NOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED

We are reeling from the Easter festivities, which in my opinion is the most important christian festival. Having heard so much about Christ's sacrifice for us, I assume someone somewhere is wondering, “what next?”

The actual “what next” happens after you have believed in the sacrifice and resurrection and proclaimed Him Lord over your life. Now, we can talk.

What happens is you have become grafted ( a part of a plant that has been placed on another plant in such a way that it attaches to and grows with the new plant) into the body of Christ. You and I, who once used to separated from Him have been joined to Him.

Well, we follow the pattern of the early Christians. Jesus met His disciples after the resurrection, left after spending some time with them and they were received the outpouring of the Holy Ghost some days after (Acts 1&2).

You receive the Holy Ghost who empowers you to live the new life God has called you to. Your life is solely dedicated to serving God's purposes while you live.

The early Christians communed as churches in their respective cities. Sharing freely of their material and spiritual possessions with their fellow brothers and sisters.

Finding a Bible based church and submitting to a leadership under which you would be discipled is a major key to your growth as a Christian.

Churches are meant to educate, correct, edify and serve as space spaces for anyone who decided to abandon their old ways and come into the light.

Is it easy living the life of Christ?

How I wish I could say yes to that. Not because christian life is hard but because my body has been so used to my former way of living that living this new life is something I'm not used to.

But thank God for the Holy Spirit, helping, guiding and empowering me.

I do fall short sometimes but God in His infinite mercy is always quick to teach and correct me.

I'm continually repenting of certain things. There are stuff that I didn't know, stuff that I wasn't humble enough to learn but the Holy Spirit taps my shoulder, convicts me and empowers me to do better.

He who inspires repentance, empowers repentant behavior.

There's no greater honour than loving the Lord your God with all your heart, strength and mind.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’...- Acts 17:28 NIV

Even the ability to love Him is something He bestows.

We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19 NIV

For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 AMP

The more we engage in spiritual disciplines like prayer, studying the Word, communing with the saints etc, the more we see our revelation of God expand and deepen.

There are so many advantages of living for God. Let me give you one, I heard this in a podcast some time ago.

As a human living in a community we fall short in the area of trying to match everyone's expectations of us. You want to please your mum, your dad, your friends, your co-workers, your spouse and that's tough when each of these people have different expectations. When you become a Christian, the only person you're obligated to please is God. You just have to be occupied with doing His will which will inadvertently satisfy everyone else. If they are not satisfied with you doing God's will, they're the problem.

Freeing, right?

The day I heard this, my life changed. Human beings change but God doesn't.

I give greater credence to what God wants me to do, everyone's opinion is secondary.

Every christian has the responsibility to live for the audience of One(God).

This is not something you have force yourself into, it is something you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you which eventually manifests on the outward in your actions and habits.

The Lord is kind. Ever willing to sacrifice Himself for us and ever ready to help us live lives that are meaningful.

And if we realise that a meaningful life is a life lived according to the intentions (manual) of the Creator, we will have no other choice than to surrender it all to Him.