WHEN IS IT TIME TO SAY NO?

PSALMS 38: 1-end

 

We were discussing this topic last week Friday at the Office, and one brother was talking about how his family was going through the Mother to give them money and he was so angry about it and he said he couldn’t take it any more, so he brought  it up during the meeting and asked is it right for him to get emotional?

 

One of the Sister said it is right and I added we are allowed to get emotional cos that’s part of humanity but what you do with your emotions matters, I gave examples like swearing at others, shouting, and getting aggressive, that is not right.

 

Something else came up, it was  this one lady who was once in a higher position of employment and was now looking for a job at our offices, which was for a lower position but because of her poor judgments in that higher position  A brother who knew her said “ I will make sure that she does not get a Job here reason being that I have seen her at that higher level and she made lots of poor judgments, so I think she is not able to apply the rules generally and yet we require somebody who can read the rule and apply them”.

 

I asked don’t you think we are being tough on her? Maybe she needs another chance and she has realized her mistakes so she wants to start over. One asked how we would know whether she has changed? But how could we know unless we gave her a chance?

 

A sister says that she sowed a bad seed and now she is reaping what she sowed, And that was to much for me, and I said that we are Christians and why are we looking at this person the way the world is looking at her, we know better than that, why don’t we look at her just as Christ would look at her. One Brother commented that I was getting Emotional and I said we have all done bad things, bad decisions and if we brought people who know us to come and tell it all where ever we went we would all be rejects in one area or another.

 

They didn’t want to get the point and the meeting was adjourned, I went home, but I was heavy, I said to God am tired of living around people who don’t want to be changed by the word of God, Christians but living like anyone else WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

 

The Bible says we are supposed to be Christ like One of the first steps in becoming Christlike is to adopt the mindset of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5) When we choose to surrender our lives and our will to God, we take a first step on the path towards a Christ like mind. We are using our will to choose God over the world, just as Christ did when He went to the cross for our sakes. Many of the characteristics of Christ-like kindness, goodness, forgiveness, patience and obedience, will be obtained by first using our will to make a decision to change.

 

Once we make a choice to become more Christ like, the Holy Spirit takes us further. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) We give our willingness and the Holy Spirit begins the transformation of our spirit to a Christ-like spirit. His work in us is what makes the transformation possible.

 

Our total commitment to Christ is what makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ-like beings. Look at the example of Matthew: “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9) While the other disciples had trades they could return to if they needed, Matthew was a tax collector and when he left his booth to follow Christ, he left behind his ability to earn a living. That took total commitment and faith and that is the kind of commitment we must make to be transformed.

 

 

Choosing discipleship to Christ was Matthew’s way of expressing his total commitment. The point of discipleship is to become like the teacher. “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.” (Matthew 10:25a) While Matthew was able to follow the human Christ, we also choose to be disciples and we follow the teachings of Christ. In these teachings we learn what our teacher was like and as His Spirit is revealed to our spirit, we become more like Him

 

Choosing discipleship to Christ was Matthew’s way of expressing his total commitment. The point of discipleship is to become like the teacher. “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.” (Matthew 10:25a) While Matthew was able to follow the human Christ, we also choose to be disciples and we follow the teachings of Christ. In these teachings we learn what our teacher was like and as His Spirit is revealed to our spirit, we become more like Him.

 

 

Matthew’s commitment shows us that he made a significant sacrifice to follow Christ. We may be called on for such a sacrifice some day, too. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35) This is where the rubber meets the road and our true commitment to Christ is revealed. In the U.S., we have not had to make many sacrifices for our faith but in many other countries, Christians have been tried terribly for their dedication to Christ. It bears thinking about how much we are willing to sacrifice for Christ. The answer will reveal a great deal about our commitment and how far we have come in the journey to become Christ-like.

 

 

What characteristics reveal Christ in us? Humility will probably be on the top of the list. “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:” (Matthew 20:27) God came to us on earth not as a richly robed king but as a penniless teacher, a servant. He suffered shame and degradation for our sakes. Are we willing to suffer the same for His sake? Are we willing to be like Him that even when our sins were so many and so bad he didn’t talk about them with everybody or even with the Angels before he came to die for us and forgave us? Despite our sins he still came as a friend.

 

Many times God tried to reconcile us with him but we still disappointed him until he gave his son, and even now we know what God had to give to save us but we still go back to our old ways, we still sin knowing what great price he paid, the pain He went through, can you imagine he didn’t give up on us! So who are we mere mortals to try and give up on others, looking at them with a judging eye because of what they have done or are doing, Just like Christ why don’t we come with a desire to help.

 

 

If we do, it will show our love for others. Jesus suffered for us because He loved us. He asks us to love each other in return. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) The progress of our transformation can probably be gauged by our love for others. And, not just the people that are easy to love, but our love for those who have hurt us, too.

 

 

Loving those who have hurt us requires forgiveness. Christ came to us to make forgiveness for our sins possible. We didn’t earn or deserve forgiveness; He gave it to us anyway. He had every right to not forgive us but he forgave us anyway. He is our example of how we are to forgive. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:13) Even if we have every right to not forgive, we MUST do it anyway to become Christ-like.

 

Christlike behavior includes spreading the gospel. Jesus came to save us but He also came to teach us. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) He passed on the responsibility of teaching to us. Telling the Good News that Jesus brought us carries on His work and makes us more like Him.

 

As we teach we also learn and grow till we no longer find the old dead spirit in us but see Christ in us. “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, “ (Philippians 3:21a) The change will be gradual and we will slide backwards sometimes. It will not be complete on earth, either, but we should strive to become as much like our beloved Savior as we can while we are in this world. Only in heaven will the work be completed in us: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

 

We cannot make ourselves Christ-like, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to do that work. Our job is to be willing to change and to walk in the changes the Spirit makes in us. We must be committed to change completely. When we are, the love of Christ will shine from us and we will become forgiving and humble teachers of the Gospel. Remember “…that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

  

MORE GRACE FOR YOU BELOVED, IN JESUS’ NAME.

"TO LOVE AND TO SERVE"