Craig T. Owens

This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.

Sanctified Specimens

     May God save us from the selfish meanness of a sanctified life which says, “I am saved and sanctified, look what a wonderful specimen I am.” If we are saved and sanctified we have lost sight of ourselves absolutely, self is effaced, it is not there. 

     …We are saved and sanctified for God, not to be specimens in His showroom, but for God to do with us even as He did with Jesus, makes us broken bread and poured-out wine as He chooses. 

From Bringing Sons Unto Glory

The apostle Paul said it this way, “You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20, AMPC). And he wrote later, “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world” (1 Corinthians 7:23, NLT).

If God has changed you, don’t try to remain a specimen on the shelf, don’t posture and pose. In fact, stop thinking about how good you look because that only glorifies you.

Instead, let God by glorified as you allow Him to use you as a living, breathing example of how He can totally change someone’s life.