Today's focus - verses 5-9: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. ("Them" of course, being the qualities of faith, goodness, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love in increasing measure.)
Let us look at this like a mathematical equation:
Not having "them" = forgetful of the cleansing from sin.
Having "them" = remembrance of the cleansing from sin.
An equal sign means that the statement is true in either order, therefore: remembrance of the cleansing from sin = having "them".
Satan wants you to think you are the same old person, with the same old sins, and that keeps you stuck where you are. His only real power over believers is to deceive them into thinking the Blood of Christ was ineffective. So remember...REMEMBER...if you have accepted Jesus Christ, He has cleansed you from ALL your sin, you are a new person in Him, and He is within you. Remember this and have a little faith...then...add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accurately restated, you will be EFFECTIVE and PRODUCTIVE in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All from remembering that which you knew when you first accepted Him.
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Questions:
1. What do you think of this perspective?
2. Can we really forget that we have been cleansed?
3. What does that do?
THOUGHTS ON CLEANSING AND BEING CLEAN
How we have prayed for a Revival, we did not care whether it was old-fashioned or not,
what we asked for was that it should be such that would cleanse
and revive His children and set them on fire to win others.
Mary Booth
"I picked up a man from the street, and he was eaten up alive from worms.
Nobody could stand him, and he was smelling so badly.
I went to him to clean him, and he asked, 'Why do you do this?' I said, 'Because I love you.'"
Mother Teresa
"When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side.
If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him.
And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others,
not because He has favourites,
but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man
whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition.
Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites,
cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one."
C.S. Lewis
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