BE THE CHRISTIAN THAT YOU ARE!

Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2

Be the christian that you are is the admonition for today. In the book of Romans chapter 12, we'll find similar admonition. Brother Paul urges us that the life we live now as believers, and the one we used to live must not be the same. We need a transformation. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read 

if any man Be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and all things have become new. 

This is a command from God himself. We were dead in sins, lost and without hope. When we accept Christ Jesus by putting faith in his finished work of salvation,  a spiritual exchange takes place. This exchange is that we are transfered from  the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Hence all works of darkness which we used to engage in must cease Our lives take a new turn. We move from being dead men who enjoy sin, to men who are alive in the spirit unto righteousness. We become men who abhor the wickedness and weakness inherent in the flesh. Our spirit man is made alive to worship God. Our souls begin to delight in his word while our mouths fill up with praises unto him. 

This is the divine work of the holy spirit in our lives. It is called sanctification. We receive this first experience of the holy spirit the moment we forsake our sins and truly turn to God in repentance. Then there is the progressive sanctification which we obtain as we grow and mature in our most holy faith. The  terrible patterns of character traits in us called habits. already enshrined in our lives as reflex  actions,  must be consciously uprooted. This is possible as we renew our minds daily through the mirror of God's word. 

Romans 12:2 puts it this way 

do not conformed any longer  to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good pleasing and perfect will

It is a command not a choice. This unfortunately is where the battle line is. Many come to Christ and refuse to be transformed. They do not engage  the sincere and unadulterated milk of God's word able to save their souls, instead, they join the chorus in shouting alleluia while the baggage of the old man is still with them. Sadly, nobody can run the race with the baggage of the untransformed life. 

We need to shed those heavy weights of immorality, greed, jealousy, envy, pride, arrogance, impurity, hatred, avarice, strife, anger, deceit, lust, indecency, lewdness, laziness and lack of self control. Then we must out on Christ as our adornment and clothing.  In everything, we must endeavour to be like Christ and insist on being beautified with his traits of Meekness, compassion, love, goodness, gentleness, self control, joy, loyalty, faithfulness, mercy, humility, selflessness and peace. Then we can rightly say that we have truly become the Christian that we are.

 However, we must note that the first step to this transformation is in Romans 12:1 "therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God's mercies to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God..." It begins with total surrender, total yielding and total commitment. It is God's work through the power of the indwelling holy spirit but he needs our "yes". He cannot and will never force us.

PRAYER: Father, please grant that all who come to you today, willing to be made conformable to the image of Christ will receive abundant Grace to do so in Jesus name, Amen!