Salvation is an event and a process

So, the title should tell all, right?!? Well, it does and yet there's more to say. Today's passage was Matthew 22:1-40, the king preparing a wedding banquet for his son. Well, the parable goes in verses 1-14 that none of the invited guests were showing up and so the king sent out some of his servants to find the guests. It got to the point where some of the servants were being killed by these invited guests. The king got mad and eventually went out and invited anyone and everyone to attend. Thug, homeless, dirty, it didn't matter. They showed up at the wedding and one of the guests didn't have on wedding attire and was kicked out. That's the short version.

Here is the cast:
King-God
Son-Jesus Christ
Invited guests-Jews
Mistreated and killed servants-prophets
Newly invited people-Gentiles
Guest not wearing wedding clothes-unsaved

God is inviting us to Heaven and many people are rejecting Him. Others are mistreating and even killing anyone who is trying to show them the way. Some, like the wrongly-dressed guest, are simply trying to get there on their own. How plainly it is written out in Scripture that we can do NOTHING, least of all gain salvation, of our own doing. Just like I can't save myself, I can't live the Christian life in my own strength. Neither can you.

The only one who can save us is Jesus. He can save us from the wrath of God and He can save us from food. Salvation is both an event and a process. Once I have declared that my faith and trust is in the work of Christ on the cross as my way to heaven, then I must live in such a way to basically demonstrate that grace and mercy to others; to point, in all my thoughts and actions, to the God who saved me, and to give HIM the glory. It's a process. It is conquering little things every day. We need to take hold of that which has taken hold of us, whether it is blogging or eating or scrapbooking or shopping or sleeping or babysitting or special events in life or our pride...if anything-even good things-is taking our attention off of God and His intended purpose for our life, consuming us to be "busy" and therefore putting time with Him on hold, we need to loose that idol, or we stand to lose the true flavor and taste of Him. Isn't God's flavor in our mouths what we want?!?

• God I praise You for Your lovingkindness. It endures forever. Your mercy has reached down to me and Your grace has enveloped me and I am slowly starting to believe that I can taste You and enjoy that taste more than lunch. Who would have thought? I want my body hunger satisfied, but not to the satiating of my soul's hunger. Make my soul cry out for You when I feel like reaching out for something else. It is temporary. You are forever. Thank you for loving me! Thank you for dying for me, knowing full well what I would be. Thank you!