Dearly Beloved,
The following are inspired thoughts I found grace to fetch while attempting to acknowledge truths that disrespect sin; that celebrate the word of righteousness.
1. What makes a man potentially great in the sight of God is not anything that a natural man can seek, acquire or achieve (1Cor. 2:14, Heb. 11:16). Rather, it is what God has to help a man to seek by enlightening him on His great and precious promises; promises inherited for the first time by the man Christ Jesus; precious promises that can enable a man to inherit the light of God - eternally (Gen. 12:1, 2Pet. 1:3-4, Rev. 21:23-24). While doing so, we would find ourselves acknowledging the truth that is after godliness and the birthing of the hope of eternal life in our soul (Tit. 1:1-3, Col. 1:27).
2. The thoughts of an unfortunate past or of an unpleasant lingering issue, or the paintings of images of a future that doesn’t revolve around Christ and God - are the greatest recycled assets the devil uses to trouble the peace of those destined to inherit Christ (2Cor. 10:5, Heb. 12:15). And they are what we should overcome in every given season. The goal of the devil is to distract us thereby from minding what the Lord has said or is saying concerning our future inheritance in Christ and God; and to stop us from fighting the good fight of faith or from laying hold on eternal life (Isa. 26:3, 1Tim. 6:12).
3. The walk of faith is wearisome for the flesh because it demands that we tirelessly trust in things that aren’t visible; things that task us to move from the known or familiar (i.e. things present that pass away - 1:Jn. 2:17a) to the unknown (i.e. things of God hid in Christ Jesus that endure - Gen. 12:1e, Jn. 16:13). While doing so in crucial seasons (when Christ would be given to us as our inheritance), we would face a prolonged fight from wicked spirits who once held their inheritance (the present world); spirits that throw negatively anointed thoughts (stones) - to discourage us (Eph. 6:12, 2Sam. 16:5-13).
4. Like a boxer or wrestler has to keep defending his championship title to earn greater fights/victories, so also a believer would only have the privilege of wrestling with more wicked classes of fallen angels while tenaciously holding unto faith and cherishing the victories it brings above the glories of this world (Eph. 6:12, 1Jn. 5:4). So, the more we hold unto truths that border on Christ and God or on the power (of God) that leads to salvation (glory), the more attention (and contest) we would earn from fallen spirits who weren’t previously threatened by our walk (Rom. 1:17, Jn. 1:12).
5. Things that make us selfishly ambitious are actually unknown to us and are kept (in us) by a power (or negative light) called darkness (Acts 26:18a-c, Jn. 3:19). But as we make having God’s divine power our chief ambition, we would surrender every unknown vain ambition that our souls have nursed and the idols that we have kept thereby (1Jn. 5:21). No soul can be kept from the reach of sin or freed from civilized idols, who haven’t been taught and trained in the use of God’s divine power; a life that would soon become as popular as miraculous power once was (1Pet. 1:5, 2Pet. 1:3).
6. Christ can’t dwell in our hearts by His faith if we are not shown things that are in our hearts that limit Him from doing so; the things of the natural man that firstly has to be exposed before it can be dealt with over some seasons; even old things that has limited our souls from becoming a new man in Christ (Deu. 8:2-3, Heb. 9:2, 2Cor. 5:17).
7. Our God is not limited to save us from any limitation and only await a season when we would be brought into the sphere of life called “with God”; a season where our doubts on inheriting eternal life would constantly be eroded; even as Christ becomes our mediation all day long (Matt. 19:26, Ps. 1:2/119:97). He is only limited when we can’t place our limitations in His able hands or when we can’t gather enough substances of righteousness (faith) concerning our limitations; substances that would make us see with His eyes and live like we couldn’t have but for such adventurous exercise (Isa. 11:2-3).
Blessings!
Tayo Fasan