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.