Part 2.
To assist us in our studies let’s take a look at one biblical principle per day that Jesus presented to His disciples (students, Talmidim). Every day I will add one more ‘principle’ of the 21 ‘principles’ that Jesus covered with His universal requirements, and that He fully expected disciples to incorporate into their lives. Question: Do they apply to us today? If so, in what way? If not, why not?
I started this thread last night (yesterday), so today let’s start off with a quick review of the basics. Remembering it is not what you know or even what you say concerning Jesus that will secure your salvation. It is a question do you obey Him? If you do, then count yourself blessed. If not, then let’s start to make some correction. Me? Well, I stand at the head of the line requiring my own list of corrections! Oh yes, I am far from being an acceptable disciple of Christ, much to my shame. Yes, I openly confess that I stand in need of implementing the first principle in my own life.
While I have listed several verses under each principle heading, each verse must be studied in its own context. Who is He speaking to? What do the individual words in these verses mean? How and when are they to be applied? How does each reference verse support the ‘principle’ heading? Each commandment (instruction in righteousness) is a Bible study (sermon) in its own right. Shell we get started?
One more question: How many times must God say something before it can be considered valid and binding? The simple answer is only one time, not two, three, ten….. So, may our studies be fruitful.
REPENTANCE
What is it, what does that mean? What does it require? How do you do it? What are the expected results from obeying the instruction(s)? And, what specifically are we to turn towards when we turn from sin? There must be a target, a goal, a source of our guidance from a godly life. What is it, and where do we find it?
1. "Repent" Matt. 4:17;
Rev. 2:5
2. "Come unto Me" Matt. 11:28
3. "Seek first God and His righteousness" Matt. 6:33
4. "Forgive if ye have ought against any"
Mark 11:25
5. "Deny Yourself" Matt. 16:24
6. "Ask, seek, knock" Matt. 7:7
7. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate"
Luke 13:24
If I truly wish to be a disciple of Christ - what does being a disciple mean from God's perspective?
Being a disciple of Christ should be a parallel Bible study to this one.
How are we doing so far? Did everyone find the relationship of these ver4ses to the subject of repentance?
Well, let’s carry on then and take a look and the next ‘basic’ principle.
1. "Believe the Gospel" Mark. 1:15
2. "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me"
John 14:1
3. "Believe on Him who He (God) hath sent"
John 6:28-29
4. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me"
John 14:11
5. "While ye have light believe in the light"
John 12:36
6. "Believe that ye receive"
Mark 11:24
Please keep in mind what the authors meant when they used the word, pisteuo in these verses. To believe, as in giving mental assent to the truth of something, is not what how they were using the term: To credit, have confidence, conviction in the truth of a thing, etc. In verse
Mark 1:15 it is even more pointed, with the addition of the word ‘en’, the emphases becomes even more pronounced, as to make the verse even more emphatic.
Now, some things you might want to so as you go through these verse (in context of course) is to take a look at some the key words and make sure you understand what the author meant when he pinned them – and it would be to one’s advantage to also check out what the translators did with those original words in order to arrive at our English translations.
Generally when we refer to the “new birth” we mean being baptized in/with the Holy Ghost. However we might also consider that there might be something we have to contribute to the process. As with all verses lifted from scripture, context is everything!