Recognizing The Default Setting

By pastorbillwalden

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

We all have natural tendencies and a certain kind of disposition that makes us who we are.  When we come to Christ, those tendencies don’t automatically disappear, nor would we want some of them to disappear.  A lot of our natural tendencies are very useful as we dedicate them to God.

But as the writer of Ecclesiastes tells, us, there is a time in life for an opposite response from what our natural tendencies might lead us to do.

Some of our default settings need to be overruled.  We shouldn’t always respond to every situation the same way.  Jesus didn’t respond to everyone the same way, but responded according to the need of the moment, as He was led by the Holy Spirit.

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Being Saved From The Default Setting

By pastorbillwalden

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

The Christian is both saved and being saved. We are completely justified when we come to Christ in faith.  We call that saved.

Yet there is another sense in which are are continually being saved, even though we are saved.

The word saved is sozo, pronounced sode’-zo. It means: to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, make whole.

So, the Christian has been saved (delivered) from God’s judgment, but is continuing to be saved (made whole) in regards to growing and maturing. They have been forgiven of their sins, but are being made more complete, more emotionally healthy, more spiritually whole.

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