Jesus is our Promise Keeper and God’s Word never fails. His grace lifts us up and  delivers us from all the daily evil plots. Yes, as the devil prowls around in sheep’s clothing, we are wisely led by the Spirit of God. Our Father never expected us to save ourselves. By grace alone we are saved and therefore we can easily boast in His loving kindness shown towards us daily.

Galatians 5:16-18 To walk by the Spirit’s leading, we must submit to His guidance and His perfect understanding of what is ahead in the unseen. Being led by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of our flesh. For our flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God leads us in the opposite direction of our sinful nature. Our nature and the Spirit of God are in constant conflict with each other. When we are walking by faith and in the Spirit, we do NOT do whatever we want. As we submit to His leading, we are led by the Spirit, to examine our ways, to repent and by God’s grace, NOT self imposed will, we enter through the narrow gate. Our heart is deceitful, so we do not lean on our own understanding or the opinions of others.

We filter all that we hear, witness, and watch through the lens of God’s Word so that we will not be deceived. To enter through the narrow gate, we carefully navigate through this broken world. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. The small entrance gate into heaven requires that we follow the Spirit along the narrow road that leads to eternal life with God. Only a few find their way through the pearly gates as they did not watch out for false prophets. Many online influencers come to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they tear apart our faith like ferocious wolves. Check their fruit, and rightly discern if they are bearing the fruit of the Spirit of God. With God’s wisdom we can easily recognize thornbushes. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Wisdom applied Matt 7:13

The selfish acts of the flesh are obvious: hatred, envy, fits of rage, impurity, sexual promiscuity, idolatry, discord, witchcraft, selfish ambition, jealousy, orgies, drunkenness and the like. God warned us that those who live according to their flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since they live by the Spirit, they  keep in step with the Spirit, by listening to what the Spirit of God is saying. When convicted, we confess when we fall short and do not hit the mark of holiness. We strive to not become conceited, or to provoke  envy of each other. Working out our salvation through Galatians 5:24-26

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Those who live in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You who live submitted to the Spirit, please God. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. Romans 8:1

The Spirit we received does not make us slaves, so that we live in fear again; rather, the Spirit we received brought about our adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” Romans 8:15-17 trusted.

The Truth sets us free. If we claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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 is not in us.” 1 John 1:6-10

Jude 1:21-25 “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you WAIT for the MERCY of our Lord JESUS Christ to BRING you to ETERNAL life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others SHOW MERCY, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. To HIM who is ABLE to keep you from stumbling and to present you before HIS glorious PRESENCE without fault and with great JOY —to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through JESUS Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!

Psalm 103:13-22 “As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word. Praise the Lord, all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do His will. Praise the Lord, all His works everywhere in His dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.” Hallelujah!!!

FAITH is CONFIDENCE in what we HOPE for and ASSURANCE about what we do NOT see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By FAITH we UNDERSTAND that the universe was formed at GOD’S COMMAND, so that what is SEEN was NOT made out of what was visible. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God, because anyone who comes to HIM must BELIEVE that HE EXISTS and that HE rewards those who earnestly seek HIM. By FAITH the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. The saints before us were commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since GOD had PLANNED something BETTER for US so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Heb 11

We honor God by faith in His ability that He will  finish what He started in us. We press on to gain the prize of eternal life with Jesus. Philippians 3:21 “He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” One day we will live in a body like His resurrected, glorified radiant body. Our Promise Keeper told us to hold on — and to wait with great hope, that the body we live in now, will be eternally changed. Full glorification is the point at which everything hard, painful or sad is forgotten. Every scar is undone. Every tear wiped away. The saints of God will not merely be instantly healed, but we will be transformed into His radiance. The trumpet will sound, the dead will rise, and what was mortal will become immortal. Our past struggles will become splendor. Our weary hearts will become full of eternal joy.  Trusting God’s promises, we do not store up treasures in vaults destined for fire, nor do we fear aging, sickness, or death. We understand that our earthly hardships are doorways to glory. We are forgiven, living on grace with the promise to be yet glorified. We are now saved but not completed as we anticipate the full sweep of His resurrection power. The gospel never stopped at the cross and Truth never ends at forgiveness. Truth ends with His glory. It ends with believers standing in a body that can never die, seeing God face to face, radiating with the glory of the One who redeemed us. Soon, we will all wear a one-size-fits all eternal glorified body !

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11