This is where most people have a problem, People are so wrapped up in trying to run their own lives, they won't allow God in it, unless it's convenient to do so. If you worry about anything then that's having no faith. Faith is nothing more than trust.
The next 3 verses pay close attention to the words PURSUE and HOPE, because this is why you have to prepare (II Peter 1:10) yourself to walk the walk, to walk righteous and it just don't happen over night.
So we are to pursue righteousness and faith, pursue - that's chase after, look for, follow after, find it. That reminds me of Matthew 7:13-14 where it says Because narrow and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. That means search for it, find out how to get on that narrow path, read the Bible, pursue righteousness, faith, knowledge of the Word of God, and then only a few will find it. Woe to the people of this generation who found Jesus and Heaven the easy way, by getting Saved and yet not having the knowledge of what you MUST do once you are Truly Saved. This is to the churches shame.(II Corinthians 13:5, Hebrews 10:38 , I Timothy 1:19 , James 1:6 , James 2:14-17 , Romans 14:23 , I Corinthians 2:5) Along with faith is prayer. You have to believe before you are heard.
Now i want to talk a little bit about Faith and Works, You cannot have one without the other and think you are going to Heaven, It takes both, not one or the other. The Disciples of Jesus Christ did not have Faith the whole time they were with Jesus, But they did have works. After Jesus was crucified, they all hid themselves for fear of being killed also, But after they seen Jesus alive, They received faith, because now they Truly believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and that there was an after life, and that there was a Heaven to go to. The Disciples then went out into the streets preaching what Jesus had taught them, because they knew where they were going if they were to die, (ten of the twelve Disciples were killed). The Disciples were Truly Saved, after they saw Christ rise from the dead. Because they had Faith and works. Nowhere in the Bible does it state that after the Disciples saw Jesus Christ alive did they knowingly and willingly sin. But there is one incident Where a couple did sin after Jesus Christ had risen.
A question for the typical Christian, Why was it that the husband and the wife were not given the opportunity to ask for forgiveness, This was after Christ was crucified and risen, So why did they die straightway because of one little lie. i will tell you why, They had accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, They received the Holy Ghost, But because they knowingly and willingly lied, after they have received the knowledge of the Truth, They fell down dead. (see also Chapter Liars). Today's Christians say that it's OK to sin, just ask for forgiveness of your sins every night, However, nowhere, NOWHERE is that written in the Bible. And the paragraph above is a perfect example of how we are suppose to live for Christ, And it is absolutely true, The wages of sin is death, you are not excluded because you claim to be a Christian and claim to be Saved. Now any sin that you have done can be forgiven, but you must Truly Repent of that sin, that is to say, NO LONGER DO THAT SIN. If you knowingly and willingly continue to do that sin, how sorry are you? Repentance is granted to those who are TRULY SORRY, not those who merely says the words "Please forgive me Lord" knowing full well they are going to continue to commit the very sin they are repenting of, these are not forgiven, no matter what they claim with their mouths or false doctrines that they believe. But works and Faith must go hand in hand, But i assure you, if you knowingly and willingly sin, you do not have good works. i will also tell you if you fear death, you do not have faith and will not enter into the Kingdom of God (Rev 21:8) . For if you Truly believed you were going to Heaven you would welcome it, not fear it. It is also known that those who fear death love life and love the world, and it is written those who love life and/or love the world do not have God (John 12:25). i am not telling you this to anger anyone, i am telling you this because it is the Truth. Now many say that they fear death because they do not want to leave their loved ones behind. Who can take care of your loved ones better? You or God? Have Faith that God is going to take care of them, and because of your Faith, He will do it. Know you not the longer you stay in this present flesh the more opportunity satan has to get you to live in sins? i would rather die right now, and know that i am Heaven bound, then to live one more day that satan has a chance to cause me to fall away, or tempts me to live in sins. i would rather die and be with Christ then to stay in the world and be vexed daily because of the people who love to sin. But i am here today because it is more needful for you to hear what God has told me to tell this generation who He says will not hear it, but that you are not ignorant, i tell you anyways, as He commanded me to. A person who says "I have faith" and yet worries, is a liar and the truth is not in that person. AMEN |