Welcome To The Arena Of Indubitable Truth! Topic: In Christ (Part 19)

Welcome To The Arena Of Indubitable Truth!

Topic: In Christ (Part 19) 

Text Of Interest:

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”        

Heb 12:22 – 24 (KJV)

The awareness to what the environment one lives can offer and of course playing according to the mottoes or dictates of the environment will give one the privilege to obtain what is obtainable in the environment without much ado or tug-of-war. It is a fact to consider that once someone has come into Christ, he has come into liberty but this liberty is subject or can be substantiated by the level of knowledge of Christ that is in him. If he knows better he can do better and freely exercise this liberty to fullness; hence Apostle Paul admonishes believers thus “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal 6:1). If we don’t stand fast in the liberty it means though we have come into liberty, we can be found living an entangled life as a result of not acknowledging what it takes to be in Christ. Therefore, the things that will show us what our liberty stands for are the things we know about the liberty we are brought into.

Yes, like I said earlier, is very important that one should be in Christ but also important is the fact that one should acknowledge what it is to be in Christ, if not it is useless being there. However, knowing what it is being in Christ alone cannot make a believer stand firm, therefore in the believer’s knowing there are things he must add to his knowing that will of course make him stand firm. Meanwhile, before we discuss these things I would like to remind us that we should have it in mind that what qualifies the believer to operate and run his life with what he knows is that he has believed the gospel. If he has known and practice what he has known and never believed the gospel he can never be found in Christ. Because as many as they are who know much about Jesus and never believed in Him have no part in Him. Therefore, in this case knowing is important but believing is most important.

On the other hand let’s look at the things that serve as catalyst to knowledge as Apostle Peter puts it, and I quote “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:5-9). We are going to examine these things one after the other and see how they can be added to our knowledge and the believer’s life is bettered.

Note that previously we have dealt much on faith and if you have not read them endeavor to visit our blog or facebook page. The next attribute that follows faith is virtue and the Greek word translated virtue is the word arete meaning properly, manliness (valor), or excellence. It implies a character of exhibition and that is to show up an attribute of excellence in one’s doing. So the believer is expected to showcase Christ in him in an excellence manner that displays one’s confidence in who he has believed in. A believer without this attribute of virtue means that he has negated an important disposition that should make him stand out in the midst of other people who are not born of the Spirit. Virtue is an important attribute that exhibits a believer and make him to be noticed among people and the same time establishes him on a higher moral pedestal in the society.

One of the things we have been asked to add to our knowledge is temperance. The Greek word translated temperance is egkrateia which on the other hand means self-control, so we can say that to our knowledge we should add self-control. Now, it is interesting to know that we are asked to add, not that God or Holy Ghost will add to us, this makes it a responsibility on the side of the believer. Why do we have to add these qualities? This is because they have been made available to us immediately we have accepted Christ by faith. Therefore, as the heart or mind of the believer is yielded to the instructions of the Holy Ghost, he finds himself by knowledge adding these qualities and by so doing he is renewed. We are asked to add and as well put off in several places in the bible because it is within our reach to do so and an attempt to neglect this instruction will affect the way and manner we conduct ourselves as believers (Eph 4:22, Col 3:8-9). Self-control is very important in the life of the believer because without this quality the beauty of being in Christ will definitely not be seen in his life.

To be continued…..

Till I come your way again, keep on basking in the Arena of Indubitable Truth!