Unprofitable Servants
- Thread starter CherieR
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You could say that you serve a purpose outside of your own, I see it this way , If He has to thank me for something i was built to do
that would suggest that i am separated from Him... For example, in the morning when i wake up and open my eyes to see, i don't say
"wow! thank you eyes for allowing me to see." like they should even have a choice in the matter to able disobey or deny me what is mine.
Christ referred to himself as the true vine and we are the branches. Branches on a vine are just mere extensions of the vine, no matter
where they stretch they still serve the vines purpose. Sometimes a branch can feel a bit too esteemed and forget that it's a part of the vine and start to seek credit.
It kind of reminds me of a quote from Lao Tzu.. "When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'"
that would suggest that i am separated from Him... For example, in the morning when i wake up and open my eyes to see, i don't say
"wow! thank you eyes for allowing me to see." like they should even have a choice in the matter to able disobey or deny me what is mine.
Christ referred to himself as the true vine and we are the branches. Branches on a vine are just mere extensions of the vine, no matter
where they stretch they still serve the vines purpose. Sometimes a branch can feel a bit too esteemed and forget that it's a part of the vine and start to seek credit.
It kind of reminds me of a quote from Lao Tzu.. "When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'"
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Jesus does a great work in our hearts to bring us to maturity within.
We can get carried away and think we are worthy. It is always possible because when you
recognise a skill you have, the skill can become more important in ones own eyes than the
message, Jesus.
So we need to remain grounded and give all the honour and praise to Him who saved and
transformed us, because He alone is worthy, Amen.
10 ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’
Luke 17
There is another aspect here, with regard to love. If we love only those we are expected to
love, how is this worthy of praise.
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on
the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matt 5
Going beyond duty is loving ones enemies, which is being children of our Father
We can get carried away and think we are worthy. It is always possible because when you
recognise a skill you have, the skill can become more important in ones own eyes than the
message, Jesus.
So we need to remain grounded and give all the honour and praise to Him who saved and
transformed us, because He alone is worthy, Amen.
10 ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’
Luke 17
There is another aspect here, with regard to love. If we love only those we are expected to
love, how is this worthy of praise.
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on
the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matt 5
Going beyond duty is loving ones enemies, which is being children of our Father
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there are a number of other passages linked to this; here's one
it tells me i should be humble, and understand that i am for others, not for myself.
'take the lowest seat' -- it's better that God lift me up than it is He inform me that i've thought of myself as more than i really am - even if i do 10,000 good works, i should still say, i have nothing to boast of but His mercy towards me.
i don't believe this has lost any application today. the more vain and puffed up we get, the more important this is to take to heart.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
(Romans 12:3-5)
(Romans 12:3-5)
it tells me i should be humble, and understand that i am for others, not for myself.
'take the lowest seat' -- it's better that God lift me up than it is He inform me that i've thought of myself as more than i really am - even if i do 10,000 good works, i should still say, i have nothing to boast of but His mercy towards me.
i don't believe this has lost any application today. the more vain and puffed up we get, the more important this is to take to heart.
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if we are really His children then loving my enemy is my duty, ain't it? 
Jesus is very subtle in how He presents issues. Duty is something you must do but
can do with a reluctant heart. You cannot reluctantly love your enemy as a duty.
To do this you have to start to accept some deep realities about ourselves, to explore
those things we hate within us, and come to terms with our failings. We need to resolve
that we are the worst of sinners, capable of every heinous act ever done by man, and yet
grace alone has saved us. So we have no right to judge any person over that which we
could so easily have walked into.
So our enemies are like the mirror of that which we despise in ourselves, and few get
close to knowing and walking here.
I read yesterday a member who expressed they despised what this individual stood for.
Little did they know they are condemning themselves and expressing the depth of hatred
they have for their own behaviour and weaknesses.
This is why judging others without a clean heart leads to ones own destruction.
And how does this all come about? Because we spend all our lives in our own heads, limited
by our view of the world and what dwells within. And when we start we know little of this
reality or palace of contradictions and delusions and contorted tensions that work to pull
us apart. God bless you
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i dont believe the sheep can lose their salvation i repented of that false gospel already and im daerly sorry for it. i didnt do it intentionally i believe God has forgiven me and i hope the brethren here will too.
i dont know how to interpret it, im asking for help. i used to interpret it as heaven, now im thinking maybe its the millennium kingdom? what you think friend?
i dont know how to interpret it, im asking for help. i used to interpret it as heaven, now im thinking maybe its the millennium kingdom? what you think friend?
For me, I think Luke 17:20-21 holds the key
"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
When you are born again, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell on the inside of us. He makes us Sons and Heirs to His entire kingdom. In fact, we are co-heirs with Christ ( Romans 8:17 ), which means we have legal right to everything Jesus owns as His joint heir. Our inheritance depends on our position as a son of God. ( Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:6-7 ). We cannot lose this sonship or inheritance by what we do because it was a gift in the first place. In fact, the Holy Spirit is given to us as the deposit guaranteeing it. ( Ephesians 1:14 ).
The list of things Paul is talking about in Galatians 5 (Also I Corinthians 6:9-11, in which he says the same thing as Galatians 5:21) are characteristics of the unsaved, which will not inherited the Kingdom of God, because God does not dwell on the inside of them. Obviously these churches and the believers there struggled with these things so Paul simply reminded them that these things were uncharacteristic of who they were in Christ as children of God.
The remedy he gives in Galatians 5 is to walk after Spirit of God, who they were fashioned after in the first place ( Ephesians 4:24 ). If the things of the flesh are evident in our lives, then in the same way, the things of the Spirit are evident... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control. These things are part of the kingdom living inside of us and part of our new nature and our inheritance as children of God. They already exist, God's placed them there, we simply have to release them.
"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
When you are born again, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell on the inside of us. He makes us Sons and Heirs to His entire kingdom. In fact, we are co-heirs with Christ ( Romans 8:17 ), which means we have legal right to everything Jesus owns as His joint heir. Our inheritance depends on our position as a son of God. ( Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:6-7 ). We cannot lose this sonship or inheritance by what we do because it was a gift in the first place. In fact, the Holy Spirit is given to us as the deposit guaranteeing it. ( Ephesians 1:14 ).
The list of things Paul is talking about in Galatians 5 (Also I Corinthians 6:9-11, in which he says the same thing as Galatians 5:21) are characteristics of the unsaved, which will not inherited the Kingdom of God, because God does not dwell on the inside of them. Obviously these churches and the believers there struggled with these things so Paul simply reminded them that these things were uncharacteristic of who they were in Christ as children of God.
The remedy he gives in Galatians 5 is to walk after Spirit of God, who they were fashioned after in the first place ( Ephesians 4:24 ). If the things of the flesh are evident in our lives, then in the same way, the things of the Spirit are evident... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control. These things are part of the kingdom living inside of us and part of our new nature and our inheritance as children of God. They already exist, God's placed them there, we simply have to release them.
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have you considered that maybe kingdom of God is different from kingdom of heaven? it says kingdom of God doesnt come with observation, but we know Jesus will return with clouds. right? thanks for the explanation brother i think i understand it now. praise Jesus. i believe God used you to talk to me.
