Taking God SeriouslySample

In football, everything is measured by the location of the ball. A first down starts where the ball has been placed. A touchdown depends on whether the ball crosses the plane of the goal line. A field goal is when the ball goes between the two posts. Everything is measured by the presence of the football. That reality determines everything that happens in the game, especially the outcome of the game.

Similarly, your relationship to the covenant will determine how much of God you experience, or how little. It will determine how far and how fast you move forward in life. It will determine whether you score or whether you have to keep punting the ball to someone else. Most importantly, it will determine your level of success—whether you win or lose. Your level of success is all about your connection to the covenant.

You may have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and you may have become a child of the King through spiritual rebirth. But if you are not connected by the relationship of the covenant, you don’t get to fully experience His plans for you. Spiritual success is available through a connection called sanctification, not merely through the legal justification.

What’s the difference between being saved and being sanctified?