Baptism 2 - Cost of Discipleship Pt 131

Chapter 28 - Baptism

Bonhoeffer- 'Baptismal death means justification from sin. The sinner must die that he may be delivered from his sin. If a man dies he is justified from sin (Rom.6:7; Col. 2:20)…'

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances

'Sin has no further claim on him, for death's demand has been met, and its account settled. Justification from sin can only happen through death. Forgiveness of sin does not mean that the sin is overlooked and forgotten, it means a real death on the part of the sinner and his separation from sin. But the only reason why the sinner's death can bring justification and not condemnation is that this death of Christ which effects the forgiveness of sin and justification, and completes our separation from sin. The fellowship of the cross to which Jesus invited his disciples is the gift of justification through that cross, it is the gift of death and the forgiveness of sins. The disciple who followed in the fellowship of the cross received exactly the same gift as the believer who was baptized after he had heard the teaching of Paul.'

My thoughts- Read every single one of these Bible verses, these are God's Words to US! We should cherish each and every word.

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Act_2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act_2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Act_8:12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Act_8:13  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Act_8:38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Act_9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Act_10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act_10:48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Act_11:16  Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Act_16:15  And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Act_16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Act_18:8  And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Co_12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Gal_3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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The WORDS of GOD!

Read them! Believe them!

Baptized INTO Christ have PUT ON CHRIST!

We put on Christ.
We choose to live for Christ!

Baptism is something so amazing, so incredibly wondrous. Jesus, Himself was baptized and NOT because He had a sinful nature to die to. Jesus' baptism was His anointing by God for His three year ministry. Jesus suffered Himself to be baptized, He was an example unto all of us!

We are given a NEW life after baptism, an amazing new life.

Baptized into Christ!
Putting on Christ!

Read this again--

Bonhoeffer- 'Baptismal death means justification from sin. The sinner must die that he may be delivered from his sin. If a man dies he is justified from sin (Rom.6:7; Col. 2:20)…'

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances

'Sin has no further claim on him, for death's demand has been met, and its account settled. Justification from sin can only happen through death. Forgiveness of sin does not mean that the sin is overlooked and forgotten, it means a real death on the part of the sinner and his separation from sin. But the only reason why the sinner's death can bring justification and not condemnation is that this death of Christ which effects the forgiveness of sin and justification, and completes our separation from sin. The fellowship of the cross to which Jesus invited his disciples is the gift of justification through that cross, it is the gift of death and the forgiveness of sins. The disciple who followed in the fellowship of the cross received exactly the same gift as the believer who was baptized after he had heard the teaching of Paul.'

We need to comprehend this, all through the grace of God, all through the Holy Spirit!

We need to understand that rising up out of the water of baptism is symbolic of rising up to new life having died, our sins having died and been buried, all through CHRIST our LORD and SAVIOR. We need to believe in Christ, believe in this TRUTH. Please LORD, help us to live in YOU! SAVE US from OURSELVES!

More tomorrow by the GRACE of God!

All through HIS LOVE!

Cost of Discipleship Pt 130 - Baptism

Chapter 28 - Baptism

"Baptism is not an offer made by man to God, but an offer made by Christ to man. It is grounded solely on the will of Jesus Christ, as expressed in his gracious call. Baptism is essentially passive -- being baptized, suffering the call of Christ . In baptism man becomes Christ's own possession. When the name of Christ is spoken over the candidate, he becomes a partaker in this Name, and is baptized "into Jesus Christ" (Ro. 6:3, Gal 3:27, Matt 28:19)…"

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost

"..from that moment he belongs to Jesus Christ. He is wrested from the dominion of the world, and passes into the ownership of Christ."

My thoughts-

Amazing!

We are baptized INTO Christ's death.
We are baptized into Christ- we PUT ON CHRIST.

We become Christ's own possession.

We are Christ's.

We make the choice to give ourselves to Christ. What does it mean to give ourselves to Christ? We literally, yes, I said literally, give ourselves to Christ! We belong to HIM, we CHOOSE HIM. We ACCEPT Christ's offer.

Have you been baptized in Christ?  Was it by your own freewill, was it by your CHOICE? Did you accept Him? We have to be baptized by CHOICE. If you haven't been baptized by choice, then you need to do so. It must be by choice, a free will offering of ourselves in accepting Christ's life, His sacrifice. Willingly giving ourselves to Christ, willingly becoming His possession. Willingly choosing.

Baptism.

Symbolically killing our old self, our old life being put away in hopes of a NEW life in CHRIST. A rebirth in CHRIST, our spiritual lives reborn into CHRIST.

More tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD!

In HIS LOVE!

Life Long Struggle

Excerpt-

'We hear much today about how easy it is to be a Christian; just believe and the grace of God will do all that needs to be done.

But the implantation of the true grace of God in the soul - hatred of sin - is the beginning of a life-long struggle marked by tedious battles and severe, bitter contests.

It is written: The evil tendencies of mankind are hard to overcome.

The battles are tedious.

Every soul in the strife knows how severe, how bitter, are these contests.

Everything about growth in grace is difficult, because the standard and maxims of the world are constantly interposed between the soul and God's holy standard.

The Lord would have us elevated, ennobled, purified, by carrying out the principles underlying His great moral standard, which will test every character in the great day of final reckoning.'

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LIFE LONG STRUGGLES!
TEDIOUS BATTLES!
SEVERE, BITTER CONTESTS!

And still we believe it should somehow be different for us. We shouldn't feel the heavy weight of sin upon us. We're believers after all, and believers have to BELIEVE.  That belief should make us not feel the pain and agony of the sin contests in our lives, right? We're trusting in God, Jesus is our Savior, the Holy Spirit is guiding us, so why should we be anything but confident? And still we KNOW, a part of us knows, that it's not that simple. It's a ROAD seldom traveled. It's a PATH extremely narrow. 

When we think of narrow are we thinking sidewalk narrow? Maybe we need to think balance beam narrow, or even tightrope narrow. We give ourselves possibly way too much room on this road we are called to walk upon. Narrow is the way. And to get an idea of narrow maybe we need to truly look at this verse-

Mat_19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Eye of a needle narrow.

Except a MIRACLE is performed in us, none of us could ever fit through an eye of a needle, and most of us could not walk a tightrope. The MIRACLE is CHRIST. But we have to FIND Christ. We have to find the narrow way.

Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

We have to find it!

And in finding it, don't you imagine that Satan, Jesus' archenemy, will do everything in his power to  keep us from walking in that way? He wants to turn us in a different direction and he'll do EVERYTHING He can to do just that.

LIFE LONG STRUGGLES!
TEDIOUS BATTLES!
SEVERE, BITTER CONTESTS!

When was the last time you were involved in a spiritual struggle? A battle on the spiritual war front? A contest of the supernatural, spiritual kind?

A war is being waged, a very real war and there are very real wounds.

So why do we really expect to live our lives as if we are not under siege? Why are we so shocked and disappointed when the awful darts of Satan are thrown at us? How can something be considered a struggle, tedious, a battle, a bitter and severe contest if we are supposed to be enjoying ourselves all the time? We have to feel the PAIN, the AGONY, the awful torturous affliction and in doing so we are EXPECTED to endure by faith. Recognize the horror and still endure. Comprehend our tragic situations and yet endure, believing even when we are feeling the most pain, even when the darkness surrounding us is as dark as it can ever be, believing there is HOPE and that HOPE is CHRIST JESUS our SAVIOR! Clinging to the hope when all our senses tell us the situation is hopeless.

'Everything about growth in grace is difficult, because the standard and maxims of the world are constantly interposed between the soul and God's holy standard.'

DIFFICULT.

Growing in grace isn't the seemingly effortless ballet you watch as it performed. Growing in grace is the extremely pain that brings about the seemingly effortless vision you witness.  Our idea of the end product, the goal we are trying to achieve is very clear, and yet we must realize that it will NOT be realized until we are 'changed in a twinkling of an eye when we meet the Lord in the air'. Up until that very point we are in the BATTLE, we are experiencing the agony of practice, the necessary brutality of the fiery furnace we are being refined in. If we foolishly strive to reach our goal expecting at some point to rest on our laurels before our Savior redeems us and changes us, takes our mortality and makes it immortal, then we are setting ourselves up to FAIL miserably, tragically.

Please LORD help us! Let us feel the fires of affliction and know that You are refining us. It's an awful, awful world we live in where so many consider the immoral to be moral and those who know better are deemed to be the vile ones, the strange ones, the ones who are incomprehensible in their beliefs. All around us the world expects us to laugh along with it, and we do because we find ourselves trapped with its mindset. We REPENT LORD! We REPENT OF OUR EVILS! Please LORD help us to live as YOU would have us live, and not as the world expects us to live. You have a HOLY STANDARD LORD, and our flesh natures cling to the world that would destroy those standards calling them archaic, backwards, prejudice, bias, evil, stupid, unintelligent, unenlightened. The world would unite us to their forward enlightened existence into what they call a good thing, a right thing, the best thing, the most moral and humane thing.

Growth in grace- LORD let us grow in YOUR grace, please LORD we beg you. Of our own selves we are NOTHING, we have NOTHING, and the filthy rags covering us seem to be glued to our forms as if they will never be taken from us. You and YOU alone can take the filthy rags off of us LORD, You and YOU alone can clothe us in YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

ALL BY YOUR GRACE!




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NOTE: The above excerpts were taken from the manuscript 'In the Form of a Slave' By William Grotheer. If you are interested in this manuscript you may go to the following website where it is possible for you to order a copy of it.  http://www.alfiowa.com/

Hear the Word - Cost of Discipleship Pt 129

Bonhoeffer- 'It is therefore abundantly clear that we cannot play off the various accounts of the calling of the disciples against other parts of the gospel narrative. It is not a question of stepping into the shoes of the disciples, or of any other of the New Testament characters. The only constant factor throughout is the sameness of Christ and of His call then and now. His word is one and the same, whether it was addressed during his earthly life to the paralyzed or the disciples, or whether it is speaking to us to-day. Here, as there, we receive the gracious summons to enter his kingdom and his glory. It is dangerous to ask whether we are to draw a parallel between ourselves and the disciples or ourselves and the paralytic. We may not compare ourselves to either. All we have to do is to hear the word and obey the will of Christ, in whatever part of the scripture testimony it is proclaimed. The scriptures do not present us with a series of Christian types to be imitated according to choice: they preach to us in every situation the one Jesus Christ. To him alone must I listen. He is everywhere one and the same.

To the question-- where to-day do we hear the call of Jesus to discipleship, there is no other answer than this: Hear the Word, receive the Sacrament: in it hear him himself, and you will hear his call.'

My thoughts-

Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psa 95:7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Joh_10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

Heb 3:7  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18  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. This commandment have I received of my Father.

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Hear HIS voice.
Know HIS voice.

He is the Good Shepherd, He knows His sheep, and is known by His sheep.

Jesus said-- Follow me...

Mat_4:19  And he saith unto them, FOLLOW ME, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat_8:22  But Jesus said unto him, FOLLOW ME; and let the dead bury their dead.
Mat_9:9  And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, FOLLOW ME. And he arose, and followed him.
Mat_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.
Mat_19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and FOLLOW ME.
Mar_2:14  And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, FOLLOW ME. And he arose and followed him.
Mar_8:34  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.
Mar_10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and FOLLOW ME.
Luk_5:27  And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, FOLLOW ME.
Luk_9:23  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.
Luk_9:59  And he said unto another, FOLLOW ME. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk_18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, FOLLOW ME.
Joh_1:43  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, FOLLOW ME.
Joh_10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they FOLLOW ME:
Joh_12:26  If any man serve me, let him FOLLOW ME; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Joh_21:19  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, FOLLOW ME.

The Good Shepherd calls to His sheep- follow me.

Jesus said … 'IF ANY MAN'.
Jesus said… 'other sheep which are not of this fold'

Jesus, as we've learned several times- prayed to the Father for US- Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word

Jesus is speaking to US all of US!

The only criteria in order to be a disciple of Jesus was to FOLLOW HIM- BELIEVE HIM- LIVE HIM.

He must be in all we do, not in some of the things we do, but in all the things we do, He must be living in us- guiding us, loving us. We must choose to LET Him be with us in ALL we do. We have the ability to shut Him out of our lives and He will NEVER force Himself into our lives, not ever! He never advocated any forced belief in Him, not once!

He would be our God and He wants us to be His people!

To ask whether or not you've been called to be a Christ follower, the answer is a very simple one: yes, you have, as we all have been.  All are given a chance, a choice!

Discipleship is something amazing, something very wonderful but only if it is a costly discipleship, not one constructed by cheap grace. The cost of our Discipleship was Jesus Christ Himself! And we are called to a real LIFE of discipleship, not some weekly game, not some twice a year act of obedience, but a LIFE, a daily life of discipleship. Not a discipleship that you pull on like a robe as you enter a church building and quickly discard on the way out, but a REAL LIVING, BREATHING DISCIPLESHIP! A life as a disciple.

Is there any wonder few will find that strait gate? We make up too many false ways of calling ourselves disciples, and every single one of those ways will lead us to death, eternal perishing.

We must be Christ's disciple, this is the truth we are called to, a truth we must live as I've already said- in ALL we do!

By YOUR GRACE LORD, by YOUR GRACE!

Love God, Love Our Neighbors

Bonhoeffer - 'Suppose then we say finally that whereas the commandment the disciples received was plain and clear enough, we have to decide for ourselves which of his words applies to our particular case. That again is a complete MISUNDERSTANDING of the situation of the disciples, and of our own situation too.

The object of Jesus' command is ALWAYS the same-- to evoke wholehearted faith, to make us love God and our neighbor with all our heart and soul.

This is the only unequivocal feature in his command.

Every time we try to perform the commandment of Jesus in some other sense, it is another sign that we have misunderstood his word and are disobeying it. But this does not mean that we have no means whatever of ascertaining what he would have us do in any concrete situation. On the contrary, we are told quite clearly what we have to do every time we hear the word of Christ proclaimed; yet in such a way that we understand that there is no other way of fulfilling it, but by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Thus the gift Jesus gave to his disciples is just as available for us as it was for them. In fact it is even more readily available for us now that he has left the world, because we know that he is glorified, and because the Holy Spirit is with us.'

My thoughts-

The commandments of Jesus are LOVE realized. We have twisted them into becoming something that restricts us, forbids us, commands us to do things we just would rather not do. Why don't we want to do them? Why don't we have a natural inclination to do so? Because of SIN.

Sin.

Sin stripped away our natural inclination.  Our Savior restores it IF we let Him! If we realize we must LIVE every moment of our lives dedicated to HIM. 

We cannot pick and choose the moments we are his and the moments we are not!  We want to, but we can't! We try to, but we can't! We have to be His through faith always. Our life must be HIS, always. We must LOVE HIM ALWAYS.   Only but clinging to Him and trusting in Him through faith can we have any hope at all.

When we are BORN AGAIN it is a spiritual birth that is a new life in CHRIST.  A new life. A Spiritual life!

It is true what Bonhoeffer says- if we 'try and perform the commandment of Jesus in some other sense, it is another sign that we have misunderstood his word and are disobeying it.'   We HAVE to perform all the commandments of our Savior through our Savior and not through ourselves!

Mar_12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar_12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

 Jesus' words!  TRUTH!

We shall love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength-    with ALL of ourselves!

We can only Love through HIM when we choose to LOVE Him with all that we are.  We must choose- HE does the rest.

Please LORD we choose YOU!

We Know Him By His Word - Cost of Discipleship Pt 127

Chapter 27 - Preliminary Questions

Bonhoeffer-  'But surely there is another way in which the disciples really had the advantage over us. When they had recognized the Christ, they were immediately given a simple and direct command from his very lips, telling them exactly what to do. But just at this crucial point of Christian obedience we are given no help whatever. Does not Christ speak to us differently now? If that were true, we should certainly be in a hopeless predicament. But it is far from true. Christ speaks to us exactly as he spoke to them.

 It was not as though they first recognized him as the Christ and then received his command.

They believed his word and command and recognized him as the Christ-- in that order.

There was no other way for them to know Christ, but by his plain word.

And therefore the converse is also true-- we cannot know Jesus without at the same time knowing his will.

So far from obscuring the disciple's realization of his action, his knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ made it all the more certain. If Christ is the living Lord of my life, my encounter with him discloses his word for me, and indeed--

 I have no other means of knowing him, but through his plain word and command.

You may of course object that our trouble is that we should like to know Christ and believe on him, but have no means of knowing his will. But such an objection only shows that our knowledge of him is neither genuine nor clear.

To know Christ means to know him by his word as the Lord and Savior of my life.

But that knowledge includes a recognition of his plain word directed to me.'

My thoughts-

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1Jn 1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life

Deu_8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Mat_4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

All too often we truly believe that if ONLY Christ were here on earth right now as He was in the days just after His crucifixion, we would have a much better walk with Him.  Why do we believe that? We have been given everything we need to BELIEVE in Christ, just at the disciples were given everything they needed.   We say we want to witness miracles and they we'll believe, but how many thousands witnessed His miracles as He ministered upon earth and they DID NOT BELIEVE! We can come up with all sorts of ideas about things that would MAKE us believe just a bit more, but the truth of it all is, we have to believe by the WORD of our Savior, just like all others have and will ever do.

The WORD was in the BEGINNING.

The WORD was WITH GOD.

The WORD WAS GOD.

The WORD of LIFE.

LIVE BY EVERY WORD PROCEEDING OUT OF THE MOUTH OF the LORD.

LIVE BY EVERY WORD OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

THE WORD!

We have to stop believing that there is MORE we need, when we have everything we need.

Amazingly the Word of God has persisted for thousands of years. Say what you want to, it is amazing, it is miraculous.  The Word of God.

Do we cherish it?

Do we live it?

Do we believe it?

Do we?

We have so much wealth at our fingertips and we let it collect dust, we bury it in boxes, we stack it on shelves, we leave it in church, we would rather have the wealth of material things than the wealth of our Savior, eternal life, His Word!

His Word is LIFE- Eternal life.  Do we value eternal life or are we valuing a selfish life?

Through HIS WORD.

His commands, His life!

He's Real, We Believe! - Cost of Discipleship Pt 126

Chapter 27 - Preliminary Questions

Bonhoeffer- 'Who are we to come forward and volunteer for such an extraordinary and unusual life? Who is there to tell me and others, for that matter, that we are not acting on our own initiative and following our own wild fancies? But that would not be discipleship. There is something wrong about all these questions. Every time we ask them we are retreating from the presence of the living Christ and forgetting that Jesus Christ is not dead, but alive and speaking to us to-day through the testimony of the Scripture. He comes to us to-day and is present with us in bodily form and in his word. If we would hear his call to follow, we must listen where he is to be found.'

  (((My interjecting- from here on Bonhoeffer extols the belief that Christ is found in the CHURCH (organization)  and the SACRAMENT.  I have to dispute this today because I firmly believe that Christ's church is where two or more are gathered in His name, not some organization for organizations have gone corrupt all along the way over the last almost two thousand years since Jesus died. The early church had its divisions, it had those who were anti-christs among them, it says so right in the word of God.

1Jn_4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

There were disputes even among the Apostles.  Yes, Jesus Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon His chosen after He ascended to heaven and I believe He continues to do so but NOT necessarily on an organization, a church as a group, as a whole.

To find Jesus Christ alive for us  we have to do so for ourselves through His word, through prayer, through faith, and yes, even by following the example He set for us at His last supper.

Bonhoeffer is trying to make us realize that if we are to be Christ's disciples we are to follow a RISEN, LIVING, ACTIVE Christ. Not a Christ who is not within reach. )))) 

Bonhoeffer- 'But discipleship never consists in this or that specific action: it is always a decision, either for or against Jesus Christ. Hence our situation is not a whit less clear than that of the disciple or the publican in the gospel. When Jesus called his first disciples, they obeyed and followed him because they recognize him as the Christ. But his Messiahship was as hidden to them as it is to us. By itself the call of Jesus could be taken in many different ways. How we take it depends on what we think of him, and he can be recognized only by faith. That was a true for the first disciples as it is for us. They saw the rabbi and the wonder worker, and believed on Christ. We hear the Word and believe on Christ.'

My thoughts-

A living God.

Jesus prayed for US!

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for THEM also which shall believe on me through their word

That's YOU and that's ME- believers through their word!

And Jesus prayed for US!

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Joh 17:7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Joh 17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Joh 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25  O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:26  And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

This is TRUTH!
This is REAL!

This prayer our Savior prayed for US is a reality!

We choose to believe and if we've chosen to believe on Jesus Christ through the word, then He is praying this prayer for US today, right now, for all of us who truly believe!  This makes us HIS. He is REAL, our discipleship is REAL. He wants US to believe! He wants us to live in Him so that the world may know that He is REAL and that the Father God sent Him.  He wants us. He truly wants us. 

It is Satan who would have us believe that our very real discipleship is nothing more than a fanciful notion we have about serving Christ. Satan would have us DOUBT the living God! We must believe! We must have a faith that through Him, will not waver!

More tomorrow on this subject, by the GRACE of our LORD, Jesus Christ!

All in HIS very real LOVE!