Sunday Message Summary, 11 September 2022
Growth and maturity in the Kingdom of GOD is a command. God’s expectation is that we should come to the fullness of Christ, i.e., the highest level of maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:13). There is a measure to be attained, and without this fruit bearing, Jesus states that He will cast us out (John 15:1-2). The issue of conforming to the nature and character of Jesus Christ is therefore mandatory in the Kingdom. We ought to bear fruit because the Kingdom of GOD is for such. We are born again that we may be transformed, conformed, transfigured & changed into the image of Jesus Christ, growing and maturing into His nature, character, behavior, conduct, thinking and way of speaking. Unless one is conformed to this image of Christ, they cannot be a child of GOD. Furthermore, for us to be conformed to the image of Christ was predestined, and no one can change it (Romans 8:29).
It is only when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ that we grow and produce the character of the Kingdom, which is the nature and character of Christ. Abiding in Christ and Him abiding in us is thus a matter of a relationship between Christ and ourselves. Each and every one of us ought to have our own unique relationship with Jesus Christ, because how we grow flows from that relationship we have with Him (John 15:4-5). We are therefore not in church to wait to see Jesus when we die. If we have not known Jesus as we live here on Earth, we will never know Him when we leave this world. We ought to know Jesus for ourselves, following the person of Jesus Christ. Christ did not come to give us another religion, but to give us a relationship, and if anyone does not have a relationship with Him, they die spiritually (John 15:6).
The promise of Jesus manifesting Himself to us is a promise of relationship (John 14:20-21). We were created for fellowship with GOD. If we understand this, why would we seek anything else? Christianity is about a relationship between GOD and man. Furthermore, it is impossible to have a relationship with any one of the Godhead and not have a relationship with all three. However, without the Word, there is no relationship with GOD (John 14:23-24). It is only by the Word that we have a relationship with GOD, which is why we must be careful from whom we hear the Word of GOD and how we hear it. If we say we love GOD, we must be obedient to His Word.
We are born again that we may be transformed, conformed, transfigured & changed into the image of Jesus Christ, growing and maturing into His nature, character, behavior, conduct, thinking and way of speaking.
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