Abandon Ship!
Part Two
Discipleship calls for the ongoing study and application of the Word of God. It is initially for one’s own spiritual advancement, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (1).
Advancing in Biblical discipleship is what gives eternal purpose for your life here on Earth after being rescued from the James 2:10 boat.
By participating in the Great Commission, you can glorify and serve God by reaching out to the ones who are still on the James 2: 10 boat, headed for the Lake of Fire.
By participating in the Great Commission, you can also glorify and serve God by reaching out to the born-again believers in the lifeboats, assisting them in boarding and remaining on the boat of the post salvation spiritual life.
The glorification of God was the purpose that God created the human race (and each individual member of it) in the first place. There is no greater thing to be accomplished, and there is no greater consequence, for failing to do so.
As of the Church Age, the first time that one glorifies God is when he chooses to believe, after being presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3: 16, 18.
This goes way beyond merely believing in the existence of God. The devil and the demons do that! To believe means to place one’s full trust and confidence in Who Jesus is and the atoning work that He finished (2) on the cross, to the exclusion of all other means.
After being born-again, the born-again believer has the ongoing, daily, opportunity to glorify God by learning and applying the Word of God to all that he thinks, says, and does, and then by participating in the Great Commission.
The devil works long and hard making the James 2:10 ship as attractive, appealing, and comfortable as possible, downplaying any concern for the need of a lifeboat.
The devil can do nothing to get the ones who have been rescued (born-again) out of the lifeboat. But he has a plan to keep born-again believers who have been saved from boarding and or remaining on the new boat, that is the post salvation life of discipleship.
Understand that before one can board the boat of post salvation discipleship, he or she must have first been born-again (3) and by having done so, be aboard the lifeboat of salvation.
This is where the Matt. 7: 13, 14 majority of religious folks have gotten it wrong. Religion promotes many things that should be a part of the post (after) salvation spiritual life, as being the means to obtain salvation.
Just as a physically dead man in the natural realm can do nothing to save or revive himself, a spiritually dead man, aside from making a one-time decision to believe in the unadulterated Gospel Message, can do nothing to save himself in the spiritual realm.
Since the Fall of Man, we come into this world physically alive, but spiritually dead, in the need of the Titus 3: 5 regeneration and the Eph. 4: 30 sealing (baptism) that takes the moment that one is born again. This is NOT achieved by participating in religious activities performed by Man.
Nothing of significance happens in the spiritual realm until one is born again.
Both those aboard the lifeboat of salvation and those aboard the post salvation boat of discipleship will arrive at the Port of Heaven.
Q. Why then, would one want to leave the comfort and security of the lifeboat (knowing he or she is eternally secure), and board the boat of the post salvation discipleship, with all of the rough seas (4) that lie ahead?
A. It is because of the degree of love that a born again should have for God, and the things of God.
There are many definitions and emotions associated with love, but the love can only be measured by one’s willingness to make sacrifices to please the object of one’s love.
Note that all those aboard the life boat of salvation and all those aboard the boat of post salvation discipleship will arrive on the Port of Heaven, and will be welcomed with open arms (Rom. 8:1), but how they will experience Eternity future will differ greatly!
All born-again believers are eternally secure and will experience the general environment of Heaven, but there are eternal rewards and privileges that have been reserved for those who chose to board and remain on the boat of discipleship during their time here on Earth.
A 2Cor. 13 5 self-examination will reveal what boat we are on, where it headed, and what you can expect upon arrival.
End of Part Two
End of Series
(1) Matt. 28: 19 (2) John 19: 30 (3) John 3: 5, 7 (4) 2Tim. 3: 12/Luke 14: 26