Sanctification

I think many people upon being called by Christ into saving grace understand that they are justified, and sanctified or your could say, made right with God and set aside as righteous before God but when it comes to salvation, we have been saved, are being saved and will be saved. 

The problem is that sometimes we see ourselves as having been saved and look forward to the second coming of Christ when we will see Christ face to face yet there is a gap where we are being saved. 

Progressive sanctification is the process of becoming more Christlike day by day. We grow in Christ on a daily basis. 

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

At the time of Christ's ascension He left His disciples with a mission; "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matt 28:19-20

The Lord has called us to make ourselves available for Him to work through us into those around us. He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to work through us. His desire is that we grow in Him through a meaningful relationship with Him. This is what brings about change in us and those around us. His love for us is evident in what He did for us at the cross of Christ. Not that we deserve it; in fact what we deserve is to die the death He died on that cross. This love that He has for us is not to be hidden under a basket, so to speak. We are to allow that love to work through us into the lives of others. 

We cannot earn God's favor. We already have God's favor, but we can respond to what He has done with love and devotion with grateful hearts.

A Transformed Heart

Most of us seem to have this innate desire to change. We think things can always be better; better job, more money, newer house. We think we can look better, feel better; get more, do more, be more. We usually think its just a matter of will and discipline. If we can just make a stronger commitment, be more disciplined, a new resolution, so to speak. This approach does not work for me. Never has, never will.
For me change has to come from a deeper desire. It comes from within myself while at the same time an outside source. I have tried to change wanting to make things better for self, but self hasn't cooperated.
Things began to change for me when I came to a realization that I am not the center of the universe. This life I live is not designed for my pleasure and comfort. It's not all about me. I think most of us have a tendency to put ourselves on the throne. The world should exist to serve me, please me and meet my needs. Until we can develop the ability to see beyond ourselves we are doomed to an existence of disappointment. We are trying to live a life we were not meant to live. We don't fit into the puzzle of reality.
I'm likely considered to be a bit of a dinosaur in today's secular world. We live in a society that considers itself much to enlightened to believe in a sovereign God who is in total control of all things.
Postmodernism, Naturalism and Relativism seem to be the hot topics of the day. A belief that what we can perceive through our natural senses is all that exists; all else is sheer fantasy. A belief that truth is relative "what is true for you, what is true for me". There are no absolute truths. Then there is the belief that we are all inherently good but being products of our environment we are.. somehow corrupted, "damaged goods" so to speak. This all sounds very good. It relieves us from being responsible for our own behavior. It frees us from the need to take a stand for absolute truth.
There-in lies the problem. There is absolute truth; any clear thinking person can see this. We are responsible for our own behavior regardless of mitigating factors. We live in a broken world. We are a world of people, many of whom live in rebellion toward our Creator, refusing to put ourselves in submission to an all powerful, all knowing, ever present, righteous, just, loving, caring, compassionate, merciful God.
We have a tendency to think we are in control of our lives when in reality we are in control of very little. We are basically slaves to our circumstances. We can try to get a good education and work hard to better ourselves and there is nothing wrong with that but we are never really ever a complete   until we place ourselves in submission to a loving God who wants what is best for us. We may not agree with His methods and think we can do a better job ourselves but we have to come to a realization of who is really in control. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God tells us" For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Food for thought.

HUMILITY

God chooses to pass on to his created beings as much of his goodness and glory as we are capable of receiving. God's pure holiness and awesome glory limits us in our ability to relate to him in anything other than absolute dependence.  We present ourselves as empty vessels before God in the knowledge of our inability to fulfill his will for our lives outside of his power. Humility opens us up to receive power from God. Without humility we are unable to truly trust God with our true selves.
The opposite of humility being pride is the root of all sin and evil. We cannot exalt God and self simultaneously. In order for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us we must kill self pride. We must take off the old self and put on the new.
Jesus brought humility to earth that we may become partakers of it and to save us from our own destructive pride. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. His humility gave value to his death and became our redemption. His humility in relation to the Father is the root of his redeeming work. His humility is our salvation. His salvation is our humility. Through humility we abide in the Father and experience  undeserved favor. Humility simply put allows us to take our place in relation to a holy God.