Children of God

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 
2 Corinthians 7:1 

At the time of this post, it would be the beginning of the 1st day of Holy Week 2019. It not only initiates the final week of Lent, but is a poignant reminder to the world of the real event of Christ’s death and resurrection. Resurrection Sunday, (Or Easter Sunday as many call it…Read here for details on the Origin of Easter) is the oldest Christian holiday and the most venerable. The reason for this is quite simple for a few reasons. Firstly, it is the gospel message that we proclaim to the world and the only message which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). Or as Paul put it, “3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Secondly, without the death and resurrection of Christ we are but pitiable fools (1 Cor 15:19).

There are several more reasons why Resurrection Sunday is incredibly important for a believer and one of those reasons is found here in 2 Corinthians 7. The promises that Paul refers to can be found in the preceding verses, specifically 2 Cor 6:16-18. They refer to the astounding fact that every believer has been adopted as children of God. Which is incredible to think about and in it carries many associations. If God is holy, and He is, then his children are also to be a holy people. They are those who have mourned from their sins and humbly come to the Father in repentance and godly sorrow.

In this final week of Lent, Overflow Church, and possibly your church, have committed to fasting from certain things and oriented your hearts and hands to God. As we discipline ourselves to keep ourselves from idols and sin, we are making a conscious choice to cleanse our body and spirit of sin. And in putting off our wretchedness, we are putting on righteousness. Lent, wrongfully, is seen as a season of suffering and mourning. But it brings us to rejoice in the redemption that our Lord and Savior bought with His blood and establishes a covenant with His elect.

A covenant that comes with a promise that we will be children of God (John 1:12-13). I encourage you to continue to work out your salvation in fear and trembling and to cleanse yourself of all that may defile it. And in this season as we approach his resurrection, do not let the fun and games distract you from the significance of that day. May I recommend you take time to sing songs of praise as a family and to read the resurrection story (Matthew 28 is a great one). Talk with your children and neighbors about what his resurrection means and who we are called to be. We are children of the one, true God. Let us practice bringing Him praise here and now as we will in eternity.

Revelations 7:9-12
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alex Galvez

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