Developing a Christ-like character

Developing a Christ-like character

In Matthew 5:4, Jesus Christ described Christians as “light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Every true Christian is by compulsion supposed to exhibit a Christ-like character. By God’s standard, it should be easy to distinguish Christians from unbelievers. Unfortunately, this is not so today because many Christians have chosen to be hearers and not doers of the word of God. According to the record in James 1:22, Christians are supposed to “be doers of the word and not hearers only.”

It is necessary to note here that in most cases, God’s blessings are tied to our level of faith in His infinite abilities. Faith can be described as the currency with which Christians buy whatever they want from God’s store. It is recorded in Hebrews 11:6 that, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Furthermore, Romans 10:17 gives a deep insight into the true source of faith-building. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God.”

The word of God is indeed the ultimate source of the good life we all seek through fasting, prayers, and other religious rites. According to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It explains the fact that the word of God is capable of determining life and death. More than that, the word of God is filled with wisdom to help guide us right. This fact is further confirmed in Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Jesus Christ is our model. As a result, every Christian is expected to emulate His lifestyle. It is therefore necessary to point out that the only way man can achieve fulfillment in life is to develop a Christ-like character. Any profit, pleasure, or achievements made outside God’s guiding principles will lead to loss and grief.

In order to be able to develop a Christ-like character, one must first confess and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of mankind. It is this confession that will secure us God’s forgiveness, which will entitle us to His abundant grace and favour.

Let us quickly consider the seven major traits of Jesus Christ every Christian is supposed to copy.

1. Love. Just as recorded in Matthew 22:37-38, Love is the first and greatest commandment. Every true Christian must therefore allow the spirit of love to lead him or her. Without love, the essence of Christianity will be defeated. God loved us and sent Jesus to die for our sins. We must at every time do well to sacrifice our very best in order to save, help, or make others happy.
2. Humility. God does not like the proud. In most instances, proud people are usually tempted not to seek God’s opinion but instead rely on their human wisdom or strength. Most wealthy act in manners that suggest they do not need God’s direction. According to Psalms 10:4, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” We all know that people who do not respect God can afford to do anything. This is why democracy has not been able to do much for the masses. Proverbs 28:12 supports this opinion. In the midst of all these, Christians need the grace of God to survive. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Bible says, “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee.” Compare this to James 4:6, where it is stated that, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” For us to enjoy God’s grace, we must lead a life of humility.
3. Compassion. We must learn how to show sympathy for those in need and pain. Christ did much of this. Without Christians, communal and political life should be incomplete. That was why Jesus described Christians as salt of the world (Matthew 5:13).
4. Patience. Christians must learn to be patient even when faced with trails and temptations. We must also be patient with those that hate us, accuse us wrongly, or seek our hurt. Patience also requires us to be careful, talk less, and shun anger. See James 1:19. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Patient people hardly get into trouble because they count every of their words.
5. Prayerfulness. It is often said that prayer is the key to God’s heart. Indeed, prayer is one very important way Christians communicate with God. When we pray, it demonstrates the fact that we recognize God’s supremacy and authority over us.
6. Faith. Every Christian must have the Abraham kind of faith in order to win God’s heart. This is the only way we can please God. Hebrew 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Most of us have found it very difficult to please God owing to our wavering faith. This is responsible for our many unanswered prayers.
7. Courage. Because of the trials, temptations, and difficulties many people face in life, Christians need high amount of courage to keep their faith alive by confronting Satan and its agents.       

Seek blessings that will bring no sorrow

It is the desire of every Christian to have an Abraham kind of faith. In Hebrew 11:6, the Bible says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he who cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It is faith that makes Christians develop the confidence in the ability of God to reward their diligence. What dos the Bible teach about diligence? The Bible has a record in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” God does not cheat. He rewards each and everyone according to his or her labour and faith.   

The difficulties and challenges Christians face are unique opportunities for us to exercise absolute faith in God. Faith is like iron. It cannot be tested in a refrigerator. Promotion comes only after a test. Those who expect promotion without passing the test of life can be likened to the son of a principal that did not write an exam but expects to be promoted because of the position his father holds.

It is very common to see Christians tempted to “Curse God and die” because of what they are passing through. The Kingdom of God is for Christians. If we all “Curse God and die”, who will inherit the Kingdom of God? We are reminded in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, raveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” In Genesis 6:33, Jesus says, we must “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” What are the things that will be added unto those that seek the kingdom of God? See Genesis 6: 31-32. “Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that, ye have need of all these things. ”Most of us have been led away from the presence of God because of food, clothing, rent, children, jewelries, cars, and even wine. There is no doubt that Satan can give all of these. The truth is that, gifts from Satan come with a huge price. If Satan gives you money, he will take away the happiness that it brings. If Satan gives you a shoe, he will take away the leg to wear it. On the other hand, Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”  

Unlike Satan, Jesus Christ has already paid the ultimate price for our salvation and blessings. Faith is the voucher Christians use to claim whatever they want from God. Remember that we cannot please God without faith. God does not also answer the prayers of a sinner. It therefore means faith and righteousness are the secrets to God’s heart.  

How do we place the Cart and Horse?

The Bible says in Galatians 6:7 that “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” It only means that we are responsible for all the problems we face in life. In most cases, even Christians fail to realize that we are not equipped to rely on our intelligence. As sinners, our righteousness is classified as “filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6). Indeed, sin takes us away from the presence of God so that we are unable to move Him to listen to our prayers. This is the lamentation of Prophet Isaiah. “And there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 64:7).

In Proverbs 3:5, the Bible is very clear about our limits as humans. We should neither trust in humans nor rely on our wisdom. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Most times, we make the mistake of trusting in our academic knowledge, financial and material possessions. Why should man that has no control of what will happen in the next minute be arrogant before God?

Those who depend on their wisdom, strength, relations, friends, neighbors and wealth can be likened to a man that put his cart before the horse. A Cart cannot pull a Horse. It is the horse that is supposed to be in front to pull the cart. This is one reason why most of us are stagnant in our marriages, work places, businesses, and education. Jesus is the Horse. We are in the Cart. Let us allow Jesus to give us direction.

When we allow God to guide us, we would make no mistakes. For God to be our guide, we must do away with arrogance, pride, and doubt. When we come to the point of realization that it is God that gives us the power to make wealth; the spirit of arrogance and pride in us will die. This is the account of Deuteronomy 8:18, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”    

Furthermore, one simple way we can kill the spirit of doubt is to count our blessings. Through the acknowledgement of God’s numerous blessings in our lives, the negative spirit that make us doubt the abilities of God to take care of our needs will die and thereby free us to benefit from His abundant grace. The Bible says, without faith we cannot please God. Doubt is the weapon Satan uses to stop our faith from growing.

Why did Jesus not turn stones into bread?

Why did Jesus not turn stones into bread?

During the temptation of Jesus Christ, Satan asked Him to turn stones into bread. Was it that Jesus knew He could not turn stones into bread and therefore ignored Satan? For obvious reasons, Jesus refused to do the bidding of Satan not because He cannot turn stones to bread. As Christians, we are sometimes tempted to show off the power of God when challenged by unbelievers. There is nothing wrong in doing this provided it is not in conflict with God’s standard. Remember that Satan is very wise. That was why he tried to trick Jesus into obeying him.

Satan knew very well that Jesus Christ could not deny the fact He is the Son of God. For this reason, Satan tried to play a fast one on Jesus Christ by saying, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (Matthew 4:3). There was no doubt about the fact that He was the Son of God. The issue was that Jesus had no reason to obey Satan (commit sin) in order to prove that He was the Son of God.

In the same manner, we should not do anything that is in conflict with God just to prove or confirm something. As Christians, we are sometimes forced to swear in order to prove our innocence or perform certain cultural rites before we could be given chieftaincy titles. Most cultural rites involve making sacrifices to evil spirits and dead ancestors. This is unacceptable to God. Exodus 20:3 is very specific about this. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The Bible also says in James 5:12, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”   

Satan uses material possessions to lure Christians away from God. It was in anticipation of this fact that the Bible has asked this thought-provoking question: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Let us be wise.           

Dealing with problems of Anger

Dealing with the problems of Anger

Satan is a thief. The Bible has revealed to us in John 10:10 that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” As Christians, we must therefore be mindful of the many devices Satan and its agents uses to drag us out of the canopy of God’s grace. Anger is one of them.

Being tempted does not amount to committing sin. What will qualify for sin is yielding to the temptation. For instance, Satan tempted Jesus Christ but He refused to yield to the abominable wishes of the tempter. The same thing applies to anger. It is quite instructive to note that anger is not a sin. However, we commit sin when the spirit of anger influences our thoughts and actions negatively. We need great amount of divine wisdom to conquer the spirit of anger. According to James, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:2-5). Also note the record of Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun goes down upon your wrath.” The truth is that, it would be extremely difficult for human beings to take good decisions while angry. It would therefore be safe to suggest that no form of decision should be taken if one is angry.

As bad as anger is, it also presents us with opportunities to assess our actions. Anger is a natural way of reminding us that we have erred. It acts as a bump on the highway that leads to condemnation. For this reason, do not be quick to blame people when they get angry with you. First, find out the reason for the anger. Probe your conscience to see if there is a genuine reason for the anger. Should there be any, make sincere attempt to apologise for the omission or commission. Owing to either pride or arrogance, we tend to claim right even when we are wrong. Christians are supposed to be humble, meek, and gentle. People with these human qualities will always say “sorry” when they are wrong. There are several instances in the Bible where God, Jesus, prophets, and the Apostles were angry with the people of Israel. Punishment followed only after they refused to humble themselves and accept guilt. More than that, God does not listen to the prayers of arrogant people. That was why God said in 2 Chronicle 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Let us not forget the fact that it is not natural for God or man to smile when people behave abnormally. However, the Bible warns that, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8). Rather than rebel, we should see other people’s anger as reminders that we have erred.

In most cases when we are angry, we tend to speak harsh words or wish to repay evil for evil. This is not the life style of a Christian. According to Romans 12:21, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” It is also recorded in Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.”

Love conquers everything. For one to defeat the spirit of anger, we must soak our thoughts and actions in love. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” God first demonstrated the important place of love by sacrificing His only Son for our sins. 

Furthermore, let us try to live in peace with our relations, neighbors, friends, and colleagues despite the temptations that may come our way. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18). We should draw closer to God and seek peace with everybody around us. With this, the spirit of anger will not find a place in our heart. No wonder, the Bible says in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When once the spirit of God is in control, we would manifest His nature and be incapable of doing evil.

Let us remember that anger does not do God any good. Those in leadership position must take note of this and avoid wearing anger on their faces and tie their tongues whenever they are angry. According to James 1:20, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Wise people are always mindful of their tongue. “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18). Note what the Bible says about the tongue. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6).

Finally, let us also consider what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-24, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. James 1:19 completes it by saying, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to

Is it right for a Christian to judge others?

Is it right for a Christian to judge others?

If ever there is a scripture that is grossly misunderstood, it is Matthew 7:1. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” The reason for this misunderstanding is not far fetched. First, it is the wish of Satan and its agents that we are denied the knowledge of truth about God. It is owing to the lack of the knowledge of God that men are destroyed through the many traps of Satan. (Hosea 4:6). Satan is aware that truth will help set us free from the bondage of ignorance and sin. (John 8:32).

Many Christians would hurriedly quote Matthew 7:1 each time they are confronted with their errors, omissions, or commissions. They believe that only God has right to correct them or point out their errors. This is not true. Let us attempt to define what to “judge” means. According to the definition of Cambridge Advanced Learner’s dictionary, to judge is, “to form, give or have as an opinion or to decide about something or someone especially after thinking carefully.” It also defines a judge as, “A person who has the knowledge to give an opinion about something or is able to decide whether something is good.” How do we reconcile this with Matthew 7:1?

For reasons closely linked to the wide acceptance of Biblical teachings, most people try to validate their actions with scriptures in the Bible. In most cases, their reference to scriptures does not interpret the mind of God. Take for instance someone who justifies polygamy because King Solomon had many wives and concubines. There are people who defend their feat of anger with reference to Jesus cursing the fig tree as recorded in Matthew 21:18-19. The Bible must not be read upside down. God is a spirit and we must be spiritual to understand His mind. This was the reason why Jesus recommended that we “worship God in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24). What then is the truth about Matthew 7:1?

Truth is one the pillars of Christianity. Although, it is bitter, Christians are expected to stand by the truth no matter the consequences or situation. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul enjoined Timothy and other brethren to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” As Christians, we cannot reprove, rebuke, or exhort without saying the truth. In saying the truth, we would definitely be forced to make judgments. Nevertheless, we are cautioned to judge with wisdom and humility. See also Titus 1:13: “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

In saying, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”, Christ had a good intention. This is hidden in verse 2 of the same chapter. Unfortunately, supporters of “Judge not, that ye be not judged” are too busy to even recognize this. It says, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Jesus Christ in His infinite wisdom was only saying: “Practice what you preach.” This opinion is confirmed in Mathew 7:3-5. “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

In Jesus’ opinion, a thief should not accuse another of stealing. A corrupt person should not point accusing fingers at another man that has stolen public funds. A fornicator has no right to counsel others against fornication. Only upright people have the right to criticize or correct others. How will you feel if someone who committed the same offense with you is asked to sit in judgment against you? In making criticisms or corrections, we must be humble and having a genuine intention to save the person from harm. In many cases, people make criticism in order to humiliate others. This is not in line with God’s principle.       

How to build our faith in God

The foundation of the Christian faith is built on the unshakable belief that God is Supreme, creator of Heaven and Earth, owner of lives, and has the final say in the affairs of men and society. Without these convictions, our faith will be as helpless as a cup of ice cream under the heat of a scorching sun. Despite this fact, most Christians still lack faith in God. How then can we build our faith?

In Hebrew 11:1, the Bible describes faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In order words, faith is the currency we use in paying to own the future we desire. God is the owner of wealth. He does not need our money.

According to Romans 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It means that we must be ready to listen and accept the word of God. A Christian that is desirous of building his or her faith must accept wholeheartedly that the Bible is the mind of God and is sure to give perfect direction. Psalms 119:105 quotes the Psalmist as confessing that, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The world will be a better place if we follow the mind of God as contained in the Bible. See Leviticus 26:3-12.

Instead of listening to the mind of God, many Christians, especially in Africa see the Bible as a mere literature used as tool of colonization by European nations. This argument is false. Millions of Africans have through the Bible been freed from the burden of ignorance and guilt of sin.

It is the desire of every genuine Christian to please God. This is one sure way we can win God’s heart and secure the license to benefit from Matthew 7:7. The Bible says in Hebrew 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” One cannot understand why Christians would expect God to answer their prayers when they have not done enough to please Him. Lack of faith has forced many people to leave God’s presence in search of blessings and protection from lesser gods and witch doctors.

One fundamental factor associated with building faith is humility. It takes a great amount of humility for someone to rely on an invisible Being called God. Pride and arrogance have caused many to ignore the awesome personality of God. Most rich people are blinded by their possessions and influence. They therefore despise God to trust and rely on their wealth. No wonder, Jesus said in Matthew 19:23-24, “Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

As part of ways to build our faith, we must endeavour to trust in the infinite abilities of God. We can trust God if only we appreciate who He really is. In 1 John 4:8, the Bible says, “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.” Furthermore, the book of Numbers 23:19 has a record that, “God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?  Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” If as Christians, we truly believe these scriptures, why should we continue to doubt God’s ability and promises in the Bible and what He says through His servants? “Doubt” is one of the weapons Satan uses to weaken the faith of believers.

In John 20:29, Jesus said, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” God is not a man. Like Thomas Didymus, we have refused to see God as God. This is one reason why it has been difficult for many to trust Him. How will you feel if your child acts in manners that betray a total lack of confidence in you? Appreciation or disappointment? Your answer is exactly how God feel about our unbelief in His ability to bless and protect us. 

Finally, we can also develop our faith by listening to the testimonies of other brethren. The work of God in the lives of our family members, friends, colleagues, and neighbors can help us develop confidence in God and thereby strengthen our faith.

What is the spiritual root of our earthly parents?

In John 8:32, Jesus Christ revealed to us that, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Most of the problems we face in life have deep root in our earthly parentage. The Bible is very clear about the principle of sowing and reaping as recorded in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” One cannot be wicked to other people’s children and expect his or her own to enjoy peace.

One truth that will help to set us free as revealed in John 8:32 is that the sins of our parents can be visited on us if we are not covered by God’s salvation through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross of Calvary. Let us ask ourselves this question: Did our parents/grandparent/fore parents worship idols or seek power, protection, or wealth from devilish mediums in the past? Note Exodus 20:5-6. “Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that loves me and keeps my commandments.” The only way we can be saved from the sins of our earthly parents is to love Jesus Christ. Let us consider John 14:21. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” When God manifest Himself in us, we would be able live above sin by resist the Devil (James 4:7) and equally do far more greater things than Christ did John 14:12).

Finally, we should not for any reason ignore the root of our earthly parentage. When Pharaoh disobeyed God, the first sons of all Egyptians and even their animals died. (Exodus 11:5). Up until today, many people are dieing because of the evils and stubbornness of their parents. This is one important reason why every one of us should reconsider our roots and reconcile ourselves with God in order to be gathered under His canopy so that we can enjoy good health, favour, and prosperity. This is because God loves and wants the best for us. He has practically demonstrated this love by sacrificing Jesus Christ, His only Son for our sins. (John 3:16).