To Serve With the Image of Christ

BIBLE STUDY #773- CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: JUNE 11 @ 17, 2013

Topic: “To Serve With the Image of Christ” Philippians 2:12-13 We can see that Jesus often called persons to follow him, he would say to them: “Follow me”. He said this to the disciple who wanted to bury a deceased person. (Matthew 8:21-22 “Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “FOLLOW ME, and let the dead bury their own dead.”) Matthew was also called in the same way: Jesus said to him: “Follow me.” (Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. FOLLOW ME, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Just the same he called Philip (John 1:23 “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, FOLLOW ME.”) We can see in Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and FOLLOW ME”. The Lord tells us to follow Him so that we will not deviate taking the wrong path that leads to destruction, He will always guide you with His great love, kindness and mercy. Which would be the reason for calling us if what we give Him is our problems, well we always have doubts and we let Him know that we are limited in everything? What can be so great in us as to boost ourselves before the Almighty God? It seems as we have to be begged to love Him and serve Him. Don’t you see yourself like this? I hope you follow Him voluntarily and with all your heart and not as an obligation. Christ reigns in us. Jesus called us to follow Him, and that is to live for Him, well He is our King. We know that our whole life belongs to Him, it is not ours. We should occupy ourselves in our salvation with fear and tremor. Philippians 2:12 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…” Our behavior is that of a saved person because Christ is in us. Christ should be in us and that is why we should be determined that He shall live in us. We should behave or proceed in a determined manner according to what we are in Christ. Let us edify our lives in Christ and not in our flesh because we are leaving the life in the flesh. Let’s occupy ourselves in our eternity. It is not a matter of only our years here but rather of matter of the eternity. Our reward is eternal! During our whole life we should work like God wants, because we know that our eternal reward depends on this. What is great is to be called! We should live according to what He has placed in us. (Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”) We should live according to the image of Christ. It is to live according to what He has put in one. Let us be cautious with our bodies because He lives in us. Let’s be careful where we go, what we do, what we live and what we allow. There are dangerous and bad places from which we must get up and leave. We need to have strength and have determination to follow Christ and not the world. We do not go where Christ would not go, nor will we laugh for reasons in which Christ would not laugh or applaud. Righteousness is something no one can fulfill if Christ is not in one. “To the image of his Son,” for this we have been predestined; we have been selected to be like Jesus in our way of living. His Lordship is upon us. His will is for us to be like Christ. Those who are called and do not respond is because they do not want to have the image of Christ in their lives. For you to be like Christ, that gives Him Glory. Then, He produces in us to will and to act. Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” He is the Boss. When you do not allow Him to do the will and the act in your life, that is a great rebellion against God himself. Are you capable of fulfilling what He has put in you? It is God who enables us because of His good will. Out of His good is that He prepares us; that is how He enables us. If we already permitted to have His image in us it is that we have chosen, then, He prepares us and enables us. It is God who equips us and sees in us the image of Christ. God called you, not just anybody but God; He will do in you what is missing, He will equip you with everything necessary. It is God who in first place puts in us the desire or the yearning to do His will. That way we will enable to fulfill what He has chosen for each one: OUR SERVICE FOR THE LORD! Amen.