- Our debt to a lost world.
- Our debt to the government.
- Our debt to our neighbor.
~~~Greely Kirkpatrick~~~
Most of the time when we think about being in debt, we have negative thoughts. However, there is a sense in which being in debt is positive. Christians are obligated to pay some debts because we belong to the family of God. Therefore, instead of being a burden, they become a blessing.
~~~Greely Kirkpatrick~~~ If you like sports, you have probably been watching the Olympics. If Paul were alive today, I’m reasonably sure he would be also. He wrote about the sport of running in I Cor. 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”
~~Greely Kirkpatrick~~~ II Timothy 2:3 says, “You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. The 3rd stanza of the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” says, “…like a mighty army moves the church of God”. Do you see the church as an army? Paul did and he often used military imagery in his letters.
Some of you may have served in the military. You may be a veteran of a foreign war. Thank you for your sacrifice. In the Lord’s army there are also sacrifices and hardships. We must remember that our warfare is spiritual and real! Our armor is spiritual and our weapons are spiritual. (Eph. 6:10ff) May I ask you, “What kind of soldier are you?” Are you strong? II Tim. 2:1 says, “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Notice where our enablement is; it is in the grace of God! Now this doesn’t mean that we are to neglect basic training. The good soldier has to do his part if he is going to keep in shape. However, the point is that we don’t depend on our own strength alone, but on the Lord’s strength. (Eph. 6:10) Without Christ we would be weak and helpless. Brethren, the first step toward spiritual victory is accepting the fact that we must depend on the grace of God through Jesus Christ!! This doesn’t mean that God’s grace works instead of us. I Cor. 15:10 says, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly that they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Our enemy, the devil, wants us to depend on ourselves and to fight with the weapons of the world. But our strong weapons of prayer and the Word of God will defeat him every time! ~~~~Greely Kirkpatrick~~~
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