09/04/2015
WHICH JESUS DID YOU RECEIVE?
“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough” 2Cor 11:4 (NIV).
Apostle Paul made a profound statement about his purpose as a Christian: “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being made conformable unto His death” Phil 3:10. His desire was to know and experience all that Christ comprised of/stood for/represented.
Now let’s take a closer look at Paul’s determined purpose:
That I may know him - that I may progressively become more like him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his person more strongly and more clearly (Amplified). Who is the person of Jesus that Paul wanted to know? Matt 1:21 gives us an insight: “And His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins”. Also scriptures proclaim in 2Cor 5:21 that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. SO IF YOU BELIEVE IN THIS JESUS PAUL PREACHED, YOU CANNOT BE COMFORTABLE LIVING IN SIN. JESUS SAVES FROM SIN.
Paul’s appetite was so strong that he wanted to know and benefit from the power Christ’s resurrection gave us. Jesus died for our sins (Isa53:6, Jn1:29, Heb9:26), but he resurrected for our justification (Rom 4:25). Justification means to treat something as if the record is wiped clean once and for all. Amplified version paints the picture so vividly “making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God”. So, God did not just say “I forgive you”; he also said “I remember your sins no more”. He does not impute your sin to you; He imputes it on His son. We now owe our lives to Christ Jesus who bore our sins; we need to die to sin and live our lives in righteousness to please him (1pet2:24). ANY GOSPEL THAT PREACHES THAT YOUR LIFE IS YOURS AND YOU CAN LIVE AS YOU PLEASE IS NOT THE GOSPEL THE APOSTLES HANDED OVER TO US.
Secondly, Rom 8:11 says “And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who lives in you”(NIV). By this scripture we can boldly lay hold to life and health even when the devil challenges our physical bodies. JESUS’ RESURRECTION GUARANTEED THAT FOR US.
Paul’s desire was not just to enjoy all the provisions that salvation in Christ brought, neither will he only take pleasure in the justification, dominion and power Christ’s rising conferred on a believer.
Paul wanted to “so share his sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness even) to his death, (in the hope) that if possible I may attain to the (spirit and moral) resurrection (that lifts me) out from among the dead (even while in the body) Phil 3:10-11 (Amplified).
We might be tempted to say that this was Paul’s personal choice and we don’t have to make the same choices. But remember scriptures said of Jesus, that “Although he was a son, he learned (active, special) obedience through what He suffered. And, (His completed experience) making Him perfectly (equipped), he became the Author and source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him” Heb 5:8-9 (Amplified).
Jesus learned obedience through those experiences and they better perfected him to fulfill His purpose. That is why today, we have a high priest who has gone through the same pain as we do (Heb 4:14-16). He is pleading with the father daily, on our behalf; such that we can boldly come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace for our time of need.
So, while we are here on earth representing Christ, he left us with an instruction “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (KJV). Are we willing to obey? We can only learn total Obedience to God by following Jesus steps.
In conclusion, may we be reminded that Jesus died for something bigger than that Mansion or Limousine or multi-million naira contract you are asking for. They are not bad in themselves UNTIL THEY BECAME THE ONLY REASON WE CAME TO Christ. He died to give us hope, a hope that still lives on when the ephemeral things of this world aren't seen anymore.
A hope that gives our faith in Him such solid anchor which the storms and winds in the world cannot shake. If we only have faith when we have all we want; then, we have believed another Jesus and embraced a different gospel from that which the Apostles preached 2Cor11:4.
Can you please examine your life again and answer my pertinent question: “Which Jesus did you receive?” Remain rapturable, my dears.