God Knows His Own

The Kingdom of God stands firm, despite the many hypocrites and fakers who infiltrate the Church. We are promised that there will be hypocrites in the Church due to the Devil's attempts to wreak havoc in it. However, God is not changed by this, and His Kingdom will endure forever. Others may be deceived by appearances, but God is not deceived about who we truly are. He knows His own. If we love Him, we will obey His commandments and abstain from wickedness. We are warned to abstain from wickedness if we name the Name of the Lord----we cannot practice both. Believers are instructed to cleanse themselves from unbelievers----bad company----in order to be vessels of honor, prepared for the Master's use. Christ, because He is generous, honors believers in this life and the next. We are warned to FLEE from youthful lusts (ex: sex, fine clothing, approval, attention). We must flee instead of resist these things, because we are not as strong as we think we are. Joseph and Samson are two contrasting examples of dealing with youthful lusts. We are to instead run after and pursue righteousness, faith, charity and peace, with other believers who call on the Lord from a pure heart. We can do this through pursuing God and spending much time in His Word, in prayer, and with our fellow believers.