Westville - South Africa / www.coptrust.org.za
The objective of this section is to consider how Christians, those who follow Christ and are children of God, should live as citizens of the God's Kingdom.
A life in Christ is a life that is being transformed from a life that is controlled by ourselves (flesh) to a life that is controlled by God's Spirit. This is only possible if we submit to the power of God, and then day-by- day he transforms us into his image. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever- increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:17-18
How do we know what life we are living?
Paul explains a life that is governed by our own desires in great detail. "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal 5:19-21 This is quite a list. If we are doing these things in our life then we are not enjoying the Kingdom blessings that God wants to bring into our lives.
A life that is governed by the Spirit produces the following fruit in our lives. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol." Gal 5:22-23. This is the Spirit led life, a life that every one of us surely wants to experience. However it is only possible through the guiding power of God.
It is important that we reflect on our lives, even if you know your Bible well, have been baptised, and are a regular attender of church. Even with all these things we need to ask ourselves - am I living a life that is led by my human desires or one led by God's Spirit? The answer, as Paul says, is to look at the fruit in our life. Just like with a tree. If you want to know what type of tree it is, or what condition the tree is in, just look at its fruit Matt 7:15. The same is true in our lives. If we want to get a look into our hearts - that unseen place that only we know - then have a look at the fruit of your life, as seen in your daily living. Does it look like "flesh fruit" or "Spirit fruit"?
"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:6-7
If, as a citizen of this amazing Kingdom, we see we are living a flesh life, we need to confess our sins and pray for God's help in our life, because it is only through the work of Jesus in our life that we can produce His fruit - the fruit of the Spirit.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" John 15:5
What does Christ require of us?
Jesus was once asked the question "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Luke 10v25. We must listen carefully to his answer because we are asking the same question in our lives. Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself"' Luke 10v27. James elaborates on this by describing religion that God our Father accepts as "pure and faultless" as this: "to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" James 1v27.
Christ requires everything of us if we want to be his disciples. "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" Luke 14v27. In our lives we can either live to ourselves or live to Christ. If we live to ourselves we can expect nothing more than a futile life leading to a meaningless death Ecclesiastes 1v1-11, 9v5. If we live to Christ we will be blessed in this life 1 Timothy 4v8 and will be given the gift of eternal life. Romans 6v23; Matthew 25v31-46.
If we look at the early Christian's lives we see there were some key aspects that were central to their daily lives. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" Acts 2v42.
Belief, Repentance, Baptism, The Apostle's Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread & Prayer
The Apostles' Teaching
God speak to us through His written word (The bible). His instructions, His guidance, His examples of love, and much more, are found in this precious letter from Him to us. It is therefore vital to read from His Word every single day. It's like having a meal from God - it cannot be skipped or we will be worse off for it. "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb 4:12
Fellowship
Fellowship means spending time together - just like you do with friends and family. As we read in Malachi 3v16-17 "Then those that feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard ... ' They will be mine,' says the LORD Almighty, 'in the day when I make up my treasured possession"'. We should realise how important it is to meet together regularly with those in our spiritual family. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching" Hebrews 10v25. We can't do this alone. God gave us other family members who are also walking in Jesus, to help and encourage us, just as we are called to help and encourage them.
Breaking of Bread
This is a symbol of the Lord's supper, which is a meal recalling Christ's life, death and resurrection for us. The bread is a symbol of Christ's body and the wine is a symbol of Christ's blood. Whenever we eat the bread and drink the wine we are remembering the Lord's death until he comes 1 Corinthians 11v23-30. Disciples of Christ should break bread as often as possible Acts 20v7, as was commanded by Christ 1 Corinthians 11v23-26. This is a wonderful privilege. We are getting to sit down and eat a meal with our saviour. As we sit with him, around a dinner table, we can reflect on how important it is that we have this relationship with Jesus - having him as our spiritual food and power every single day of our lives.
Prayer
The saying "Seven prayerless days makes one weak" is indeed true. What a wonderful blessing we have in a communication link with our Creator 24 hours a day. We have a faithful mediator in Jesus who intercedes for us 1 Timothy 2v5, 1 John 2v1. There are many reasons why we need to pray - for the kingdom, for strength, in worship, in thankfulness, for those who are sick spiritually or physically, for safety, for guidance ... the list is endless. Prayer is very personal and powerful. You can pray whenever and wherever you want. It does not need to follow a specific pattern or use special words. You are talking to your Dad in heaven. He wants you to talk to him, to share your fears and concerns. He wants you to ask Him for help. He wants you to thank and praise Him for what he is doing in your life. The most important thing is that we keep praying - keep talking to our Father, or as Paul puts in in one of the shortest verses in the Bible - "Pray continually" 1 Thess 5:17.
Three Key Aspects of the Master Plan
There are three key aspects that are woven into every element of God's plan.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails
Love - the First and Greatest Commandment
"God is love" 1 John 4:8 - Everything in His plan, who He is, what He wants for us is contained in this greatest of all aspects. Love is central to His character. It is the theme of His actions toward man. As citizens of God's kingdom we need to love.
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8
Paul goes to great lengths to describe the most amazing Christian ever: He spoke in tongues, had a gift of prophecy, understood all mysteries, had all knowledge, had incredible faith, gave all his money to the poor, and even sacrificed his own body in service to God. And then he summarises him in one word. Not the word we would expect for such an amazing person 1 Cor 13:1-3. He calls him "Nothing!" Yes, you read correctly. Paul calls this Christian "nothing". The reason is that we can do and know amazing things, but if we have not love, we are nothing.
This is what a life powered by God's love looks like: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor 13:4-7
Looking at the power and importance of love we might get concerned. How can we have this level of love that God requires? However, here's the best part - it's not our love at work, it's God's love in our lives. "God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Rom 5:5
Faith - Essential for Righteousness The second key element of God's plan is faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" Heb 11:6. God can only make these gifts and promises real in our lives if we believe.
Faith is not something unique to religion. We all have faith in something. Every time you get in a car you have faith in the driver. Every time you sit on a chair you are showing faith in the design and strength of the chair. Every time you eat a meal you are showing faith in the cook. We cannot live our lives without faith. The same is true when we come to our relationship with God. We cannot live our lives with Him without faith. We need to believe fully in Him and in His power to change our lives, through Jesus, as he has promised. Without this faith we cannot experience his promises.
"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Gal 3:14 Faith has been the mark of all of the amazing people we read about in the Bible. Take a look at Hebrews 11 to see a list of faithful people and the acts of faith that transformed their lives. Through faith they see further, walk further, conquer more. Yet what is most amazing about this chapter of giants of faith is who is listed first. At the top of the list is…David? Abraham?...no, it's us. "By faith We understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
As with love, faith is a gift from God 1 Cor 13:13. It's not our faith that powers us, but the gift of faith God gives us, if we ask for it. A faith that moves mountains and changes lives. "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Rom 10:9-10
Saved by Grace
The third important aspect of God's plan is the all-important work of grace. Paul explains it to us when he talks about our wages. We work and we earn what we deserve for that work. It's a wage. However the wage we get for our life of sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom 6:23. Our salvation is a gift. This is what grace is - receiving something we don't deserve.
Grace is God's divine gift to us. "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1 Tim 1:14.
The only way we can enter God's divine life is through His gift of grace. We cannot earn a place in God's kingdom. It is a gift Romans 6v23, Ephesians 2v8.
Paul explains clearly in Ephesians 2v2-10 that we are saved by grace, and not by our own works. In fact the key principles of faith and grace work together. It is through faith that we reach out to God for salvation, and it is through grace that God reaches out to save us - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" Ephesians 2v8.
If it were possible to earn salvation, the world might be filled with people who had earned their own place in God's kingdom. The problem with this is that the glory for their position would really belong to them - they earned the right. If we are saved by God's grace then the glory is God's and all praise belongs to Him.
"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying." Titus 3:4-8
Love + Faith + Grace = Jesus
All of these key aspects of God's plan come together in Jesus.
Quite simply: Jesus = Love + Faith + Grace. He is the fulfillment of all of these.
Love
"Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" John 15:12-13. Jesus demonstrated the greatest love possible; he gave his life for us.
Faith
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" Heb 12:2. Jesus is the perfecter of faith. He is the ultimate example of what a God-powered faith can achieve.
Grace
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" Rom 3:23-24. The grace that we receive is only possible because of Jesus. He is God's gift, of grace to us 2 Cor 13:14. This is why Jesus is the key to God's Master Plan and our Christian life. He is both our example and power to enter and live this life. Jesus is love. Jesus is faith. Jesus is grace. Jesus is Lord.
Living the Jesus life
In Matthew 5-7 Jesus describes what the Jesus life looks like. We know, even if we are not a follower of Christ, that things like stealing, murder, adultery etc. are wrong. We don't need to be a Christian to know this. However, Jesus calls us to much more than this. Our life in him is not simply a life where outwardly we don't harm people, but also a life where he controls our hearts and minds. Take a look at the life he calls us to:
Does God provide help?
Our calling into God's wonderful kingdom is absolutely amazing. Yet at the same time, as we have considered in this chapter, it is a high calling. We are called to a life that almost seems impossible to live. In fact it is impossible for us to live this life in our own efforts and energy. However the good news is that God DOES provide us with help. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us very great promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" 2 Peter 1v3,4.
The simple and most wonderful news is that God himself, together with the living presence of Jesus in our lives is our help. "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them… But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." John 14:23, 26-27
This is all the help we will ever need. It is a help that transforms our lives each and every day. It is a help that lets us see the invisible, have peace in the storm, have joy in the fear, and have love in the hate. It's a divine place. It's the life of the eternal. It's God's Kingdom. And the good news is, YOU are invited!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Rom 15:13
• We must live a life of faith, motivated by love, powered by Christ.
This course has introduced you to the most important plan you will ever encounter. God's Master plan is for real. It is simple, easy to understand and is happening. Let's briefly review the things we have discovered concerning God's Master Plan.
In Section 1 we found that God does have a plan for the earth. We can be sure that the earth will not end up as a desolate wasteland. God plans to fill the earth with His glory through men and women. It is both exciting and challenging that God needs people like us to make His plan a reality.
Section 2 explained how God is going to make sure His ultimate plan for the earth happens. The promises to Abraham and David, which were never completely fulfilled, speak of a future kingdom on earth. This kingdom will be ruled by Jesus Christ and will be the means by which God eventually fills the earth with His glory. Jesus Christ is coming back soon to set up this kingdom on earth!
In Section 3 we looked at why we have a need for God's Master Plan. The simple reality is that we are all mortal dying creatures. Without God's plan we are destined for unconsciousness in the grave. Some hope to look forward to! God's Master Plan represents our escape from this destiny of death. Faced with such a choice we might wonder why so many have chosen not to embrace God's Master Plan.
Section 4 provided the answer to what stops us from participating in God's Master Plan. Here we found that we are our own worst enemies. The Bible is clear that our sinful nature is the greatest barrier between God and us. To participate in God's Master Plan we die to our old life and enter a new life powered by Jesus.
In Section 5 we found that Jesus Christ is the key to God's Master Plan. All the promises relating to God's plan point forward to him as the special seed. Jesus Christ is the only person who has perfectly fulfilled God's purpose through his life. As a sinless man he revealed God's glory perfectly. As such he has become the first fruits of those who reveal God's glory - the key to the Master Plan and the key to our life now. The Master Plan centres on the Master Planner. The more we know about the Planner, the better we will understand His plan. In Section 6 we learnt that the Master Planner is God, who is revealed through His name, YHWH, and has chosen to be the Father of those who love Him.
Section 7 proposed one of the most personally challenging questions in this booklet. How can we participate in God's Master Plan? It's all very well gaining an understanding of God's Master Plan but if we don't do anything about it we will never enjoy its benefits. The Bible is clear that God requires faith and obedience from those who want to share in His wonderful plan. Having understood God's plan, we need to repent of our old way of life and then put on Jesus Christ through baptism, and then step into the Kingdom life, motivated by love and powered by God's Spirit. God's Master Plan is all about changing the way people live.
In Section 8 we considered some of the characteristics and behaviours expected of citizens of God's Master Plan. The only way we can live this life is through the love, faith and grace that God gives us.
God's Master Plan is in progress.
There is nothing anybody can do to stop it. That is good news for us because it provides the most exciting future we could ever hope for. The challenge is not the future, it is the present. It is what we do now that will determine whether we are given the pleasure of experiencing a life changing relationship with our Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father in our life today and witnessing the earth filled with the glory of God.
Let us respond to the call of Jesus; Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Rev 3:20
So our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus can make their dwelling place in our Heart Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them". Jn 14:23
So we can experience the following promises from Jesus in our life today: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matt 11:28-30
May ours be the prayer of all those who live for God's Master Plan
"Even so. come, Lord Jesus" Rev 22v20