A Lifelong Walk with Christ

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Some teach today that a true Christian will never sin after they become a believer. The hyper-grace heretical teachers teach this. In John’s first epistle, he destroys this heretical teaching with one sentence, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.“ (1John 1:8)

It is true that when an individual becomes a born-again believer, their sins, past, present, and future, have been forgiven. Their salvation is secure (Romans 8:1). However, we will still sin as believers. When that happens, we are to repent of that sin and pray that we do not repeat that same sin over and over.

Paul reminds the church in Philippi that our sanctification process is a lifelong endeavor. When someone first puts their faith in Jesus, something amazing happens: God makes them a new creation and calls them His own. But becoming like Jesus isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s a journey that takes your whole life. We call this progressive sanctification. Theological words that mean, throughout a believer’s life, they grow little by little to be more like Jesus.

Sometimes, it’s easy to get discouraged. Maybe you stumble, or you feel like you’re stuck in the same place. But here’s the good news: God isn’t done with you. He started a good work in your life, and He promises to keep working until the job is finished.You’re not alone. His Spirit is right there with you, helping you grow in love, patience, kindness, and all those things that make you more like Jesus.

Growing in holiness doesn’t mean being perfect all at once. It means taking it one day at a time, choosing to follow God, confessing when you mess up, and trusting Him to help you change. Every small step forward counts. This is a journey, not a race. God’s timing is perfect, and He has all the power you need to become the person He made you to be.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark