Printer-Friendly  |  Share This  

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that God is a working God, creating holy, righteous, divine character with the goal of recreating man in His image. From the time of our justification until our glorification in God's Kingdom, it almost seems 'downhill,' with sanctification being a difficult road. Works are not only required during sanctification, but they determine to a great degree the magnitude of our ultimate reward. We are God's creation, created for good works. As the clay, we must allow God to mold us into whatever He wants, cooperating with Him until we are fully in the image of His Son, a brand new spiritual creation. Until then, we are commanded to make life-and-death choices, with the emphatic admonition of choosing life or putting on Christ and putting off the old man. We are begotten children of God, protected within the metaphorical womb of the church, until the spiritual birth at our resurrection. We are also metaphorically a work in progress, as in the construction of parts of a building. Ultimately, all individuals who have ever lived will be judged according to the quality of their works; people will be judged according to what they do after they make the covenant with God. Works are required and rewarded.

According to their works Begotten Born again Building, God's Building process Called out ones Character Choice(s) Christians resting on their oars Conforming to image of Christ Disloyalty Eternal security doctrine Forgiveness Fullness of God's Purpose Glory of God Godly character Government Image of Christ Image of God Grace Judiciously righteous Justification Loving loyalty to Jesus Christ Ministry, job of New covenant New Creation Old covenant Parable of the sheep and the goats Parable of the talents Perish Pink, Arthur Putting off old man Putting on new man Regeneration Rewards Salvation Sanctification Sin Tests Truth Witness Work(s) Wrong