Luke 14:25-27.
'Now great multitudes were going along with HIM; and HE Turned and Said To them,
"If anyone comes to ME and does not hate (meaning, by comparison, a love that is much less than is held for HIM) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters and yes, even his own life, he cannot be MY Disciple.
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after ME cannot be MY Disciple...' Luke 14:25-27.
From The Mouth Of GOD we are told what we must do to Inherit Eternal Life, which, through faith in JESUS CHRIST, is to keep two Commandments, being, The Greatest and Foremost Commandment, with the next one being like It.
As The LORD JESUS CHRIST Said To the interpreter of The Mosaic Law, who had just asked HIM, 'what shall I do to Inherit Eternal Life?' To which in reply JESUS Asked him, "What Is Written In The Law? How does It read to you?" (Luke 10:25-28) to which he gave HIM this reply,
"You shall love The LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself."
to which JESUS then Said, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will Live."
This is what JESUS is Speaking of in our coming to HIM in Luke 14:26. It is with our whole heart, soul, strength and mind devoted to HIM. See Philippians 2:1-11, and that HIS Words in Luke 14:26 are Speaking toward The Great and Foremost Commandment; consequently speaking of HIS Deity.
"If you love ME you will keep MY Commandments.
"And I Will Ask The FATHER And HE Will Give you another Helper, that HE may be With you forever; The SPIRIT Of Truth, WHOM the world cannot Receive, because it does not behold HIM or know HIM. You know HIM because HE Abides With you and will be In you (1 John 2:20-29).
"I will not leave you as orphans; I Will Come To you.'
John 14:15-18.
"...You shall worship The LORD your GOD and serve HIM only." Matthew 4:10.
It Is Written In The Law,
'for you shall not worship any other god, for The LORD, WHOSE Name Is Jealous, Is A Jealous GOD' Exodus 34:14
'Or do you think that The Scripture Speaks to no purpose: "The SPIRIT Which HE Has Made To Dwell in us Jealously Desires us"?' James 4:5.
And again Written in The Law, which we are Called to establish through and by faith (Jeremiah 31:33-34, Romans 3:31, Galatians 3:21-29, Psalm 40:6-8)
"And it shall come about if you ever forget The LORD your GOD and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I Testify against you today that you shall surely perish.
"Like the nations that The LORD Makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to The Voice Of The LORD your GOD. Deuteronomy 8:19-20.
'For we Through The SPIRIT, *by faith,* are waiting for the Hope Of Righteousness.' Galatians 5:5.
In another place we read of The LORD JESUS WHO Says To HIS Disciples of HIS going to Prepare A Place For them,
"And if I go to Prepare A Place For you, I Will Come Again And Receive you To MYSELF; that where I AM, you may be also.
"And Where I go you know, and The Way you know..."
"I AM The Way And The Truth And The Life; no one comes to The FATHER but Through ME."
(See John 14:1 - 15:17).
We, of ourself, cannot keep These Two Commandments, ('For we Through The SPIRIT, by faith, are waiting for the Hope Of Righteousness,') the establishing of Which, By The SPIRIT, in our living by The faith Which Is According to GOD, becomes the fulfilment of The Law; Romans 13:8-14.
'...In HIM, you also, after listening to The Message Of Truth, The Gospel Of your Salvation - having also believed, you were Sealed In HIM With The HOLY SPIRIT Of Promise, WHO Is Given As A Pledge Of our Inheritance, with a view to The Redemption Of Possession, to the praise of HIS Glory...' Ephesians 1 (v13-14).
Through our obedience; believing in JESUS CHRIST in Truth, because GOD Gives HIS HOLY SPIRIT To those who obey HIM (Romans 5:1-5, John 1:17, Acts 5:32), this brings with it, Eternal Life.
"He who believes in The SON has Eternal Life; but he who does not obey The SON shall not see Life, but The Wrath Of GOD Abides On him." John 3:36.
It is all GOD'S Work in the heart and is why it is and must be a constant all the days of our life, growing from faith and towards faith, which means living by faith according to GOD, being The Message Of The Gospel (Romans 1:16-17).
It is also why we must know repentance when we have either done, thought or spoken contrary to CHRIST.
It is humility before both GOD and man.
This too is being Of The faith: showing our love for GOD and accordingly through it our love for our neighbour.
1 John 1:1 - 2:7, Hebrews 12:7-15, Galatians 5:14-15, 1 John 5:1-5. Grace upon Grace.
To live truly believing that JESUS Is The SON Of GOD means it will be shown in our living; word and deed.
To confess HIM before men means to acknowledge so as to speak and walk the same as HIM and always looking and learning to do so. 1 John 4:1-6.
In and of ourselves when apart from GOD it is impossible for any one of us to live fulfilling The two Commandments. Scripture makes this clear.
'...For what The Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, GOD: Sending HIS Own SON in the likeness of sinful flesh and For sin, HE Condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of The Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to The SPIRIT.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), but those who are according to The SPIRIT, The Things Of The SPIRIT (Galatians 5:22-23).
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on The SPIRIT Is Life And Peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward GOD; for it does not subject itself to The Law Of GOD, for it is not even able; and those who are in the flesh cannot please GOD.
However, you are not in the flesh but in The SPIRIT, if indeed The SPIRIT Of GOD Dwells in you.
But if anyone does not have The SPIRIT Of CHRIST, he does not belong to HIM.
And if CHRIST Is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit (our sentient element which gives Life to our soul as opposed to reaping corruption as the consequence of practicing the deeds of the body; Galatians 6:7-10) is alive because of Righteousness.
But if The SPIRIT Of HIM WHO Raised JESUS From the dead Dwells in you, HE WHO Raised CHRIST JESUS From the dead Will Also Give Life To your mortal bodies (we will, in our fleshly body as we sojourn during our time in this world, Glorify GOD in our living; our Spiritual service of worship) because of HIS SPIRIT WHO Indwells you.' Romans 8:3-11.
Romans 12:1-3.
Recall to mind such as Romans 8:9 when you come across one who professes to believe but acts contrary to CHRIST, whether in teaching upheld or stubbornly holding on to the deeds of the flesh, not showing humility but ready to argue from himself to maintain himself.
'Now those who belong to CHRIST have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live By The SPIRIT let us also walk By The SPIRIT.' Galatians 5:24-25.
Carrying our own cross means our crucifying our own flesh with its passions and desires so that the deeds of the flesh do not and cannot prevail but must die.
It is a process, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Titus 3:5-8.
Those who do not walk according to this rule, being according to GOD'S Word and so not knowing repentance, these do not belong to CHRIST, because GOD States it is so throughout HIS Word To us.
They may state of themselves that they do, but GOD Tells us otherwise and we believe in HIM.
We do not stand with them to call HIM a liar.
2 John: 6-11.
'So then, Brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if By The SPIRIT you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will Live.
For all who are being Led By The SPIRIT Of GOD, these are sons Of GOD.
'For you have not received a spirit of slavery (a sentient element yet still enslaved to sin; Romans 6:10-19) leading to fear again (1 John 4:15-18), but you have Received a spirit (sentient element) of Adoption as sons...'
Those who profess the name and yet practice the deeds of the flesh, refusing correction, preaching another gospel, not subjecting themselves to The Righteousness Of GOD, WHO Is JESUS CHRIST, so that they may continue as they themselves please and by any preaching of their own choosing, looking to have their ears tickled in seeking teachers and others according to their own desires, these are, according to GOD, illegitimate children. Hebrews 12:7-10. 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
These are liars and hypocrites, professing to be wise they show themselves as fools, going along and all the while deceiving and being deceived and thus never able to come to The Knowledge Of The Truth.
Their father being the father of lies, the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will, as opposed to knowing The Will Of The MOST HIGH and seeking in spirit and Truth to worship HIM.
These claim GOD as their FATHER, JESUS HIS SON And MESSIAH as their SAVIOUR, but they remain practicing the deeds of the flesh, ever disobedient to HIS Word and subsequently refusing HIS Leading through their own interpretations of It.
Alive but dead, blaspheming The HOLY SPIRIT and so never having Forgiveness of sins.
'But know this first of all, that no Prophecy Of Scripture is of one's own interpretation, for no Prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men Moved By The HOLY SPIRIT Spoke From GOD.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying The MASTER WHO Bought them, bringing swift Destruction upon themselves.
And many will follow their sensuality and because of them The Way Of The Truth will be maligned; and in greed they will exploit you with false words; their Judgement From Long Ago is not idle and their Destruction is not asleep.' 2 Peter 1:20 - 2:3.
'But according to HIS Promise we are looking for New Heavens and a New earth, in which Righteousness dwells.
Therefore, Beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be Found By HIM in peace, spotless and blameless and regard the Patience Of our LORD to be Salvation; just as also our Beloved Brother Paul, according to the Wisdom Given him, wrote to you, as also in all letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as also the rest of The Scriptures, to their own Destruction.
You therefore, Beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in The Grace and Knowledge Of our LORD And SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.
To HIM the Glory, both now and to The Day of Eternity.' 2 Peter 3:13-18.
'"Truly I Say To you, all sins shall be Forgiven the sons of men and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against The HOLY SPIRIT never has Forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"
Mark 3:28-29.
"But an hour is Coming and Now Is, when the true worshipers shall worship The FATHER in spirit (their sentient element) and Truth; for such people The FATHER Seeks to be HIS worshipers.
"GOD Is SPIRIT, and those who worship HIM must worship in spirit and Truth." John 4:23-24.
Some start of on the Right Path but are led astray by false teachings which will allow them to live, think, speak, act, as they themselves please and see fit (Galatians 5:16-17).
They will distort Scripture to fit their own interpretation and refusing GOD, unable to see when they contradict The GOD Breathed Word, proving themselves enemies of The Cross Of CHRIST,
'...whose end is Destruction, whose god is their appetite and glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (James 3:14-16).
'For our Citizeship Is In Heaven, From Which we also await for A SAVIOUR, The LORD JESUS CHRIST; WHO Will Transform the body of our humble state Into Conformity With The Body Of HIS Glory, By The Exertion Of The Power That HE Has even to subject all things To HIMSELF...' Philippians 3:19-21.
We do not receive the word of men who are not pleasing to GOD, who live not truly confessing JESUS CHRIST.
But we wait on The Word Of GOD only, Which also Performs Its Work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16).
Salvation Through Sanctification By The SPIRIT and faith in The Truth.
'The SPIRIT HIMSELF Bears Witness With our spirit (our sentient element) that we are children Of GOD, and if children, heirs also, heirs Of GOD and fellow heirs With CHRIST, if indeed we suffer With in order that we may also be Glorified With.' Romans 8:16-17.
'For it is time for Judgement to begin with The Household Of GOD; and if with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey The Gospel Of GOD?
And if it is with difficulty that the Righteous is Saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?
1 Peter 4:17-18.
King David sinned against The LORD his GOD (Psalm 51) but he knew repentance, and repentance for Forgiveness of sins is The Message Of The Gospel to us and to all, with no exceptions. Luke 24:44-49.
If we do not know true repentance according to GOD, 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, then there is and can be no Forgiveness of sins.
'What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that Grace might increase?
May it never be!
How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Or do you not know that all of us who have been Baptised Into CHRIST JESUS have been Baptised into HIS Death?
Therefore we have been buried With HIM Through Baptism into death, in order that as CHRIST was Raised From the dead Through The Glory Of The FATHER, so we too might walk in Newness Of Life...' Romans 6:1-4.
'Now those who belong to CHRIST JESUS have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.' Galatians 5:24.
'And HE was Saying To all, "If anyone wishes to come after ME, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow ME.
"For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for MY Sake, he is the one who will Save it..." Luke 9:23-24.
Putting to death the deeds of the body does not happen in a one time instant transformation. Romans 8:12-14, Romans 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Galatians 3:3, Titus 3:5-8.
It is why we are warned By GOD Through HIS Apostles to be careful of how we walk, not being as the unwise but as the wise and with this, whoever it is we believe in who will present to us as being a follower of CHRIST, because The Gate is small and The Way is narrow that Leads to Life and few are those who both find It and remain on It. Matthew 7:7-27.
"Many are Called, but few Chosen." Matthew 22:14.
It Is GOD'S Work in our heart and this is why a sincere faith is essential,
'But The Goal of our Instruction Is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.'
1 Timothy 1:5.
'Delight yourself in The LORD; and HE Will Give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your ways to The LORD, trust also in HIM and HE Will Do It.
And HE Will Bring Forth your Righteousness As The Light and your Judgement As the noon day.'
Psalm 37:4-6.
GOD Alone Will get us there, Protected By The Power Of GOD: By Grace through faith. John 11:25-26. 1 Peter 1:3 - 2:9.
Faith knows humility, a Saving faith learns to know not to be proud, but will indeed grow more and more to know humility in all matters, Receiving Grace in times of need. 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 10:15.
'But now abide faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the Greatest of these is Love.' Corinthians 13:13.
Through this faith, GOD Works and HIS Love is Manifested in us. Romans 5:1-5, Titus 3:5. 2 Timothy 1:6-14.
In Revelation 3:14-22, take note of all this Godly Truth in warning,
"He who overcomes, I Will Grant him to sit down With ME on MY Throne, as I also Overcame and Sat Down With MY FATHER On HIS Throne.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what The SPIRIT Says To The Chuches.'" Revelation 3:21-22.
Since HIS Death and Resurrection, great multitudes of people have laid claim to following JESUS CHRIST, and HIS Word To us now is as HIS Word To those who followed HIM in The Days Of HIS Flesh to this day and to The Day of Eternity.
"If anyone comes to ME and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters and yes, even his own life, he cannot be MY Disciple.
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after ME cannot be MY Disciple..."
Many who lay claim to follow HIM cannot see that they're lost, walking the broad way that leads to Destruction, being blinded and hard of hearing because of the hardness of their heart.
GOD cannot hear them, because their living is not accompanied by true repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:9-11.
Lamentations 3:40-44. Isaiah 59.
There are those, and there have been many, who could not and cannot see to recognise that all this time The LORD JESUS has been Saying, "Where MY servant is, There Shall I Also Be." (John 12:24-26) that it means HIS servant shall bear The Witness Of JESUS CHRIST. The Testimony Of JESUS shall be in them and not bearing hypocrisy, because they have truly followed HIM and are With HIM: HE In them because they walk with HIM.
"MY sheep hear MY Voice and I Know them and they follow ME; and I Give Eternal Life To them and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of MY Hand.
"What MY FATHER Has Given ME Is Greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of The FATHER'S Hand.
"I And The FATHER Are ONE." John 10:27-30.
And we who truly believe shall be One In HIM and always seeking to be so; By Grace Through faith.
John 17.
If we do not live fulfilling The Greatest and Foremost Commandment it is impossible to then keep the second Commandment Which is like it. 1 John 5:1-5.
There is no division in The Body Of CHRIST; HIS Church In Truth.
But instead, humility; all seeking to be of the same mind and the same judgement.
Our hearts having been Knit Together in love.
Colossians 2:2-12.
It is with reason that in Luke's account of The Gospel Of JESUS CHRIST, after he has written telling of The Words Of JESUS' Stating the true meaning of Discipleship; remaining in it and enduring to grow to a maturity in The Wisdom and Knowledge Of GOD and not falling away and so being in accordance with all Scripture, that his account immediately goes on to tell of The Parable of the lost sheep, then to the lost coin, then of the prodigal son; all speaking of repentance.
Then on to the LORD'S Telling of the unrighteous steward.
As Luke states at the beginning of his Gospel account,
'Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things Accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of The Gospel have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.'
Luke 1:1-4.
You who read here should believe the exact truth also, because if anything we believe in, any teachings and people we follow that do not concur exactly with JESUS CHRIST and The Word Of GOD in Truth, then following them, stubbornly holding on to them when they are shown to be in error, pridefuly and arrogantly arguing against The Truth for the sake of what is held on to that is not Of GOD and so blaspheming, counting themselves unworthy of Eternal Life; it is futility.
It is The Word Implanted Which is able to Save our souls, James 1:19-25.
And JESUS CHRIST Is The WORD Of GOD.
"Sanctify them in The Truth; THY Word Is Truth..."
John 17:17.
Our faith is By The Righteousness Of our GOD And SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.
Accordingly, our own words and deeds shall bear witness to HIM only; being Of The SPIRIT and not according to the flesh.
HIS Divine Power Grants To us Everything Pertaining To Life and Godliness; through The True Knowledge Of HIM WHO Called us By HIS Own Glory And Excellence. Not mans!
Accordingly, by these HE Grants To us HIS Precious and Magnificent Promises in order that By Them we might become partakers of Divine Nature. This means being an associate: a companion of Divine Nature and not of anything that is contrary to The Purity Of GOD.
See 2 Peter 1.
There is no place for any of the deeds of the flesh in these things; the deeds which we are Called By GOD to put to death By The SPIRIT, HE WHOM we cannot do so By whilst being apart from HIM.
Received and kept By GOD through faith in JESUS CHRIST, The SON Of GOD.
'For as many as may be The Promises Of GOD, In HIM They Are Yes; wherefore By HIM Also is our Amen to The Glory Of GOD Through us.
Now HE WHO Establishes us with you In CHRIST and Anointed us Is GOD, WHO Also Sealed us and Gave The SPIRIT in our hearts as A Pledge.'
2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
We do not maintain the flesh because we cannot maintain the flesh and Live. Only a fool will do so. Hebrews 10:26-39.
'The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them. Proverbs 11:3
The one who chooses to do so and yet name's himself a Christian, this one truly does not know humility, but instead proves himself a prideful and arrogant liar: a hypocrite who does not have Eternal Life abiding in him.
He is living refusing GOD'S Work in his heart: he is not able to finish what he started from the day he first confessed with his mouth JESUS LORD and believed. Luke 8:4-21.
Luke 14:25-35.
