July 16 ~

... the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience ... No one who is born of God practices sin ... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ... No one who abides in Him sins ... "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" ...
Eph.2:2 (KJV); 1 Jn.3:9 (NAS,KJV); 3:6 (NAS); 1 Pet.4:18 (RSV)

"This soul belongs to me!" the Foe doth say.
"And I'm the Lord of Disobedience!
This soul doth raise its hands and loves to pray
in public. But ... 'tis quick to take offense
(the anger's mine!) when it's reminded of
some certain glaring faults it won’t confront.
'I'm holy!' it responds. 'The Lord I love!
I'm dedicated. Faithful! If I don’t
deal with these faults by looking unto Him
to set me free ... well ... Jesus understands ...
There's no one perfect! No one's free from sin!'"

But then the whisper comes: "Keep My commands,
child, if thou'd be My friend. Resist thy foe!
Full Mine thou must be, if with Me thou'd go."

Blessed, happy, to be envied is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him ... this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments ... "You are My friends, if you do what I command you" ... "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" ... He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him ... "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life ... He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him ... It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" ... As a result of this many of His disciples turned their backs on Him and stopped accompanying Him ... let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six ... Keep yourselves in the love of God ...
Js.1:12 (Amp); 1 Jn.5:3 (NAS); Jn.15:14 (NAS); 17:3 (RSV); 1 Jn.2:4 (KJV); Jn.6:54,56,63 (NAS); 6:66 (Wil) (our italics); Rev.13:18 (RSV); Jude 21 (KJV).

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