Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
04/07/2015, by John Kincaid
Lesson 564: Growing in Holiness, Pt.4
As we battle with our sin, seeking to replace our sinful desires with the fruit of the Spirit, realize that the struggle never ends until Christ resurrects us. We will experience victory over certain temptations, but we will face them again tomorrow.
In our earthly Christian life, we never reach the point where we are “good enough”. The Holy Spirit is always changing us, conforming us more closely to the image of Christ.
Even if we overcome some persistent temptation, the Holy Spirit will convict us that are struggling with some other sin that we didn’t even realize before.
This is one reason why God’s Word provides so many verses to remind us “Fear not!” The scariest monsters of all are the ones we discover inside us. If we had to face them alone, we would have reason to panic.
But God designed each of us (with our unique family history, temperament and environment). God Himself has said that we are able to follow Christ, even with this thorn in our flesh.
1 Cor.10:13 God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability
2 Cor.12:7-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you”
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.
