If you are like me, all of my life I have heard that when we experience trouble in our lives, God is trying to build character into us. The premise behind this is that though we are Christians, we are incomplete and problems are God's way of getting his character into us.
Let me say as clearly and as loudly as I can. "That is NOT true! It is a gross misunderstanding of the gospel!" The real gospel is this. Because we have Jesus Christ in us, our Father is working to bring the character we already have out of us! We already have everything we will ever need to live the Christian life. Peter wrote in his second letter in 1:3. "...His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness..." Do you see that? We have everything we will ever need ALREADY. Here is another compelling truth. Paul wrote something similar in the second chapter of his letter to the Colossians in verse 10. "...in Him you have been made complete...". Complete is sometimes translated with the word fullness. In either case, the idea is the same. In Christ, we are already complete or full. If this is not enough for you, then let's look at Hebrews 10:14. "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified."
The offering i.e. the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made us perfect in our new creation identity because we were set apart by God (sanctified) when he saved us.
This does not mean we will not sin. We will. This is speaking to the bigger issue of us being united with Jesus from the moment we believe.
Until next time remember He loves us!
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