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Bible studies:
As a diligent student of the Bible, you will want to make sure the Bible really says what this study says. Always remember to test all things with God's word - as the Bereans did. They "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). First, read the study all the way through, without looking up the Scriptures. Then read the study again, this time looking up the Scriptures. Highlight or mark each verse you look up so you can easily find it later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Being a friend of God is not as difficult as it may seem. It involves a simple matter of respect. You do not obey one whom you do not respect. If you did not respect your earthly father, you did not obey him. If, however, he punished you for disobeying him, you would, in turn, respect and obey him. In the same manner, to obey God is to serve God. To serve God is to love God, and to love God is to serve our neighbor first, before self (1 Cor. 10:24). Even Jesus Christ, our example, did not live to serve Himself, but others (Rom. 15:3). He came to show us how to be servants of God by being servants of others (Matt. 20:26-28; Phil. 2:5-7). He taught us to serve God by serving the sick, the blind, the lame, the widow in distress; by visiting or caring for orphans; by giving to those who ask things of us; and by doing many such acts of righteousness for God and His glory (James 1:27). These are ways we produce fruits of righteousness for God. God’s Will is righteousness, and when we perform righteousness, we are doing the Will of God on this earth as it is being done in heaven. If the Father in heaven is continually doing righteousness, which He is, and Jesus Christ constantly performed good deeds to be pleasing to the Father when He was here on earth, how much more should we strive to do good deeds for God (John 4:34; 5:30, 34; 6:63; 8:29; 12:47, 50)? We do this by practicing righteousness daily to please Him in every way in order to imitate and obey Him (Eph. 5:1). Once we are aware that God rewards righteousness and punishes wickedness on a daily basis like a loving father, we know that we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). So if all we sow is righteousness, then we will reap God’s blessings each day! (Feel free to give copies of this study to others who want to know God’s truth. You will be doing God’s Will when you show and tell others how to live this special Way.) Bible studies:
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