My Dear Friends in Christ; I wonder today how your spiritual growth has been, have you been pulling yourself up to the Masters table and feasting upon the solid food of Gods word? Were told to grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ; this being the very invitation to allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into the person God wants is to be and to empower us in reaching for the holiness that Jesus himself showed us how to live. In 2 Peter 3:10-18 from the New International Version (NIV) Bible we are told: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. The true servant of Christ will find that theres nothing easy about serving God in this world we live in for its temptations are ever abounding and living a holy lifestyle is not easily done; this is why Peter encouraged you and I to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus; for Peter understood that as we mature in the word of God living lifestyles holy and perfected in the power of the Holy Spirit does prepare us for the return of Christ. Peter makes very clear that spiritual growth is the very defense against false teachings and misinterpretations of Gods word. This maturity is the only way that we can keep going on this most narrow path to Glory and without maturity in the word you will find yourself crying out I give up, I quit, I cant take it anymore, Im not strong enough, I cant do this; not realizing you have fallen into the trap of the deceiver as it causes you to focus on you and not on Christ. The enemy knows if he can get your focus on you and not on the power and might of the one who died in your sins and was resurrected in the newness and power of God he can defeat you. This is why Paul said: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:17-20 New International Version (NIV) Bible. What Satan does not want you to know is that you have the very spirit of God dwelling inside of you; giving you the very power to overcome all temptations and all evil; so that you can live the same lifestyle that Jesus Christ himself lived. This is why scripture calls Satan the deceiver; for a deceiver wants you to believe that you dont have power in Christ! Their whole purpose is to remove your hope in Christ; because when there is no hope you will turn towards a sin nature driving you deeper and deeper into the darkness so that you become unable to see the glorious power you received at the cross of Christ. You and I have this command to renew our minds daily in Christ; this being through the word of God and prayer and fellowship with true believers. This being our sacrifice before God; a sacrifice of our time and He accepts this sacrifices by giving us more of His might and power so that we can continue to be overcomers by the word of our testimony. Without this strategy of living holy lifestyles we are easily influenced by ungodly people. This is why scripture makes very clear that we are to set ourselves apart from the lifestyles of nonbelievers. At first this type of sacrifices can be very painful causing one to feel left out, lonely, and even ostracized but God has given you this promise that his grace is all sufficient to walk you through the darkest of times and the most painful of seasons if we will only believe, trust and obey all of His word and the written examples God has given us to mold our daily living by. May the God of peace unfold for you the wonderful mystery of the love He has for you as He teaches you to walk in that love taking you all the way to eternal fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and all the host as found in the Kingdom of God. Amen
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:14:47 +0000
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