"Born of God"

Born of God
The Apostle John writes,
“But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.  
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.  
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:5-10.
Here John points out the “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning...”
As believers in Christ we do our best not to sin. To live a life acceptable to Christ, acceptable to God. A believer in Christ does not deliberately sin.
John warns believers in Jesus not to be let astray. John states,
“He who does what is sinful is of the devil...”
John states,
“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”
If we are truly followers of God, children of God we will desire to do what is right at all times. The apostle Paul states,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law.”  

Galatians 5:22,23. 

This is what a true follower of Jesus will exhibit.
Please think about it.

Children of God

Children of God

The apostle John makes this statement to Christians,
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” 1 John 3:1
John makes the significant statement here, he calls believers in Jesus “children of God”
This is a statement John makes in his Gospel talking about Jesus he states,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13. 
John also makes it clear in his gospel who he believes Jesus to be stating,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.... 
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-4,14
John believed Jesus to be God incarnate, the creator of the world. He also makes it clear that all who believe in Jesus
“...he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
I know non-Christians do not believe this. They do not understand how we as mere mortals can be called children of God. That however is I believe, because they do not know or understand the true nature of Jesus. That Jesus is indeed God and with God all things are possible.
Please think about it.

Antichrists

Antichrists
The apostle John warns,
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.  
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.  
I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.  
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”1John 2:18-22.
Here John seems to use extremely strong language. He states that anyone who claims Jesus is not the Christ the Messiah is an antichirst.
Note however he is referring to those who at one time claimed to be Christians and are now denying that Jesus is the Christ the saviour of mankind.
It is these people Christians need to be careful with.
It’s understandable that those of other faiths may not believe as we do. For a myriad of reasons they do not agree with Christian teaching. I do not believe John is talking about these people.
John’s comments are directed at those who claimed to be Christian he states,
“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.”
These are men and women who have taken the scriptures and teaching of Jesus and the apostles and pervert them to their own ways.
The apostle Peter warns of such people saying,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
The apostle Paul also echoes this saying,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
We as Christians need to be careful as to who we listen to, especially in this multimedia age.
There are many men and women in the media that seem like they are Christians. They seem as if they are teaching about Jesus and God correctly but are not.
In order to ensure that we are not deceived we need to study the scriptures for ourselves and know for certain what is right and what is wrong. The words of the apostle Paul when he said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15 are as true today as they were when he wrote them. They are words we need to take to heart and follow.
Please think about it.  

The Christian, The World, and God

The Christian, The world, and God
John the apostle wrote,
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1John 2:15-17.
Here John echoes the words of Jesus who said,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:19-24.
We as believers in Jesus need to decide where our first love is. There is nothing wrong with having money and riches. It is when that money and riches become gods in our life that the problem starts. When they become more important that God.
We cannot stand with our feet in both worlds.
Matthews gospel records this incident between Jesus and a rich man,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”Matthew 19:16-22.
In order to be true followers of Jesus we need to be willing to give up everything we have of material value in this world if necessary.
God may never require us to give up our material possessions. Never the less we must be willing to do so if God asks.
 Are you willing to do so?
        Where is your true riches?
         Please think about it.

Live as Jesus did

Live as Jesus did
The apostle John writes,
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  
The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  
But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 1John 2:3-6.
As I read this the statement “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” jumped out at me. The question that arose in my mind is,
Are you living as Jesus did?
Jesus not only lived a pure life. Jesus associated with everyone irrespective of what they believed or their status in society. Jesus associated with prostitutes, Roman soldiers, tax collectors and sinners. Yes and even religious leaders.
Jesus never protested against anything. He never spoke against anyone outside his own faith. While he spoke to correct the religious leaders of his day he never spoke against secular Roman law or the governing secular authorities.
Jesus showed love to all. Thus the question becomes,
Are you loving as Jesus loved?
Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus told his believers,

“So in everything, do to others 

what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” 

Matthew 7:12

If you claim to be a Christian are you obeying the words of Jesus?
Are walking as Jesus walked?
Would someone of another faith or lifestyle or from another culture see the true Jesus in your life?
Would they truly see the unconditional love of Jesus reflected in your life.
Or would they say as Mahatma Gandhi said,

“Jesus is ideal and wonderful,

 but you Christians - 

you are not like him.”

                                                                    Mahatma Gandhi
Please think about it. 

A Clear Statement

A Clear Statement
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”  1John 1:5-2:2.
Here is a very definite statement made by someone who knew Jesus personally. Who stat under his teaching and thus knew who Jesus really was and his purpose in coming to earth.
John states,
1/ “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”  
Our God is a God of truth and light. It is God who shows us the way to heaven and gives us every opportunity to get to heaven.
2/ “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
I believe here that walking in darkness is doing what God does not want us to do. I believe there are many calling themselves Christians who think they are walking in light but are not. They are mixing their faith with other things that are not of God and thus making their faith worthless.
I believe to walk in the light we must consider the words of Jesus who when asked,
   “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
I believe if we are doing these things we are walking in the light.
John then notes,
3/ “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
We as individuals must remember the words of the apostle Paul who said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:23,24.
We as individuals sin. Sin is falling short of what God wants for our lives. It is our obligation before God to confess our sins directly to God, as soon as we realize we have sinned. In doing so God will forgive us our sins.
John here also makes a very powerful statement here. He states,
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
By claiming we have no sin we make God out to be a liar. Think about it John is saying if we as individuals claim to have no sin we are calling the creator of the universe a liar.
God however is indeed a God of love who understands each individual and makes it possible for every individual to get to heaven, even if we at times sin. John states,
“But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all men who would believe in him. It is because of Jesus we can get to heaven. The apostle Paul writing,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
Thus the question becomes, do you believe this?
Please think about it.

My job is to Love

My job is to Love
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,

It is the Holy Spirits job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

Billy Graham

Jesus when asked

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 

Jesus replied: 

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  

This is the first and greatest commandment.  

And the second is like it: 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus also said,

“You have heard that it was said, 

‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,...” 

Matthew 5:43,44

The apostle Paul defined love as,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13

The writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men 

and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

Hebrews 12:14

Jesus said,

“So in everything, 

do to others what you would have them do to you, 

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” 

Matthew 7:12.

Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer all Christians need to take to heart. He wrote,

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood as to understand; 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive; 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

                                                                         The Prayer of St Francis of Assisi.
If you claim to be a Christian, are you truly loving unconditionally, those around you?
Please think about it.

God will Judge

God will Judge
The apostle Peter writes,
“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.  
I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  
They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:1-9.
Peter here states he writes the letter to stimulate his readers to wholesome thinking and to recall what the prophets, the apostles and Jesus said.
He reminds them that in the end days people will arise saying what we as Christians believe is not true. That men and women who will choose to go their own way.
However Peter notes,
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Peter notes that God is not slow as such. He is patient. That he wants “everyone to come to repentance”
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16,17.
The purpose in Jesus coming to this world is to see people come into a right relationship with God. Thus he is giving everyone everywhere abundant time to come to know him.
As a believer in Jesus, I am sure God has set a date when He will judge the people of world. The apostle Paul speaking the Athenians said,
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31.
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
“The Bible says today is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation... But there will come a time when it will be too late for you.” Billy Graham.
I nor any other follower of Jesus know when God will judge the people of the world. I do know however He will. Even the writer of Ecclesiastes writing long before the birth of Christ said,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
Thus the question remains for those reading this be they believers in Jesus or not. Will you meet Jesus as your Saviour or your Judge.
Please think about it.

Warning!

Warning!
The apostle Peter warns,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3.
The apostle Paul echoes these words saying,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Later in the same letter to Timothy Paul writes,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
This is happening today in the twenty-first century. Living here in North America I see evidence of people frequently claiming to be Christians who are not. They misquote scripture. They twist the holy scriptures to conform to what they believe. They choose to teach only what they want people to here.
They are as the apostle Paul puts it,
 “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Sadly it can be hard to tell who these people are when we see them in the media. We have no personal contact with them. Thus it’s hard to tell if they are living life the way they claim to be.
What Christians can however do is check every word they say from the scriptures. Find out for ones self if the way they are presenting scriptures is correct and not taken out of context.
One of the big things in North America is with evangelist and others in the media asking for money. Making the statements that if you give to God (usually meaning their ministry) God will give you back ten, a hundred or even a thousand times what you give. This is utter garbage. God is not a banker that gives super interest on your giving.
We should give to God’s work because we want to give. Not because we expect anything in return.
One pastor told me if you want to give to a specific Christian ministry ask to see where the money is going to. He even went as far as saying ask how much the evangelist salary is.
The purpose of giving to a ministry is to further the kingdom of God. To reach the lost and to help the poor. As a result a minister, or evangelist should get a good salary, but the bulk of the money given to any ministry should go directly to spreading the gospel.
Giving aside we should also be very careful about any teaching. We need to study the New Testament and indeed the whole bible for ourselves.
We need to become familiar with the scriptures for ourselves. We need to pray and ask God to show us the truths there in.
Remember the New Testament was written to ordinary people. Thus we can if we read carefully, understand them.
What I am trying to say here is what the apostles Peter and Paul are saying. Be careful. We are in a time when there is a lot being preached in the media and in some churches that are not of God.
You however as an individual are called to do as the apostle Paul told timothy,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

 a workman who does not need to be ashamed 

and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 

2 Timothy 2:15.

Please think about it.

Jesus is

Jesus is.
The Apostle Peter makes this statement.
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 2 Peter 1:16-18.
Over the years I’ve heard people say Jesus was not a real person. He is a myth.
Jesus is not a myth. If so the apostle Peter and all the other writers of the New Testament have told one of the most monumental lies in human history.
Peter was there with Jesus he witnessed the life of Christ on this earth. He truly believed that Jesus was the Son of God. God incarnate.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
This is what all the writers of the New Testament believed. It is what true Christians in the twenty-first century believe.
Henry Ward Beecher wrote,
“If Christ is not divine, every impulse of the Christian world falls to a lower octave, and light and love and hope decline.”Henry Ward Beecher
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.     He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Each person when presented with Jesus must decide for themselves who Jesus is. No one can decide for you. You must look at what the New Testament writers said about him and make your own decision. That decision can be but one of two things. Either what the writers of the New Testament says is true, Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate, the Saviour of Mankind or he is not.
Please think about it

Add to your faith"

Add to your faith

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2Peter 1:3-11.
The Apostle Peter tells us plainly,
The ways of the world are filled with desires that quite often run contrary to what God wants for us.
He is telling us that through Christ we have everything we need for life an godliness. That he has given us “his very great and precious promises. That we may “escape the corruption of this world”.
Peter then tells the believer,
“...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”
He notes,
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It is important as believers in Jesus, that we have a disciplined life. That we make every effort to live a life acceptable to Christ. As the writer of Hebrews tells us,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men 

and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

Hebrews 12:14   

This is a constant theme throughout the teachings of the Jesus and the apostles. Live a life of faith, goodness, love, kindness, self-control, godliness and holiness.
Peter goes on to say
“But if anyone does not have them, (goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, Love) he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”
He tells the believer that they should make sure of what they believe and how they act. That their life, lifestyle and actions line up with what Jesus wants for their life.
The reward for doing so as Peter states is
“For if you do these things, you will never fall,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
If you claim to be Christian you need to take a few minutes right now alone with God.
 We all make mistakes. We all fall short of what God wants for our lives. Thus we all need to take some time every now and then to ask God to show us how we can do more for him.
Please think about it.

Advice to Christians

Advice to Christians
The Apostle Peter writing to believers in Christ gave this advice,
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:  
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1Peter 5:1-11
Peter makes several important points here. First to the older men in the Church he states,
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
The older presumably better educated in the word of God and the knowledge of Christ are to be shepherds. To serve as overseers.
Overseers are there to see that those under them are correctly following the word of God not going astray. They must do this by example not by lording over people and trying to force them to do what is right.
They must also do it because they want to do it, not for money. Peter says they should “not be greedy for money” “but rather eager to serve”. 
To the younger men he states,
“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
Young men can be very eager to serve the Lord. As some one has said some young Christians “want to serve God and they want to server now! without waiting to learn about the ways of God and Christ.”
Young men need to humble themselves, Pray, study the scriptures and learn all they can about the ways of God and the teachings of Jesus. Then wait on the Lord and in due time God will lift them up.”
Young men need to go to those who are older than themselves for council and teaching. Then when they are ready use their youth in the service of God.
We are called to cast or anxieties on Jesus. To be self-controlled and alert. To resist the devil and stand firm in the faith. No matter the circumstances we are in.
Thus the questions are;
If you are older and in a position of trust within the Church are you leading others by your example? Are you correctly teaching the word of God to those entrusted to you?
If you are younger, are you humbling yourself before God and learning from those who are older in the Lord?
And no matter who you are, are you correctly teaching the word of God?
Please think about it.