It’s been a while…

It’s week twelve of twenty of the second term. So much has happened and is happening, but I think the crux of this term can be summarized by this point*:

God is not interested in anything other than our enjoyment of Christ; we may think that because of our failure, we are hopeless, but with God there is no disappointment; our failure simply opens the way for Christ to come in to be everything to us, enabling Him to bring us on to maturity - Rom. 8:28-29; Heb. 6:1a; Gen. 37:1 and footnote (Recovery Version); 47:7 and footnote (Recovery Version)

During the beginning of the term, I was seriously considering whether I should continue or not. I failed in seemingly insignificant yet unconquerable things every day with no end in sight. Yet through some fellowship, I received encouragement and a sobering word that our Christian life is one where we press onward, knowing that we cannot do it, but with God as grace to us and our willingness to be open, He Himself is the power that brings us forward.

For those who believe, there is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). This doesn’t mean that we are free to do whatever we want, but instead that we live by another life. This is the law of the Spirit of life that frees us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:2). As those who are according to the spirit, we mind the things of the Spirit - notice the lowercase and capital S’s (Rom. 8:5). As we set our mind on the spirit, there is life and peace (Rom. 8:6).

The hope for all believers is that Christ, who is God, is living in us as the Spirit to give life to us - every part of our being - now (Rom. 8:9-11, 1 Cor. 15:45). With His inner operation and outward arrangements, we are being conformed to the image of the firstborn Son (Rom. 8:29).

Yet we are discouraged when we fail. And surely there are difficult and complex situations that we cannot explain.

Thankfully, preceding verse 29 is verse 28. All things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). This “good” does not refer to material things, becoming perfect, or overcoming evil, etc. It refers to that specific item in verse 29: to conform us to the image of His Son. The timeline of that conformation is the sequence in revealed in verses 29-30: we are foreknown, predestinated, justified, and eventually glorified.

So, my conclusion is I cannot make myself conformed to the image of His Son. It’s impossible. But with my loving Him and cooperating with the Lord (who arranges my outward circumstances and leads me inwardly as the law of the Spirit of life), He is bringing me forward on that timeline. The day-by-day operation may seem imperceptible, yet I am filled with faith not because of anything I did, but because I am in Christ Jesus.

Tying it back to the first quotation, this operating of the Triune God brings us onto spiritual maturity. As long as we are open, even in our failures, Christ has a way to become everything to us. Wow. And not only in an experiential way, but in an enjoyable way! As we enjoy Him more in our daily situations, He leads us onto maturity and eventually to the hope to which we were called: to be glorified and be conformed to the image of His Son in full.

*From 2023 Thanksgiving Blending Conference, Message 1, II.E.4

I am still meeting in the Church in Anaheim, serving with the community saints. The church recently had a gospel meeting where 13 got baptized! Also, 14 sixth graders got baptized too after receiving the Lord the weekend before. Please continue to pray for these new ones in the Lord to pursue Him with companions in a healthy and normal way.