Things To Do
Believe
Be Confident
Be Loving
Be Honest
Be Giving
Be Likeminded
Be Stubborn
Be Thankful
God has blessed my life exceeding, abundantly, above all that I can ask or think. He is so rich in mercy and grace, and I am thankful that He is. I am thankful for the many things that I see that God has done for me, notwithstanding, I know that what's important isn't only what God does for me, it is also important for me to see that I do all that I can do as a child of God. So... I open my bible, do some reading, and make myself a list.
First, let me say, that this list of things to do is not a list of things that I need to do in order to obtain salvation, nor is it a list of things that will make God love me any better. He couldn't love me any better than He did when He had His son live and die for me. I was saved by grace, not of works. It was strictly the power of God that saved my pathetic life... I couldn't have, in a million years, mustered up enough power on my own to save myself.
In addition, I never have to do another good work;again in order to keep this salvation, or to keep God's love for me... there aren't enough good works in the world that I coull do to get to keep all that God has done for me. However, when I was saved, I was saved unto good works (Eph 2:10). In other words, because I am saved, I can now do good things and these good things are good for me and they are good for others. Good things make for a good life. Who doesn't want to have and do good things?
This is why I have made list of possible good things that I can do. So let's get started.
Believe
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Okay, this one little item on the list must be done in order to obtain salvation (it's the only thing required) and it must be done in order to really do any of the other things on the list. That is why it is first on the list. This believing only has to be done once and it sticks forever. Salvation stays no matter what.
Having received eternal life by believing Romans 10:9, we can believe other things that will enrich our lives. One of the most important things that we can believe is that Our father loves us. Each and every one of us, each and every day, is loved by God as only He can love.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
So, the first item on this list is to know and believe that God loves me so much that He was willing to give His only begotten son so that I could have eternal life. He puts no conditions on this love, there are not enough works in the world that I could do in order to earn it. If I feel like I don't deserve His love, He loves me anyway, and that's something worth my time and effort to believe.
With believing that God loves us comes confidence. When we know that God loves us it is easy to have confidence in Him and it is important that we can be confident in God.
Be Confident
1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
God's Word gives me many reasons to be confident in all that God has done for me.
1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Knowing that I have over come all the crud that is in the world inspires some confidence in me.
1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Knowing that I have eternal life and therefore need not fear death inspires some confidence.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Again, knowing that God loved me so much that he gave his only begotten... well it inspires some confidence.
And if we are feeling undeserving of all of what God has given....
1 John 3:20-21
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Our confidence is in God! He did not give His son to die the death of the cross just so we would live in fear of damnation! When we do something wrong, we can have confidence in God that he has already got our mistakes covered and we can go on with our list of things to do without having any condemnation of ourselves.
Now, with all of this confidence that we have in God's love toward us, it would only follow that we have this love toward one another. This is why Be Loving is next on the list.
Be Loving
1 John 3:11
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
1 John 4:21
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also
This is ample proof that we are to love. Now, how do we love? To love is to do something, not just to feel something. God so loved the world, that he gave... He didn't feel all this love and then expect us to just know how much He loved us by the look on His face... He gave... He DID something about His love for us. So when the Word says to love each other, what does it means for us to do?
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Our actions will be what makes known our love for each other, not how many times we say that we love each other. We know what deeds are loving and what deeds are not. We know within ourselves whether or not we are truthfully acting in love.
1 Thes. 4:8-10
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 9But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
We are taught of God to love one another, it is a built in kind of thing that comes with being born again of God's spirit and endeavoring to walk a Godly life. It is the love of God that we have toward each other. And still, God beseeches us to act on this love more and more. There is always room for improvement. A few things to remember as we increase more and more in brotherly love can be found in Romans 12.
Romans 12:9-10
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
When we love, we don't just pretend to love, we really do it. We detest doing any evil to each other, but rather stick to doing good to each other. We are to be kindly affectioned to one another and to prefer one another. When I have a choice of either hanging out with a believer or a natural person, I'm going to choose the believer. I'll defend a son of God where I would never defend a natural man... I prefer God's children.
1 John 2:5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
By keeping God's Word, we are able to manifest the love of God more perfectly. It becomes easier and easier to increase in love toward one another as we put on the mind of Christ. The more we keep God's Word, the more we will be able to love each other. There are many ways that this love of God will be manifested toward one another, one of these will be through honesty among us.
Be Honest
1 Thes. 4:6, 11-12
That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
And if you are having a problem figuring out how to be honest, there is a simple answer; work and mind your own business:
11And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Our concern is for the other guy.
Romans 12:17
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Being honest is but one way to manifest love for each other. To be giving is another way to manifest our love for each other. Giving is an established way to manifest Love. God manifested his love in John 3:16 by giving..... we can imitate God.
Be Giving
Romans 12:13
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
The law of Christ is what was mentioned in Matthew 22:36-40, That we love God and love our neighbor as our self. On these commandments, he hung all the law and the prophets. So, we fulfill the law of love when we bear one another's burdens. A point of clarification -- this does not mean that if someone does not work that we should pay their bills every month. It means that if we see someone who has an extra burden, something more than the normal cargo of life, that we help to bear that burden. It is the loving thing to do. It is not loving to do everything, all the time, for another believer; then how could that believer find his or her own confidence in God? At any rate, to love is to give. We give to the necessity of the saints. We help each other when we see the need.
1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
We love so we give.
1 Peter 4:8-10
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (Charity is in Greek, Agape which means: The love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation) 9Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
We're good stewards, so we give. We love, we give. Being loving and giving are also a part of the next item on the list of things to do. When we are being loving and giving, we are doing a part of being likeminded.
Be Likeminded
Philip. 2:1-5
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
When we are being likeminded, our minds are all alike because we all put on the mind of Christ. If we follow Christ's life throughout the Gospels, we see what kind of mind we are to don. We love each other like Christ loved. Christ did nothing through strife or vainglory. He did not look on his own things, but on the things of others. (He loved, he gave.) This is the same mind that will benefit each of us if we wear it.
Romans 12:15-16
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Let's not spend our thoughts on high minded things which are usually only efforts to make ourselves look good in the eyes of others. Rather, let's spend our thoughts on concerns of each other. We share in each other's heartaches as well in each other's blessings, all with the same mind.
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
If we all renew our minds to what God's Word says, we will all have the same mind. We will be likeminded. This will prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God in each of our lives. Being likeminded, however, does not mean changing your mind to agree with anything that any other person, believer or unbeliever, says. It is important to believe only what we can see to be true according to the Word of God. Some people say that this is "narrow minded" or "stubborn". I say fine... I'll be stubborn.
Be Stubborn
Col. 2:6-8
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
If what a person is teaching is not anything you have ever seen in the Word of God, beware! Go to the Bible.... Go prayerfully and line up what has been said with what the Word says. Do this so that you don't get spoiled through any man's own philosophy or vain deceit. Don't get tricked! If it isn't written in the word, don't fall for it. Stand stubbornly on what is written.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Don't believe everything you hear... prove everything in light of the word.
1 Thes. 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
I don't care who teaches it, you prove it. You go to the Word of God and you study it until you know whether or not it is so.
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
If people call this narrow minded, or stubborn, good. God calls it noble. I believe God. These people had heard what great men like Paul and Peter had taught, but they didn't take those men's word for anything. If God called it noble for them to check up on what Paul and other great men of God taught, then isn't it just pure logic that it is noble for us to check up on everything we hear? Has a greater man than Paul taught us anything? It makes my life a whole lot easier if I can simply choose not to believe it if I can't find it in God's Word. I just don't have to believe anything that isn't written in the Word of God. God does not want me to believe it if I can't prove it in the Word. The scriptures are very clear about this. If someone comes up to me and says "Hey, I think I have learned something completely different than what we have already learned", then the first thing that should come out of my mouth is, "Chapter and Verse?" The second thing is when they show you whatever chapter and verse they are thinking about, make sure that it is rightly divided... That it is understood in light of its context...That the translation from the original texts is sound...This will prove whether or not what they are propounding is really the truth.
It is not closed-minded to reject erroneous teachings. It is good and right to prove all things and hold fast to the teachings that we find to be true in the Word of God. If you know it is true.... don't let anyone talk you out of it on the basis that you are just being stubborn or closed-minded. If some one calls you narrow minded... take it as a compliment. When you know what God's Word says, you're allowed to be narrow minded about it .
Col. 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
As we are taught the rightly divided word, we become rooted and built up in Christ and established in the word that we believe..... we don't let anyone or anything move us from it. Be thankful that you are stubborn and narrow minded. Abound in your stubborn ways with thanksgiving. Then, be thankful about everything else as well.
Be Thankful
Ephes. 5:20
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
We live in thanks, always in all things.
Philip. 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
We ask God for things with thanksgiving.
Col. 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
We are thankful.
Col. 4:2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
We continue to be thankful.
Col. 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Whatever we do, we give thanks! Every word, every deed, every item on the Things To Do list, is to be accompanied by the giving of thanks.
To Be thankful is an essential item on the list. All of the items on the "Things To Do" list, however, are merely a sample of what all we can do in our lives to make our days more blessed. Perhaps we could add: Be Strong, Be Bold, Be a Witness, Be Hopeful, or Be Diligent to the list. (Perhaps we could add a lot more.) Some days may need more of one thing than another. And each of us has a different office, so our daily plans will differ from each others' according to what it is that we do best as a child of God. As we go to the Word, we can each find things to do in our individual lives that will help us to fulfill our particular office. God works with each of us individually and the more we go to His Word, the more He can work with each of us... and He will! It is really wonderful when we can see what God will do for us. It is also wonderful when we can see the good things that we can do because we have been saved.