Only A Life Lived In Communion With God Can Be Truly Effective

STUDY: # 1109 CHURCH IN THE HOUSES DATE: JULY 15, 2020

TOPIC: "Only A Life Lived In Communion With God Can Be Truly Effective" 2 Peter 1:8-10 When we converted, we left our sins to come to the feet of the Lord. At His feet we were washed with His blood, and began A NEW LIFE. A LIFE that He gave us through grace! FAITH came and we believed in the Lord! In this blessing certain elements, traits, characteristics began to develop in OUR LIFE. They are virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, piety, brotherly affection, and love.

I. If these graces are within you, you are that child of God who becomes perfect for God!

A. Note that on the path of discipleship there is either advance or retreat. There is no immobility!

1. (Vs. 8) If we have these seven qualities, we will be IN CONSTANT PROGRESS!

2. When you MOVE FORWARD, there is strength and security! IN A WITHDRAWAL there are dangers and failures!

3. “… they keep you from being INEFFECTIVE…” Failure to persevere in the development of Christian character (traits, seven graces) LEADS TO INEFFECTIVENESS, fruitlessness, blindness, myopia and oblivion.

4. Ineffectiveness brings inactivity. Time is wasted, there is laziness. The person becomes useless.

5. ONLY "A LIFE LIVED" IN COMMUNION WITH GOD CAN BE TRULY EFFECTIVE!

6. When we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, He eliminates the condition of INEFFECTIVENESS in us, and ensures maximum efficiency in our day-to-day movement.

7. "... or UNFRUITFUL..." LACK OF FRUIT. It is possible to have considerable knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet BE FRUITLESS with knowledge.

8. When we stop practicing what we know, it inevitably leads to STERILITY!

9. An inward flow of water without an outward current was what killed the Dead Sea! A person who receives from God, BUT DOES NOT GIVE ANY FRUIT is like that! In the spiritual realm, if someone does not produce fruit, they DIE!

10. (Vs.9) “… is so nearsighted…” Like myopia; it refers to the fact that he is not aware of what is important in life. HE DOES NOT SEE IT!

11. The person lacks discernment of true spiritual values. Does not see them. Does not know them. Does not live them!

12. The person lives in a gloomy world; covered in darkness, full of shadows!

13. He is so busy with material things THAT HE CANNOT SEE THE SPIRITUAL!

14. When man lives for THE PRESENT, instead of THE FUTURE; there is BLINDNESS!

15. EVERYONE WHO LACKS THE SEVEN GRACES (TRAITS, CHARACTERISTICS) IS BLIND!

16. "... having forgotten ..." Oblivion! He who lacks the seven virtues HAS FORGOTTEN to purify his old sins!

17. Your problem is not this or that. Look carefully, so that your problem is not that you have forgotten the purification of your old sins! Is it true or not?

18. Has the truth of His redemption STOPPED BEING APPEALING TO YOU?

19. Our lives were so despicable without Jesus, and there was so much evil and shame in us!

20. The problem is RETURNING to what we were already rescued from!

21. You can't play around with the sins that caused the death of the Son of God!

22. (Vs. 10) Peter exhorts his readers of the Word to confirm (affirm) His calling and election. Or do you prefer your earthly life? "... confirm your calling and election..."

23. THE VOCATION TO A SPIRITUAL LIFE; the life to which we have been called. It is where we are going, and in it is that we seek to know what we are useful for!

24. It is the divine call to dedicate YOUR LIFE to the service of the Lord. IT IS YOUR CALL!

25. THE ELECTION REFERS TO HIS SOVEREIGN AND ETERNAL CHOICE FOR YOU TO BELONG TO HIM!

26. The call to our lives is in His time, so the selection becomes evident!

27. Today you are listening. YOU DECIDE IF YOU ARE OR AREN’T!

28. OUR SELECTION took place before the world was created. OUR CALLING takes place when we are converted (Romans 8:28 “… those who are called according to his purpose.”)!

29. Following the order of events; according to the moment in which they occur, we see that the first thing is the selection. Ephesians 1:4 “… even as he chose us in him BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that ‘we should be holy’ and ‘blameless’ before Him."

30. The election refers to HIS SOVEREIGNTY AND ETERNAL SELECTION, SO THAT WE BELONG TO HIM FROM ALL ETERNITY!

31. We must make our call and election firm. We can "confirm," affirm the truthfulness of the call and election by growing in conformity, in likeness and union with the Lord.

32. By manifesting the fruit of the Spirit we can provide evidence without a doubt, nor mistake that WE TRULY BELONG TO HIM!

33. A HOLY LIFE SHOWS THE REALITY OF OUR SALVATION!

34. Living a holy life will preserve us, protect us from stumbling.

35. If we stop progressing in divine things, we are in danger of ruining our lives.

36. Therefore, let us walk in the Spirit!

37. The danger is in all kinds of ineffectiveness and spiritual blindness.

38. Remember well that: Only A Life Lived In Communion With God Can Be Truly Effective!

39. God watches over THE CHRISTIAN WHO ADVANCES because he loves his Lord! Amen.