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Be An Uncommon Christian

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi
07 February 2016   |   3:53 am
ONE of the striking unique qualities of Jesus Christ is His ability to transform the lives of those that come to Him, and to impart in them an uncommon personality. Indeed, His earthly ministry was characterised by good deeds, not only in healing the sick and delivering the oppressed from demonic attacks and afflictions, but…

Pastor-Kumuyi

ONE of the striking unique qualities of Jesus Christ is His ability to transform the lives of those that come to Him, and to impart in them an uncommon personality. Indeed, His earthly ministry was characterised by good deeds, not only in healing the sick and delivering the oppressed from demonic attacks and afflictions, but also in granting pardon to repentant sinners. Among the numerous beneficiaries of Christ’s grace was a man called Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman and Mary Magdalene whose sins were forgiven, and whose moral lives were completely altered in a way that astounded those that knew them. Jesus truly went about doing good.

Sinners received forgiveness; the blind had their sight restored; the lame walked; the sick were healed; the afflicted and oppressed were liberated and the dead were brought back to life. The Lord has not changed; He remains the same today as He was in the past. Hence, every encounter with Him today, bears profitable and noticeable proof. Such proof should not only be seen in the physical and material blessings that we enjoy but, more importantly, in the moral revolution that ensues in our lives.

God does not want any of His children to remain static in life, but to grow from strength to strength. He wants the believer to come up higher and to experience the spectacular. For this to be possible, the believer must understand that he is different from those that have no relationship with Jesus Christ. He must recognise his position and inheritance in Christ. He wants to live as an uncommon Christian in this contemporary world. With Christ and the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we cannot be limited by any power or force on earth “because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Not surprisingly, the expectation of the Lord from everyone that has tasted of His gracious work of transformation is to become: (1) A converted Christian – changed from being a sinner to a child of God. (2) A covenant Christian. As an heir of God and joint-heir with the Lord Jesus Christ, the believer is a covenant-child. (3) A connected Christian – always connecting to heaven, the throne of mercy through Christ. (4) A consecrated Christian – willing to surrender all to God. (5) A continuing Christian – not jumping ship midstream in his walk with Christ, and; (6) A conquering Christian – not yielding to temptations or falling prey to the base instincts of man.

Only uncommon Christians, who obey God’s unconditional and uncommon Commandments can possess such qualities. For instance, Moses and the children of Israel were able to cross the Red Sea because they obeyed an unusual commandment. The walls of Jericho fell down because Joshua and the children of Israel obeyed an uncommon commandment. At the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, there was a supernatural provision of extra wine because the disciples obeyed the uncommon commandment of Christ. Uncommon miracles, healing and deliverance come by absolute obedience to the uncommon commandments of the Lord.

Personal obedience such as Abraham and other patriarchs manifested in their walk with God at various times, brings uncommon blessings into the life of a believer. The need for implicit obedience cannot, therefore, be over-emphasised if we must enjoy all that the Lord has in store for us. “By faith, when Abraham was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” To receive blessings promised by God as Abraham did, we must not allow fear of the unknown, doubt and uncertainty to hinder us from fully obeying the Lord. Believers need to emulate Abraham’s lifestyle of complete obedience. So, “ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn… Look unto Abraham your father… I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”

Our obedience to the Lord must be borne out of personal conviction and unflinching resolve to follow Him to the end irrespective of what others may think of us. If Christ is really our Saviour, we must be prompt in our response to His commandments and yield unconditionally to His Lordship. Apostle Paul was prompt in his obedience to the Master’s call. He said: “But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by HIs grace, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood”. Similarly, nothing should deter us today, from doing the will of God. His will may be inconvenient, and therefore, not pleasing to us or the people around us, yet we are to obey Him. Our motives and actions must be guided by what pleases the Lord only. Our obedience must not only be prompt but also perpetual. As believers, perpetual obedience to the Lord entails that we serve Him at all times, till the very end of life.

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