by Pedro Anosike | Feb 24, 2011 | Love
The secret to healthy Christian growth lies with recognizing, keeping in mind at all times what Christ has done in you, doing in you and for you Col 3:2, Rom 8:5-6.
What He has done in you?
Regeneration- Salvation
This fundamental gift, has been received because of our belief in Christ’ sacrifice that jump started our relationship with God. God commands man to worship Him in spirit and in truth but without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ it would have been impossible Mark 10:27.
By His gift of regeneration (Christ coming to indwell in your heart), you have been forgiven the sin (Adamic sin) and your sins. You have now been presented to God blameless before the mercy seat called the throne of grace or the holy of holies where only the high priests in the Old Testament could appear. And, they could only enter after many sacrifices, obedience to the law and a rope tied around his waist. A lot of “work” had to be done by the high priests. This is appearing before God by works.
Yet, the high priests was not totally accepted by God because their purification was done with a less than a perfect blood which, had to be repeated over and over again Heb 10:1. This cleansed their outward sins but “the sin nature” was still there. Their consciences were not sprinkled Heb 9:9. They didn’t experience regeneration. They needed Christ! Yes, a Savior.
All the high priests who died before Christ’s sacrifice, waited for Christ to come down to Hades to save them. Praise God for his faithfulness! Jesus did after His sacrificial death and eventual resurrection.
You and I have not worked hard for our salvation (regeneration) we have only received this gift by His grace through His gift of faith Heb 9:14. This call for joyful dancing more than gaining the whole world Matt 16:26. Christ has taken you into the most holy place as the new and true high priest forever.
What He is doing in you:
Teaching and Propitiating
Through the Holy Spirit, He is teaching those He has brought into the father’s presence how to imitate Him to love the father. He is not bringing ungrateful and rebellious people into God’s presence—those who will live without loving God. Remember that the conscience of the old high priests, the priests and all the people was not sprinkled clean but ours is and it affords us grace in an increasing measure to love (fellowship intimately) with God as He desires.
Recall that rope was tied around the waist of the high priest when he must appear before God in the most holy place. This signifies the law of commandments reminding him to tip toe and obey without any possibility of mistakes or sinning else he dies instantly. This is so because the sacrifice he did before entering God’s presence covered him only once—it did not continue to propitiate while he is in God’s presence.
But, in your case and mine, the once sacrifice of Christ, presents us totally accepted and yet continue to propitiate for us. Praise and thanks be to God! Therefore, the new rope (law of the Spirit of life-Jesus Christ Rom 8:2) is still around our waist not as a law of commandments by which we may die and be drawn out but rather, as a lamp to our feet– teaching, reminding and enabling us to walk in love with our God and with men Mark 12: 30-31, Gal 6:10. All of these, bring the fulfillment of Deut 6:5-6 in the heart of those regenerated in Christ Jesus John 4:23-24 .
See what great and awesome thing Jesus has done for you and me. His power is exploding inside us (His people) and, if we don’t grieve the Holy Spirit—He’ll live out the beauty of Christ through us. The devil cannot stop it but we surely can by having no regards for His Treasure in us. That is the reason we’re admonished not to grieve or deny Christ. How will you respond?
What did God require from the high priests and all who could appear before Him?
Love
You shall love the lord your God with ALL your heart, your soul and body. Jesus Christ did exactly that! Submitted His spirit, soul and body to God on our behalf so that He might bring many sons (those who will submit spirit, soul and body) to God because of their love for God. A love the power of Christ has put in their hearts towards God. This is a love that utterly hates darkness and actively resist it.
When God demanded love from His people, He actually demanded many things e.g., patience, kindness, hope, justice, long suffering, endurance in faith, truth, humility and casting off of jealousy, boasting, pride, rudeness, irritability, and unforgiveness 1 Cor 13:4-7. The core that holds those things together is this “does not demand its own way” (1 Cor 13:5) but follow after the way of the Spirit (which love) Rom 8:6. It will mean, when the Holy Spirit says to us to react in this way or that way, we will obey without minding how it makes us feel or appear in the eyes of others.
The way of our soul (self), must surrender to His way and ways. This is the reason Christ has sprinkled our consciences. Pure conscience exudes the grace of God.
When we unwisely relate the great passage on love in 1 Cor 13 to only our human relationships and leave out God who is our first love, we end up with our own interpretation of what love is and use it as a weapon for selfishness, trickery and sin.
If we fail to practice those virtues towards God, we cannot practice it rightly towards men.
Therefore, we can see the following counsel from 1 Cor 13 for a healthy growth:
1. Be patient with God for His due season to fulfill the things He has promised.
2. Trust in Him at all times under every circumstance.
4. Don’t be rude to God. We don’t nickname Him (the man upstairs).
3. Walk humbly with God.
4. Forgive God. This may sound funny but many get mad with God Luke 7:23.
5. Set self aside— give up your own ways for His ways.
He that loves God abandons his or her own way of doing things and aligns to God’s way. This leaves us with a total dependency on God which is, exactly what He wants from every one of His sons. Those who grow in this, God call them friends.
With fresh understanding, let us apply 1 Cor 13 to our relationship with God and then to the household of faith and beyond. This way, we will be in for a great season of faith, hope and love that last forever 1 Cor 13:13. Amen
Maranatha!
by Pedro Anosike | Feb 19, 2011 | Faith
Everyone that is born into this world is born with the sin nature. We are all born with the capacity to indulge in any sin be it homosexuality, lying, stealing, cursing, pride, unbelief, promiscuity, slander etc. This is the magnitude of man’s depravity in God’s sight.
The fact that a particular person goes ahead to become a homosexual, pathological liar or serial killer is determined by the devil who controls the sin nature and determines who he wants to manifest any of the ramifications of his (Satan) stature or characteristics (John 8:44). He does this by manipulating the person’s mind and environment.
The environment is not the sole cause of the behavioral pattern we humans manifest. If the sin nature was not there, the environment could not determine the behavior. This is why people who have been given the highest moral training in one environment can go to another environment and live out the evil hidden nature inside them. No one can shock God by their indulgence in any sin. We were guilty of all sins already.
The argument that someone is born gay is not a fallacy given the above understanding. It synchronizes with the statement of the scriptures Rom 5:12, 1 Cor 15: 22. That is why everyone born into this world naturally must be born-again spiritually (John 3:6-7).
In regeneration or born-again, it is the spirit that experience rebirth. The Spirit that now lives in the regenerated person immediately begins to war against – give instruction (2 Tim 3:16-17 APB, Rom 6:22) to the mind (land Heb 6:7) in other to gain lordship and to live out His personality (stature) through that being.
The voice of the Spirit in the heart of the regenerate is different from the conscience that speaks to all humans. The conscience is the voice of the human spirit which, seeks to point us in the right direction just like the law but it does not engrace you to submit sufficiently to obey God. It is subject to the devil for as long as it is without the overshadowing of the Spirit of Christ Jesus 1 John 3:20-21.
We must note that a born-again person has first been engrace or empowered by the Spirit of Christ inside his or her spirit to submit the mind to the mind, law or instruction of the Spirit. And, this has to be done willingly just as he or she willingly received the grace (Jesus) when He appeared to him or her via the gospel.
Galatians 5:1 makes it clear that failing to take obedient instruction from the Spirit that has set you free, leads to slavery to the law that fails to empower to you to be free from sins. The scriptures paints these pictures for us , so that, we may be engrossed with Jesus and follow Him sheepishly where ever He may lead us 1 Peter 2:25, John 10:14, 4.
Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT, emphases the point that “the sin nature” that cause the sins being lived out now and those tucked away in the spirit and mind, reigns in everyone not regenerated. Paul contrasts this situation with those who get regenerated in their spirit and getting renewed in their minds and living out the newness of life given by the second Adam (life giving Spirit-Christ Jesus) in their flesh.
This possibility and reality of living contrary to the sin nature is made possible because of the Spirit of Christ that has enveloped the spirit of the born-again person who’s mind is being renewed and as a result, his or her body is being presented as a living sacrifice not for salvation but as appreciation and fulfillment to that, which God had ordained that those who worship Him should WALK IN (Rom 12:1-2, Eph 2:10). This is how humanity gets to see the glory and beauty of God that serves as light to the world. 
The abomination that cause desolation (idol in the mind that causes ruin) is to receive the Spirit of Christ in our hearts (spirit) as savior, but refuse to submit our minds for washing-that He may reign as our Lord making us be like Him. It is Christ living through us that makes us the light of the world (Matt 5:14).
God does not have a problem with people who have not received regeneration in their spirits and He requires no righteousness from them because they cannot give it Rom 8:7-8. However, He loves them dearly (John 3:17, Luke 5:32). He is constantly inviting them to embrace His GRACE (Jesus) through the preaching of the gospel by the saved and also, by the gospel (Jesus Christ) because He personally confronts people even today Acts 22:7-11.
Truly, He is drawing John 6:44 unbelieving sinners to enter into eternal life through His only Son and only name (Acts 4:12). Those who accept Him, their sin nature (Adamic) that expresses itself in the behavioral patterns listed in Gal 5:19-21 and 1 Cor 6:9 is exchanged for the heavenly nature and life that must dominate this earth Titus 2:11-15, Matt 6:10.
Those who go to hell, go there because the nature of the first Adam (sin nature- image of the beast) enveloped their spirit, mind and body. For all who receive Jesus Christ, His Spirit envelopes their spirit, works in their minds and expresses itself in their body. But, the devil surely fights against these workings of God in the minds of His people. Satan does this by attacking your fleshly insect (mind) to get you to use your members (your eye, leg, hands, sexuality and chief of them all your mouth) to sin against God. This understanding propels saints of God to willingly submit to God and resist the devil James 4:7, 2 Cor 10:3-5.
True saints of God guard their hearts and mind with Revelation 14:13, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Refusing to submit (set the mind) on the Spirit (Christ) is the worst harm any Christian can do to themselves. It shows clear deliberate rebellion and an attempt to exploit God. To receive of the Spirit of Christ (God’s gift) and refuse to treasure it is treachery and ungratefulness. The consequence is hellish (Rom 1:28 NIV, 2 Titus 1:16 KJV, 2 Cor 13:5 KJV).
God is appealing to the regenerates through the true ministries He has gifted to some in the body to help the entire body understand the riches in Christ enabling the body to become mature and obedient sons of God Eph 4:11-16.
He has also gifted every member of the body of Christ with spiritual gifts for edifying the whole body. And the warning is, that every part (person) must keep functioning -submitting to the voice of the Holy Spirit for the renewal of their mind and living as one admitted into the Holy of Holies in service to God and humanity Heb 10:20 NLT, 12:22-24, 2 Tim 2:21.
The preaching of the gospel is done in order to save all that are lost. The appealing and warning is done relentlessly by the ministries and spiritual gifted persons in the body because of passages like Heb 3:13, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Heb 6:4-8.
In Heb 6:9-20, Paul the Apostle sparks confidence in those who are faithful in abstaining from filthiness, serving in reverence and love by reminding them that God who instructs righteousness will not fail them by becoming unrighteous to them. He continued – telling them to hold tightly to the hope of God’s faithfulness He shows to those who remain faithful to the end. And this, he tells them will be gained by faith and patience.
Paul further authenticates his words by citing God’s faithfulness to Abraham who walked in holiness, repentance and obedience through faith and patience. He concluded his admonition and exhortation by recounting that God even put forth an oath that is unbreakable and reliable in order to persuade those who worship Him to do so with their spirit, mind and body in perseverance knowing it’s not in vain Heb 11:6.
James the Apostle received the same revelation like Paul concerning Abraham. Abraham’s faith which, counted for righteous without works, did produce good works (James 2:21-22)
The Apostle’s teaching never deviated from the circumference of Matt 22: 37-40. It is the test for every true teaching. That man is to worship God with his spirit, soul and mind. And must from that backdrop, relate to fellow men including enemies; and especially to the people of the house hold of faith- brothers and sisters in Christ poor and rich, educated and uneducated, white or black. This is what true ministers of God set before the people of God. It has nothing to do with working for salvation that is a free gift received by faith but it has everything to do with James 2:14-26, 3:13.
Beloved brothers, there is no sin a believer in Christ cannot overcome if he or she wants to overcome it. Go to God again in prayers and don’t say “I have tried severally”. Reconsider your doctrine closely because belief in wrong teaching cripples determination to give yourself wholly to God and retrogresses one to being under the law where sin and death reigns supreme.
The doctrine of Christ is not some set of dogmas rather it is a gaining of instruction into the riches of Christ that gives you a better understanding of Him, which leads to more submission to Christ.
The riches of Christ are not houses, cars, qualifications and acclamations. You can get all those things without being a Christian. The rain (distribution of material things) of God falls on the ungodly and the godly.
Let no one fool you any longer! Eph 4:14. The power of Christ resurrection IN you is not just for material things but to help you Steward God’s gift- THE BLESSING (life of Jesus Christ in you) faithfully by living Christ-like and blessing the world Proverbs 10:22.
The falling away in 2 Thess 2:3 is fast happening as we see many changing their previous convictions and rejecting clear instructions in Eph 5:4-8 like Jannes and Jambres, and Hymenaeus and Alexander.
In Eph 5:1-2, 9-33, Paul gives us “Jesus’ commandments” that we should follow and the Holy Spirit is again speaking the same things to the hearts of those who have ears to listen John 14:15 & 21.
The Lord Jesus has multiplied His grace to the church that great numbers of the royal priesthood may be obedient to the faith Heb 4:16. Revelation tells us that a sea of heads were seen who worshiped God faithfully Rev 7:9.
You and I are counted in that number. Let us show appreciation to our God by not joining those who crucify Christ Jesus the second time and are making public ridicule of Him Heb 6:6.
Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches (Rev 3:6, 13 & 22 NLT).
May the mercy, grace and peace of God be with you. Amen
Maranatha!
by Pedro Anosike | Feb 5, 2011 | Obeying Jesus
In looking at any subject, there are usually many perspectives from which it can be approached. More often than not, each has some reasonable points.
In this article I am going to examine the subject from what I prefer to term a Christ-like view.
The Old Testament is relevant today as much as the New Testament. The bible should govern the worldview and lifestyle of everyone who claims to be united with Christ.
Now, how the Old Testament is relevant to us today is something that needs to be established for us to make sense of Christ’s view that should guide us to follow him faithfully in our daily affairs under every circumstance.
The Old Testament is a canon of scripture as much as the New Testament and it is on those grounds that we view the bible as God’s infallible word. If that is correct, which I personally believe it is; then it means Christ is the Old Testament as much as He is the New Testament; given that in the beginning was the word but the word only came to be flesh in the new dispensation (John 1:1 &14). So, Jesus in the beginning (even in the old testament) was introduced to mankind as Law or commandments to be obeyed since the people at that time did not have Christ IN their spirit according to God’s plan (Col 1:26-27 & Eph 3:9).
God had planned to reveal Himself to Man in stages but Adam and Eve’s impatience and sin interrupted the smooth flow. However, God is still on course to bless man with the revelation of Himself not just outwardly but in man (Heb 10:16 & Jer31:33).
The Old Testament is the shadow of the real nature of God He is revealing to man (Col 2:17). As a shadow, the physical occurrences that God worked in the midst of the Israelites whom He chose to be His people pointed to his real nature. He was to ultimately reveal in Christ not as a code to be kept but life to be lived in the spirit (Rom 8: 4, 11 & 14).
For the above reason, those who are in Christ indeed, take instruction from the law of the spirit of life in Christ and not from the letter of the law (2 Cor 3:6). But knowing that the law of commandments is from God and as such is good (Rom 7:12), followers of Christ depend on Christ by the help of the Holy Spirit to find the fulfillment of the law of commandments in Christ Jesus.
I believe failing to find how the law of commandment is fulfilled in Christ leads man to attempt to practice the letter without the spirit and that will always lead to departure from God and His way of doing things that reveal his true nature which is love (2 Cor 3:6). It is for these reasons that the scripture tells us that God does not just do loving things but God Himself is love (1 John 4:16).
John’s exhortation in 1 John 4:16, speaks to us not just about doing loving things which is good but to better still possess Love as our nature the way God originally intended for us.
This understanding affects the spirit, soul and body of man. In other words, man’s thought process and physical actions get powerfully affected so much so that it reflects God’s true nature (which is higher than man’s nature). For this reason God did not mind to condescending to the level of man in order to suffer and die that man may finally be engraced to enjoy Him, live and reflect His true nature which Adam and Eve’s sin marred and introduced the devil’s nature which leads to murder.
All who fail to find the Old Testament in Christ, who is also The New Testament, will ever seek to reproduce the Old Testament law as a standard to live by-: that will mean nullifying the grace that Christ has suffered and died to bring to mankind for salvation and glorious living which reflects God’s true nature of love, mercy and reconciliation to God and amongst men.
I will be quick to point out that God having established this grace through Jesus His Son is still working out the process in men who are yet to embrace this established grace through the preaching of the gospel. For those who have accepted the grace, it is still a “work” in progress as He leads them to perfection in their walk of grace. (Titus 2:11-12, 2 Tim 3:16-17 & Eph 4:12-13).
I can understand how a man who has accepted the grace of God for salvation can still be ignorant and un-cooperative with grace and may still want to live according to the Old Testament practices e.g. advocate capital punishment which was lawful in the dispensation of sin and death.
I have taken time to read almost all the plausible reasoning for capital punishment and I can see that indeed it is laudable and maybe even more persuasive than the opposing view. But that is as far as we are limiting it only to our human reasoning. If we incorporate our maker’s view as revealed in the superior law of life in Christ Jesus, we can hear not only Abel’s voice 
crying for revenge with all the good reasons but more powerfully the voice of the purest blood ever shed innocently pleading for mercy to be shown to murders (Heb12:24 NLT, Rom 12:17).
What makes murder so outrageous, painful and sickening to us is not just that the murdered person is dead but also, how the murderer could intentionally be so cruel to their fellow man. We all get mad about murder even though the murdered person is not related directly to us but because they are human.
We all know that everyone will die someday; accidental or otherwise, we sorrow and weep for the dead and show disdain at the party directly responsible for the death of the other party. However, our bowels of mercy including that of the state, jury and judge is activated to act leniently in the case of manslaughter.
The question we Christians should meditate with our Lord is this,-: how can we turn around and be deliberate to advocate murder just because murder of a deliberate kind has occurred. We are not to deliberately sin, for among all of our sins; the deliberate ones that we persist on are the ones that God has not made any provision of propitiation. But even at that, He does not kill us but He waits till the appointed time when He will judge the living and dead (Gen 4:10-15).
Lex Talionis is cancelled in Christ Jesus
The above opens the door for forgiveness and discipline- what I mean is this, we forgive murderers and discipline them by separating them for all the plausible reasons including worry over re-offending. This is why we have the prisons (Heb 12:6-7). Though it’s not a perfect place, some murderers have come out from there changed and have not re-offended while some have come out and even committed more brutal murder.
We humans are fallible unlike God who is infallible. This point has left the state with a lot of regrettable and irreparable mistakes e.g., killing innocent people based on the law of capital punishment. The good plea will never cease to be; to abolish capital punishment but hold firmly to the prescribed jail term as practiced presently. While some may see it as a waste of money maintaining murderers in prison, it cannot be compared to the waste of funds in developing weapons to murder uncountable lives all in the name of war or can it be compared to the flow of cash that exchange hand in order to murder unborn babies in their mothers precious womb.
God wants us to acknowledge our inadequacies by leaving ultimate decisions like depriving anyone of life no matter the circumstance to Him who is infallible. This God’s advice goes to those who carry out criminal murder and those who will use state law to deprive life.
To make the above clearer, let us all remember that with Jesus- New Testament, he that hates his brother is a murderer and that carries death penalty but is not executed till the all knowing and infallible God has exhausted the chance for the person to repent before their time in prison (this world) has expired. Yes! This world is a prison in a sense and that is why it’s not the home of followers of Christ though they are in the world (John 17:16). It’s used by Christ’s people as a place to grow in grace and to reflect God’s goodness and that is why we reach out to the lost pointing them to the grace that has come to save us all in Christ.
In Conclusion, while the state may have the option to consider whether they will obey God or not, those who are in Christ do not have an option at all. Let us listen to the voice of Stephen, all the martyrs and most importantly the plea and command of the Lord Jesus Christ in the following scriptures (Rom 12:17, 1Thess 5:15, 1 Pet 3:9, Acts 7:59-60, Luke 23:34)
Our world will be a better place while we are waiting for the best place (the heaven of God) to come if we all HUMBLY OBEY HIM AND LEAVE VENGEANCE FOR HIM WHO IS IN FULL CONTROL OF ALL AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE.
Maranatha!
by Pedro Anosike | Feb 1, 2011 | God's purpose
In the Old Testament God spoke to His people predominately through selected ministers who lived by faith and as such beyond their generation- the people heard God by the voice of His servants. Due to this fact, the people were missing out on the unique effect of hearing God directly; for there must be some advantage to hearing God’s direct voice.
According to God’s preordained plan which showed only in His “due season” (Heb 9:8), His superior law hatched in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ- the ONLY name (way) to salvation (rescue from the kingdom of darkness and translation into the Kingdom of light and life) was and is made visible for all to see. This dispensation of grace or the New Testament, has made the feared but highly valued voice of God now available to all who are in the Kingdom of God though the people of old, unwisely, begged not to hear it directly.
The partition-the curtain that kept God’s people, except the high priest, from entering into the holy of holies to enjoy God’s creative voice has been made available to us who are in Christ Jesus (Heb 10:19-20). May all praise be to Him for all eternity! Amen.
All the secrets of God in salvation is hidden and revealed in Jesus Christ (Col 2:3)
In Hebrews 5:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:6, Paul concluded that explanation of some things that relate to salvation that is hidden in Christ is not for the ears of those that are dull of hearing Heb 5:12 and babies in Christ Heb 5:14. We are to grow in our knowledge of Christ who is our salvation but that can’t happen if we’re not prepared to enjoy the privilege God has given us to hear His voice as His sheep (John 10:14 & 27).
To enjoy the voice of Jesus Christ we must love and live not just righteously but have godly lives. That was one thing most of the people of old were not prepared to do. They preferred someone else to hear on their behalf – that way, they have a person they can blame and harass when they get angry with God. They were wise enough to know that no one can continue to hear God’s voice and persist in sinning the way they had determined to pursue other gods. Their wisdom was foolish, earthy and evil because true wisdom comes by fearing the Lord continually which leads to obedience to God’s voice. The voice of God carries unction, prophecy and creative purpose. They knew hearing God directly would eventually change their deceitful and deceptive heart thereby conforming them to His image and purpose (John 5:25, Rom 12:1-2).
In our twenty-first century Church, most of God’s people like the Israelites of old are tilting towards this attitude of not wanting to hear God’s voice directly. It is time to awake to the fact that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit indwell all of His children. The ministers of God in this dispensation of grace are not like the Old Testament priesthood with the high priest. We need to remember that God has appointed all His people who have the Spirit of His Son (Christ Jesus) as kings and priests. The devil takes his field day to lie and harass God’s children with his deceiving voice to accuse and intimidate, but he is not God’s advocate. Jesus is and the Holy Spirit speaks His voice to us as Christ intercedes for saints His blood purchased. We simply need to repent (turn away from) wrong or sin when we fall for it (1 John 2:1, Acts 23:2-5 NLT).
Oh! How vital it is that we hear, learn and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit leading us to our Savior and Lord – Jesus Christ.
Paul who commended people to be children of God and faithful servants in different places in the scriptures tells us in Rom 8:16 that “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” It is only the Spirit that can witness to us that we are regenerated- born again, but if the sheep can’t hear the witness of the spirit how can the assurance come? Unfortunately, we resort to complex doctrine to resolve truths God has simplified for us already.
If the assurance of our salvation is not established in our hearts, how can the sheep willingly follow the good shepherd, much more endure suffering with Him.
For a change, why not determine in 2011 to open the ears of your heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit for your benefit and that of other believers you fellowship with and maybe beyond. We must not let laziness stop us from following the admonition in Col 3:16, Joshua 1:8 and 2 Tim 2:15. Those who are gifted with the ministry gift and spiritual gifts should wake-up, serve those who are weak and needy and let iron sharpen iron. It is time for all to fall upon their face before God to charge the battery inside us ( 2 Tim 1:6).
Let us learn God’s voice from the pages of the scriptures, obey it and see our lives blossom in God in all circumstances. If we are blessed to be doing so already, let us persist on it and look to bless others. The promised outcome in Eph 4:14-15 as a result of Eph 4:13 should encourage us to press on. I believe it is worth forming part of our core resolve this year and to aim for it with all of our hearts and strength.
One generation will praise thee O God to another generation and another and forever. Amen
Maranatha!
