http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%203:2&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil%203:20-21&version=NIV1984
D. O. A. These are not the kind of initials you want to see. Especially for a loved one. These initials are used frequently in emergency rooms all across America. And also in police reports. They stand for = Dead On Arrival. In other words, these initials mean that the person who was taken to the ER was already dead when they arrived. As opposed to dying in the ER. This could involve a person who was killed at the scene of an accident or crime. Or who died while being transported to the hospital. Either way it means the person died before they were able to receive the benefit of being treated at the ER. Not that being treated in an ER is a guarantee for survival. But at least if a person can make it alive to the ER it increases the likelihood that they will survive.
As negative as D. O. A. is, I was thinking about these initials in an entirely different context. As Christians we are in the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus. (See Romans 8:29). This process is known as sanctification. This is a lifelong process. Every day the Holy Spirit is doing some remodeling work in our lives. Pulling up some old habits here. Some negative thought patterns there. And replacing them with godly habits. And holy thoughts. At times we can despair because there is so much work that needs to be done. And, quite frankly, that work isn’t going to be complete this side of Heaven. This is where D. O. A. comes in.
Someday, after we die, we are going to experience D. O. A. the moment we reach Heaven. Done On Arrival! The process of sanctification will be completed. And we will exist in our final state. Glorified. Reflecting the full image of God in our entire being. No more ‘self’ to contend and struggle with. No more sinful urges and desires that keep nipping at our heels, trying to get us to stray from God’s path. Everything to do with sin and self will be gone. We will finally be all that God originally created us to be. All that we long to be. Isn’t this a great thought to consider!
On those days when our sanctification seems to be going very slow. On those days when it seems like we take 1 step forward and 3 steps back. On those days when we get tired of lugging our sinful nature all over the place, there is hope. The promise of God for us is that at the moment we arrive in Heaven we will be D. O. A. Done On Arrival. Now that is certainly something to get excited about!
Lord, there are times when Your work in transforming me seems to be very slow. And there are other times when I wonder whether I may have actually regressed! How comforting it is to know that someday I will be free. Free from the world. Free from Satan. Free from my sinful nature that keeps trying to hinder me from serving you. I will be Done On Arrival! May this hope be a source of encouragement and strength for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As negative as D. O. A. is, I was thinking about these initials in an entirely different context. As Christians we are in the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus. (See Romans 8:29). This process is known as sanctification. This is a lifelong process. Every day the Holy Spirit is doing some remodeling work in our lives. Pulling up some old habits here. Some negative thought patterns there. And replacing them with godly habits. And holy thoughts. At times we can despair because there is so much work that needs to be done. And, quite frankly, that work isn’t going to be complete this side of Heaven. This is where D. O. A. comes in.
Someday, after we die, we are going to experience D. O. A. the moment we reach Heaven. Done On Arrival! The process of sanctification will be completed. And we will exist in our final state. Glorified. Reflecting the full image of God in our entire being. No more ‘self’ to contend and struggle with. No more sinful urges and desires that keep nipping at our heels, trying to get us to stray from God’s path. Everything to do with sin and self will be gone. We will finally be all that God originally created us to be. All that we long to be. Isn’t this a great thought to consider!
On those days when our sanctification seems to be going very slow. On those days when it seems like we take 1 step forward and 3 steps back. On those days when we get tired of lugging our sinful nature all over the place, there is hope. The promise of God for us is that at the moment we arrive in Heaven we will be D. O. A. Done On Arrival. Now that is certainly something to get excited about!
Lord, there are times when Your work in transforming me seems to be very slow. And there are other times when I wonder whether I may have actually regressed! How comforting it is to know that someday I will be free. Free from the world. Free from Satan. Free from my sinful nature that keeps trying to hinder me from serving you. I will be Done On Arrival! May this hope be a source of encouragement and strength for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment