Scriptures: I John 2:3-6 (NKJV):
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk (live)just as He walked.(lived)
Last Sunday, we missed the church service because ICAFF were having its Summer Retreat at MTI (Moscow Theological Institute). Watching the sermon online, Pastor Victor asked this question that i asked it again to myself, yeah why???? “Why Jesus had to come in the flesh?”
and Pastor Victor answers ” so we could see, hear, touch God in the flesh! From His birth to death it was written and prophesied in the Old Testament, its fulfilment happened and written too in the New Testament.
And again Why indeed it is necessary for Jesus to be in the flesh? Jesus the God incarnate. (John 1:1, 14) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
It is also written without the sheddings of the blood, there will be no remissions for sins. (Hebrews 9:22) in Leviticus 17:11″ the life of the flesh is in the blood…it is the blood that makes atonement for the souls” Now, it was also written in the Bible God is Spirit (John4;24) and spirit by no means can shed a blood, that is why from the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned against God, God had to made garments of skin to cover their nakedness. The animal-skin garments God placed on Adam and Eve show that the sacrifice of animals was necessary to cover the sinful condition that disgraced humankind, to cover their shame required the shedding of blood, an animal was killed! and it becomes a “formal sacrificial system” practice from Genesis to Leviticus- Levitical Law incorporating lamb as a burnt offerings and individual sin offerings.
It was a blessed illustration of substitution—the innocent dying in the stead of the guilty and were symbolic of the salvation we have been given in Jesus Christ. John 1:29” Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:14)
The Bible is from Old Testament to New Testament, Genesis to Revelation with a warning not to add or subtract anything from God’s words. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Galatians 1:8-9, Revelations 22:18-19) I beg to disagree that because we are under the New covenant that some of the Scriptures written for Jews or for the Israelites, or for the descendants of Abraham is not applicable to us, the New Testament Church i mean who are the Israelites and who are the true descendants of Abraham? Whether it is Messianic kingdom or the Gospel of the kingdom of God, the truth remains Jesus died for all and in HIM we are all one in Christ Jesus!
Our salvation is by grace through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9) and every believer is positioned in Christ. (Colossians 3:3)”For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Knowing and loving Jesus means keeping and obeying His commandments! (John 14:15, 21) But not every Christian abides in Christ, which results in a carnal walk, a fleshly lifestyle, and a wasted life that is influenced by the old sin nature rather than being enlivened by the new life in Christ.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk (live)just as He walked.(lived)
To “walk” means how a person conducts their daily life, makes choices, and treats other people. We have known Jesus lived only for 33 years, and spent only three years in His ministry and yet He accomplished so much that the Bible even testify that if they were written one by one, even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written!(John 21:25) His short-lived life in this Earth teaches us that what matters the most is not just the length of years added to our lives but purposeful life adding to our years.
How Jesus walk?
To know and see how Jesus walked and lived is to go back and search the Scriptures.
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Spirit led and Spirit filled life willingly surrendering His own will to His Father’s will.
”Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
–Jesus is not easily persuaded by man’s personal opinion or judgment even if He has a very close relationship.
e.g. Water turned into wine at the wedding in Cana, which was the first recorded miracle performed by Jesus. He at first hesitantly granted Mary’s request. “John 2:4 ”Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”but why a changed of thought/heart? perhaps Jesus reminded of God’s fifth commandment ” Honor thy Father and Mother” and seeing that it is not a request for personal gain but for the sake of the newly wedded couple honoring their guest in return.
The story of Lazarus is dead! (John 11)when the news first came to Jesus, Lazarus was still sick and perhaps already on his deathbed yet Jesus waited two more days before he finally decided to see him. Naturally for us when we heard such news about our closest and dear loved ones, we will surely finds way to be in touch with him as soon as possible.
Jesus didn’t act impulsively but at the same time didn’t ignore the situation and perhaps used those days of delayed seeking guidance from the Father of what to do, after all he knew his own life and the life of His disciples were also in danger.
John 11:8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”……John 11:16 “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
Jesus is not delaying nor in a hurry but when He move and act surely success is guaranteed making no room for mistakes! To be led by the Spirit is to walk by the Spirit not fulfilling fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16) one of the sign of a Spirit led and Spirit filled life is peace in decisions making, you feel a deep, quite confidence from God when you face hard choices.
His Name is Jehovah Shalom and Jesus He is the Prince of Peace.
John 5:30 “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
and what is the will of the Father for His children “to do good works that will bring praises and glory to His Name.
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Sinless life (Holiness) and sainthood/priesthood
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Usually in most religious group, before the chuch declared you as saint that means first you are already dead, then they review your life after death, investigating your “good works and contributions to humanity” perform at least two miracles in your lifetime with testimony of witnesses and is your life shows closeness to God.
One of the most famous quote from the playwright “Women of No Importance” written by Oscar Wilde says like this “What is the difference between a saint and a sinner, is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future”. And i would say the only bridge that connects our past and and future self is the decision we will make today. Repentance is the key word!
How a sinless Jesus will help a sinful people like us to walk in holiness? Faith in Jesus and repentance towards our God, makes way for His Spirit to live in us that though we are in this weak flesh we too can overcome sin in our lives. Jesus is the perfect example that while he became a man tempted in all ways, by the Spirit of the living God he overcomes sin and death. No man truly born of God shall continue to sin.(1 John 3;9)
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Jesus practice Self-discipline and self-control, he did not simply teach about it.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, – Mark 1:35
All his life he was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). He stayed the course even when sweat came like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). He could have called twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53), but he had the wherewithal to not rebut the false charges (Matthew 27:14) or defend himself (Luke 23:9). When reviled, he did not revile in return (1 Peter 2:23). They spit in his face and struck him; some slapped him (Matthew 26:67). They scourged him (Matthew 27:26). In every trial and temptation, “he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8), and at the pinnacle of his self-control he was “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). And he is the one who strengthens us (1 Timothy 1:12; Philippians 4:13).–Desiring God
Jesus prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46)
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Served with humility and compassion- Servant Leader
Matthew 20:28 ”just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
e.g Jesus washed His disciples feet
John 13:4–5: Jesus strips down, ties a towel around His waist, and begins to wash and wipe the disciples’ feet.John 13:14–15: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”Main Lessons
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. Philippians 2:3-8
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Saviour of the world
1 John 5:11-12. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
2 Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God sent HIs Son (John 3:16)—–Jesus sent HIs Spirit—–(John 20:22)—–Holy Spirit sent the Church (Acts 1:8)