29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
God’s assembly line producing heaven-bound earthlings. There is a sequence in God’s plan, a sequence that leads to our earthly dwellings getting tricked out for eternity, a complete overhaul, an inside, outside, upside, downside transformation. Feet that have been stuck walking terrestrial realms will traverse heavenly realms. What we often fail to grasp is that the transformation begins in the present moment. That transformational power that will someday split the clouds and raise the dead is present to change our current lives. In fact, if there are not changes in our current lives I question the presence of the transformational God in a life. If we are not changed with the realization that the creator of the universe has chosen to take my place of rightly deserved punishment, then perhaps we have never started the journey of faith. For you see, the first step on that journey is an acknowledgement of our intense need for transformation. Until we admit our need and accept help, God is not going to force His way into our lives. We must invite His transformational power into our very being. Our attitudes, our actions, our injuries, our triumphs, our dreams, and our nightmares all get brought into the presence of the One who knows every nook and cranny of our existence. It is then that our blinders can truly be removed and we can see both ourselves and the object of our faith clearly. What a work of grace!
The Arnold Journey 