When I realize what God in Christ has done for me, I can understand and find hope in the fact that no matter how bad this earthly situation, the real eternal situation is filled with hope and assured of joy. I need to understand, pray, and study to believe that I have all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called me to his own glory and excellence.

I have been granted His precious and very great promises, so that, through them, I become a partaker of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  I am told, “to make every effort to grow, to add to, to mature” in the character of Christ.

I concentrate on Jesus as the Messiah; not just a great man, but as Messiah, the one sent by God. The question is will I believe him and follow him as the only way; not bumbling along with some Jesus and some me, but will I reckon myself dead, crucified, no longer in the equation, just a sheep following my shepherd? And so confident and knowledgeable of my shepherd that I want for nothing.  Following along in the sure knowledge that all is well and is going to be well even if we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death; even if sin is all around me.  If I am in Christ I have escaped the world.