FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we
beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Master Yahushua, that as ye have
received of us how ye ought to walk and to please Elohim, so ye would abound
more and more.
Last week’s post ended with this comment:
Those who would be the disciples of
the Master Yahushua Messiah must choose
whether or not they will return to
the bondage of the flesh (which no longer has a
natural hold on their souls) or
consent with IAUE that their flesh is under sentence
of condemnation; to abide in the
life of the Master and do the will of IAUE without
resistance. This is not something to be pondered over
time or to approach as
though it can be done progressively bit by
bit. It is a choice of life versus death.
We have examined many Scriptures over the past few
months that clearly reveal the purpose of our very existence is to do the will
of IAUE, and yet we still do our own will so much of the time. Believers, today, do not take the Scripture
seriously. They look at the commands of Scriptures
as standards and social norms by which to judge the behavior of a brother or
sister, rather than to find the will of IAUE for their own life.
The basic root problem is an issue of one’s conversion. The contemporary Christian message is not the
New Testament gospel; consequently, it does not have the power to produce the conversion
of sinners to become disciples. Instead,
it moves the sinner into a religious culture, allowing the sinner to retain
his/her sinful practices while maintaining an outward compliance with the
cultural standards and social norms expected of a church member. This also explains why most believers use the
Scripture as a manual to judge violators of those standards and norms.
Let’s contemplate this issue of conversion. If you convert an electrical current from AC
to DC, you now have DC current. The AC current no longer exists. If you convert a manuscript from French to
English, the English version no longer exists.
If you convert U.S. dollars to British pounds, the U.S. dollars no
longer exist. Get it? If you convert a sinner to Messiah, the sinner
no longer exists. What he or she was
before coming to Messiah does not follow on with him/her. It ceases to exist.
Instead, what we see in contemporary experience
(because we are preaching something that is not the gospel of the New
Testament) is like an English translation that keeps a lot of French phrases in
the manuscript; or more specifically, it is like changing only half of our
dollars into pounds, so we can retain the ability to access and make purchases
in the markets of both countries.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Messiah, he is a
new creature: old things have
passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
If we think that believing that Yahushua was the son
of IAUE; that he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was impaled on a
tree, died to pay the penalty of our sins, and rose again the third day secures
for us an eternity with him, we are deluded.
If we think that asking him to forgive us of our sins because we believe
these things to be true secures for us an eternity with him; we are deceived. Unless we are converted, our “belief” or our “prayer” is only taking a big
step onto the broad path which leads to destruction. The gate that permits entry to the narrow
path that leads to life is difficult. Passage
through that gate is not gained so easily as the offering of a simple prayer or
of accepting as true the facts of Messiah’s life. A conversion must take place. What exists on one side of the gate is not
permitted to pass through to the other side. It first must die so that something new might
enter through that gate.
Galatians 2:20 I am impaled with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of IAUE, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is conversion.
It recognizes that the life that stands before the strait gate is under
sentence of condemnation. It
acknowledges that the judgment of IAUE upon that life is just and true; and believes
that Messiah experienced the penalty of the divine judgment on behalf of that
life. How then, standing there at the gate and looking through to the other
side, could the one who desires to pass even think that he may take anything of
himself through the gate which cost Yahushua his life? There is nothing of himself that may pass, for
it is all under sentence of condemnation.
He must die; and in that dying, he must trust that Messiah will create something
new that may proceed through the gate; and that new life must life by faith.
Paul loved the Thessalonians. He had preached the gospel there and a great
multitude responded to his message.
However, the unbelieving Jews, moved with envy, gathered a company of what
we would call, today, “low-lifes.” These
were con-artists, the people who were hucksters in the market place,
experienced at manipulating and deceiving would-be customers to buy their
stolen or worthless ware. They stirred
up the community to oppose Paul and his team and those who were responding to
his message. Paul had to leave town
under cloak of darkness for his own safety.
He knew he was leaving behind new disciples who had to deal with much
opposition and persecution; so he longed to return to Thessalonica to insure
the disciples were holding true to the faith that had been delivered unto them. When he could stand it no longer, he sent
Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on them.
He was overwhelmed with joy when Timothy brought back word of their steadfastness;
and he took up pen to write these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we
beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Master Yahushua, that as ye have
received of us how ye ought to walk and to please Elohim, so ye would abound
more and more.
The focus of Paul’s concern was that the hardship of
their afflictions would prevent them from walking in a manner that was pleasing
to Elohim. He wanted to be assured that
they were still ascertaining the will of IAUE and committing their lives to the
performance of it. There is no other way to please IAUE; so this is what demonstrates
that we are on the narrow path.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves…
It would be wise to assess our own lives from time
to time to determine if we are committed to knowing and doing the will of
IAUE. Are we converted? Is doing the will of IAUE the centrality of
our day to day existence? We should
examine ourselves to know if we snuck some contraband on board with us when he entered
the path we chose to walk. We must
examine ourselves with a keen awareness that nothing of our former life may tag
along with us. If we are keeping our own
self-will on board, then we should know…we are on the broad path; for there is
none of that on the narrow path.
I say again, as I did last week. This is not something that we slowly acquire
bit by bit. A man does not die bit by
bit. One moment he is alive; the next
moment he is dead. All that is under the
judgment of IAUE is not welcome on the narrow path…the path of genuine
discipleship.
Know this, that nothing on the broad path has value
to the King because all of it is under the sentence of IAUE’s condemnation.
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance
of the will of IAUE.
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