Bible (Archive 4)

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Subject: many are called but only few are chosen

Bible Note: I am not saying that. It is the condition of the heart...not the maturity. We are all called to ministry in one form or another. No part of the body of Christ is useless.
However, the closer one keeps to the vine, the better the fruit, and the better the fruit (or character development, the more effective we can minister. Now we can do nothing without Him in any case.

One can be called to minister to others early on but that ministry will expand and grow (not necessarily in numbers but in blessing, power and truth) as the person grows on the vine (so to speak)and matures.

If you look at the life of the apostles. They were apostles immediately. But when you observe as time went on, as they matured and became more self-controlled and the fruit of their own personal lives matured, the power of the Lord was able to flow through them more powerfully than at first, simply because in their maturity they were more yielded. Near the end of their earthly lives, people were healed by standing in their shadow or receiving pieces of cloth that they had previously touched. This was not because they had their own power, but because the Lord was able to minister more powerfully through their yielded personalities.

I believe we must realize that we know little and always be pliable and willing to learn until the Lord takes us home. I also believe, as our fruit begins to come in, and our character begins to develop, we are more and more useful to His cause.
I also believe that there are some who are ever learning but never comeing to the truth because they think Jesus' words are great but they do not apply them to their lives and so every time they learn anything, they quickly forget and have to start all over again (II Timothy 3:1-7). For these, their fruit develops very little or not at all. Some may be saved, but they will enter in empty-handed...others are not saved at all. Those who go in empty-handed are those who never mature by disciplining themselves and never accomplishing their call, but they still enter in (See II Corinthians 3:11-15) but alone.
(I Corinthians 11:31)

Yes, we are saved by faith alone. But we are saved to do certain works (Ephesians 2:9-10). I don't believe we can do effective works unless we are developing fruit or character.

Now as far as we limiting God to whether or not He can choose us. Absolutely not. I don't mean that at all. Paul is a perfect example of that. But the Lord also says that if we are lukewarm he will vomit us up. Someone in that condition, for example, is in danger of eternal damnation, never mind ministry.

I hope this clarifies what I am meaning here.
-Itiswritten

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Bible (Archive 4)

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