Steps to Unlocking the Secrets to Living a Victorious Life 8-9-26
Updated: Aug 9
No Hop, Skip and Jump! Skipping steps can be dangerous!
As a Christian, there are steps that are necessary to walk worthy of your salvation: I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:1-7).
For a true Christian there should be no denominational barriers. Why? We are the body of Christ and His body has also been divided for us us (1 Corinthians 11:24).
1) Because there is only One Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This is the number one baptism- The other two are baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and water baptism (Acts 8:36-39).
2) We confessed salvation to the same Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10).
3) There is only one way to be saved. For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber (John 10:1). Everybody was/is saved the same way; no one is more saved than the other. WE all were given the same measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
What did Paul mean when he wrote: “I therefore a prisoner of thee Lord- Didn’t Jesus say that He came to open the prison to those who ae bound?
Doesn’t prison mean to be locked behind bars, or chained? However, with Paul this was two fold – he was behind physical bars but the Gospel was still being preached and his ministry continued to flourish while he was in prison. For us, wherever the Lord has us in this life in the physical realm, we have ministry and God’s purpose is fulfilled.
So, when Paul said He was a prisoner [in bonds to the Lord] of the Lord, he was not bound by whatever had him chained, he flipped the script and was bound to do whatever Jesus told him to. Don’t look at the word as a negative, being bound in the Lord brings “freedom” Paul’s being a prisoner of Christ was to be totally committed; he was sold out!!
Question - Do you think Paul had a difficult time being in physical chains?
Answer- Paul learned (process) to be content (Philippians 4:11-13). He grew to understand that regardless of what he went through (thorn in the flesh), that God’s grace was sufficient and in weakness, God was his strength (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Paul was given some unspeakable revelations; the thorn in the flesh was to keep him humble because he was well trained in the natural and spiritual realm.
Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow (Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18); no hop skip and jump - As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-11).
Whoever does not follow these steps don’t really understand salvation, even if they are saved.
A lack of understanding keeps the children of God divided; therefore, they are immature because they skipped steps.
Salvation is not like the game hop scotch; it is a day by day process of being developed into maturity.
Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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