WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

Hopefully, from my many bouts of nauseating self-righteousness I am learning that the question regarding the “changing” lives of others is not which pit or depth of pit has He lifted us from so much as … are we NOW ascending the hill of the Lord? Not “were you on the Broad Highway?” ARE you NOW on the Holy Highway.

To a greater or lesser degree we all have a past that we are being transformed from and by love and obedience being conformed TO Christ’s image. However it should be noted that this transformation is usually less about our initiative for change and more about a divine agenda of many refinings, painful birthing’s and seemingly endless crises. All of which we would prefer to avoid, but by repentance and surrender will culminate in a glorious and on going transformation.

No one will be immediately free from the flavour and odour of the old man, the old life. Of course we are forgiven for WHAT we have done the moment we turn our lives to Christ. But the change from ‘WHO we are” takes a lifetime. That's why the kingdom is described as "a way" and "a path" because it’s a progressive journey of continual change.

May we be careful and compassionate to not pre judge someone’s heart as rebellious, or sanctified if we do not know where he or she have come from. Or what demons they continue to fight. A bit like judging a 250lb person as fat when in fact they used be 350lbs. Until we come to the perfect man, to a greater or lesser degree our generational legacy and our "BEING sanctified" past will be an evident grief to the ungracious and a triumphal joy to the discerning. Our roll as brothers & sisters in Christ is to encourage, reprove where we can and rebuke if we must. We all must continue to walk at the best speed we can in the light that we have.

If by grace I have more light than others that’s not a passport to condemn those who currently have less. Let's be gracious with each other’s pasts. We may not be where we want, but Hallelujah, we are no longer where we were.

A man from a hard upbringing may take decades simply to arrive at the social and moral standing of a new believer who has been brought up in better circumstances. Who therefore is the most spiritual at that point? He who is forgiven much the same loveth much.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 Jn 1:7

In love, lets work hard at being an encouragement along the way and not an obstacle to progress. Some may have had far worse demons to fight on the way up than you have... Grace Abounds

Regards George