The Character of Christ (17): Thanksgiving

Another aspect of Jesus’ character that may not be very apparent is Thanksgiving. While He walked as a man on the earth, Jesus gave us an impeccable example of a thankful heart. He gave thanks to the Father for everything, even the seemingly little things. In studying the life of Jesus, we would come to see that thanksgiving is very much linked with humility, as Christ gave thanks to the Father instead of ascribing glory to Himself.

The bible records in Matt. 15:36, that He had compassion on the multitude because they had been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat. He took the seven loaves and the fishes that they had, gave thanks, broke them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And four thousand men, besides women and children were filled and the left-over filled seven large baskets. We see here that He offered a prayer of thanks to God. This was exactly the same thing He did when He fed the five thousand (John 6:11).

In addition, Luke 10:21 records that, after He had told the disciples to rejoice because their names are written in heaven, “in that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” He offered up thanksgiving to the Father, that the counsel of God concerning man’s reconciliation to Himself was revealed to such ordinary and unlearned people as his disciples rather than scholars and philosophers.

In raising up Lazarus from the dead, the bible records in John 11:41 that Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. Even though, He is the Son of God, with authority, having life in Himself, and power to quicken whomever He wants, yet He ascribed glory to the Father. Also, whenever He had Holy Communion with His disciples, He always gave thanks. “And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, take this, and divide it among yourselves. And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave to them, saying, this is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:17,19)

Finally, a question Jesus asked after healing ten lepers as recorded in the Gospels clearly reveals His attitude towards thanksgiving and His expectation of us in that regard. Jesus had healed ten lepers of the most dreaded disease of the day (lepers were cut off from every aspect of normal life-they were not even allowed to be with their families or receive any greeting). However, only one of them came back to say “thank you.”“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.” (Luke 17:15) “Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17–18) 

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you an ingrate? Do you take the blessings of God for granted? Do you assign thanks to God or do you take the glory? Are you too proud to attribute your successes to God and give thanks to Him? Are you engulfed in negativity, listing your misfortunes, or do you rejoice in the benefits God has given you?

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18)

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be thankful like you!

Knowing Christ and Being Like Him

Written by Steven J. Cole

Someone has wisely pointed out, “One of the most dangerous forms of human error is forgetting what one is trying to achieve” (Paul Nitze, in Reader’s Digest [7/92], p. 137). That is especially true in the Christian life. It’s easy to get sidetracked. We need to be clear and focused at all times on what it is we’re after.

What is the goal of the Christian life? If we forget it, we’re not likely to achieve it. It can be stated in several forms, but in our text, the apostle Paul nicely sums up what we’re supposed to be aiming at:

The goal of the Christian life is to know Christ and to be like Him.

That’s it, isn’t it! Christianity is definitely not a religion of rules and rituals that we must work at keeping in order to climb the ladder to heaven. Rather, it is a personal, growing relationship with the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ that results in our growing conformity to Him. Our goal is to know Him and to become like Him.

1. The goal of the Christian life is to know Christ.

Jesus said the same thing when He prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Christianity is primarily a growing relationship with the infinite God who has revealed Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ.

As with all relationships, it begins with an initial meeting or introduction. In Paul’s case, it was not a planned or polite introduction, at least from his point of view! He wasn’t seeking after Christ, inquiring as to how he could become a Christian. Far from it! “Breathing threats and murder,” he was on his way to Damascus to arrest men and women who were followers of Jesus, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” He answered, “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” (see Acts 9:1-6). So Paul met the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

If we went around the room and asked husbands and wives to tell how they met their mate, we would hear many different stories. Some met each other as teenagers; others were further along in life. Some were looking for a mate at the time they met their partner; others weren’t looking at all. Some met but things didn’t develop between them for many months or even years. Others met and things took off like a rocket. For some it was love at first sight; for others, a long friendship led to romance and marriage. But for everyone, you began a personal relationship with your mate and because of it your life took a new direction that it never would have taken if you had not met.

It’s the same with your relationship with Jesus Christ. Your introduction to the Lord Jesus may have been far different than Paul’s. You may have met Christ as a young child, reared in a Christian home. Or, you may have met Him later in life. It may have been a traumatic situation, where in a moment of crisis you called out to Him and were saved. It may have been less dramatic, so that you can’t even recall the exact time or place. But one thing is certain: If you are truly a Christian, you know Jesus Christ personally. You don’t just know about Him; you know Him. You can say with Paul that He is “Christ Jesus my Lord.”

You can know a lot about someone without knowing the person himself. I know about Billy Graham because I’ve read his biography and I’ve seen him preach on TV and in person. I’ve read some books he has written. I know a bit about his wife and her upbringing as a missionary kid in China. But I do not know Billy Graham because I’ve never been introduced to him and we do not have a personal relationship.

Becoming a Christian requires that you know some things about Jesus Christ. You need to know who He claimed to be, eternal God in human flesh. You must know some of the things He did and taught. You need to understand that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He was raised bodily from the dead. But beyond these facts, you need to know Christ personally. That relationship begins at the moment you recognize that your sins have separated you from God and that you need a Savior. You also realize that you cannot save yourself from God’s judgment through your efforts or good works. Letting go of all human merit, you call upon the Lord to be merciful to you based on the merits of the death of His Son Jesus. Your object of trust for commending yourself to God shifts from self to Christ. You are saved. You have met Jesus Christ personally.

Like any relationship, once you’ve met, you must cultivate that relationship. If you meet the girl of your dreams, but then never see her again, you won’t have a relationship with her. You must spend time together, getting to know one another through conversation and shared experiences. You learn about her history, her family, her likes and dislikes, her hopes for the future, etc. If you do something to offend her, you ask her forgiveness and learn to work through difficulties in a harmonious way.

It’s the same in a personal relationship with Christ. It requires cultivation and that requires time. It never ceases to amaze me how a young man and a young woman can be extremely busy, but when they meet and things click between them, suddenly they can find many hours every week to be together. What were they doing to fill all those hours before? Whatever it was, it gets shoved aside so that they can pursue this new relationship.

Do you often make time to spend with the Lord? It’s sure easy for that first love to cool off, and time between you and the Lord gets squeezed out with other things. Or, it becomes your duty to have a quiet time, so you get out your Bible, grimace, and swallow a chapter a day to keep the devil away. But there wasn’t any love in it. You weren’t seeking to know Christ in a more intimate way. You weren’t opening your heart to Him, so that He could confront you and cleanse you and make you more like Himself. There’s no closeness, no intimacy.

We cannot know the Triune God except as He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. He is infinite and altogether apart from us. We can never come to know Him through philosophy or speculation. We can’t know Him through our own imagination or feelings. We can’t know Him through the ideas or experiences of others. We can only know Him as He has chosen to reveal Himself. That revelation comes through His written Word which tells us of the eternal living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ (see Heb. 1:1-3).

Thus we come to know God through Jesus Christ, and we come to know Him through His Word which tells us of Him. The Old Testament points ahead to Christ; the New Testament tells us of His life, His death for our sins, and His resurrection and present reign in heaven. It also tells us of His coming again and future kingdom. It expounds on His teaching and reveals His will for His people. We can never know Him fully because He is infinite and we are finite. But we can know Him definitely as Savior and Lord and we can and must spend our lives focused on that great goal, “to know Him.” But it won’t happen if you aren’t committed to becoming a man or woman of the Word.

But, there’s a word of caution here. It’s possible to gain knowledge about Christ through studying His Word, and yet not grow to know Christ Himself through His Word. In fact, you can read and study your Bible all your life and never get to know Jesus in an intimate way! InJohn 14:21, Jesus tells us how we can get to know Him: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” If you don’t know the Word, you neither have nor keep Jesus’ commandments. But it’s possible to have them through knowledge, but not keep them. If you want Jesus to reveal Himself to you, He says that you must both have and keepHis commandments. So the goal of Bible study is always growing obedience so that we can get to know the Lord Jesus better. This leads to the second part of our goal as Christians:

2. The goal of the Christian life is to be like Christ.

When you met your future mate, fell in love and got married, your life was permanently changed. You would never be the same again. It is the same, only much more so, when you meet Jesus as Savior and Lord. He marks you for life, and the more time you spend growing to know Him, the more you are different. The rest of verses 10 & 11 shows the components and direction of the change that goes along with knowing Christ.

A. TO BE LIKE CHRIST REQUIRES KNOWING THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.

Paul came to know the power of the resurrected Lord when he was struck down on the Damascus Road. Even though not all conversions are as dramatic as Paul’s was, all conversions do require the same mighty power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, because they all require God to raise the sinner from spiritual death to spiritual life (Eph. 2:4-6). Other Scriptures compare conversion to opening the eyes of the blind so that they can turn from darkness to light; and, to delivering captives from Satan’s domain to God’s kingdom (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). These are not things that can be accomplished through human persuasion or through a self-improvement program. They require the same mighty power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

That same resurrection power is necessary to sustain the believer as he walks in victory over sin. Paul prays for the Ephesians (1:19-20) that they would know “what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe [which is] in accordance with the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead ....” He prays for these same Christians (Eph. 3:16-17) that God “would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

In Romans 8:11 he explains, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.” He means that the Holy Spirit, whose power was necessary to defeat Satan by raising Jesus from the dead, indwells every believer to give us power over indwelling sin. We experience this power as we walk moment by moment yielded to and in dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we live defeated lives, it’s safe to say that we are not living in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16). We must learn to live experientially in power of Christ’s resurrection.

B. TO BE LIKE CHRIST REQUIRES KNOWING THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS.

Our Savior came to suffer for our sins on the cross. His entire ministry was marked by misunderstanding, opposition, betrayal, and death. While we can never enter into His sufferings in the same way that He suffered on the cross, there is a sense in which we can never be like Him if we do not go through suffering and learn to entrust our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Pet. 4:19; see also 1 Pet. 2:21-23; 4:13; Rom. 8:17-25; 2 Cor. 1:5).

Hebrews 5:8 makes the startling statement that “Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered.” It does not mean that Jesus was disobedient and had to learn to be obedient through suffering. It means that He had never experienced the test of obedience until He suffered. His suffering for our sins on the cross was the ultimate test of His submission to the will of the Father. If we are to be like Him, we must also learn to obey God through suffering.

Unlike Jesus, we have the powerful force of indwelling sin to contend with. God uses suffering to burn off the dross and purify us. But, we have to cooperate with Him by humbling ourselves under His mighty hand when we go through trials, trusting His sovereignty over our suffering, and casting all our cares on Him (1 Pet. 5:6-11).

Fellowship points to closeness or intimacy. Though few of us American Christians know it, those who suffer because of their faith in Christ know a special intimacy with Him. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, he looked and saw not three men, but four, walking in the fire (Dan. 3:25). I believe the fourth was Jesus Christ who stood with them in their hour of trial. They knew the fellowship of His sufferings.

Paul knew this fellowship. When he was preaching in corrupt Corinth, he was afraid. The Lord appeared to him in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).

Although I know nothing when it comes to suffering for the sake of Christ, I had a small taste of it once when I was under attack because of taking a stand for God’s truth. One night as I was getting into bed, feeling somewhat discouraged, I was suddenly impressed with the reference, Acts 18:9-10. I was vaguely familiar with the text, but I had not been reading in Acts lately to remind me of it. I opened my Bible and read those words that directly applied to my situation. And I was flooded with joy at being able to enter, just a little bit, into the fellowship of His sufferings.

C. TO BE LIKE CHRIST REQUIRES BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH.

This phrase is related to “the fellowship of His sufferings” and grows out of it. But it also has another dimension, which Paul describes in many other places, that of dying to sin and self through the cross of Christ. When we trust in Christ, we are placed “in Christ,” which means that we are identified with Him in His death and resurrection. But, we have to live experientially what is true of us positionally. In Galatians 2:20 Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” In Colossians 3:5, just after explaining how we have died and been raised up with Christ (3:1-4), he exhorts us to “put to death” the members of our bodies with regard to various sins (also Rom. 6:1-11 compared with Rom. 8:13).

This is what Jesus meant when He said that whoever follows Him must deny self and take up his cross daily (Luke 9:23). Jesus always lived by denying temptations to live in His own power or for His own ends. He lived only to do the Father’s will. To the degree that we learn to die to self and sin by being conformed to His death, to the same degree we grow to be like Him.

D. TO BE LIKE CHRIST WILL BE REALIZED IN THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.

Philippians 3:11 is literally, “if somehow I may attain to the out-resurrection from among the dead ones.” The word “out-resurrection” occurs here only. There are two possible interpretations, and it is difficult to decide between them. Paul may be expressing his hope that he will fully realize what it means in this life to experience what he has just stated, namely, the resurrection life of Christ being lived out fully through him. In favor of this view is the preceding and following context, where Paul says that he has not yet attained it, but presses on. The uncertainty (“if somehow”) points to Paul’s humility and recognition of the weakness of his flesh. The problem with this view is, if Paul had not attained to this experience after 25 years as a Christian, who can? And, it’s an unusual use of the word resurrection.

The other view is that Paul is referring to the future resurrection of the righteous at the return of Christ, when our mortal bodies will be transformed into the likeness of Christ’s resurrection body, free from all sin. We will then share in His glory throughout eternity. “If somehow” would then not reflect uncertainty, since Paul is absolutely certain about the future resurrection (1 Cor. 15), but rather the manner in which he would attain it, whether he may still be alive when Christ returned. The problems with this view are that it doesn’t seem to fit the context quite as well as the other view and the uncertainty doesn’t fit with Paul’s certainty about the future resurrection. The strengths of the view are that the word “out-resurrection” most likely refers to the future resurrection, and is intensified to distinguish it from the normal word in verse 10; and, if it refers to the future resurrection, then verses 9-11 refer to the believer’s justification (v. 9), sanctification (v. 10), and glorification (v. 11). So, it’s hard to pick!

But whatever this verse means, other verses make it clear that the process of sanctification will be completed. We will be like Him, totally apart from sin, sharing in His glory throughout eternity (Rom. 8:17-21, 30; 9:23)! John applies this wonderful truth, “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2, 3).

Conclusion

So that’s our goal, to know Jesus Christ and to become more and more like Him. Is that yourgoal? If it is, you should have thought about it this past week. Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car, you suddenly see that make of car everywhere? This summer, we bought a Sears luggage carrier to go on top of our car for vacation. We started seeing those things everywhere. We’ve gone on many vacations and never seen how many of those are on the road until this year. If you will set before yourself each week this goal, to know Christ and be like Him, you will see opportunities all over the place to apply it. You will have temptations where you need to rely on the power of His resurrection. You will face trials where you come to know the fellowship of His sufferings. You will encounter irritations where you must learn to be more conformed to His death. View it all as an opportunity to know Christ and to remind you that it is preparing you for that great day when He comes and you will be raised up in glory with Him for all eternity. That’s our goal!

The Character of Christ (16): Diligence

For quite some time now we have been looking at the character of Jesus. We have seen how throughout His time here as a man on earth He displayed selflessness, love, humility, patience, and many other godly traits not because He wanted to be applauded but simply because that is His nature. Now, let's take a look at another aspect of His character that is not typically mentioned: Diligence.


According to the Oxford Universal Dictionary, diligence is “careful attention, industry, assiduity; unremitting application, persistent endeavour.” A diligent person is described as “assiduous, industrious, conscientious, thorough; not idle, not negligent, not lazy.”


Jesus showed immense diligence in His labors as a man on the earth. The bible records that, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went throughout every city and village preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). We need to remember that this was over 2000 years ago. It was not in an era of express trains, rapid transit buses or even stage coaches. On foot, our blessed Lord went throughout the hot desert region fulfilling His ministry. In fact, the only time we are told He rode on a colt was in His triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:7). Oh, what a blessed conception of the diligence of our lowly Savior.


Even before His ministry began, He was a carpenter (Mark 6:3). He was not a lay-about who refused to work. He was diligent to learn the trade of the family from His father, Joseph. He was not sitting idly for the first thirty years of His life waiting for God’s appointed time for the beginning of His ministry. He had a mindset of diligence right from His childhood as He said, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49)


He was diligent in all things. He was very diligent in prayer. He prayed continually; it was His lifestyle. His prayer life wasn't lethargic by any means. In the gospel according to Mark, it was recorded that, “in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). This is an important anecdote because it gives us a clear insight into our Lord's diligence, based on the fact that the morning that this verse refers to was the morning after a busy day teaching in the synagogue, casting out unclean spirits, healing Peter's mother in law, and a busy evening healing many who were sick with various diseases, and casting out many demons. He wasn’t lazy in prayer. He didn't neglect spending time with the Father while citing a busy schedule as an excuse. He woke up early to pray, He even prayed all night as recorded in Luke 6:12, "Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."


Another example of how Jesus embodied diligence was when He met the Samaritan woman by the well. The bible records that He was exhausted and His disciples went into the city to get food. Jesus had the right to rest, to lay His head down and take a nap but He gave up that right to minister and bring salvation not only to the woman but also to the entire town. Jesus is the most diligent man that ever lived. He never complained or grumbled or procrastinated unnecessarily. When He delayed, it was for a good reason and for the glory of God like when He waited four days before He went to raise Lazarus from the dead. He always did whatever the Father wanted him to do at the right time, He wasn’t lazy.


Jesus ministry was a very demanding one. One of the most profound instances where His diligence is clearly evident is recorded in Mark 3:20-21. After staying up all night praying; and having being thronged at the sea side by the multitude that came from different places whom He healed, He went up into the mountain, calling and appointing His apostles, and instructing them what they should do. Then later that day, He came to a house in Capernaum, and a crowd formed again, so many people such that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat. When His own family heard that he wasn’t eating, wasn’t resting, they went to take custody of Him away from the crowd; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.” They thought to themselves that He was exerting Himself too much and was going to hurt Himself. There were other times when He would be going one way and someone would run to Him asking him to come and heal a daughter/son/servant and He would turn and follow that person. He was like a doctor who was always on call. He worked tirelessly and diligently and God strengthened Him more and more.


Friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you an idle busybody? Are you indolent? Are you lazy about the tasks God has entrusted to you? What is keeping your from being diligent to the calling of God on your life? Are you putting in your best effort to the work God has provided you with? Are you lethargic in spiritual things? Are you slothful in the place of prayer? How diligent are you?


Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom 12:11)


Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be diligent like you!

More Like the Master - A Hymn

More like the Master I would ever be,

More of His meekness, more humility;

More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,

More consecration for work He bids me do.

Take Thou my heart, I would be Thine alone;

Take Thou my heart, and make it all Thine own;

Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,

Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.

More like the Master is my daily prayer;

More strength to carry the cross I must bear;

More earnest effort to bring His kingdom in;

More of His Spirit, the wanderer to win.

More like the Master I would live and grow;

More of His love to others I would show;

More self-denial, like His in Galilee,

More like the Master I long to ever be.

Text: Chas H. Gabriel
Music: Chas H. Gabriel

The Character of Christ (15): Gentleness

Oh! How I love the man Jesus. The more we behold His character, the more irresistible it is to fall deeper in love with Him. He is unarguably the greatest example of gentleness. In fact, the bible goes out of its way to demonstrate Jesus' gentleness. In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, saying that He would not break a "bruised reed" or snuff out a "smoldering wick" (Isaiah 42:3). Jesus Himself said, "Learn from Me—for I am gentle and humble in heart." (Matt. 11:29). And Apostle Paul also reminded the early church of Jesus' gentleness: "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you" (2 Cor. 10:1).

Gentleness is a God-like quality and was strongly evident in the life of Jesus Christ as a man on the earth. He gathered children about Him—they sat on His knees and He took time to converse with them. When the disciples sought to dismiss them as a nuisance, Jesus rebuked them (Matthew 19:13-14). His gentleness is seen in the way He treated the woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees wanted to stone (John 8:3-11) and the way He treated Thomas, who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw Him with his own eyes (John 20:24-29). He was also gentle with Nicodemus, taking the time to explain the Kingdom of God and what it means to be born again (John 3). And He was gentle with the Woman at the Well in Samaria, engaging her in conversation that drew her in rather than alienating her. He allowed her to admit her sin rather than condemning her from the start (John 4). He even rebuked James and John (the Sons of Thunder) when they wanted to duplicate Elijah’s miracle of destruction by fire on Samaria because they felt snubbed (Luke 9:51-53).

Another memorable example of Jesus' gentleness was during his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter pulled out a sword and struck Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus rebuked him, touched the servant’s ear and healed him (Luke 22:49-51). Jesus also showed firmness in His gentleness. He became angry whenever God the Father was dishonored. When He found the Temple filled with people selling exorbitantly priced sacrificial animals, He drove them out, pouring out their money and overturning tables. He told them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den” (Matt. 21:12-13). He also said to the scribes and Pharisees, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?” (Matt. 23:33). He did not stand idly by while the Temple was defiled. He spoke out in judgment against hypocrites who dishonored God. However, even though Jesus became angry when God was maligned, He neither retaliated against nor condemned those who attacked Him personally.

We can learn from all of these examples, that although Jesus is the truly powerful one, He was gentle for the benefit of the weak and sinners. Gentleness should not in any way be confused with weakness or a lack of resolve. In fact, the reverse is true. A simple illustration: A little girl tried squeezing her dad’s hand as hard as she could, trying to make it hurt. She squeezed with all her might, but he never felt a hurt. She didn't need to be gentle because she lacked the power to cause him any pain. Then, just for fun, her dad gave her hand a tight little squeeze until she yelped.

You see, It's the strong hand, not the weak one, that must learn to be gentle. 

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Do people know you for your gentleness or do they know you for your harshness and brashness? Do you strike back when someone criticizes or attacks you? Do you correct others gently in love or do you yell at/talk down to them? Are your words and actions laced with tenderness or brutality?

Let your gentleness be known to all men (Philippians 4:5). 

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be gentle like you!

I Want to Be Like Jesus - A Hymn

I have one deep, supreme desire,
that I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire,
that I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be,
so that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.
I want to be like Jesus.

He spent His life in doing good;
I want to be like Jesus.
In lowly paths of service trod;
I want to be like Jesus.
He sympathized with hearts distressed,
He spoke the words that cheered and blessed,
He welcomed sinners to His breast.
I want to be like Jesus.

A holy, harmless life He led;
I want to be like Jesus.
The Father's will, His drink and bread;
I want to be like Jesus.
And when at last He comes to die,
"Forgive them, Father," hear Him cry
for those who taunt and crucify.
I want to be like Jesus.

O perfect life of Christ, my Lord!
I want to be like Jesus.
My recompense and my reward,
that I may be like Jesus.
His Spirit fill my hungering soul,
His power all my life control.
My deepest prayer, my highest goal,
that I may be like Jesus.

Text: Thomas O. Chisholm
Music: David Livingstone Ives

The Character of Christ (14): Filled with/devoted to the word

Yet again as we look closely at the life of Christ as a man on the earth, we see He was constantly filled with the word of God, we see His devotion to the word, His love for the word. He is the Word of Life as Apostle John tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1) and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Throughout His life here on earth, the Lord Jesus Christ was committed to the word of God, studied it and lived by it.

Right from a very young age, He loved the word of God as He stayed back in Jerusalem listening to the Rabbis and asking them questions, not bothered about food or missing His family (Luke 2:42-47). In Luke 4:16, we see that it was His custom to read the word when He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Also, He was devoted in teaching and expounding the scriptures to His disciples. Even after His death and resurrection when He met the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, Mathew 24:27 records that, “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all Scriptures the things concerning Himself”. He could do this because He knew the word, He was filled with it; He was the word personified. And so, having taught them all thoroughly, He could say to the Father, “I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them” (John 17:8, John 17:14).

Also, it was because He was filled with the word that He was able to resist the devil when He was tempted three times in the wilderness as recorded in Matthew 4. The first time, He quoted Deut. 8:3, then the second time He quoted Deut. 6:16, and the third time He quoted Deut. 6:13. He knew the word, He was the word and He used it to fight against the devil and to overcome temptation. Now, if Jesus, who was God in flesh needed the word, which is the sword of the Spirit, to overcome the temptation of the devil, how much more we?

Furthermore, whenever the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Herodians or Sadducees came questioning Him, in their attempts to undermine Him as we see in Mark 7 and 12, He could answer them because He was filled with the word. The word also kept Him from going against what pleased the Father, as it is written, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps 119:11). He was the word incarnate. He walked according to scriptures every step of the way. His life became the visible evidence of the invisible word of God. He obeyed God’s word even when obedience meant suffering. And He died according to what was written in the word of God concerning Him. Living by the word of God was His lifestyle in a world that was contrary.

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Do you give priority of time and attention to studying and meditating on the word? Do you delight in seeking after the word of God and hiding it in your heart? Do you care at all about teaching and sharing the word? Are you devoted to the word of God? Are you committed to obeying the word of God and living by it? Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. (Col 3:16) Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be filled with the word and devoted to the word like you!

The Character of Christ (13): Authority

As we press on to look into the scriptures to study the life of Christ as a man on the earth, we see clearly, a man that walked in authority. Jesus spoke with authority, taught with authority, walked in authority. He stated this clearly Himself when He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”(Matt.28:18).

He exercised authority over adverse prevailing conditions. When He was traveling in a boat with His disciples and a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat; all the disciples were afraid they were going to die, and they rushed to wake Him up. The bible records that,”then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” (Mark 4:39,41). He exercised authority over nature and the elements. 

Also, He exercised His authority over demons and powers of darkness. As recorded in Luke 4:36, “Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.’” He spoke and taught with authority, not as one who wasn’t sure of what He was saying. “And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). He taught with confidence, with the authority infested in Him by the Father. 

And He has given us as believers that same authority in His name. He said, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”(Luke 10:19). He has given us authority over demons, over poverty, over diseases, over every power of darkness, and we are not to be controlled by circumstances but to decree and enforce God’s will over situations around us. Although, we must point out that Christ’s use of authority was always subjected to the will of the Father. For instance, He didn’t use His authority to order angels to deal with the soldiers that were flogging Him, instead He submitted to God’s will for Him. 

“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt 18:18).

Are you being controlled by circumstances around you or using the authority God has given you to enforce His will? Are you allowing the devil to toss you around? Do you allow demons to oppress lives around you without taking authority? Do you speak with fear and timidity or as one who has received authority from the creator of the universe?

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be walk in authority like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (12): Patience

Since we began to study the personality of Christ, one thing that is very striking is that it is really easy to miss some important details about His personality unless we pay very close attention. As we look even more closely and meticulously at His life on the earth we’ll see another aspect of His character that is not very glaring – His patience.

Jesus lived thirty years in obscurity as a man in the poorest region in Israel. He, being God manifested in human form, had the power to come out of His situation as a poor carpenter and begin to preach the Kingdom at a very early age. However, He decided to wait for the Father’s timing, He chose to wait for God’s appointed time for His manifestation. 

At the age of twelve, while He was in the midst of the teachers and scholars in the temple at Jerusalem, the bible records that, all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers (Luke 2:47). So, basically, we get a hint that He already had superior understanding even at that tender age. Yet, in His immense patience, He waited another eighteen years before He began His ministry. He did not rush to start traveling from town to town to teach the people as the latest Rabbi in town. He did not hurry to start performing miracles. Instead we read that, He went down to Nazareth with them (His parents) and was obedient to them (Luke 2:51). Woah! He chose to wait and exercise patience for the Holy Spirit to endue Him with power and to call Him out from His obscurity into His ministry. 

Yet, not only did He wait for the Father to announce Him, but as we look deeper into the situation, we are once again blown away. Even when the audible voice of God had announced Him as He was stepping out of the river Jordan after been baptized (Matt. 3:17), He didn’t start ministry right away. Instead, Jesus yielded Himself to be led by the Spirit into the wilderness for yet another time of waiting. This time, an extra forty days – but He is embracing fasting this time as well. He then launched into ministry and began to preach after that period (Matt. 4:17). It is clearly evident that He is full of patience. Not that He is partly patient, but He is fully patient. The entirety of His being is patient.

An understanding of this aspect of our Lord’s character really helps us to see even more clearly His patience regarding His second coming. According to Apostle Peter, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). This makes us to understand that the Lord is not in haste to return to judge the world before the time that is appointed by the Father, rather He’s waiting patiently, allowing more time for us, whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world, to repent and turn to Him for He is not willing for us to perish. 

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you always in haste? Are you patient to wait for God’s promises to you to be fulfilled according to His timing or do you go about trying to make it happen by your own orchestration? Do you ignore God’s voice telling you to wait? Do you exercise patience towards others or are you harsh at them?

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:15-16).

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be patient like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (11): Courage/Boldness

Jesus, in His days as a man on the earth, was bold as a lion. He wasn’t timid, fearful, faint-hearted or cowardly. He walked with boldness. He spoke with boldness. He was full of courage because He knew that His Father was with Him. He was not too timid to speak the truth. He did not keep quiet when He saw things been done wrongly. He did not allow cowardice to stop Him from doing the right thing or silence Him from speaking out against the errors and injustices of His day.

When He got to the temple at Jerusalem and saw the people buying and selling, He didn't ignore it out of fear of what the merchants would do to Him, instead He moved with boldness and the bible records, “And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’” (John 2:14-16). And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’ ” (Matt 21:13). He stood up courageously and zealously for righteousness and cleansed the temple.

In addition, He never shied away from telling the Pharisees and scribes the truth to their face. The bible records, “Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”(Mark 7:1-8). 

You see, boldness is required to do the work of the Lord because the world system will always be at loggerheads with the ways of God. That's why the apostles prayed for boldness after they were released from prison and threatened for preaching about Jesus as Luke records in the book of Acts of the Apostles. “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31). In the same vein, in the Old Testament we see God instructing Joshua to be courageous in taking the territories that God had promised to the nation of Israel. “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9). It is absolutely impossible to do exploits for God without courage and boldness.

Again, friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you too timid to do the things that God is laying on your heart to do? Are you so cowardly that you can't speak out against the error and injustice around you? Are you so faint-hearted that you can’t take a stand for God and lift up the banner of righteousness in your school, workplace or community?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear but of power…. (2 Timothy 1:7a).

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be bold like you! Amen

The Character of Christ (10): Seeing People for Who They Can Become

It is amazing to see how beautiful the personality of Jesus is, as we continue to behold Him through the pages of scripture, so that we can become more and more conformed to His likeness. A close look at the way He related with people while He was a man on the earth reveals clearly that He saw people for who they could become. He didn't condemn or write off people. He didn't fall into the trap of seeing people for who they were at the moment or who the entire society thought they were, instead He saw people for who they were meant to be. He chose to see beyond the negative to allow God transform lives through Him. He saw what people could become despite their current despicable state. He didn’t write people off because of their present circumstance. He always brought out the best in people.

Let’s take a look at three different people out of the many examples in the bible that give us a clear picture of this aspect of our Lord's personality. The first is Mary Magdalene. The bible records her as the woman out of whom Jesus had initially cast out seven demons and as the first person He appeared to early in the morning after He rose from the dead (Mark 16:9). After the Lord delivered her from demonic oppression, she became so devoted to Him that she stayed with Him all through His trial and hours on the cross (Matt. 27:56). She was right there when the large stone was rolled against the door of His tomb (Matt. 27:61), she was one of the women who bought spices and rose up very early the morning after the Sabbath day to anoint His body (Mark 16:1), and she stayed weeping outside the tomb when she thought that His body had been taken away from where He was laid even when His disciples chose to go back home after seeing the empty tomb (John 20:10-11). What a huge change! You see, when Jesus first saw Mary possessed with evil spirits, He saw beyond that. He saw a woman who would become a devout believer and useful in God’s hands. He saw a woman who would stay with Him all through His torture and crucifixion even when His disciples ran away. He saw a woman who would be the messenger to tell the disciples that the He is risen (John 20:18). He saw a woman who would be one of the founding members of the early church (Acts 1:14).

The second person is the man who used to live in the tombs in the country of the Gadarenes. In the gospel according to Mark, the bible records that, on His trip to that country, immediately He came out of the boat, "there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled" (Mark 5:1-20). Again, we can see here that when Jesus initially saw the man, He didn’t see a violent lunatic, He didn’t regard Him as hopeless, rather He saw a man who would evangelize the entire ten cities (meaning of Decapolis). He saw an evangelist not a lunatic.

Finally, the third person we’ll consider is Apostle Peter. Jesus told him, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). He said this to Peter even though He knew he’ll deny Him 3 times (Mark 14:66-72), He said it even though Peter was still worldly in His thinking at the time, which is obvious as He rebuked him just a few moments later as recorded in Matt 16:23, “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” He saw beyond Peter’s present idiosyncrasies, He saw a man whose preaching would yield three thousand converts in one day (Acts 2:41), He saw a man who would walk in the power of the Spirit to bring healing and deliverance to lives (Acts 3:8), He saw a man who would boldly speak the truth in the face of persecution (Acts 4:14), He saw a man who would be a major leader of the early church.

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you always quick to write people off or do you see them through the eyes of the potential that God has deposited within them? Do you focus on people's weaknesses and faults or do you look beyond their current situation and allow God use you bring out the best in them?

Every day we have a choice to help bring something great out of others or to overlook them, discount them or be so focused on our own gain that we simply shun them.

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to see people for who they can become like you always do! Amen

The Character of Christ (9): A Man of Prayer

Jesus, during His days as a man on the earth, was a man of prayer. He was constantly in communication with God, the Father. He had an unbroken fellowship and intimacy with God. The bible makes us to understand clearly in Luke 5:16, that He often withdrew Himself from the crowd to quiet places to be alone with the Father. His prayer life was as a result of His love for the Father not an act of duty. He loves the Father so much that He couldn't bear losing touch with Him. This is the very reason why He felt a great agony on the cross at that point when the Father turned His face away from Him because He had taken our sins upon Himself and the Father couldn't behold/fellowship with sin (Hab. 1:13). That moment on the cross was the only time He ever lost fellowship with the Father which was why He cried out with a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me" (Matt 27:46)?

Jesus was very diligent in prayer. He prayed continually; it was His lifestyle. His prayer life wasn't sporadic by any means. In the gospel according to Mark, it was recorded that, “in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). This is an important anecdote because it gives us a clear insight into our Lord's attitude towards prayer, based on the fact that the morning that this verse refers to was the morning after a busy day teaching in the synagogue, casting out unclean spirits, healing Peter's mother in law, and a busy evening healing many who were sick with various diseases, and casting out many demons. He wasn’t lazy in prayer. He didn't neglect spending time with the Father while citing a busy schedule as an excuse. He woke up early to pray, He even prayed all night as recorded in Luke 6:12, "Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."

Jesus prayed for wisdom and revelation in His earthly ministry (John 5:30). As a man, He drew the strength and power for all the miracles He performed from the secret place of prayer and fellowship with the Father (Mark 6:45-48). He knew the Father was the source of His strength, and the place of prayer was His point of connection and also that He could do nothing once He became detached from the Father. He interceded for His twelve disciples and for souls (John 17:11, 20-21). He prayed for the will of God. He prayed fervently with honesty and reverence. He prayed with thanksgiving and praise to God, the Father (Mark 14:22, Luke 10:21). He prayed in times of anguish (Luke 22:44, Heb. 5:7).

Friends, if Jesus could have prayed, how much more we? If the very Son of God, the word of life personified, could have been so devoted to prayer, how much more we? Our aim as believers and disciples of Jesus should be to make prayer our lifestyle like our master did. Let us examine ourselves. Are you slothful in prayer? Are your prayers mainly about yourself or do you care about others? Do you really love spending time fellowshipping with the Father or do you merely endure it as a routine? Do you go to God in prayer only when you are in trouble? Are you too busy to pray (even busy doing good things)?

He said, "Men always ought to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1)

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be devoted to prayer like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (8): Obedience to the Father

Jesus is the perfect example of obedience to the will of God, the Father. As we look into the scriptures we see evidently that while He walked on the face of the earth, He didn’t do just anything He wanted at any time. He was completely resolute in carrying out the will of God no matter how difficult or painful it was. His complete submission to the will of God is seen clearly while He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His crucifixion. It was recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew that He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matt. 26:39). He was sorrowful and deeply distressed because of His imminent suffering and death, yet He didn’t disappear or find another way to avoid the cross and change God’s redemptive plan. He pressed on in obedience. And then, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). And thereafter He gave up Himself willingly as the Lamb of God for slaughter.

He was completely surrendered to the will of God. He said to the Jews, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49); “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30).

He didn’t just obey God whenever it was convenient, but at all times and in all things. During His sermon on the mount, He made a profound statement that unravels the gravity/seriousness of obedience to the will of God. He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:21-23). Ah! Only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Let us examine our hearts. Do you live according to the will of God or do what you wish? Do you live in obedience to the word of God? Do you take time to listen to God and know His will before making decisions? Is your life driven by the will of God or your own dreams? Do you obey God’s leading no matter how difficult or only when it is convenient?

The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17). Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph. 5:17)

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be completely obedient to the will of God like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (7): Holiness

As we continue to look into the scriptures to study the life of Christ as a man on the earth, we see clearly how beautiful and lovely His character is, we see a perfect example of true holiness. Of all men in history, Jesus is the only one who ever lived without sinning. He never sinned, not once, no, not even for one millisecond, never.

The scriptures make us to understand that He was tempted in every possible way just like us, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). Even though He walked in the midst of a sinful and perverse generation, yet He was spotless. Even Satan, the accuser, couldn’t find anything sinful in Him (John 14:30).

When the enemy came to tempt Him in the wilderness, He stood His ground with the word of God. The lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life had no place in Him. He walked in purity. He always did only the things that were pleasing to the Father as He said, "He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29).

Of a truth, He lived a sinless life on the earth because He is the lamb of God that was slain to take away the sins of mankind (only a spotless lamb could be used as a sacrifice - Lev 1:3), however, He didn't just live a holy life in order to be our scapegoat, but to show us an example of how God the Father desires for us to live, which is why He said, "be holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet 1:16).

Right now, He is our High priest, interceding and advocating for us before the Father and His blood is ever powerful to cleanse us whenever we fall into sin, but that doesn't mean that He wants us to continue in sin, which is why He said to the woman, "Go and sin no more". He has given us victory over sin, and the power to live above sin.

Friends, let us examine our lives. Are you living in uncleanness and filthiness? Do you give excuses for indulging sin? Are you willfully continuing in iniquity taking God's grace for granted? Do you live a life that grieves the Holy Spirit? Will the Lord return to meet you in sin and immorality? Are you living in a way that is pleasing unto Him?

Let us listen to the Apostle Paul on this, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:17-24).

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to walk in holiness like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (6): True Servanthood

The principles of the kingdom of God are totally divergent from that of the kingdoms of men. This is why the world system, controlled by the prince of the power of the air – the devil, would always be at loggerheads with the way of the Lord. The things which the world counts valuable do not count before God because the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God (1 Cor. 3:19). This truth was perfectly displayed in Jesus’ response to His disciples when a dispute broke out among them about who was the greatest. Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45). 

Jesus is the greatest man that ever lived but His greatness was deeply rooted in His service to all mankind. He went about serving those who needed to be healed, delivered, and restored and He ultimately went on to give His life as a ransom for our redemption. In His response to His disciples, He turned human conventional thinking on its head and made them to understand that although the world defines greatness by fame, popularity, wealth, power, skills, charisma etc, and the power-drunk world leaders dominate and flaunt their authority over their followers, it is not so in the kingdom of God. In the eyes of God, true greatness lies in service; “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt 23:11).

Jesus showed us a great example of serving others in His life as a man on the earth, and He wants us to emulate Him. He made sure He taught His disciples this very important lesson before His crucifixion, because it would have caused a big problem that would have hindered the work He was sending them into the world to accomplish, as they would have been weighed down with a battle for supremacy. The bible records that, at the last supper with His disciples, before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that the time had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, He rose up and laid aside His garments, took a towel, poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:1-15).

Jesus is by far the greatest leader and icon of servitude that ever lived. He served people with all humility. He didn’t oppress or lord it over His followers, instead He served them faithfully. He laid down his crown and royal robe and clothed himself with the garment of a servant. To as many that needed help, He was a helping hand; to those who sat in darkness, He became their light. Those who didn’t seem good enough to come to Him like the adulterous woman, He never casted away. For the blind and lame who couldn’t get to Him, He asked that they be brought to Him and He healed them. 

True greatness lies in service to God and humanity and a prerequisite for true servanthood is humility. You cannot be a servant of all except you are humble. Friends, again let us examine ourselves. Are you merely serving others for recognition and to get glory for yourself? Do you really have the heart of a servant? Are you too proud and arrogant to lower yourself to serve others? Are you a husband dominating your wife and children instead of serving and loving them? Are you an oppressive and abusive employer, terrorizing your employees instead of building them up? Are you a pastor of a congregation or Christian youth group leader looking to be served by your subjects instead of pouring out yourself in service to them?

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Gal 5:13).

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to truly serve others like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (5): Readiness to Forgive

The very first statement Jesus made on the cross as recorded in the bible was: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). This was a very unlikely request from someone who committed no crime. Any other innocent person would have asked that God should judge the people that crucified him. Jesus didn’t ask God to avenge His executioners even though He had the right to, rather He asked the Father to forgive them. More so, He didn’t whisper it, He said it out loud for them to know He held no grudge against them. He said it out loud for His followers and disciples to know that He abhorred no bitterness in His heart towards the people that crucified Him, setting the perfect example for them, so that when their own time of persecution came, they wouldn’t be raining curses on their persecutors. Even though every breath He drew on the cross was agonizing, yet He mustered as much of it as He could to utter those few but profound words.

There is nothing, no offense too great that we can’t forgive, for He has given us the greatest example of forgiveness by forgiving the very people that killed Him and even pleaded with God to forgive them. What greater offence or wrong can someone commit against you apart from torturing you and taking your life especially when you did no wrong? Yet, Jesus prayed for them. He prayed for them while they were still mocking him. He didn’t wait for them to realize their sins and come begging for forgiveness, He begged God on their behalf. This is the heart of Christ and this is what He wants us to do as well. Oh! That we may become like Him!

During His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt 5:23-24). From the scripture above it is very clear that God is not interested in our offerings if there is any grudge or unforgiveness in our heart. It will be unacceptable to the Lord. Even if you are not the one at fault and you know someone has a grudge against you, go out of way and settle it with the person. Forgive even if they don’t say sorry. Let it go, just let it go. Strive to live at peace with all men. Pursue peace! (Heb 12:14).

Our prayer should always be for God to give us a heart of mercy, a heart that does not wait for people to apologize first before we forgive them. Jesus said in Matt 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Peter asked Jesus one day, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” Peter may have been asking this question as it relates to him personally but it relates to all of us. Our flesh tends to put a limit on how much we can take. How much insult, humiliation and revile we can take from others. So in response to Peter’s question, Jesus said, “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” (Matt. 18:21-22) Of course He wasn’t saying we should start counting and stop forgiving once it’s beyond seventy times seven. He meant we ought to forgive all the time someone offends us. Every single time! To Peter and so many of us today, this may look like a tall order but that is what the Lord expects of us. Jesus our perfect example demonstrated it when He was nailed to the cross.

In addition, after sharing with His disciples, the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt 18:23-34), who was handed over to tormentors for casting a fellow servant into prison because of a little debt after He had been forgiven a huge debt, He said, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matt 18:35)

Friends, again let us examine ourselves. Do you harbor grudges, malice, unforgiveness and/or bitterness in your heart? Are you quick to forgive or do you wait to be begged and pacified first? Do you bless people who curse you or do you rain curses on them in return? Do you intercede for those who persecute you or are you busy praying for them to run mad or be consumed by fire?

Lack of forgiveness would do no good. It only hinders you. It creates bitterness and anger in your heart; it destroys your fellowship with God, and eventually lands you in hell. "…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Eph. 4:32)

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to always forgive like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (4): Humility

In the entire history of mankind, Jesus is unarguably the most humble man who ever lived. He is the perfect picture of lowliness and humility. As we study through the scriptures we’ll see a plethora of instances that clearly reveal His humble nature. The gospel accounts make us to understand that, Jesus, the King of kings stepped down from His throne to come into this world in the form of a man. He came through everyday people like Mary and Joseph, an ordinary carpenter and of all the ways He could have chosen to introduce Himself to the world as the creator of all, it was as a little, fragile baby, born in a manger, laid not in a crib but on a stack of hay in the feeding trough for animals. He wasn’t born into a wealthy, prestigious family with plenty servants. He wasn’t born in the finest inns with decorations that screamed royalty. 

Again, of all places, He grew up in Nazareth. You see, Nazareth was a nothing-to-write-home-about kind of town and that was the reason why a man named Nathanael, who eventually became one of Christ's disciples, initially said (before meeting Him), "Can anything good come out of Nazareth" (John 1:46)? He could have chosen to be born and brought up by a family that lived in the finest neighborhoods in the choicest city of Israel. So why did the Holy Lamb of God choose this disregarded town even though He had the power to choose to have been raised in bigger, famous cities? The answer is very clear: He was and is the lowliest and most humble of all.

We see another example of His humility in the event of His baptism. First of all, He didn't need to get baptized because He wasn't a sinner in any way. But still in order for the scriptures to be fulfilled, He joined the queue to be baptized alongside terrible sinners (murderers, thieves, fornicators, liars…you name it). He didn't care if the people around would have thought of Him as a common sinner like them. He didn't look down on them or show off His holiness. Secondly, He went all the way from Galilee to river Jordan, a very common river and the same place where Naaman the leper had washed many years back, to be baptized by John (Matt 3:13). He didn't send for John to come and meet Him in Galilee and baptize Him specially in a cleaner, finer, elegant river. Thirdly, He humbled himself to be baptized by John even though John had earlier said, “There comes One (Jesus) after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7). He didn’t allow John to dissuade Him when he said, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me" (Matt. 3:14)? He didn't lord His authority and power over John. He submitted Himself and allowed John to do that which God had sent him to do. And it was after this self-abasing act that His manifestation to Israel was signalized by opened heavens and God spoke from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased." (Matt. 3:17). Indeed, before honor is humility (Prov. 18:12) and it is clear that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Throughout His ministry, He went about sleeping and eating in the same place with His disciples, not that He told them to prepare some special place for Him as the boss. The very fact that He chose illiterate fishermen and men with no reputation to walk with Him is a demonstration of His humility. These were ordinary unlearned men, whom the high and noble of the society would look at in a condescending manner but Jesus demonstrated humility by picking these men of low status and estate to follow Him. He associated Himself with the poor and outcasts of the society. He never looked down on anyone.

Finally, the ultimate demonstration of His humility is seen in the humiliation He endured during His trial and subsequent death on the cross. All through the interrogations of the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, He didn’t snap and say, "Do you know who I am, how dare you talk to Me like that?” He was scorned, mocked, flogged, tortured, yet He remained simple and humble instead of showing them His power by making fire to consume them all.

Friends, the Lord wants us to be humble like Him, that's why He said "learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:29). Let us examine ourselves and learn of Him. Are you proud and arrogant because of your achievements and trophies? Do you carry yourself as superior and better than others? Do you talk down on others? Do you show off yourself at every slight opportunity? Do you feel too big to be corrected or even too big to learn from others? Are you full of yourself? Are you puffed up because of the knowledge you've acquired?

The Apostle Paul admonished us, saying, “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:3,5-8) 

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be humble and lowly like you! Amen.

The Character of Christ (3): Unconditional Love/Compassion

Yet again, as we press on in this series to look at the man Jesus and His personality, we can’t but realize that He was and is a man full of love and compassion. He is an embodiment of unconditional, unfailing love. The hallmark of His character is love. He, through whom and for whom all things were created, came to die for us (mankind) because He loved us so much. He laid down His life for us even while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8). He did not wait until we started behaving well or did nice things for Him before He chose to die. Even while we spat on Him, mocked Him, flogged Him, and tortured Him, He still chose to die on the cross to pay for our sins and redeem us. He was an epitome of unconditional love.

A study of the gospels clearly shows that while He was physically on the earth, it was love and compassion that moved Him to perform the countless miracles He did. It wasn't because He wanted to draw attention to Himself or show off. It was all about love. When he decided to go to a solitary place by boat to get some rest with His disciples, and the people ran ahead of Him by foot; instead of sending them away or ignoring them, He had compassion and took care of them. The bible records that after He stepped off the boat and saw the great multitude He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd, so He began to teach them many things (Mark 6:34) and healed their sick (Matt.14.14) and in the evening of the same day when they were hungry He fed them all, five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes. He saw that the people were sick and lost and He was moved with compassion to teach them the truth and heal them. He was propelled by love and compassion; He sacrificed and denied Himself for the sake of others. He was full of love.

Even when He raised the dead, it was love and compassion that propelled Him. The scriptures make us understand that when He drew near to the gate of the city of Nain and saw the dead body of the only son of a widow being carried out, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So the widow’s son who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother (Luke 7:11-15). Also, when He heard that Lazarus had died, the bible records that Jesus wept and the Jews who were around seeing Him weeping said, “Behold how He loved him!” (John 11.35-36), then He raised Lazarus from the dead. The basis of everything He did and does is love, every one of His words and actions were and are laced with compassion.

Again, on his way out of Jericho, hearing two blind men crying out to Him, the bible records that He was moved with compassion and touched their eyes; and immediately they received their sight, and followed Him (Matt. 20:34). Also, it was recorded in Mark 1:40-42, "Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand, touched him, and said to him, “I am willing, be cleansed." 

Without doubt, Jesus genuinely walked in love while He lived as a man on the earth and it's His undying relentless unconditional love that still keeps Him knocking at the door of our hearts till today even when we keep rejecting Him over and over. He keeps on saying "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears me and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with Me" (Rev 3:20). He loves each and every single one of us too much to allow us perish. Oh! How He loves us. 

Friends, as followers of Christ, we ought to be an embodiment of His love and love others as He loved us, just as He commanded in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." Let us examine our hearts. Do you genuinely love others? Do you show love only when you hope to receive something in return? Do you show love only to those who are in your good books? Do you love only those who are easily lovable? Do you love others only in your words or do you actually show love by your actions? Do you have the material things of this world yet you show no compassion to those in need (1 John 3:17-18)? Do you know the truth of the gospel yet keep quiet without sharing it with all those that are heading for destruction all around you? What exactly are you doing for others in love? What sacrifice are you making for others? Does the love of God really abide in you? 

It is sad to say that love has been given different definitions over the cetnuries. Love has been colored to suit the selfish desires and ambitions of men hence it is essential that we know the kind of love we are referring to. This is God’s definition of love: love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and keeps no record of wrongs. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. (1 Cor. 13:4-6)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to be full of compassion and love for others like you! Amen.