SCHOOL OF DIORTHORSIS
JANUARY 3RD, 2023
Minister: Mrs Bunmi Bello
Text: Genesis 1:26
God created us to represent Him here on earth. The fullness of Christ is about being like his Christ. The starting point for this is to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is for this reason that Christ came. He came as God embodied in human nature. His coming gave us the second birth, the regeneration of our soul.
Ephesians 1:22-23
Coming into the fullness of Christ is to come into the full image and character of God. God expects us to come into full stature, the same maturity Christ came into. We grow from being children to becoming Fathers. It is both collective and individual. God wants us to have the balanced nature of Christ. This nature starts with us, reflects the body of Christ, and finally influences the world around us.
God the Father and Jesus Christ are one (John 10:30). Hence, when we look for the blessed hope in Christ (Titus 2:13), we become complete in God through Christ. In other words, God makes us complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). Being in Christ, there are certain characteristics we must emulate. They include:
• Humility (John13:12-13). Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. This is a great example of humility. Likewise, the world must see humility in us.
• Holiness (1 Peter 1:15). We have been called to be holy just as our Father is holy. In all we do, holiness should be reflected. By living a life of holiness, our lives should invite people to Christ.
• Righteousness (1 John 3:7-8). Righteousness is part of our calling. As little children, righteousness is part of our identity.
• Purity of heart (1 John 3:3). We are to purify ourselves as He is pure. No unclean thing should be mentioned among us (Ephesians 5:2).
• Love (1 Corinthians 13:13). The greatest character in Christ Jesus which made him become sin for our sakes is love. We must follow this example.
• Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13). We are to forgive one another.
• Compassion (Ephesians 4:32). We are to be compassionate.
• Endurance (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus endured the cross for our sakes. We must also learn endurance.
Becoming like Christ is a process (Ephesians 3:19). It is a process through babyhood to fatherhood (1 John 2:12-14). At babyhood, our sins are forgiven and the word of God abides in us. This word of God makes us strong to overcome the wicked one. With time, we grow into the stage of young men and to fatherhood where we are now expected to also raise others. God desires us to become fathers and bring many into the kingdom through our lifestyle. It is expected of fathers to groan and travail until a child is born and he keeps growing into maturity (Galatians 4:19). This process of travailing influences our growth positively.
Certain things characterize the fatherhood stage including:
• Perseverance
• Sacrificial giving (1 Corinthians 4:15-16)
• Exemplary lifestyle (Galatians 5:22)
• Demonstration of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 6:1-3)
• Judging matters wisely
• Handling the word of truth correctly (Ephesians 4:14-15)
• Ensuring peace (Hebrews 12:14)
• Discipline
Overall, we must abound in the fruit of the Spirit (2 Peter 1:6-8). We should learn of Christ and the One He represents (Matthew 11:29). We must be ready to listen to correction and chastening. The Holy Spirit is the source of our growth. As such, we must not hinder Him from working in and through us. He is the only One that can help us grow into the fullness of Christ. We must help Him grow in us through constant study of the word and prayers. This is what makes the world identify us as His own. The Holy Spirit in us differentiates us from the counterfeit in the world (Ephesians 5:18-21) and shows us the wisdom to obey God and grow. Jesus called us the salt and light of the word (Matthew 5:13-16). We must exhibit the traits of salt and light by preserving the souls of men, bringing them into the Kingdom, and illuminating the world.