The Household of God Ephesians 2:19


 Living Out The Christian Life

Reading: Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven
 

1. Introduction
The whole basis of the life of a Christian is that the Christian will utilise the New mentality of the mind of Christ Philippians 2:5 in the New Creation and Will be guided by Christian principles as the Bible teaches.
Simple as this may seem it is should be keenly distinguished from Academic life or a vocational life both of which sit on the natural life.
The Christian Life is in it's own class. It is not Academic, it is not vocational and it is not Natural - it is Spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13-14.
When one becomes a Christian the Bible says he IS a new creation. (The meaning of that statement is that you have been created New - This is a Basic mystery for any new creation man)
The Life and manner of this new creation may neither be evaluated by any of the other lives or approved by them. It can only be lived in the light of the Word of God.

1. Basic Characteristics of this Life

Birth
When a new life appears in any life form, it is usually completely weak and dependent on the parents.
The New Life form must be protected, nurtured and taught and gradually brought to independence and eventually maturity.
May I also add that all life forms do not grow at the same rate. Whist it takes human beings nine 9 months to get to the full term pregnancy, it takes the Elephant 20 months and the whale 2 years.
Feeding
1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12,
Feeding is the primary way that all species grow.
The Christian does not grow by feeding or on how much food you can have. These are things which can easily earn man a place in society.
However in the Christian Faith,
The only thing identified for growth in the Bible is The Word of God! 1 Peter 2:2

Similarity is not Equality
Be careful to notice that many of the experiences in the natural are similar to the things of the Spirit. Romans 1:20
Yet they are not necessarily the same. Whist maturity is a function of time, old people are not necessarily mature in the Spirit. John 8:57 The process of growth is different for each Kingdom. Hebrews 6:1-4

What is paper money to the Grasshopper?
The lesson in that statement is that you will never be able to get there true value of a thing unless it was made for your use to bring value to you.
A match box is a very useful tool in the hands of an adult but no responsible parent will leave it in the hands of an infant. It can be dangerous and can bring down your home.
Lesson: Christianity is not for all men. The Bible specifies that it is not for the natural man. The Natural Man cannot please God. 1 Corinthians 2:14

The Character of the Christian
For the reasons given above when a man reduces Christianity to Church Services, Prayer Meetings and Soft and Gentle Words he misses the point. - all men can exhibit these characteristics whether deliberately or in deception but for a Christian these charateristics form the foundation of his life.
If one is not born again, ones life cannot evince(show) these characteristics by default. John 3:3. The one and only requirement for a Christian is to be born again.
Remember that unless you're born, there is no possibility of inheriting these charateristics - you've been born!
 

An Example
If I am born as a girl,
1. there are things I will embrace as a girl, because I Know I am a girl
2. there are things that God has put in my body as a girl and which makes me a girl
3. there are things that society expects from me as a girl
4. there are things I do because that is what is expected from me as a girl and so on

These things distinguish me from boys
Lesson: As you can see it is not what I do that makes me a girl but I do "girly" things because I am a girl.
From the explanation above unless you are born again as a Christian the true Christian life will elude you. John 3:3
Based on our Girl case study, we can deduce how a Christian should should live His life.

1. There are things she embraces because she is a girl.

The example is given not to be used as a format for one to look on but to show how one does things inline with to who she is.
For example it is common for parents to educate ladies to show interest in cooking. Ephesians 5:3. There are things therefore a Christian may not do. It makes his life more in consonance with Christianity. Note that they were Christians before the instruction.
Hebrews 10:25, Again this is advice to Christians not to forsake the assembly of the Saints.

2. There are things that God has put in my body as a girl and which makes me a girl. 1 Corinthians 4:7

This is the crucial part. If you are not given you cannot have. No matter how hard a boy will try they cannot be a girl.
There are things given to a Christian that makes them unique. No matter how hard one tries they cannot have these.
Everlasting life Romans 6:23,
No Condemnation Romans 8:1, 1
John 3:1-2, Good made us Children.
1 Peter 2:8 we are Royals, Priest and a Holy Nation. Etc
No onecan really can do anything to get any of these.

3. There are things that society expects from me as a girl
Similarly there are things expected of a Christian. If there things are not seen it forms the basis for all kinds of confusion.
That is if you are a Christian then society can easily make certain assumptions about you.
Galatians 5:22.  Society expects you to have Love, Joy, Peace, Gentleness etc. It is an anomaly for a Christian to be rowdy for example.

4. Things I do because that is what is expected from me as a girl and so
Matthew 10:8, tells you what you are made to do.
Mark 16:16-17 Also gives a Christian a list if what he should do.
 

Conclusion
We have tried to show by many examples that Christianity is not something a man takes upon himself to do. It is what God has made a man to be. This is where the Kingdom of God and Christianity comes from.

Our take home today is that if you are not born again you cannot be a Christian. If you are not Born Again  let Jesus into your heart and then the rest can follow god bless you

Key Morale

Be Born Again!

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