What are God's expectations for anyone who comes to faith? Here we set out the basic criteria to follow for every believer who wants to understand and obey God's Word, and consequently be a true son or daughter of God and a disciple of Jesus the Messiah, and not just a churchgoer or church member of a church organisation.
We must believe in God's plan of redemption
God the glorious Father and his divine Son Jesus the Messiah created man and woman in their image and likeness to have close relationship and communion with them, as long as they would obey them, since They gave them free will from the beginning. (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:15-17; Colossians 1:15-17)
But despite the wonderful life they were given, the first man and woman were tempted by the evil one and disobeyed, and were therefore separated from the glory and presence of God along with their descendants. (Genesis 3:1-19)
However, out of his goodness and love, God the Father saved us, not because of the righteous actions we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed us away from our sins through the shedding of the blood and death of his Son Jesus on the cross, and He gave us a new birth and new life. God poured out his Spirit upon us abundantly through Jesus our Savior. By his grace He made us righteous in his sight and gave us the assurance that we will inherit eternal life. (Romans 3:21-26; Titus 3:3-7; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1Peter 1:3-5)
Jesus’ three steps to fulfill God's righteousness
Currently, in traditional Christianity, misleading concepts and doctrines about the Gospel of salvation have been circulating for centuries, confusing and preventing many believers from finding true freedom from sin and inner transformation to become a new creation in Christ Jesus and adopted children of God.
However, Jesus himself lived and showed us the three steps to fulfill the will and righteous requirements of God his Father. Let's read first in the Scriptures what happened the day He was baptized by John the Baptist and received the fullness of the holy Spirit of his Father:
Matthew 3:13-17
[13] Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. [14] But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” [15] Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. [16] As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Jesus’ repentance and baptism in water
Jesus was also baptized in water. But why did He have to be baptized in water? Was it simply to set an example for us as a witness to others? He did it for a deeper and more profound reason: to show us the path of total surrender and consecration to fulfilling God's righteous requirements. In fact, just before being baptized by John the Baptist in order to start his ministry on Earth, He had to REPENT something. Of course He did not have to repent of any sin, since he had been born without sin.
But the word REPENTANCE does not only mean that one turns away from any sinful action, but also that one surrenders and consecrates himself entirely to doing the will of God the Father. In fact, the original biblical word of repentance in Greek is METANOIA, which means: a complete change of direction or trajectory.
So when God's time came, Jesus was ready to dedicate himself and leave behind his former life as an extraordinary man of good reputation in the eyes of men. He had been a person of integrity, an excellent carpenter, a Jew very well versed in the Holy Scriptures, and a faithful practitioner of the Mosaic Law. But He was willing to pay the price of making the decision to give up his good reputation in front of everyone, including his own family. (Luke 2:45-52; Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6)
Jesus went all the way to see John the Baptist in order to be immersed in water by him, as a sign of full repentance. In that moment, Jesus completely renounced being simply the son of Joseph and Mary. He renounced being a carpenter respected by his relatives, acquaintances and fellow citizens. He pledged then to reveal his true identity as the Son and Lamb of God his Father openly. And right after He was baptized, his Father in Heaven honoured him by sending him the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit. He also honoured him by declaring with an audible voice to everyone out there that Jesus was in fact his beloved Son. From that moment, John the Baptist was openly declaring that Jesus was in fact the Lamb of God that takes the sin of the world! (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-34; 1John 5:6-8)
Jesus had to be baptized in water to show his Father that He was willing to fulfill his role of revealing his true identity, by proclaiming the Good News of God's kingdom and by demonstrating the power of healing and miracles. He had to do it to show openly that He was in fact the Messiah and Son of the One who had sent him—God his Father. He knew that He was going to suffer great and constant persecution, and even to die cruelly on the cross, for declaring that He was in fact the Truth, the Life, and the Way to have access to God the Father. (Luke 4:1-30; John 5:16-30; 14:6-11)
Jesus consecrated himself in water baptism to obey and fulfill the will of his Father, accepting the challenge of suffering and feeling anguish for us, since He had to be martyred and die cruelly three years and a half later to end his ministry and life on Earth. What an example He gave us of giving everything unconditionally out of love for his Father and for us! (Hebrews 10:3-10)
Jesus’ baptism of God's holy Spirit
Just after Jesus was baptized in water, his Father sent him his own holy Spirit to receive the anointing and power to carry out his mission and ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, performing miracles, making disciples, and dying for our sins. The Father completely filled him with his Spirit and power for having dedicated himself to revealing the truth of the Word and will of God, and being willing to suffer and die for humanity. (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 4:14-22; Acts 10:38)
This is the price Jesus had to pay in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: complete repentance, death to self in water baptism, and total submission and complete obedience to serve God his Father and do his will until death:
Hebrews 5:7-10
[7] During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [8] Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him [10] and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
What did Jesus say about fulfilling God's plan of salvation?
Jesus said the following about how we can enter God's Kingdom:
John 3:5-8
[5] Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ [8] The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
In other words, if we want to be saved from sin and enter God's Kingdom, we must be born again through repenting to God the Father, getting immersed in water into him, and getting filled with the very life-giving power of God's holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11; Romans 8:1-4; Titus 3:3-7; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27)
However, not many understand what the word REPENTANCE truly means. As Jesus taught and showed us by example, we must not only turn away from all sinful and worldly ways, but turn towards God in full submission and surrender in order to follow his holy and heavenly ways and obey his will, even if this means to suffer physically to spread the Good News of God's Kingdom:
Jesus said that if we want to follow him and be reconciled to God, we must be willing to go out of our comfort zone and change our way of life (including abandoning wealth and unfruitful relative ties), and be ready to suffer mockery and persecution with him, even physical death, for faithfully proclaiming his name and the biblical Gospel to everyone. This is in fact the real meaning of full repentance towards God and immersion in water into Jesus:
Mark 8:34-38
[34] Then Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [35] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. [36] What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? [37] Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? [38] If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Mark 10:28-30
[28] Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” [29] “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel [30] will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
God provided our redemption through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection
From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus suffered intense and constant persecution, primarily from Jewish religious leaders. About three years later He was arrested by the same Jewish persecutors who handed him over to the Roman authorities to be tortured and crucified. On the cross, He shed his blood and died. Right after He was buried, but on the third day God rose him from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
[3] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
Out of love for us, God provided human redemption by giving us his beloved Son. Jesus paid the heavy price of dying for the sins of all humanity and God's wrath was satisfied. Now redemption from our sins and from the dominion of sin over us that we inherited at birth, because of the disobedience of the first man, is provided for every human being. (John 3:16-17; Galatians 3:13-14; Hebrews 2:14-18; 1Peter 3:18)
Our response to Jesus' redemption and call
The disciples of Jesus gave themselves completely and were willing to suffer persecution and even die as martyrs for proclaiming his name and the Gospel. And because of this, they received the infilling of the power of God's Spirit to be able to be witnesses of Jesus, and thus continue the work and ministry that He had begun. (Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:1-21,37-41; chapters 9 and 10; 19:1-7)
After preaching God's Good News that Jesus is Lord and Messiah, and after the crowd asked him what they should do to be saved, the apostle Peter said the following:
Acts 2:38-39
[38] Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Jesus and the apostles made it clear that if we want to be freed from sin and reconciled to God, we must repent before God and change our way of life, and be baptized in water in Jesus to bury our old self and wash away our sins, and receive the glorious nature, holy presence, and miraculous power of God's Spirit. The reason why we must receive the holy Spirit is so that we can have a personal, sonship-like relationship with God and be disciples of Jesus who obey his great commission to proclaim the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, and make disciples of all nations at every opportunity. (John 4:23-24; Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 28:18-20)
Here are some passages of God's Word confirming that those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did on Earth in full faith and obedience to the Gospel:
John 14:12
(Jesus:) [12] “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
John 14:23-24
[23] Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. [24] Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
Acts of the Apostles 1:8
(Jesus:) [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
1 John 2:3-6
(Apostle John:) [3] And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. [4] If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. [5] But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. [6] Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
We must have intimate communion with God and Jesus
Jesus showed us by example about the importance of sanctifying himself by spending daily time in communion with his Father in worship and prayer, and listening to the voice of his Word. (Matthew 6:5-13; 22:36-38; 24:35; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 10:38-42; 11:1-13; John 4:23-24 )
The devil tempted Jesus to interrupt his prayer and fasting, and turn the stones into pieces of bread. But Jesus rebuked him with a Scripture saying that man will not live on physical food alone, but on every Word that comes out of the very mouth of God. (Matthew 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
Jesus told the crowd that He is the Bread and the Word of Life that came from Heaven, and that He would pour out the Living Water of the Holy Spirit of Life to all those who believed in him and followed him. He said that if we eat the spiritual food of his Word and drink the spiritual drink of his Spirit continually, we will then abide in him and He in us, and so we will live forever. (John 1:14; 6:26-65; 7:37-39; 8:31-32; 15:1-8; 17:1-3, 13-19)
That is why we must also have daily communion with Jesus and with God, so that we can be sanctified and know them both personally. And the way to sanctify ourselves and renew our minds that God has shown us is through prayer in his Spirit—showing gratitude, singing and praising and worshiping, and praying in tongues—and meditating on the wonderful promises of his Holy Word recorded in the Bible. It is recommended that we spend a minimum of two hours daily in intimate communion of praise and prayer to God, and of meditation on his Word, preferably early in the morning. (Joshua 1:8; Job 23:12; Psalm 1:1-3; 37:4-5; 119:11, 89, 105; Jeremiah 15:16; Romans 8:1-17; 12:1-2; 1Corinthians 1:9; 2:9-16; Philippians 2:14-16; 2Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22; 1Peter 2:1-2; 2Peter 1:19-21; 1John 1:1-3; Jude 1:20-21; Revelation 3:20)
The goal is to be filled with God's Spirit each day in prayer, as Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 7:7-11 and Luke 11:1-13. We must ask God daily to receive more of his glorious nature, as described in Exodus 34:6, Psalm 86:15, and Isaiah 11:2. Furthermore, we must seek him in order to find him and walk in his holy presence displaying the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. And last but not least, we must knock on the doors of his miraculous power to receive boldness to proclaim the Gospel, release divine healing on the sick, and activate the gifts of the Spirit, as described in Acts 4:23-31 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. (Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-19)
We have to let the Spirit of Jesus fill us and take control of our lives as we begin the day. We have to put on every day the armor of Light and the Living Word, which is in fact Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Romans 13:11-14; Ephesians 5:20-24; 6:10-18)
As children of Light we must live in holiness, because God is holy and without holiness no one will be able to see the Lord. (1Thessalonians 5:1-11; Hebrews 12:14-17; 1Peter 1:13-21)
Jesus is now our life and will help us turn away from all sinful thoughts of the old human nature, as long as we abide in him by praying in his Holy Spirit and meditating on his Holy Scriptures. Furthermore, He will fill us with his light and compassionate love so we can love, share our faith, and even heal all those around us. (Colossians 3:1-11; Ephesians 4:17-31; Philippians 2:12-18;1John 3:1-10)
We must obey the call of Jesus
Jesus dedicated and sacrificed his entire life during his ministry to healing the sick, liberating the oppressed, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and teaching the multitudes to follow him. (Matthew 4:23; 8:16-17; 9:35)
He faithfully prepared his disciples to do the same thing that He did in life, so that they could continue the work once they had received the filling of the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. (Luke 9:1-2; John 4:31-38; Acts 1:8)
He showed all of us his disciples the true purpose of his sacrifice, death and resurrection. He did it not simply to save us from sin and damnation, but also so that we would be a light in this world–preaching the Kingdom and the Gospel, healing the sick and freeing the captives with power, baptizing and making disciples at all times and places. (Matthew 5:14-16; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 10:1-18; John 14:12-13; Romans 15:17-21; 1Corinthians 2:1-5)
We disciples, and not only the apostles and evangelists, have a responsibility before God to share our faith with others and lead them to Christ. We must take advantage of every opportunity to individually evangelize everyone around us. This is the call for every son and daughter of God who wants to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. (Acts chapters 6-8; 9:1-19; 11:19-26; 21:8-9; Philippians 1:12-18; 1Thessalonians 1:2-10)
We must follow the model of Christ
Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, but also our MODEL to imitate and to follow as our ELDER Brother, since He is the ELDER Son of God our Father. (Romans 8:28-29)
Just as the Father was in Jesus through his Spirit and revealed him to others, now Jesus is in us through the Holy Spirit and wants us to reveal him to others around us at every opportunity. (John 12:44-45; 14:10-11; Galatians 2:20; 2Corinthians 3:16-18; 4:5-6)
God sent his Son into the world so that through his message and sacrifice we could be reconciled to God. Now we, as ambassadors of Christ, must proclaim the Gospel to others, in order to reconcile many to God. (Romans chapter 5; 2Corinthians 5:14-21)
We must do the will of God
Are we consecrating our lives to love and obey God following the MODEL of his Son Jesus, who was a true example of love, submission and obedience to God his heavenly Father?
Have we understood the true meaning of the word REPENTANCE, which means a complete change of direction?
Are we willing to give everything and without reservation to the Lord to follow him and obey his commands of sharing the Gospel with everyone around us, healing the sick, baptizing those who repent, and preparing them in the faith and for the work of the ministry?
Are we willing to sign a blank sheet of paper to commit to following the precise steps and instructions of Jesus, our Owner and Lord, and thus fulfilling the perfect will of God, our heavenly Father?
Jesus taught us to follow in his footsteps, because He is the true example of love, submission and obedience to God our heavenly Father. He taught us to love the Father with all our hearts and to love others as we love ourselves. In fact, we love God and His Son when we have daily communion with them both, and also when we have communion and help each other as disciples. And of course, we also love God when we love and help non-believers around us at every opportunity. (Matthew 22:36-40; 25:31-46; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 10:25-37; John 13:34-35; 14:23-24; Colossians 2:6-7; James 1:22-25; 2:14-20; 1John 1:1-3; 2:3-6; 3:16-19)
We should be part of God's family, not a church building
The church is not a building, nor is it just a weekly meeting. The church or "Ecclesia" are the members of the body of Christ, those called out of this world. The true church is the Family and Temple of God made up of living stones who worship God in unity, and show the true Light of Jesus to others at all times and places. (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1Peter 2:4-12)
The church is also not an institution or social club in which believers gather simply to hear a leader speak and to fulfill the tradition of meeting weekly. Of course, gathering together is good and necessary, but it is not enough to be able to fulfill the requirements and commands of Christ. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
In fact, the church is the community of disciples who are born of water and the Spirit, who at the same time have an intimate and personal relationship with God and Jesus, and live as a family. They see each other very often, relate with genuine love, and help each other both physically and spiritually, with the aim of advancing the Kingdom. The church is actually God's spiritual family, made up of followers who wholeheartedly obey Jesus' call to love God and their brothers and sisters, and to share the faith with the lost at every opportunity. (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37; Romans 12:9-21; Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-32 ; 5:15-20; Colossians 3:12-17; 1Timothy 3:1-13; 1Peter 5:1-11)
We must love each other as Jesus loved us
Jesus taught us to act with sacrificial love and compassion towards brothers and sisters in the family of faith.
Elder brothers and sisters in Christ with leadership gifts, who work together with one another, must never be superior or exert control over others. Instead, they must be servants and trainers who equip others with true love and humility, so that all believers may draw closer to the Lord and His Word, and thus be able to do the work of God, for only Jesus is our true Leader and Lord and Master. (Matthew 23:8-12; Mark 10:41-45; John 13:34-35; 15:9-13,16; Romans 12:3-21; 1Corinthians 3:1-11,21-23; Galatians 6 :9-10; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 3:12-17; 1Peter 1:22-25; 5:1-7; 1John 3:11-18)
We must do the Lord's Supper and commune with other disciples
Jesus is the Head of the church, and consequently He is our true Shepherd and Savior. Therefore, we must remember the sacrifice He made for us every time we gather and eat together. Eating together is necessary and vital when we congregate, so that we can experience true communion with the Lord and with each other as disciples. (1John 1:1-3)
As the Apostle Paul received from the Lord and taught us in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, we are to break the bread, which represents the body of Jesus that was given in sacrifice to give us life, and eat it together as members of his body in honor and memory of Him. And at the end of the meal, we must drink from the cup that represents the new covenant between God and us, an agreement confirmed by the blood and death of Jesus.
Something very important to keep in mind is that every time we break and eat the bread and drink from the cup, we commit to eating the body or spiritual flesh of Jesus who is the Living Bread and the Word of Life that came from Heaven (John 6:47-51; 1John 1:1-2). We also commit to drinking his spiritual blood which is the Living Water and the Spirit of Life that emanates from Him (John 7:37-39; Romans 8:1-2).
When we meditate on God's Word, we are actually eating his spiritual flesh. And when we pray in the Spirit of God, we drink his spiritual blood. If we do this daily, then we remain united with Him and obtain eternal life (John 6:53-58).
When we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we also commit to literally suffer persecution and die for the name of Jesus and for sharing the Gospel until He comes. Hallelujah! (Luke 22:19-20; 23:28-35; John 6:26-65; Acts 2:42; 1Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:17-34)
We must have home fellowship gatherings
Once we have eaten the bread and drunk the cup together, we must then pray and give thanks to God with songs of praise and worship. We must pray interceding for the lost and for our brothers in Christ. We must also receive prophetic guidance in prayer, and share his Word with one another for edification. And most importantly, we must pray and plan together how to advance the Kingdom of God, preach the Gospel and heal the sick during the week, because this is the call of every follower of Jesus. (1Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18-20; 6:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17; Hebrews 10:23-25)
Home fellowship meetings should be vibrant gatherings where brothers and sisters in Christ, who are filled with the light of the Holy Word and the fire of the Holy Spirit, come together, eat together and celebrate the Lord's Supper, edify each other, pray for each other and also for lost souls locally and worldwide.
If each dusciple connects daily with the Lord and is a doer of the Word and not just a hearer, then when he gathers with the church, that meeting will be a true explosion of life and a revival filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 5:11-14; James 1:22-25)
The purpose of having fellowship is so that the light and fire of the Lord does not remain only in four walls, but that each member of the church spreads it everywhere around.
We must make disciples in order to build more home fellowships
It is recommended that the number of members in a church or community of believers not exceed twelve. The reason for decentralizing and not expanding the community is so that believers can still actively participate in the meetings and become worker leaders.
If the community exceeds the number of twelve members, then it is advisable to divide into two home fellowships, which are united in Spirit and work together to advance the Kingdom in the region. In this way, believers will encourage one another to evangelize and heal the sick at every opportunity, and to make new disciples to include in their community, and so on.
It is also advisable that believing followers of Christ not engage in work projects and activities for daily sustenance that do not exceed more than 20 hours a week. The reason for this is so that they can dedicate another 20 hours a week to seek and advance the Kingdom and share the Good News of God about his Son Jesus.
We must strive to live in community
To the extent possible, it is essential that believers agree to live together in the same home to share the expenses of rent, utilities, food and transportation, as the believers of the Early Church used to do (see Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37). Likewise, in this way, the disciples of this community home will be able to help each other with daily chores (including child care). And above all, they will be able to pray together for the harvest of lost souls, and also organize to go out to evangelize two by two, in order to reach the lost and pray for them everywhere and at every opportunity.
We must follow Jesus to receive the crown of eternal glory and life
The crown of righteousness and of eternal glory and life (see 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 5:4, and Revelation 2:10) is actually the glorious resurrection body, and will be given only to the overcomers, to the believers who sanctify themselves and faithfully obey God's commands, when the Lord Jesus returns. (Galatians 5:16-26; Hebrews 12:14-17; 1Peter 1:13-20; Revelation 21:5-8; 22:10-15)
It will be awarded to those who personally relate to and know God the Father and the Lord Jesus, by faithfully meditating on the Scriptures and praying intimately in the Spirit of God on a daily basis, and therefore being faithfully filled with the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 25:1-13; John 17:3)
It will be awarded to those who renounce everything, including fruitless family ties; to those who are faithful announcing the Gospel, without shame or fear, to lost souls and at every opportunity; and also to those who suffer all kinds of rejection, persecution, prison, torture and even martyrdom for being active and faithful disciples of Jesus. (Matthew 10:16-39; 25:14-30; Mark 4:1-20; 8:34-38; 10:17-31; Luke 14:33; John 12:25-26; Romans 10:5- 15; 2Corinthians chapter 4)
It will be awarded to those who selflessly love and help their needy brothers and sisters in Christ at every opportunity with food, drink, hospitality, sustenance, healthcare, prison visits, fervent prayers, and much more. (Matthew 25:31-46; 1John 4:7-21)
Only the victors, that is, those who completely abandon the sinful appetites of the flesh and recognize their new divine nature and identity in Jesus, and obey him until the end of their lives, will have the right to the first resurrection. Only the victors will obtain the reward of the crown of life or glorified body that God has promised to those who truly love him and wait for the coming of his Son. Only the victors will reign with Jesus over the entire Earth for 1000 years! (1Corinthians 9:24-27; 15:12-58; Philippians 3:7-21; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2Timothy 4:6-8; James 1:12-15; 1Peter 5:1-4; Jude 1:17-23; Revelation 2:7,10-11,17,26-28; 3:5,11-12,21; 20:4-6)
Let's all give our all to God, and thus fulfill our legacy of following Jesus wholeheartedly! Amen.
The Life of a Follower of Jesus >
The Life of a Disciple of Jesus (video playlist) >
