July 31
MORNING
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
“I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.”—It was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.—Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God.—We are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
2 Tim. 2:3; Isa. 55:4; Heb. 2:10; Acts 14:22; Eph. 6:12, 13; 2 Cor. 10:3, 4; 1 Pet. 5:10
EVENING
The unity of the Spirit.
There is one body and one Spirit.—Through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.
Eph. 4:3; Eph. 4:4; Eph. 2:18-22; Ps. 133:1, 2; 1 Pet. 1:22
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