Sunday, 18 January 2015

Words for the Wise, Living in the way of Excellence, The Life of the Disciple



Philippians 4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Think of Excellence

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is [c]near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [d]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is [e]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [f]dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

4019 life, believers’experience of

God is at work in all that happens to believers, whether to warn them, to draw them to himself or to do them good.

God has a purpose in all the experiences that believers have in life

Ro 8:28; Eph 1:11 See also Ge 21:22; Ge 28:16; Ge 39:20-21; Ge 45:5-8; 1Sa 2:6-9; 1Ch 29:11-12; Job 42:10-13; Ps 75:6-7; Ac 17:28; 1Pe 4:12

Rejection of this conviction leads to despair Ecc 1:1-2,16-17

God uses every experience in the lives of believers for good

To warn and correct Ps 119:67 See also Ge 12:17; 2Ch 7:13-14; Job 5:17; Isa 38:17; Isa 48:9-10; Am 4:10-11; Ro 2:4; Heb 12:5-11; Rev 9:20-21

To test and exercise believers’trust in God Dt 8:15-16 See also Ex 15:22-25; Jdg 2:21-22; Ps 23:1-6; Ps 81:7; Isa 43:1-2; Na 1:7; Ro 8:35-39; Php 4:12; Heb 11:17-19; Heb 13:6

To purify and prepare believers for glory 2Co 4:16-17 See also Job 23:10; Ps 66:10; Isa 48:10; Jer 9:7; Zec 13:8-9; Ro 5:3-5; Ro 8:28-30; 1Pe 1:6-7

To benefit others Est 4:14; 2Co 1:3-6; 2Co 4:15; Php 1:12-14; 2Ti 2:10

In all of life’s experiences believers should be thankful and trusting

Php 4:6 See also Ge 8:20 Noah’s sacrifice would, among other things, express his thankfulness; Dt 8:18; Job 1:20-21; Ps 103:1-2; Pr 3:5-6; Ac 16:25; Eph 5:20; 1Ti 4:4-5

Believers do not merit the blessings they receive

Ps 103:10 See also Ge 32:10; Ge 50:19-21; Ezr 9:13; La 3:22; Lk 7:6; Ro 6:23


Colossians 3 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Living as those made alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

8349 spiritual growth, means of

God has provided various means by which believers may grow spiritually.

God supplies the resources for spiritual growth

Php 2:13; 2Pe 1:3 See also Jn 1:16; Jn 4:14; Jn 15:2,5; 1Co 10:13; 2Co 3:18; 2Co 9:10; Gal 5:22-23; Php 1:6; Col 2:19; Jas 1:17; Jas 4:6; Jude 24

God’s people must make efforts to grow spiritually

Php 2:12; 2Pe 1:5-9 See also Ro 6:19; 2Co 7:1; Gal 5:16,25; Eph 5:15-16; Eph 6:11-13; 1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:11-12; 2Ti 1:6; 2Pe 3:14; 1Jn 3:3; Jude 20

Specific means of spiritual growth

Death to self-interest Col 3:5 See also Mt 16:24 pp Mk 8:34 pp Lk 9:23; Ro 6:6,12; Ro 8:13; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9; 1Pe 1:14; 1Pe 2:11

The Scriptures 2Ti 3:16-17 See also Jos 1:8; Ps 19:7-8; Ps 119:9-11; Jn 17:17; Eph 6:17; Col 3:16; 1Pe 2:2; 1Jn 2:14

Prayer Mt 6:13 pp Lk 11:4 Col 4:2 See also 1Ch 16:11; Mt 7:11 pp Lk 11:13; Mt 26:41 pp Mk 14:38 pp Lk 22:46; Jn 16:24; Ac 4:29-31; Eph 6:18; 1Th 5:17; Jas 1:5

Focusing on Jesus Christ Heb 3:1 See also Mt 11:29; Jn 13:15; Ro 15:5; Php 2:5; Heb 12:2-3; 1Pe 2:21; 1Jn 2:6

The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth

Eph 3:16-18 See also Eph 1:13-14,17; Eph 2:19-22

Christian leadership Eph 4:11-13 See also 1Co 4:16; 1Co 11:1; Php 1:25; Php 3:17; Heb 13:7,17; 1Pe 5:2-3

Faith in God Eph 6:16 See also Heb 11:6; 1Jn 5:4

Suffering and testing Ro 5:3-4 See also Job 23:10; Ps 119:67; Zec 13:9; Heb 12:10-11; 1Pe 1:6-7; Jas 1:2-4

Perseverance Heb 12:1 See also Php 3:12-14; 1Ti 4:15

Cultivating wholesome thinking Php 4:8

God will bring the spiritual growth of believers to completion

1Jn 3:2 See also Eph 5:25-27; Php 1:6; Jude 24-25; Rev 21:2



2 Peter 1 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Make Your Calling and Election Sure

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence,[d] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so short-sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practise these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

2378 kingdom of God, characteristics of

Those who have entered the kingdom must live according to its values, anticipating the reign of peace which will come when Jesus Christ returns.

The kingdom of God does not conform to the standards of this world

Jn 18:36; Ro 14:17

Those who inherit the kingdom of God are to bear its fruit

1Th 2:12 See also Mt 25:34-36; 2Pe 1:10-11

The kingdom of God is and will be a kingdom of peace

Peace between people Isa 2:2-4 pp Mic 4:1-4 Jas 3:18 See also Isa 9:5; Isa 19:24-25; Mic 5:4-5; Mt 5:9 The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-7:29) is often thought of as a description of life in the kingdom.

The peace and prosperity of all creation Isa 11:6-9 See also Isa 35:1-2,9; Isa 41:17-19; Eze 47:9,12; Hos 2:21-22

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of forgiveness

Mt 6:12 pp Lk 11:4; Mt 18:21-35; Lk 17:3-4

Status in the kingdom of God

Mt 18:1-5 pp Mk 9:33-37 pp Lk 9:46-48 Mt 20:25-28 pp Mk 10:42-45 pp Lk 22:25-27 See also Mt 5:19; Mt 11:11 pp Lk 7:28; Mt 19:30 pp Mk 10:31



Be blessed today

Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport

Merseyside



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