THE OLD NATURE IS STRONG

There are some who ask God for His saving grace to cleanse them
from their hopeless and sinful lives. Of those, there are some who
fail to give over all their lives to be cleansed. As a result, their human
nature draws them to return to the same sinful life and depravity they
lived before. With God, there is no "halfway saved." It is all or nothing.
If you allow God to have all of you, your nature will become like His.
If you don't give God your all, your human nature will take you back to
where you started.

Read 2 Peter 2:22

"Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit,' and 'A
sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.'" (NIV)

"But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog
is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire." (KJV)

LOVE GROWING COLD

The evil and deception that is present in these last days will have
a profound effect on lukewarm and weak Christians. They will fear
dying and will be deceived by false teachers. They will compromise
their love for God and let it fade. Those who stand strong and remain
faithful to the very end are safe and have no reason to worry or fear
God's judgement.

Read Matthew 24:12,13

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow
cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (NIV)

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (KJV)

NOTHING WE DID

We know that God loved His created human beings and made us all
in His image. He said it was good. When humans disobeyed and fell
from His grace, He still loved all mankind and made a way to restore
them to Himself. The way back to Him cannot happen by anything we
do or don't do. The way back to Him is only through His grace and mercy
that moved Him to send His only Son, who saves us and fills us with His
Holy Spirit.

Read Titus 3:4,5

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved
us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit." (NIV)

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (KJV)

GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US

It seems we have this natural inclination to make excuses for our wrong
doings. We may even go so far as to blame God for not intervening or for
allowing us to get into the situation. The truth is, we sin because we get
subtly enticed and deceived; then we convince ourselves it's all right to
do it. To keep this from happening, the Word tells us to forsake even the
very appearance of evil and hold on to whatever is holy.

Read James 1:13,14

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." (NIV)

"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (KJV)

JOY IN SUFFERING

How can we be joyful when we are going through trials and suffering? The answer is: We know that the trials and suffering will purify our faith just as gold is purified by great heat. Our Lord will honor and reward those who remain faithful through trials and suffering and welcome them with open arms. Knowing this gives us the deep joy of the Lord that this world cannot touch.

Read 1 Peter 1:6,7

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (NIV)

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (KJV)

THE BATTLE IS GOD'S

As humans, we seem to fret and worry about how we are going to accomplish something, work out a situation, or get through a problem. As Christians, we don't have to worry and fret at all, only trust the Lord to take care of things. He takes on our struggles as His own and in return, only asks us to trust Him.

Read 2 Chronicles 20:17

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you." (NIV)

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you." (KJV)

KNOW IN WHOM YOU BELIEVE

The Lord told us that if we are Christians, there will be suffering because of our faith. There is no shame in this suffering, only joy in suffering for Him. The suffering is temporary. We trust that the Lord will keep us in His hands until that day when we are with Him in eternity.

Read 2 Itmothy 1:12

"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (NIV)

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (KJV)