Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
When I was young, I liked to walk across a river, stepping on the rocks as I went. I usually wore a good pair of hiking boots, and was extra careful not to slip whenever I traversed over some wet moss. Sometimes I would be daring enough to climb up the side of a very steep hill, just to sit on top of a big boulder and to look at all of my surroundings. Some people like to climb mountains, and when they do, they will apply some rosin to their hands so they can get a good grip on the rock face. Rosin is a sticky, hardened tree sap that’s used in liquid chalk to improve your grip on the mountainside. As climbers slowly make their assent, they will reach into their bag and apply some to their hands to make sure that they stick fast to the mountain.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Faithfully serving the Lord is very much like climbing a mountainside. Each day we continually progress, climbing further to the summit with every step that we take. But if we are going to make it all the way to the top, we must make sure that we.have a solid grip on the teachings of Holy Scripture, and hold fast to the doctrines of our faith.
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” 2 Thessalonians 2:15
God wants to lift us up, but we must first humble ourselves and become obedient to His purpose for our lives. The only way that we will get all the way to the top of the mountain, is by applying the resin of scripture to our lives. When we believe it with all of our hearts, it is the traction that we need in order to keep us from falling down.
James 1 ²¹ Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: ²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. ²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
When I first moved out into the woods, our road was not maintained in the winter time. Sometimes we would get buried in snow overnight, and the only way to get into town was to put chains on the pickup. It always amazes me how much traction that you get when you put them on. Like a blinding blizzard, this world will attempt to bury you in all of its sinful temptations, but in order to maintain a sure footing, we need to strengthen our grip with the traction of Holy Scripture. It is certain that when we obey what God wants us to do, we shall never fall.
2 Peter 1 ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. ¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: ¹¹ For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
When push comes to shove, we must resist the works of darkness, standing our ground like soldiers on the front line. Like players on the muddy football field of sin, we need to make sure that our protective gear is on, and that we are wearing the sharp cleats of Holy Scripture.
Ephesians 6 ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
By maintaining a firm grip on our faith, we can help to convert others to the truth.
“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9
2 Timothy 1 ¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
The Apostle Paul described the Christian Life as a race, one that we must strive after if we want to obtain the eternal prize. But it is also like climbing a mountain, one that can be overcome one step at a time. As Spiritual climbers, we must be very careful as we go, constantly applying the teachings of scripture to our daily lives. When we do what they say, they can help us to cling to the mountainside, even through its steepest obstructions. When the world around us falls into the chaos of sin, it is the rosin of scripture that will always help us in…..
……Keeping Our Grip
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 