The message is the Glorious Christian Life. And the Christian life is very very glorious, there is no life like the Christian life. And as you know it stems from a person, and that is, Jesus Christ. And we all know Jesus Christ, we have heard of Him since we were so small. In fact, many of us were born into Christian families. So we are acquainted with God and His Bible to a certain extent or The Word of God; we have no doubt, heard it in the churches, in Sunday school and even in our homes.
God wants us to have that life as a living reality within our hearts and He wants us to know that He is Almighty God but He chooses to dwell even in our very human bodies. So we can have God dwelling in our bodies. In fact, if we are Christians, if we are truly in relationship with The Lord, we can say today, even tonight, that The Almighty God who fashioned the universe, who created the stars, the sun and moon and everything, the earth and all the host; that Living God dwells in this human body. Your human frame actually has the Living God within, if you have a relationship with Him.
So the glorious life must have a strong beginning, it must have a proper beginning. And then we must continue with The Lord, and then we must finish well. So The Lord will speak to us, to show us how we can know for certain that we are going to have Him and that we are going to have a rich welcome when we meet The Lord. All of our lives, as you know are quite finite and, all the days of our lives are numbered. So we have a relatively short period of time on the earth in which to show The Lord all our love for Him, in which to be a blessing to the world, to our generation, having God’s life in us. So we thank God for His Son Jesus Christ and that is the beginning. Regardless of what our denomination or church background is, we must settle on one thing, and that is, we must have a relationship with God and that comes only through Jesus Christ.
In John Chapter 3 and Verse 3, the Lord Jesus is speaking to one of the leaders of the Jewish Council in those days and He says to him, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God". "What do you mean?" Nicodemus said, “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?" Jesus replied, "I assure you No one can enter the kingdom of god without being born of water and the spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it wants, just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the spirit."
"How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things. I assure you, we will tell what we know and have seen, yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned, but the Son of Man has come down from heaven and as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up So that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." And this follows with John 3:16 the very well known verse, which is the foundation of our Christian lives. That is Jesus says, "For God loved the world so much, that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life or everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it through Him. So this is the foundation and all of us must make sure, and must revisit, not to doubt it but to reaffirm that the only standing we have with God is through the blood of His Son. That’s the only way we have any fellowship with God. So we all have lives of grace and we are so thankful for that.
The Heavenly Father has loved us so much, He has given us everlasting life. So this is the foundation. And how does one become, this term Jesus used in John 3, the term born again? What does that mean? Is that a certain denomination; is that a certain facet of Christian society? It is actually scripture and the term simply means to be born the second time. As Jesus said the first time - we are born humanly, from our mother’s womb. The second time is through a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit working within our hearts. It’s not simply a profession, I like the Christian principles, I like the Christian idea, the Christian morality is good for me and my children, it will keep us hopefully happy. It is not that at all.
It is God, "I am a sinner, already condemned to go to hell because my nature is sinful; my actions, my motives, they are all tainted by sin; I need your precious blood." And so we come to him individually and we say, as it is written in Romans Chapter 10 and Verses 9 & 10 (I read in the New Living Translation) it says that God saves us, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
So when somebody asks this, "How do you become a Christian, do you join a church, do you get born into a Christian family, do you do good work? Hopefully God will accept you in the end time". But what The Scripture says was quite contrary. The Scripture says, it begins with an act of faith like a child in saying, "Lord Jesus, I believe that You are who you say, You are. You came down into this world, my world, You died on a cross for my sins, You knew all about me. While I was ungodly, all of my false motives, all of my jealousies, all of my anger, my wrath, all of the immorality, all of the things that I did that were not pleasing to you, You saw all of it Lord."
All of us including myself can say that we are sinners before God. But God came to take sin away from our lives; the domination of sin was broken when Jesus came into our lives. And so we confess with our mouth and say Jesus, "You are Lord," and second we say," I believe in my heart God raised You Jesus, nearly two thousand years ago, from that grave, from that tomb in Israel, you raised Jesus from the death." God says if you just believe that and you confess with your mouth, a true confession; It’s implied it has to be a true confession, not simply a statement, you believe in your heart and you confess; He says supernaturally in Verse 10, for it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. Hallelujah, we can be made right with God instantly by believing in our hearts that Jesus is the Lord and that He died for me, God raised Him from the dead. It is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. So the first thing to start on the glorious Christian journey is to believe that Jesus Christ is everlasting life.
In the epistle of John it is written, he that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life, in the King James Version. So when we have Jesus, we can be confident. "Lord, no matter what the storms in life, no matter what Satan brings against me, no matter what adversity comes, I know that I am safe in Your Arms. Because I have a living faith, a genuine union with You through the Blood of Jesus. Lord, I thank you, I am secure. God, the economy may go down, my help may fail, things may go wrong even in the families, but I am standing for You on this foundation Jesus Christ. I have you Lord and with You, I will overcome." Praise God!
That’s the faith that the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit imparts into us, when we become truly born-again. When we become born-again, God says to us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have loved you and I have a purpose for your life. The purpose in your life is not to live your life like the rest of the world. It is to live to glorify Me. You will have a glorious Christian life, when you live to honor me." How do I honor God? Well, we can say how the world dishonors God and by watching that, just by watching that, we can know that those things if we do, we also will dishonor God. So, when we watch for that in our lives and we must send it out of our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot do it on our own strength but it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit. But we must, we must cooperate.
The epistle of First John Chapter 2 Verses 15 through 17 gives a clear prescription of how to please God and hold on to the eternal life, and then enter into the Kingdom of God finally, on that judgment day. It says here very clearly, "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world you do not have the love of The Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for a lust, (in the King James Version) a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, in pride, in our achievements, in our possessions. These are not from The Father but are from this world, and this world is fading away along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
When Jesus said, "Do you see all these buildings? All of these things will come down. Indeed the temple, He is speaking about the temple; He said, not one stone will be left upon the other." This was a response to the disciples saying, "Master, Look at all the beauty of this building." And in our days we have many beautiful buildings. In every major city, there is some erection or edifice that is so glorious. And indeed the person who builds that, and the person who worked there or lived there and the people who pass by will admire it and all had this feeling that this can never be shaken, this can never come down. So the Lord says, "If you know for a fact that everything in this world is going to perish very soon, then what are you living for?" The Lord says, "If you belong to me, I have a glory far greater than this what you see, therefore do not live for the things you see."
It says in another scripture, the things are seen are temporal and the things that are not seen are eternal. When we become born again, dear friends, we become a living spirit that is one with Christ, and when God shakes everything in the end time, even the stars of the heaven will fall. It says in the end of Mathew 24 and so on, everything will be shaken, but there are some things that cannot be shaken. Praise
God!
In Hebrews it says that some things will not be shaken. You know what those things are, everything in the Kingdom of God; God himself and every one that belongs to Him.
A glorious Christian life is to say to the world and to the devil that I will live forever, not based on my merit but based on the blood of the Son of God who ransomed me and has given me an everlasting inheritance. Now I hold fast to that possession, holding that eternal life I say 'No' to the ungodly things of the world. Now some people think as long as you’re not grossly immoral, as long as you do not go with another man’s spouse or another woman’s spouse, you’re ok, you are basically moral. Are you not? The Lord Jesus says in Mathew Chapter 5 that if you so look at a woman to lust after in your heart you’ve already committed adultery with her. Same thing goes for the woman. As long as we crave for the things in the world in various degrees we are inviting back the old nature, same thing goes for anger and wrath.
The Lord says in Galatians Chapter 5 that there is a clear distinction between the Christian life and the life of the world. You know beloved, we can always know which side of the fence we stand on. God never leaves us to doubt. We have the Word of God and the Word of God is the mirror that shows us exactly how we look before God. We have everlasting life. Praise God!! And through that everlasting life, we have all kinds of benefits including healing. I myself was miraculously healed, back in 1990, from chronic asthma that caused me so much time from school, that caused me so much burden, that caused me so much pain. I came close to death several times, but the Lord healed me miraculously in 1990 when somebody prayed for me and told me, “Look at Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 19, it says That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. This other brother prayed for me back in May of 1990; I had this disease for 11 years, Chronic Asthma, getting worse and worse. And my life, I felt, was just sapped away, I couldn't do anything, constantly on medication, constantly afraid that I will lose the medication. But Jesus came in and He healed me by His Stripes and I praise God for that. That was one of the benefits of the salvation.
But the most glorious thing is, to end with God and as it says in Peter, to have an abundant entry with God when we go to heaven, that all the angels will come to us and give us a glorious eternal entry into heaven. See these things are all given in scripture and God is wanting tonight, dear friends, for all of us to have that glory in our lives. The life should be so strong, so intense that we don't need to even speak many times. People will know that this person is different. Even if I don't wear a cross, even if they don't see me hold the Bible, they'll know there's something emanating from this life that is far different from the rest. This life is innocent, this life is holy, this life is godly, this life is the life of love, this life doesn't take vengeance. This is Jesus living in us.
The Lord says, I come into you if you have received me. But now let me abide with you and what a wonderful thing God does. He says, ‘I won't force myself into you, I won't force myself to remain with you, though I love you with everything that I have. You have a choice. Will you love Me? Will you love Me back? Will you walk with Me? Will you be my Bride? The Lord says, Out of your own will, I want you to love Me. Then that is true love.
And this is how we know we show the love for God when we don't love the world. It says do not love this world. What is it again in the King James: the lust of the flesh - all that my body desires, everything you can think of that is wrong. See there are genuine and legitimate desires that God has placed within a man and a woman, in a boy and a girl. God has given certain desires, certain propensities that must be satisfied. He created us, he designed us, but for every desire that we have He has a proper and a Holy Purpose and a righteous way to fulfill that.
It is our duty and joy to discover from the Word of God, as we read it every day, and I hope you do have a copy of the Bible with you wherever you go. Because it's not just to carry as a good luck charm as you know, but to say Lord I value Your word, I love Your word. Many years ago, I used to want to carry the Bible, but I was ashamed. You know as many, many years ago, as a person struggling in the world and struggling in the church, so to speak. And I used to think, well, if I carry this Bible it's going to bulge out of my pocket and if I carry someone may see it, what will they think of me?
But when I surrendered my life truly to the Lord and I said, “Lord, I love more than anything else in my life. I'm proud to be Your child. Lord, I love Your word, therefore, I value it.” How many of us will leave our homes without our cell phones. We say, of course, I cannot leave my home without a cell phone. I need to be in communication with who, my loved ones. How do I communicate with God? Through prayer, but also I hear His communication through the Word and through the Spirit, but primarily, through the Word of God. So, if I value the Word of God, should I not take it with me wherever I go? And every spare opportunity I would say, Father I love and I show of my love to You by loving Your Word. Oh, how I love Thy Law. It is my meditation all the day long.
Be radical for Christ! Be radical for Christ! Let Him and His glory flow through you. Then He will use you as salt and light in this world. Even in your families, even in your societies, at your workplace, we don't need to work it up, the fruit will manifest as we yield to God. Praise God! So, the things that we see, the things that we crave for in our body, and the pride of life, all these worldly things must be put to death.
In Romans 6:6-8
6.For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin
7.because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8.Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
It says this, the old life is everyday struggling to manifest itself. God says you must put it to death. You see beloved, if we belong to Jesus and we know Him, God says, “I'm giving you a duty, I'm charging you with a sacred duty.” Our battle in our whole life in one sense is singular, you know what it is? It is the fight against sin. Sin contaminates everything. Every relationship, every work we do, everything we long for, all our dreams, our passions, sin comes in and corrupts everything. The Lord came and He took that sin away with His Own Precious Blood. The Lord says, “make sure you don't let it come back into your life.” Praise God!
This is why Paul the Apostle says in Acts Chapter 24 Verse 16, "and herein do I exercise myself, (see it takes effort) to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." This is the Christian life! Our glory is not that, "Oh, it is so hard, it's so difficult." It is, “With God all things are possible, through God I'll be triumphant always in Christ.” “Lord, I want to live for Your Glory and let Your Glory shine through me.” The glory of God is in knowing Him, believing His word, receiving the benefits, even healing. It all comes by faith in the Living God. The foundation is beginning with Jesus Christ. “Lord, You must not only be my savior, but You must be my Lord!” And this is why many people unfortunately have defeated lives. They know about God, they may read the scriptures even, but they have no victory. The victory comes when we say to God, “I will put to death those things that Lord you died to get rid of in my life.” What are those things? The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Whatever we do must be for the glory of God and we must always have a divine perspective that these things are temporal. They will perish.
Once I used to live for me. It was always me, myself, and I. How can I be happy? How can I be comfortable? How can people love me? How can I look good? All of that is to put to death, slain on the cross of Jesus Christ. Now, it is how can I glorify my loving heavenly Father. And Praise God, when we glorify God, God never leaves us and does not honor us. God says, “Them that honor me I will honor.” God loves it. Jesus said that it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Again, God has given us all things richly to enjoy. The only thing is, make sure the cross of Jesus is in your life.
That cross means that I will first deny myself, then take up the cross, the mission, the calling God has for me, the glorious calling, and then follow Him all the way. Praise the Lord! So, God has this glorious life for us and you know in the midst of the walk God wants us to be strong, not weak. Abraham, it's written of him, was not weak in faith, but strong. At one time, he told half-lies, he was afraid for his safety, he did some carnal things. But did God write him off? He did not. Praise God, our God is long-suffering. He is a very gracious and compassionate God. All of us have made mistakes in our lives, the grace of God comes and covers our life and said I forgive you when you genuinely come to me and repent.
Abraham did not stay where he was, neither must you or I. You may say, “Lord, there are things in my life that need to be cleaned up”. Hebrews Chapter 12 Verse 1 says this: Therefore, see, we are headed somewhere, aren't we? We are headed towards heaven. Our life is geared towards meeting God. If God is not the chief desire of your life, I would say examine your Christian life. It's not just Sunday, not just even prayer meeting; it is, “Lord, every single day I love you because you loved me first. Lord, I want to see what you have for me this day. I praise you and magnify you Lord. Use me as an instrument to touch other people's lives.”
Hebrews Chapter 12 it says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith. See, there are many people who have gone to heaven before us. They lived an outstanding life of faith. They finished well, we want to finish well. Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. This is what God wants. He wants a victorious life, a glorious life.
Satan may bring a storm as we said at the beginning. He may bring other things. The world may come and jeer and laugh at me. Here comes the Christian, You're always carrying the Bible, always praying, why can't you keep that private? We don't want to hear it. With all due respect and love, we must have an answer ready for them. We must say, "How can I? How can I turn my back on My Savior, who bled on the cross for my sins? He loved me with an everlasting life. He lives today so that I may live also.” And you become bold. Very often I have seen this in my life, and others have told me, the very people who mocked you even in your workplace, when you shine the light for Jesus and you live an obedient life, a holy life, not just talk but the walk, you're walking with Christ, they'll be drawn like magnets to the light.
When we come to see ourselves for who we really are. God's Word is a mirror as we said, it shows us who we are. But having gone through that and now shining the light for others to see. We say, “Lord I want to finish well and what a glorious thing. I finish with this verse in Revelation 3, Lord Jesus says, Verse 20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches."
Praise the Lord! The victorious glorious life, there is nothing to match it. Can you tell me or can I come up with anything that I can think of, in all our human imagination, whether fantasy or literal and real that can compare with sitting with Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe on His Throne forever with Him. This is exactly what it says here; so I trust that you would take the Word of God and you would treat it with the greatest respect and everyday you will read, not simply to read but to say “Lord, Show me your glory. Lord Jesus transform me, make me a power house for Jesus Christ. I don't want to be a dimly lit light on the corner somewhere. I want to be burning brightly for you with all the luminosity and intensity of the glory of Jesus Christ.” That is the glorious Christian life. Praise the Lord!
Shall we pray? We praise You, Oh God. Heavenly Father! We know Lord that this time on earth, Lord is a gift from You. Oh God, our days are numbered Lord, You said that in the scriptures. Heavenly Father, Lord when we turn to you, when we examine ourselves, when we say, Oh Lord, I cannot do these things on my own, and we hear you say, I know my child, that is why I am here to help you with the power of the Holy Spirit. God let each one of us come as little children, as little children, oh Father, and say Jesus not my will, but your will be done. Lord, I want to have that peace Oh God. The more I do, the more I travel, Lord the more things I possess, the more achievements, it seems that this peace is elusive. God, the success I'm looking for does not bring peace after all, God how can I be a true success in Your Eyes? Heavenly Father, I pray that, You by Your Holy Spirit will burn that question in the hearts of Your people and they will find that satisfying life in You and that glorious Christian Life that will culminate one day in seeing Your face. Oh God, in seeing Your beautiful face Oh God and being accepted in Your kingdom to finally live with You forever. We thank you in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ.
