Good morning. Finally Paul
is done with the end times. But we should always give thanks to God for you,
brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for
salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. We were
chosen from the beginning; it was not an afterthought by God. Remember Paul
just got finished talking about people believing a deception. We however
believed in the truth. He again mentions that sanctification comes by the Holy
Spirit. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were not called just to get our fire
insurance. We were called unto sanctification. So then, brethren, stand firm
and hold to the traditions which you were taught. Paul loves to tell people to
stand firm. Sadly today believers are taught the traditions of men, not of God.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and
given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your
hearts in every good work and word. The Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen and protect you from the evil one. God is faithful to us, even when
we are not faithful to Him. We need not fear the evil one, because God will
protect us. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the
steadfastness of Christ. Then something that sounds cruel in today's
politically correct environment, but is actually very necessary in the church.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you
keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the
traditions which you have received from us. Remember that bad company corrupts
good morals. If we associate with someone who leads an unruly life, it will
eventually rub off on us instead of the other way around. We can pray for them
at a distance. Father thank You that the reader stands firm and holds to the
traditions he/she was taught. He/she has Your love and is steadfast like
Christ.
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
Comments
Post a Comment