25042021 - B/Haram bandits almost succeeding in their mission CAN president warns

SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 25, 2021,PAGE 21
Living for Christ (3)
Beloved, let this
truth be written
on the table of
your heart that Christ is
the reason why we are
living and even if we die
that this affirmation and
its accompanying benefits
will still be fully
standing for us. Other
people because of the
fantasy of the world may
live to gratify themselves
and deny God the
glory due to Him, but
the grand purpose of the
life of any Christian is to
promote the glory of the
Lord. Living for Christ
therefore, demands that
you must become insensible
to the law as a
means of justification, to
the world, to ambition
and the love of money,
to the pride and pomp of
life; to the fashion of this
world and to the dominion
of evil and hateful
passions. All these must
lose their power over you
and cease to influence
you. By this you will be
distinguished from other
people.
2Cor. 5: 20 says, “Now
then we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though
God did beseech you by
us: we pray you in
Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled
to God”.
We must understand
that all born again believers
are representatives of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
hence we are known by
the name ‘Christians’ i.e.
Christ-like. If your lifestyle
therefore is not in
accordance with the will
of God, or in conformity
with the lifestyle of our
Lord Jesus Christ it
shows that you are not living
for Christ and therefore
not a Christian. And
if you must be perfect as
He wishes us then you
must endeavour to be
like Him.
Lk 6: 40 says, ”The
disciple is not above his
master: but every one
that is perfect shall be
as his master”.
Everyone who is thoroughly
instructed in divine
things, who has
his heart united to God,
whose tempers and
passions are purified
and restored to harmony
and who has in him
the mind that was in
Christ, though cannot
be above, will be as his
role model- holy, harmless,
undefiled, and
separated from sinners.
A Christian, who perfectly
understands the
rules and sees the example
of his Master,
will think it his business
to tread exactly in His
steps, to do and suffer
17 years-old hearing and speech impaired received instant healing
after deliverance prayer at the just concluded Umuoba Ideato South,
Imo State Crusade.
as His master did and
so be like his master.
And so my beloved, we
should try to live our
lives for Christ if our
claims are that we are
Christians. We should
make Christ the scope
of our life and end of
our living.
Matt. 5:13-16
says, ”Ye are the salt of
the earth: but if the salt
have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be
salted? It is thenceforth
good for nothing, but to
be cast out, and to be
trodden under foot of
men. 14 Ye are the light
of the world. A city that
If you abide in
our Lord
Jesus Christ
you will bear
much fruits
and also bring
more lost
souls into the
kingdom of
God
Participants with health challenges who received instant healing after pastor's prayer at
the just concluded Umuoba Ideato South, Imo State Crusade.
Imo State PFN chairman, Rev. Titus O. Akanabo, (middle) leading a delegation
of his members to attend the just concluded Umuoba Ideato South, Imo
State Crusade.
is set on an hill cannot
be hid. 15 Neither do
men light a candle, and
put it under a bushel, but
on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that
are in the house. 16 Let
your light so shine before
men, that they may see
your good works, and
glorify your Father
which is in heaven”.
Christians are the ones
who make this world
tasteful; they are the
ones who provide light in
a dark world. God uses
them to purge the world
from that corruption in
which it lies. The kind of
lifestyle and the good
work you engage yourself
into shows the light of
God in you just as Jesus
Christ was a light while
on His earthly ministry.
The Scripture says, He
went about doing good.
So, you are the light of
the world and your life
therefore should reflect
the belief, ideals, good
works of God so that God
Himself shall be glorified.
The Lord will never
depart from you if you
are living for Christ.
You should be mindful
of heaven as good representatives
of Christ who
is sure of a better home
than this world. This is to
prove you are living for
Christ. As a Christian
you must ensure that you
are living in Christ, living
for Christ and endeavour
to do the will of
God and not of yourself
and not the will of Satan
which does not glorify
God. No believer who
solely lives for Christ till
death will regret that he
has lived unto Christ; but
many will regret for not
making this the purpose
of their souls?
The proof that you are
living your life for Christ
is that you will be led by
the Spirit of God. And
such as are thus led by
the Spirit of God, are undoubtedly
God’s children;
and such as are not
His children, are those
that refuse to be led by
His Spirit, but live under
the uncontrolled activity
of their own.
If you are living for
Christ you must be conscious
of the influence
from above drawing you
away from the corrupting
passions and vanities
of this world. You
must have the desire to
yield to that influence,
and to be conducted in
the path of purity and
life for that will be the
evidence that you are living
for Christ. You must
ensure that you offered
no resistance but follow
cheerfully, and obey this
pure influence, leading
you to mortify pride, subdue
passion, destroy
lust, indulge in humble
ambition, and annihilate
the love of wealth and of
the world. If you conduct
yourself as mentioned
above, you will experience
the blessing of living
for Christ.
John 15:8,16 says,
“Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear
much fruit; so shall ye be
my disciples. 16 Ye have
not chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye
should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask
of the Father in my
name, he may give it
you”
If you abide in our
Lord Jesus Christ you
will bear much fruits and
also bring more lost
souls into the kingdom
of God. But if you are
not bearing fruits as expected
you should take
advantage of the truth of
this message and begin
to live for Him properly.
It is important at this
period to examine your
life again and know if
you are living for Christ
as you should or living
for Satan. Is your life
bringing glory to God?
Judge yourself now before
it is too late.
Let us decide from this
moment to live the rest
of our lives for Christ,
do His will always in all
things, and what pleases
Him and as you do, I
am assuring you God
will never leave you or
forsake you. So, amend
your ways and ensure
that nothing is standing
between you and God,
and decide to live for
and stand by Christ.