The Church - what are we called to?

[Vine Abider]

2 hours ago, com7fy8 said:

But Romans 8:29 says the purpose of being in Christ's image is "that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

But there will be dominion. 

But first is being family with Jesus. 

And I think of this > in the Lord's prayer of John chapter 17, we see plenty about how Jesus prays for us to be one and loved the way our Father loves His own Son, as family, I would understand from this. But I do not recall mention of dominion.

So, yes there will be dominion, but being in His image as family is primary.

Love and family are a big part of it!  But there is also a mission to carry out on the earth. Otherwise why did the Lord pray this: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? 

What hinders God's will from being done on the earth?  I think two things: 1) There is an enemy here; 2) man's complicity with that enemy.

[DeighAnn]

2 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Witnessing and salvation of souls is certainly a big part of plundering the kingdom of darkness!

Those were the 3 commissions given

[Vine Abider]

"and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms."  Eph 3:9-10

[steve morrow]

TO  SUFFER

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:29  for unto you it is given in the behalf   CHRIST   not only to believe on   HIM   ---but also to suffer for  HIS  sake---

ACTS 5:41  and they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were   ---counted worthy to suffer shame for  HIS  name---

 

1 CORINTHIANS 6:7  now therefore there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another  --why you do you not rather take wrong   ---   why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defruaded--

 

HEBREWS 11:24  by faith moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of pharoahs daughter

--11:25-- choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of  GOD  --than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season--

 

2 THESSALONIANS 1:4  so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of  GOD  for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure 

--1:5-- which is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of  GOD  that you may be  --counted worthy of the kingdom of  GOD  ---  for which you also suffer ---

--1:6-- seeing it is a righteous thing with  GOD  to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 

--1:7-- and to you who are troubled rest with us when  --THE  LORD  JESUS-- shall be revealed from heaven with  HIS  mighty angels 

--1:8-- in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not  GOD  ---and that obey not the gospel of our  ---LORD  JESUS  CHRIST---

--1:9-- who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of  --THE  LORD--  and from the glory of  HIS  power

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST

[com7fy8]

23 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

2) man's complicity with that enemy.

Ok . . .  . . . if you wish, we can talk about ways that we can be complicit with Satan. 

I think there are some things which have been staying under the radar > 

arguing and complaining > Philippians 2:14-16.

beauty discrimination > instead of first loving each and every person, and not judging by what someone looks like > Matthew 5:46.

unforgiveness > Ephesians 4:31-32. 

entitled anger > James 1:19-20.

These things have been feeding people to stay weak so they can keep on suffering deeply. Ones may be innocent of obvious sins, but these are things which have not been well confronted in church culture ministry. And so ones can keep on in these items so they stay weak in what is not love. Ones might keep struggling between getting the pleasures they desire, and reacting negatively to not getting their own way.

And then children do not have the love example they need so they can function in a close relationship. And then in their degradation they can turn to the things we now are seeing, supposing there they will have love and freedom. 

But they have been a product of even church culture and religion which have not effectively confronted the arguing and complaining and beauty discrimination and unforgiveness which have been in their upbringing to help prepare them to be weak and blind enough to get into what we see now.

Oh, and notice how I did not list "entitled anger" in the above list. Already something is trying to sneak by!

I was such a religious person, but that self-righteous entitled anger could be building up until I would blow up. And I was not loving the people who were around me, but building something else.

So, by the way, then, in order to do God's will here, we need our character to be His way in love, including with His immunity almighty of love against the nasty and negative stuff . . . so the bitterness of that stuff does not spread to children.

"looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15)

Ones have been "defiled" so they became the way we see now. And I have seen possibly how a number of church culture families can have very ducky morals . . . all their cute little duckies lined up in a row > 

how to wear hair and clothes, be moral, don't watch certain TV shows, on we can go > but there are so many things not in the row . . . directly anti-love things like arguing and complaining and beauty discrimination and entitled anger, and food abuse lusts which also can degrade someone and help keep him or her weak for pleasure so then a person can also keep deeply suffering emotionally.

So, with Jesus we can share with Him in His strength and good sense, then be able to rule well. And how do we need to rule? 

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

I have been one to have entitled anger ruling how I relate with people, lording over and trying to use people. Instead it works to submit to God in His peace and discover how He makes us creative to do better than our egos are able to conjure up. 

And the best dominion comes with prayer for how God will work things.

For dominion, then, who and what are we depending on??

Edited June 13, 2023 by com7fy8

[steve morrow]

RIGHTEOUSNESS / LIGHT

 ISAIAH 42:6  I  THE  LORD  have  --called--  thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the gentiles

PSALM 119:130  the entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple 

JOHN 1:4  in  HIM  was life and the life was the light of men

 

JOB 33:27  he looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned   --- and perverted that which is right   ---  and it profited me not 

--33:28--  HE  will deliver  HIS  soul from going into the pit and his life  ---shall see the light---

 

LOVING  THE   LORD  JESUS  CHRIST