YOU'RE the not-yet-perfect one!

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 18 (Reflections on Galatians and Ephesians)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

As I have already blogged, it is my intent to share some thoughts that stand out to me while I am reading each day for the New Testament Challenge. Today’s readings from Galatians and Ephesians reminded me that, as Christians, we are all in the process of becoming….like Christ.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2.1-7)

We have BEEN MADE by God that we MIGHT BECOME...We cannot forget that Saint Paul was writing to ALREADY BAPTIZED Christians. They had been made new in their Baptism, but they were not yet complete. The same goes for us. We have been made new in our Baptism, but that doesn’t mean we are not still being made in the image of God. We will not be a complete “work” until Christ returns. This is why the Church uses the expression, “We WERE saved, we ARE saved, and we are BEING saved.” We are still becoming.

If we could only remember that we are not exactly where God wants us! “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3.3) And if WE are not yet perfect, how can we not be more patient with others? Something to think about…

Until tomorrow…..remember YOU’RE the not-yet’perfect one….don’t be so quick to judge others.