inheritance in the history of human- ity—becoming full members in the Kingdom and Family of God. Hebrews 10:32–36 reminds Chris- tians: But recall the former days in which, after you were illu - minated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings… For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. The process of godly transforma- tion is an active pursuit, both chal- lenging and deeply fulfilling. And while society is a constant source of distraction and frustration, true Christians must endure the struggle,
God’s Laws in spirit and truth. Each one of us should be in a state of constant, honest self-examination, asking God to reveal sins and weak- nesses to overcome. Self-evaluation
Awake out of sleep… put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to ful - fill its lusts “No provisions” means leaving no tolerance for sin. God’s people can- not supply, even inadvertently, hu- man weakness. Nevertheless, we have to go even further and replace sin with fruits of holy, righteous character. Jesus Christ summarized obedience to God’s Law in Matthew 22:37-39: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… and… you shall love your neighbor as yourself. These lawful demonstrations of love require the use of God’s Holy Spirit, and with the mind of God and His Spirit of power, we can overcome the “wretched” nature of man (Ro- mans 7:24-25). We are called upon to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, imitating His humble approach, as we strive to seek Him and love Him with all our heart and every ounce of our be- ing.
We are in the era marked by complacency, a lack of urgency, and diminished zeal.
eyes focused on the future ultimate achievement. Becoming more like God gives purpose to every day of this life, and everyone He has called should strive to meet every chal- lenge with a certain level of excite- ment and passion reflecting a genu - ine desire. Putting Out Sin and Putting On Christ Instructionally, the process of re- pentance and transforming lives involves two foundational steps, which work hand in hand producing fruits of righteousness. First, put out sin, clearly defined in 1 John 3:4 as “lawlessness”. This includes any and all failure to obey
can be difficult, yet it has the ability to produce real change. In Psalm 19:12-13, King David asked God to be cleansed of “se- cret faults”, and represents how dif- ficult it can be for anyone to truly see themselves. In humility, God’s people are to make no excuse for transgression and continue the pur- suit of His righteousness. Christians must ask God to scrub and cleanse them out, knowing that God chas- tens every son He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11). The second step is to put on Christ. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 13 verses 11-14 we are admonished to:
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