“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:14 ESV)

Love with actions and truth

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18 NIV)

Jesus gave us a new commandant, to love others the way He loved us

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34 ESV)

Jesus’ example of how He loved us

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8 ESV)

Keep loving one another!

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

Love your enemies

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt. 5:44 ESV)

Love means speaking the truth with your heart

“The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” (Psalm 15:2-3 NIV)

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NIV)

A disciplined follower of Jesus

A Jesus Disciple is defined as a disciplined follower who holds to the teachings of Jesus Christ; a person who accepts and assists Him in spreading His message. In the above passage, Jesus spoke to believers about what it means to really be His disciples and about knowing the truth that will set them free. He said to them, “If you hold to my teaching,” which means that, “if” you do hold to His teaching you will, and “if” you do not hold to His teaching you will not really be His disciple, and therefore, will not know the truth that will set you free. This is a huge statement Jesus made! There are believers who are not really His disciples! This does not mean they aren’t saved, however, because salvation, according to Romans 10:9, comes by believing and confessing some things: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Yes, you can be a believer, but to be a disciple of Jesus means so much more than just being saved. It means to walk in the light of His truth and live daily for Him, actively fellowshipping with Him and actively spreading His message with others.

A disciple trains to be like his teacher

“A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Tim. 2:2)

Whoever wants to be His disciple

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1 ESV)

Strain forward to what lies ahead

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:12-14 ESV)

Run with purpose

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor. 9:24-27 ESV)

Therefore…

“But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.” (Isa. 59:7 ESV)

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 ESV)

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,” (Jude 1:20 ESV)

Be strong in the Lord

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”  (Eph. 6:10 ESV)

Humble yourself

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

Be strengthened by God’s grace

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” (2 Tim. 2:1 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” (Heb. 12:12-13 ESV)

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11 ESV)

Build up your neighbor

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Rom. 15:1-4 ESV)

Let all things be done for building each other up

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” (1 Cor. 14:26 ESV)

Give grace to the hearer

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29 ESV)

Encourage one another in love and good works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Sharpen each other up

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Prov. 27:17 ESV)

Pursue what makes for peace

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”  (Rom. 14:19 ESV)

Therefore…

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

“Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation…” (Isa. 28:16 ESV)

Foundation: base, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, footing, root, underpinning, anchorage, brace, bulwark, buttress, infrastructure, mount, prop, substratum, substructure, support

The foundation is Jesus Christ

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11 ESV)

God’s firm foundation stands

“But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Tim. 2:19 ESV)

Therefore…

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24-27 ESV)

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV)

Holiness: The most basic meaning of the word holy is to be "set apart" or "dedicated" to God. Biblical terms translated "holy" or "holiness" (qadosh, hagios) carry a strong secondary connotation of moral purity. Holiness is not primarily about moral purity. It's primarily about union with God in Christ and sharing in Christ's holiness.

Bring holiness to completion

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1 ESV)

You shall be holy to God

“You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” (Lev. 20:26 ESV)

“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (1 Thess. 4:7 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:21 ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil…” (2 Tim. 2:23-24 ESV)

Avoid quarreling and show perfect courtesy

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:1-2 ESV)

“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” (2 Tim. 2:14 ESV)

Give a soft answer

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1 ESV)

A wise man quietly holds back

“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” (Prov. 29:11 ESV)

“When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish”.  (Psalm 136:4 ESV)

Plans change in an instant

A couple of days ago, my next door neighbor died after a brief illness. Recently he had told me he was going to retire at the end of this year and would finally be able to get around to the many projects he planned to do. He liked to restore classic cars and work on projects around his yard. Today, I walked past his house and saw his pickup parked on the street in front of his house where he had left it and the classic car he had been working on sitting in his driveway. I felt sad to realize my neighbor was truly gone. In an instant, all his plans were stopped when he breathed his last. But, that in a nutshell, is all our stories. We are all here for only a brief time.

Everyone dies

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” (Heb. 9:27 ESV)

The dead will be raised

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:51-57 ESV)

Someday death will be no more

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)