“There hath no temptation taken hold of you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond that which ye are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Look at any small child attempting a new task like riding a bike or writing their name for the very first time and it’s easy to see that we are ALL created with the desire to succeed. NO ONE wants to fail. The good new is that God’s Word promises every believer the ability to be transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the born-again child of God can potentially be the mirror reflection of Christ. And with that comes the ability to grow and succeed in every area of our lives. However, a war may rage between what we think and how we feel. Our natural mind may argue with the inherent eternal scripture with thoughts of inferiority, unworthiness, and untold reasons why we cannot be like Jesus. Several scriptures unveil the truth:
Roman 12:3 states, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (KJV)
Galatians 2:20 teaches us that “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
And finally, in 2 Peter chapter one, the believer is provided the recipe for victorious faith. The seven main ingredients are described in verses 5-7.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”
Like any good cook will tell you, following a recipe is key to success. Follow Peter’s recipe for victorious faith and you will never be useless or unfruitful in God’s Kingdom, His Word promises that!
If you make your way to Kentucky soon, stop by and meet my newest grand baby!
We’re saving you a seat!
We love y’all!
Pastor Bates
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