Life in Christ means abiding in Him. When one is in Christ, the world would see an unusual man who is holy, loving, caring and humble. These are some of the marks of Christ likeness. This is personally a challenge for my spiritual life, a goal I strive to achieve. I desire and pray for this incessantly. I do fail often but the rate of victories is growing and that of failures diminishing! All we need to do is start with an earnest desire and prayer.
When I write this, I know how difficult it is for a human being to reach the standard mentioned here. I would go a little deeper and admit, it is not just difficult, but impossible for human beings. So what do we do. A study like this will have two outcomes.
1. The reader would say it is impossible and impractical and hence not for me.
2. A sincere believer could be discouraged to see how high the standards are.
The answer to both is that
2 Cor 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
What we are going to see below, the tests that we are going to take is TRUTH. But the only way to succeed in it is by GRACE. So do not write them off or be discouraged. Just seek His amazing grace by staying low, at His feet.
Now, consider the following verses like a test for our spiritual life. Let no one judge self by own standards, we need to take ourselves to the word of god, the two edged sword which will do an anatomy and give us an instant result.
1. Walking in Light
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and {yet} walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
Fellowship with Jesus means communion with Him, walking with Him, talking and hearing from Him. When we are in fellowship with Him, we walk with Him, who has no darkness in Him. What is the sign of walking with Him?
1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Oh, that is the sign. When one is in fellowship with Jesus, we have fellowship with one another.
John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
It is only natural to do all to please Him when we have a true fellowship with Jesus. Beyond, rituals, compulsion etc, one would deny certain fleshly and worldly things that Jesus has warned us about. But even beyond that, one would continuously seek Him through His word, communicate with Him personally in prayer, seeking His will. Finally, one in fellowship with Jesus would love brethren, in a supernatural manner. If our spiritual life is not leading us to this stage, there is something wrong with it. Let us test ourselves, do we have an urge to be with our brethren? Do we feel like visiting them or spending some quality time with them? Do we select only a few and do not have the burden about most of the others?
There is no religious ritual or practice that can bring one to light. It is a personal relationship with Jesus and a personal choice to walk in light. One would find it when it is sought earnestly.
2. Keeping His commandments
1 John 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Though we have many teachings from Jesus through the New Covenant, we can summarize all that in the following verse.
Luke 10:27 And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Again, it takes us to the importance of balancing our spiritual life (loving god) with material life (loving neighbor). Let us test ourselves again and again. We may have many reasons not to love one, but this gives us one reason which is so strong a command to love others.
1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
2 John 1:5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though {I were} writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
When we keep His commandments, our prayers are answered, but our love is not for getting our prayers answered.
1 John 3:22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
Please do not consider prayers getting answered as a sign as it is possible for prayers of un spiritual people also materializing. It may be a natural outcome or from some other spirit or even from God for His mercy and not for our merits. The sign is keeping His commandments at any cost and not getting material requests answered. Not even when our religious work becomes effective.
Luke 10:20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning that you should walk in it.
So a man in Christ, will keep His commandments, love others the way Jesus did and do things that please Him.
Sadly, we see even many religious people un repented about hating people when the call is to love. They behave with humans in ways even worse than ordinary men of the world. They do things that are irrelevant to our Lord for the purpose of self justification, and never do those things that are mentioned as pleasing to His eyes. Many would obey teachings and practices that are external (including coming to faith, taking baptism, attending church, tithes etc) and leave all that warrants a change in the heart and interferes with human sense of privacy and pleasure. Dear brethren, we cannot please God with such a life. Let us repent NOW and ACT on this.
3. Walking as He walked
1 John 2:6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
What does that mean? I have heard many believers saying this kind of verses extreme and impractical. Instead they will give options on how to please god. Their formula gives all the pleasure of the world and along with that, they mix a little bit of religious work which they call (spreading the gospel) but this is nothing but a self justifying, self deceiving spirit.
Walking the way He walked is a high standard indeed. It is not humanly possible as we saw in the beginning. Let us put it this way, abiding in Him makes walking like Him very easy. So we need to strive to abide in Him. The more closely we do, the more we walk like Him.
This is a real challenge but a clear sign of a man in Christ. Personally this is again a challenge for me. I know it is NOT impossible as I have seen a few men walking in the same manner. I am talking about the spirit of people and not in a literal sense. I have seen men of God leading extremely simple lives despite opportunities, leading a holy life amidst temptations, forsaking a lot of this world for Christ’s sake.
Along with such men of god, we hear false prophets preaching about having the best of the world and heaven. It is not possible my dear brothers and sisters. We need to choose, and let us do that wisely. Our life in the world is for a maximum of 70 or 80 years. Deduct your age from this and see how many years are remaining. It is not worth wasting your eternal life for these many years of carnal pleasures.
4. Loving others
Let us take a look at our hearts honestly and analyze each of our relations. Do we love someone for nothing? We do love our family – it is nothing but selfish love. We love them because they are ours, meaning it is for your sake. We love others when they are good to us or we seek something from them. This is not love but a mask. One small set back in the dealings would expose this. We show a lot of worldly love and respect to people so that they love us too, all for personal reasons.
Do we really love anyone for nothing? Do we love someone when we know the person doesn’t deserve it? Do we really love others as our Lord does? When we deserved nothing, when we were strangers and sinners and unholy, God loved us. It is the same love you and me are supposed to shower on others around you. In your home, office, neighborhood, relatives etc. Let us accept our short comings and seek this heart of God enabling us to mature into agape love.
1 John 2:9 The one who says he is in the Light and {yet} hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The other side of love is hating a person. Just think about the people in your own congregation. How many do you love to the extent you feel like having fellowship with them, you would share all you have with them? If there is at least one, you have made a start. Now think of the brethren whom you hate at heart, even if it is for their own fault.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The above verses make it clear once again what is born again, one who loves others is born of God and knows God. So if one doesn't love anyone, despite belonging to a church, he is born of something else. Let us make sure we are born again.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
We cannot love God the way He wants us to love Him if we are unable to love a brother. This is a key. This is the reason why Jesus mentioned in the sermon on the mount, if one has an issue with you, set it right and then offer the sacrifice. If we look at our hearts, we can easily see that we do not love others as Jesus wants. Secondly, we even hate some. Whether we like it or not, whether we accept it or not, our prayers go in vain.
1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
Eternity for those who love others.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
We often feel conscious of our lack of love when we meet brethren or others whom we are supposed to love. Instead of repenting and doing the needful, men often say a lot of meaningless things, excuses and DO NOT DO WHAT IS REQUIRED.
God knows this hypocrisy and has given us the following verse. If, we take it seriously at least now, what blessing it would result in! We need to LOVE IN DEED AND TRUTH AND NOT WITH TONGUE.
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth
What do we do in situations where we have to spend time, money, comforts, resources, etc for the sake of others? Do we shy away from the responsibility by giving an excuse, do we do the bare minimum just to get away or do we wholeheartedly do what is needed, going out of the way, stretching beyond all limits? I have experienced in my personal life, people belonging to all these categories. My hopes for agape love is still alive because I have experienced the third lot also. I have been to hundreds of situations where I needed support, financial and otherwise, and was denied in 99% of the time. They had all the valid reasons of the world not to help me but I couldn't understand why they couldn't practice this verse. And finally, god showed me this word was not meant for everyone but for those who love paying a price, denying self and taking up the cross to follow Him. I hope I can also follow Him.
God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten son to save us. If that is so, we need to love one another.
1 John 4:10, 11 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son {to be} the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Sign of God abiding in you is YOUR LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Some ungodly Christians try to propagate religion in ways Jesus would never approve.
Matt 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
The life of a Christian is what the world first looks at and that is the strongest media one can use to spread the gospel. When this life is even worse than most of the unbelievers, why should they listen to what you have to say? How can one believe of all the high standards a Christian preacher talks about when there is no life in him?
1 John 4:16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
5. Being unworldly
Today we hear a lot about material blessings and this is what the lord wants to tell you. Every thing of the world pulls us more and more to it and finally takes us away from God. We can definitely enjoy what is rightfully ours in moderation. But if we are not victorious (living by the Spirit), we will be worldly before we realize that. So let us take a strong stand on this matter and clearly define our worldly life and worldly pleasures and how to be detached from the spirit of the world.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
(you may also read Prosperity & worldliness later)
6. Holiness
True holiness is something that a spiritual man cannot live without. It is like our desire to bathe every day and be fresh. It is not following certain teachings. It is washing away all kinds of dirt and keeping one away from it. If a bit of dirt falls on you, I am sure it will be washed away immediately. Holiness is also the same way. We cannot wait to wash it off. The only difference is that we wash it with blood and not water. Blood of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! Similarly, this cleansing not only removes the dirt that was there but also makes it possible to love others, to stretch out for others and to reconcile with others.
1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope {fixed} on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
It is not possible for one who abides in Him to sin. One has to leave Him to sin. So when one sins, realize you are away from the savior. Repent about your sins of commission and also sins of omission.
James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows {the} right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Repent and start all over again. A few more verses for our reference, on sin.
1 John 3:6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
A word about the above verse. It is clear that no one who is born of god practices sin. A sincere believer who falls in some area can get terribly discouraged by it. Let us look at another verse in the first chapter of the same letter of John.
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Now, going to 1 John 3:9, we can understand what he meant by practicing sin. It means the purposeful sinning, not listening to the Holy spirit and repeatedly doing so. It is not about an occasional fall by a sincere believer who can repent, walk to the throne of grace and get reconciled with our Lord. How wonderful and merciful is our heavenly father?
1 John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
You might have been saved by Thy grace. But examine and see if you have really been born again. One who dies with Christ rises and lives with Him. There is a death of the old man that is required for a new born again life. This has not happened for many believers and that is why they are struggling with sins and world. If you desire and pray for holiness and victory, our God would certainly give that in huge measures. But there is a price you have to pay for it by denying self.
7. Righteousness
1 John 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
There is a human righteousness which most of the good people in the world practices (though many believers do not practice as they speak of a higher level of gods righteousness!). And as we all know, there is a godly righteousness. This is one of the primary things that has to happen when one receives the Holy Spirit.
John 16:8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
Understanding the righteousness of god, through the Holy Spirit comes from meditating sound doctrines, seeking that quality in personal life and praying for the grace to attain that level.
For example, a person who seeks true humility in the word, meditates it all the time, prays and fasts for it, stands a great chance to achieve it. And a person who just reads and forgets that will never even understand what it is. Strive and press on to perfection.
8. Supporting fellow workers
3 John 1:5 -8 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially {when they are} strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
About supporting men of god, first of all discern the way Jesus Himself told us to and find out who is a man of God. Secondly look at their needs. If they do not have the required resources, support them. Do not give just for the feeling that you are giving. Many do so and give more to ministries which are already financially doing very well when some other genuine ones are struggling for existence. It is true that our god provides. But we need to consider the fact that god provides through His body.
Conclusion
Let me ask you seasoned believer. When was the last time you examined yourself like this, through the word of God? I am sure, many have never done it and many would never do it. For them, it is a religion which ensures a seat in heaven (their fantasy, may God give them grace). For a serious believer, it is a life/death situation. You do not want to fail. Let us strive to achieve and win.
All praise and glory to God.