John Mulligan’s lesson on Sunday was a continuation of “No Wasted Years - No Meaningless Days. Being the Person You were Meant to Be.” There are 3 parts of Christian growth and purpose: Trans...
John Mulligan’s lesson on Sunday was a continuation of “No Wasted Years - No Meaningless Days. Being the Person You were Meant to Be.” There are 3 parts of Christian growth and purpose: Transition; Addition; and Refinement. This lesson, taken from II Peter 1:3-11, focuses on Addition: growing in character.
(1) Our calling in life is to look like our Creator (vv. 3-4). We’re not performing miracles, of course, but we do try to build our character to reflect His qualities. We leave our past behind and live a Godly life, anticipating our blessed future with Him.
(2) We pursue seven qualities which measure our progress (vv. 5-7).
~ Goodness: Caring, helping others, being selfless.
~ Knowledge: Not book knowledge, but knowledge of God’s Word, and taking time every day to study it.
~ Self-control: Being able to say no to Satan’s temptations. Staying out of certain areas, or staying away from certain people who could lead you away from a Godly life. Learning to de-escalate our anger - not saying something we’ll regret later.
~ Perseverance: Staying in it through the challenges. Staying faithful. Not giving up on the difficult people in your life.
~ Godliness: We sacrifice, share what we have, and we care for and love others, even our enemies. We make these efforts in all aspects of our lives.
~ Mutual affection: We can show this simply by making eye contact and listening, giving a warm handshake or a hug, even when someone is angry.
~ Love: Christian love isn’t about our FEELINGS. It means DOING the right thing for others.
How and where do we show these qualities? At work. While driving or shopping. With family, neighbors, and friends - especially the strained relationships. In short, everywhere and with everyone.
(3) Possessing these qualities confirms our place in Eternity (vv. 8-11). Those seven qualities aren’t suggestions. When our lives are consumed with good, we lock the doors to Satan.
It won’t be easy, but we have a lifetime to work on becoming the person God created us to be. We’re in it for the long haul. Yes, we’ll likely stumble but, at the end, God will welcome us to His eternal kingdom.
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