Cataract Surgery and Sanctification
The time came last year when our eye doctor said a change in glasses would not improve our vision any more, only cataract surgery could. While we knew many had been through this successfully, there was a certain amount of trepidation. These were our eyes, after all. But we went through with all the procedures.
Now that we are on the other side of the surgeries, here is how I compare cataract surgery with sanctification.
You have to trust others. In having the procedures, we had to trust not only the surgeon but those assisting, and that the eye drops prescribed would have the desired effect. In sanctification, as Paul wrote to the Philippians, while we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, it is God who is at work in us "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (2:12-13).
With eye surgery, you have to follow instructions before and after. The doctor gave us specific instructions as to what we were to do to prepare and then to recover. Scripture gives Christians instructions. As Peter wrote in his second letter: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust" (1:2-4). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (3:16-17).
You do see things differently after cataract surgery.
What you thought you saw clearly, now you see more clearly.
You still have to take care following surgery; just because you have begun, doesn't mean you can take any risk afterwards without considering bad consequences to your eyes' recovery. In regards to the sanctification process, see what the writer of Hebrews had to say in chapter 12: "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, if we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness....Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord" (vv. 7-11, 14).
You will probably still need reading glasses after cataract surgery. That process is something that improves your physical vision, but only with glorification will you really see and know spiritually--"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Now that we are on the other side of the surgeries, here is how I compare cataract surgery with sanctification.
You have to trust others. In having the procedures, we had to trust not only the surgeon but those assisting, and that the eye drops prescribed would have the desired effect. In sanctification, as Paul wrote to the Philippians, while we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, it is God who is at work in us "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (2:12-13).
With eye surgery, you have to follow instructions before and after. The doctor gave us specific instructions as to what we were to do to prepare and then to recover. Scripture gives Christians instructions. As Peter wrote in his second letter: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust" (1:2-4). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (3:16-17).
You do see things differently after cataract surgery.
What you thought you saw clearly, now you see more clearly.
You still have to take care following surgery; just because you have begun, doesn't mean you can take any risk afterwards without considering bad consequences to your eyes' recovery. In regards to the sanctification process, see what the writer of Hebrews had to say in chapter 12: "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, if we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness....Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord" (vv. 7-11, 14).
You will probably still need reading glasses after cataract surgery. That process is something that improves your physical vision, but only with glorification will you really see and know spiritually--"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
posted by Ebeth | 11:31 AM
2 Comments:
Wow; I wish I could pretend to not be amazed by your relentless Worship via His Gift pouring through you for His Glory & Our [His Body] mutual benefit In Christ. Still, I cannot pretend; you & your Beloved Garry continually amaze both myself & my Beloved Eva from when our households first met! It is indeed a very High Honor to serve Him beside you. We Love you so much. Faithwalker/HolyFaith :-)
The poetry is excellent. Spring illuminates the inevitable winter. I will remember that.
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