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NASB | Luke 15:6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 15:6 "And when he gets home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!' |
Bible Question: I HAVE 2 QUESTION FOR THIS BIBLICAL WEB-SITE ....I WISH TO LEARN ABOUT DISCIPELSHIP AND CROSS BEARING HOW TO LEARN ABOUT THESE TWO THINGS? I WANT TO REDEADICATE MY LIFE TO CHRIST ALL OVER AGAIN...IT SEEMS THAT I FEEL THAT I MUST GO BACK TO MY FIRST LOVE. WHICH IS JESUS. |
Bible Answer: Dear Mother, Welcome to the forum! Those are very good questions. Indeed, they are related questions. Our Lord tells us "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:27) First of all, remember that "bearing a cross" is a metaphor. Because of the influence of the Bible on our language, it has become a common idiom. How often have we heard someone say, "Well, everyone has a cross to bear." So as you study the question, remember that when Christ uttered these words, He did not mean it the way we use it in modern English. Nowadays we see crosses everywhere, even being used as a fashion accessory or as tattoos. But two thousand years ago, it was a word that brought shame and horror with it. It was generally not used in polite company. There were very few ways to be executed that were as awful, painful, and humiliating. So when our Lord tells us to take up our cross (Matthew 10:34-36; Mark 8:34-35), it is not meant as an easy thing. Read Luke 14:25-35. You will see that anyone who wants to be a disciple must first consider the cost of doing so. Thus, one of the first things we see, is that discipleship itself is not peaches and cream -- it is a very difficult thing; a pursuit that will yield great reward in eternity, but will be painful and difficult in this world. Now let me turn to the word "disciple." The literal meaning of the word is a pupil or student. You ask a very good question. The Great Commision given the church can be found in Matthew 28:18-20. See the command is to go out, but not just to travel. We are to go out for a purpose: to make disciples. We can do this with confidence because of Christ's authority (v18) -- that is the foundation of what we do. So we are to go out and make men disciples of Christ. These pupils enter the church through baptism and then we instruct them to do all that God has commanded (see John 14:21). I can sum up some of what it means to be a disciple with the earmarks that the Apostle John used: he is one who loves God, loves God's Word, loves God's people, and hates sin. All of these aspects, over time, should be growing in Christian. We are very blessed that God has provided very good descriptions of what a disciple looks like. We are called to examine ourselves using this mirror. That mirror is the Word itself. If I were to hope for you to rightly understand discipleship, I would point you to John chapters 14 through 16. Read through it several times. Then begin to compile a list of how disciples act and function. I did this once and came up with over 30 aspects of a disciple. I bet you could come up with more. Notice that none of it is about warm fuzzy feelings or mystical experiences, etc. Instead, it is all very practical -- and doable because He has given us all that we need (2 Peter 1:3). Even more amazing is that Christ actually prayed for us in John 17, that we would succeed in serving God and bringing God glory. With such prayers, we have enormous confidence that the work that God has begun in us He will finish (cf Hebrews 12:1-2). Now, ma'am, you cannot do this alone. God has provided a way by which He dispenses grace (i.e., the power to do His will). This includes prayer and Bible study on your own; but it also includes your participation in a congregation of Bible believers. Thus, you need to be under the teaching of the Word, in the fellowship of believers, and under the authority of a church. Not just any church. We are persuaded that the true church of Christ is one that holds to the Biblical definition of the gospel; teaches the Word expositorily; practices the ordinances of baptism and communion; and exercises discipline for all of the sheep. One last thing: If you are having genuine conviction for sin and a desire for a holy life, this can only come from the Holy Spirit. That should encourage you as seek to understand God through the Word (Hebrews 1:1-2). Ma'am, we are happy to be praying for you. We are also praising our Lord that He has drawn you to Himself. In Him, Doc |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Luke 15:6 | Author | ||
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MOTHER BROWN | ||
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DocTrinsograce |