Jesus’ True Disciples (not Merely Believers) Inherit Eternal Life!

All throughout the 4 gospels, the followers of Jesus are called “disciples”.

However, there was a time when the true disciples were separated from the false ones:

John 6:66-70
“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’
… ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ ”

It was not by chance that Jesus chose 11 true disciples for Himself.

Luke 9:62
“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”


Matt 10:22
“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”


Mark 8:34-36
“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
My sake and the gospel’s will save it.For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul (is himself destroyed or lost, Luke 9:25)?”

Note Jesus’ warning about building a tower, but not having enough to finish it (Luke 14:28-29).

Matthew 7:21-25 He who does the will of Father God shall enter the kingdom of heaven.
To him who does not, Jesus says “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
The result of not doing Jesus’ sayings: “And great was its fall (the foolish builder’s salvation).”

John 8:31-32
“If you abide in (heed, obey) My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Let us not kid ourselves, “abiding” in Jesus means to obey His word …
also see Matt 7:21, Mark 4:16-17, Mark 13:13, Luke 9:62, John 15:7, 2 John 9.

Only those who do this are true disciples of Jesus!

Matt 19:16-17
“… what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?
… if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”


In the Great Commission, Jesus called for the training of more true disciples:
Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”


Acts 6:5-7
“And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip (etc.)
… whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.


Acts 14:21-22
“And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned … strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith,
and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”


Here we have another teaching about the separation of the true disciples from false ones:
John 15:1-6
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;
and every branch (in Me) that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch (in Me) cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches (in Me). He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered;
and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."
 
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