Today is a continuation of our look at what it means to be Christ-centered. Monday covered being like-minded and not seeking selfish ambition.
Work out your salvation
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”
For believers, we have confidence of our future and hope for the restoration of everything. But we still have a job to do. We still have to be diligent and intentional in our own Growing Up. We have incredible powers at our disposal but God has established a process where by we must devote ourselves to the disciplines, practices, and sacrifices needed to resemble Christ.
Eliminate Whining and Arguing
“so that you can remain blameless and pure”
Sometimes, the easiest thing in the world is to complain or be contentious. It takes real maturity to let that not be your default setting. This passage tells us that if Christians can make progress in this area, we will shine like stars in the sky. The tendency to grumble and point out faults at every turn is so pervasive that if a group of people are not participating in this behavior it will be noticed as easily as we might notice stars at night.
Lesson Learned
Have you noticed from Monday and then today that to be Christ-centered involves a relational bent and a unique sense of community. Only one of Paul’s emphasis in this passage is truly a personal act – working out our salvation. The rest involve how we serve others, how we get along with others, and how unified we are.
This truth has come as a surprise to me and has convicted me. Being an introvert with a slight obsession with personal improvement, I don’t always consider my relationship with others to be paramount. Now I know what I need to work on.
What do you need to work on?
photo credit: Matthew Doyle
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