Salvation is only the beginning of Christ’s work in our hearts. The story of the exodus from Egypt did not end with the passover. The next task the Lord gave the people of Israel was to clean all the leaven from their homes. This begins the process of transformation, a total clean sweep of sin in our lives. A Jewish woman once told me that this ceremony involves sweeping every inch of the house, dusting everything, taking all pictures, knick-knacks, etc. from their place, sweeping every corner of the floor and walls. Every inch of our hearts must be examined and rid of sin. This is the work of the Holy Spirit that we allow to begin immediately. Notice it begins immediately. It is not completed immediately. Transformation is a lifelong work, not an immediate occurrence, and it requires our continual consent.
The Israelites were also to use bunches of hyssop to apply the lamb’s blood to their door posts and lintel. Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary uses the analogy of the hyssop representing faith. As the hyssop applied the blood, so our faith applies the blood of Jesus to our hearts. It is an exercise of faith, and salvation does not occur without our consent.
From here, the Israelites had to obey the Lord. A call to obedience and opportunities to exercise obedience were immediate. The people first had to follow Moses out of Egypt. Then they exercised faith yet again in the parting of the Red Sea. Still further, they obediently followed the pillar of clouds and fire. The Lord also provided for them, as they trusted in Him, with water and food.
Salvation begins a process of transformation, total cleansing of sin, and a process of learning to trust the Lord for what we need and for our direction in life.
The reason for this is because in accepting the benefits of salvation and accepting Jesus as our substitute, we are indebted to Him with our very lives, and obedience and trust are not just natural responses but also expectations of the Lord. In other words, salvation is the beginning of our service to the Lord, whether it be as a missionary, minister, or an ordinary person who can influence people in the community and workplace.
If we do not do this, we will frustrate the Lord’s work in the world and miss out on the purposes He has for our lives. We know this because the people of Israel ultimately refused to believe in the Lord even after all He did in the exodus from Egypt, and it caused them to miss their re-entry into the promised land. So too, we can miss out on heaven and the best the Lord has for us if we lack the faith required to accept His salvation and work out His transformation process.
Be sure to also read the post on salvation to have a more full understanding of sanctification.
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