The children of God are those led by the Spirit

God created humans in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). After the fall in Eden, humanity lost that divine connection with God. Adam and Eve saw for the time that they were naked. The glory of God that clothed them was taken off and they had to use fig leaves to cover their nakedness. In God’s eternal plan, God wanted all humanity to reflect the image of His Son. Jesus’ death and resurrection paid for the sin that was committed in Eden and “all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Adam and Eve allowed the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life to lead them to the “forbidden fruit”.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.(Romans 8:14)

When we come to Christ, our senses do not die away. We still have the same feelings and desires but these do not lead us to do what we want. We are led by the Spirit of God. Yes! For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Our conduct is influenced by God’s Spirit. We do not live anyhow. We are careful of the things that do not have eternal value. Our focus is eternity. We do not live according to the flesh (our passions) but we live according to the Spirit (God’s way). “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). We are no longer slaves to sin, fear, guilt, shame, pain, etc. We are the children of God.

Our knowledge of this should lead us to follow our Lord in obedience. Children of the king do not misbehave. We are royals as 1 Peter 2:9-10 quote: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9‭-‬10). Each day is an opportunity for us to show the world our transformation from darkness to the light. We have been shown mercy and out of love, we should share the love of God with as many as possible.

Remember, those who are led by the Spirit are children of God. Who is leading you today?

Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, lead me today, tomorrow and always. Guide me into all truths and show me the way to righteousness. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The breastplate of righteousness

A breastplate is a metal plate worn as defensive armour for the breast and the chest area of the body. The breastplate defends the soldier from getting hurt at the region of the body that is protected. Important to note is that the breastplate also protects the heart from possible injuries. The soldier needs the breastplate to protect themselves. It is not an offensive armour but a defensive one. Paul admonished the Ephesians church that for them to stand their ground against the enemy, they need the breastplate of righteousness. What is the breastplate of righteousness?

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place (Ephesians 6:14)

The breastplate of righteousness refers to the Christian’s character and conduct. Our consistent desire to reflect the life of Christ does not happen without us putting in the effort to daily grow up into the image of Christ. It also requires our faith in the Lord and the assurance of our salvation. Whatever the enemy pushes to us should meet a defensive wall of a righteous Christian character built with faith to reflect the likeness of Christ. The breastplate protects the heart, the chest region, the belly and everything within that region. Since the beginning of the world, the devil has used man’s heart desires to attack man. For example, he knew Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights and would be hungry and therefore brought food as the temptation. The breastplate of righteousness defends us from evil arrows aimed at breaking our defense and destroying what we truly believe.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile” (Rom. 3:22). Our righteousness is from the finished work of Christ but we need to consciously live it out. The devil looks for loopholes in our character and he uses that to attack us. Do not allow a character deformity to be the entry gate for the enemy. Let the word of God dwell richly in you. Have the attitude of Christ. Do not be filled with just food, but by every word that comes from God. Check your circles and do not associate with people who influence you to move away from God.

If the enemy shoots an arrow targeted at your heart, will it hit on the breastplate of righteousness?

The family members of Christ do God’s will!

Family is usually defined as a group of people with a common ancestor. There are different families in the world and each family is either distinguished by a family name or a particular physical trait. When we come to Christ, the size of our family increases drastically because we become related to other brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus is our elder brother (Rom. 8:29). In Mark 3:35, Jesus said that “whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Our relationship with Christ is based on our relationship with the Father. We are a family because we are doing God’s will.

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”(Mark 3:35)

In the past few days, we have identified specific areas that God expects us to align our lives to. God’s will as we saw in Jeremiah 29:11 is to give us a future and a hope. We have been called to live to reflect the image of Christ and that is what makes us a family of Christ. Whenever children or family members of respected people in society misbehave, we are quick to point that out. In the same way, as a family of believers, God expects us to live a certain way of life and this way of life is to be Christlike in all our ways. Whenever a Christian misbehaves, even unbelievers are quick to point that out. This is because even the unbelievers know that there is a particular lifestyle expected of believers.

Whoever does God’s will is the family member of Jesus… If Christ should come back today, will He call you brother and sister? How are you related to other believers in lifestyle, mentality and worship? Can we easily identify you from among the lot as a family member of Christ? Do we need magnifying glasses to really see whose family you belong to? Do you share similar traits with members of other families? Can the devil confess before God that you do not belong to the devil’s family? Your answer to any of these questions should help you know the way forward. If you do not know what the will of God is, take time and read my blogs on Christlikeness and the blogs on the will of God.

We are members of God’s family and that should reflect in our way of life.

Christlikeness: God’s good, pleasing and perfect will

Throughout this month, we have discussed the theme “Christlikeness” and we looked at this theme in many angles. Christlikeness is God’s priority and throughout scripture, He revealed this and gave us ways to be like Christ. In fact, this decision was actually made before the foundation of the earth was laid (Ephesians 1:4). Anyone who comes to Christ must be discipled into Christlikeness. As we mentioned earlier, those who oppose the idea of imitating Christ have raised arguments such as it is a boring lifestyle, it is unattainable, it is difficult, the church leaders are not living it etc. In fact, Christlikeness is never boring or unattainable. It is the life that pleases God!

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(Romans 12:2)

Paul writing to the church in Rome made this lifestyle clear. He admonished the church not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of their mind. Christlikeness begins with a renewal of mindset. How can we know God’s will if we are operating with our own will? For us to be able to test and approve what God’s will is—’his good, pleasing and perfect will’ we must commit to renewing our mindset. God’s will is good… it leads to eternal life. God’s will is pleasing… it is God’s priority for us. God’s will is perfect… it is mankind’s only way to the presence of God.

As we continue to be residents of this world, there are patterns that exist and we should not conform to that. The world has only alternatives, Jesus is the answer. The world and its desire will pass away, the Word of God is eternal. The systems of this world have not been able to give us perfect peace, but the Lord is peace. Let us desire Christlikeness today, tomorrow and always. It is not a one-time lifestyle. It is a daily lifestyle and it pleases the Lord. God from eternity past and till date has made provision for humans to reflect the image of His Son. The name Christians is not just a title, but a lifestyle.

If today is the first time of reading my blog, do take time and reflect on the other blogs on Christlikeness. Remain blessed as you daily renew your mindset to know God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. Shalom!

Christlikeness: Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory

The early Church was persecuted at all sides. They were beaten, imprisoned, destitute, harassed, banished, and sometimes killed. Paul considers these trials as light and momentary troubles. Reading this verse in the 21st century, one is tempted to ask, “how can these troubles be considered light?” However, Paul was aware of the weight of the glory that is ahead of him. Considering the eternal glory in the face of the troubles, the troubles were just light and momentary. It is mind blowing to fully understand what the Church is being transformed into. Imagine an eternity of bliss!!!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

The 21st century church is without its own light and momentary troubles. In some nations of the world, Christians are persecuted to the point of death. In advanced countries, Christians are afraid to express their views on certain topics for fear of being tagged with names. The workplace has become more and more stifling towards Christians and this has led most believers to “lie low” for fear of losing their jobs. Even family and parenting have not been spared. It is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through the educational systems without brainwashing. What do we do?

Jesus gave us a heads up when he stated that “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16 NKJV). As we aim to attain the full measure of Christ in a fallen world, we should know that it calls for us to apply wisdom. We should apply wisdom gained from the word of God to navigate through our light and momentary troubles. Sometimes it feels like you are all alone, but know that we surrendered by a cloud of witnesses (See Heb. 11-12) who are cheering us on to victory. The weight of eternal glory cannot be compared to our light troubles. If you feel like giving up, reach out to your family in the Lord for comfort and assistance.

Know that you are not alone. God is with you, Jesus Christ is interceding for you and the Holy Spirit is your daily comfort. We have an eternal glory that outweighs our momentary troubles. Be encouraged and do not lose hope. This world is not our final destination, Christ is preparing us for an eternity with Him. Hallelujah!

Christlikeness: Bearing the image of the heavenly man

From the dust, God man the first humans on earth and breathed into their nostrils the breath of life. Adam, the first man that was created fell and as a result the whole human race fell. Then Adam and Eve’s descendants populated the world all bearing the Adamic image at birth. So far as we are a product of a man and a woman, whether coming together, or whatever means (technologically) used. We cannot hide from the fact that we were born with the DNA of Adam. This natural man is already sinful at birth because of the fall in Eden. Is there a way out? How can we be like Christ if we are already sinful at birth?

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.(1 Corinthians 15:49)

Thankfully, God’s original plan for humanity to reflect the image of His son was in no way affected by the fall of man. From Genesis until the death and resurrection of Jesus, sacrificial lambs were used to atone for the sin of mankind. This was actually the shadow of reality. As we bore the image of Adam at birth, when we come to Christ, we are transformed into the image of the heavenly man who is Christ Jesus. Jesus was God’s perfect sacrifice because as a result of His virgin birth, He did not have the Adamic DNA. Therefore, His blood was without sin and He himself lived a sinless life as well.

Paul wrote that, “We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. Physical life comes first, then spiritual—a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. In the same way that we’ve worked from our earthy origins, let’s embrace our heavenly ends.”
(1 Corinthians 15:45‭-‬49 MSG) Knowing that we have been called to bear the image of the heavenly man should influence our way of life.

We should know that because of Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin, fear, pain, shame, guilt, depression, confusion and everything else that hold us back from fully enjoying our heavenly status. However, if we are still going through things that do not reflect our heavenly status, then we have to go to the Father for help. We should present all our petitions before our Father. We should also pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:18a). All kinds of prayer includes adoration, praise, worship, thanksgiving, petition, intercession, supplication etc.

Remember since the Garden of Eden, the devil has tried to take us away from the presence of God. Do not give him a space in your life.

Christlikeness: Have an eternity mindset

Growing up, everyone in my Sunday school class was able to effortlessly quote John 3:16. In fact the verse was so much imprinted on our minds that even if we were awakened from sleep, we would have still been able to quote it. However, did we really understand the importance of this verse? Not really! Sometimes it is so easy to be engrossed in church activities and church quotes but difficult to have a relationship with God. We have not been called to just recite verses and creeds, we have been called to eternal life and this must be fully understood in order for us to reflect it in our daily lives.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)

Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus, teacher of the law. Through the conversation, Jesus told Nicodemus of God’s eternal plan for mankind. God so much loved the world that He gave out His one and only Son who ultimately died and resurrected. But, anyone who believes in the Son of God will not perish but have eternal life. In telling Nicodemus this, Jesus emphatically confirmed that the only way to eternal life is by believing in Him (Jesus). Thus, the believer has been chosen to enjoy eternal life and this eternal life comes through Jesus. Therefore, it is understandable that God would expect us to grow into the image of Christ. How can we spend eternity with someone we are not like? It is not possible.

The Christian journey does not end after we depart from this mortal body. We will spend forevermore with the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore, we need to have the Christ life, attitude, lifestyle, mentality, love, hope etc. No one would be happy to be in a union with someone they do not like. The same way, if we have been chosen to have eternal life, then we should start living on earth with an eternity mindset. We should be committed to knowing Jesus more and more through our Bible study, Bible reading, Quiet times, prayer times and also through our lifestyles. We cannot be excused from this Christ-centred lifestyle.

Remember, just as you don’t want to spend a lifetime with someone who is not compatible with you, you cannot spend eternity with the Lord if you do not have an attitude of Christ.

Christlikeness: Following the Lord

One of the many excuses people give for not coming to the Lord is the fact that they cannot leave their previous lifestyles to serve the Lord. Does the Lord desire His followers to abandon their lives and follow Him? This question is not difficult to answer. Imagine working in a brothel… after your conversion, no one expects you to go back to the brothel to work. However, if you are working within the corporate world, the marketplace or doing something legitimate, the Lord does not call you to abandon your life. In fact, you become a marketplace evangelist and you are able to share the love of God with the people around you.

As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
(Mark 2:14)

Levi also known as Matthew was a tax collector and though people working in the tax offices are highly esteemed in our day, in the time of Matthew, it was considered a “bad” choice of work. From Jesus’ Encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), we can imagine the lifestyle of tax collectors. These Jewish “publicans” openly worked for the “oppressors” of their people and shamelessly added more pain by taking more than required. When Jesus arrived at the toll booth of Matthew, Jesus knew the kind of life Matthew was engaged in and the fact that Matthew is hated by his own people. Obviously Matthew would have been called a “bad guy”.

The call of Matthew and many others in scripture shows the extent of God’s love. Many of us were not so special people, we did not have enough ‘goodness’, nor were we considered as ‘godly’ by the people around us. However, when Jesus arrived at the booth of our lives, He threw His arm around us and called us by name and told us to follow him. For some of us, our conversion might have been a ‘surprise’ to the people around us. We might have been ridiculed and avoided by even those in the faith. Yet, we have been called to follow the Master and that is exactly what we are doing. Matthew abandoned the tax booth and took on a new role. He became an apostle of the Lord.

If you have been called to follow the Master, there are some lifestyles that need to be abandoned. Sometimes, letting go of these become difficult and some people tend to get dragged back into their sinful ways. If you know someone who is struggling to remain in Christ because of previous ties, please hold the person’s hand and assist through discipleship to get their feet grounded.
Remember, when we are called to follow the Master, we cannot carry along anything that does not promote the Master’s call.

The songwriter said…
I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back
The world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back

Christlikeness: Becoming like Christ in His death

One of the distinguishing features between Christianity and other religions is the fact that we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus’ sacrificial death atoned for our sins and brought us into a new relationship with God. The fallen state of mankind gained in Eden was restored by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When anyone comes to Christ, that person is a new creation and the old has passed away and the new has come (paraphrased 2 Cor. 5:17). This new creation is dead to the old self. Our baptism is symbolic of this new life.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
(Philippians 3:10)

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom. 6:4). Therefore, the Christian is dead to the old sinful nature and alive to the new man which is being transformed daily into the image of Christ. Christlikeness involves knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection and participating in His suffering and becoming like Him in His death. The resurrection is our hope, knowing that this earthly body which will one day be overcome by death does not end our existence but is a transition into our eternal home.

With this in mind, we daily strive to reflect Christ even in our sufferings. The persecution, the hate, the ridicule, the pain of being rejected for our faith should not separate us from the love of God and from attaining the goal. Christ was glorified after His death. We might not be hanged on the cross because of our faith (thanks be to God for the liberty to worship in most parts of the West), but we should have the mindset that nothing should separate us from this relationship we have with Christ. Paul reiterates this in Romans 8:35 that nothing should separate us from the love of Christ.

Each day as we strive to be like Christ, we should also know that following our Lord comes at a cost and this may be difficult to bear. However, Jesus has already won the battle for us and we need to confidently face the devil as victors. We should know our stand that we have already been crucified with Christ. We no longer live but Christ lives in us and this is our hope.

Christlikeness: We are citizens of heaven

Citizens of a particular nation are distinguished by either their lifestyle, language, culture, food or by all of the above-mentioned. I might have lived in different countries but I can only claim citizenship in the one that I originally lived in or the one that has given me citizenship. In some countries citizenship is by birth but in other countries, being born there doesn’t guarantee a citizenship right. When we come to Christ, we don’t cease to be citizens of our individual countries but we gain a much higher citizenship. This citizenship is not associated with any earthly country but to a divine country. As members of a divine country, our way of life reflects where we come from and where we will ultimately spend eternity.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
(Philippians 3:20)

Paul told the Philippian church that, “but our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body
(Philippians 3:20‭-‬21). There are two systems governing the world. The system of God which is light and the system of the devil which is darkness. As believers, we are members of God’s government and that should reflect in our way of life on earth. In this system of light, we are in a “passing through” stage as we eagerly await the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will ultimately transform our earthly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Having the knowledge that we are eternal citizens of heaven affects everything we do on earth. We demonstrate the attitude of questioning everything we do to know if it pleases the Lord. We subconsciously live our lives obeying the laws of our earthly home but focused on obeying our Lord in the long run. Citizens of heaven are not lawless citizens on earth. In fact Paul reminds us to obey people in authority and even pray for them. If the laws of your earthly country do not reflect the laws of heaven, the best way to get heaven on earth will be to pray “let Your kingdom come and let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Remember, we can only reflect our eternal citizenship if we learn to know the laws that govern the kingdom of heaven.

As a child, one popular Sunday school song kept me on my toes…
“Read your Bible
Pray everyday if you want to grow”

Growing in the kingdom of heaven demands a concentrated effort and this includes a personal relationship with the Lord and a planned effort to know Him more. Know that citizens of heaven strive each day to be like Christ.