Now, notice the importance of these attributes of character: "If we possess these qualities in increasing measure they keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of Christ." It follows that if we do not possess them we remain ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of Christ. If we are ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of Christ we will not participate in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the royal priesthood.

When we do not add these qualities we are nearsighted. We are blind. We have forgotten we have been cleansed from our past sins.

If we add these things to our faith we will never fall away from the Lord.

It is up to us to make our calling and election sure, and we do this by seeing to it that we grow in righteous behavior.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1—NIV)

Let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us and prevents us from running the race of righteousness freely and swiftly. We throw it off. There has been much teaching that Christians are simply unable to deal with sin in this manner. But the Scripture informs us otherwise.

Most of the sins we commit are habits, such as swearing, lying, stealing, reading pornography. We can stop these if we choose, calling on the Lord to assist us.

Sometimes a sin hangs on in spite of our determination to cease practicing it. In this case we are bound. We are being forced to behave in a manner of which we do not approve. This means we have lost control of ourselves.

What we must do in this case is to go to the elders of the church and ask for deliverance. No doubt a spirit is involved. This can be cast from us so we can gain the victory in prayer.

If we are to maintain victory over a behavior, once having gained it, we must continue to practice the principles of discipleship found in the New Testament. If we do not, the bondage may return and leave us worse off than before.

The Lord Jesus warned us about this, about leaving our house swept and put in order but not inhabited.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:4—NIV)

We see from the above that a struggle against sin is part of the normal Christian discipleship. We have to pray and then use our own will in refusing to practice ungodliness. Some believers are brought further than this and are tortured or martyred because of their refusal to sin, resisting to the point of shedding their blood.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24—NIV)

It is up to us to crucify our sinful nature. We do this, as we have said, by prayer, by making a sincere effort to cease sinning, by presenting our body a living sacrifice to God, and by continuing in all the principles of godly living set forth in the New Testament.

To be continued.