Pursue

“Pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22, KJV) 

Are you aware that the enemy is trying to condemn who you are in Christ and to get you not to obey Him? Do you want to truly stand against his deception and follow Christ? Then “pursue” righteousness, faith, love and peace. Chase these. Go after these four things with determination and perseverance to serve Christ out of a pure heart.

1. Pursue righteousness. This your new identity in Christ. It is living in freedom from guilt, condemnation, and fear. If you want to truly follow Jesus, you have to stand against any oppression that buries you in feelings of unworthiness. Don’t allow the enemy to condemn what you have received in Christ. No weapon purposed against you will stand when you condemn it with the righteousness Christ has given you. Conviction is not condemnation. Conviction is received by the believer who knows they are righteous in Christ. True repentance follows. Condemnation’s purpose is to keep you so buried in your inadequacies and sins, you will never truly repent. It speaks death to your obedience. Pursue the revelation of who you are in Christ so you will hear Him, know His leading, and respond to Him.

2. Follow your faith. You cannot follow what you don’t know. If you don’t know what the Word says, how will you when something exalts itself against it? You must study the Word until it speaks back to you louder than anything else in your life. The Word sparks your faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Has something sparked your faith? Whatever has ignited it, stems from God speaking to you, revealing Himself to you, prompting you, or offering you a vision of the future. Wherever God guides, He always provides. When we are pursuing our faith, we are following God and walking in His provision for our lives. 

3. Pursue love. Love aims to bless, serve, and give to others. God is love, and He desires to express Himself through you. Offense will come against your identity in Christ, but you must refuse it. You cannot hold on to feelings of unforgiveness, bitterness, rejection, and inadequacy. These will only harden your heart. A heart that is hardened cannot hear God or be led by Him. A heart that is “unoffendable,” pliable and open to the Lord, yields without hesitation to His guidance. This heart loves freely as it has been loved by Him.

4. Follow peace. Protect your hope and your vision from anything or anyone that would try to steal your peace or sow fear into your life. Don’t be consumed by thoughts that come against any vision or purpose God has ignited in you. Instead, be consumed with a sanctified imagination. Trust that God will sustain you in complete peace when your thoughts remain directed toward Him. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your heart.

The Kingdom of God is living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. As members of one body we are called to live in peace. So let’s pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. We will be encouraged, as others will, to remain aligned with God’s purpose. The grace of Jesus Christ, in all its richness, will fill our lives, overflowing in service to the Savior who has given us new life.