1. Abide in Christ

-- New International
John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

* A Christian, is a Christian every day not just on Sundays. 24 hr. a day - 365 days a year

2. Be a doer of God’s Word

James 1:21-22   Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves

3. Count the cost

-- Living Bible
Luke 14:26-27 ``Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters--yes, more than his own life--otherwise he cannot be my disciple.
Vs.27 And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me.

Matthew 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

* What does it mean to take up your cross?

Self life must be crucified daily.

Apostle Paul said “ It’s no longer I who lives, it’s Christ who lives in me.”

Jesus must be first, before anyone or anything else.

A Disciple follows his master.

4.   Be Rooted in good Doctrine

Acts 2:41   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

-- New American Standard
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
Vs.17   that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

1 Timothy 1:13. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

-- New International
2 Timothy 4:2-3   Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

-- New King James
Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,

Christians that are not rooted in good doctrine, are swayed by every teaching that comes along.

NOT ALL DOCTRINE IS GOOD!

WHY?

-- American Standard
1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;

-- New King James
2 John 1:7, 9,10 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;

NOT EVERYONE WHO KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR IS OF GOD!

BEWARE!

Matthew 7:15-18   Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Acts 20:29-30   For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15   For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

* How we can recognize them

  a. Their Fruit

16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

  b. They twist the Scriptures - to suit their teaching

-- New King James
2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

c. They don’t glorify Jesus

John 14:16-17   And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 15:26   But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit will always lift up and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, through God’s servants.

  d. False teachers will attack the foundational doctrines of Christianity.

A few Samples

The Virgin Birth
The deity of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ
The Trinity
The inspiration of the Holy Bible
The way of salvation through Faith in Jesus

* A great many Christians don’t know what they believe, for what ever reason they have never been rooted and grounded in the truth; therefore they are easily moved, by false teachers.

When YOU know what the Bible says, YOU won’t be moved.

  e. False teachers will use other writings, books etc. and say that they are in equal
       authority with the Bible.

* The Bible contains 66 books - 39 in the Old Test. and 27 in the New Test.
  The Christian Church accepts these to be the only inspired Word of God.

5. Fellowship with other Believers

1 John 1:1-3   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;
2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:25   Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

       * The Church is not a building or any certain denomination, but is all born again
          believers, from the day of Pentecost to the 2nd. coming of Jesus Christ. It is the
          body of Christ, of which he is head ( Ephesians 1:22-23 ). As such, the church is a
          temple for the habitation of the Holy Spirit ( Ephesians 2:21-23 ) and is espoused,
          as a chaste virgin to Christ ( 2 Corinthians 11:2-4 ) and will be translated to meet
          the Lord in the air at his 2nd. coming ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ).

      * The Church meets together locally, under various names and denominations, for the
         purpose of worship, praise, fellowship, and the teaching and preaching of God’s
         Word: with its governing body of Pastors, Elders, Deacons, etc.

We are members of each other-compared to a body ( 1 Corinthians 12:13-27 )

       -- New American Standard
      1 Corinthians 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all
      the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

      * Each person is needed - just as each part of the human body is needed.

      * An illustration:   Every part of a car is needed and important. One little spark-plug
         can cause the whole car to run bad. Most people never see the spark-plug, only the
         big shiny outside. The car may have cost $50.000 but with out that $1.00
         spark-plug it will not run right.

WHAT CAN A SPARK-PLUG DO BY ITS SELF ?

A Spark-plug finds its greatest fulfillment in doing what it was designed to do.

* Many think they don’t have to go to church, once they become Christians; Usually
it’s because they don’t want to make the sacrifice and sometimes it is a sacrifice.

BUT

God’s Word says to do it.

Disciples must be willing to do what God’s word says even when it’s a sacrifice; Do
you think Jesus wanted to go to the cross?

-- New King James
Ephesians 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -Christ-
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Every joint supplies: Each and every person is a vital part of any church, each has something to give, something to do.

In many churches the Pastor is run ragged trying to do it all.

Can my hand do what my foot is supposed to do, or my eye, my ear etc.

Notice the following scripture.

-- New King James
Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

* An Illustration:

In repairing a damaged wall, sometimes decayed boards must be replaced with solid timber.

Many Christians are not following discipleship because of wrong thinking, which stems from wrong teaching.

We should assemble in a church, where God says to go and do what God says to do.

We assemble because the Bible says to do it, that’s not an option.
There are many reasons why we are to assemble, which I cannot cover in this study course, for they are a study course within themselves.

6. Present their body unto the Lord

Romans 12:1-2   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Corinthians 6:13-20   Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God'

Notice what Apostle Paul says concerning his body.

1 Corinthians 9:27   But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Jesus Christ has claim to our physical body, for His glory, His purposes.

COUNT THE COST

Our bodies are for the Lord
Our bodies are for our husband or wife

-- New King James
1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

-- New King James
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

7.   Realize Certain Truths

    a. Christians are God’s children

John 1:12   But as many as received him, ( Him is Jesus ) to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Romans 8:15-16   For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

1 John 3:1-2   Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

  * All are God’s creation but only born again Christians are God’s children. That what
     God’s word says, not me.

Galatians 3:26   For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

    b. Because we are his children, God will discipline us

-- Revised Standard
Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

    C. We are joint-heirs with Christ

Romans 8:16-17   The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Galatians 3: 29   And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

By studying God’s word, there are many things we can find out concerning our inheritance. The Holy Spirit will help us.

-- New American Standard
1 Corinthians 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,

   Study the book of Ephesians and look for phrases such as “in Christ - in Him - by Him -
   in the beloved etc.” It will reveal what God has done in our behalf in Christ.

* It is not wrong to say about yourself, what the Bible says, concerning you.

    Example:

    I am a child of God - God is my Father - I have an inheritance - I am blessed with all
    spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ ( Ephesians 1:3 ) etc.

* A realization of who we are, and what we have; helps us in our daily Christian lives.

* When confronted by Satan, Christ resisted him from His position as the Son of God.
    Jesus knew who He was. ( Matthew 4:1-11 )

    d. Were not of this world

John 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.

World - cosmos, The world in this case is the sphere of ungodliness that dominates mankind because of his fallen state. The word cosmos refers to order - arrangement and in the bad sense, the order - arrangement under which Satan has organized this world of fallen mankind upon his principles of selfishness, force, greed, ambitions, and pleasure. This worlds system is very often, outwardly religious, cultured, philosophical, and refined but blind to the truth.

We are in the world but not of it.

   Therefore:

1 John 2:15-16   Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 Corinthians 6:14-18   Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Until Jesus Christ comes for us, we are in this world but we are not to partake of the
ungodly way of it.

-- New American Standard
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

-- Living Bible
2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan, who is the god of this evil world, has made him blind, unable to see the glorious light of the Gospel that is shining upon him, or to understand the amazing message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is God.

Christians are to be a light to the world.

Matthew 5:14-16   Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Do not conform to the world

Romans 12:1-2   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

* The word conform means ( to fashion one self according to the pattern of )

Beware of the world's philosophies

-- New American Standard
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

-- New King James
Colossians 2:18 Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

REMEMBER!

New King James
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Matthew 18:11   For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

    e. Conforming to His image

-- New American Standard
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;

* God our Father, is conforming us to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

-- New King James
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Philippians 1:6   Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

* This work is an ongoing work and will find it completion at the return of Jesus Christ
    for His church.

-- New King James
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

  1. God Uses: ( everything Romans 8:28 - above )

      John 17:17   Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

      1 Peter 5:2   As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
       grow thereby:

      Ephesians 4:11   And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
      evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
      12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
      the body of Christ:
      13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
      God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

      -- New King James
      Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know
      what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us
      with groanings which cannot be uttered.

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