THE WORK OF GOD IN YOU

One of the most difficult concepts for new believers to comprehend, is that the process of becoming like Jesus requires the same miraculous grace that he or she experienced the moment of salvation!  We seem capable of understanding that we were sinners, totally unworthy of salvation when we came to faith in Christ; we know that salvation is a free gift offered to all from the very heart of God (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8; etc.).  But then, we somehow believe that we are on our own when it comes to living the Christian life!  That is a lie from Satan, who having lost us to God, endeavors to "guilt us" into believing we can either lose our salvation (can't happen!), or that we are worthless sinners, and that we must be perfect so that we can be used by God in spreading the Gospel to a lost world.  Is there a single Bible student who actually believes Peter was perfect?  No!  Apparently no one teaches new believers that the Church is made up of "leavened" Jews and Gentiles (Lev. 23:17; Mt. 13:33; Rom. 7:15-25; 1 Jn. 1:8-10; etc.)!  Here are some verses that should help you to trust in God to prepare us to see Jesus face-to-face (1 Jn. 3:2):

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?  Are ye so foolish?  Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:1-3).

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Rom. 8:28-30).

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Pet. 5:10).

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20-21).

Religion says "work!"  Our Father says "allow Me to do My work in you!"