How to Become a Disciple of Jesus Christ

[Nannette]

The 'Holy Scripture' does not teach anyone "how" to become a disciple or "how" to "make disciples." It merely records there are disciples (in a teacher-learner relationship) and proceeds from there. There is no brochure or spreadsheet in Scripture that lists methodologies about how to become a disciple or making one. There are only narratives in Scripture that record many types of relationships among people (husband-wife, brother-sister, master-slave, king and subjects, etc.) that are raw in nature that we as Christians are instructed to study for our training and admonition. What we do is take the groups of these recorded relationships and through comparative study learn the intricacies of those relationships to see what worked and what didn't.

Statements like the one above must be understood in context of the covenant the Hebrew people had existed in with their God from Abraham to Jesus Christ. Although 'belief' in Israel's Savior is written of throughout Scripture, there is no requirement in any of their covenants that they "must believe" as requirement to be in covenant at all. Typically, God chooses out an individual and promises to do this and that and then proceeds in the course of time to fulfill His promises contained in said covenant. In the covenant promises God makes to Abraham and his offspring God only required circumcision of the flesh from Abraham and his offspring, which they did as required by God:

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Genesis 17:10–13.

In the Mosaic Covenant God promises many things and the only requirement from the children of Israel is their obedience:

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Exodus 19:5–6.

In the New Covenant prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah, God through Jeremiah declares that He will forgive Israel's sins and He will remember them no more. While still under the Mosaic Covenant Jesus Christ comes to God's people, Christ teaches the people to remain obedience to the Mosaic Covenant and its Laws, and then God uses Jesus Christ as part of the Ceremonial Law to become the sacrificial lamb of God who dies a substitutional death in place of the animal sacrifice and for the children of Israel, which God places the sins of Israel upon Jesus Christ for the atonement of Israel. In all this the New Covenant instituted by Jesus Christ at His last Passover has been fulfilled by His life and deeds and eternal life is promised by God to those He has redeemed through covenant.

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Galatians 4:4–5.

This is not a formula for salvation as salvation has already been given to the children of Israel by God resulting in the salvation of Abraham and his seed/offspring, a people identified as the children of Israel.
First, the children of Israel have already been forgiven and Saul's words in letter is written to a people who are already saved. In the original Greek the translation of Saul's statement doesn't say one must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved, but that Israel has already been saved and proof of this is the confession of the people that Jesus Christ is Lord, God raised Him from the dead, and their belief of all this happening is evidence of their salvation. It doesn't say "to believe," but that confessing Jesus Christ is the evidence they have been saved already by Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Baptism, as part of the Mosaic Law, are the ritual cleansings the high priest makes in preparation of his ministry to the people. Public confession is not necessary to a people who have already been atoned.

In Peter's sermon to the twelve tribes present in Jerusalem who are there for the Feast of Harvest, the people that assisted in Jesus' crucifixion and who have denied Jesus before Pilate must now repent (change their mind) and confess Jesus Christ to the glory of God His Father. This is why it is done "In the Name of Jesus Christ."

Again, the context is the children of Israel as they are already in covenant and that this covenant is eternal and everlasting.

Under the Law the people knew how to worship God.

This is the result of a new and regenerated people.

With the Holy Spirit of Promise dwelling within people their love for what God has done in redeeming the seed of Abraham and making everything they do come alive.

In Leviticus God teaches the children of Israel who to love and how to love. It is to be shared among brethren ONLY. God never taught the people to love anyone other than their own neighbors and kin.

No one can be discipled in the things of God unless they are first born-again, and also that they are willing to be taught.

It is impossible for sheep to teach goats how to be sheep. Whether it is you or this "Boyd" fella, you and he have never truly been discipled in the things of God, angels, and man. Mostly all the passages you post have not been correctly understood, and your misinterpretations are seen. Have you ever met Professor Jacob Arminius? Probably not, but it appears you are taking his teachings and the teachings of the Remonstrants and have posted them here.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Each doctrine within the Christian faith must be held in a balance. We are in great danger of error whenever we overemphasize the importance of one truth to the demise or neglect of others.

But, it is impossible to overstate or overemphasize the preeminence of the gospel. We cannot become too extreme with the gospel. This truth is seen in the fact that the gospel is the greatest revelation of God to man, and it is the only message by which men might be saved.

So we see that it is also the one message we must hold onto tenaciously. Although even the most minor departure from biblical truth is dangerous, we may misunderstand many things without putting our eternal destinies in jeopardy. However, to be wrong about the gospel is to be wrong about everything!

Not giving the gospel preeminence is to misunderstand it altogether!

 

[Lions Mane]

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Each doctrine within the Christian faith must be held in a balance. We are in great danger of error whenever we overemphasize the importance of one truth to the demise or neglect of others.

But, it is impossible to overstate or overemphasize the preeminence of the gospel. We cannot become too extreme with the gospel. This truth is seen in the fact that the gospel is the greatest revelation of God to man, and it is the only message by which men might be saved.

So we see that it is also the one message we must hold onto tenaciously. Although even the most minor departure from biblical truth is dangerous, we may misunderstand many things without putting our eternal destinies in jeopardy. However, to be wrong about the gospel is to be wrong about everything!

Not giving the gospel preeminence is to misunderstand it altogether!

The gospel of Jesus Christ stands at the very center of Christianity, and we Christians claim to be about the gospel above all else. It’s what we intend to base our lives upon and build our churches around. It’s what we speak to others about, and it’s what we pray that others will hear and believe.

 

[Tothalordbeallglory]

The gospel of Jesus Christ stands at the very center of Christianity, and we Christians claim to be about the gospel above all else. It’s what we intend to base our lives upon and build our churches around. It’s what we speak to others about, and it’s what we pray that others will hear and believe.

And now i would like to ask one question .
And what is the gospel of Christ . Keep in mind that Christ , peter and all the apostels to include paul
would teach it .
What is the gospel .

 

[Lions Mane]

And now i would like to ask one question .
And what is the gospel of Christ . Keep in mind that Christ , peter and all the apostels to include paul
would teach it .
What is the gospel .

It is more than the story of Jesus, He is the gospel.

The Gospel of Christ differs greatly from the biblical gospel accounts as recorded by the apostles. Also known as the canonical because they were recognized by the early church as being accurate, authoritative, and inspired accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus.

The Gospel of Christ is a homiletic reflection on the person of Jesus, not just a narrative; because we see God's plan unfolded for us in the Gospel of Truth.

 

[Tothalordbeallglory]

It is more than the story of Jesus, He is the gospel.

The Gospel of Christ differs greatly from the biblical gospel accounts as recorded by the apostles. Also known as the canonical because they were recognized by the early church as being accurate, authoritative, and inspired accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus.

The Gospel of Christ is a homiletic reflection on the person of Jesus, not just a narrative; because we see God's plan unfolded for us in the Gospel of Truth.

partly true indeed .
but i am looking for the very clear meaning .
SO allow me to go ahead and type it .
Now you are correct because if one follows another jesus , you know a sin accepting or unbeleif accepting jesus
OH THEY follow the version of darkness . and , well IT AINT JESUS its lip only at most .
BUT i will go ahead and give us the actual one .
That if you will BELEIVE , yes ye must BELIEVE , that GOD rose him from the dead
and conf ess him BY MOUTH ye shall be saved .
Now lip only is not enough , cause i used to be able to lip the gospel
but boy did i love another jesus who served my sin and i ONLY USED HIS NAME to FEEL saved
and remain in sin .
SO now i have another question .
WHY on earth are so many in the churches
following a jesus that either calls some sins good
OR and even preaches UNBELEIF .
You might be wondering why i said preaches unbelief .
SO HERE GOES .
their jesus seems to be okay with all religoins and says HEY WE SERVING the same GOD
as muslims , hindus , new age , and whatever age .
YET if one cliams TO BELEIVE THE GOPSEL which c learly states YE MUST BELIEVE
how can they then turn around and beleive in UNBELEIF as they gather other religoins in with us too
EITHER WE BELEIvE the gospel OR WE DONT , but it cannot BE BOTH .

 

[Believe]

In my studies, particularly of the Gospels, I have seen that each Gospel provides a very different image of Jesus. It is clear that the Gospel portraits of Jesus are not exact video camera records, as it were, of the actual Jesus.

Why, though, are there four versions of the same story? Why not one account?

In fact, one has to respect three essential stages in the production of the Gospel portraits of Jesus.

Stage one would embrace the historical person, Jesus, his preaching and teaching in Aramaic among the people of Palestine.

Stage two represents the way in which that preaching is handed on, primarily orally, by the followers of Jesus through their own ministry of preaching and teaching, largely now in Greek throughout the wider Greco-Roman world.

So you see a transformation is occurring by which Jesus’ message is transmitted in another language and in another culture.

Stage three features the transformation of the preaching of Jesus’ followers into writing with the production of the Gospels, which speak to the communities of their writers, each presenting a distinct portrait of Jesus and his message.

So the question emerges: Is it possible to probe behind the Gospels, to move from stage three back to stage one of the process, in order to be able to arrive at the actual, or “historical,” Jesus?

 

[Lions Mane]

partly true indeed .
but i am looking for the very clear meaning .
SO allow me to go ahead and type it .
Now you are correct because if one follows another jesus , you know a sin accepting or unbeleif accepting jesus
OH THEY follow the version of darkness . and , well IT AINT JESUS its lip only at most .
BUT i will go ahead and give us the actual one .
That if you will BELEIVE , yes ye must BELIEVE , that GOD rose him from the dead
and conf ess him BY MOUTH ye shall be saved .
Now lip only is not enough , cause i used to be able to lip the gospel
but boy did i love another jesus who served my sin and i ONLY USED HIS NAME to FEEL saved
and remain in sin .
SO now i have another question .
WHY on earth are so many in the churches
following a jesus that either calls some sins good
OR and even preaches UNBELEIF .
You might be wondering why i said preaches unbelief .
SO HERE GOES .
their jesus seems to be okay with all religoins and says HEY WE SERVING the same GOD
as muslims , hindus , new age , and whatever age .
YET if one cliams TO BELEIVE THE GOPSEL which c learly states YE MUST BELIEVE
how can they then turn around and beleive in UNBELEIF as they gather other religoins in with us too
EITHER WE BELEIvE the gospel OR WE DONT , but it cannot BE BOTH .

I would just stay away from any false religion members. To be a Christian you must believe the gospel.

I like this:

To "believe the gospel and be saved" is to accept the Christian message of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection as the way to receive eternal life. This belief involves recognizing one's own sin, repenting of it, and placing one's faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, which, in Christian theology, leads to forgiveness and salvation. It is often described as accepting a free gift from God that cannot be earned through good works.

 

[jeremiah1five]

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Being correct in the things of God is very important to a believer. We must not change the Word of God through neglect or even through ignorance. I see you changed the Word of God in trying to quote Romans 1:16. The word doesn't say "Gentile" it says "Greek" ("Hellens") not "Gentile." So, you must be using one of those modern day, new-age translations that are translated from more corrupt Greek texts, such as the revision made by Westcott & Hort (1881.) These two and their translation committee have done more damage to true, Biblical Christianity than the Remonstrants of the 1600s. Precision is a necessity not only for one's own walk but also to be able to help another walk too. It's important to call an apple an apple and not change it into an orange. We must all see the same Jesus; we must all say the same thing as God. To do otherwise is to oppose Him.

Each doctrine within the Christian faith must be held in a balance. We are in great danger of error whenever we overemphasize the importance of one truth to the demise or neglect of others.

But, it is impossible to overstate or overemphasize the preeminence of the gospel. We cannot become too extreme with the gospel. This truth is seen in the fact that the gospel is the greatest revelation of God to man, and it is the only message by which men might be saved.

Is that really what Scripture teaches? Are we talking about ALL man or only those the 39 "books" of the Bible call the Hebrew people and those to whom the Word of God is given? I read in Genesis God making covenant with Abram the Hebrew (Gen. 14:13) and his Hebrew seed. Later, that seed will be able to claim inheritance to the Abrahamic Covenant promises. Then there is Moses and the children of Jacob (or Israel.) Later, in Jeremiah 31:31-34 God makes covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, equaling all twelve tribes or sons of Jacob and their descendants. I don't see "Gentile" in this covenant. Do you? And the meaning of fulfilling the Law, which Jesus did, means we don't teach Jesus changed the Law through addition of non-Hebrew Gentiles in Israel's covenant promises. And since Scripture does not record God making covenant with non-Hebrews why do non-Hebrews claim one without a written record? Isn't that called "hearsay"?

So we see that it is also the one message we must hold onto tenaciously. Although even the most minor departure from biblical truth is dangerous, we may misunderstand many things without putting our eternal destinies in jeopardy. However, to be wrong about the gospel is to be wrong about everything!

Not giving the gospel preeminence is to misunderstand it altogether!

Which gospel? What "good news" in Scripture do we not give pre-eminence to? The "good news" about the birth of Moses? Is that one we should not consider as important to the overall good news about Jesus? What if there was no Moses? If there was no Moses, then God promising to send to Israel a prophet like unto Caleb fails. If there was no good news about Samuel who then do we see pouring oil upon the head of David? Saul? And if there was no Judas then that betraying deed could have fallen upon Peter, or Philip. Everything in Scripture is important. Every jot and tittle. It is like a golden thread that is woven through the hundreds of gospels and good news accounts by every significant person in the Bible upon which God has built His kingdom and sewn the garment that covers each and every soul destined to salvation. Each member in the body of Christ is a member in its own right which is the body of Christ without which the body then would be deformed. "Look! There's an eye!" But only another eye can see that. "What did he say?" Let's ask the ear. But first we need the mouth to say "it."
"Where are you going?" Do we ask the feet?
No, we ask the Head. The Mind of Christ is a terrible thing to waste. And what is the Mind of Christ?
Why, it's the Scripture.
Every jot and tittle.

 

[Obadiah]

Why People Stumble​

Post in thread 'Daily Devotion by Ray Stedman'

Nov 3, 2025

A daily devotion for November 3rd​

Why People Stumble​

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.

Romans...

• Obadiah

 

[civic]

Lets circle back to the OP instead of the usual diversions. What is a disciple and how to become a disciple. What does the bible say through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the topic ?

Matthew 28:16-20
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Luke 6:40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and trainingin righteousness,

Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Matthew 28:20
didaskó: to teach
Original Word: διδάσκω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: didaskó
Phonetic Spelling: (did-as'-ko)
Definition: to teach
Usage: I teach, direct, admonish.
1321 didáskō (from daō, "learn") – to teach (literally, "cause to learn"); instruct, impart knowledge (disseminate information).

In the NT, 1321 /didáskō ("teach") nearly always refers to teaching the Scriptures (the written Word of God). The key role of teaching Scripture is shown by its great frequency in the NT, and the variety of word-forms (cognates).

[This includes three noun-forms, two adjectival forms, and one verb, totaling about 220 occurrences in the NT)

mathéteuó: to be a disciple, to make a disciple
Original Word: μαθητεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: mathéteuó
Phonetic Spelling: (math-ayt-yoo'-o)
Definition: to be a disciple, to make a disciple
Usage: I make a disciple of, train in discipleship; pass: I am trained, discipled, instructed.
HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 3100 mathēteúō (from 3101 /mathētḗs, "disciple") – to disciple, i.e. helping someone to progressively learn the Word of God to become a matured, growing disciple (literally, "a learner," a true Christ-follower); to train (develop) in the truths of Scripture and the lifestyle required, i.e. helping a believer learn to be a disciple of Christ in belief and practice. See 3101 (mathētēs).

1. A Disciple puts Jesus first in all things (Mark 8:34–38). The disciple of Christ needs to be set apart from the world. Our focus should be on our Lord and how to please Him in every area of our lives. We must put off self-centeredness and put on Christ-centeredness.

2. A Disciple follows Jesus’ teachings (John 8:31–32). We must be obedient children and doers of the Word (James 1:22). Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God (1 Samuel 28:18). Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). Jesus is also the perfect example of obedience as He lived a life on earth of complete obedience to the Father even to the point of death (Philippians 2:6–8).

3. A Disciple Bears fruit (John 15:5–8). Loves others (John 13:34–35). Christian disciples should live fruitful lives, displaying the fruit of the Spirit, good works, and “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Technically, producing fruit is not our job; our job is to abide in Christ, and the fruit will come (John 15:1–8). God’s goal is that we produce “much fruit” (verse 8), as Christ uses us to bring about blessed change in a broken, fallen world. Love of other believers is an evidence of our being a member of God’s family (1 John 3:10). Love is described in 1 Corinthians 13:1–13. These verses show us that love is not an emotion; it is action. In order to love, we must be doing something and involved in the process. One way to show love is to think more highly of others than of ourselves and to look out for their interests (Philippians 2:3–4). Another way to show love is to be patient and not take offense at every provocation (1 Peter 4:8).

4. A Disciple becomes a disciple maker(Matthew 28:18–20). Disciples multiply. One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before His ascension was the command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This involves evangelism—sharing the gospel and urging people to repent and believe in Christ—but it also involves discipleship. Christians should be actively engaged in training people who will in turn train others. That’s the pattern we see in Jesus’ ministry: He trained eleven men who spent the rest of their lives as disciple-makers, training others to also become disciple-makers, and so on. We see this pattern also in 2 Timothy 2:2.

A disciple is one who puts Jesus first, obeys the Lord, produces good fruit, loves others, and makes more disciples.

hope this helps !!!

 

[civic]

Being a disciple requires repentance and obedience. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the message He preached was a message of repentance (Matthew 4:17). The message of the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension was also one of repentance (Acts 2:38). Along with repentance comes obedience. Jesus told a crowd of listeners that salvation and obedience go hand in hand: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus then goes on to differentiate the one who builds his house on the sand from the one who builds his house on the rock, that is, the man who not only hears the words of Jesus, but does them, too.

Cheap grace seeks to hide the cost of discipleship from people. It seeks to claim that as long as we make a profession of faith, we are saved. God’s grace covers all our sins. Again, that is a wonderful truth! The apostle Paul says as much when he writes, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21). Yet, right after writing that, Paul follows it with this: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is so much more than simply mouthing the words “Jesus is Lord.” We are not saved by a profession of faith. We are not saved by praying the Sinner’s Prayer. We are not saved by signing a card or walking an aisle. We are saved by a living and active faith (James 2:14-26), a faith that manifests itself in repentance, obedience and love of God and our neighbor. Salvation is not a transaction; it’s a transformation. Paul says it best when he says we are “new creations” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). There is nothing “cheap” about grace! got?

Matthew 10:24-39

The Meaning of Discipleship

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Luke 6:46-49
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

[civic]

A Disciple bears much fruit. !

The Abundant life one that is a fruitful life. We can learn many truths from Gods creation and the way He designed things to work.

God created plants to fruit and propagate themselves. Jesus cursed the fig tree. Why? It was green but did not bear fruit so He cursed the tree. A good tree brings forth good fruit. You will know them by their fruits. God is life and created man and plants to bring forth life. I came that you might have life and life abundantly. A fruitful life is Gods design for us. The Fruit of the Spirit in us is our evidence we have life (the Spiritual life, born of the Spirit) which God created us for His good works that He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We are Gods workmanship created for that purpose.

The parable of the sower in which the good soil produces much fruit. God did not create man, animals and plants to look good but to multiply, bear fruit, procreate. They(we) are agents of life to bring forth fruit, life. We are created in Gods image to bring forth life, to be fruitful and multiply.

It’s the nature of God to send, distribute, equip, empower and to set free. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to accomplish this in our life. Jesus had to leave to give us the Holy Spirit. Jesus greatest thing He did as a leader of men was to leave. He removed Himself to give us His Spirit. And the result was to Be fruitful!

Sin brought forth death, unfruitfulness, thorns, thistles, labor etc….

Gods truth like water is designed to bring forth life/fruit. Truth is not an end to itself but the foundation for life. Fruit brings glory to God. Salvation is not the end game either but fruit in your life, good works. Faith without works/fruit is dead. James 2:17

Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Titus 3:14
And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.

James 3:18
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.

John 15:8
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Psalm 1:2-3
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Ezekiel 47:12
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Truth is from God and lies are from satan. This is the cosmic battle but the ultimate reality of the battle is that one leads to Life and the other leads to death.

The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

hope this helps !!!

 

[brightfame52]

Jesus was never water baptized?

I thought John the Baptist water baptized Jesus Christ.

 

[Gaius]

That's why Jesus left us the Holy Spirit

Matt. 28:19-20. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

A church that will carry out today this last command of our Lord must be tremendously in earnest. To spread the gospel of Christ must become the consuming passion of those who make up the church. One of the features differentiating members of the church from others must be the very fact that their time, money, talents, and every energy they possess, is dedicated to and used in the service of God.

The urgency of the need may be seen when we consider that there are many more souls in absolute spiritual darkness now than there were when Jesus gave his last command to go. We of today cannot afford to condemn the church of the past for leaving so much to be done today, for indeed, unless the church of this day is stirred profoundly it will leave behind an unfinished task of tremendous proportions under which the next generation will stagger.