Working out our salvation to become a mature disciple is not an easy task. Consistency helps. This devotion looks at diligence to promote the consistency needed.
Nuggets
- God expects us to use our free will to choose whether or not we are going to submit to Him.
- Working out our salvation is not be an easy undertaking.
- We need to be vigilant to be on guard for attack.
- We need to stop trying to do things on our own and seek His Will.
- We need to abide in His love.
- God calls us to be worker bees.
In the last series on virtues, there were several sermons on Christian diligence included in my research. That is understandable as Second Peter 1: 5 says “… make every effort to supplement your faith …” (CSB). Growing in grace and knowledge to become a mature disciple is going to take effort.
Let's Put It into Context
I thought about addressing diligence when we were looking at Second Peter 1: 5-7 because it is on the really long list of virtues that I found. Remember, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines virtue as a “conformity to a standard of right” or “a particular moral excellence.” Diligence would be a standard for which we should shoot.
I decided to wait, though. I am following Vincent’s sermon on becoming a mature teacher/disciple. He wrote, “By reason of time a Christian should have become a teacher in the matter of habitual consistency of life, obedience, and docility.” We’ve already talked about obedience and docility.
To me, we get to consistency through diligence (kind of like we get to self-control through self-discipline). One of the definitions for consistency, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “firmness of constitution or character.” It is talking about being persistent.
Diligence also talks about being persistent. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines diligence as being a “steady, earnest, and energetic effort.”
I came up with perseverance, dedication, boldness, forbearance, and circumspection as components of diligence. (Funny. Those are all on my long list of virtues, too.) But let’s look at diligence first.
Devotions in the Consistency Needed for Spiritual Growth series
God’s Expectations
“The slacker craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied” (Prov. 13: 4 CSB)
God has expectations of us. He expects us to use our free will to choose whether or not we are going to submit to Him.
When we choose to admit our sins, believe Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer, and confess God as our Sovereign Lord, we are redeemed and regenerated.
But then we have to figure out what this salvation is all about. Paul called it working out our salvation (Phil. 2: 12).
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Adams cautioned us that working out our salvation would not be an easy undertaking. The only way we are going to succeed is through diligence.
God is not looking for us to exert a shoddy effort. Establishing the relationship with God and growing in grace and knowledge — all the while fending off Satan — is no easy task.
We’ve got to work at it. How do we do that? Adams gave us four ways to accomplish that.
Vigilance
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5: 8 NKJV)
Taylor gives a list of things about which we are to be vigilant: food, drink, pleasures, and thoughts. The virtues Satan will be attacking are temperance, chastity, humility, modesty, and contentment.
We have to watch the little things. We may think they are little, but inattentiveness makes them susceptible to attack.
You know Satan is going to be at his sneakiest the more committed we are. He going to make it as sparkly as he can to tempt us.
A couple of devotions ago, we said that sober, according to the Holman Bible Dictionary, means “characterized by self-control, seriousness, and sound moral judgment.” It is a character trait, not an action.
In the newer versions, vigilance is translated as alert. Both paint a picture of our needing to be on guard for attack.
Carefulness
“As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God” (Ecc. 5: 1 NLT).
We looked at this verse a while back through the lens of worship. We took the slant that God really wants us to use the time of worship to focus on Him. If we diligently meet God in His house and listen to what He has to tell us, we will escape from doing evil.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Let’s look at it this way this time. If we approach God and don’t stop and listen to Him, we really aren’t submitting to Him. We are trying to get Him to fall into our plans.
God doesn’t want our irreverence and insincerity. He wants us to truly make Him Lord of our lives.
Standard Operating Procedure should be we ask God first about situations. We need to stop trying to do things on our own and seek His Will.
Love
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (Jn. 15: 9 ESV)
Abide in His love.
- Take up residence.
- Hang in there.
- Hunker down and get through it without complaining.
- Show our eagerness for His plans for our lives.
Why? Because God loves us. He knows what has gone before, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future.
God knows what He has called us to do to expand His kingdom. That is what requires our diligence — our ministry.
Work
“Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth” (II Tim. 2: 15 CSB)
God calls us to be worker bees. We each have our part to do.
No, works aren’t needed for salvation. Works are needed for obedience after salvation.
But still, faith is the defining factor. “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent’” (Jn. 6: 28-29 ESV).
That being said, we are not going to grow in grace and knowledge — we won’t progress through sanctification — if we don’t work at seeking God.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
Making the Connections
God is looking for us to be all in. We can’t give it only half an effort. We can’t sit back and expect Him just to give us manna and quail.
We have to watch. We have to work.
If we are diligent, that increases our consistency.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
Being on the look out for Satan and his shenanigans means we will have to discipline ourselves. Being constantly alert takes its toll if we aren’t careful. We have to find ways to have God recharge us.
How Do We Apply This?
- We’ve got to watch how we spend our time. We want to be diligent the right way, not following Satan’s way.
- Symson cautioned “that it is not enough to flee and abstain from our fleshly lusts, and so perform the duty of mortification, unless also we add unto the same, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, and the like Christian graces.”
- Symson also said that this diligence must be sought with all of our beings — inside and out.
- Beecher reminded us to not just rely on our senses when working out our salvation. I would add that we should not rely on our own we should not rely on our own understanding.
- Through all of this, we have to be docile. We have to be reachable.
I know. It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Thankfully, God is going to be right there with us — loving us, supporting us, encouraging us.
We can do this.
Father. We want to be diligent in growing our relationship with You. We want to be obedient in all of Your laws and commandments. Help us to remain alert and steadfast. Amen.
What do you think?
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