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HIS
SERVANTS' MINISTRY
www.hisservants.org
Welcome to our website
WHAT
IS A DISCIPLE?
A disciple is a willing follower
and imitator of Jesus the Christ who goes
about the process of making other disciples.
Disciples make the practice of introducing
people to Jesus Christ and then encourages
them to grow in their faith by teaching
them about the Lord and showing them how
to live as a follower of Christ.
Matthew 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: [20] 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. [KJV] A disciple of Christ is someone who
(1) believes His doctrine, (2) rests on
His sacrifice, (3) drinks or consumes His
spirit, and (4) imitates His example.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth
son or daughter more than me is not worthy
of me. [KJV]
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me. [KJV] Even though the disciples of Christ
are not all crucified, yet we all bear our
own cross. To “take up his cross”
means to deny oneself; to say “no”
to your worldly desires and ambitions for
the sake of Jesus. We must sit down and
count the cost; we must consider it will
cost the mortifying (killing) of sin, even
our most loved lusts. The most proud and
daring sinner cannot stand against God,
for we have no idea just how furious He
can get with sin. We must seek peace with
Him by forsaking our sin and turning to
Jesus to save us from God’s holy wrath.
In some ways a disciple of Christ is put
to the trial. May we seek to be disciples
(willing followers), being careful to stand
up for Jesus, not being afraid of our cross.
We must be the salt of the Earth, to season
those around us with the taste of Christ,
and we must not hide our light under a bushel
but let it shine out to lost souls everywhere.
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 Always bearing about in the
body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the
life also of Jesus might be made manifest
in our body. [11] For we which live are
alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,
that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our mortal flesh. [KJV]
We may think we are at the end of the rope,
but we are never at the end of hope. Our
perishable bodies are subject to sin and
suffering, but God never abandons us. Because
Christ won victory over death, we have eternal
life. Any troubles, humiliations, and trials
we have are simply opportunities for Christ
to demonstrate His power and Presence in
us and through us.
Philippians 3:8-10 Yea doubtless, and I count
all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ, [9] And be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the
law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith: [10] That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death; [KJV] After
Paul carefully thought about everything
he had done in his life, he said that it
was all “a loss” when he compared
it with the wondrous privilege of knowing
Christ. What a truly wise statement about
values. Our relationship with Jesus is much
more important than anything else, anywhere in the world! Knowing Christ
should be our ultimate goal. Take time to
consider your values.
Do you place anyone or anything
above your relationship with Christ? If
you do, no matter what, or who it is, your
priorities are wrong, and you need to rearrange
them. If not, at Judgment Day, you will
have a very difficult time trying to explain
why Jesus was not first in your life. Excuses,
all will be excuses! And NO excuse will
stand before Him!
1. A TRUE disciple
hungers and strives for a close relationship
with his/her Master. Jesus
encourages us to remain (abide) in Him.
John 15:4-5 Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without
me ye can do nothing. (KJV) “To abide in Him” means
a constant, close position with Him, sinking
your roots deep into your relationship with
Jesus. You must allow Him to fill every
part of your life. Maintaining an unbroken
fellowship with God results in a changed
lifestyle.
2.
A TRUE disciple is fruitful. If a branch is broken away from the vine,
it will die. It can be fruitful only when
attached to the vine. We can be productive
only when we receive strength and nourishment
from Jesus.
John 15:6 If a man
abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered; and men gather them, and
cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (KJV)
John 15:16 Ye have
not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of
the Father in my name, he may give it you. (KJV) What kind of “fruit”?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22).
3.
A TRUE disciple obeys Jesus as their Master.
A TRUE disciple of Christ obeys Him.
John 15:10 If ye
keep my commandments, ye shall abide in
my love; even as I have kept my Father's
commandments, and abide in his love. (KJV) Only when you obey the Lord, will
you understand what it means to live in
God’s love.
4.
A TRUE disciple loves and has concern for
others. Jesus gave us the
supreme example of love by laying down His
life for us. He is asking us to love people
as He did.
We may never have to die for another, but,
it may mean placing someone else’s
needs before our own.
John 15:11 These
things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might
be full. (KJV) Peace
and joy will elude us if we try to find
it without Jesus. True peace and happiness
can be found only when we pursue God. Only
when you place Jesus first in your life
will “your joy will overflow.”
5.
A TRUE disciple takes up his or her cross
and follows Christ. Being
a disciple takes work and commitment. You
must serve Him lovingly and willingly.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to them all, If
any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me. [24] For whosoever will save
his life shall lose it: but whosoever will
lose his life for my sake, the same shall
save it. [25] For what is a man advantaged,
if he gain the whole world, and lose himself,
or be cast away? (KJV)
We must NEVER be ashamed of Christ and His
Gospel, or place anything before Him.
6.
A TRUE disciple counts the cost. Jesus’
disciples are willing to give up everything
to follow Him.
Luke 14:25-33 And
there went great multitudes with him: and
he turned, and said unto them, [26] If
any man come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and
brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27]
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, cannot be my disciple. [28]
For which of you, intending to build a tower,
sitteth not down first, and counteth the
cost, whether he have sufficient to finish
it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid
the foundation, and is not able to finish
it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
[30] Saying, This man began to build, and
was not able to finish. [31] Or what king,
going to make war against another king,
sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether
he be able with ten thousand to meet him
that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
[32] Or else, while the other is yet a great
way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth
conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever
he be of you that forsaketh not all that
he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (KJV) “Hate” = love less. We
must seek to be His disciples, and be careful
not to grow slack in our profession, or
be afraid of the cross. Let us be the good
salt of the earth, to season those around
us with the savor of Christ, lest we anger
God; for who knows the holy wrath of Almighty
God?
7.
A TRUE disciple walks as Jesus walked. We must pattern our lives after Jesus. We
must imitate Him.
1 John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments. [4] He that
saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily
is the love of God perfected: hereby know
we that we are in him. [6] He that saith
he abideth in him ought himself also so
to walk, even as he walked. (KJV) Do
you really belong to Christ? How
can you be sure? These verses clearly tell
us! There are two ways to know: if you do
what Christ says (obey) and live as He wants
you to live. What does Christ tell us to
do?
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we
should believe on the name of his Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment. (KJV) TRUE disciples
display a loving behavior. To “walk
as Jesus did” means we imitate Jesus’
love and caring lifestyle. To walk as Christ
did we must obey His teachings and follow
His example, meaning complete obedience
to God and loving, willing, faithful service
to God’s people.
SUMMARY
A. Your
wants must take second place to Jesus’
wants for you. Being a TRUE
disciple means you recognize and desire
that God’s plans for your life are
always far better than your own. You may
have to make some sacrifices in your life,
such as spending more of your time in God’s
Word than in magazines or secular books,
volunteering to teach Sunday school, or
canceling a vacation to work on a ministry
project. Any time you give up your own plans
for God, you will find yourself drawn closer
to the Lord.
B.
You must take up your cross daily. Many people misunderstand this to mean that
your cross is your personal inconvenience
or problem. This is not so. Jesus is talking
about the act of dying to yourself. He wants
you to make a commitment and say, “I
want your will more than my own.”
Only when you have taken up your cross (denying
self), will you ever experience the abundant
life that Jesus promises to those who follow
Him.
C.
You must lose yourself to save yourself. Luke 9:24 For
whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: but whosoever will lose his life for
my sake, the same shall save it. (KJV) This may sound like a contradiction,
but it’s not. If you truly want to
find happiness and fulfillment, you must
relinquish full control of your life to
Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “I myself
no longer live, but Christ lives in me”
(Gal.2:20). If following Jesus is most important
to you, you may at times find yourself in
unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places.
You may even risk death, but you will not
fear it because you know that Jesus will
raise you to eternal life. Nothing
temporary can make up for the loss of eternal
life. TRUE disciples should not to use
their lives on Earth for their own pleasure.
They should spend their lives loving and
serving God and His people (Mat.22:36-40).
Taking up our cross is no more a burden
to a TRUE disciple than wings are to a bird.
Surrendering our life to Jesus holds the
key to a fulfilling life. It is true that
it costs us something to be a TRUE disciple,
but, it is also true that it will costs
a person so much more not to be!
- Do you
love Jesus more than anyone or anything
else in your life?
- Do
you love Jesus and want His will for
your life over your own?
- Are
you willing to accept ridicule and sacrifice
for the cause of Christ?
- Will
you submit (cooperate voluntarily) to
Jesus?
- Will
you make a personal commitment to following
Jesus, even if it is not popular?
Our Lord does not want half-hearted
followers. He wants whole-hearted commitment.
All TRUE disciples are believers,
but NOT all believers are His disciples.
Where do you stand?
CONSIDER
THIS
Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except
ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (KJV) God, our heavenly Father does not
want wicked, disobedient children. If you
call God your Father, then you MUST obey
Him! Run away fast from everything that
will displease Him. If you are His children,
then grow in grace and in the knowledge
of Him.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To
him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
(KJV) I am sure that it grieves our Lord
greatly to see children who do not grow.
If you are converted, if you
are a child of God by faith in Jesus (John
1:12-13), you should long to see your heavenly
Father. Not entering into the kingdom of
heaven is a horrible thought! Consider this
my friend, IF ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven, consider the alternative.
There is but one, and that is Hell. If you
are not converted, if you are not “born
again” (John
3:3), if you are not a TRUE disciple of
Christ, you shall surely go to Hell, you
shall surely be damned.
Mark 9:46 Where
their worm diet not, and the fire is not
quenched. (KJV)
See our articles on Hell.
Disciples
of Christ: our credentials is
our character.
Our
Master.
John 13:14 If I then,
your Lord and Master, have washed your feet;
ye also ought to wash one another's feet.(KJV) Jesus was the model Servant. He showed
His servant attitude to His disciples, continually.
Washing guests’ feet in those times,
was a job for a household servant to do
any time guests arrived. But, our Lord Jesus
wrapped a towel around His waist, just as
the lowliest slave would do, and washed
and dried His disciples’ feet. If
Jesus, who is God in the flesh, is willing
to serve, we as His followers must also
be servants, willing to serve in any way
that glorifies God. If we are not willing
to follow Christ’s example of serving,
we simply are NOT worthy of Him! Wonderful
blessings await those who agree that humble
service is Christ’s way, and then
act on it.
Our
Book.
2 Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness: (KJV) The Bible is
the perfect Word of God, inspired by the
Holy Spirit. In it, God reveals Himself
and His plan to us. Scripture is absolutely
trustworthy because God was in complete
control of its writing. We can trust its
words as completely authoritative for our
faith and lives. The whole Bible is God’s
inspired Word. Because it is inspired and
trustworthy, we should read it and apply
it to our lives. The Bible is our standard
for testing everything else that claims
to be true. It is our safeguard against
false teaching and our source of guidance
for how we should live. It is our only source
of knowledge about how we can be saved from
God’s wrath and the pits of Hell.
God wants to show you what is true and equip
you to live for Him.
Our
clothing.
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves
unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject
one to another, and be clothed with humility:
for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. (KJV) Everyone
can benefit from Peter’s advice. Humility
is a must in our daily lives. Pride often
keeps older people from trying to understand
young people and keeps young people from
listening to those who are older. Peter
told both young and old to be humble and
to love and serve one another. Young people
should follow the leadership of older men,
who should lead by example. Respect those
who are older than you, but listen to those
younger than you, and be humble enough to
admit that you can learn from each other.
Our badge.
John 13:35 By this
shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another. (KJV) Our love for Jesus and one another
will prove to the world that we are His
disciples. Love is much more than just warm
feelings and kind words. True love reveals
itself in action, not just words. We can
love others by helping when it’s not
convenient, by giving when it hurts, by
devoting energy to others’ welfare
rather than our own, by absorbing hurts
from others without complaining or fighting
back, to comfort and encourage when someone
is down. Love like this is hard to do. People
see Jesus in you when you love like this,
and know you are empowered by a supernatural
source. The Bible has a beautiful description
of love in 1 Cor. 13.
Our
cross.
Luke 14:27 And whosoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple. (KJV) The people that Jesus spoke to was
well aware of what it meant to carry one’s
own cross. When the Romans led a criminal
to his execution site, he was forced to
carry the cross on which he would die. This
showed his submission to Rome and warned
observers that they had better submit too.
Jesus said this to get the crowds to think
through their enthusiasm for him. He encouraged
those who were superficial either to go
deeper or to turn back. Following Christ
means total submission to Him . . . perhaps
even to the point of death.
Mark 8:34-35 And when he had called the people unto
him with his disciples also, he said unto
them, Whosoever
will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me. [35]
For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it; but whosoever shall lose his life for
my sake and the gospel's, the same shall
save it. (KJV) If we
want to follow Jesus, we must put aside
any selfish ambition, shoulder your cross,
and follow Him. When we give up our life
for His sake and for the sake of the Gospel,
we find true life.
Mat.10:34-36 Think
not that I am come to send peace on earth:
I came not to send peace, but a sword. [35]
For I am come to set a man at variance against
his father, and the daughter against her
mother, and the daughter in law against
her mother in law. [36] And
a man's foes shall be they of his own household. (KJV) Jesus did not come to bring peace
to the earth, not the first time! Taking
sides with Him will set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Your enemies will be right in your own household! This I know personally, for a fact!
Luke 14:26-27 If any man come to me, and hate not his
father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his
own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
[27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross,
and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (KJV) If we truly desire to follow Jesus,
we must love Jesus more than your own father
and mother, wife and children, brothers
and sisters . . . even more than your own
life. If we don’t, we cannot be His
disciple. We must carry our own cross and
follow Him, meaning you must deny self,
and think of Jesus instead.
Our
companions.
Psalm 119:63 I
am a companion of all them that fear thee,
and of them that keep thy precepts. (KJV) Our companions and friends must be
those who fear the Lord, and obey His commandments.
We must delight in the company of true believers,
for this is evidence of being a true disciple
of Christ. (Psalm 16:3; Malachi 3:16).
Amos 3:3 Can
two walk together, except they be agreed?
(KJV) Two people cannot walk together without
agreeing on which way they are going to
go. Unless God’s Spirit joins with
them, coming ruin is almost certain. Believers
must have as companions, other believers.
This very much includes marriage!
Our
fruit.
John 15:8 Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much
fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (KJV) Jesus’ true disciples produce
much fruit, which brings great glory to
the Father in Heaven.
John 15:4-5 Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. [5]
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth
forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing. (KJV) When
we remain in Christ, He will remain in us.
We are just mere branches, and we cannot
produce fruit if we are severed from the
vine. Apart from Jesus, we cannot be fruitful. Apart from Jesus,
we can do nothing at all.
What is “fruit”?
Gal. 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law. (KJV) The fruit
of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of
the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces
these character traits that are found in
the nature of Christ. They are the by-products
of Christ’s control of us. We cannot obtain them without His help. If
we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow
in us, we must join our lives to His. We
must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and
imitate Him in all we do. By doing this,
we fulfill the intended purpose of the law
. . . to love God and our neighbors (Mat.
22:37-40).
Gospel
Disappearing!!
For those of us who truly love and serve
God, it is a great sorrow for us to look
around and see millions of people living
in a selfish and ungrateful way. They live
each day as if God does not even exist.
They never think of this awesome One to
whom they literally owe their existence,
and who holds their eternal destiny in His
Holy Hands. And what is worse, is those
who profess to be “Christians.”
My friend, there are a multitude out there
who say “I’m a Christian”
and claim to know God, claim to love Him.
But, do they?
Here’s
a check list for you:
- 1. How often do you tell God you love
Him?
- 2. How often do you tell God you appreciate
Him?
- 3. How often do you go to Him in prayer
. . . not only when you want something,
but just to talk to Him. To ask Him
to help you make right decisions? To
make you the kind of person He wants
you to be?
- 4. How often do you thank Him for past
blessings, and answered prayer.
- 5. How often do you thank Him for His
awesome love and amazing grace?
- 6. How often do you thank Him for His
forgiving you?
- 7. How often do you thank Him for His
patience?
- 8. How often do you thank Him for giving
you His one and only begotten Son as
a means of redemption and eternal Life?
Think about this my friend.
- When
was the last time you really poured
out your heart to Him as a Friend and
Confidant?
- Is
God really pleased with you?
- Are you
a TRUE Christian? A disciple of Christ?
Remember, all disciples are believers, but not all
believers are disciples. You must
have a close personal relationship with
Christ, you must love Him with your all,
and you must trust, obey and follow Him
where ever He leads.
Unbelievers are showing more and more contemptible
disregard for their Creator. God clearly
states what will happen, but people just
don’t seem to be able to understand
that God does NOT lie.
Psalm
9:17 The wicked shall be turned
into hell, and all the nations that forget
God. [KJV] Those who forget God are
many! Millions! Can’t people SEE that there is a Hell, and that God’s judgment will fall
on ALL those who forsake and forget Him? God shall judge sin!
Romans 1:28-32 And
even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient; [29] Being filled with
all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy,
murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
[30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, [31] Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful: [32] Who knowing
the judgment of God, that they which commit
such things are worthy of death, not only
do the same, but have pleasure in them that
do them. [KJV]
When
people refuse to acknowledge God, He abandons
them to their evil minds and allows them
do things that should never be done. Their
hearts and lives became so full of every
kind of wickedness: sin, greed, hate, envy,
murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior,
and gossip. They will lie, slander, gossip,
blaspheme, they hate God, are insulting
and brazen, proud, arrogant and boastful.
They invent new ways to sin, and are disobedient
to their parents. They refuse to even try
to understand, break their promises, and
are heartless and unforgiving. They are
fully aware of God’s death penalty
for those who do these things, yet they
go right ahead and do them anyway. And,
worse yet, they encourage others to do them,
too.
Can you see prophecy being fulfilled in
this world today? It is undeniable that
there is a connection between the above
verses, and the following verses, and the
wicked and godless TV shows and movies.
2 Tim. 3:1-5 This know
also, that in the last days perilous times
shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers
of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn
away. [KJV]
People
today love only themselves and their money.
They are boastful and proud, scoffing and
blaspheming God. The majority of kids today
do not know what it is to obey their parents,
let alone God! People are not thankful for
anything they have. They consider nothing
sacred. They are unloving, unforgiving;
they lie and slander others and have no
self-control. They are cruel and have no
interest in God or what is right and good.
They betray their friends, are reckless,
puffed up with pride, and love pleasure
rather than God. Some people act as if they
are religious, but they will reject the
power that could make them godly. Now, is
this not the truth? God predicted this would
happen long, long ago! You are seeing it
being fulfilled before your very eyes this
day.
Why does Hollywood glamorize wickedness
and ungodliness? Because that is what people
want! They promote youth rebellion, sexual
freedom, lewd perversion, gross scenes of
murder, Satanic song lyrics, blasphemy,
cursing, etc. What state of evil do you
think the world was in at the time before
the Flood, before the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah? Could it have been any worse
than now? What did God do in those two situations?
He brought judgment on the people! ALL the
evil doers died.
What would have shamed and embarrassed “Christians”
20 years ago, is now widely accepted by
them. I recently heard that 50% of “professing”
Christians look up internet pornography.
Is this a “Christian”? NO way
my friend! God does NOT have children who
“practice” sin.
1
John 3:9 Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin; for his seed
remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God. [KJV] A person CANNOT
practice sin, day after day, and be a child
of God. The Holy Spirit will not permit
it. But, someone who simply “professes”
to be a Christian (a hypocrite), is NOT
a TRUE Christian! A person MUST “possess”
Christ in their heart and soul or they are
NOT a Christian, no matter how often they
say “I’m a Christian.”
God knows His true children. Upon all those
who make a false profession, His wrath and
judgment shall fall. God will not give the
Gift of His Holy Spirit to someone who is
not sincere about Jesus. But to those who
are sincere, He graciously gives His Spirit
to help them live a life with which He is
pleased (Rom.8:9). Will we never sin again?
How I wish that were true, but we will sin.
But, we will NOT practice sin in our lives.
Many churches preach only what the people
want to hear. People today cannot tolerate
the true Word of God, the Gospel of Christ,
and certainly any pastor who preaches on
Hell will not be tolerated. This too was
prophesied in the Bible!
2 Tim. 4:3 For the
time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; [KJV]
The
time has come, is already here, when people
will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will
look for teachers who will tell them only
things they want to hear (Isa.30:10). The
bold preachers and teachers are rapidly
retreating or dying off. Now preachers are
bringing the gospel of self-love, self-esteem,
and positive thinking. Preachers do not
want to offend anyone with the Truth, because
people will NOT endure “sound doctrine”
just as was prophesied!
What
is the Gospel without the virgin birth and
His Blood shed on the cross? If you are
privileged to hear sermons on these subjects,
praise God. It’s an exception in today’s
times!
Churches are stooping to pleasing the devil
by trying to lure youth into church by contemporary
worship, contemporary music. I understand
rock concerts are common in some “churches.”
The paganism of today’s society is
creeping into even some so-called “evangelical”
churches.
The holy character of God has not changed,
nor will it ever change! Sin separates mankind
from God, and the judgment to come, will
come. Count on it. God’s remedy for
sin and salvation to eternal life has not
changed either. It is still Christ! God
has not changed or updated His Plan of salvation,
nor is He about to do so. God does NOT make
mistakes, does NOT lie! God is truly willing
and eager to accept sinners when they SINCERELY
repent. But His holiness and justice will
pardon only those who believe Him and accept
His one and only Plan; those who accept
Christ’s work on the cross on their
behalf. Jesus poured out His Holy and Precious
Blood on the cross for the sins of the world.
We must believe and accept this fact, this
Truth!
The Gospel must be preached throughout the
world, and ALL Jesus' TRUE disciples are
the ones to preach it!
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature. [KJV]
The
Gospel of Christ, and ONLY the Gospel of
Christ has the power to save a person from
the pits of Hell.
Romans
1:16 For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek. [KJV]
Acts
4:12 Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved. [KJV]
John
3:36 He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him. [KJV]
1
John 5:10-12 He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
he that believeth not God hath made him
a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. [11] And this
is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
[12] He that hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not
life. [KJV]
SAVED . . . means redeemed from the judgment we truly
deserve for our sins, and one day resurrected
and made fit for Heaven with new glorified
bodies like Christ. An unbeliever too will
be resurrected (Dan.12:1-2). But they all
will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Hell,
Rev.20:15).
John
3:3 Jesus answered and said
unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. [KJV]
How
to be Born Again!
John 1:12-13 But as
many as received him, to them gave he power
to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name: [13] Which were
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[KJV]
John
3:15-18 That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life. [16] For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. [17]
For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved. [18] He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he
that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. [KJV]
The
Gospel of Christ is a responsibility of ALL true "born
again" believers.
We MUST tell others the Good News that Jesus
saves, or we are NOT disciples of Christ.
You may say "I'm a Christian"
but unless you trust Jesus AND obey Jesus'
command of "Go
ye therefore"
(Mat.28:19-20), it is doubtful that you
are saved.
The
Mind of Christ
or The Example of Christ
Christ Jesus was humble, and willing to
give up His rights in order to obey God
and serve people. Are we willing to do this?
Like our Lord, we should have a servant’s
attitude, serving out of love for God and
for others, not out of guilt or fear. You
can choose your attitude. In life,
you can expect to be served, or you can
look for ways to serve others.
Our Lord Jesus Christ sets an example before
us. We must resemble Him and imitate Him
in His life, if we ever want the benefit
of His death.
Christ
Jesus had two natures: His Divine nature
(He is God), and human nature (He is also
Man). In His human nature, He became like
us in all ways, except
sin. Of His own will, He
stooped from the glory He had with the Father
before the world was when He came as Man.
Jesus came to a life of humiliation, poverty
and suffering. But the lowest step was His
dying the death of the cross. It is to the
glory of God the Father, to confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord; for it is His will,
that all men should honor the Son as they
honor the Father.
John
5:23 That
all men should honour the Son, even as they
honour the Father. He that honoureth not
the Son honoureth not the Father which hath
sent him. [KJV]
Phil. 2:4 Look not
every man on his own things, but every man
also on the things of others. [KJV]
OTHERS! This is a very important word, and
is the key to this passage and to a true
Christian life. Why is it so important?
Why did Christ come from heaven’s
glory to this earth? It was for others.
Why should we carry the Gospel? For others.
To think of others rather
than ourselves is having the mind of Christ.
MIND OF CHRIST . . . HUMBLE
Phil.
2:5 Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus. [KJV] The mind of
Christ — what is the
one thing that characterized it? HUMILITY!
In Ephesians 4:1-2, we were told, “… walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness,
with longsuffering, forbearing one another
in love.” This
is the mind of Christ.
On our own, we cannot be humble or meek.
We’re not made that way. We want to
stand on our own two feet, have our say
and do it our way. And we do not want to
be offended or ignored. Any person who is
not "born
again" is not
willing to be humble.
What follows is the greatest doctrinal statement
in the New Testament as to the Person of
Christ, and it is known as the kenosis,
the “emptying.” It will be made
clear that Jesus did not empty Himself of
His deity.
Let
us look at seven steps of humiliation which
Christ took.We find seven steps downward.
First,
in humiliation, we see the mind of Christ.
Then we will see the mind of God. It is
in the mind of God the Father to exalt the
Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to know what
you can do that will put you in the will
of God, you must exalt Jesus Christ. I think
this is the will of God for every one. We
must exalt Christ Jesus, wherever we are
and in whatever we do and say, and think.
If we don’t, we are not united with
the Father.
#1.
The first step downward was when Jesus left
Heaven’s glory.
He
came down to this Earth, and what a big
step it was. He left the glory of Heaven,
coming to Earth, knowing full well He would
die a horrible, agonizing death. It is far
beyond our human comprehension to truly
understand what our Lord really did for
us.
Phil. 2:6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. [KJV] When Christ
came to Earth, there was no danger of Him
losing His position. He was GOD! His place
in the Godhead would be there 33 years later,
when He came back to Heaven. Jesus did not
leave Heaven reluctantly. At no time did
He say, “I don’t want to leave
Heaven. I don’t want to go.”
He came joyfully. “… for the
joy that was set before him …”
Heb. 12:2. He endured the cross, for us.
He said, “… Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God” Heb. 10:7. He came
to this Earth with joy, because of His amazing
love for us.
#2 Now for
the second step down.
Phil. 2:7 But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men. [KJV] “Made
himself of no reputation” means to
empty. GOD left the glory of Heaven, made
Himself nothing; taking the humble position
of a slave and appearing in human form.
Can you comprehend this? I can’t understand
this kind of love!
Christ emptied Himself when He came to Earth.
Of what did He empty Himself? Some say He
emptied Himself of His deity. NO WAY! He
emptied Himself of something, but it was
not of His deity. He was 100% God when He
was a baby resting on the bosom of Mary.
Even then, He could have spoken this universe
out of existence because He was GOD. There
has never been a moment when Jesus was not
GOD!
John
1:1-3 In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. [2] The same was in the
beginning with God. [3] All things were
made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made. [KJV]
John
1:14 And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
[KJV]
So, of what did the Lord Jesus empty Himself
when He came to this Earth? I believe that
He emptied Himself of the rights of His deity. He lived on this
Earth with many limitations, but they were
willing self-limitations. There has never
been even a moment when He wasn’t
GOD! And He was not less God because He
was Man, even though He emptied Himself
of His rights of deity.
He was willing to grow to manhood in a small
town named Nazareth. He was willing to be
an unknown carpenter. He could have had
the shekinah glory with Him at times, but
He didn’t. He didn’t have a
halo around His head as we see in so many
paintings of Him. He was a human being,
but He was God manifest in the flesh. He
laid aside the rights of His deity. “And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus prayed to have His glory
restored, not to have His deity restored,
because He had never given up His deity.
#3 The third
step downward: “And took upon him
the form of a servant.”
Jesus came to this Earth as a servant. He
worked as a carpenter. He came into this
world as a working man, a humble man, a
poor man. Not only did He lower Himself
to become a human being, but He came a poor,
humble servant. Our Lord was born into a
peasant family. “He took upon
him the form of a servant” (Phil.2:7).
#4 The fourth
step in His humiliation, “And was
made in the likeness of men.”
How
can being a Man be humbling? Because GOD
came to Earth in the likeness of man (Phil.2:7),
leaving all the glory He had in Heaven. That is a
big step down! That is absolute humility! Would
you have done it?
Phil.
2:8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. [KJV]
#5
The fifth step in our Lord’s humiliation
is that He humbled Himself.
“And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself.” You and I have can
be humbled by someone doing or saying something
which has been humiliating to us. But see
what it states here, Christ “humbled
himself.” This is very difficult
to do. In His human form He obediently humbled
Himself by absolute and perfect obedience
to God the Father.
#6
We come now to the sixth step in His humiliation.
“And [He] became obedient unto
death.” In His human form He
obediently humbled Himself so far as to
dying a criminal’s death on a cross.
Jesus’ death was an extremely humiliating
thing. The Lord Jesus was born to die. He
came to this Earth to die. He didn’t
have to die, but He “became obedient
unto death” and gave Himself
up willingly. He didn’t have to die,
but He wanted to. WHY? So that He might
save anyone who will put their trust in
Him. “As
the Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep….
Therefore doth my Father love me, because
I lay down my life, that I might take it
again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay
it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again …” John 10:15, 17–18.
#7
The seventh and last step in the humiliation
of Christ is “even the death of the
cross.”
Not
only did He become obedient unto death,
but to the death of the cross. Crucifixion
was a very disgraceful and agonizing death.
Galatians 3:13 Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
(KJV)
Jesus
came from the highest glory to the lowest
place of humiliation. WHY did He do it?
Let’s go back to that word OTHERS.
“Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things
of others.” He left all the glory
of Heaven and came down to this Earth, became
a Man, and suffered the death of a criminal
for others, for you and
me. We need to thank God and Christ for
that, every day we live!
This is the mind of Christ, being
humble and thinking of others!
We must imitate Jesus, we must humble ourselves,
we must think like Him, we must love others
as He does, or we are NOT true disciples
of His!
His
Disciples, Living IN
Jesus
Romans
8:1 There
is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(KJV) Without Jesus we would have no hope
at all. But God has declared us not guilty
and has offered us freedom from sin and
power to do His will. God does not condemn
those who live in union with Christ Jesus.
See: With
or Without Christ.
Galatians
5:16 This I say then, Walk
in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the
lust of the flesh. [KJV] Being led
by the Holy Spirit means we truly desire
to hear and obey God’s Word. We must
discern between our feelings and His promptings.
We must live each day controlled and guided
by the Holy Spirit. Only then will the words
of Christ be in our mind, the love of Christ
be behind our actions, and the power of
Christ will help us control our selfish
desires.
Romans
13:13 Let us walk honestly,
as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness,
not in chambering and wantonness, not in
strife and envying. [KJV] We should
be honest and true in everything we do,
so that everyone can approve of our behavior.
We should not participate in wild parties,
get drunk, keep from adultery and immoral
living, and not fight and argue or be jealous.
Thoughts
and attitudes are as important as actions,
because hatred can lead to murder, jealousy
can lead to strife and lust to adultery
or homosexuality. When Christ returns, He
wants to find His people clean on the inside
as well as on the outside.
Col.
2:6 As ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
[KJV] Just as you accepted Christ Jesus
as your Lord, you must continue to live
in willing obedience to Him. We must continue
to follow His leadership by being rooted,
built up, and strengthened in the faith.
Christ wants to guide us and help us with
our daily problems.
We
can live for Christ by:
- (1) committing our life and submitting
our will to Him (Romans 12:1-2);
- (2) seeking to learn from Him, His life,
and His teachings (Col. 3:16); and
- (3)
recognizing the Holy Spirit’s
power in us (Acts 1:8; Gal.5:22).
Philip.
3:16 Nevertheless, whereto
we have already attained, let us walk by
the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
[KJV] We must be sure to obey the truth
that we have learned.
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Questions Answered
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