ARE YOU SEEKING HIGHER GROUND?

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Do you want to stand on a higher spiritual plane? It is possible but much effort will be required on your part.

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Salvation is “in Christ.” Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Tim. 2:10)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Salvation is “in Christ.” One is “baptized into Christ.” Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (Rom. 6:3) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal. 3:27)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Salvation is “in Christ.” One is “baptized into Christ.” Belief, repentance and confession must precede baptism. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38) That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Rom. 10:9-10)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Belief, repentance, confession and baptism are only the beginning. They will get you into Christ but higher ground is yet to be gained.

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? At first one is a babe in Christ, having just been “born again.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3-5)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? At first one is a babe in Christ, having just been “born again.” One must desire the word in order to grow. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? At first one is a babe in Christ, having just been “born again.” One must desire the word in order to grow. Spiritual infancy can last longer than it should. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still car-nal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:1-3)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? At first one is a babe in Christ, having just been “born again.” One must desire the word in order to grow. Spiritual infancy can last longer than it should. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For every-one who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (Heb. 5:12-13)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:1-2)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, unclean-ness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col. 3:3-5)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Eph. 4:28)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewd-ness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Improper speech But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Col. 3:8)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Improper speech Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. (Eph. 4:25-27)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Improper speech Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edifica-tion, that it may impart grace to the hearers.... Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. (Eph. 4:29, 31)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? But if you want to grow in Christ, there are certain things which must be left behind. Ungodly attitudes & immoral acts Improper speech Things that weigh us down and enslave us Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Heb. 12:1)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? You must also have the proper mindset. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col. 3:1-2 )

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? You must also have the proper mindset. You must allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-25)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? You must also have the proper mindset. You must allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit. You must seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? You must also have the proper mindset. You must allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit. You must seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first. Now you are ready for:

Add to your HIGHER GROUND EIGHT STEPS TOWARD love brotherly affection godliness steadfastness self-control knowledge EIGHT STEPS TOWARD virtue faith

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffec-tive or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so near-sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (2 Peter 1:5-10, ESV)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. You must: Become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:4, ESV) Supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affec-tion, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7, ESV)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. The highest ground is to love as God loves. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. The highest ground is to love as God loves. “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:43-48)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. The highest ground is to love as God loves. The “acid test” of love is the willingness to die for those whom one claims to love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. The highest ground is to love as God loves. The “acid test” of love is the willingness to die for those whom one claims to love. Jesus demonstrated His love for us. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. (1 John 3:16a)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Faith is insufficient by itself. The highest ground is to love as God loves. The “acid test” of love is the willingness to die for those whom one claims to love. Jesus demonstrated His love for us. We ought to be willing to do the same for others. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16b)

SEEKING HIGHER GROUND? Do you love the brethren? Do you love your enemies? Would you lay down your life for those you claim to love? Then there is nothing that you would not be willing to do for them!