THE CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

The indwelling Spirit is the power that will enable us to do this last composition of a faith that testify.

"...faith without works is dead." – James 2:26

Indeed we are saved through faith and not by good works. But many "Christians" today doesn't really know the saving faith, "they just know" about faith but in reality they don't know what faith is and they think they are part of the Church when they should've been a Church. That is a sad reality. It is like having a "branded name shoes" yet not knowing you had bought an imitation, first class at that. When it should have been a "treasured faith" you had the "cheap thing you called faith". You have it because you didn't took time to investigate or know about the thing you have possess, in this case, you didn't took time to know the faith you have. If I have to point out, the devils are better off because they know and believe in God, that there is one God, yet they are not save then how about the millions "who think they know God" yet in their ways in this life they deny God and His very existence?!

Christianity has been viewed lightly and to some extent ineffective and powerless because of those "so-called" Christians, who deny God in their way of life. When there's a bunch preaching the Gospel with all sincerity there are others who are busy in assisting some in backsliding or in discouraging them of the Christian faith. They embrace grace and grace alone but this grace they embrace is the cheap grace they themselves have define, a version of their own grace yet they say that it is from God. That is why God says in Hosea 6:6,

"I desired... knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Then the previous passage in Hosea (4:6) says,

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

In order to know that a particular thing is real you have to prove its authenticity, right? "Consistent good works" / Christian conduct is the testimony of a genuine faith. We have heard the statement "we do good works not to be saved rather because we are already saved". If truly faith is at work it produces no other than a Christian Conduct.

Christian Conduct is a believer's expression/statement address to the world as an overflow of what is in his/her heart which is the reflection of the gospel he/she has embraced and the evidence of the indwelling Spirit in him/her. It is an expression of the gospel and the evidence of the indwelling Spirit in a believer. It proves what is in the heart and it is seen as it is an overflow of what is in the heart.

An Expression of what is in the Heart. What I mean of the heart is the mind and the affection of the believers. An expression of what they have understood and have loved that should be the the intention of the Christian conduct to express what is in the heart. It has been written,

"And he said, that which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:20-23

Before Christ, we have embraced such evil heart and the works it produces through our lives and it has become our life's testimony. But things has changed now, as we saw and embrace the light God has given us through His Son, we have become a new creation in Him and God has given us a new heart- a renewed mind, new desires, a fresh start- we have become a "born again". Now, we are to express what is new to us- what is in our hearts as it is an overflow.

What is in your heart?

What is in our mind? Where is our affection at? What have we understood? Who has our affection? Jesus Christ is the very heart why we express things not for the world but for Him. We can't be Christians without Christ. And in expressing Him in our lives today, we are to express with our mind in Him and our affection rooted in Him for His glory. I am fascinated that God wants all of me, my mind and my love because at the end of the day He doesn't want the things you do rather He wants your heart- He wants you. This is very important because it gives the picture of "why we do what we do". Ask yourself,

"What is my motive in declaring our faith?" It is subject to you and because you are imperfect it changes and is dependent on your moods, or situation or knowledge. And so the things you do or say will depend on your circumstances and in what suits you at that very moment. Then you have not denied yourself and in reality have not followed Jesus, "...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24).
It is absolutely not subject to man, it is subject to whom it is all about. Life is all about God, to the unchanging one. We do it as an expression of love to what we value. Our motivation in expressing our faith is to merely express the love we have of what is in our heart, in our case, our love for Christ Jesus. Love when it is express completes the devotion to the one whom it is express for. The expression of it is its consummation.

The Church ought to understand what they do and to whom is it dedicated to. Express the things in faith and for your love to Him with all your mind and strength. Our deepest intention is to express Jesus into the world in love through our lives today and forever. We act our faith out not as a responsibility (though it is) but because of love, you want them to know Him, the one you love through your life today.

Church, express what is in your heart today.

A Reflection of the Gospel you have embraced. When Jesus came into the world He was the Good News He preached. As a Church we are to be a reflection of Jesus in this world we live in. Our goal is to be like Jesus, as His followers. Man has destroyed in him the very image of God the very moment Adam and Eve has sinned and now the only way we can amend God's image in us is to imitate Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, through the help of the Holy Spirit.

What is Jesus like?

The Gospel we embrace is Jesus Himself. He came to save, as an expression of love, to forgive mankind, He is the life we desperately need, healing and restoration is in Him alone, and the list goes on. As His followers we are to be like Him. The Light of the world (John 8:12) said in Matthew 5:14 & 16, "Ye are the light of the world... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The importance of why the Gospel has to be reflected through our lives is for the world to glorify God. The world clearly screams in the way they live their lives that they don't know God and we ought to show it, "Let your light so shine before men..." that they may be able to see Jesus as clearly as we do. That is our aim. That they may truly see, really see Jesus and in that moment of meeting the eyes of our beloved Saviour and once our perception of Him seeks in in our hearts, one can't but simply glorify God.

In whatever you do in this life remember you are the reflection of what you believe in and it ought to show in your life.

"...I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Don't be pressured to do the things Jesus has done for He has already spoken in John 14:12, "...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

Keep in mind and with your whole heart to live in faith through becoming a reflection of the One you embrace- the One who loves you and gave Himself for you.

Church, remember you are what you love. What you value speak so much about who you are. It defines you, somehow. It gives light to who you are as a person, may it be Christ as we call ourselves "Christians" and not be ashamed of Him rather a reflection of Him.

An Evidence of the Indwelling Spirit in you. Though in the previous note I have already introduce what the Indwelling Spirit does and the power it has over our surrendered life to God, here as the Spirit of God works in us it will leave proof of its existence in us through our lives. The New Creation emerges and is seen through his way of life. And that way of life express in the world are the fruits of the Spirit seen in different forms. Our way of life as a regenerated man is what I call as our statement of faith.

Before I graduated in Xavier University, we had this feasibility study and I was privilege enough to be our general manager and aside from that I was responsible with the financial statements. The financial statements are very important; it allows you to see the condition of the business, helps in the decision making, forecasting, etc.... Has it incurred a loss or it is a gain? What is its profitability ratio? Is the company performing well?

In the same way, our statement of faith tells about the condition of our life, are you performing well in the Lord? Does your action points in gaining the world to Christ or has it made clear that you are losing your soul? Have you gained the Lord? But mainly, Is God satisfied in His investment on you, as your Owner and Master? Remember Jesus' parable about the talents the master gave to his servant. In Matthew 25, to the faithful the master said 'Well done' and gave him more but to the other servant who was unprofitable the master called him 'wicked and slothful servant' and casted him out into the darkness. After all we are taking care of our Heavenly Father's business just like Jesus.

We know the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. The world has to see and experience love, peace, joy, meekness, self-control, goodness, faithfulness... through us and this will leave a mark that indeed we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Through us in the way we live our lives for the world to behold. As we live and walk in the Spirit, His works in us cannot but show through our lives. And all is for the expression of our love with the intention of pleasing the One we love.

How's our Heavenly Father's business under your care? The one He has entruted you with...

Church, remember God's business is our business. Be profitable! Be profitable in works that will glorify the Father, who is in heaven. 

Make a statement in your life! And call it a Christian Conduct, the only way of life to a believer.