ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? (PART 2)
TEXT:
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: ..." (Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 and 7, King James Version)
Receiving Christ as Lord and Savior is the grandest gift from God to humanity. Spiritually speaking, it marks the most assuring hope of glory. The Bible says that "Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians chapter 1 verse 27). Jesus said to Martha in John chapter 11 verse 40 that if she believed, she would see God's glory. To see God's glory has always been man's ardent craving. But unfortunately, only few are ready to play by the rules that are given to usher men into God's glory.
As it's always been with humans, the penchant for privileges without the flair to be bound with corresponding responsibilities is now very rife amongst Christians. In another sense, we have Christians today who crave for Jesus as Savior, but wouldn't want to have anything to do with Him as Lord! Why, because they know that receiving Him as Lord bears along with it a whole lot of responsibilities.
Our verse for the day counsels that as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so we should walk in him; rooted and built up in him, established in the faith, and that as we have been taught, we should abound therein with thanksgiving. This whole counsel hinges on what you do with the Word of God you hear. You can't be a true believer and choose or enjoy to walk disorderly in Christ.
Like I pointed out above, receiving Christ as Lord and Savior doesn't only spell rights-cum-privileges, but it spells responsibilities as well. The quest is all about our walk in Christ. It's trite that a proper walk in Christ as the Scripture enjoins us, begins with an agreement with Him. The question is asked in the Book of Amos chapter 3 verse 3 that: "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" That being so, have you come to the point of agreement with Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Here, I do not mean the mere mental assent that people often give about believing in Christ. What's meant here is a well thought decision for Christ, come what may! Have you?
Christ remains our perfect Example. Our walk in Him is a spiritual walk which must be seen and taken as such. In 1st John chapter 2 verse 6, the Bible says that "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked"
Our walk in Christ is one that we engage ourselves with, purely on the basis of our love for Him that first loved us. As the Bible says, He's One "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" (1st Peter chapter 1 verse 8).
As the Lord has intimated, anyone keeping His commandments today does so because he loves Him (see John chapter 14 verses 15 and 21). Personally, I love Jesus because He first loved me and died in my place that I might live. I'm in complete agreement with Evangelist Beta, my wife when she wrote saying,
"A true believer shouldn't be lax about entering into a serious relationship with the One who loves his soul enough to die and save him from eternal condemnation." (see her Devotional titled "HE WAS MADE SIN FOR US", published on October 4, 2023).
Dearly beloved, how is your walk in the Lord?
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me. As I have received You, so I walk.