7 Traits Of The Godly

 ~ Discipleship Traits ~

Compassionate  ~  Jesus said, “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:33). 

Correct Priorities  ~  Jesus related, “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented’” (Luke 16:25). 

Do Not Compare  ~  Jesus said, “But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you” (Matthew 20:13-14).

Do Not Covet  ~  Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15b).

Humility  ~  Jesus said, “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:10-11).

Possess Great Faith  ~  Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6b).

Responsive To Love  ~  Jesus said, “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” (Luke 7:41-42). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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3 Ls

~ The Look which Leads to the Learning which Promises Abundant Life ~           

Look To Me  ~  “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).

Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever looks to Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6). 

Look to Jesus for salvation!   

Learn Of Me  ~  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). 

“Let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14).

Learn about Jesus for discipleship! 

Live By Me  ~  “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day’” (John 6:35-40). 

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life’” (John 4:13-14). 

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ (John 6:35). 

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ‘I am the Good Shepherd’” (John 10:10-11).

Live by Jesus in a life of faith to truly live! 

summary:  LOOK to Jesus for salvation. LEARN of Jesus in the process of discipleship. LIVE by faith in Jesus in order to experience the Abundant Life Now!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Discipleship Truths

~ 4 Important Realities of Discipleship ~

The third chapter of 1 Corinthians tells us a lot about true discipleship.

Discipleship is a Lifelong Process (not an event)  ~  “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.  For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-5).  The spiritual birth has many parallels to physical birth—in this passage we see feeding begins with milk and progresses to solid food.  Discipleship is not completed in a day, and it is not accomplished without effort.

Some Things We Must Do (other things God must do)  ~  The Apostle Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Discipleship Results in Maturity (including fruitfulness)  ~  “Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).  Fruitfulness is a by-product of discipleship and has rewards.

Disciples Are Responsible for the Quality of Their Work  ~  “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.  But let each one take heed how he builds on it” (1 Corinthians 3:9-10).  God also is concerned about the quality of His children’s faithfulness.

The Bottom-Line  ~  There is a time to be a child (1 Corinthians 13:11) and a time to grow up!  Believers are given the opportunity to grow into greater Christlikeness (true CHRISTians).  Are you more like Jesus Christ than you were a year ago?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .