YOUR OPPORTUNITY

2 Corinthians 6:4-10  As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses … in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God … through glory and dishonor … known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich …

       Serving God’s grace to others can take us though some difficulties.  To get the message of God’s grace, love, and salvation across to others involves sacrificial living on our part.  But when we think about what our salvation and eternal life cost it’s the opportunity we have to give back to God.

FIGHT, NOT FLIGHT

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.  Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NLT)

Paul gave instructions to Timothy for healthy and victorious Christian living.  Raising the awareness of spiritual war in which we’re all involved, Paul tells Timothy to fight well. 

Instead of using our energy to fight among ourselves, God wants us to put our energy into the fight for the gospel, making more devoted followers of Christ.  Paul tells Timothy to “cling to his faith in Christ.”  Sometimes we need to go back to our spiritual roots, our calling from God to be re-energized.  We need to refresh our hearts and minds with the life purpose God has entrusted to us. We need to remind ourselves of Whose we are and who we are in our relationship with Christ.  We need to read often in the Scriptures of how much God loves us and how great His grace is to us, greater than our sin and our flaws.  A clear conscience is essential for our victory in the battle.  If our conscience, our inner hearts are polluted with impurities and unconfessed sin, then we are vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.

Stay fit for the fight.

Suit up in the spiritual armor of God each day (Eph. 5:10-18).

Take the time to recapture your calling God has given you.

Take steps of faith forward.

Keep your conscience cleansed.

RECEIVING WHAT GOD PROMISES

“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live.  If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.  Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you” (Deuteronomy 6:1-3 NLT).

God gave a reason for Israel to obey His commands and follow His instructions.  They were to revere the Lord and obey Him.  Then they would possess the land, enjoy life, it would go well with them, they would increase in number, and they would enjoy God’s provision.  This is what the Lord promised.

What we can take from this is the spiritual principle of meeting the conditions God gives in order to receive what He promises.  In other words as we live in obedience according to God’s Word we will possess the promises according to His Word.  When we work at putting into practice what we find in the Scriptures, God will deliver on the promises He makes to us in the Scriptures.  And that’s when we enjoy real living – living the “new life” in Christ, fullness of life.  That’s when all will go well with your soul, with your inner person, your heart, and you’ll know the peace of Christ within.  And that’s when your life has an impact on others and your influence for Christ multiplies.  And the Lord will meet all your needs. 

•  Express reverence to the Lord God.
•  Listen to His instructions.
• Take the time and trouble to put God’s Word into your life.

HABITS

We can override a habit by willpower for a moment or two.  Over the long run, our habits will always defeat our willpower.  Our only hope is not a stronger will; but rather a new set of habits. 

 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:12-13

What’s the solution for living according to righteous habits?  It’s found in the previous verse:  See yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11 NCV).

We must die to “self” but not to our “God-given self”.  We die to the “sinful self”.  But we die in hope.  And that is what leads to life with a new set of good habits.