Walking humbly with Jesus...4 key steps

Introduction:

A while ago, I was watching 'In Touch' with Dr Charles Stanley, a good teacher of solid Biblical truth, from Atlanta.

In one of his weekly sermons, he touched on something that really had an impact on me, and helped me make sense of my Christian journey. Now anyone who knows me will know that I like frameworks, structures and patterns - in fact I depend on them to make sense of things. One thing I also find, is that it is very easy to get bombarded with information and theories, and sometimes, Christianity is no different. We are often taught keys, patterns and principles - but ultimately, without revelation from the Holy Spirit and your own personal study, these 'keys', 'patterns' and 'principles' can be of limited use. However, without the risk of sounding contradictory, you may find this one quite useful in understanding the journey you are on - no matter where you are along the path.

The 4 key steps:

Dr Stanley basically pinpointed the following 4 key steps as being the key stages all believers must pass through. These are as follows:

1. Salvation
2. Sanctification
3. Discipleship
4. Servanthood

Seeing such a clear distinction between the first two stages - salvation and sanctification, unlocked the door to so many questions I had in mind - even after I had prayed the sinners prayer, this lack of understanding remained (as I'm sure it does for so many when they first come to Christ). I also believe that for many who have not yet accepted salvation, or who have but never had the benefit of any support, this distinction could also become emancipating.

Salvation:

What is salvation? well a religious person may say 'it is the gift of God to all of mankind', and yes, they would be right. But what does it mean to the lay person? Looking to the Lexi Concordance, the word salvation in the Old Testament derives from the Hebrew word yĕshuw`ah meaning: help, deliverance, health, save, saving, welfare, or yasha` which means - save, saviour, deliver, help, preserved, avenging, avenged, defend, rescue, safe, victory.

In the New Testament, the word for salvation is the Greek word sōtēria - the word may have changed from the Old Testament but the meaning remains the same.

It's fairly easy to see the commonalities here - help, save, saviour, saving, deliver and so forth. So that should then lead us to the question - help for what? saving from what? delivering from what?

When we accept God's gift of salvation (which is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ) we are saying we need God's help - we accept His rescue package, we acknowledge that Jesus is our saviour. This is what it means to receive salvation - we are saying to God - yes I need and accept your help. And as God's help - His rescue package came in the form of Jesus Christ through His death, burial and resurrection, we are ultimately saying, I accept salvation which is Jesus and the sacrifice He made.

The reason I found this so emancipating because what it highlighted to me that all that was required for me to do [at this stage] was to believe and accept. I was not required to attend any special classes, go through a futile process of self development or a life improvement programme - I just simply had to accept Jesus. The sad truth however, is that even today with all the wonderful teaching available to us, countless numbers of people still don't get this! So may people are still going through life blind and spiritually maimed because they falsely believe that they have to 'do something' or become something in order to be accepted by God. The simple truth is that there is nothing we can do - absolutely nothing - Nada! Now how liberating is that! We can come to Jesus exactly as we are - we don't need to get changed, have a wash or have a personality transplant - we just come as we are.

Ok, I hear you say - 'So God doesn't want me to change?' Not quite. God does want you to change, it's just that you cannot change yourself. He does that bit - piece by piece, one issue at a time. God's desire is for us to conform to the image of Jesus - to be exactly like Him, now if you were to have a personality transplant, what better personality to be reborn with. If you don't believe me, just read any of the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and see. This then brings us on to the second stage - Sanctification - the pruning, shaping and remoulding part.

Sanctification:

As we saw by one of the descriptive words to describe 'salvation' we receive God's help. Now that is not God's help to achieve what we want or help to establish our own plans - the core essence of salvation is an acknowledgement that God is perfect (and we are not), God's plan is perfect and destined to prosper (ours are destined to fail), there is no error in God's ways (our ways are fraught with mistakes, bad judgements and catastrophes). For me, a great way to get my head around this was to prayerfully read Genesis. When it finally sunk in that God always was, He always existed and always will - I was not only humbled, but also ashamed at the audacity of human beings to try and explain God's existence, when we should be asking Him to explain ours!

Herein lies the essence of sanctification. Through sanctification, we allow God to 'make us over' - make us once again into what He destined us to be in the very beginning when He created us and saw that is was good. (Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good - Genesis 1:31). Not in some Frankenstein experiment kind of way - God's not going to turn you into some weirdo who goes around with a glazed over expression, speaking in Victorian English pros, waiving a finger of judgement and damnation at all you come into contact with - such religious 'nuts' are the very same 'vipers' (Matthew 3:7 NKJ), Jesus spoke against when He was here on earth.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God said: "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Now does this sound like someone who wants to mess up your life?

The reality is that God is perfect and He wants us to be the best that we can be, and the only way that can happen is if we let Him 'do His thing.' We need God to make us over because an imperfect person cannot achieve perfect results - if that was the case, then God would not need to exist, Jesus never needed to come in to the world, live and die. But like I said - there is no error in God's plan. He knows how life is going to turn out and how this world will end - after all, it's His plan. His one heartfelt desire is that we don't suffer, but we make the right choice.

That choice is ours. God will never impose Himself on us, but ultimately He will have His way. We can either choose to be with Him or against Him - there is no middle ground. I know which one I'd choose!

A key thing to note about sanctification, is that it is a never ending process (in a good way). Through sanctification, we get to learn about God for ourselves, it's like developing a relationship with the perfect life partner. Yes, sometimes it's difficult, but the experience is second to none. No-one can describe it for you. It's like being in love; you have to experience it for yourself to know what it means.

Discipleship:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus also said that if you love me you'll keep my commandments. This represents the final commandment Jesus gave His followers - often called 'The Great Commission'.

To some, this may sound like that dreaded piece of homework - the 'icky' uncomfortable bit. But Jesus said, just as we freely received, we must also freely give -Matthew 10:8. We freely received salvation, God's love, grace, forgiveness, healing, acceptance, and all His marvellous benefits, (Psalms 103:1-2) so we too must extend this to others. The love of God is not some secret we are to keep to ourselves, and the reality is, once you get a hold of it, you wont want to. It's a bit like this - if you were walking down a street and saw a toddler about to wander into a busy road with fast moving traffic - would you stand by and watch, or would you rush out to stop them? Or, you have just had the best vacation of your life - would you keep it a secret or tell everyone who would listen - or even better, the Government was giving away a life changing package to every citizen - all you had to do was apply - would you keep it a secret? Even from your closest friends and family? Well this is what discipleship is like. And as Jesus spoke in Matthew - we have nothing to fear, because He is with us.....even to the end of time!

Servanthood:

To me, servanthood is last for a very clear and poignant reason. Servanthood represents the epitomy of Christ-likeness. Jesus taught His disciples a lot about servanthood - He stated that to be first, we must first be prepared to be last (Luke 13:30). He also said that there is no greater gift than when a person lays down his life for another (John 15:13).

Jesus' life was all about serving others - this did not make Him weak or a failure; instead this was the key to His strength. It takes love to serve others - true love. Jesus told us that when we see Him, we see God - He came to set the record straight about who God is and what He is really like, and to lead us back to Him. The very essence of Jesus' existence, was to show us how much God loves us, and how much we mean to Him. So much so, that rather than see us die (the ultimate penalty for living in continued sin), He sent Jesus to die in our place. Every punishment that should have came our way, Jesus bore the brunt of it. Remembering that God is perfect (holy) He cannot have a split personality and engage in the occassional bit of wrong-doing. That's why there had to be a sacrifice. In the old days, they used goats (that's where we get the term 'scapegoat' from). This was the pattern that God established in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned - i.e. the shedding of blood - God sacrificed an animal and used the animal skin to 'cover' their nakedness, or 'their shame'. Before Jesus came, the High Priest on behalf of the people used to sacrifice a goat i.e. a goat died instead of the people. However, this was a temporary solution to the long term problem called sin (disobeying God). But as you can imagine, it probably didn't take more than 24 hours before people were back to their old ways. Therefore, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice - one sacrifice that would cover the whole entire world for ever and ever. He did this so we did not have to die. That is the extent of God's love. And that is the epitome of a true servant.

..So in conclusion

Starting this journey couldn't be easier. If this has convinced you that the best decision you could ever make is to walk with Jesus, then pray this simple prayer.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of your son Jesus. I thank you that I can come to you because of the sacrifice Jesus made. Today, I accept this sacrifice and your gift of salvation to me and for me. I accept Jesus as my saviour and I ask you now to come into my life and give me a fresh new start. I want the chance to live life the way you intended it to be and to be part of your eternal family. Thank you for hearing me, thank you for saving me and thank you for giving me another chance. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.

There! You are now born again. The journey now starts. So what happens next? Find a Bible believeing church. This is imperative as you will need all the love and support you can get as you grow. There are Christians all over the world ready and willing to talk with you, support you and pray for you. I'm just one. You can email me if you like to begin with until you begin to find your feet.
Next - start to read you Bible. I suggest reading Genesis, then flipping over to the Gospels, begining with Matthew, many also suggest beginning with John.

Talk to God daily! Get real with Him. Tell Him what you don't understand, what you're struggling with and where you need help. That's what He's there for. He's rooting for you- cheering you on. He wants you to succeed and will do absolutely everything to ensure you do! But the important thing to remember is that Jesus said that He will never leave you!

Now, if you have been on this journey before, but have been on a detour (the Bible refers to this as backsliding) don't worry - we serve a God of second, third, fourth fifth...let's cut to the chase - unlimited chances! He is waiting for you to come home. Remember the story of the prodigal son? Jesus told this parable for this very same reason. DO NOT believe the lies of the enemy! He wants you to think you can't return home - but you can! This is the time of grace, mercy and forgiveness - run through the door while it is still open.

Begin by praying this prayer:

Havenly Father, I thank you God that you are faithul and true to your word. It is written that if I confess my sins, you are faithful and just to cleanse me fom all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). Father, just like that prodigal son that Jesus taught us about, I too have been far away from home, but as the loving Father you are, I see you are welcoming me home with loving arms. Father I am sorry for turning my back on you and going my own way. You promised that you would never leave me and that your plans for me are only for my good. Therefore, I accept once again your gift of salvation. I come in the name of your son and my saviour Jesus and humbly bow before your throne of grace. Today I make the decision to start over again. Today I accept that Jesus died for me and rose again so that I might live. Today I make you my Lord, my Master and my Saviour. In Jesus name. Amen!

Welcome home! Angels in heaven are rejoicing at your return.

If you've prayed any of these prayers - comment back and share the good news.

Love you more than you could ever imagine!

...and the Word became flesh

Have you ever heard or experienced someone talking to you and using scripture to illustrate what they're saying? If you know any Christians then I'm sure you have. What impact did this have on you? Was it the essential message during your time of need? Did it have impact? Or was it delivered in such an empty way that the person speaking could have been spelling their name backward for the level of conviction with which they spoke?

Today whilst waiting for my bus, I over heard a young man having a conversation on his mobile phone doing exactly that. Now let me clarify something... I was not eaves dropping - there nuff said. Now we have that established, let me go on. As I was saying, I didn't hear the entire conversation, but I did hear as he walked past what sounded like a scripture...you know when you hear the usual 'it says in the Bible...' or 'that's why it [the Bible] says...' Now please don't think that what I am saying is being judgemental - not at all, in fact we are instructed through the words of Paul to use the Word to instruct, edify and reprove one another. Without any hesitation, I accept the authority of the Bible as God's word and the first and last authority over my life. But at that particular point a thought entered my mind - what impact do these words have when we proceed to give instruction, guidance or encouragement prefixed with 'it says..' I don't know about you, but I couldn't help but think how empty and unconvincing these words can sometimes sound. Don't get me wrong, like I said, there is nothing I love more than the Word of God, it is more than the lamp upon my pathway, it's the very bread I need, but there is something different when we use the Word from a point of personal conviction through experience or through impartation by the Holy Spirit compared to when we recite the Word according to what sounds relevant or fitting to the circumstance at hand having no true experience, revelation or conviction of what we are actually saying. Or put another way, when the Word is not 'flesh' to us.


We all come to Christ through our own personal journey's and when we accept the gift of Salvation through partaking in the death and resurrection of Jesus, we do this through personal conviction, not just that we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God (who came in the flesh and walked the earth as the Son of man to destroy death and sin so that through His death and resurrection, we too might live), but also through acknowledging our sinful state. This requires us to accept through personalisation of the Word (The Gospel) and then to partake of the living Word (Jesus).


John 1:1-2 states In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning and verse 14 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth'. i.e. Jesus himself took on physical form and became flesh. How do we know this? well let's break this down.

1. In the beginning was the Word. God's word has always existed - it precedes creation.

2. The Word was with God. Here the Word is the logos. Logos is and in this context represents Jesus.

3. And the Word was God. God and His word are one - they cannot be separated. One simply does not exist without the other. Matthew 24:25 (KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away and So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (KJV). More specifically - Jesus tells us in John 14:6-11 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."

4. He was with God in the beginning. Again referring to Jesus, He was with God right from the very beginning and therefore knows the way directly back to God....I am the way..no-one comes to the father except by me.


One of the amazing things I love about this passage is how matter of fact it is. It doesn't seek to argue, rationalise or present a theory - it tells us simply how it was!


So let's summarise this - Jesus was not only with God from the very beginning, but He was the Word of God - that word being the message of Hope and the life of salvation in Him. But we also know that God is spirit and part of His redemptive plan of salvation required what was spirit to become flesh - to take on form, to dwell in the physical, to manifest and become established. You see God is a practical God. We see this throughout the account of the creation in Genesis - God did not simply think the world into existence, He established it through His spoken word (And He said "Let there be light") - The Rhema! What exists in the spiritual realm can be spoken in order to see it manifest in the physical realm. That's not to say it does not exist or has not been established it just takes on physical form.


We saw earlier in the passage of scripture taken from Isaiah 55 that God stated His word shall not return to Him void, but it will accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the thing where He sent it. We can apply this to Jesus - the Logos. Jesus came, prospered and accomplished what God sent Him to. So now let's consider when we use the Word (the Rhema).


When we use the Word of God, do we use it in the context of the Rhema - spoken word or the Logos - the physical manifestation? You see something supernatural happens when we operate in the Logos - the Word becomes flesh; It becomes established. It is no longer a thought or an intent, it is a true and living testimony because it has become real to us. it is no longer an idea or something we have heard used in sermons, or repeated passively within Christian circles - it is our own personal testimony. Just as we experience Jesus through salvation, we experience the power of God's word.....it becomes flesh.


Now I'm not trying to say that we have to experienced everything within God's Word in order to use it, but without a shadow of doubt (and with Jesus - the Logos as our example), I am convinced that something happens when we speak Logos - when we speak God's word through personal account, personal experience of what we are saying....when the Word has becomes established in us because it becomes our testimony. That is when the Word becomes flesh to us - when we experience Jesus for ourselves.


They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11.


Stay Blessed!