Holy Spirit says through Paul that "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Cor 5:17. I wondered many times in my life, what is expected out of myself as a Christian? What God wants out of me? or How to please Him? It has been my desire from my childhood to become a powerful minister for God. I wanted to be a true prophet. To be honest, I have the desire deep within, but my ways were not very focused on God. I was a lukewarm for a long time. I wanted both. I wanted worldly pleasures as well as God. But, I know God is looking over me, caring over me and He will turn my ways at some point of time when He wills. Once I was touched by God, my inward spiritual thought process took a big turn (but, outside was still the same - more on this later). Then, I realized the answer for that question.
During my college days, I had attended a 3 day Christian youth conference. In one of the sermons, the preacher said that all Christians are called to do the will of God and the will of God differs for person to person. How true? The Lord appointed Peter, who was a fisherman to become a preacher for conventional jews but identified Paul, who mastered the doctrine and law as a minister for gentiles. Paul explains this in his letter to the church of Corinth as there could be different organs in the body, but each of them serves it purpose and cannot ignore the other one. If one suffers, the entire body suffers. I Cor 12:14-26. So, the apostle cannot say that prophet is not required and vice versa. It applies to the way we want to serve God too. I may wanted to become a prophet but God may have chosen me as a preacher. The other one may want to be a preacher but God may want him to do a healing ministry. So, God's will differs from person to person with respect to ministry.
But, the preacher said one more thing which is the actual answer. The answer is whether a persona is a prophet or a preacher or evangelist, there is a basic thing that God expects a Christian to do and that is to live his everyday life in Christ's way. This is what a definition of a Christian. A true Christian is one who has Christ living in Him. Having Christ make him a Christian. Christ lives through Him by Holy Spirit and he reflects Jesus Christ to the world. This is the basic requirement of every Christian irrespective of anything else. He may be a lutheran, presbyterian, anglican or any other denomination, but the above thing must be satisfied. Not all Christians are called for ministry but every Christian is called to live life in Christ's way. I can quote many scriptural verses for this but just want to show one of them. I John 2:6 says "He that saith he abide in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
To live this true Christian life, one must die to his old worldly habits and become what is called a "New Creation". Like a normal life, which starts as a baby, grows to a child then to an youth and a matured man, this new creation too has its own phases. One can never live this Christian life to full extent by him alone. It is impossible. Like how water is essential to the growth of a plant, Holy Spirit is essential to the growth of this New creation.
We will see more about this new creation in the subsequent articles. From now on, I plan to make my articles short enough so that reading won't be a burden. If it takes more content, I will split them to 2 or 3 smaller articles. May God be exalted in everything we do. All honor, glory and praise to the one who hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. I Tim 6:16 Praise the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
During my college days, I had attended a 3 day Christian youth conference. In one of the sermons, the preacher said that all Christians are called to do the will of God and the will of God differs for person to person. How true? The Lord appointed Peter, who was a fisherman to become a preacher for conventional jews but identified Paul, who mastered the doctrine and law as a minister for gentiles. Paul explains this in his letter to the church of Corinth as there could be different organs in the body, but each of them serves it purpose and cannot ignore the other one. If one suffers, the entire body suffers. I Cor 12:14-26. So, the apostle cannot say that prophet is not required and vice versa. It applies to the way we want to serve God too. I may wanted to become a prophet but God may have chosen me as a preacher. The other one may want to be a preacher but God may want him to do a healing ministry. So, God's will differs from person to person with respect to ministry.
But, the preacher said one more thing which is the actual answer. The answer is whether a persona is a prophet or a preacher or evangelist, there is a basic thing that God expects a Christian to do and that is to live his everyday life in Christ's way. This is what a definition of a Christian. A true Christian is one who has Christ living in Him. Having Christ make him a Christian. Christ lives through Him by Holy Spirit and he reflects Jesus Christ to the world. This is the basic requirement of every Christian irrespective of anything else. He may be a lutheran, presbyterian, anglican or any other denomination, but the above thing must be satisfied. Not all Christians are called for ministry but every Christian is called to live life in Christ's way. I can quote many scriptural verses for this but just want to show one of them. I John 2:6 says "He that saith he abide in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
To live this true Christian life, one must die to his old worldly habits and become what is called a "New Creation". Like a normal life, which starts as a baby, grows to a child then to an youth and a matured man, this new creation too has its own phases. One can never live this Christian life to full extent by him alone. It is impossible. Like how water is essential to the growth of a plant, Holy Spirit is essential to the growth of this New creation.
We will see more about this new creation in the subsequent articles. From now on, I plan to make my articles short enough so that reading won't be a burden. If it takes more content, I will split them to 2 or 3 smaller articles. May God be exalted in everything we do. All honor, glory and praise to the one who hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. I Tim 6:16 Praise the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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