Mans's greatest challenge (part five)

Today, we also have been given the choice to choose between living according to the desires of the flesh, the nature of the first Adam, the product of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which are the works of the devil. Or the choice to live according to the spirit, the nature of the Last Adam, the Spirit man from heaven, who is the tree or source of life.

We are admonished by the Apostle Paul therefore saying, “Do not be deceived; evil company corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1Corinthians15:33-34).

It is really a shame for most people not to have known the reason why Jesus Christ took on the sinful nature of man, lived a perfect sinless life in sinful flesh; paid the penalty of sin which is death, for all mankind; resurrected from the dead and gave to all a new life in the spirit, and not knowing the reason why Christ suffered all these things; and what is expected of us.

How many times have we seen or heard people who yield to the desires and passions of the flesh, and give the flesh priority over the Word of God—Jesus Christ and say; God understand! When the reason why Christ died and rose again, is for us to, “No longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again.” It is for us to do away with the body of sin (2Corinthians 5:15; Romans 6:6).

Conquering sin in the flesh is not an automatic transformation which takes place at conversion. It is a concerted effort by the individual, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, to whom we can go boldly to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need, and by the renewing of the mind in the knowledge of Jesus Christ who created us (Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:10).

We are the ones who are to exert the effort, according to our knowledge of Jesus Christ, with the help of God, whom does not give aid to angels but does give aid to the seed of Abraham, to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust. Evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians3:5-9).

Jesus Christ came in the flesh to set us a perfect example that we should follow His steps, “Who committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth.  He was tempted in all points as we are being tempted,” yet He never sinned. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and  once made perfect, He became the source of Eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek” (1Peter 2:21-22; Hebrews 4:15; 5: 7-10).

“God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:3-5).

And, “Inasmuch as Christ suffered in His body, we also are to arm ourselves with the same mind, because he who has suffered in his flesh is done with sin: As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires (sin), but rather for the will of God” (1Peter 4: 1-2).

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To be continued 

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Our greatest challenge (part four)

 

Before the advent of Jesus Christ, the last Adam, man had only the breath of life which they inherited from the first Adam. As it is written; “The first man Adam became a living being” He was of the dust of the earth. And as was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth (1Corinthians 15:45, 47-49)

When Christ the last Adam came to the earth He brought life. He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John.10:10).

 He brought us life because, this is eternal life, that we may know the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father has sent and is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (John.14:6; 17:3; 1John. 5:11-12, 20).

Those who lived and died before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were offered life by Jesus Christ during the three days and three nights He spent in hell, preaching to the spirits in prison as confirmed by the apostle Peter who wrote; “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1Peter 3:18-19; 4:6).

The Lord before He died made mention of this by saying; "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (John.5:24-25);

Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all “Praise to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Who, “In His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1Peter 1:3).

 This living hope is the hope of attaining the immortality of the human body. An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade away. We inherited from the last Adam, the spirit man from heaven life, with the hope of destroying sin in the human body, so that what is now corruptible might become incorruptible, and what is now mortal might become immortal (1Corinthians 15: 45-49).

 The corruptibility and mortality of the human body came as the result of Adam and Eve who chose to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and became like God, knowing good and evil, and now have the prerogative and possibility of choosing evil over good, hence God had to protect the tree of life, for man not to have access to it, less they would eat it and live forever (Genesis 3: 22-24).

 What I find lacking in our education system is the failure to make a clear distinction between the life which is in accordance to the flesh and the one which is in accordance to the Spirit, when we as individuals have to make that choice of using the members of our body as instruments for either the life which is in accordance to the flesh or the life which is in accordance to the Spirt. Again, these times of ignorance God has overlooked but know commands all men everywhere to repent.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Our greatest challenge (Part three

The practicality of the life in the spirit

    What has eluded the mind of most professing believers is the fact that there exist literally a physical man and a spiritual man, man is dual in nature as confirmed in the scriptures stating; “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3: 9-10).

We have been further instructed saying; “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” And, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit: For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” ( 2Corinthians 4:16-17; Romans 8: 5-6).

Now anyone with the Spirit of God should be able to discern clearly whether he/she is spiritual or carnal for we have been duly admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? ---Unless indeed you are disqualified: But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified” (2Corinthians 13:5-6).

Because the differences between the spiritually minded and the carnally minded are clearly manifested as follows: “The carnally minded is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But on the other hand, the spiritually minded are in subjection to the laws of God if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in him/her because God gives His Spirit only to those who obey Him. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His: And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Romans 8:7-10; Galatians 5:24).

As one can clearly see the main differences between a carnally minded and a spiritually minded individual is that of obedience to the laws of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him and the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and desires.

It is high time we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

This new, inward, spiritually minded man was created in Christ Jesus in righteousness and true holiness at His death and resurrection for we have been duly admonished saying; “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:14-18).

 We have also been duly admonished saying’ “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2Corinthians 5:15-17).

 And the apostle Peter wrote; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” And because of this transformation we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and that we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness (1Peter 1:3-5; Ephesians 4:24-24).

 Mankind therefore is both physical and spiritual. He has life which is spiritual and eternal in his spirit, and the breath of life which is physical and temporary in the flesh. God has given to man, life, breath, and everything else so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him. Man is the offspring of both the first and the last Adam.

 These times ignorance God has overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

 To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Our greatest challenge (part two)

 

The sad reality is that most people are ignorant of who we really are since the advent of the last Adam Who gave us a new life in the Spirit. Most people still perceive themselves only as what David described stating; “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalms 51:5).

And so naturally, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” What has eluded the minds of many people is the fact that Jesus Christ at His death and resurrection created a new generation of mankind in Himself by giving humanity a new life in the Spirit.

I do hope and pray that we are sensible enough to make that clear distinction between the life which is in accordance to the flesh and the life which is in accordance to the Spirit. The main difference between the two is that the life which is in accordance to the flesh is hostile and it is not subject to the laws of God and neither can it ever be, while in contrast, the righteous requirement of the law is being fulfilled in those who do not walk according to the flesh but are walking in accordance to the Spirit.

Because, those who living and walking according to the Spirit have received the consolation stating; “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things… But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1John 2:20, 27).

And what gives us this confidence is our enslavement to righteousness because, “If we know that He is righteous, we know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” And; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1John 2:29; 3:7).

But before proceeding any further let us confirm and reestablish what exactly righteousness is. Righteousness according to the psalmist David is all of God’s commandments for he wrote; “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.” And according to the wise king Solomon “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Psalms 119:172; Proverbs 12:28).

Righteousness is the way of life for those who are living and walking in the Spirit: One does not keep the law and commandments of God to become righteous, but rather, one obeys the law and commandments of God because he/she is righteous because, according to the apostle Paul; “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain" (Galatians 2:21).

Some people just do not understand and have not grasped the co-relation between the law and grace when the apostle Paul made it so abundantly clear by stating; “For sin (lawlessness) shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin (transgress the law) because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:14-16)

Note carefully that, one is either a slave of sin which is to be lawless and a transgressor of the law or, one is a slave of righteousness which is to be obedient to the law which leads to righteousness. To be lawless and disobedient is the way of the flesh, on the other hand, to be obedient to the law leads to righteousness and it is the way of the Spirit.

It is important to note that neither grace nor faith made the law null and void as explicitly stated by the apostle Paul who wrote: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” And later he asked a question saying; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet" (Romans 3:31; 7:7).

So why some professing believers are so antagonistic towards the law and think that they can transgress and disregard it with impunity because we are not under law but under grace? The crux of the matter is, sin is not imputed when there is no law, and since no one can say that, I have no sin, or, I have not sinned signifies that the law is still in force. What is important to know is that; “the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20).

And the way grace abounded much more is that, with the law the wages of sin is death, but with grace there is forgiveness as we have received the consolation saying; “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1John 2:1-2).

Please note carefully that the admonition is not for those who sin or disobey the laws of God with impunity because the scripture did not say, “and when anyone sins” but rather, “and if anyone sins” signifying that it is something accidentally or peradventure committed and not something habitually or committed with impunity.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Our greatest challenge

Man’s greatest challenge is indeed his main objective in life, and that is to, fulfill the will of God as we have been duly admonished saying; “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness: Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (1Thesolanians 4:1-8).

What is of paramount importance to know is that, the reason for Christ’s death and resurrection is to do away with the body of sin as we have been duly instructed saying; “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin: For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:5-7).

 Sin as we all should know is this powerful insatiable desire of the flesh for self- gratification, it is the nature we inherited from the first Adam which has the capability of deciding for itself what is right and what is wrong and described as; being deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, it is defined as, the transgression of God’s laws, all unrighteousness, the omission of duty, not acting from faith and the thoughts of foolishness (Jeremiah 17:9; 1John 3:4). (Proverbs 24:9; James 4:17; Romans14:23).

This sinful nature manifests itself in what is termed; “The works of the flesh” which according to the apostle Paul; “are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

It also manifests itself it what is termed; “The wisdom of men” as alluded to by the apostle James who wrote; “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:13-16).

Sin, the passion and desires of the flesh and worldly wisdom, is what competes with God: This is what we all give precedence before and above God. Hence the reason why sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, faith in human wisdom are all idolatrous. And it is certain that, “No immoral, impure or greedy person who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

We do not need anyone to judge us, in fact we have been duly admonished saying; “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified: But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified” (2Corinthians 13:5-6).

The crux of the matter is, “if Christ is in us, the body (sensual desires) is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” And so the admonition is; “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors --- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:10; 12-13).

There are two very important things one should note carefully with reference to being a new creation which are;

a.  a. The way of life in the Spirit is known as the way of righteousness, which according to the Psalmist David; “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.” On the other hand the way of life in the flesh is known as sin which according to the apostle John is the transgression of God’s law, because he wrote; “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” Two distinct practical ways of life that are diametrically opposite to each another (Psalms 119:172; 1 John 3:4).

b.   b. Being a new creation due to the spiritual mutation between the Spirit of God and the spirit of man has produced a completely new creature.

A A literal and practical example of this new creation is the end result of having a donkey to mate with a horse and produces a new breed known as a mule. Now we have been admonished saying; “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

 But unfortunately, due to the lack of knowledge, understanding and belief of who we are as the new creation we rather continue serving our fleshly desires rather than serving God, and so, we have been duly admonished saying; “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience: Therefore, do not be partakers with them” (Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:5-7).  

Most people are ignorant of who we really are since the advent of the last Adam Who gave us a new life in the Spirit. Most people still perceive themselves only as what David described stating; “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalms 51:5).

 And so naturally, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” What has eluded the minds of many people is the fact that Jesus Christ at His death and resurrection created a new generation of mankind in Himself. He gave humanity a new life in the Spirit

.https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Whatever happened to Christ's prayer?

Whatever happened to Christ’s prayer?

In the seventeenth chapter of the book of John, Jesus Christ prayed to the Father on behalf of Himself, His disciples, and to all believers. This prayer is quite remarkable and consists of some very important points.

Jesus prayed saying; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John.17:20-23).

I therefore, beg to ask the question, whatever happened to this prayer has it become obsolete? Was it offered in van? One thing for sure it was quite evident and very effective during the first century church, scripture confirms that, “All the believers were together and had everything in common” and, “all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 2:42; Acts 4:32).

The apostle Paul also made an urgent plea by saying; “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1Corinthians 1;10).

So let us take a closer examination at this all important prayer and see how we can better understand and apply it.

1. Those who believe in Me through their word (message)!

To believe in Jesus Christ through the word of others is a specific message that is assigned to those who are called to preach the good news of salvation. But what is the message we are to believe since there are so many conflicting messages? John the apostle wrote; “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not [practice] live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1John 1:5-7).

So then, the most important criterion of the message which is also the catalyst for unity and peace among believers, the body of Christ is truth, because truth is synonymous to light and the admonition is that, God is light and in Him there is absolutely no darkness. Signifying that, the main building block that will unify the body of Christ is truth.

Truth is of God and anything contrary is of the devil as we have been forewarned saying; “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

The message that is assigned to all those who are called to spread the good news of salvation is first and foremost the truth because we have been forewarned saying; “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head --- Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).    

So the most important question for everyone who would like to see and have unity in the body of Christ is to be certain that what we are being taught is the truth, and what is truth? According to the Psalmist David; “The entirety of God’s word is truth.” And Jesus Christ said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Psalms 119:160; John 17:17).

So then, truth is nothing more or less than the word of God and in addition to that we have been duly warned saying; “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

The crux of the matter is, in order to have unity and peace in the body of Christ, the teachings or doctrines must be based on scriptures because, according to the apostle Paul He wrote; “Now brethren, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you, otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians15:1-4).

Here is a typical example why the church is so divided, the scriptures state clearly that, “For as Jonah was three days [36 hrs.], and three nights [36 hrs.] in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew12:40).

Now there should be no ambiguity as to how long is three days and three nights and how long Jesus Christ spent in the heart of the earth because Jesus stated quite distinctly; “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light” (John1:9).

The teachings and doctrines of the apostles are designed for all humanity, Jews as well as Gentiles, because they were instructed to, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. And again it is written, “The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Mathew.28:18-20; Luke 24:47).

Unfortunately, according to Jesus, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (John 3:19-21).

The sad reality is that, the majority of people rather follow the customs and traditions of men than obeying the word of God. What a travesty!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1466328568

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

How well do we know Jesus Christ?

How well do we know Jesus Christ?

Knowing Jesus Christ is our primary objective in life, but the question is, how well do we know Him? From early childhood I learnt that, “God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” The scripture is full with admonitions such as, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:9-10).

       Because of Christ’s preeminence the apostle Paul wrote; “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10).

 The apostle Peter encouraging the steadfastness of the brethren wrote; “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2Peter 3: 17-18).

 We are told that “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head --- Christ --- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:10-16).

 The true knowledge of Jesus Christ is paramount, if we are to grow to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, for: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:18).

Therefore, our spiritual growth is dependent on how well we know Jesus Christ and how much of His nature that is being formed in us as we have been duly admonished saying; “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

And if the nature of Jesus Christ has been formed in us we will honor Him just as we honor the Father because the admonition is, “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him”. And this I am afraid is the major downfall of modern day Christianity the sin of irreverence. But truly these times of ignorance God has overlooked and now commands all men everywhere to repent.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph