DILIGENCE - If our faith is real, then it will show in our Godly behavior. We must be diligent to feed ourselves a steady diet of Godly truth so we can grow spiritually. We must take our walk with the Lord seriously, for if we do then the chance of backsliding or being deceived by false teachers will be minimized.
The result of our relationship with the Lord should begin with faith and trust and end with us loving others, even as Christ loves us ... unconditionally. If we’d like to grow in the things of God, we need to follow his example as shown to us in the Gospels and remember what has been taught to us. We need to be faithfully obedient in all things that pertain to God.
Growth is necessary, for if we don’t grow we stagnate. It’s very much like a pond that doesn’t have a source flowing fresh water into it. It will become stagnant. We need to drink of the free flowing water of life that comes from God’s Word on a daily basis. It’s like trying to grow flowers or vegetables in a garden. It requires time and effort. It requires regular weeding; it requires fertilizer, and it requires water to make them grow. If we do nothing to cultivate the garden it will die and so will we spiritually if we don’t carefully persevere in our effort to absorb as much of God as humanly possible. How else can we stay prepared for the time Jesus returns for his church?
FALSE TEACHERS - The 1st Century believers were warned by Peter to beware of false teaching. These heretics are prideful. They promote sexual sin and advise against keeping the Ten Commandments. Peter countered their false teachings by pointing to the Spirit-inspired scriptures as our absolute authority.
Christians must have spiritual discernment to be able to resist these false teachers. God can rescue us from their abject lies if we stay true to his Word and reject all those who distort the truth by what they say. The only way to gain and increase our ability to discern what is from God and what isn’t is to train ourselves by praying for that ability. God doesn’t withhold his gifts from us, but rather wishes us to flourish in all Godly things.
CHRIST’S RETURN - There will come a day when Christ will create a new heaven and a new earth. This is where we will live forever. Our hope rests in this promise, and God has never reneged on any of his promises ... ever. Christ’s return will come at the end of the age. We have no idea when either the Rapture of the church or Christ’s 2nd Coming will be. That is why it is imperative that we stay ready. We don’t want to be asleep at the wheel when the blessed event takes place. When Christ DOES return he will be coming to exact judgment of all those who have refused to believe.
There is a cure for complacency, lawlessness, and heresy and that is having the confident assurance that Christ will indeed return for us. Since it is not God’s will that ANY would perish, he holds off his return to give unbelievers every opportunity to repent. As Christians, we need to stay ready by continuing to trust God and resist the pressure to give up waiting for Christ’s return.
Next we will take our first look at the 1st of 3 letters written by the Apostle John. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Source: The Life Application Study Bible.
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