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that we should
follow H is steps
( 1 Peter 2:2 1). J es us obeyed
God. He did not sin-sin is the
"transgression of the law." He
obeyed God and set an example
for us to follow.
The apostle John was inspired
to writc: "He that saith he abid–
eth in him [Christ] ought himsel f
also so to walk [to live], even as
he walked"
(1
J ohn 2:6).
The New English Bib/e
trans–
lation renders this in more mod–
ero English:"Here is the test by
which we can make sure that we
are in him: whoever claims to be
dwelling in him, binds himself to
live as C hrist himself lived."
J esus lived a life of giving and
servi ng. How many "Christians"
really believe this?
Paul was inspired to write that
J esus Christ is the same yester–
day, today, and forever (Hebrews
13:8). C hrist has not changed. He
will guide you to live the same
kind of life today that He lived in
His own human body 1,900 years
ago. .Jesus "was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet with–
out sin" (Hebrews 4: 15).
How will Jesus guide you to
escape temptation? The apostle
Paul put it this way, describing
his own experience:
" 1
am cruci–
fied with Christ: nevertheless
1
live; yet not
1,
but
Christ liveth in
me:
and the life which
1
now live
in the Resh
1
live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me" (Gala–
t ians 2:20).
Here we see that Chris t comes
to live His life in the true Chris–
tian. He does this through His
Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Holy
Spiri t imparts to the individual
the very faith of Jesus Chris t–
the same faith that guided a nd
motivated J esus when He dwelled
in mortal Resh.
Through the Holy Spirit you
receivc the very nature and power
of C hrist to obey the command–
ments and laws of Almighty God .
The Holy Spirit impa rts the
power to keep God's spirituallaw.
1t is His righteousness operating
in your mind and body, a body
that you wi llingly yield to Him as
His ins trument. What percentage
of "Christians" do that today?
August. 1981
How the Holy Spirit Functions
But how does one receive God's
Holy Spirit? Peter addressed a
large audience of people in his
day, saying, " Repent , and be bap–
tized every one of you in the
name of J esus Ch ris t for the
remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spir–
it" (Acts 2:38). T his same princi–
pie applies to our day.
Your old self must be figurative–
ly buried- baptized for the remis–
sion of sin. You must first repent of
sin. That means to repent of break–
ing God's law! Then after truly
repenting and accepting, through
faith, Christ's shed blood as pay–
ment for your pas t sins, you must be
baptized to receive the gift ofGod's
Holy Spirit.
Baptism- imme r s ion in a
watery grave- is a n outward
acknowledgment of the death
penalty you have brought upon
yourself by disobeying the law of
your Creator and is an acknowl–
edgment of your willingness to Jet
your old self figurat ively die.
The Love of God
Then, through His Spirit, Christ
places His nature within you–
His love, His faith, His strength
to overcome your own nature and
the temptat ions of Satan and of
this wor ld . (See Galatians 5:22-
23 .)
The love you receive through
God's Spirit is not mere human
love, but the very love of God,
whic h " is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is
given unto us" (Romans 5:5).
Now how does this love oper–
ate? Christ 's Word gives the
answer: " For this is the love of
God, that we
keep his command–
ments:
and his commandments
are not grievous"
( 1
J ohn 5:3).
lt is through God 's love placed
in us by His Spiri t that we are
able to keep His Commandments!
Through Bible s tud y, earn est
prayer and consistent spiritual
overcoming and growth, you can
yield to Jet God fashion you in
His spiritual image, so that you
can be boro of Him in the resur–
rection as His own son- having
His very nature.
This is, in fact , the very pur–
pose of your existence.
ldent.lty of True Chrlst lans
Down through history, God has
always set apart those who truly
serve Him by keeping His com–
mandments and His laws. The
apost le J ohn was inspired to
wr ite, " He that saith,
1
know him,
and keepeth not his command–
ments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him"
( 1
John 2:4).
A person who isn't keeping
God's commandments does not
grasp the kind of character and
personality that the true God is.
He is not truly "acquainted" with
God! He is simply manufacturing
his own religion out of his own
imagination .
God doesn' t hear our prayers
unless we become submissive and
willing to keep His command–
ments! "And whatsoever we ask,
we receive of him, because we
keep his commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in
his sight"
( 1
John 3:22). How
many professing Christians be–
lieve this?
Today, as the African student
perceived , millions of deceived
people worship a sen timenta l,
manufactured "god" who re–
quires no obedience. They have
been deceived by a clever devil.
God states: "Whosoever trans–
gresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of C hris t [the very
teachings of Jcsus Himself], hath
not God . He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ , he hath both
the Father and the Son. If there
come any unto you, and bring not
this doctrine, receive him not into
your house, neither bid him God
speed: for he that biddeth him
God speed is parta ker of his evil
deeds':
( 11
J ohn 9-ll).
Those are strong words! The
matter of obed ience to the true
God and His law is of paramount
importance!
Obedience
to God's Word
wi/1
bring you happiness
and fi ll your
life with real inner joy. This obe–
dience is what sets real Christians
apart from the millions who assume
that they are Christians but who
have strayed far from the simple
truths taught by Jesus Christ. o
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