Attentive to Christ's voice

John 10:3-4 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

▶ We hear Christ’s voice today through the Holy Scriptures - His own personal words, and the words inspired by the Holy Spirit to the New Testament writers are available to us today.

Blameless and Harmless

Philippians 2:15  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

▶ If we are to have influence in a lost world, we need to stand out and behave differently than people of the world. This pure living will draw people to the gospel.

Bold

Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Philippians 1:14  and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

▶ Are we as bold as we should be when it comes to preaching, or do we hold back in fear?

Contrite

Contrite: [Webster] Literally, worn or bruised. Hence, broken-hearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God; humble; penitent.

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

▶ Do we feel deep sorrow for our sin, or do we just shrug it off and say I’ll try not to do t hat anymore?

Devout

Devout: [Webster] Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer.  Pious; devoted to religion   Sincere; solemn; earnest;

Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

▶ Are we as devout especially in worship as we should be? Solemn, reverential, humble?

Faithful

Faithful: [Webster] Firm in adherence to the truth and to the duties of religion; constant in the performance of duties or services; exact in attending to commands;

Revelation 17:14  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

▶ Being faithful is more than just showing up for services on Sunday and Wednesday. It is obedience to all of the commands of the New Testament: our priorities, our speech, our deportment, our evangelistic efforts, our submission to our elders and to Christ etc.

Fearing God

Fear: [Strong]: To be in awe of, revere. [Thayer]: to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience

1^st Peter 2:17  Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

Following Christ

Matthew 6:24  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Godly

Psalms 4:3  But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

Hebrews 12:28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

▶ Do we respect God not just with our lips, but with our actions and behaviors?

Generous

Proverbs 11:25  The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

Proverbs 22:9  He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

▶ Generosity relates not only to our money, but to our time spent serving God and others.

Holy

Deuteronomy 7:6  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

Colossians 3:12  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering

▶ Did you ever consider yourself as a “special treasure” to God?

Humble

Synonyms for humble: low, lowly, modest, small. inferior, broken, meek, mild; opposite of proud.

Romans 12:16  Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

1st Peter 5:5   Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

▶ Do we really humble ourselves when we worship God, recognizing Him as our authority?

Hungering after righteousness

Matthew 5:6   Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

▶ Is the pursuit of righteousness as important to us as the pursuit of physical food? If not, why not?  Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Just

Just: [Webster] righteous; religious; influenced by a regard for the laws of God; or living in exact conformity to the divine will.

Proverbs 4:18  But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 21:15  It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

Led by the Spirit

Romans 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

▶ How does the Spirit lead us? By the written word which He inspired? So if we are steeped in the word we are being led by the spirit.

Loving

1^st John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

John 15:12   This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

▶ Our #1 and #2 purpose in life is to love God and love others. This is the meaning of life.

Meek

Meek: [Thayer] mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit [Webster] Mild of temper; soft; gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielding; humble; submissive to the divine will; not proud

Isaiah 29:19   The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.

Matthew 5:5   Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

▶ inherit the earth, could have also been translated as inherit the land, and so may refer to Canaan (the promised land” as the type of all blessings. It is the heavenly land especially that is inherited. The special reference is to the Messiah's kingdom, of which "the land" of Canaan was a type.

Merciful

Mercy: [Webster] That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in distress.

Proverbs 11:17  The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

Matthew 5:7   Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

New Creatures

2nd Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

▶ Are we significantly different (new) people now than we were before our baptism?

Obedient

1st Peter 1:13-15  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "be holy, for I am holy."  (Leviticus 11:44)

▶ Obedience is something today’s world like to do. Worldly people want to do it “My Way”.

Poor in spirit

Psalms 51:17   The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.

Matthew 5:3   "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Barnes]:  To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition.

Pure in heart

Matthew 5:8   Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

1^st Peter 1:22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

[Coffman]:  This refers not merely to those whose hearts are free from evil purpose and desire but particularly alludes to those whose hearts have been purified by faith (Acts 15:9) and obedience to the gospel (1 Peter 1:22). The "heart" in this passage is, of course, the mind.

Quiet

1^st Thessalonians 4:11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

▶ Few things are as obnoxious as a loud, brazen or abusive person.

Righteous

Righteous: [Webster]  according to the divine law. it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands in practice

Matthew 13:43  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

1^st Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

▶ Contrast the self-righteousness of the Pharisees against the righteousness of Job or Noah or Abraham

Sincere

Sincere: [Webster] Being in reality what it appears to be; not feigned; not simulated; not assumed or said for the sake of appearance; real; not hypocritical or pretended.

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

▶ There are those in some evangelical churches who believe that sincerity is what makes you right with God. As long as you invite Jesus into your heart in sincerity you will be saved. This is not what the bible teaches. Yes, we must be sincere in our faith, but sincerity does not save us. Belief in and obedience to God saves us.

Steadfast

Steadfast: [Strong] to be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, to adhere closely to

Acts 2:42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

▶ Perhaps the opposite of steadfastness is easily discouraged or dissuaded.

True

John 4:23  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

Ephesians 4:24-25 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Undefiled

Undefiled: not dirty, foul, polluted, soiled, corrupted.

Psalms 119:1  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

▶ Remaining undefiled in a defiled, corrupt and evil world is no small task, but with God’s help and guidance we can do it.

Upright

The definition of upright can be found in these verses:

Psalms 15:1-5 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?  He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;  He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;  In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Watchful

Matthew 26:41  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 13:37  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

▶ A one word command which covers a myriad of things: Watch!

Zealous of good works

Zealous: [Webster] Warmly engaged or ardent in the pursuit of an object; having passionate ardor

Titus 2:13-14   looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.