WOL NY Mission Trip Day Two

Day Two at Word of Life! Today we did various projects around the Bible Institute campus, including roofing at the Ranch and weeding flowerbeds. While we were working, we started thinking about how these projects apply to our life. We discussed how our work here at Word of Life ties into a Christian life through justification, sanctification, and glorification.

During the day, the men in our team worked on tearing off an old roof and putting on a new one. We thought about how this is a picture of the justification Christ gives to believers. In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul says, "Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." We saw that the men taking off the old, deteriorated roof is a parallel to putting off our old, corrupt selves, and how putting on the brand new roof is a parallel to putting on our new selves in Christ. Our former manner of life was dirty and unclean like the old roof, but because of Christ's justification, we are in God's true righteousness and holiness, just like the new roof we put on today. Now that we are justified by faith, we need to daily live for Christ.

Today, the women on our team were pulling up weeds in the gardens around the campus. As we were working on this, we noticed that this is a good picture of how we sanctify ourselves daily as justified Christians. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This shows that we need to continue to repent of our ongoing sin, just like the weeds we pulled today will need to be pulled again. This verse says that when we confess, God will forgive us and cleanse us of our sin. This is similar to how when the weeds are pulled, the garden is "cleansed" of its hinderances and is free to grow. Our goal in the sanctification of our life is to enter into the glory of God after death.

Looking at the big picture of our work here at Word of Life, we saw how the greatness of camp happens because of the smallness of people's service. In Matthew 25:21, Jesus says, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." Today we saw that our simple, small task of pulling weeds and roofing all make the much bigger camp possible. All of camp is greater than the sum of its parts. Our glorification will be complete when we enter into our Father's joy and can praise God with all we are.

Our justification, sanctification, and glorification are essential parts in our walk with God. Ultimately, today, tomorrow, and every day, we need to praise God with our works and live a life that is glorifying to Him.