ICR, Days of Praise, June 5, 2010

The Sin of Laziness

June 5, 2010

"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed." (Proverbs 26:14)

This is one of the more colorful of numerous colorful verses in the book of Proverbs which rebuke the sin of laziness. Note a few of the others:

"The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns" (Proverbs 15:19).

"A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again" (Proverbs 19:24).

"The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour" (Proverbs 21:25).

"The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets" (Proverbs 22:13).

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: . . . How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? . . . Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man" (Proverbs 6:6, 9-11).

"As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him" (Proverbs 10:26).

"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing" (Proverbs 20:4).

The writer of Proverbs had little sympathy for lazy people and their self-induced problems! It seems he continually devised new figures of speech with which to shame them into action. Indolence is a distressing characteristic in anyone, but it is inexcusable in a Christian. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire. . . . That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:10-12). HMM

LWF Devotional.. 6/3/2010

Faithful at All Times
Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION:
1 Corinthians 4:2 - “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Are you faithful? When times get tough, can you be counted on? Today there is a serious lack of genuine integrity and faithfulness among God’s children. This is a travesty. Words mean little today, whether it’s a marriage contract or a business contract. Even a treaty between nations doesn’t seem to hold true. Our faithfulness is the fundamental basis of character. We will never know God’s blessing apart from faithfulness.

ACTION POINT:
When you are gone, will people say you were faithful? Faithful to your family? Faithful to your friends? And most of all, faithful to God?

Should Christians "judge" others? You betcha!

Should Christians "judge" others? You betcha!
By Marsha West

One of the biggest problems in the Church is that some Christians are way too trusting. Jesus warned, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Mat 7:15). Far too many of the sheep do not heed our Lord's words. Even when believers are cautioned about certain false teachers, they blow off the warning and blindly follow these wolves.

You've probably heard this many times: "The Bible says not to judge." What the Bible actually says is that we're not to judge a person's heart or motives. "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things," says Paul, "yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1Cor 2:15-16). According to Paul true followers of Jesus are of the same mind. When you have the mind of Christ you have spiritual discernment. Christians (who are walking with Christ) have the authority to judge people's words and actions. How do you know if someone is a false teacher? Go to the scriptures! In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

No doubt some Christians will continue to complain that "judging" is unbiblical and play the Mat. 7:1-3 card: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" What they fail to understand is that the Spirit of God abides in regenerate Christians. Hence we have the mind of Christ! As for the unbeliever, Scripture clearly teaches that the natural man [unregenerate] "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14). So the unregenerate person does not — cannot — understand the things of God. Amazingly, a growing number of self-professed Christians think the things of God are foolishness.

Today many Christians are attending churches where their pastors teach outright heresy! They just assume they're being taught the truth. Unfortunately that's not always the case. Granted, there are a lot of ministers who preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Still, there are a growing number of false teachers who can charm an Eskimo into buying a beach umbrella.

The good news is that believers who read and study the Bible are not easily taken in by apostates. But even mature believers can have the wool pulled over their eyes if they stop being Bereans. It was for this very reason that John penned this warning: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

Christians who have the good fortune to own a Bible must gain a thorough understanding of what God says in His Word. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Those who truly desire a Christian worldview will look to the Bible for wisdom and guidance.

© Marsha West

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/100427

ICR, Days of Praise, May 18 2010

A Righteous Heart

May 18, 2010

"And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel." (1 Kings 11:9)

The Scriptures have an interesting commentary on Solomon's life: "When Solomon was old…his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God" (1 Kings 11:4). How is it possible to start well and end sadly?

We Must Guard Our Heart: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life," Solomon admonished in Proverbs 4:23. The Hebrew word for "keep" isnatsar and the main verb for "guard" or "set a watch." Psalm 119 uses natsar 10 times to demand our careful "watch" on our obedience and use of the Word of God. The promise is: "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart" (Psalm 119:2).

Store the Good Treasure: In one of his many confrontations with the Pharisees, Jesus gave several illustrations about the impact of the "heart" part of our nature. Jesus spoke of binding the "strong man," noting that a tree produces the fruit it was grown for, and that snakes are always snakes. Then Jesus makes this observation: "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things" (Matthew 12:35).

Others Will Try to Turn Your Heart: Jereboam (1 Kings 11-12) led Israel in rebellion against Judah and against God. He "devised of his own heart" (1 Kings 12:33) liturgical practices that "made Israel to sin" (1 Kings 15:34). Peter warns: "Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness" (2 Peter 3:17).

We must guard our hearts, "for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). HMM III

I Just Heard from Heaven

1. Once I wandered out in sin, far from God away,

But the Savior took me in, gave me peace that day.
Al my heart to Him I give, no more sin allowed,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.

CHORUS:

Well, I've just heard from heaven and there's one thing I know.
My sins are all forgiven, He washed me white as snow.
The load that once I carried, He took away somehow,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.

2. Trials come to you and me, burdens hard to bear,
But Our heartaches, grief, and pain He will gladly bear.
So just look up and trust in Him, and leave your burdens there,
And you will hear from heaven when you call in prayer.

CHORUS:

3. When my load is hard to bear, and my path dim,
No one else seems to care, then I go to Him.
He's my intercessor there, so at His feet I bow,
And I've just heard from heaven, and it's all right now.

CHORUS:

In Touch Devotional, May 15, 2010

May 15, 2010
The Attitude of a Saint
1 Corinthians 15:9-11

The apostle Paul had a certain mindset that Christians are wise to emulate (1 Cor. 11:1). His attitude included:

1. Humility. Pride cannot hide in the heart of a believer who understands divine mercy. Paul spread the gospel because he believed that the grace which was sufficient to save a sinner like him was adequate for anyone.

2. A sense of obligation. The apostle never lost sight of how far God's grace had brought him. He frequently reminded followers of his role in persecuting the church (1 Tim. 1:13). Paul's gratitude for salvation from that former life never waned. The book of Acts records the almost constant turmoil and heartache of his travels, and yet he kept praising the Lord for the privilege of serving.

3. A sense of dependence. To describe the source of his strength, Paul used these words: "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). He knew what it was like to depend upon one's own goodness and work to be religious— and he wanted no part of it. Paul desired more of Jesus and none of himself (Phil 3:8).

4. A spirit of absolute confidence. At the end of his life, Paul was as certain as ever that God was real, in charge, and worthy of all honor, glory, and praise (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Do you see these attitudes in yourself? If not, borrow a page from the apostle Paul's "playbook." Praise the Lord for all that He has done for you, and then get busy working for His kingdom. Do not allow His grace to be poured out on your life in vain (1 Cor. 15:10).

ICR, Days of Praise, May 14, 2010

The Dreamers

May 14, 2010

"It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion." (Isaiah 29:8)

The dreamers of this world are not only the utopian idealists and the contemplative meditationists. The really impractical dreamers are those who most pride themselves on being pragmatic materialists and scientific naturalists, dreaming that by their own efforts they can bring about perfection on earth. The fact is that this world is not thereal world, but only a temporary world which, like a dream, will soon fade away in the light of God's eternal day, when we awake in His presence to experience the world as God intended it.

In our text, it is significant that the sleeping men are dreaming only about eating and drinking. In the same manner, those whose interests and desires are centered in this world only, will find all their objectives have turned to nothingness. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:16-17).

In that great day when the real world which will last for eternity arrives, all the "multitudes" in "all the nations" of the world--those who have ignored the will of God and who have thus, in effect, been "fighting against mount Zion"--will finally awaken, but it will be too late. How urgent it is that men now awake to God's Word and God's will. "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14). HMM

ICR Days of Praise, May 13, 2010

Righteous Friends

May 13, 2010

"Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)

The phrase "a man is known by the company he keeps" has been used in English-speaking countries since the 1500s.

Not only is the saying biblically based, but it is easily observable in everyday life.

Friends Shape Friends: "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17). In our text above, James notes that the world's friendship so contrasts with the heart and mind of God that such a friendship turns our relationship with God into enmity. The apostle John gives the clear reason: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16).

Friends Love Each Other: "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you…. I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you…. These things I command you, that ye love one another" (John 15:14-17). This is pretty simple. If I love the Lord Jesus, and you love the Lord Jesus, then we will love each other—because we have a common friend!

Friends Stick Together: Because of our common love for the Lord Jesus, we do not forsake "the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). Neither do we follow the "counsel of the ungodly," or hang around "in the way of sinners," or feel at home with "the scornful" (Psalm 1:1), because there is no fellowship in "righteousness with unrighteousness" (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Godly people will have godly friends. HMM III

Biblically, Could Death Have Existed before Sin?

Satan, the Fall, and a Look at Good and Evil

by Bodie Hodge--March 2, 2010

from Answers in Genesis

Death and sin—these are two things today’s society seems to want to avoid in a conversation! In today’s secular society, kids have been taught for generations that death goes back for millions of years. But there is a huge contrast when you open the pages of Scripture beginning in Genesis.

The Bible is the authority on the past (as well as the authority on scientific and theological aspects), and it is logical that the Bible should be the authority on the issue of death and its relationship with sin. Getting a big picture of sin and death and how they are related in the Bible can make us better witnesses to today’s culture.

Everything Was Originally Perfect

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Figure 1. A very good creation

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

When God finished creating at the end of Day 6, He declared everything “very good”—it was perfect. God’s work of creation is perfect. We expect nothing less of a perfect God.

What was this “perfect” or “very good” creation like? Were animals dying? Was man dying? Let’s look closer at what the Bible teaches.

Everything Was Originally Vegetarian

Genesis 1:29–30
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

We know that animals and man were not eating meat originally according to Genesis 1:29–30. So, meat-eaters today were all vegetarian originally, which also points to death not being part of the original creation. Plants are not “alive” in the biblical sense of nephesh chayyah, only animals and man. So, plants being eaten did not mean death existed before the Fall.¹ One would not expect a God of life to be a god of death. When we look at God’s restoration in Revelation 21–22, there will be no death, pain, or suffering.

If a Christian wants to side with the atheistic view of a world where death existed for millions of years using the majority of the fossil layers as their evidence of slow gradual accumulation instead of a global Flood, then they have major problems.² The fossil layers consist of many animals that have the remains of other animals in their stomach contents.³ As we’ll discuss later, Scripture tells us that sin brought about animal death, something that did not occur prior to the Fall. This rules out many of the rock layers as being evidence of million of years because the Lord declared that everything was originally vegetarian. The Flood of Noah’s day is a much better explanation of the rock layers, which show animals eating other animals after sin.

Death Is a Punishment

Genesis 2:16–17
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

God gave the command in Genesis 2:16–17 that sin would be punishable by death. This is significant when we look at the big picture of death. If death in any form was around prior to God’s declaration in Genesis 1:31 that everything was “very good,” then death would be very good too—hence not a punishment at all.

Some have pointed out that this passage is not referring to animal death. In one sense, we agree with them: this verse was not directed toward animals. But by the same logic, this command was only directed toward Adam, yet Eve died and so do we (Adam’s descendants) for sin. This shows the all-encompassing impact of the sin-death relationship.

Adam Knew What “Die” Meant

Some people have brought up the objection that if there was no death existing in the world, then how did Adam know what God meant in Genesis 2:17.

God, the author of language, programmed Adam with language when He created him, as they conversed right from the start on Day 6 (see Genesis 2). Since God makes things perfectly, Adam knew what death meant—even if he did not have experiential knowledge of it. In fact, he probably understood it better than any of us because he had a perfect mind, uncorrupted by sin and the Curse.

Sin Brought Animal Death

The first recorded death and passages referring to death as a reality came with sin in Genesis 3 when the serpent, Eve, and Adam all were disobedient to God. Please note that what happened is the first hint that things will die:

Genesis 3:14
So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:14 indicates that animals, which were cursed along with the serpent, would no longer live forever but have a limited life (all the days of your life). This is the first hint of animal death. Since animals were cursed, they too will now die.

Figure 2. The Lord’s sacrifice to make coats of skins for Adam and Eve

Though this particular verse doesn’t rule out animal death prior to sin, its placement with sin and the Curse in Genesis 3 may very well be significant. The first recorded death of animals comes in Genesis 3:21, when God covered Adam and Eve with coats of skins to replace their fig leaf coverings they assumed would cover their nakedness.

Genesis 3:21
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Abel apparently mimicked something like this when he sacrificed from his flocks (fat portions) in Genesis 4:4, as did Noah after the Flood in Genesis 8:20. The Israelites did this as well, giving sin offerings of lambs, doves, etc.

Figure 3. Noah offering sacrifices

The punishment for sin was death; so, something had to die. Rightly, Adam and Eve deserved to die, but we serve a God of grace, mercy, and love. And out of His love and His mercy, He basically gave us a “grace period” to repent.

The Lord sacrificed an animal to cover this sin. It was not enough to take away sin, but merely offered a temporary covering. This shows how much more valuable mankind is than animals (see also Matthew 6:26, 12:12). The punishment for sinning against an infinitely holy God is an infinite punishment, and animals are not infinite. They simply cannot take that punishment. We needed a perfect and infinite sacrifice that could take the infinite punishment from an infinite God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is infinite, could take that punishment. These animal sacrifices foreshadowed Jesus Christ who was the ultimate, perfect, infinite sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Hebrews reveals:

Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

This is why Jesus had to die, and this is why animals were sacrificed to cover sin. These passages make it clear that animal death has a relationship with human sin as well as the fact that it came after sin (see Christian Theodicy in Light of Genesis and Modern Science). Also, it is the very basis and foundation of the gospel.

Sin Brought Human Death

This same type of proclamation that animals will ultimately die (all the days of your life) comes back in Genesis 3:17, where man would also die (all the days of your life). Like the animals, man would die in fulfillment of what was said in Genesis 2:17.

Genesis 3:17
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”

Some have stated that they believe this was only a spiritual death, but God made it clear in Genesis 3:19 by adding that humanity will return to the dust from which we came, which makes it clear it was not excluding a physical death.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Even Paul, when speaking of human death, specifically says:

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Romans 5:17
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

If the death God mentioned is only spiritual, then why did Jesus have to die physically—or rise physically? If the Curse meant only spiritual death, then the gospel is undermined.

It is true that Adam and Eve didn’t die the exact day they ate, as some seem to think Genesis 2:17 implies. The Hebrew is die-die (muwth-muwth), which is often translated as “surely die” or literally as “dying you shall die,” which indicates the beginning of dying (i.e. an ingressive sense). At that point, Adam and Eve began to die and would return to dust. If they were meant to have died right then, the text should have used muwth only once, as is used in the Hebrew meaning “dead, died, or die” and not “beginning to die” or “surely die.”

Does the Bible Teach Death before Sin?

The Bible tells us very clearly that there was no death before sin from many passages. In fact, there are no Bible verses indicating there was death prior to sin.

Click to enlarge

Figure 4. Death before sin is a problem for a perfect creation at the end of Day 6

The only reason some people try to insert death before sin is to fit man’s ideas of “millions of years” of death from a uniformitarian view of the fossil record into the Bible. But this makes a mockery of God’s statement that everything was very good in Genesis 1:31. Death, animals eating other animals, thorns, cancer, tumors, and so on are not very good, and, yet, these are found in those fossil layers.

This leads to compromising what God plainly says to accommodate fallible man’s ideas. Besides, the Scriptures reveal a global Flood in Genesis 6–8, after sin, which explains the vast majority of fossil layers. So, one need not appeal to billions of years to explain these layers. It is better to trust what God says:

Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in God, than to trust in man.

Keep in mind that having death before sin also undermines the very gospel, where Jesus Christ stepped into history to conquer sin and death. In doing so, He graciously offered the free gift of salvation to all who receive him.

Conclusion

Figure 5. Biblical view of death

Figure 6. A secular view of death

Keep in mind there are primarily two views of history (secular and Christian) with two different authorities (man’s fallible reason apart from God and a perfect God) with conflicting views about the past.

According to the Bible, a perfect God created a perfect creation, and because of man’s sin, death and suffering came into the world. But through Christ we look forward to a time when there will be no more pain or death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).

In a secular worldview, there has always been death. So, when Christians try to incorporate secular history of millions of years into their theology, two main questions arise. Was there really a change when Adam and Eve sinned? And what will heaven really be like then . . . ?

Footnotes

1. See “Do Leaves Die?” Back
2. Bodie Hodge, “How old is the earth?” Answers in Genesis. Back
3. Ryan McClay, “Dino Dinner Hard to Swallow,” Answers in Genesis. Back

ICR, Days of Praise, May 11, 2010

A Righteous Desire

May 11, 2010

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." (Matthew 6:33)

The Pharisees of Jesus' day were quite "religious" in their behavior, but our Lord often took them to task because "all their works they do for to be seen of men" (Matthew 23:5).

God's Kingdom Is First Priority: The Lord's admonition in our text was given to focus His followers beyond the "ordinary" desires and needs of their physical existence. We are expected to "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). As promised, when we are rightly focused, "all these other things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33)

Yielded to Righteousness: We become "servants" of those things that we "obey." We obey that which we have "yielded" ourselves to (Romans 6:16). It is not possible to "serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). Our "members" (our physical bodies) can either become "instruments" (weapons) of ungodliness or of righteousness (Romans 6:13). We either "walk" after the Spirit or after the flesh (Romans 8:1).

Doggedly Pursue Godliness: "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Timothy 6:11). Even though our "new man" longs for righteousness, and we consciously yield ourselves to seek and serve God's kingdom, "with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:25).

We must never become slack in our diligence. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). HMM III

ICR, Days of Praise, May 10, 2010

The Christian's Calling May 10, 2010 "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." (Ephesians 4:1) The Christian's calling in Christ is a high calling. Since we are encouraged to walk in a manner worthy of this calling, it behooves us to make careful study of it, lest our lifestyle bring reproach to the One who has called us. Consider the following sampling of the uses of this important word: First, the calling is "of God" and irrevocable (Romans 11:29). We are called "by his grace" (Galatians 1:15) and "into the grace of Christ" (Galatians 1:6). We are called "out of darkness" and "into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Furthermore, we are "called to be saints" (Romans 1:7). He has "called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace" (2 Timothy 1:9). We are "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1), and in response, we should "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). The New Testament writers as well mention many things to which we are called. We are "called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). We are "called unto liberty" (Galatians 5:13) and are now free to "serve one another," even though it means accepting the call to suffering. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). The "eternal life, whereunto thou art also called" may not come easily, for it involves the "good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). We are calle d "to glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3), even "his eternal glory by Christ Jesus" (1 Peter 5:10), for we are "called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10). JDM