Basic HTML Version
walk [to live], even as he walked"
(1 John 2:6).
The New English Bible
translation
renders this in more modern English:
" Here is the test by which we can
make sure that we are in him: whoev–
er claims to be d'well ing in him, binds
himself to live as Christ himsel f
Jived."
Jesus lived a life of giving and
serving. He conducted Himself as an
ambassador of a foreign kingdom or
government- God's government in
heaven which will soon cometo earth
to replace all human governments.
How many "Christian_s" really be–
lieve this?
Paul was inspired to write that Je–
sus Christ is the
~ame
yesterday, to–
day, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Christ has not changed. He will
guide you to live the same kind of li fe
today tha t He lived in His own hu–
man body 1900 years ago. And re–
member, Jesus "was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without
sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
How will Jesus guide you todo this?
The apostle Paul put it this way, de–
scribing his own experience: " I am
crucified wi th Christ: nevertheless l
live; yet not 1, but
Christ liveth in me:
and the life which 1now live in the flesh
1
live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for
me" (Galatians 2:20).
Here we see that Christ comes to
live His life in the true Christian. He
does this through His Spirit (Romans
8:9). The Holy Spirit imparts to the
individual the very faith of Jesus
Christ-the same faith that guided
and mot ivated J esus when He
dwelled in mortal flesh.
Through the Holy Spirit, then, you
can receive the very nature and
power of Christ to obey the com–
mandments and laws of Almighty
God. The Holy Spirit imparts the
power to keep God's spiritual law. It
is His righteousness operating in
your body, a body that you have will–
ingly yielded to Him as His instru–
ment. What percentage of "Chris–
tians" do that today?
How the Holy Splrlt Functions
But how does one receive God's Holy
Spirit? Peter addressed a Jarge au–
dience of people in his day, saying,
26
" Repent , and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
(Acts 2:38). This same principie ap–
plies to our day.
Since your old self must be figura–
tively buried- baptized for the re–
mission of sin- you must first repent
of sin. That means to repent of
breaking God's law! Then, after truly
repenting and accepting, through
faith, Christ's shed blood as payment
for your past sins, you must be bap–
tized
in
order to receive the gift of
God's Holy Spirit.
Baptism- immersion in a watery
grave-is an outward acknowledg–
ment of the death penalty you have
brougbt upon yourself by disobeying
the law of your Creator and is also an
acknowledgment of your willingness
to Jet your old self figuratively die.
The Love of God
Then, through His Spirit, Christ
places His nature within you-His
love, His faith, His strength to over–
come your own nature and tbe temp–
tations Qf Satan and of this world
(see Galatians 5:22-23).
The love you receive through
God's Spirit is not mere human love,
but the very love of God , whtch
" .. . is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit which is given unto
us" (Romans 5:5).
Now how does this love operate?
Christ's Word gives the true answer:
"For this is the love of God, that we
keep his commandments:
and his
commandments a re not grievous"
(1 John 5:3).
It
is through God's love placed in
us by His Spirit that we are able to
keep His commandments! Through
constant Bible study, earnest prayer,
and consistent spiritual overcoming
and growth, you can yield to Jet God
fashion you in His spiritual image, so
that you can be born of Him in the
resurrection as His own son-having
His very nature.
This is, in fact, the very purpose of
your existence.
ldentity of True Chrlstians
Down through history, God has al–
ways set apart those who truly serve
Him by keeping His commandments
and His laws. The apostle John was
inspired to write: " He that saith, I
know him, and keepeth not his com–
mandments, 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 private "god"
out of his own imagination.
Can we believe that God means
wbat He says in H is i nspired
Word?
The true God doesn't even hear
our prayers unless we keep His com–
mandments! " And whatsoever we
ask, we receive of him, because we
keep his commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in his
sight" (I John 3:22). How many pro–
fessing Christians believe this? To–
day, as the African student per–
ceived, millions of deceived people
worship a sentimental, manufactured
"god" who requires no obedience.
They have been deceived into believ–
ing that the importance of worship–
ing the true God of creation- the
God who requires obedience to His
will as a prerequisite for receiving thc
gift of eternallife-can be lightly set
aside.
But God states: "Whosoever trans–
gresseth, and abideth not in the doc–
trine of Cbrist [the very teachings of
Jesus Himself), hath not God. He
that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath botb 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 partaker of his evil
deeds" (11 John 9-11 ).
Those are strong words! The mat–
ter of obedience to the true God and
His law is of paramount importance!
(Write for our free booklets
Just
What Do You Mean-"Salvation"?
and
The Ten Commandments.)
Obedience will make you happy
and fill your life with real inner joy.
This obedience is what sets real
Christians apart from the millions
who assume that they are Christians
but who have strayed far from the
simple tr uth s taught by J esus
Christ.
o
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979