All Aboard? Now What?

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Cor. 1:30

In my post on June 13, 2014, “All Aboard to Those Who Are Coming Aboard,” I talked about the ‘Salvation rail,’ based on Romans 8:30. Aboard the Hallelujah Line; which travels the ‘Salvation rail,’ the believer follows God’s path from predestination to calling and from calling to glory. In that posting too, I spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ as our conductor and in this passage (1 Cor. 1:30), we are told that He was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. Once aboard the Hallelujah Line, this is how and in Whom we travel this earthly plain. Jesus is our blood stained ticket (wisdom of God: 1 Cor. 1:24), conveyance in passage (righteousness: Rom 3:25; and sanctification: 1 Pet 1:2), and ultimately, our seal in judgment to disembark (redemption: Col 1:14.)

Of course, some may ask why wasn’t wisdom, righteousness, sanctification or redemption listed as a stop on the Salvation rail. Why was only predestination, calling and then finally, glory mentioned? Herein is the wisdom and consistency of God in relating to us such spiritual truths: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9) If wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption were added to Romans 8:30, Scripture would have doctrinally buttressed man’s idea that he had the means to purchase the ticket to board; that is, he possessed the wisdom, basic goodness (righteousness) or performed the works necessary (sanctification) to merit passage. If that is what God intended, then Paul would have written Romans 8:30 as follows: “Moreover whom he did foreknow to have wisely decided of their own freewill to choose to believe and whom exhibited sufficient personal righteousness or worked hard enough to sanctify themselves to merit Christ’s blood and justification, those he called, redeemed and glorified.” However that was not the rendering of 8:30, which ironically enough is a common time for train departures. Nonetheless…

Believe it or not, there are those who have boarded that aforementioned and errant 8:30 train with all its added graffiti, but as I wrote yesterday, this world offers a vast range of commuter rails and lines. To ride this one, folks believe they have the personal resources to purchase the ticket and thus, to commute their own sin. Others ride on trains that are driven by doctrines that have made other men (living and dead) the practical conductor; though they say that Jesus is Head and Chief. The fact of the matter is though; based on a plain reading of the Bible and a trust in God for its articulation, our calling to board the Hallelujah Line is based on justification by faith alone, and that by the grace of God. There are no others. Thus, God issues the ticket (our call) by grace through the Holy Spirit (ticket agent), and in faith we present ourselves as sinners to our Lord conductor, Jesus. It is there that our ticket is stamped and we know Him as our righteousness. Were we not told that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin? And was not the One who shed His blood not also our scapegoat? As for our sanctification, once aboard and as we travel towards glory, we are commanded to have the mind of Christ our conductor and to wear our armor. I fear that those who do not see this sanctification occurring in their lives while they are seemingly en route will find that they never left the station. I cannot imagine anyone who would not occasionally take a look out of the window to notice a change in the passing scenery. It should, you know, as it reflects a life in motion, and that, in the mortification (death) of sin and unto holiness where the sunset and rise are One.