Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
08/31/2013, by John Kincaid
Lesson 22: Indwelling Sin Has An Advantage
Indwelling sin has an advantage over believers: it is able to hide, and trick us into thinking it is gone. Our battle with sin will never end in this life. We can’t even take a break or call a truce.
We can make progress against sin if we never let up. Don’t get careless; don’t be satisfied that you are “good enough”. Be watchful, stay alert, stay on guard against Satan’s traps.
Heb.12:3-4 Consider Jesus who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted in your struggle against sin.
1 Cor.16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
2 Pet.3:17 take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
Matt.26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 12:15 be on your guard against all covetousness
Covet means having a wrong desire: we want or envy what belongs to others. This shows that we are not satisfied, not content with God’s blessings, not thankful. Even worse, it shows that we think we deserve better, that we are entitled to more from God.
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.
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