WALKING IN THE NEWNESS OF LIFE
EPHESIANS 2:20: BUT YOU HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST
I remember when mobile phones were not yet popular and a household would gather around one to make or receive a call. When Nokia 3310 was the bomb! Having it meant you had arrived. We would go through every instructions in the manual, to see how it works. To adjust the settings was serious work. Until you read every letter in the manual, you wouldn’t understand how it works. So also is The LIFE OF GOD we have received as Christians. When you became born again, you received the very life of God called Zoe. It is not a lesser quality of life but life as God has it. Before you became born again, your spirit was dead. The Holy Spirit is the one that recreates your spirit by imparting this life of God into you.
Now that we have the life, but we assume it will function automatically. It is true that your spirit man has life, it is as righteous as God is, as healthy as God is, as blessed as God is but if you don’t learn how it works, you will never enjoy all the privileges that came with it.
The scenario above explains this expressly. The phone came with multiple abilities, but to know them, you would have to sit with the manual and read the instruction on how it works. So also is the Life of God, it came with unlimited abilities, you will only maximize and enjoy the degree to which you have learnt about it.
After you have received Christ, you also need to learn Him. (Ephesians 4:20). Many Christians still believe their righteousness is by works. Yes, they have received Christ, No! They have not learnt him.
Some read in the bible that ‘By His stripes, they were healed’ but when they have symptoms in their bodies, they conclude that scripture is just a theory. Yes, they have received Christ but NO, they have not learnt him. Many know it is the will of God for them to prosper yet they struggle to get their daily meals, hence they conclude that poverty humbles you before God. Yes, they have received Christ, No, they have not learnt him. Many Christians think their good performance is their basis of acceptance before God. No, you have not learnt Him.
Ephesians 4: 17-19: This I say, therefore and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk, IN THE FUTILITY OF THEIR MIND, HAVING THEIR UNDERSTANDING DARKENED, BEING ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD, BECAUSE OF THE IGNORANCE THAT IS IN THEM, because of the hardening of their heart: who being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleaness with greediness. BUT YOU HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST.
The scripture above was written to Christians, not unbelievers, they had already received the life of God in their spirit. But you are not just to be lazy because you know that the life is limitless both in ability and quality. The Life will not find expression by itself in your physical life, it is your responsibility to GIVE EXPRESSION TO IT.
HOW TO GIVE EXPRESSION TO IT
1.Study to know about the quality of this life and how it works. The life is in your spirit, but you still have a soul and body, yet unrenewed. The study of God’s Word brings your soul to the awareness of what is in your spirit. According to the scripture above, Ignorance hinders you from enjoying and maximizing the life of God that you ha ve. You start living as if you were born again, as the gentiles.
We would forever remain stuck if we don’t learn about a new thing we have received that we have used before. The phone scenario is a perfect example.
2. Walking in the newness of Life. This is to allow the consciousness who you are in your spirit to dominate your mind (soul). If your soul does not agree with this truth, your body will find it difficult to enjoy it. Because the carnality of your soul and body will conflict the truth in your spirit. The flesh lusts against the spirit….Gal 5:17
You are a spirit being, your spirit ought to govern your life, but there is something that tries to hinder it. It is the flesh. When you became born again, it was your spirit that was regenerated, your soul and body was not. However, your soul and body was what governed your life for a very long time before you met Christ. This two part of you now conflicts with the new part of you( your spirit). How to bring them into subjection is to allow the knowledge of who you are in your spirit to dominate your mind. Study it,Think it, meditate it, confess it, till it rules your consciousness and affects your way of life physically.
Because you just got born again, don’t expect an automatic behavioural change, your character was formed by your soul and mind, but now that you are in Christ, the new identity of your spirit is what dictates how you behave. You have a responsibility to train and tune your mind to this newness of life. Walk in the spirit. Let the consciousness of who you are in your spirit dominate your mind. Renew your mind daily by studying God’s Word, meditate it daily till it rules your consciousness.
If you don’t learn to walk in the spirit, you will be given over to licentiousness. Your flesh (unborn again part of you) will control you and you would live like an unbeliever.
Colossians 2:6- As you have therefore RECEIVED CHRIST, so WALK YE IN HIM.
TO BE CONTINED
