Martin Luther asked, "How can a man find favor with God?" Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith" started him on a path to the Reformation. Habakkuk 2:4 led Paul to write his trilogy of epistles. The Book of Romans tells us who the Just are; those who live by faith. I completed the book of Galatians some time ago and it was reassuring to know that we live by faith and not the legalism often promoted by churches, most notably the Catholic Church. I'm looking forward to taking Hebrews later this year thereby completing this trilogy.
CM talks to the Tenses of Salvation:
“Past Tense: Separation from the Penalty of Sin Justificatio
Present Tense: Separation from the Power of Sin Sanctification
Future Tense: Separation from the Presence of Sin Glorification”
Through our faith in Jesus we have we are assured of salvation. Evil seems to be most attracted to light. I can't speak for anyone but myself, however, I often feel under the attack of Satan and passing moments of doubt. I’ll hang onto the Word of God and the brief trial passes. To me, this is sanctification at work in me. What a wonderful day it will be when we are separated totally from the presence of sin; when the purveyor of evil is finally chained in the lake of fire.
Last week I closed discussion question #4, Why does Paul live his life in a type of “paranoia?” with the following:
“As an aside, Dr. Missler’s briefing “Inheritance and Rewards” opens with:
“Are all believers going to be equal in heaven? Wasn’t it all decided at the Cross?
Is there a difference between overcoming sin and bearing fruit? What’s the difference between “entering” the Kingdom and “inheriting” it? What is a metachoi and how does one become one?”
As I understand it, a metachoi is a sort of partner in a work. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 pretty much spells this out, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
We are to share in the work of bringing as many as possible into the Kingdom; gold, silver, precious stone. The college degrees and Atta boys we earn, the money we acquire for the sake of acquisition and wasted years will be burned as wood, hay, stubble.
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