Why Does God Save People? [Audio Clip]

Did you ever think - Why does God save people? What is the purpose of God in saving people? I suppose, many are unaware of this fact. This brief audio clip explains the purpose of God in saving people.

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Wanted: Sanctifying Communities

We are aware of the exhortation from God’s word to us—to live holy, to pursue righteousness, to shun evil and to do good. But many of us suppose this process of sanctification is something that happens in isolation. This is something individualistic. This is my pursuit, my responsibility, my concern, my commitment, my act of discipline.

Yes, we know it is the Holy Spirit who is the source of sanctification. But we assume He does His sanctifying work just personally in us—the Spirit of God sanctifies and I have to yield to His sanctifying work through submission and discipline.

Now, there is no doubt of untruth in this assertion, but is this completely true?

Sanctification in Community 

It is written, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Heb. 3:12-13). Again it says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25).

What do these Scriptures speak about? Does it not talk about sanctification? Exhort one another so that you can guard each other from being hardened by the deceitful work of sin. Stir up each other to love and good works so that you would not live an unproductive life. Are these not sanctifying acts?

Sanctification is not something that happens only in isolation, the Holy Spirit dealing just personally with us. It happens most importantly in a community, the Holy Spirit using each other to sanctify us. Sanctification is primarily a community event. The Spirit of God conforms us into the likeness of Christ in and through the fellowship of believers.[1]

Services without Sanctification
What can we say about contemporary Christianity? What is happening in our churches, communities and fellowships?

We modern Christians have become so overly concerned with privacy, so unduly reserved, so too preoccupied with minding one's own business that the acts of sanctification in a community has become something alien to us. John Piper rightly pointed out: "We live in a day when people shun responsibility and accountability. We are very individualistic and resistant to others holding us to any standard that might cross our immediate desires."[2]

Don’t you think our gatherings are simply external rituals without internal sanctifying ministry of one another? We come together physically but stay miles away from each other from the spiritual work of sanctification. We have formal programs and nice Sunday services but no sanctifying communities.

Sanctifying One Another
Notice, the said Scriptures—Hebrews 3:12-13; 10:24-25, does not speak about pulpit ministry, just one man exhorting all others. There is, of course, room for the ministry of leaders. But these Scriptures primarily speak of one another ministry, sanctifying each other toward holiness and love. This is a community work. This is the act of the Holy Spirit in and through the community.

Sadly, how our fellowships are merely physically connected without no spiritual connection in a way that stimulates our faith, our love, our purity and our life with God! Honestly, when we come together, is our spiritual life boosted?

O, how much holy we would become, how much loving we will be, how much we can shine as the light of the world, how much salt can be spread across, how much glory we can bring to the name of God, if we heed to these Scriptures—seeking for and building sanctifying communities, such as encouraging each another, correcting one other, rebuking each other, holding one another accountable and stirring up each other to live a life worthy of the calling we have received from the Living God!

Wanted: Glowing Fellowships
Remember, no matter how much knowledgeable I may be, having great Christian experience, I need the sanctifying fellowship of the saints that stirs up my walk with God. How few of us realize like Charles Simeon (1759-1836), the nineteenth-century spiritual giant, who said, "I love to view all my Christian friends as fuel. Having gathered you all together at my hearth, I warm myself at your fire, and find my Christian love burn and grow."[3]

I believe, one of the reasons we are so cold, so lukewarm, so shallow in Christian life is—we pursue spirituality and sanctification just as an individual act but not as a community. We somehow missed to understand from the New Testament teachings—we grow as a body, not as an individual part (1Cor. 12:14-27; Eph. 4:15-16). Thus counsels John Piper, "Put yourself in some kind of fellowship, small enough so that this one-another ministry is happening. One of my first questions in dealing with a joyless saint is, "Are you in a small group of believers who care for each other and pray for each other and ‘consider how to stir one another up to love'"? Usually the answer is no."[4]

Don’t you think this is what you need? I think, I desperately need it. O, we need sanctifying communities!

Prayer

Father in heaven, we come before Your Throne of Grace and plead unto You to forgive us of our sin of individualism. Forgive our churches for not living according to Your Word. We brought so many systems and programs which seldom reflect the life of the church you gave in your Word. Bring revival in our communities so that we may seriously take your word and build sanctifying communities.
O God, may we not be content with our current shallow Christian life and church gathering. We need the fire of Your Spirit within us which consumes each other with Your presence. Give us such communities that stir us up to live mightily for Your glory, loving each other and expanding

Your kingdom by bringing the lost into Your fold. In the name of the Chief Shepherd of the church, our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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Notes:

[1] In some cases where the fellowship with believers is impossible, God does provide His grace to fill the lack.
[2] John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), pg. 131
[3] Cited by Gordon MacDonald, A Resilient Life (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004), pg. 219
[4] John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), pg. 130

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Treating Holy Spirit like Toothpaste

This morning, as my children were getting ready to go to school, my wife called me and told me to brush the teeth of Joe, my youngest son. Now this is what my kid does—he applies toothpaste to his brush, puts it in his mouth and just enjoys the taste. He simply keeps it over the tongue and doesn’t properly brush his teeth. His focus is more on relishing the taste of the toothpaste than on cleaning his teeth so as to protect them from germs and bacteria.

Well, don’t you think this is how we treat the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity? It seems many of us want to feel His sweet presence, enjoy His good blessings, experience His pleasant comfort in our troubles and do some fascinating things by His power. Although there is nothing wrong to expect such things, I am concerned that in our passion to relish His sweet blessings are we missing the supreme purpose of the Holy Spirit in us?

God’s purpose in sending His Spirit is not to lead us into all pleasure, but into all truth (Jn. 16:13). God’s aim in blessing us with His Spirit is not to revive our emotions but to reveal the glory of Christ Jesus in us (Jn. 16:14). God’s desire in having His Spirit dwell in us is not to enjoy ourself but to glorify Him (Phi. 3:3). God’s passion in giving us His Spirit is not to satisfy our wants but to sanctify our soul (Rom. 8:13-14).

Of course, we do enjoy the sweetness of His blessings but that is just the byproduct of sanctification, not the supreme purpose. Let us not treat the Holy Spirit like how kids use the toothpaste to enjoy its taste without allowing it to clean. Remember, the Holy Spirit is holy and His greatest passion for us is to make us holy by sanctifying us from our sinful passions and from the contamination of the world.

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thes. 5:23).

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Better, But Not Perfect

When Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990), a prolific English journalist and writer, was asked, "Did you ever get to a point where you thought you were a good Christian?" He candidly responded, "No…No, I'm afraid not. But I'm better than I was."

The response given by Muggeridge reveals an apt description about what Christian life is. It isn't a life of perfection. Not even a life of dereliction. It is but a life of continuous sanctification. In living a Christian life, we are not as worse as we were nor will we be as perfect as we should be. It is a life of transition, not a state of life, from imperfection to perfection, from evil to good, from ungodliness to Christ-likeness. It is a life where we become better and better and better in our brief journey of life on earth.

Are you disappointed because your life isn't perfect? Focus on perfection and you will end up condemning yourself for not being so. Focus on the person Jesus Christ and you will find hope to keep going after Him amidst the storms of life. Is it not written, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith?" (Heb. 12:2)

Yes, there will be times we miserably fail, but Christ says, "Rise up and walk." There will be times we feel insecure, but Christ says, "Be strong and do not fear." There will be times we become anxious, but Christ says, "Trust Me." There will be times we fall in sin, but Christ says, "Repent and follow Me." There will be times we feel hopeless, but Christ says, "Rise up and cling unto Me." There will be times we are shattered, but Christ says, "Humble yourself under My mighty hand and I will make your life better."

As I write this, I am remembered of a work I had given to a carpenter. In the process of his work, I showed some flaws here and there and questioned the work of his hands. His response went something like this, "I need to still work on them. I haven’t finished my work yet." Likewise, when we are disappointed looking at our lives, marked with flaws, failures and weaknesses, I think, our Divine Carpenter is saying, "I haven’t finished My work on you yet."

"God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through" (1 Thes. 5:23).

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