Conspicuously Absent

If you've been reading my blog, you will have noticed that I am a thinker.  I actually considered naming my blog "Thoughts Pondered". =)  I have also mentioned that I get lots of time to think in the summer when I'm working on my many projects.  Last week, I listened to many messages both from a recent women's conference that my pastor's wife attended, others by a pastor that a brother at church recommended, and also several sermons that I've missed at my home church in recent weeks.

A Scripture passage that seemed to be referenced often (it could just be that it was the one that stuck with me! ;)) was Romans 8:28-30:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8:28-30


I was talking to Shorty about this, & I asked him what was missing from that verse.  I told him that I always want to insert "sanctified" between "justified" and "glorified".  So I had been pondering that for several days last week... I told Shorty that I think "sanctified" is conspicuously absent because it is a process.  I've never met a Christian who doesn't believe in God's work of making his people more like Christ.  As I was thinking about it, the "foreknew" is something that is just innate to God, you know, the whole "omniscient" thing. =)  The "predestined" and "called" are kind of immediately flowing from the "foreknew".  And the "justified" and "glorified"-- (even though we are not glorified YET, it is a DEFINITE eventuality!)-- are both instantaneous.

But sanctification is a rather LLLOOOOONNNGGG process! ;)  I mentioned yesterday that I was nervous about what God had in store for me.  The general pattern holds: I had a rich meal in the Word, and then He REALLY worked out my spiritual "muscles".  By the time Shorty came in at lunch, I was frazzled and no longer fighting my sin.  But God is so FAITHFUL!  One of the first things that Shorty said to me was, "I really enjoyed your blog this morning."  And I went, "OOPS!  Like I said, near-stellar failure!" =P  But that comment served to draw me back into the battle, & my attitude improved. =)  God is so GRACIOUS! =)  And just like being glorified is CERTAIN, so is the process of sanctification. =)