Thoughts for another day

May 3, 2013.

Today's verse: Col. 3:12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further.  Thanks)

Among the many traits that one ‘in-breeds’ being a born-again Christian, are the above without which one may not be known as a Christian.   No matter what we are before we start believing in Christ, now this whether we were born in Christian families or not, we must change or be ‘BORN AGAIN’, the phrase Jesus uses, in His talk with the unsuspecting Nicodemus.  And it’s in being born again that we discover the ability to be what Jesus wants us to be because when we’re born again by sheer belief in Jesus Christ, we’re born again of water and Spirit.

Water, is the cleansing agent which effectively cleans us of the impurities that were once ours, even since our birth, and the Spirit is the One who helps us in living lives that’re effective and pleasing to God.  Without the Holy Spirit, there can be no soul which acts or does, in a manner pleasing to God.  In various arguments among children of God, there’re schools of thought which debate whether it’s by faith or by works that we’re saved, but I say it’s by both for remember, just as a tiger will always have stripes so will a Christian always have compassion, goodness and holiness in his DNA which is his in his Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

In the light of the above, we see the picture clearly of what our lives have to be and we understand and also obey Paul’s exhortation…chiefly to be holy.  Another aspect that must be seen in us is compassion, or as the KJV says, bowels of mercy – i.e. mercy deeply embedded in our beings, for beloved, how can we say we belong to Christ and not be compassionate?  Holiness is vital in every follower of Christ, without which we shall not see our Father who created us and living itself would have been futile. As for kindness, humility, meekness and patience, we must strive to imitate our Lord in this and in doing so, will the stairway to heaven be built by which we will climb onto its portals, accompanied by our Beloved, Jesus Himself.