Colossians 2

Most of the time when we talk about our salvation, we're talking about where we will go when we die.  If you are saved, it means you are going to Heaven when you die.  If you have put your faith in Christ, you can have assurance that your sins are forgiven and you will spend eternity with your Heavenly Father.

The question most of us struggle with on a daily basis doesn't revolve around where you will go when you die, but instead how will you have the power to pursue God and fight sin on a daily basis.  

We know we are saved by grace through faith, but what is our power live the Christian life?

Part of the problem comes from us not realizing our salvation actually comes in three parts:

• JUSTIFICATION - The moment we put our faith in Christ we are declared righteous before God. 
• SANCTIFICATION - The process in this lifetime of become more like Christ. When we talk about growing in our faith, we are referring to our sanctification.
• GLORIFICATION - This is when our sin nature is totally removed from us. This happens after this life.

Usually when we talk about being SAVED, we are talking about our justification.  We are SAVED from Hell and separation from God, but that is only the beginning.  We are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin.  When we put our faith in Christ we have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved!

We know we need Christ for our justification!
We also need Christ for our sanctification!

We know that we need Christ for our justification, but so often we think our sanctification is about our efforts.  We think that we simply need to try harder. The reality is that we were never meant to live the Christian life on our own.

Colossians makes it clear who our hope is for success.

Colossians 1

25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Our hope of glory isn't working harder by my will power.  Our hope of glory is the power of Christ at work within us.  

But how do we access the power of Christ?

Colossians 2

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 

How did you first receive Christ?

Ephesians 2

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

We don't grow spiritually by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.  It's not about figuring it out all on your own.  It's about daily putting your faith in Christ.  He was our Savior. He is our Savior. He will be our Savior.  

Christ is our hope of glory daily! 

   Sean Chandler | Associate Pastor

Sean has been a part of the association of Hill Country Bible Churches for over twenty years. He received Christ as a youth while attending Hill Country Bible Church Austin. He attended Hill Country Bible Church NW from 1989 to 2002. At that time he began attending HCBC Pflugerville. He served as a student ministry intern there for two years. In 2008, Sean graduated from Columbia International University with a double major in Bible and Bible teaching. Sean married his wife, Jennifer, in 2006. Their first child, Liam, was born in 2012, and their second, Chloe, was born in 2014.

He blogs regularly at seanchandler.net.