May 1, 2021 A REMINDER
2 Peter 1:12-13 “Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of remembrance.”
In the last blog, Becoming Partakers, we looked at the verses preceding the verses above where Paul encouraged and instructed the believers to work with God as He worked in them and to take on the qualities that Paul listed. He went on to say that by partaking of the promises of God, they would be neither useless nor unfruitful. I think that we are of the opinion that if we know something, that is sufficient; we may even feel a bit frustrated when reminded of something we know. However, it is a blessing to be reminded because we can sometimes forget the basics or be distracted from foundational truths; if not alert, the cares of this life get us out of focus. You would think that once we get to know God, we would always walk in His ways. The truth is, we need to be reminded and to remember on a regular basis what God has done and what He is continuing to do in us, and to be partaking of His promises. We may know the promises of God and we may know that He wants to complete His work in us in order that our lives reflect His character, but beyond knowing, we must be engaged in what He is doing in us-remembering and responding to all He has said in His word. For example, we know that patience is a Godly quality that we are to add to our life-but if we are an impatient person, then we must realize that we are not responding to what He wants to do in us-in other words, we are not doing our part; we are actually saying ‘no’ to God and ‘yes’ to our ways. I realize that this may sound like a ‘work ethic’ mentality, but it is not that at all. We must understand that it is only by the mercy and the power of God that we can live the Christian life as depicted in the word of God, BUT, He does not ‘zap’ us and make us live the life He has for us; we have a role to play, and that role is to embrace what He says and to adjust our lives to His ways. We cannot use as an excuse the logic that says ‘That’s just the way I am made’ when it comes to adjusting some area of our live that is not in keeping with His ways and what His word teaches. So, let us welcome being reminded by the Holy Spirit and by others and then take the appropriate action.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
Hebrews 3:13, 10:24a “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”
Blessings,
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