I have been preparing for my future walk on this planet without Pat and NHBC. While doing that I ran across this blog on SharpRemarks that for some reason I did not publish. Rather that erase it I will post it. Maybe you will see why I did not publish It over a year ago.

Amazing what changes have occurred.

Disciples Path

SharpRemarks
Thursday, September 9, 2022
Sarasota, Florida

Greetings,

This week I’ve had some interesting meetings where we discussed a number of religious and church topics. Topics ranged from doctrine to the church calendar. I have been impressed by the hearts and desires of the folks participating in those meetings. All want the best and want to do their best for the Kingdom and the Church!

 I understand that we all should desire to follow and implement God’s Will.   And I believe that path was clearly defined when I became a believer, a child of God.

Faith (ever-increasing)
Surrender (impacts Faith)
Obedience (Because of Faith)

We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for Salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind… ” (Romans 12:2).        

Attribute: something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property:

The attributes of the Disciple are codified (identified and affirmed) in Scripture. 

As we work to achieve the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the attributes of a Believing, Faithful, Surrendered, and Obedient child of God.   It is a complete package.   (Ever increasing in maturity and scope.) The Mind of Christ brings a new paradigm and set of priorities to each of us, centered and anchored in Jesus Christ.

That Disciple (me/you)  growing in maturity brings that new person (me/you) into the local New Testament Church and continues to work out their Salvation.

Philippians 2:12 (NASB77)
 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your Salvation with fear and trembling;

Just as the Astronaut trains for space, we train to serve. We train the whole being, the mind, the body, and the spirit. We may emphasize an area of weakness and give it extra attention and effort, but my Friends, we cannot eliminate or skip any of the Disciple’s attributes. We are ignoring or even discarding that attribute just because we are not comfortable with it or it challenges us.

We begin to serve immediately at the level of our maturity in Christ

Denying a disciple’s attribute or gift of the Spirit goes directly to the core of our achieving the mind of Christ. It is intentional and is a statement regarding our Surrender and Obedience.

I believe the local New Testament Church is the path through which we work out our Salvation. My Salvation is complete(d). I embrace it, and I seek to understand it. Through Christ, it becomes the cornerstone of my life and the assurance of my eternity.

I intentionally chose the path God calls me to and work to achieve my prize by working out my Salvation!

Hebrews 12:1 (NASB77)
 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1 contain the word we and uses the term us five times in the NASB.  

We join together in unity and harmony, and that makes us stronger.   

Shalom

Grace and Blessings
Your brother in Christ

Bob Sharp