~ Faithfulness Will Allow You To Finish The Race Strong ~
Overview Scripture ~ “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-11).
Series Scripture ~ “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25). It is important to note that while this passage lists nine fruits of the Spirit it is not a complete list—which includes “all goodness, righteousness, and truth” as seen above in Ephesians 5.
Comment ~ Faithfulness in a Christian will result in finishing strong. The Apostle Paul could say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Do you long for His return to take you to be with Him forever in heaven? “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).
Natural Man ~ The natural man puts their faith in another man such as a preacher—not realizing they too have feet of clay. The only One who is truly faithful and who deserves our faithfulness is Jesus Christ. On earth, the Word of God and Jesus Christ deserve our faithfulness.
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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