As I was sitting in the Lord's presence this morning He led me to these three passages and connected them. Three words have been stirring greatly recently, Abide, Behold, Become. This is the pattern every disciple of Jesus is called to, will you choose to accept the call (Matt. 22:14)?
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
{1 John 3:2-6; 1 John 5:18-20; 2 Peter 1:5-11}
Peter shows a vertical to horizontal progressive pattern above, which beautifully reveals a picture of the Cross!
1. Moral Excellence (vertical)
2. Knowledge (vertical)
3. Self-Control (vertical)
4. Patient Endurance (vertical)
5. Godliness (sum of vertical and transition to horizontal)
6. Brotherly Love (horizontal)
7. Love for Everyone (horizontal)
Could what Peter says be the reason why so many stumble, fall, or worse yet turn from Jesus? He says, "Do these things, and you will never fall away" Beloved, these can only be formed and matured as a person chooses to abide in Jesus, and surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit!
We rarely hear anyone say what John says above, he says, "he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him." What does John mean by "keep himself?" He means in the position of abiding in the Lord Jesus! Do you see the promise? "The wicked one does not touch him!" So many in the Body of Christ put the spotlight on the enemy and everything they think he is doing, instead of lifting their eyes and fixing them on Jesus!
The call is nearness to Jesus, get there, and remain there!!!