Beloved, Rest in God

Concerning our lives:

He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, He predestined us (Eph 1:3-5)

Concerning our work:

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10)

Concerning His Church:

He will build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matt 16:18)

To him (will) be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever (Eph 3:21)

Implication:

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers,

1. be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:57-58)

2. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Phil 4:6)

On Trials & God's Discipline

Life is like a Bajaj Scooter. It takes a few hard kicks to get it running.

Positional realities of the atonement

Hebrews 10: (esv)
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

vs 14: has perfected
past tense, his perfection of us is a completed action, accomplished by a single offering. The word "perfected" connotes something that is complete, having nothing missing, having all parts in place. This is how God sees us through Christ.

who are we?
vs14: those who are being sanctified
a. our "perfection" through Christ's atonement is in no way affected by our present sanctification (or more personally, our struggle with being sanctified).
b. our sanctification in this passage is passive - we are being sanctified. We do not ultimately sanctify ourselves.

Reasons this is important for encouragement for those who truly know Christ:
- your status is secure, unaffected your failure to walk perfectly
- your failure is not an ultimate indicator of eternal reality, because you don't sanctify yourself, God does.
- the proof of accomplished perfection is in the struggle, or as Piper puts it, the move from lingering imperfection towards holiness.
Praise God.