Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Hope to the end for grace

We are to PROGRESS in grace, PROGRESS in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Are we progressing?

How do you progress in grace?

1Pe_1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

Gird up the loins of your mind.
Be sober.
Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

So, how do we gird up the loins of our minds?

Jesus said-

Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luk 12:35  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
Luk 12:36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Loins girded, lights burning.

Loins of our mind.

What are the loins of our mind?

Our thoughts, our imaginations, all that goes on in our minds. Read this-

1Ch_28:9  And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

The LORD searches all hearts and understands the IMAGINATIONS OF THE THOUGHTS.

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief…

The LORD hates- a heart that devises WICKED IMAGINATIONS.

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

VAIN in THEIR IMAGINATIONS.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Our spiritual weapons- CAST DOWN IMAGINATIONS- and EVERY high thing that exalteth itself AGAINST the KNOWLEDGE of GOD and BRINGING into CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT to the OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST!

Our imaginations are POWERFUL things, they can be wicked, vain, exalting themselves above God.

Is there any wonder we are told to GIRD up the loins of our minds?

GIRD UP.

When  you are girding something up you are--

'Definition of GIRD
1
a :  to encircle or bind with a flexible band (as a belt)
b :  to make fast (as a sword by a belt or clothing with a cord)
c :  surround
2
:  provide, equip; especially :  to invest with the sword of knighthood
3
:  to prepare (oneself) for action
intransitive verb
:  to prepare for action
— gird one's loins
:  to prepare for action :  muster up one's resources'
Pasted from  

Prepare our imaginations, bind our imaginations… we HAVE to bring EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY, this is preparing, this is binding, this is comprehending that our thoughts can ruin us!

1Pe_1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

We have to be active in our progressing in grace.  We cannot fool ourselves into believing that we are left unchanged when we accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Yes, we are sinners.
Yes, we are forever reliant upon our Savior for salvation- never able to give it to ourselves- never. Not a single action of ours will save us other than believing and even then we must pray for our Savior to help  our unbelief! (Mark 9:24)
Yet our Savior tells us that if we LOVE Him we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15) Why would our Savior tell us that if we are not expected to KEEP, actively keep, His commandments?

We are not saved by grace through faith only to keep actively sinning.

Jesus did not say to the woman caught in adultery to go and keep on sinning. He told that woman to go and sin no more.

To think that we are not supposed to bring our every thought into captivity is to choose to NOT believe in truth!

Gird up the loins of our MINDS, be SOBER - why be sober- because when we aren't sober our minds are easy prey for Satan as anyone who has ever been drunk knows. HOPE to the END FOR THE GRACE that is to be brought to us at the revelation of JESUS CHRIST.

Progress in grace… grow in grace!

We must grow in grace through our SAVIOR, living HIS TRUTH, HIS WORD!

We MUST watch our thoughts, our minds!

Php_4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

THINK ON THESE THINGS.

We are giving instructions and we'd do well to heed them, all through our SAVIOR, through HIS LOVE! HIS GRACE! HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!

All through HIM!

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