Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
05/09/2015, by John Kincaid
Lesson 596: Deep Roots
Psa.119:10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
At the moment each believer is saved, the Holy Spirit gives a new heart with the desire to obey God. This seed of devotion to God grows throughout our Christian life, just like a healthy plant or tree.
God wants us to experience balanced growth in all areas of devotion: fear, love and desire.
For example, someone may deeply fear God, but have a shallow understanding of His love. This person may perceive God as distant and uncaring; they may live life “walking on eggshells” so that they don’t upset God.
Another person may recognize God’s deep love, but perceive Him as their buddy, the “big man upstairs” who winks and ignores sin. This view (almost no reverent fear of God) is extremely common among professing Christians today.
We will not grow unless we depend on the Holy Spirit each moment for guidance.
1 Cor.3:7 neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
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.