West Loop Church UBF

Key Verse: Phil 3:13

"I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do..."

Paul is a man of "one thing" (Php 3:13), "one goal" (Php 3:12), "one prize" (Php 3:14), and "one desire" (Php 3:10), for which he gives all of himself. He does not do so out of any righteousness, nobility or goodness in himself, but attributes all of his zeal and passion to the grace of Jesus (Php 3:9; Gal 2:20b). In this way, Paul shows us the one single driving force behind his sanctification and his Christian life.

Key Verse: 2:12b-13

"...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

The one point of my 2012 New Year sermon is: "Because God works in you (accepts you/saves you), you can change and you will change." Are you changing? Stated differently, the 1 point is: "Because God accepts you, change is now possible." Thus, there will always be change in a Christian's life, and it will always work itself out in our lives daily. This is salvation. Salvation never means, "I save myself by my repentance, my faith, my decision and my will." Rather, salvation always means, "God saved me, even though I am (completely) helpless to save myself."

West Loop UBF Church has prayed that 2010 may be the year of the Gospel and that 2011 may be a year of Grace. For 2012 we pray that it may be the year of Sanctification. (This sounds scary, especially for me!)What is sanctification?  What does it have to do with salvation?