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Hebrews 6:1-20 – Paul was an enemy of Christ. We know how he despised the way, and the followers of the way. He persecuted the church in many ways before he was converted… but he was converted!
2 Peter 2:20-22 – There is no question that the person talked about here is at a very high risk spiritually. As long as this person is in this state of resistance against God, and has this frame of mind, he is in a place where he isn’t able to repent and be renewed. God’s Spirit can call and His mercy is great, even yet, there is still hope!
Romans 15:14 – Diligence in good works. God notices this, He will not forget. They are not earning their salvation, it is the fruit that is produced in the lives of saved people.
Hebrews 6:12 – That you do not become sluggish. Through faith and patient endurance inherit the promise.
How does this sluggishness happen? There are many more, but here are a few that can be big issues for us.
- The deceitfulness of sin affects us. If sin is allowed and we are compromised, we will be weakened.
- The deceitfulness of riches and an easy life. When things just “keep on the way they’ve always gone” we can become sleepy and less alert and less guarded for our souls.
Sluggishness is a waypoint on the way down to apostasy. When Christians are sluggish it weakens our resistance to temptation and to deceit.
Acts 4 – “You can only grow in persecution what you go into persecution with.” The Jews were impressed with the disciples, they took note that they had “been with Jesus.” They were prepared for difficult times! The didn’t cringe, they prayed for boldness!
Daniel prayed 3 times a day… from his youth! It wasn’t something that he just started doing when he was taken to Babylon. He was prepared for hard times and for persecution.
Grace didn’t come dumping down on them when Paul and Silas were arrested. They had been singing and worshipping and praying for years beforehand.
We, here in America, have had a pretty easy life. It is good for us to read stories of Christians in other places and in years past. We have been spared a lot, but the snare of sluggishness can affect us so incredibly easily.
Trouble is looming for Christians, even here in America. We can see that things in the world are getting worse. The Bible talks of terrible times coming and that it is time for the patience and endurance of the saints. Things will be getting worse before Christ comes to take His children to heaven.
Are we prepared? Bad things can happen quickly. How do we become more diligent and less sluggish? Let us be alert and aware of our tendencies towards sluggishness, let us not just coast along.