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Changing Lives Ministry
Daily Devotional
"grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity."
2 Peter 3:18

Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
01/17/2015, by John Kincaid


Lesson 484: Praising Feeble Efforts

“The responsibility for obedience is ours; the credit for righteousness is God’s.”

If it seems unfair, remember that the debt for our sins was satisfied by Christ’s death.

The fault/responsibility for sin is ours; the penalty was God’s.  God supplies the holiness for which we are responsible; it is another reason to be thankful and honor Him.
 
When a child learns to write the alphabet, a loving father will praise and encourage, even though the parent provided the pencil, paper, the perfect example to follow & guided the child’s hand.

Peter used exactly the same illustration. The Greek word translated “example” in 1 Pet.2:21 is their word for a handwriting book, with a perfect alphabet across the top line.
 
In the end, God will even praise us for the righteousness He enabled us to do!  1 Cor.4:5b

God receives our feeble efforts, and enables us to do works that He will reward. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Cor.9:15

 
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21

- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work
.

 

Changing Lives Ministries
Asheville, NC 28803

ministrychanginglives@gmail.com

Phone: (828) 318-9825

For Further Reading

These authors and books were
helpful in preparing this series:

Bryan Chapell:
   "Holiness by Grace"
Kris Lundgaard:
   "The Enemy Within"
Jerry Bridges:
   "The Pursuit of Holiness",
   "The Practice of Godliness",
   "Respectable Sins",
   "Trusting God",
   "The Discipline of Grace",
   "Transforming Grace"
Warren Wiersbe:
   "Bible Exposition Commentary"
A.W. Tozer:
   "The Pursuit of God", 
   "The Knowledge of the Holy"
J.I. Packer:
   "Rediscovering Holiness"
Russell D. Moore:
   "Tempted and Tried"
Paul Tripp: "Instruments
   in the Redeemer's Hands"
Timothy Lane & Paul Tripp:
   "How People Change"

Copyright © 2015 Peace In Believing Ministries, All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from: The Holy Bible: English
Standard Version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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