And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11, NIV)
Who makes greater history in Augusta this year?
Is it Jennifer Kupcho, whose win at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur last Saturday etched her name at the top of what is to become a very coveted prize?
Or will it be the winner of the Masters, whom we should know by early Sunday evening? Of course, there are variations on the theme here. A win by Rory McIlroy would have special significance, in that it would give him the career Grand Slam. A win by Phil Mickelson would make him the oldest ever to seize the championship. These might be “more historic” than another win by Danny Willett or Bubba Watson, say.
It’s hard to make sense of history when every victory seems to write the winner’s name “in the history books” (come to think of it, is there such a thing anymore?). My sons’ births didn’t put them in any history books, but I sure know those dates better than most and I certainly remember those hours more than I remember the details of one sporting event or another, even the majors.
We were set apart as God’s holy people, and we are being sanctified still, growing in knowledge of the truth and in the righteousness that flows from grace.In this way, we might say that history comes in two forms. Famously, we know of the big historic events, like wars, assassinations, or natural disasters. But events in our personal history often have greater bearing in our lives.
The wonder of the kingdom of God is that the two forms intersect. The biggest events in God’s plan—the death and resurrection of Jesus—have ultimate impact in our lives because they shape our personal histories.
We call the story of this intersection our testimony. When we speak to others about what Jesus has done in our lives, we talk of our past and of our present. Sometimes you will hear others speak of how they lived “BC,” which isn’t just a segment on the timeline of history. Rather, it’s a whole other condition, those years when we were dead in our sins.
But then we heard the gospel, those things the apostle Paul said were of “first importance.” In love, God sent his Son, who died for us to make a cleansing sacrifice for our sin, once and for all. Then on the third day, he rose, conquering death and providing eternal security for all who believe.
Finally, this belief, when acted upon, became our new life of faith. We were set apart (sanctified) as God’s holy people, and we are being sanctified still, growing in knowledge of the truth and in the righteousness that flows from grace. Each day Christ is adding to our personal history, leading us to places of worship and mission we never thought possible when we were living under our own command.
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Jeff Hopper
April 10, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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