The Birth of Antiquing
Previously, I shared about two people, who amidst the antiquing of life, antiqued with beauty and grace, honor to God. However, today, I want to back up a little and talk about the antiquing process itself.
We live in a fallen world. Once sin entered into the heart of man, the whole creation was subjected to death. The antiquing process began, because of sin. The day will come when creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of antiquing, and the children of God will enter into glorious freedom in the presence of God Almighty. Until that day, the antiquing continues and creation moans and groans as in childbirth for what is to come (Romans 8:18-24). As Christians, we eagerly wait to see Him as He is, and to be pure and holy before Him.
In the meantime, all mankind is being tested by fire, just as gold is purified by fire (Mark 9:49). God has provided the means for all who have received Jesus Christ, into our lives, to go through the antiquing process of life with His power. The testing by fire burns the impurities of our lives away little by little, and what remains is pure and holy in the eyes of God. He gives us a new heart. His Holy Spirit comes into our lives and begins the work of transforming us into His image, His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is a process that will not be completed until we are with Him in Heaven. His Spirit within us begins changing our desires to the desires of Jesus, “not my will, but thine be done.”
As we submit our lives to Him, He removes the impurities in our lives and prepares us for the life to come. He gives us peace with Him, so that we are no longer enemies doomed to the destruction of sin. He renews our minds with His word and His Spirit. As we read and meditate on His word, His word has the power to cleanse us, to transform us (Romans 12:1-2). The transformation begins and progresses, not because we have human strength, but we have been given divine strength, the power to do what our flesh and blood does not want to do. His power within us gives us contentment regardless of the circumstances. Our flesh and blood desires contentment based on our circumstances. His power within us enables us to rejoice in Him regardless of what is happening to us. It is His transforming power that purifies our hearts. Our impurities are burnt away as gold is purified by fire. In the end of our earthly lives, what is left is purified gold, refined by the fire of life.
He also gives us His divine peace, which has nothing to do with external circumstances, but everything to do with the power of the Holy Spirit within us. This is a peace which the world cannot begin to understand, much less experience. It takes having the Holy Spirit within us to experience it.
We are not robots. God does a work of transforming us into His image as we submit our lives to Him. His power enables us to walk fearlessly through the valley of the shadow of death, because He is with us and in us enabling us to do the impossible. He has an inheritance for us that is undefiled, priceless and kept in Heaven for us, beyond our reach of change and decay. We live with great expectation of what is to come, and great praise for who He is, and great thanksgiving for the blessings of fellowship with Him right now on earth (1 Peter 1:3-9).