There are countless number of people who seem to be
content with simply knowing and believing that they have been saved, as clearly
stated; “For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not
of works, lest anyone should boast”(Ephesians 2:8-9).
But what most people
have not been taught, or have failed to realized is that, there is the danger
of not progressing in life, by not working out one's salvation in fear and
trembling, and not becoming the workmanship whom God created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The apostle Paul gave us some insight of the peril of
not progressing by saying; “Therefore, leaving
the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to
perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and
of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of
hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And
this we will do if God permits” (Hebrews 6:1-3).
It is everyone's duty after conversion to leave the
discussions of the elementary principles of Christ, and go on to perfection or
maturity, because at conversion, if indeed
we have heard from God and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
we are to put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the
spirit of our mind, and to put on the new man which was created
according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Because the irony of truth is, the grace of God by which we
have obtained salvation did not nullify the good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them. For, “What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we
who died to sin live any longer in it?
The rationale for God's grace and being delivered from sin is
to put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness
and holiness, by becoming slaves of righteousness which leads to holiness and
at the end everlasting life.
Nothing remains stagnant, and as the saying goes, what you
don't use you lose. Salvation is a progression which involves putting off the
old man with its deeds, and putting on the new man. As it is written; “But now
you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since
you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:8-11).
In fact, the members of our body are instruments to fulfill
either the work of the old man or the work of the new man. For according to the
apostle Paul; “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.
For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of
lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves
of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you
were free in regard to righteousness” (Romans 6:19-20).
Nothing remains in a vacuum. One either progresses from one
level of glory to another, or degenerates from lawlessness to more lawlessness,
from being knowledgeable and intelligent to becoming foolish and ignorant, and
further degenerates to becoming indulgent and lenient, with further regression
to having an impenitent heart, and be corrupt.
Hence the reason why we have been admonished to leave the
elementary principles of Christ, which implies, leaving the introductory, or
the basic or primary instructions, the first parts and principles of the knowledge of Christ, and
move on to perfection or maturity. Just as we are to leave elementary school, to
secondary school, from secondary school to college, and from college to
university in order to obtain our higher education.
Commendations and kudos should be given to all those who
have in one way or the other assisted others to come to know the Lord, and the
same applies to all those who have believed and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord,
but the stark reality is, this is not all there is to salvation, one is
required to leave the elementary principles and move on to perfection.
To be continuedAll rights reserved
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