What does God call for us?

Don't agree with any of the options. . But maybe I'll keep quiet for now so not to derail your interesting thread.

To love and serve Him.


So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

So then, obey the commands that I have given you today; love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart. (Deuteronomy 11:13)

Whoever wants to serve me must follow me, so that my servant will be with me where I am. And my Father will honor anyone who serves me. (John 12:26)

With all my heart I try to serve you; keep me from disobeying your commandments. (Psalm 119:10)

Obey the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Remember the great things he has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve. (Colossians 3:23-24)

So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. (Romans 12:1)

I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength for my work. I thank him for considering me worthy and appointing me to serve him (1 Timothy 1:12)

Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. (Romans 12:11)

To trust in Him for all things.

To spread the Good News and make disciples.

Luke 24:


44Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

46And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.

49And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”


Matthew 28:

18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciplesc of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

packermann said:

It would be appreciated if you can provide scripture verses.

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How about all the above? And lot a that you haven't listed.

Abundant life is not equated with the things of this world:


Romans 12:2 ESV
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect

On suffering we could write volumes. So I would point to words of Jesus that if we follow Him we will be persecuted as He was.

If we are truly following the Suffering Servant we too will suffer.


Romans 5:3-5 ESV
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

On success? Only success spoken of in the NT is bringing the Gospel to lost souls.

Goes with the Romans 12:2 reference above. Success is measured by the renewing of our minds and not according to the ways of the world.

Everything we have in this world is a gift from God either directly bestowed upon us or by common grace. All blessings are from God and we are to exercise and use these blessings according to His will.

1. Success
2. The abundant life
3. Suffering

So basically you offer either Pentecostal prosperity gospel or misery?
No thanks, neither will do the job of describing what God calls Christians to do, be, live, endure.

There may be others.
Success: "Well done, good and faithful servant..." to the one who made more talents.
and: "He who waters will himself be watered" (regarding generosity).
and: "Run with endurance the race that is set before us" (regarding success in the Christian life)
Abundant life: "I came that you may have life, and more abundantly."
Suffering: 1Pe 4:19 "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
and: Phil 1:29 "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake"
TD

packermann said:

What does God call us for in this present life?.

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I think He is calling us to be righteous and to love others.

But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matt. 6:33

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat. 5:20

packermann said:

I guess I did not do a good job on this. I wanted to know if Christians on this forum generally expect God to give them success in work, love, marriage, family, etc. or do they expect that they will experience sufferings in this fallen world, including persecutions. I threw in the abundant life as an afterthought. I know it may be a mixture of both but what are you mostly focused on?

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? hmmm.....
How about God's sons ? (all of them)
They do expect and receive "scourging".
Hebrews 12:5-7 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him;

6 for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
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