Living the Life of Christ

A lot of people find it difficult to believe or accept that it is possible to live a righteous life in this present generation. I have also come across a lot of people with the believe that it is when you look sober in appearance (not wearing earring, make-ups, hair extensions and the likes) that you start to live the life of Christ. Well in as much as I will not attempt to raise an argumentative discussion, we will try to understand what the Lord expects of those who are His with regards their daily lives.

Living the life of Jesus is an outpouring of what we have been able to receive in the course of our walk with God. It is impossible to live like Jesus when you still have the sinful nature operating within you and you do not have a relationship with Christ Jesus. It is the Christ in you that project out of you in your character, your thoughts and your words.

Romans 8:5-8

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.   

So what we are learning here is that the ability to live the life of Christ is determined by who controls your mind. You can only do the desires of God and live like Jesus when you have your mind is controlled by the Spirit of God. It is a very big impossibility to do the will of God, walk in righteousness and live like Jesus when you still have the sinful nature dominating your live and controlling your mind.

Above your physical appearance, who controls your mind determines how much you are able to live like Jesus. In this matter, there is no lukewarmness, it either that you are controlled by the Spirit of God or controlled by the sinful nature. Once you discover that all you do is the desire of the sinful nature, then it is obvious that it is that nature that controls you.

Roman 8:9-10

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit; if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead to sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

The only possible means to attain the life of Christ here on earth is to have the Spirit of Christ dwell richly in you. The more of Christ you have in you, the more of Him you have working in you. Living a life of Christ is not attained by self effort but by the Spirit of Christ that dwells in you to Whom you have submitted the authority of your life. The Spirit of Christ in you takes the lead and you just follow when you have truly given over yourself to His leadership.

What men see in you as righteousness is not birth by your human effort but by the leadership of the Spirit of God Whom you diligently follow. There is no point making self effort at righteousness, the Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot please God. But when you submit the authority of your life over to Jesus, His Spirit that dwells in you does the work while you only submit to the leadership of God’s Spirit in your life and follow as He leads.

The next question that needs to be answered is: “How do I receive the Spirit of God in my life which in turn works out righteousness in me?” Well it is not a hard process at all, it is all a matter of a truthful decision on your part to receive Jesus Christ in your life at no cost. The cost of your salvation He has paid on the cross at Calvary over 2000 years ago.  

John 1:12-13

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Ephesians 1:13-14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

The moment you receive the message of salvation through the perfect finished work of Christ on Calvary and you believed in the name of Jesus you are marked with a seal which is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that dwells in you and guarantees your inheritance in God. That same Spirit is the One who controls your life and works in you the righteousness of God. As long as you submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in your life you are guaranteed of a life in the likeness of Jesus Christ here on earth. No longer will you succumb to the dictates of the world but you live a life pleasing only to God.