Being pleasing in the sight of God is a progressive process. As biological age increases—marked by birthdays—and as time passes in a person’s Christian journey, one should increasingly be pleasing to God, which means increasingly sharing in God’s holiness. However, because they feel they have already been reconciled with God based on their doctrinal understanding, many Christians do not strive to experience life changes that increasingly please God. These are people who do not work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12–13). Meanwhile, the influence of a corrupt world binds their lives, drawing them deeper into a state displeasing to God.
Honestly, many Christian ministers, theologians, and church members are in this condition. If they are not reminded, they will never become members of the Kingdom family, and it is even possible for them to slip into eternal fire. They feel they are already at peace, whereas in truth, they have not yet been reconciled in a full, complete, and proportional manner. In 2 Corinthians 5:18, it is said, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
From God’s side, everything has been completed. God has done it. Jesus said, tetelestai—“It is finished.” Yet from the human side, there must be a response: to allow oneself to be reconciled. If we read 2 Corinthians 5:20, it says, “Therefore, we are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.” So what about our side? Paul says, “So we make it our goal, whether at home in the body or away from it, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9).
Believers must be willing to grow in maturity so they can become true children of God, who share in His holiness. Therefore, there is a race that must be run, in which the children of God are trained to partake in His holiness. If we desire to be reconciled with God, our lives must be balanced. Our lives must be clean. We no longer have the right to live for ourselves. We must die to ourselves because Jesus has died for us. And if we live, we live for Him who died for us. We must also realize that our home is not on earth, but in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Believers must be willing to grow in maturity so they can become true children of God, who share in His holiness. Therefore, there is a race that must be run, in which the children of God are trained to partake in His holiness. If we desire to be reconciled with God, our lives must be balanced. Our lives must be clean. We no longer have the right to live for ourselves. We must die to ourselves because Jesus has died for us. And if we live, we live for Him who died for us. We must also realize that our home is not on earth, but in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Formerly, before receiving reconciliation with God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, our status was that of enemies of God. Our condition was unclean and evil, thus not in harmony with God. Yet Jesus died on the cross and changed our status, even though our condition was still chaotic and sinful. To be justified means to be regarded as righteous, even though our condition is not yet righteous. In that unrighteous condition, we are already considered righteous. When we first become Christians, there are still many faults and evils; these are still tolerated because we are in process. However, that condition must not continue indefinitely. There must be a change. After our status has changed, we must take responsibility for changing ourselves.
Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 6:17–18, it is said, “Come out from among them and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” Many Christians feel they have already been reconciled, then live like everyone else, without striving to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. There is no effort to share in God’s holiness. As a result, their lives are ruined. If no one reminds them, they will not enter as members of the Kingdom family, nor even as members of the Kingdom community. They may perish. We must realize: God has fulfilled His part; we must fulfill ours.
Many Christians feel that the change of status is enough—already at peace—while their life condition remains in disorder. Some theologians teach, “We are saved not by good works. It doesn’t matter. God does not look at our deeds; He looks at the blood of Jesus that covers us.” Indeed, the blood of Jesus covers us in the first dimension, namely, being “considered righteous.” But then the Word of God says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” That is our part. Do not stop at the first stage, for reconciliation is progressive in nature—it continues to grow until we truly come to be in harmony with God.