Letâ€™s Start at the Beginning

To begin living the Christian life we have to understand what it is and what it's not. The term sanctify basically means to be set apart. So sanctification or the normal Christian life begins by being set apart. It is something God primarily does and then we continue with his daily grace.

That beginning by God in us is another theological term we call conversion. To have our hearts truly changed is something only God can do. Jesus had an unsettling conversation with a religious leader telling him the only way someone could truly know God when he said, “…unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The supernatural work of the Holy Spirit is our only hope.

The beginning of the Christian life begins when we see our own brokenness before God, when God shows me my own lies and refusal to trust and love him. That’s hard to see but necessary. God then shows us the depth of his love and mercy when he shows us Jesus on the cross. He took the punishment and blame that I deserved. My only hope is to trust in him and live a life of gratitude for him.

That’s conversion.

The worse thing anyone can do is to try and live the Christian life without the true beginning. Without the converting work of Jesus it’s still about you and your efforts. For those of us who have been transformed by the Sprit of God we must never lose sight of the cross—from beginning to end. Let this reminder from the Apostle Paul be your focus today and every day, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6 and 7).

Tenth Highlight

Don’t you just love the choir? The harmony and strength of this weekly blessing adds a true richness to our worship. Dr. Luke Carlson has done a wonderful job not only leading but caring for our choir members. A choir member recently shared how much joy there was among the choir in rehearsals as well as during the services. Let’s thank our God for the gift of music here at Tenth!

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