More of Jesus, Less of You

Commentary

Growing in your faith in Jesus is so vital to living out the life that God has planned for you. The best part is that He has provided and will provide all that you need to grow.

We can first look at the providence of God. He protects His children, intervening in our lives at times when His will must be done. He promises that He will work all things for our good. (Romans 8:28) He provides for us all that we need to physically survive. (Matthew 6:33) And through His Spirit, He grants us the abilities we need to do what He asks of us. (Philippians 4:13)

Understand that you’re never alone in this growth and development process; you don’t have to navigate this life alone, nor do you have to live a holy life under your own ability. If you’re truly following Christ, then you were called to do so by Him. Nothing you did or do makes you stand out as worthy; it’s what God did for you. The more you allow Him to work in your life, the more your life will reflect Him in every way.

Commentary

In these things of God that He has given to you, as a believer, are the promises of adoption into His family. My friend, you have been plucked out of this world and placed into the family of God.

This world doesn’t get it; they say that we’re all children of God, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Only those who He has called forward and plucked out of this world are children of God.

Because you share in His nature as His child, you’re given the ability to escape the evils that once weighed you down. If you’re allowing sin to weigh you down still, it’s because you have not exercised that freedom that Christ Jesus has granted you to turn away from the temptation and to follow His lead. Your growth and maturity as a Christian become turbo-charged the more you spend time in His Word, the more you approach Him in prayer, and the more you give it all over to Him and let Him lead.

Commentary

Faith that produces nothing is dead. Faith needs to be supplemented. If you allow Christ to do His work in and through you, then your faith will be supplemented, and you’ll produce the good works that display to everyone that you are indeed His.

How can you know what is good without knowledge? You must soak up His Word daily. Listen to the Holy Spirit guiding you.

But how can you have that knowledge without self-control? By allowing Jesus to remove you from getting in your own way and letting Him take over, then you’ll want to spend more time with Him, in prayer and Bible study.

But how can you gain self-control without endurance? As you endure in your faith, submitting it all to Jesus, He grants you that power over your flesh. You don’t have to give into temptation because you have the Holy Spirit empowering you.

But how can you endure without godliness? You must be seeking to grow in Him every day, wanting to live holy for Him. Picking up your cross daily and crucifying your flesh.

But how can you live holy without affection? Jesus commands us to love one another as we love ourselves. If the Spirit of God is living inside of you, then there will be a desire to show affection for your fellow believers.

But how can you do any of this without love? Love is the capstone to everything, in the Greek, agápē. It’s a love that is selfless and rooted one hundred percent in God‘s truth. You can love like this if the Spirit of God is living inside of you and you’re submitting your whole self to Him.

Commentary

God has placed everything that you need to grow in Him before you. You’ve got to take ahold of it, my friend. Don’t let yourself get distracted or make excuses. God wants you to strap in and let Him drive.

How many Christians are just sitting back, not getting involved in anything? Letting culture take over because they think it’s “too political” to be involved? Not living a holy life? Not living selflessly and loving their brothers and sisters in Christ?

By taking hold of all that Christ Jesus offers, you will be fruitful as you walk with Him. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will all permeate your life. But most importantly, the thing that enables all of that, love, will fill your heart like never before.

The joy of working for the Lord is unmatched by anything that you could do for yourself and your own glory. You’re not truly living until you’re living for Christ.

Commentary

Every born-again believer in Jesus should possess these things of God. You should have love in your heart that drives all the supplemental aspects of your faith. You should be focused on God’s will over your own. You should be sorrowful when you do stumble. I hope that this is the case for you.

The Holy Spirit, through Peter, states here that if those things of God are not active in your life, then you should make sure that you have been called by God. The Holy Spirit expressed this through Paul as well.

If you belong to Jesus, then your life should display it, and you should be growing in your walk with Him. Each day should display less of you and more of Him.