"But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life."
Romans 6:22
God gives
us our start by setting us free from sin.
What a joyous thought! Free from the prison which bound us and kept us
spiritually locked away and closeted in death. Free from the degradation and
decay of mind, heart and soul. Free from the anguish, shame and guilt of our
past and from the fears of awaiting future judgment!
In this
capacity we are exposed to lifelong, faith building experiences which mould and
shape us into the people God wants us to be. The glorious times, as well as the
times of hardship and suffering, all play a part in the making and forging of the
disciples of Jesus. We discover and learn to savour the blessing and privilege
of being servants to God. The appreciation
of this position grows sweeter and dearer as time passes, as we recognize that
we have found our true purpose in life, and would not want to fill any other
station than that to which He has called us.
The entire
process of cleansing, changing and establishing His servants, can be summarised
in this one word: sanctification.
This is the condition of being made holy unto God. It is God's main action in
the heart and life of the believer. It is being made more like Him and becoming
a clearer, better reflection of His essence and character. The Bible calls
sanctification ‘God's will’ for His people, and we see in this verse that it is
to be the fruit of those who serve God.
It is the distinguishing sign therefore between believers and pretenders, and
the value which in the end will mark the church, the spotless, unblemished,
pure Bride, which Jesus is coming for and which He will present to Himself.
Every human
produces a ‘fruit’ in life. Outside of Christ and His values, however our
natural produce is nothing to be desired and is in fact overall, little more
than an ooze of decay and death. We have no good thing is us and even at our
very best, our fruit is marred, flawed and bitter, a result of the ‘tree’ it
issues from. The bible lists the works of the flesh, and this natural yield from
our beings is what contaminates and mars everything and everyone; its effects
can be readily seen all around in our society and world. We all, individually
and personally need to be freed from sin and its abhorrent fruit and effects,
and only Jesus can perform this miracle!
When we
become servants to God, we are
grafted into the life of Jesus. Energised by His Spirit and power which now
flows through us, we are given capacity to bear new, good and lasting fruit. This
is now the fruit of God’s Spirit in us, no longer our own. Through Jesus and
His values living and working in our hearts, the quality of the fruit we can
bring forth and the motivation for doing so reflects the purity, wholesomeness
and beauty of God – it is now fruit unto
holiness. It is evidence that the
King of Kings is in residence in this servant’s life. It shouts and testifies
of spiritual freedom, life and growth. It proclaims the reality, power and
holiness of God and adorns our thoughts, words, habits, actions, desires,
preferences and choices.
This
condition of holiness is not temporal or for this life only, but extends into
eternity. Our text states that the ‘end’ of holiness is in fact, a never ending
everlasting life! Heaven is the
everlastingly holy place, the abode of the supremely Holy God, and the final
destination of all divinely-delivered and sanctified believers, God’s servants who
have lived holy lives, separated from worldly ways and consecrated unto the
Lord!
What a
glorious journey is depicted in these choice and anointed words! A passage from
death to life - a voyage of liberation, sanctification and ultimate eternal
glorification!
See also:
http://dailybiblefocus.blogspot.com.au/
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
See also:
http://dailybiblefocus.blogspot.com.au/
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
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