In this world, ye shall have tribulation. Jesus said, “Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” The secret to overcoming is to turn our eyes upon Jesus and to follow in his footsteps… for we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he hath foreordained that we should walk therein.
Even though we were unworthy in our own flesh, he made us worthy and now by his grace, his mercy has made us his own. Therefore our identity is in Christ and not in our own flesh. Having been born again from above our Father’s DNA, the message of his divine design, is within us. For we were born again, not of corruptible seed but of our heavenly Father’s incorruptible seed… by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. As sons of God, his mercy has made us his own. He has created within us our true self, Christ in us the hope of glory. Our new nature of the spirit of life in Christ craves fellowship with our Father and to walk according to his Devine design.
In First Thessalonians 5, Christians are called in the midst of adversity to live the Christian life: Therefore, rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you. These three short verses remind us of the new nature of the Christian heart… a heart that activates and motivates the Christian walk.
There are three principles for walking in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The first is to live according of God’s sovereign will for my life. As disciples, we must acknowledge that our life is in God’s sovereign control, not ours. Our heavenly Father always orchestrates our lives in our best interest as his dear children. God never planned for evil to overcome us. Although he permits the adversary to attack us when we step outside of the protection of his will, our challenge is not to be knocked off balance by the affairs and crises of this world. God has called us to walk worthy (Greek word Axios meaning “in balance”) of the vocation wherewith he has called us. In God’s sovereign will, there are no accidents. All things work together for good to those who love him, to those who are called according to his purpose. We can rejoice in The Lord when we realize that it is God which worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure when we align our desires… our good pleasure with his good pleasure. Therefore, when we pray, the purpose of prayer is not to fulfill my will of the flesh, but that thy will of the spirit be done.
Another principle is that character is the result of trials and testing. Brethren count it all joy when ye are tested knowing that the testing proves God’s perfect will in you. For tribulation worketh patence and patience experience, and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. In the midst of adversity, we must remember that this too shall pass. For this light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
The third principle of walking in fellowship is to act from a heart of humility. Humility means to put others above myself in order bear up under and to serve them in love. Therefore, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross. Wherefore God has highly exalted him and hath given him a name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that he is lord to the glory of God the father.
In the short book of Philemon, God’s purpose was to illustrate the importance of reconciliation… of receiving someone who genuinely repented into the fellowship of believers. Before becoming a follower of Christ, Onesimus had left his master Philemon and had fallen from his master’s good grace as a servant. Onesimus had then accepted Christ and had become a fellow laborer with Paul to spread the gospel. Paul then wrote a letter to Onesimus’s master Philemon, also a believer, to accept Onesimus back into fellowship with him. This example illustrates that even though we were separated from God by seeking our own paths in life, God has reconciled us back to him through Jesus Christ.
According to Galatians Chapter 5, we have been called unto liberty in Christ. Our liberty is not to be used as an occasion to sin, but rather as an occasion to serve one another in love. God blesses those who are generous, who live to bless others. He called us to refresh one another within the body of Christ.
Why do I affiliate with The Influencers and my Band of Brothers? I’m here because you make me want to be a better man and because you train me and show me how. You’re my example, you’re my epistle, you’re my sermon in shoes.
May God richly bless you and may we be ever thankful for each other in the fellowship of believers which is Body of Christ.
Your brother in Christ.
Michael