Tuesday 17th December 2019 Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- 1 Timothy 6:1-14
Topic:- Fight The Good Fight Of Faith [2]
Text:- Hebrews 11:1
D. A Good Fight:
1. How can Paul call this a good fight? Because he knows God has already won the victory, that we are not left to fight by ourselves in our own strength.
2. And because the result of our battling should glorify God, not us.
E. What Does It Mean To Fight The Good Fight Of Faith:
1. Paul’s exhortation he tells us that faith involves action. But what does this really mean? See 1 Timothy 6:11-14.
2. To fight the good fight of faith means that we abide in the Word by faith, regardless of what we feel or what we think we understand. As Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” See John 8:31.
3. Fight the good fight of faith as it will not let sin rule. It is written, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” See Romans 12:21.
4. We have passions and desires that maintain the opposite.
a. We have human reasoning that says, “This is impossible; then they will do what they want with me; they will walk all over me,” etc.
b, Here we have an exhortation by Paul: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin to commit sin is to consciously do something that you know goes against God’s will.
c. This can be in word, deed, or even thought. See James 1:14-15.
d. But alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” See Romans 6:11-12.
5. To fight the good fight of faith means that we stand firmly anchored in the Word in the power of the Spirit, reckoning ourselves dead to our feelings and our human reasoning, not letting sin rule in our mortal body by obeying its lusts. We have to do what Jesus says: Take up our cross daily and deny ourselves. See Luke 9:23.
6. Paul also says the same thing: “But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” See Romans 8:13.
7. This does not happen without a fight and sufferings. Peter says it like this: “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” See 1 Peter 4:1.
8. Therefore we must suffer in the flesh if we are to cease from sin. There will be sufferings in the flesh if we by the Spirit are to put to death what rises up from the flesh so that the lusts are not allowed to rule. Sin rules, and we suffer in our conscience if we do not suffer in the flesh.
F. Fight The Good Fight, Bondage Or Liberty:
1. Many people do not want to acknowledge this fight and this suffering. It is not uncommon for preachers to use their abilities to present the Christian life as being as easy and as glorious as possible.
2. They explain how Jesus has done everything and as a result we don’t have to do anything. They say, “Jesus has suffered for us; He died for us, and He has redeemed us completely.
3. We must only believe in His finished work, and then we will automatically live an overcoming life. As long as we just look up to Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit which we read about. See Galatians 5:22.
4. They can proclaim “full liberty” in Christ in spite of seeing the people they serve continue to live in all kinds of sins, and in spite of the fact that they themselves do not have the victory.
5. They live in the love of money, envy, and fornication. They have come into false liberty and turn grace into licentiousness. See Jude 4.
6. They cannot endure this sound doctrine because they have turned their ears away from the truth and have turned aside to fables. See 2 Timothy 4:2-4.
Prayer Point: Help oh Lord God, that my faith will increase so as to be able to fight the good fight of faith henceforth by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
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