WE ALL STILL SIN DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS
Transformation is a journey.
As long as we are living in earthly bodies, even after we receive salvation, we are all still human. We all keep sinning despite our best efforts; we all fall short.
God knew this would happen.
GOD HAS MADE A WAY TO HOLINESS
God provided a way for sinners who sin after the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus has been applied and made them whole and completely clean.
This way is called atonement. The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus provides salvation atonement, the annual atonement brings sanctification atonement.
Both are a gift of God through His Son Jesus Christ.
This process on the road to holiness is comparable to a traveler who has bathed and is walking along a dusty road to attend a special event.
When he arrives he does not need to bath again, for he is clean, but he has picked up the dust of the road along the way, so he must wash his feet before entering the special event.
This is what we do in the time of Elul and leading up to Yom Kippur.
We wash the dusty feet of our souls.
We clean ourselves from the journey through the world.
We prepare to be perfectly clean and holy before God as we make our way to the Wedding Feast that will be held in Heaven where a perfect, clean and holy Bride will one day be presented to Christ.
A TIME FOR REPENTANCE
Every year during this time we are rehearsing; remembering our part that we must play in this holy union with God.
We prepare by repentance.
So many struggle with this concept saying “once saved always saved.” I just carry that concept a little further saying, “Once saved, always in need of confession.”
In the end we all DO stay saved because we have been cleansed past, present and future by the sacrificial blood of Christ; but we must do our part to grow in God’s holiness as we travel in this journey. God’s Holy Spirit living within us leads us through our confessions to our Beloved.
A TIME FOR TRANSFORMATION
We must continue to allow God to transform us, and we must realize that we are all still sinners in need of God’s forgiveness, even after we have become believers and stepped into the path that leads to transformation and life inside The Kingdom of God.
Those who are saved are still capable of sinning and we do. God will help us with this if we follow the ways of Christ and pray.
There is always more transformation going on, and this transformation process will continue until we meet God face to face.
This is the holy process that prepares the Bride for the Groom. It is called sanctification.
We must offer love and care to a world that is bent on sin; and we must always be learning to be the light that shows the way to a different way of life. When we allow God to transform us and work in our lives; this becomes possible.
NOTE TO THE READER: If you have enjoyed this meditation you might also like: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/teshuvah-a-series-of-elul-meditations-meditation-2-seasons/ and https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pondering-elul/.