Justification, sanctification, glorification – These are the three steps of salvation. When we “profess with [our] mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in [our] hearts that God raised him from the dead, [we] will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) At this moment, we are justified in the sight of God. This is a legal term that means that we are declared righteous by God Himself. This act doesn’t make us righteous, but God sees us as He sees His Son. In many ways, this is the easy part. The struggle comes as God works in us to lead us to sin less and become more and more like Jesus. This is sanctification.
The process of sanctification, growing to become more like Jesus, can be difficult. As each of us seeks God for our sanctification, and as we achieve victory in Christ over our sins, it can sometimes be that progress that gets in the way. We gather a pile of evidence that we are growing in Christ, and that is a reason to praise God with all we have. However, it is easy to use that evidence as an excuse to resist working on other areas.
In Christ’s letter to Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7, He honors their work ethic and their patience – both good things. He knows that they do not let evil flourish amongst them, and they do not grow weary in their efforts – also great qualities! It is no doubt that the believers in Ephesus are working hard to honor God. However, they also have “abandoned the love [they] had at first.” Like so many of us, the Ephesians were so busy doing the right things that they lost sight of why they were doing them. They had lost the affection, joy, and infatuation that led them to seek God’s better way. Their works are becoming self-righteous rather than God-glorifying.
How many of us have this same story? The “big” sins have been dealt with. We tend to think, “I don’t lie, cheat, or steal. I try to be kind to people. I go to church. I read my Bible. I fight the evils in our culture, etc.” These can all be good Christian things. However, when He challenges you to go deeper, do you complain that it is too difficult? When you are asked to sacrifice so that others can benefit from Christ’s blessings, do you list the reasons why it doesn’t apply to you? Is it easier to correct others than to encourage them with the struggles God brought you through? This is where I struggle. To admit that God is working out sinful ways in me is painful. I hate asking for help or confessing that I’m struggling. I would rather complain than admit that I find something difficult. My pride gets pricked when I have to admit that I am not perfect. This attitude denies the redeeming work of Christ. It chokes the life out of my relationship with Him. My love for Him fizzles as I demonstrate that I love myself more.
There is good news, though. Christ’s words in Revelation offer a blessing of overcoming. Christ promises “to the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) This is the promise of eternal life with God in paradise! He is saying to all believers, “Don’t let the good things overshadow the best thing! Know that I have so much more waiting for you if you focus on a deep, abiding love for Me first!”
How do we renew the love we had at first? How do we get past our dos and works? How do we halt the slide into self-righteousness? The best way I know is to get alone…with Jesus. When I focus on Him, I see myself clearly. I no longer feel the need to defend all I’ve done. Instead, I see how far I have yet to go. This isn’t to condemn myself. What it does is remind me of all He’s done and how much I need Him to go forward. I’m reminded that “I don’t got this!” And that’s okay because He does. It brings me to a place of loving worship that praises His greatness. Then His grace reminds me that He promises to finish this work with glorification in eternity. Praise God for His plan!