Should Every Christian Strive To Follow Apostolic Example, or is Doctrine Enough?

[Mr. M]

Just now, BornAgain490 said:

I was addressing your bold statement, which said: "There is a false teaching that everyone who is saved is also chosen and one of God's Elect."  It needed to be refuted because it's false.  Romans 8 proves it to be a false statement. 

That said, the Bible clearly and precisely answers each of the questions asked by me. If you care not to answer them, so be it.  But, if you insist on knowing: the answer to all is YES.  

Many are called, few are chosen. 

What does that mean to you?

It does not mean that the many who are called, many are lost.

All who are called are the Lord's flock. It means that the chosen must care for the flock.

[BornAgain490]

4 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

That has nothing to do with the saved who grow in Grace and the knowledge of God unto serving the Body of Christ in full time ministry. Every believer must mature and prove faithful. 

Is ANYONE going to actually answer the question? Does every Christian need to follow the example of Paul, or is adhering to the apostolic doctrine sufficient? Is this every Christian?

Most Christians are living godly lives and fully integrating over time their faith with their family and business life. The chosen, like Paul, are full time laborers for the Body.

To answer the OP:  we are to follow Christ's example. Just as the apostles followed Christ's example. If you are faithful in following Paul or Peter then you are faithful in following Christ. They all taught and preached grace and the kingdom. 

In answer to the inserted:  Every born again believer is saved, and everyone saved is God's elect (Rom. 8:33). 

Every born again believer is not going to be a preacher.  But every born again believer is going to have a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit. There are plenty of gifts to go around so that the entire body of Christ is involved on edifying the entire body of Christ. 

[BornAgain490]

9 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Many are called, few are chosen. 

What does that mean to you?

It does not mean that the many who are called, many are lost.

All who are called are the Lord's flock. It means that the chosen must care for the flock.

 God calls all men everywhere to repent.  Not all do. But those who do are chosen.  The ones who hear the call but don't repent are lost.  

The flock is the Lord's. Some are given the temporal duty of shepherding Christ's flock, but they are all sinful fallen totally depraved men - every one of them.  

[Mr. M]

4 minutes ago, BornAgain490 said:

 God calls all men everywhere to repent.  Not all do. But those who do are chosen.  The ones who hear the call but don't repent are lost.  

The flock is the Lord's. Some are given the temporal duty of shepherding Christ's flock, but they are all sinful fallen totally depraved men - every one of them.  

What you and many are falling short of is the accountability within that flock. There are newly saved sheep who wander off and fall short of the Lord's purpose. Not only are shepherds condemned for negligence, but mature sheep are judged for not caring about weaker members of the flock.

Ezekiel 34:1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 

18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 

19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

FYI for all mature Christians. This is addressing every member of the flock that does not work hand in hand with the Lord's elect shepherds in caring for His flock. I have heard many times that people who wander off after getting saved "they weren't saved in the first place". The prophets do not support this position. Sheep that wander are the responsibility of the flock.

Zechariah 11:17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

This is why Jesus warned His future leaders

Matthew 18:

6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

7 Woe to the world because of offenses!

For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Saved by Grace through Faith makes no one immune to accountability for the flock. 

[Michael37]

1 hour ago, Mr. M said:

The called are the sheep. The chosen are shepherds. Not complicated.

Cults like the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist and Exclusive Brethren elevate their leaders with the title "The Man of God" or "God's Man".

The heavy shepherding teaching that only Pastors are the elect is perverse and toxic.

[BornAgain490]

2 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Saved by Grace through Faith makes no one immune to accountability for the flock. 

Precisely why Paul, in his pastoral epistles, exhorts those in leadership positions to have higher standards; higher office means higher standards, which means higher accountability. 

 

[grahampaul]

1 hour ago, Mr. M said:

The called are the sheep. The chosen are shepherds. Not complicated.

nicely put,i was just thinking about that.

[AnOrangeCat]

7 hours ago, Mr. M said:

What you and many are falling short of is the accountability within that flock. There are newly saved sheep who wander off and fall short of the Lord's purpose. Not only are shepherds condemned for negligence, but mature sheep are judged for not caring about weaker members of the flock.

Adding to what you posted, in Romans 14 Paul spoke similarly to how Jesus did in Matthew 13 regarding causing others to sin, stating that we shouldn't cause others to stumble. Adding to the notion of accountability there's James 3:1: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."

[Michael37]

[In the Clouds]

We are to be about the Great Commission; but, it's a harsh burden to think that we should bear the crosses of others like our Savior did.  There is time for planting the seed.  There are times to uphold others as in a threefold cord.  And, there are times to wipe the dust off of our feet and go on.  We do what we can and the rest is left to the Holy Spirit and the one who receives the message.