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How strong is my faith?

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But you, beloved, must remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. - Jude 1:17-21 (LSB) How can I strengthen my faith? 1. Building yourselves up on your most holy faith - Meditate on His Word daily And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified. - Acts 20:32 (LSB) Therefore, laying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to ...
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Am I a slave of Jesus Christ?

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If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved - Romans 10:9 (NASB) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. - 1 Corinthians 12:3 (LSB) The idea of the Christian as a slave and Christ as Master is almost totally missing from the vocabulary of contemporary evangelical Christianity.  Not only is slave a bad word loaded with political incorrectness, but our generation loves the concepts of freedom and personal fulfillment. Modern and postmodern people crave autonomy, and as the church has become increasingly worldly, the biblical truth of our duty to Him as our absolute Lord and Master has all but disappeared from the evangelical consciousness. The church in our generation has reduced all of saving faith and Christian discipleship to a thoughtless (but more politically correct) cliché; "...
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Is my way His way?

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Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. - Psalm 139:23-24 (LSB) But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the fullness of day. - Proverbs 4:18 (LSB) Thus says Yahweh, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. - Jeremiah 6:16 (NASB) And a roadway will be there, a highway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not pass by on it, But it will be for him who walks in that way, And ignorant fools will not wander on it. - Isaiah 35:8 (LSB) Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. - John 14:6 (LSB) You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. - Psalm 16:11 (LSB) Is i...
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Why do some defect?

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But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, a...
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Am I contending?

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To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. - Jude 1:1b-4 (LSB) The most dangerous part of the battle goes on inside the Church against apostates who call themselves Christians but are without the Holy Spirit and without salvation. - John MacArthur Do you know people who profess Christ that live differently on Monday to Saturday than they do on Sunday? Do you know people who profess Christ but have beliefs that violate the absolute truth of Scripture? They profess ...
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Is Jesus your Lord?

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For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age,  awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,  who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good. - Titus 2:11-14 (Amplified Bible) The message of salvation includes a call to surrender to Jesus as Lord. Those who would come to Him for salvation must be willing to acquiesce to His sovereign authority. Those who reject His right to rule cannot expect to lay claim to Him as Savior. True salvation produce...
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What is tempting you?

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Now these things [the warnings and admonitions] took place as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did.  Do not be worshipers of handmade gods, as some of them were; just as it is written [in Scripture], “The people sat down to eat and drink [after sacrificing to the golden calf at Horeb], and stood up to play [indulging in immoral activities].”  We must not indulge in [nor tolerate] sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell [dead] in a single day!  We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.  And do not murmur [in unwarranted discontent], as some of them did—and were destroyed by the destroyer.  Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let t...
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