Fruitful and Established

The God of what it takes!

Christians. What an uncommon bunch!

When persecuted, they bless. Though needy, they give. When given the choice between temporal gain and eternal profit, they choose the eternal. Though it may cost them their own, they will not take the life of another. When insisting on personal rights means bringing reproach on The Name, they opt for suffering personal loss. Though surrounded by covetousness and comfort, they live simply. Despite the moral decay about them, they maintain purity and chastity. When vengeance and tit-for-tat is "in order," they return good. In an age of self and pleasure, they serve others.

They do, don't they?!

Well, they should, anyway. But whether they actually do or only should, how can they live such uncommon lives? The answer is simple: they serve the God of what it takes.

Huh? Yes. They serve the God of what it takes. Look again at the first verse of the lesson text: "His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." My friend, God has what it takes to make us an uncommon bunch! And He gives to us all we need so we might distinguish ourselves as His uncommon bunch.

The unbeliever and the new believer often stagger at the incredible demands of the Gospel. Even the veteran will marvel at the standard and the goals God sets before His people. Who can live such a life?! Not I and not you; not alone. But with God, all things are possible. And that includes living lives of holiness, stability and fruitfulness.

"But the God of all grace . . . make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" (Romans 9:16).

"Now the God of peace . . . make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ . . ." (Hebrews 13:20,21).

". . . Our sufficiency is of God" (2 Corinthians 3:5).

"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me" (Psalm 138:8).

". . . He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

"All scripture is given . . . that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Do you believe these verses? Perhaps you have failed so many times that now you say, "Yeah, those are nice verses. But they didn't work for me." I, too, have felt that way. So let me tell you what I've learned: Those who keep striving, win. Always. Those who quit, lose. Always.

We serve the God of what it takes. Can you accept that?

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