From the beginning of this dollhouse project, my husband said we needed to be very careful with each piece. During the painting process, it was important that the paint didn’t drip, because that would cause it to be out of line with the rest of the pieces. During the sanding process, we had to be sure that just the right amount was sanded or it would fit.
Here’s
the thing. If we hadn’t paid attention to the details, it would not have turned
out the way it was supposed to. It would not have looked like a house. Or at
least not a pleasant-looking house.
It’s
the same with our spiritual lives. If we haven’t taken care of the details of
our faith, it’s hard to say what the outcome might be. But if we follow God’s
plan and pay attention to the details, the results will be exactly what God
intended us to be.
God
planned that we would be “His chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (1 Peter 2:9
– NIV)
So
how do we get to this point? What steps (details) do we need to take to become
exactly what God intended us to be?
We must believe
There
is a lot that we simply must have faith in. We must believe that God’s Word is
living and active and that God breathed life into each verse. (Hebrews 4:12; 2
Timothy 3:16)
We
must believe that Jesus is God’s Son, sent to be the Messiah, the Savior of
mankind. (John 3:15-16; 1 John 5:1; 5:5; Romans 3:22)
We
must believe that Jesus was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and rose
to life to prove victory over death. (Luke 24:46-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)
We must repent
Repentance
means to turn completely around. To go the opposite direction of our original
path. So for a believer, we must put to death the sinful nature in order for
the spiritual nature to be visible. (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Acts
3:19)
We must confess
You’ve
heard it before, Peter’s great confession of our Lord. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 –
NIV) Yes, we must proclaim it as well. (Matthew 16:16; 2 Timothy 2:19)
We must be baptized
Jesus
teaches that baptism is part of the salvation plan and was himself baptized.
Peter preached it on the day of Pentecost. Paul also was baptized and preached baptism.
(Matthew 3:13; 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 9:18; Galatians 3:27)
We must live
Live
lives that bring honor, glory and praise to God who has freely lavished grace
upon us. There are plenty of passages that lead us in this direction, but I’m just
listing two here. (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:10)
We must tell
If
in fact we have the greatest news mankind has ever heard, why do we keep
silent? Why isn’t His message on the tip of our tongues constantly? I don’t
know the answer to that question, but I know that Scriptures tell me to share
the Gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47)
These
are the “details” of our spiritual lives. They each fit perfectly with the
next, like a plan, and exactly as God intended. By paying attention to each of
these details, we ensure that our salvation will be complete.
Oh,
I know that we’ll mess up along the way. I know that a detail will be missed or
we’ll botch it up. But please know that God can take all those mishaps, those
imperfections, and turn them into a thing of beauty. That’s an added bonus of loving
God. Grace.
If
you have a question about these “details,” I’d be happy to chat with you. I do
know that there is nothing like being in God’s grace.
I’d
also love to hear your story of grace. How your faith has been built through
the years. What God’s grace means to you. Would you be willing to share?
In
the end, the pieces of the dollhouse went together pretty well. There were a
few pieces that didn’t quite fit, but a little sand paper and caulk covered a
lot of mistakes. Please don’t look too closely at the dollhouse. You just might
find those mistakes.
Grace
and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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