A. Obedient believers are a blessed & chosen people:

1PE 2:9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

EXO 19:5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

DEU 7:6. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

DEU 14:2. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

ISA 43:4. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

MAT 22:14. For many are called, but few are chosen.

JOH 15:16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

EPH 1:4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

REV 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.

B. Jesus bought us; we belong to Him:

1COR 3:23. And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

1COR 6:20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1COR 7:23. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

REV 5:9. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

1PE 1:18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1PE 1:19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

MAT 20:28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

GAL 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

1TI 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

1TI 2:6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

C. Instead of making us slaves He adopted us as children & heirs:

GAL 4:5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

EPH 1:5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

EPH 1:6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

EPH 1:7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

ROM 8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

ROM 8:15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

ROM 8:16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

MAT 12:50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

GAL 4:6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

GAL 4:7. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

ROM 8:17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

JOH 15:15. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

2COR 6:18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

HEB 2:11. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

1JOH 3:1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

D. We are spiritually married to the Lord:

ISA 54:5. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

ISA 62:5. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

JER 3:14. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

HOS 2:19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

HOS 2:20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

ROM 7:4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

2COR 11:2. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

REV 19:7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

REV 19:8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

REV 19:9. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

EZE 16:8. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

EPH 5:28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

EPH 5:29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

EPH 5:30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

EPH 5:31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

EPH 5:32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

E. We live & abide in Him & He lives in us:

JOH 14:23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

JOH 15:1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

JOH 15:2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

JOH 15:3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

JOH 15:4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

JOH 15:5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

JOH 17:26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

2COR 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2COR 6:16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

1JOH 4:13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

1JOH 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.

ACT 17:28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

F. We are Jesus' body:

EPH 1:22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

EPH 1:23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

EPH 5:30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

COL 1:18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

1COR 12:12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1COR 12:13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1COR 12:14. For the body is not one member, but many.

1COR 12:15. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1COR 12:16. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1COR 12:17. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

1COR 12:18. But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

1COR 12:19. And if they were all one member, where were the body?

1COR 12:20. But now are they many members, yet but one body.

1COR 12:21. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

1COR 12:22. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

1COR 12:23. And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

1COR 12:24. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

1COR 12:25. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

1COR 12:26. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1COR 12:27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

G. We are God's temple:

1COR 6:19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

2COR 6:16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

EPH 2:19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

EPH 2:20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

EPH 2:21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

EPH 2:22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

HEB 3:6. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

H. Jesus is our shepherd we are His sheep:

JOH 10:1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

JOH 10:2. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

JOH 10:3. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

JOH 10:4. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

JOH 10:5. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

JOH 10:6. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

JOH 10:7. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

JOH 10:8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

JOH 10:9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

JOH 10:10. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

JOH 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

JOH 10:12. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

JOH 10:13. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

JOH 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

JOH 10:15. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

JOH 10:16. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

JOH 10:17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

JOH 10:18. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

JOH 10:19. There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

JOH 10:20. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

JOH 10:21. Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

JOH 10:22. And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

JOH 10:23. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

JOH 10:24. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

JOH 10:25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

JOH 10:26. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

JOH 10:27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

JOH 10:28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

JOH 10:29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

HEB 13:20. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

PSA 23:1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PSA 23:2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

PSA 23:3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

PSA 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

PSA 95:7. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

PSA 100:3. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

PSA 78:52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

PSA 79:13. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

ISA 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

MAT 25:32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

MAT 25:33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

JOH 21:15. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

JOH 21:16. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

JOH 21:17. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

I. He loved & rescued us when we were lost & gone astray:

1PE 2:25. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

ISA 53:6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

EZE 34:1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

EZE 34:2. Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

EZE 34:3. Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

EZE 34:4. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

EZE 34:5. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

EZE 34:6. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

EZE 34:7. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

EZE 34:8. As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

EZE 34:9. Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

EZE 34:10. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

EZE 34:11. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

EZE 34:12. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

MAT 9:36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

LUK 15:3. And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

LUK 15:4. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

LUK 15:5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

LUK 15:6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

LUK 15:7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.