For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 2Peter 1:8-9 (NKJV)
Q:Have weve forgotten that we have been cleansed from our old sins?
Q:Are we spiritually shortsighted, or even blind?
These are good questions that are proposed in the scriptures above, as we are told that those whove either forgotten that theyve been forgiven much, or those who just dont possess certain attributes, are just either shortsighted or blind!
Q:So what have we been forgiven?
A:Everything that we have done that was wrong according to Gods will.
Q:So, as Christians, what have we been given?
A:Here are a just a few of the things weve been given.
"He has forgiven us of our sin (1John 1:9).
"He has given us eternal life (John 3:15).
"He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us in every aspect of your life (John 14:16-17).
"He has given us freedom from the bondage of sin (Rom 6:6,7).
"He has given us the power to overcome any temptation that we face (1 Corinthians 10:13).
"He has given us the promise that He has a plan for each of our lives specifically (Jeremiah 29:11).
"He has told us that we have a new body waiting for us when we see Him face to face, once we are absent from this body (2 Corinthians 5:1; 1Corinthians 13:10,12).
By Gods divine power, He has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him. And because of his glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable us to share His divine nature and escape the worlds corruption caused by human desires.
Were then told that we should make every effort to respond to Gods promises. How are we to do this? Were to add to our faith with moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, Godliness, brotherly affection, and lastly, a love for everyone (See 1 Peter 1:5-7).
As Christians were either thinking upon what God has done for us and building upon it, or were slowly but surely forgetting about what He has done. When this happens, our faith is being damaged, and our walk becomes dormant, and we are becoming Spiritually Disconnected! And were sliding back into that pattern of lifestyle that we have been delivered from. And scripture is real clear what returning to this old nature is like.
As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11 (NKJV)
I dont know about you, but a vomit omelet doesnt sound all that well.
Hey Christian, lets try to remember daily what weve been given by the Lord. Lets ask Him to continue to strengthen us in our walk, and to build upon Jesus as the foundation of our life. Lets seek to have those attributes that are called out in 1 Peter 1:5-7; attributes that every healthy Christian walk should have.
We dont need to strive to accomplish these things. We need to stay in the Word, keep praying, and simply apply what God is teaching us on a daily basis.
If you have not been enjoying the freedom and the joy of knowing the Lord, I want to encourage you to let God empower you today to walk in a new direction. Spend more time with Him today.
STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn about our spiritual walk by the scriptures listed in this devotional?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Have you forgotten what the Lord has done for you, or do you have a continuous joy in your heart because of it?
APPLICATION: Start your day, and make time during your busy day to reflect upon what God has done, and take time to thank him and spend time with Him.
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