How can we "watch ourselves" to avoid losing our spiritual progress today? See the Charge: Keep Your Eyes Open “Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.” — 2 John 1:8 John’s warning is clear: spiritual ground can be gained or lost. The reward he mentions is not salvation itself (which is God’s gift) but the fullness of joy, fruitfulness, and honor that accompany faithful perseverance. Guard the Gate of Your Mind • Saturate your thoughts with Scripture (Psalm 1:2; Colossians 3:16). • Reject teaching that departs from Christ (2 John 1:9). • Capture stray thoughts and bring them under Christ’s authority (2 Corinthians 10:5). • Remember 1 Corinthians 10:12: “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.” Stay Plugged into Sound Doctrine • Examine everything by the Word, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11). • Hold to the apostolic teaching you first received (Jude 3). • “Pay close attention to your life and your doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:16). Walk in Daily Obedience • Obedience keeps truth from becoming theory (James 1:22). • Small compromises erode spiritual progress—nip them early (Song of Songs 2:15, “the little foxes”). • Work out your salvation “with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13), trusting God to will and work in you. Stay in Fellowship • Isolation breeds vulnerability (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). • Regular gathering fuels perseverance (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Mutual accountability helps us see blind spots (Galatians 6:1-2). Practice Spiritual Self-Examination • Invite the Spirit to search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). • Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). • Confess and forsake sin immediately (1 John 1:9). Stand Alert Against the Enemy • “Be sober-minded and alert” (1 Peter 5:8). • Use the full armor of God—truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the Word, prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18). • Resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7). Hold On to Hope: The Promise of a Full Reward • God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). • Finish well to receive “the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). • Grow “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:17-18), and no progress will be lost. |
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