Open Heaven 29 January 2022
MEMORISE: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 2 John 15:8
BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 28:19-20
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
There are a lot of blessings accrued to genuine Christian living, but these do not come without some obligations on the part of the Christian.
For example, the peace of God that passes all understanding is one of the benefits of Christian living, just like divine healing or divine health, according to Deuteronomy 7:15 and 1 Peter 2:24.
However, we must meet certain demands before we can access these blessings. One of such demands is fruit-bearing. The lifestyle of a genuine Christian must show that the fellow has truly repented and forsaken his or her sins.
John the Baptist, in Luke 3:7-8, told those who claim to have repented to bear fruit that confirmed repentance: “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance”
This fruit-bearing also includes soul-winning, as Jesus stated in John 15:8: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear many fruits; so shall ye be my disciples. To bear fruit through soul-winning requires preaching the gospel according to our Bible reading today.
A Christian worthy of his or her calling must make soul-winning a priority. As a matter of fact, the proof that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ is to harvest the souls He came to die for.
Another mystery of the Christian life is the gift of a brand new existence in the Holy Spirit as the flesh and its evil works are crucified.
A Christian produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:19-25).
In a nutshell, when you give your life to Jesus Christ, your name changes from Sinner to Saint. This is why our memory verse today concludes that anyone who is in Christ Jesus becomes a new creature, dead to all his or her old ways.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
A Christian will not allow the passion and the death of Jesus Christ to be in vain. We must also praise Him as the Bible says: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9,”
The most important demand upon a Christian is holiness. Once we have become Christians, we must separate ourselves from all ungodly activities and relationships.
The Bible says, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).
PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to meet the demands of a Christian life, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 33-35
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Demands of A Christian Life – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 29 January 2022
