Take a look at Phillipians 3:8
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
When I got ready to make this entry, I had to ask for that reference again so I wouldn't spend much time finding it. I was told this by him:
Philippians 3:8. In the King James the translators used "dung"; in the
NIV they used "rubbish". According to what I've always been told,
"dung" is the better translation. Remember to get the context.
The thing is, people often forget that being purified is a process that takes a lifetime. To use the analogy a little more bluntly, if being purified is like pooping, keep in mind that you (should) poop every day. You are getting rid of wastes that, if left in your body, can cause you harm or even become fatal.
Much the same way, in your Christian walk, if you don't take the time to purify yourself, or to let yourself be purified by God and the Word, you too will suffer the same result.
I get upset at myself that I'm still sinning. Looking back at my own life I see mistakes made that I can't take back, but then looking ahead there's a long way to go. It's hard.
The point of this entry is to let you know that the process of being purified is not something that will happen instantly. It will take ALL the time of your life, and then God brings you home. Most human attributes we try to apply to God are of things that would take time. For example: Smelting gold to burn off the dross... takes time. So does building, or creating a proper foundation. Purifying through fire is a time-taking task as well. Many things about God are in His own time. Our constant purification is one of these things.
Folks, don't let the slowness of purification stymie you. Tempering metal is not done with open flame but with hot coals. God is working to make you stronger, and this is something that will take time.
Take care,
2 comments:
Pooping for the glory of God! :-D
Billsey
It has been rumored that Martin Luther said that our righteousness was like "snow-covered dung." I have included a quote from James White's web page www.aomin.org. He is dealing with the quote as a possible myth but is not completely sure.
10. Luther Said Imputed Righteousness is Like Snow Covered Dung
I saved this one for last, simply because I'm not sure if it's a myth or not. It does seem to me like something Luther would've said: "Therefore let us embrace Christ, who was delivered for us, and His righteousness; but let us regard our righteousness as dung, so that we, having died to sins, may live to God alone" [LW 30:294]. "Explanation of Martin Luther: I said before that our righteousness is dung in the sight of God. Now if God chooses to adorn dung, he can do so. It does not hurt the sun, because it sends its rays into the sewer" [LW 34: 184].
Regardless, I am excited to know that our sanctification is ongoing. If it were not, I wonder how many new believers would give up on God completely because they find themselves still sinning. As I have struggled with this same issue, I have come to the conclusion that it is the sensitivity to sin that should increase. When our sensitivity increases, our actual sin should decrease. We will find ourselves on our faces before God praying more often, repenting more regularly, and praising God in all things.
Praise God brother for your sensitivity to sin!
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