My heart is to see the church grow and experience great joy in the kingdom. I burn inside when I see the people of God struggle. I understand the words of Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:29 (CSB)

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

How do we advance in the things of faith? How do we continue to pursue this great and glorious Jesus and experience more of what the bible promises?

The way we enter the kingdom is the same way we grow within it. We must keep hearing the good news of Christ! We must keep hearing and meditating on the truths of God’s word. His finished work is the good news and it creates faith in those who hear it. We are redeemed, blood bought and brought to newness of life.

Romans 5:17 (TPT)

Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah!

Romans 6:6 (TPT)

Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin's power.

Colossians 1:23 (AMP)

[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

Continue in the faith! Unswayed by the activity around you. People with faith have selective focus. They don’t focus on Hell’s activity. They focus on the King and what he is doing in the earth. We have confident hope that we are righteous before God because of Christ therefore we have favor, grace and power in his sight! He doesn’t deal with the old man He deals with the new man that we now are.

Colossians 2:6 (CSB)

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him,

The same way you received him, continue in his path! How did you receive him? The truth of the gospel. The gospel is the message that makes us right and keeps us right with God.

Colossians 2:7 (ERV)

You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.

The gospel is the message of dependence on God. We rely on Christ’s faithfulness to God not our own obedience. We cannot earn anything! The funny thing is as we trust in Christ (because that requires gazing) we become like him. The purity gets taken care of as we have a Christocentric occupation. Christ is everything and as we exalt him—He draws us to himself!

Colossians 4:2 (ASV)

Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;

Continue to seek and be thankful because you have an inheritance in Christ. To him who has even more will be given! Be thankful because you have everything in Christ! Healings, miracles, grace, favor, financial provision, fruit—-it’s all in him! Pursue because we need our eyes enlightened to see what he has given us! Meditate and continue in these things!

Colossians 4:3 (ERV)

Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ.

Pray that we can continue to preach! Pray that we can continue in this gospel!

Colossians 4:12 (GW)

Epaphras, a servant of Christ Jesus from your city, greets you. He always prays intensely for you. He prays that you will continue to be mature and completely convinced of everything that God wants.

Continue to be mature and don’t graduate from the basics! The best at what they do never deviate from the basics! Continue in your maturity and be convinced what God’s will is——continue in this beautiful gospel that makes wicked men righteous!