The Narrow Gate: Only A Few

Supporting Scripture

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests.”

Ephesians 6:18a

“…in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks
in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess. 5:16-18

“But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in
your most holy faith and pray in the Holy
Spirit.” Jude 1:20

“The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.”

Proverbs 15:8

9) One Who Witnesses

“Be active in sharing your faith, so that you
will have a full understanding of every good
thing we have in Christ.” Philemon 1:6

A truly born-again soul will be one who is actively
sharing their faith with others. They will have a
strong desire to share about the love of the Savior
with everyone. Jeremiah the prophet said, “God’s
word is in my heart like a fire,…I am weary of
holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Is the Word of God a burning fire within you, one
that you just cannot keep to yourself? Do you feel
compelled to share the Word of God and the Gospel
with everyone you know and come into contact
with?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

Have you ever told anyone about Jesus and about the
Gospel? Is it a regular part of your life to share
about the love of God? This will be the case for
someone who is truly born-again.

The need for people to hear the Good News of God's
love and forgiveness is a matter of life and death.
One who is born-again of the Spirit will realize that
and want to share this with the world. The love of
Christ within you should compel you to share about
Jesus.

Sharing your faith isn’t even actually a suggestion, it
is actually a command. It is something that God
wants us to do and has in fact commissioned us to do
so. It is not an option. So if you are not actively
sharing about Jesus and the Gospel, you are actually
living in disobedience.

Don’t be one who Jesus has to say to them at the end
of their life, “Did you tell anyone about me? Why
didn’t you share with anyone? Did you bring
anyone with you to heaven?”

"My life is worth nothing unless I use it for
doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus -
the work of telling others the good news about
God's wonderful kindness and love."

Acts 20:24

Are you one who just sits silently and doesn’t say
anything to anyone? There is no such thing as a
secret believer or a silent believer. The Spirit living
within us will cause us to be a witness, even at the

risk of losing it all, all of our relationships, even our
very own lives.

Are you afraid of what people might think of you?
Are you afraid of offending people? No one should
be concerned with what others think of them, but
only with what God things about them? Do you
think God is happy with your life right now and your
efforts to share about His Son?

The most important thing that we can do in this life
is to help people to know Christ. There really isn’t
anything more important than this. It should be our
life’s end, to bring the knowledge of salvation to
those who are lost.

If you are not vocal about your faith, then simply
there is something wrong with your faith, and
perhaps you don’t have true saving faith.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will
also acknowledge him before my Father in
heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I
will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Matthew 10:32

Strong words here by Jesus. If you are for Jesus,
you are a vocal witness before men about Him. If
you are against Jesus, you won’t be a witness before

men about Him. Staying silent about your faith and
not sharing the Gospel with the lost is the same as
“disowning” Jesus before men. And this is
dangerous ground.

People are saved because they hear the message of
the Gospel, and no other way. They don’t get saved
because someone was nice to them or received some
assistance from us. Good works and/or being a good
person is not a substitute for being a witness for
Jesus. The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing,”
not “faith comes by social services or by healings or
by us being nice and loving toward them.”

No, people are only saved by hearing the Gospel.
And what a privilege and honor it is to share about
Jesus. This isn’t something that we feel that we
“have to” do, but that we “get to” do. It should be a
great joy to share about Jesus with those who are
lost.

We need to be bold in our witness, even in the face
of being unpopular, persecuted and/or cut off from
those we know. A born again soul will realize the
importance of sharing the faith and will be willing to
suffer for it.

Are you regularly sharing the Gospel with the
unsaved? Are you living in fear of what people

might think of you if you tell them that they are
sinners and are separated from God because of it?
Do you believe this, that people are forever lost in
their sin without Jesus?

Supporting Scripture

“Go,…, and tell the people the full message of
this new life.” Acts 5:20

“Day after day,…and from house to house, they
never stopped teaching and proclaiming the
Good News that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:42

“Through Him and for His name’s sake, we
received grace and apostleship to call people
from among all the Gentiles to the obedience
that comes from faith.” Romans 1:5

“How, then, can they call on the one they have
not believed in? And how can they believe in the
one of whom they have not heard? And how can
they hear without someone preaching to them?
…As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of
those who bring Good News!’”

Romans 10:14-15

“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Romans 10:17

“…be a minister of Christ Jesus to the
(unbelievers) with the priestly duty of
proclaiming the gospel of God…”

Romans 15:16

“It has always been my ambition to preach the
Gospel where Christ was not known…”

Romans 15:20

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was
with you except Christ and Him crucified.”

1 Corinthians 2:2

“Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!...I
make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many
as possible…I have become all things to all men
so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do this all for the sake of the Gospel.”

1 Corinthians 9:16b, 19b, 22b-23a

“…God has committed to us the message of
reconciliation (the Gospel). We are therefore
Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were
making His appeal through us.”

2 Corinthians 5:19b-20a

“But when God, who set me apart from birth
and called me by His grace, was pleased to
reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him
among the Gentiles.” Galatians 1:15-16

“We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching
everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone perfect in Christ.”

Colossians 1:28

“I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be
prepared in season and out of season.”

2 Timothy 4:1b-2a

10) A Sadness and Concern for the Lost

“God wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4

God’s heart is that none should die without Him and
that everyone would be saved. If this is God’s heart,
shouldn’t it be our heart as well?

There is a harsh reality here – those without Christ
are going to perish into Hell for eternity. This
should bring a deep sadness and pain to our heart. If
we truly believe in Jesus and the Gospel message,
then we have to believe what He has spoken about
on this subject. Jesus made it very clear: “Believe in
me and be saved, reject me and remain separated
from God for all eternity.”

Sadly, too many people within the church do not
believe in Hell, or believe that it is only reserved for
the worst of sinful people on the earth. People who
don’t believe in Hell must not believe in the Bible.
It would be even selfish to not believe in Hell,
because that means that you say that you are not
concerned about it and are not going to warn anyone
about it.

We shouldn’t even want our worst enemies to suffer
eternal torment, let alone those we know and care

about. This reality should compel us to action, to be
sharing the Gospel with all we come into contact
with.

I often hear, “Well, my faith is a personal thing to
me, so I don’t feel the need to tell anyone about it.”
What?!!! What a selfish person this is. The person
who says this or thinks this probably doesn’t have
any faith to begin with, and is probably one of the
most selfish, prideful and non-caring people on the
earth.

The person who doesn’t care that people are
perishing into hell for eternity is probably one who
doesn’t even have a soul themselves, and probably
cares very little about anyone else but themselves.
Woe to this person!

This to me is one of the defining traits of a truly
saved, born-again soul – that they have a deep
concern for those who are without Christ. They
understand the reality that people are dying and
going to hell. Every part of their life will be devoted
to this one act of service to God – to bring people to
the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It will be
their life’s end and chief goal in service to God to
make known the Gospel to “every creature.” Those
not born of the Holy Spirit will not have this burden

in their hearts and will continue in life only thinking
about themselves.

Do you even care that people are going to Hell?
What are you doing about it?

Is there a pain in your heart knowing that people are
going to Hell for eternity? Do you even believe
people are going to hell? Are you saddened because
loved ones, family and friends, are going to be
suffering apart from God and in a place of eternal
torment?

Something is deeply wrong within your own soul if
you don’t care that people are going to Hell. One
born of the Spirit of God will have this burden in
their heart.

If you believe that people are perishing into Hell
without Jesus, then you’ll be involved in the Great
Commission. This really is the only work that God
has assigned us to do. God has chosen us to be His
instrument to bring the Good News to those who are
lost.

You’ll be involved somehow, someway, in the
mission of the Church to bring lost souls out of the
depths of Hell and into the Kingdom of heaven.

The Bible says that there is rejoicing in heaven over
just one sinner who repents. This is because people
are so valuable to God. We are worthy. So much so
that there is a celebration in heaven when one lost
soul gives their life to Jesus.

This should be our great joy as well, to see those
without Christ come to Christ and be saved. There
really is nothing more exciting in this life than to be
a part of seeing lost sinners giving their lives to
Jesus.

Are you involved somehow in God’s calling of us to
partake in His Great Commission to call lost sinners
to repentance? One who is born again will have a
deep burden in their heart to reach the lost. Their
life’s ambition for work will be to reach this goal –
to see the Gospel go out into all the world.

Supporting Scripture

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not
willing that any of these little ones should be
lost.” Matthew 18:14

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise,
as some understand slowness. Instead He is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

“The LORD takes no pleasure in the death of
the wicked.” Ezekiel 33:11

11) Persevering Faith

“These trials have come so that your faith – of
greater worth than gold, which perishes even
though refined by fire – may be proved
genuine…” 1 Peter 1:7

Genuine, true, saving faith is one that perseveres
through the trials of life. True faith is tested in the
trials. When times are tough, do we turn to Jesus or
do we turn away from Jesus? Do we trust in Jesus
more when things aren’t going good, or do we turn
our backs on Him in the difficult times? Many
people follow Jesus when times are good, but when
things go bad they quickly turn their backs on Him.

Persevering faith keeps going in the midst of the
storms. It actually will draw you closer to God
when you are experiencing pain and difficulties in
this life. The trials in life will actually strengthen
your faith if your faith is real. If your faith is not
real, then the trials of life will cause your faith to
weaken, even to walk away from Jesus.

Persevering faith is one that causes a person to
continually grow in their relationship with God.
They are always going upward and onward. They
are not wavering in faith, going up and down

according to the circumstances. And they are not
standing still, going nowhere.

God will allow trials to come in your life to test you
to see if your faith is real. The storms of life are
what cause us to grow in our faith. I liken it to being
a good sailor. You can’t become a good sailor
unless you have experienced storms, high seas and
huge waves. Being complacent and comfortable
doesn’t help us to grow and to learn and doesn’t
teach us how to persevere in our faith. There is no
testing of our faith in times of ease.

This isn’t about doing works to keep your salvation.
No, God saved you by grace and therefore no works
are needed to keep you saved. It’s about holding on
to your faith and continuing to grow in the midst of
trials. Continuing in our faith is evidence that our
faith is from God, and not from ourselves.

You will stand up for the Truth and hold firm to
your faith, even when society and those around you
do not agree with the teachings of the Bible. You
will be non-compromising in holding to Biblical
truth, even though you will be unpopular in going
against the culture around you.

Perseverance means holding on until the very end.
And more than just faith, but obedient faith,

exhibiting the signs of one who is truly born again.
The perseverance of the Saints is one of the great
signs of a truly born again soul. God saved us by
His grace and He will keep us by His grace. We
won’t be blown around by unsound doctrines and
enticed by false churches. We won’t be going back
and forth from belief to unbelief and back to belief
again. We won’t shrink back and doubt. We’ll be
ever upward and onward in our faith, never looking
or going back.

The Bible clearly teaches that we are “born again”
by the Holy Spirit, which results in our coming to
faith in Christ. All who have been “born again” do
have eternal security and will persevere until the
end.

This isn’t about perfection in our faith, but about
perseverance. We will stumble at times, we will fall
short, and we can never be perfect. But we will
never lose faith and will always be aspiring to grow
more and more in our faith. Persevering faith is
evidence of one who has been born again of the
Holy Spirit.

Is your faith one that is persevering? Are you
continuing to grow in your relationship with the
Lord every day? Do you trust fully in and only in
Jesus when times are difficult? Do you stand for the

truths of the faith, even in the midst of being
unpopular?

Be like Job who said, “God knows the way that I
take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as
gold.” Job 23:10

Supporting Scripture

“All men will hate you because of me, but he
who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Mark 13:13

“Paul and Barnabas went around, strengthening
the disciples and encouraging them to remain
true to the faith, saying, ‘We must go through
many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

Acts 14:21-22

12) Carries Their Cross

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow
me.” Luke 9:23

Carrying your cross means a couple of different
things. One is that you are publicly identifying
yourself as a follower of Jesus to those around you.
It also means to pick up whatever cup of suffering
that comes your way because you are a follower of
Jesus. It’s about being persecuted for your witness
and testimony to Jesus.

Taking up your cross isn’t about the daily challenges
you face that the whole world faces also. For
example, dealing with a difficult spouse. You don’t
say that is your “cross” to bear. No, bearing your
cross is the insult and hardship you will face for
being a follower of Jesus and for telling others about
Jesus. It’s the backlash you receive when you share
the Gospel with someone. This is what it means to
pick up your cross.

To identify with Jesus simply means that you are
making it known to all that you are a follower of
Jesus and you follow His teachings, and only His
teachings.

The cross is symbolic of suffering. We will suffer in
some way in this world because of our faith. People
will not like us. Jesus said that the world hates Him
for no reason. It will be the same with us on
occasion. The world will hate us for no other reason
than we are followers of Jesus.

Again we see Jeremiah the prophet talking about the
Word of God when he said, “The word of the Lord
has brought me insult and reproach all day long.”
(Jeremiah 19:8b) If we are holding true to our faith,
there will be times in our lives that people will reject
us, talk bad about us, and even persecute us.

The cross is also symbolic of death. It means that
we, as followers of Jesus, will put to death our old
selves, our old life of sin. We will put aside our own
plans, or our own reliance on self and good works,
all of our earthly desires, and surrender it all to God.
Our lives will be all about Jesus and nothing else.

You see, Jesus doesn’t simply call us to believe that
He existed, or even to believe that He can save us.
He calls on us to commit our whole lives to Him—to
trust Him alone for our salvation, and then to follow
Him as His disciples.

Do you publicly identify with the world around you
that you are a follower of Jesus? Are you committed

in all of your ways to follow Jesus and all that He
says?

Is Christ the master of your life? Have you put to
death your own plans and committed yourself to His
will for your life? Don’t be satisfied with anything
less, for there is no greater joy in life than following
Christ every day.

If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross,
consider these questions:
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing
some of your closest friends?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means
alienation from your family?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss
of your reputation?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing
your job?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing
your life?

If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, you
have probably never been born again of the Spirit.

Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these
things will happen to you, but you must be at least
willing and be okay with these things if they do
happen. If there comes a point in your life where

you are faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts
of this life—which will you choose?

Supporting Scripture

“and anyone who does not take his cross and
follow me is not worthy of me.”

Matthew 10:38

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing
because they had been counted worthy of
suffering disgrace for the Name.” Acts 5:41

13) Counts the Cost

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
2 Timothy 3:12

What a great promise in the Bible – the invitation to
come and suffer. It’s not a call to come and be
blessed and have a happy-happy-joy-joy life, it is a
call to suffering. This really is the invitation. But
ironically, it is the most blessed life that one can
live.

Who does the above verse say is going to suffer for
following Jesus? Answer: Everyone!

Following Jesus will cost you something. You will
lose something. It is a promise in the Bible. You
will have to count the cost to be a true follower of
Jesus, and know that there will be costs involved.

Many of the early disciples (not the twelve) deserted
Jesus simply because they said that His teachings
were too difficult to follow. When in reality, His
teachings are very easy to follow. It is just the
sinful man/woman, the one who doesn’t want to
submit to Jesus, who His teachings are hard for.

“Counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing
to some terms first. In following Christ, we cannot
simply follow our own desires. We cannot follow
Him and the world's way at the same time (Matthew
7:13-14). Following Him may mean we lose
relationships, dreams, material things, or even our
very own lives.

“Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

Though grace is free, it is not cheap. There will be
action taken on our part that will end up costing us
something. There will always be a cost associated
with following Jesus. This is why many early
disciples walked away from Jesus, saying, “this
teaching is too difficult, who can accept it?...From
this time many of His disciples turned back and no
longer followed Him.” (John 6:60;66).

They were willing to follow Him for a little while,
but as soon as it cost them something that is where
they drew the line. They deserted Jesus because
they weren’t willing to follow ALL of His teachings.
They wanted only to follow the ones that they were

comfortable with, or they really just didn’t want to
follow Him at all.

Some people want the eternal benefits of
Christ…eternal life in heaven, forgiveness of sins,
peace with God, etc…but they aren’t willing to give
up this life or willing to suffer for it. Following
Jesus means all in, or not in at all. It’s not just
“some” of the teachings, or the ones that you like or
are comfortable with. No, it will cost you, perhaps
everything, perhaps your very own life. But it is all
worth it because it means eternity in heaven in the
presence of God.

If you are truly following Jesus, you are going to
offend people. It is because you are going to be
vocal and non-compromising about your faith, and
the Gospel message if offensive to those who are
perishing.

Are you suffering because of your faith in Jesus?
Are you willing to count the cost for fully
surrendering your life to Christ?

Something that costs something is always valuable.
In fact, the more something costs, generally the more
valuable it is. It is the same with our souls. What is
your own soul worth to you? The most valuable

thing we can attain in this life is salvation. And it’s
going to cost you something.

Our sin cost Jesus His life. He gave His own life to
pay for our sin – that is how much it cost Jesus.
What are you willing to give up or surrender so that
you can follow Jesus?

Jesus asks us to “count the cost” before making a
decision to follow Him. It means that we will think
about it, calculate what it will cost us and what we
will have to give up, or at least what we will be
willing to give up to follow Him. Therefore, we
must truly think hard about this decision to be a
disciple of Christ because it will cost us much in this
life.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated
me first. If you belonged to the world, it would
love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to
the world…That is why the world hates you…If
they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

John 15:18-20

If you are not suffering in some way, if you are not
being persecuted in some way for your faith, even if
it only be at certain times in life, then it would
suggest that there is something wrong with your

faith. It is a Biblical promise that those who are
truly walking in the faith will lose something.

If you are trying to avoid all persecution and
suffering for Christ, then something is wrong. If you
are trying to not offend people in your faith, then
something is wrong. Reflect on your life and your
faith right now and ask yourself if you are truly one
who is counting the cost.

Supporting Scripture

“We work hard with our own hands. When we
are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted,
we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer
kindly. Up to this moment we have become the
scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.”

1 Corinthians 4:12-13

“Have I now become your enemy by telling you
the Truth?” Galatians 4:16

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of
Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to
suffer for Him.” Philippians 1:29

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful
trial you are suffering, as though something
strange were happening to you. But rejoice that
you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so
that you may be overjoyed when His glory is
revealed. If you are insulted because of the
name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of
glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it
should not be as a murderer or thief or any
other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be
ashamed, but praise God that you bear that
name…So then, those who suffer according to
God’s will should commit themselves to their
faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

1 Peter 4:12-16;19

“Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world
hates you.” 1 John 3:13

14) Dies to Self

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others better
than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the
interest of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

The first requirement of discipleship is self-denial.
A person who is not willing to deny himself cannot
claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. To deny
means to completely disown, to utterly separate
oneself from someone or something.

That is exactly the kind of denial a believer is to
make in regard to themselves. They are to utterly
disown themselves, to refuse to acknowledge the self
of the old man. Jesus’ words here could be
paraphrased, “Let him refuse any association or
companionship with himself.” Self-denial not only
characterizes a person when they come to saving
faith in Christ but also as one who lives as a faithful
disciple of Christ.

You will no longer look to meet your own needs, but
look to the needs of others. Other people will be
more important to you than yourself. You will start
putting yourself last on the list of importance.

But be careful that “being a good person” doesn’t
become your religion and you trying to earn favor
with God. This is where many in the church go
wrong – thinking that all is required is to be good.
This can become an idol to a person and in the end
become an offense to God. Doing “good works” can
become the object of a person’s worship.

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole
world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Luke 9:24-25

We can’t hold on to the things of this world and say
that we also live in Christ’s world. It doesn’t work
like that. Too many proclaimed believers are still
holding on to the desires, passions and things of this
world, not willing to let go, in effect trying to save
their lives in this life. This is not dying to self, and
those who are trying to hold on to the things of this
world are in danger of losing their lives for eternity.

Are you the least important person to you in your
life? Is everyone else more important to you? Are
you willing to lay down your life for the sake of
someone else? One way to know for sure is in how
vocal you are about your faith. The most loving
thing we can do for another person is to bring them

the knowledge of salvation of the glorious Gospel of
Jesus Christ – even if it means they will hate you for
it. The most un-loving and selfish thing we can do
is to not be sharing the Gospel.

A person born again of the Spirit will naturally be
one who dies to self and places the importance of
others before themselves.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single seed. But if it dies, it produces many
seeds.” John 12:24

Unless you first die to yourself, you will never bear
any fruit for the kingdom of God. This is the
beginning point of any new life in Christ. If you do
not first die to yourself, you will never be raised to
new life again. You must become that kernel of
wheat and be put in the ground to die. Then you will
be raised to life and start growing. A seed does not
begin to grow outside of death. But when it dies and
is buried in the ground, it begins to grow into the
fruit that God designed it to grow into.

Supporting Scripture

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we
die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we
belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8

“The man who loves his life will lose it, while
the man who hates his life in this world will keep
it for eternal life.” John 12:25

15) Lord and Savior, Jesus Is Both

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

This is unfortunately where most of the Church gets
it wrong. Many have been told, or just believe for
some reason, that all it takes for salvation is to
believe that Jesus died for their sins and they will be
forgiven. Then they believe that they can go about
and live any lifestyle they want, rejecting the
commands of God, just because they said a prayer
one time or supposedly received Jesus into their
hearts once. So they think all is well between them
and God. Nope! That’s not how it works.

Yes, it is simple faith that all is required for
salvation. However, as we have said before and will
continue to stress, true saving faith will be proven by
our lives. Many people can easily enough believe
that Jesus died for their sins, that He is in fact
Savior, the One who came to save them. But saving
faith leads to Jesus being Lord also. Jesus is Lord
and Savior.

So what does this mean, to have Jesus be Lord of
your life? What does the word “Lord” mean? The

word “Lord” simply means “ruler.” Jesus will be the
ruler of your life. He will rule over everything. He
will have full authority over every area of your life.
Over all of your actions, your family, your job, your
relationships, your character, your conduct, your
decisions, even your thoughts.

And this has much to do with surrender. When you
surrender, you are giving God total control of your
life. This is really the same as Lord. Jesus will be
Lord of your life. We must surrender all to God and
make Jesus ruler over our lives.

When Jesus is Lord of your life, it also leads to
knowing Him better, because you are going to be
seeking Him in all areas of your life and be studying
His Word to find out more about Him and what He
desires for our lives. And this really is what God
wants. He’s not concerned with us doing good
works in order to earn favor with Him, He just wants
us to know Him. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord,
then you really don’t know Him very well.

Lets talk about grace again. To be reminded, it is by
faith and faith alone, because of the grace of God,
that one is saved. So this isn’t about “how” to be
saved. You don’t have to make Jesus your Lord in
order to be saved. However, it is just one of the sure
signs that your faith is for real. You will simply

want to make Jesus your Lord. It’s not that you
have to, it’s only because you desire to. It will be
natural for one born again of the Spirit to do so.
And when Jesus is Lord of your life, that’s when the
abundant life that Jesus has for us comes into our
lives.

It’s a great joy to have Jesus as Lord. It is
something you are missing out on if Jesus is not
your Lord. It leads to freedom and peace to the soul.
It is actually a very liberating experience when Jesus
is your Lord. It takes a huge burden off of yourself
because you are surrendering all to Jesus and putting
Him in control of everything. You don’t have to
worry about anything because Jesus is in charge.
This is what leads to the abundant life that Jesus
wants us to have.

You can’t just go on living a life of consciously
choosing to sin, thinking that you are covered by
God’s grace. Yes, we will still struggle with sin.
Just because Jesus is Lord of your life doesn’t mean
that you will now be perfect and will never sin
again. You will. But it won’t be because you are
choosing to reject God’s ways, it will just be
because you are a sinner by nature and will do things
occasionally that are wrong and against God’s ways.

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God
has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both
Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

No one should ever dare to suggest a person can be
saved while stubbornly refusing to bow to Christ's
authority and not be willing to submit to His rule.
He is God after all!

Supporting Scripture

“You know the message God sent to the people of
Israel, telling the Good News of peace through
Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:36

“Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4c

“…we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:16

“Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” Romans 7:25

“For this very reason, Christ died and returned
to life so that He might be the Lord of both the
dead and the living.” Romans 14:9

“…there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through
whom all things came and through whom we
live.” 1 Corinthians 8:6b

“…no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the
Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3c

“…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Philippians 2:10-11

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as
Lord, continue to live in Him.” Colossians 2:6

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not
do what I say?” Luke 6:46

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly
so, for that is what I am.” John 13:13

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
1 Peter 3:15

Who is Lord of your life? There are really only two
choices. It is either you that is lord of your life, or it
is Jesus who is Lord of your life. There is no middle
ground and it can’t be both. Choose wisely who is
going to rule over your life.

16) Desire for Community/Fellowship

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to
acts of love and good works. And let us not
neglect our meeting together, as some people do,
but encourage one another, especially now that
the day of his return is drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

Are you meeting regularly with other believers for
mutual love and encouragement? This will be the
desire of your heart if you are born-again of the
Spirit. You will have a deep desire to connect with
the family of God - His Church. After all, this is
your eternal family, your true family. And you will
want to know them. You will want to spend time
with them. You will want to know other brothers
and sisters in Christ. It will be a great joy to you to
spend time in the Body. It is something you will
long for in your heart.

There are so many benefits of surrounding yourself
with other believers and regularly meeting with
them. For one, just the encouragement alone that
you receive. We live in a difficult world, and need
constant help from one another to live in this world.
There is a great refreshment when surrounding
yourself in the Body. It’s a getaway from the daily
trials we all go through.

We weren’t meant to walk this life alone. In fact,
we can’t. There is no such thing as a lone ranger in
the Body of Christ. There is also then in addition to
the encouragement with your walk with the Lord an
accountability in your spiritual life. If no one is
holding you accountable, chances are you are doing
your own thing and not fully surrendering to Jesus.

“A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one
another. By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35

The world will know that you are a follower of Jesus
by your love for the Body of Christ. It will be so
important to you that you will forsake what the
world has to offer so that you can spend time with
other believers.

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
For what do righteousness and wickedness have
in common? Or what fellowship can light have
with darkness? What harmony is there between
Christ and the Devil? What does a believer
have in common with an unbeliever?”

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

This doesn’t mean to reject non-believers. On the
contrary, we should have non-believing friends and
place ourselves among them as to be a witness to
them. But we should not be like them, and we
should not aspire to obtain the things that they
desire. Believers and non-believers are exactly
opposite, just as light and darkness are opposite. We
really have nothing in common with non-believers.

Our closest friends will be those inside of the
Church. It’s a sad thing to hear those who claim to
be believers to say that they don’t want to have
fellowship with other believers. There is something
deeply wrong within the soul of the person who says
that.

Are you spending time with other believers? Do you
work hard at finding time to fellowship with the
Body of Christ? Do you long to be in the presence
of the family of God? Do you have regular meetings
with believers outside of Sunday church?

Supporting Scripture

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayers.” Acts 2:42

“All the believers were one in heart and
mind…” Acts 4:32a

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”
Romans 12:10

“…Love the brotherhood of believers.”
1 Peter 2:17b

“Dear friends, since God so loves us, we also
ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens
another.” Proverbs 27:17

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people
live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

17) One Who Worships

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when
the true worshippers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshippers the Father seeks.”

John 4:23

God is seeking those who desire to worship Him
with their lives. After all, heaven and eternity will
be a constant state of worshipping God. If you don’t
want to worship God in this life, why would you
want to worship Him for eternity?

Worship is about bowing down to God to give Him
thanks and glory and to honor Him in every area of
your life. It really involves a continual state of
submission. True Biblical worshippers are ones who
are seen as getting on their knees, in humility, to
stand in awe and reverence of God.

Worshipping God isn’t just about going to church on
Sundays, and then the rest of the week forgetting
about God and going about your business and doing
your own thing. It’s really about a lifestyle of
constantly worshipping God in all that we do. Our
lives and all that we do should bring glory to God.
People should look at us and say, “that person must
be a follower of Jesus.”

Worship is mostly internal, a matter of the heart, not
about external actions, and is directed by truth rather
than ceremony (religious attendance and following
of ordinances). It is not about outward show of
actions, though it can involve some of that, but is
more about the inner person.

It’s a daily thing which involves so many things,
such as: praying to God, talking to Him, seeking His
presence, studying His Word, singing praise songs to
Him and listening to worship music, spending time
with other believers, watching our character and
conduct, serving others…and the list goes on.

The only natural reaction to Jesus is to live a life of
worship. If you truly believe in what He did for you
on the cross, there is no other reaction than to fall on
your knees and give Him homage. There is no other
lifestyle to live than one that gives thanks to God
continually and brings glory to God by the way that
we live.

“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.”

Colossians 3:17

All that you do will be for the glory of God, so that
Jesus gets all the credit. That’s really what Jesus
wants. He wants that your life points people to Him.
This means every area of your life. Your job, your
family and relationships, your leisure time, your
service, all your actions, everything.

True worshippers will be those who have a deep
love for God. They adore God. They admire God.
And they want to please God with their lives.
Worshipping God is one of the best ways that we
can please Him.

What does “in spirit and in truth” mean? To worship
“in spirit” is about the heart, our entire being within
us. It is about having real passion for God. If you
don’t have a real passion for God in your heart, there
will be no true worship in spirit – the kind of
worship that God desires.

At the same time, worship “in truth” is about having
sound doctrine and knowing God. Unless we really
know God on a personal level and know the truth of
His Word, you cannot worship “in truth.” Both “in
spirit and in truth” are necessary for true Biblical
worship.

Too much spirit and not enough truth can result in
an overly emotional experience that could be

considered something like a “high.” The danger in
this is that when the emotion is over, then the state
of worship is also over. On the other hand, too
much truth with not enough spirit can be dangerous
as well. This can lead to a dead spirit, one who is
legalistic in their perceived worship, which can
result in a joyless form of religion.

You need a balanced combination of both, that is
inspired by the knowledge of the Word of God. The
more we know about God, the more we will
appreciate Him. The more we appreciate Him, the
more sincere our worship. The more sincere our
worship, the more that God is glorified.

To worship means to give worth and adoration to an
object or person. Everyone worships something or
someone. Who or what is the object of your
worship? It is either yourself, someone else, some
earthly desire or possession, or Jesus. Many people
worship the self through their good works without
even realizing that they are worshipping themselves.

Are you honoring God with every area of your life?
Do you live in a continual state of worship to God?
Is everything that you do designed for the glory of
God? Is it your goal to please Him in all that you
do?

Supporting Scripture

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so
worship God acceptably with reverence and
awe.” Hebrews 12:28

18) Not Conforming to This World

“Do not love the world or anything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For everything in the world – the
cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and
the boasting of what he has and does – comes
not from the Father but from the world.”

1 John 2:15-16

People love the idea of eternal life, escaping hell,
and having Jesus at their beck and call. But they are
not willing to leave the life they now live. Their
desires, lifestyle, and sinful habits are too precious to
them. Their lives may exhibit a token change—
starting to attend church or giving up a major sin—
but they want to retain ownership of everything else.
They want to live according to worldly principles
and follow after all the desires that the world has to
offer.

The things and desires of this world will no longer
be of interest to us if we have been born-again. We
will only desire the things of God and of heaven. If
the Spirit of God is living within us, then the
passions of this world will actually be an offense to
us. We are not to be of this world. We are citizens
of heaven, and should act accordingly. This world

should have nothing for us. There should be nothing
that we desire of this world.

Jesus said that He was “not of this world.” Nor
should we be of this world if we are of Jesus.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that
friendship with the world is hatred toward God?
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world
becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Adultery means being unfaithful to the one you love
for another. Being adulterous towards God means to
forsake Him and His world and go after the things of
this world. God says it pretty clearly right here: It is
either God or this world. You cannot have both.
And why would you want to?

The things of this world are designed to take us
away from God, to destroy us, to kill us. The things
of Christ’s world are meant to bring us life, bring us
peace and joy, hope and love.

Whom do you choose this day? Christ or the world?

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind.” Romans 12:2

The “renewing of your mind” means to change the
way that you think. The pattern of this world is one
that rejects God. Unbelievers naturally conform to
the patterns of this world. But believers are not to
conform to what the world around us believes. Our
thinking must change, and this can really only
happen through studying the Word of God, believing
in it and doing what it says.

Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from
old, ungodly ways of thinking into new, godly ways
of thinking. What we know in our minds to be true
forms a conviction in our hearts of that truth, and
that conviction in our hearts translates into action.
Therefore, we must first renew our minds, then our
hearts and desires will be changed into the heart and
desires of God.

Do you claim to be a believer, yet conform to the
principles of this world? This is not the sign of one
who has been born-again.

Supporting Scripture

“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly
things.” Colossians 3:2

“(Moses) chose to be mistreated along with the
people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasure of
sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the
sake of Christ as greater value than the treasures of
Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his
reward.” Hebrews 11:25-26

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil
desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

1 Peter 1:14

“The reason the world does not know us is that it did
not know Him (Jesus).” 1 John 3:1b

“…the One who is in you is greater than the one
who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4b

“for everyone born of God overcomes the
world…Who is it that overcomes the world? Only
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

1 John 5:4-5

This world has nothing for us, don’t
act or believe as though it does.

19) Not A Lover of Money

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will
hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 6:24

Those who follow Jesus wholeheartedly will no
longer be concerned with money and the things of
this world. Here Jesus gives us a choice between
love for God and love for money and the things of
this world. You’ll be a slave to one or the other.
You will either be a slave to God or to money and
material possessions.

Are you trying to hold onto the things of this world?
Are you more concerned with earthly, financial
security than you are with eternal security in
heaven?

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul.”

Mark 8:36

What is truly important is the eternal, not the
temporal. We should be looking to store up
treasures in heaven, not treasures of this world. It
doesn’t mean that we have to give everything away