Event vs Process

Salvation is an event. It’s a huge simple thing. It is not reached without serious decision making, but it is a single event.

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30-31 KJV)

What follows is a process, ongoing, never ending upon this earth. Jesus knew that when we prayed for us, for our sanctification.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:13-18 KJV)

We do not sit and wait for His return any more than He sat and waited for the cross. As He was sent into the world to teach and serve, He sends us in the same process. We have examples throughout the Bible of people who responded to God’s spoken word. Most of the New Testament is history of one man, who is God's Word, and His effect on others.

If He has no effect on our lives, how can we be certain we believe on Him? We’ve been told He was perfection:

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)

We are also told to go toward perfection ourselves:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (Hebrews 6:1 KJV)

How can we, when we don’t even practice true religion?

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27 KJV)

Remember, Christ did it without funding. He did it by walking, talking, teaching, attending synagogue, praying, discussing – all of those are active verbs. I must take inventory every once in a while to be certain I’m being active, not listening to the world’s temptations, no matter how good they sound or how much I can justify their need in my life. It is Christ who supplies what I need as I continue moving from the event of my salvation through the process of my Christian life.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:11-13 KJV)