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Spiritual blindness leads to hypocrisy. God wants His people whom He has conformed to the Image of Christ through regeneration to get rid of greed, self indulgence, wickedness and unfaithfulness through His grace, the knowledge and understanding of His Son (Rom 8:29, Rev 17:14).
God had determined to explode His blessings (grace, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of His Son to the bride—the church) in this generation like a cluster bomb. God’s intent is always purposeful and creative so, why this unleashing of His blessings?
Ephesians 3:10 holds an answer to the intent of God in blessing the church at this time of the end: [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere (Amplified bible).
Christ’s Image
His image is a portrait of the totality of His person- spiritual and human (fully God and fully Man) and it is only that type of sacrifice God has accepted for atonement and salvation (1 Pet 1:19, John 1:29). Christ is the Spirit of God in our spirit and He has made us conformed to His image in the sight of God (Rom 8:29). This is where the boasting of a Christian lies (1 Cor 1:30 NIV). Christ is our righteousness and our righteousness is of God not of ourselves (Phil 3:9). All praise and glory be to our Saviour and Lord—Jesus Christ. Amen.
At the point of our believing and receiving Jesus Christ into our hearts as our Saviour and Lord, His act of regenerating us makes us completely saved and accepted by the Almighty God. If such a soul falls asleep after that moment, the eternal home of that soul would be the bosom of God. Indeed, salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone. But, if God who sustains life in a soul were to keep that soul awake on the earth, he or she is bound to live heavenly (godly and righteously) on earth and show forth the praises of God (1 Pet 2:9). No preacher should debar the saints of this glorious privilege by teaching what deviates from the Apostle’s doctrine as given to them by Jesus Christ Himself John 15:10. If anyone does, let such a one be accursed! (Gal 1:8-9).
Christ’s Stature
Irrespective of our chronological age, we all are brought into Christ as babies though fully saved but needing to mature (grow in grace ). Christ’s stature which the church (the gathering together of individuals in Christ) is exhorted to grow in ( see Eph 4:13) speaks of His visible character or life style which is summarized as full of grace, love, forgiveness, holiness, righteousness, mercy, power, faithfulness, joy, peace, long-suffering, compassion, gentleness, goodness and truth. This personage of Christ is who God predestined us to walk in by the grace He has made available to us who are in Christ (Eph 2:10). Walking in it is not what gives us salvation but it serves as light to the world (Matt 5:14, Phil 2:15) and gives God good pleasure and honour (Phil 2:13, 1 Sam 2:30).
Mortal men are gaining understanding of Jesus Christ in a way that is transforming and leading to a reverence of Him and a desire to see Him appear to consummate the marriage feast that all generations of godly and righteous men and women have longed for without ceasing.
This transformation is cleaning inside the cup – our minds (Matt 23:26, 25, Luke11:39, Rom 12:2) and producing visible obedience outside the cup- our bodies (Rom 12:1) to Christ.
The essence of God increasing the Church’s understanding and reverence for Jesus Christ is so that we may be the more diligent and earnest to hear and do the biding of His voice. That way, we will continue to abide in Him as our minds are set on Him and not on anything else. This is the safeguard from drifting to another spirit that is fighting to govern those who dwell on the earth (Heb 2:1-4).
God is hastening this matter of moving His Church from one degree of glory to another to enable us do His will with the heart of love and fear as a preparation for the world to come which is not subjected to angels but to Christ for the full benefit of His people -the bride of Christ and to the eternal praise, glory and honour of God almighty (Phil 2:13 NLT, Heb 2:5-9, 1 John 3:3 NLT).
Awake Zion
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into (Prov 25:28, 4:23). You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:35-40).
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end (Heb 6:11).
Jesus is coming soon… it’s not just a fact. It is the truth. (Phil 4:5). This truth; should serve to wake us up from slumber. Awake! Zion and get to the high mountain for the time of your exaltation is at hand (not physical mountain and doesn’t necessarily entail anyone leaving their legitimate source of livelihood). Prepare; for streams of people are coming to you seeking the highest mountain (the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Saviour- the prince of peace) in your midst.
Maranatha!