By faith we enter a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Our salvation is secured by Christ’s work on Calvary’s cross. It has nothing to do with our human effort, wisdom or character. However, The Bible gives us clues on how to walk in perfection. Peter calls us to apply diligence to our faith, so that we will live in moral excellence, which gives us knowledge. Knowledge comes from learning what God expects us to know and how to act upon it, which brings self-control.
Self-control
allows us to walk in God’s precepts and this leads us to perseverance. This
perseverance produces Godliness within our soul. Godliness guarantees that we
walk in brotherly kindness. Then, once we develop kindness as our practice,
God’s Agape love produces perfection in our life. God gives His Agape love to
us, in order for us to love the world for Him. Each Godly quality builds upon the
qualities before it.
We
express Agape love to family members, fellow believers, as well as to the unregenerate
sinners who still live in the world (1
Thessalonians 3:12; Matthew 5:43-48).
Our heart aches for their ultimate demise in hell if they do not repent and call on Christ to save them (1 John
4:19; 1 Peter 2:9). This Agape love
calls us to share the gospel with others so we can bring as many people into
the glories of heaven as is possible during our lifetime. Where do these character qualities come
from? God provides us with everything necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter
1:3-4). When we submit to the Holy
Spirit, He works His fruit into our personality.
Conversely,
neglecting Peter’s instruction diminishes our perception of and confidence in
the salvation God has provided for us, and also sets us up for failure, which
reduces the rewards we receive in heaven (2 Peter
1:8-11). Christ in us gives us the hope
of living in glory now and for eternity (Colossians
1:24-27). We become partakers of
His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and
live with Him by His Spirit to bring glory to Our Father (Ephesians
1:1-12; 3:10).
When
we heed the prompting of the Spirit of God, we will walk in holiness before our
Maker (Romans 8:1-8; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, 3:16-17, 4:6). His righteousness gives us moral excellence as we set
Biblical standards as the goal for our character. We also read in the Bible
about a great cloud of witnesses who lived before us and whose example we can
follow in persisting in holiness to the end, so that we do not grow weary or
lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).
People disappear from the earth all the time. Did some of them, like Enoch (Genesis
5:24), walk with God in perfection?
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus, through Your sacrificial work on Calvary’s cross, You did for us what we
could not do for ourselves. We gratefully receive Your free gift of eternal
life (Romans 6:23). Our suffering in
life is actually light and momentary when compared to the glories of living
with You for eternity (2
Corinthians 4:17). Help us to walk as
one with Your Spirit, to exhibit Godly character and to live as Your Agape love
in this world, until You call us home to enjoy Your presence in the glories in
Heaven.
Thought for the Day:
|
Only those who follow
God’s pathway will rest in peace when they die. – Isaiah 57:2
|
