To be acceptable to God

To be approved of God
Re:17:14: These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of
lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
God's people are (1)called, (2)chosen and (3)faithful.
3 stages to being approved.
Once you are approved on account of the blood of the Lamb, you get acceptable to God.
From being acceptable, we need to get to approved.
These faithful are spoken of in the Book of Revelation.
Re:2:10: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into
prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee a crown of life.
The crown of life is reserved for those who get to be faithful.
It does not mean the called and chosen are cast out, but it would mean that the plan and purpose of God
was accomplished by the faithful.
Jesus is called Faithful.
Re:1:5: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the
prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Re:19:11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
The word of God is true and faithful.
Re:21:5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me,
Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Re:22:6: And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy
prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
M't:22:14: For many are called, but few are chosen.
At Stage 1, many fail to move to the next stage or remain there.
M't:19:2: And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
Great multitudes followed Jesus, but there is little sign of them at His condemnation or afterwards.
Jesus does not commit himself to these multitudes.
Joh:2:24: But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
It is said that of these multitudes, many stopped following him.
Joh:6:66: From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
The multitudes that followed Jesus form the first Group.

The second group is smaller.

Lu:10:1: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his
face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
The seventy here refer to the nos of the Gentile nations.
Reference in Genesis 10.
Ge:10:32: These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by
these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
The third group comprises of the 12.
Lu:6:13: And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom
also he named apostles;
And out of this 12, he called out 3.
M't:17:1: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into
an high mountain apart,
The six days refer to a culmination to the Day of Rest, as in the Days of creation.
Jesus took these 3 to show them this rest.
The transfiguration happens which these 3 beheld.
Peter claims that he is a witness to this majesty.
2Pe:1:16: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
This transfiguration happens 6 days after Jesus mentions the following:
M't:16:24: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me.
M't:16:25: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
M't:16:26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
M't:16:27: For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall
reward every man according to his works.
M't:16:28: Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they
see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
The above are like stages in Christ. Each verse indicates a stage in our walk with Christ.
To the culmination which the 3 beheld on the mout.
So is it, in our life, we have these stages in our life and it will take 6 days, and one the seventh day we
will behold the Son of God with his angels who shall reward every man.
Therefore,
Ph'p:3:14: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Ph'p:3:15: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Gaining God's Approval

Besides the 5 verses indicated in Matthew 16: 24-28, which are introspective, there extrinsic factors
that need to be looked at.
1. Seek The Good of Others.
2. Pass God's Test.
J'g:7:1: Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and
pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by
the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
J'g:7:2: And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the
Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved
me.
J'g:7:3: Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and
afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and
two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
J'g:7:4: And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the
water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with
thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the
same shall not go.
J'g:7:5: So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that
lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one
that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
J'g:7:6: And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred
men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
J'g:7:7: And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and
deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
J'g:7:8: So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel
every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him
in the valley.
Of the 32,000 men that Gideon has gathered, the first test put only 10,000 to arms while 22,000 were
sent back. Of the 10,000 only 300 passed the final test.
The tests are the ordinary things of life. Our attitude towards money, pleasure, honor and comfort.
Circumstances will arise that will take us through this test, and if we fail, we will know it was God's
test, so that we can be careful the next time around. If we pass, we look to the next one.
God is constantly looking at us to see how we fair.
3. Don't be Distracted
Cares of this world will try and drown us.
Lu:21:34: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and
drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Where our focus should be in the midst of the world.
Col:3:2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

How we have to look to the hope of His calling. Like soldiers in Gideons army, always read to battle.
And not to have laid our arms down to drink water.
1Co:7:29: But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as
though they had none;
1Co:7:30: And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced
not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
1Co:7:31: And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
To be the good solider in Christ:
2Tm:2:3: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Tm:2:4: No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him
who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Pleasing God
1Co:10:5: But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the
wilderness.
The Israelites who were led by God out of the Egypt, were redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb,
baptized in the Red Sea and under the Cloud, yet God was not happy with them.
1Co:10:1: Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co:10:2: And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co:10:3: And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co:10:4: And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed
them: and that Rock was Christ.
But they did not please God and the displeased him in many ways:
1Co:10:6: Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as
they also lusted.
1Co:10:7: Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat
and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co:10:8: Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and
twenty thousand.
1Co:10:9: Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co:10:10: Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
1Co:10:11: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Nevertheless he provided for their food and well being, despite them being in the wilderness, they were
protected and provided for.

De:8:4: Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Psalms:105:37: He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person
among their tribes.
He did many miracles in their midst, before drawing them out of Egypt and after drawing them out.
Yet it says, God was angry with them.
Heb:3:17: But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose
carcases fell in the wilderness?
In contrast to the Israelites, we have Jesus in who God was well pleased.
M't:3:17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This voice came from the heavens, and Jesus had not yet even begun his ministry.
Not a single miracle had been done, he was just baptized in the river Jordan by John and here we have
God sending his approval.
You don't have to be God's worker to be approved of him, here was Jesus yet to begin on his
missionary journey and God is well pleased.
What was it about the 30 years of his life that pleased God so much that an audible voice from heaven
made that resounding to clear to us today and then, that this is my beloved son.
He had human parents who may have been limiting.
He was King of Kings, Son of God and here he was living as a carpenter earning his livelihood.
He would have had to earn a living, we know he had 4 brothers and at least 2 sister.
M't:13:55: Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and
Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Providing for a large family would have fallen on him.
His family was poor.
Lu:2:24: And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Le:12:8: And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons;
the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement
for her, and she shall be clean.
Since Mary could not afford the lamb offering, she brought the turtledoves.
So the Son of God was not born in a Palace and could afford every luxury, but was subject to
limitations of wealth, in a world that was made for Him and by Him.
2Co:8:9: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
He was tempted in every dealing, in his subjection to his parents, amongst his peers and his brethren, in
him having to earn a living not by deceit or by guile.
In his own house for whom he provided for, his miraculous birth as per prophesy, his human nature,

and yet it says his brethren did not believe on him.

Despite this, he was humble and subjected to them.
M'r:6:3: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Joh:7:5: For neither did his brethren believe in him.
Despite the world and being in the world, he pleased The Father.
Heb:4:15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Ro:15:3: For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that
reproached thee fell on me.
He had faithfully resisted temptation at every point and He had never sought his own wishes, desired or
will in any matter.
This was what pleased The Father, and Jesus had yet to embark on his missionary purpose, the one
thing for which he had taken birth among men.
God is impressed by our inner character.
He wants us to come to a point where we can believe on him, be humble towards others, place our
subjection and subservience to him, be under his authority, and God is pleased to find that here is a man
who believes on me and so behaves humbly trusting that God looks out for us, keeps us from harm and
sustain us, provides us and provides for us.
And so Jesus in being well pleasing to God.
The first 30 years of his life was spent at work and at home, if he could be faithful in that which is least
he would be faithful in that which is most.
Lu:16:10: He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the
least is unjust also in much.
We are not approved by God on the basis of what we do for his ministry, but rather on the basis of our
faithfulness in the temptations that we face in daily life.
So what is the point of such a testing and temptation.
God's manner is that if I need to give you a lot, I have to know your dealings with the little.
Heb:2:10: For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Jesus could only perfect the salvation if he had gone through all this.
God made his son the sacrifice so, that he experienced all that a human would on the cross and in life
and at work.
Heb:2:16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb:2:17: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people.

To be in a position to minister in the much, you can take the form of a higher being, but of the very
being you are saving, being made like them and then going through all of life so that a just sacrifice can
be made to redeem us.
The highest commendation and greatest gift from God are for those who face the trials and temptations
of life with the same attitude that Jesus faced.
Ph'p:2:5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Ph'p:2:6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Ph'p:2:7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men:
Ph'p:2:8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
That even to the point of death, I would rather die than commit something contrary to God.
Da:3:16: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we
are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Da:3:17: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he
will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Da:3:18: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up.
Gods ennoblement
Joh:1:16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh:1:17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Something we did not have before we have now.
The Law did indeed have the truth, but by itself knowing that truth and keeping it was poles apart.
And the enabling of keeping that truth happens only with Jesus Christ.
Ro:8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Ro:8:3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Ro:8:4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit.
The act of enabling which we could not have enabled ourselves, has a requirement to be met first and
then action.
Eze:36:26: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And since we did not have a heart of flesh but a stony heart, it says:
M't:19:8: He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away
your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
So every action we do, results from a hardness of heart. And our behavior from now can be conformed

to our stony hearts but on account of the enabling a heart of flesh.

And as God looks at us from the heavens:
Psalms:14:2: The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any
that did understand, and seek God.
Is there any that looks and seeks Him,
2Ch:16:9: For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong
in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
And God continuously is looking at man to prove Him.
Job:1:8: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like
him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
God did not consider Job's intelligence, wealth, wisdom or talents or for that matter what Job had done
for God. But God points out that Job fears HIM and eschews evil.
God is looking at Job's character and at his integrity, for they have meaning for Him.
When a man is tested, his character is molded and his integrity will keep him.
God is looking for a man whom he can point out to Satan.
While Satan, the accuser of the brethren is constantly pulling mankind down and casting us down
before our maker. Since his downfall his purpose is just to malign and accuse the brethren, to taunt the
Lord and to show him that mankind was a mistake.
While the Lord is constantly seeking men like Job, who can withstand the assault.
1. Loss of Possessions:
Job:1:9: Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job:1:10: Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he
hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in
the land.
Job:1:11: But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy
face.
Job's answer in this turmoil was:
Job:1:21: And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job:1:22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
2. Accusing Wife and friends:
Job:2:9: Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job:2:10: But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What?
shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job
sin with his lips.
God demonstrates to Satan that there is a remnant on Earth who will submit only to God that they will
accept every trial in this life but light affliction to produce an eternal weight of Glory.
2Co:4:16: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day.

2Co:4:17: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory;
The scripture tells us that:
Ac:2:23: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
This is not saying that every action is determined but is saying our course of life that we take is known
of him. The book of Job renders this more perfectly about the foreknowledge of God. Not in the sense
of that he dictates your actions but in the sense that he is aware of your case at all times.
Job:23:8: Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
Job:23:9: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right
hand, that I cannot see him:
Job:23:10: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
This says that Job can't sense Him, but Job knows that the Lord knows the choices he has exercised,
and it is not one that is independent of Him but precludes and includes Him.
For Job says:
Job:23:11: My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
Job:23:12: Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of
his mouth more than my necessary food.
And we can say this further that, despite the turmoil in our lives
Ro:8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose.