooks call this as justification.
Simultaneously though, we have to work out the salvation which God already worked in us. Theology textbooks call this sanctification. This side of eternity we Christians, every last one of us, stand before God justified; but our day-to-day state is that we are being sanctified. We aren’t there yet, but praise the Lord we are working on it!
In the Scripture quoted at the start of this study, the Apostle Paul noted that we have salvation “in earthen vessels”. Our frail earthly bodies come from the dust of the ground (cf., Genesis 1): they are “earthen vessels”. At the rapture these frail earthen vessels will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye into new resurrection bodies, just like the Lord Jesus has! But this side of eternity we are still weighed down by frail earthen vessels.
Which brings me back to where I began this study. Why am I not already in heaven? Why do I still have to carry around this body of sin, the frail earthen vessel? Why don’t I already have my resurrection body? Is God a sadist? I don’t mean that last question in a blasphemous way, dear friends. Logically the question follows, if we don’t know the truth of Scripture.
But not to fear. Paul afforded us the answer. We only need refer once more to the Scripture quoted at the start of this study. We still have our frail earthen vessels because…because…because… “so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves”.
Huh? What does that mean? You say you feel let down by the answer? I’m sorry. We’ll have to do something about that. But we can’t today because we are out of time! Tomorrow we will though. For now enjoy some time with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
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