What flavor do we project as followers of Christ?
Is all the Christianity just about the Sunday worship service, Bible study, praise God brother/sister- hallelujah?
Conflicts do occur inside the church; in the workplace, meetings with people outside the church. When the Christian is faced with such, is the response or attitude a negative one like, I can’t take the nonsense, adding profanity to the expression to make matters worse, how do we project our character to reflect the one who lives in us?
The unpleasant speech or response that emits from the believer, does not only to shock the expectation of the onlookers who have an idea of how committed Christianity should reflect, but repel others from being Christians, and in effect dragging the name of the Lord in the mud.
The Word tells us that those who believe in Him experience the flow of rivers of living water within their lives; referring to peace, joy, and righteousness; a portrait of His beauty, compassion, and purity- the changed man
Colossians 3:12-17 states,” Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all, these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
During Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes and woes, found in the book of Matthew, He gave some hints on the expectations of the new walk, some of which are, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to bethrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (13-14).
“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10-11).
What does the Lord expect from us?
It is a fact that many became born again after living the loose type of life; however, it pleased the Lord to call such life into His fold to declare the glory of God through the showcase of the transformational experience available through the grace of God. Appreciation of the work of mercy should encourage us to please the Lord by living a life that pleases Him. We have been set apart as unique people, called to show/declare the praises of Him who has called us from darkness to light (1Peter 2:9).
Mary Magdalene was a prostitute; she became an inner partner in Christ’s ministry. Also, Paul, a murderer of Saints said, after experiencing the Lord” that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, also to share in His sufferings and death, not having my righteousness, but the one in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:10-12). These two characters experienced an actual change in Christ because of their close walk with Him. Paul could testify that” if any man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and things become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
Walking with the Lord is not with a silver spoon; it’s not smoothed all the way. Paul expressed the conflict he experienced in following Christ,” For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind, I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:22-25).
Paul then gave one of the secrets for his successful living in Christ
” 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” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Furthermore, Paul implores the believers by the mercies of God to present our body a living sacrifice; to walk with the Lord, we have to die to self- surrender it all at the altar of the Lord. We are to die to whatever in life is holding us back from being consistent in following Jesus. We can tell the Lord we let go of our ego, self, flesh, society, and express our hunger for the heavenly experience at its peak. Only then the link in the spirit is uninterrupted, resulting in the renewal of our mind, and alive in Christ Jesus.
Our habits and passion become weights that detract us from being the Master’s best, because the flesh works against the spirit. The Christian with a purpose is therefore advised to do the following: put off every weight and sin that sets us back. Put off the old man, and be renewed.
Health principles recommend occasional cleansing for the body to perform at its peak. We read and learn different ways to get rid of the toxins responsible for slowing down the body. Also, for the best performance of the body, we learn about various physical maneuvers or exercises to maintain the body function. Many in this generation are very committed to giving the body all it requires to remain the best. Paul gave this kind of analogy about the life in the Spirit and compared it with the athlete to encourage the believer to equally strive in the pursuit of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1Corinthians 9:24-27).
The Christian who learns to live in surrender to the Savior by walking the way Jesus walked, as He taught in His Word; will acquire the grace to please the Lord though the quickening of the Holy Spirit that will remain active in the life, and help the believer in the pursuit of dying to self and elevating Christ. A life where Christ is lifted attracts others unto Him, because of the emission of the aroma and flavor of God from that individual. The Christian becomes a friend of God; the life we have been called into, “in His steps”.