Who is a Christian?

By Modu

This text is an exposition into the spiritual dimension of the gospel of Christ Jesus to humanity. It feeds us with some spiritual values and answers to the Christian faith, with our respective roles and purpose in life. It is a good read to Christians and non-believers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Modu
• Release date: Jan 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9780979185021

Modu

I am married with 3 children. I was born in Nigeria (Benin city) and finished college with B.Sc Accounting from University of Benin- Nigeria.I am simple, decent and spiritual in Christ Jesus. I love writing with 2 published books.God bless all...modu

Book preview

Title: Who is a Christian?

Imoudu Iziokhai (modu)

© Copyright 2006 by Imoudu Iziokhai (modu)

Smashwords Edition

(Spiritual commentaries and fellowship in Christ Jesus)

All hail, Jesus is alive!

Simple prayer before study. Heavenly Father, in the name of Christ Jesus, I receive your message from this text by the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare the release of your understanding into my heart in Christ Jesus…Amen!

modu

Published by

Jesus is alive, Inc.

All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Published in Boston; Jesus is alive, Inc.

vmodu.com

Scriptural quotations are from the King James Version.

Copy the Library of Congress.

ISBN-13: 97809791850

Appreciation

Special thanks to my mom, Comfort Oagbale for her forthrightness. Sincere appreciation to my wife, Joy for her understanding and care, blessings to our children; Hilary, Sarah and Victor. Thanks to my brothers for their support and sister, Aje. Honest regard to my late father, Rapheal Izedomi, for his good heart and direction. To all who will benefit from this text, thank you for taking time to study this work. Above all, my heart-felt gratitude to the Holy Spirit for His total supervision in the name of Christ Jesus. Glory and honor to God the Father…Amen!

The choice of life is the joy for Christ---- modu

Contents

Introduction

1. Who is a Christian?

2. The new birth in Christ Jesus

3. Why Jesus came

4. Why they do not believe

5. Importance of His resurrection

6. Christians and non

7. Christ as the foundation of the Church

8. Who is Saint?

9. Scriptural references

10. What is Prayer?

11. Youths should come to Church

12. Conclusion

Notes

3 Songs of Worship

Our mission is to reveal the hidden truth of God in Christ Jesus in simple and special way. The emphasis is to highlight Christ Jesus in His true spiritual picture, which is vital in understanding His person and purpose to humanity. We would carefully explain some reasons the world needs to understand Him from the heavenly (spiritual) realm, as this is the only means of fully grasping the truth that allows all to draw from His infinite life. This is because, logic or mental science can never understand the things of God. Today, people have reasons to question the Christian movement because; we have not provided solutions to the need of troubled souls and the dire crisis in societies. What we now have in some services or faith-based gatherings are persuasions and not the Word of Life. In Christ Jesus, problems are solved, people are set free from all bondage and the release of the abundant life to all, who believe in His Lordship are accomplished. Our study will center on the divine essence, or the spiritual life and values of Christ Jesus in relation to our daily living. Christianity is not religion but life. This eternal life from Christ must be truly reflective in Christians for others to see and be drawn to God. Furthermore, explanations would be given to some of the wrong perceptions that has crept into the minds of people, and reveal the true Light that would enable all to appreciate Christ Jesus...who is the only and true life giver. Finally, our source and guide to this study is the Holy Spirit, the only instructor to the things of God.

modu

Jesus is alive, Inc.

Email: [e-mail]

Introduction

God is the Supreme living spiritual personality or essence, with infinite power and life span. He is the creator of existence, both in heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1). He made man in His own image and likeness, and gave man the authority to rule the earth as His delegate. This is confirmed in Genesis 1: 28, where the Holy Bible says, And God blessed them (Man), and God said unto them (Adam and Eve), be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. These were the original instructions and authority from God to Adam and Eve to rule the earth as the first representatives of the human race. They missed it, when they disobeyed the commandment of God. Their disobedience was sin and this sinful nature was from the devil, which polluted Adam and resulted in the loss of his inheritance or authority over the earth. By his act of disobedience as the head of the human race, Adam sold the whole of humanity (Man/mankind) into slavery, under the rule of the devil. Thus, Jesus who was in the Godhead as the infinite embodiment of God’s divine Word, even before creation, took human form to represent mankind to the situation caused by Adam. The living Word in heaven became flesh to correct the evil nature and reconcile man back to God. These were accomplished with His sinless blood (Everlasting peace) on the Cross of Calvary. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit raised him bodily from the dead; the victory, freedom and blessings of God the Father over sin and death became alive in Him and to all, who would believe in His holy name.

Who is a Christian?

First, let us begin by celebrating Jesus from our heart with these words, that He is blessed. He is great. He is the Prince of Peace and Everlasting Glory. He is Lord over all principalities and powers. He reigns forever both in heaven and on earth as King Eternal. He is here and now with His abundant love in our heart by His Spirit…Amen!

This text, primarily as fellowship in Spirit flows as thus; Jesus said in the gospel book of John 3: 5-6 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. In addition, in Chapter 4: 24 of the same book, He said God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Again, according to gospel book of John 6: 63, He declared It is the Spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. The next reference is very important for all to know and think about, because there Jesus Christ made a very profound statement, which anchors the life of every believer. This should encourage everyone to raise our voice to the entire world by declaring, Jesus is alive! That He is truly alive forever as King Eternal. Here are His own words of life, truth and victory, which confirms His deity, meaning His divine, sovereign Personality and reveals His everlasting life or essence and dominion. This is in the gospel book of John 14:18, where He said, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also." What a great confession of His divine reality, of His infinite supremacy and immense prophetic knowledge. This simply gives us the conclusion of His perfect unity and heavenly possession with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is because, that statement is an opening into our spiritual understanding of Christ Jesus accurate record of past events in Him, who could see, knows, and can predetermine present events from within Him in perfection. In addition, who could meticulously predict, foresee, prophesy and when necessary arrange future events according to His will to God the Father’s glory with exact capacity. The message here is that, God through Christ Jesus showed His spiritual activities in physical form to the world. Not for human intellect to limit His endless and sovereign Personality to the physical human form of Christ Jesus, but for humanity to see through the vast arrangements of the heavenly by the operations of the Holy Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus in words and deeds in great supernatural proportions. This is because, the divinity of Christ Jesus is not on physical conception, neither is His spiritual manifestation by any human design, but only from God, who is Spirit. Thus, for any man to grasp from the knowledge of God, the human heart must be open to God’s spiritual revelation, and not to mental or logical deductions of the mind. To be born again according to the words of Jesus is spiritual activity and privilege received into human vessels here on earth and expressed by the Holy Spirit. The word of God is spirit and life (John 6; 63). The word of God is God (John 1: 1). Similarly, anyone that comes to God in the name of Christ Jesus receives the same Spirit and life of God.

To this extent, the heart that is open to the words of Jesus Christ, will receive spiritual food, which is the true substance of life. As this foundation settles in our heart, it then makes this study simple to understand. This is because, the revelation of Christ Jesus is first spiritual, which cancels all human forecast, concepts and assumptions, but directs the heart to rely only on the Holy Spirit as the ultimate tutor and guide to the things of the heavenly Father; who is the only true and living God.

Given the above premise, the definition of a Christian, simply means, the follower of Jesus Christ. A follower is anyone, who has established relationship with God, by accepting the revelation of Christ that He is the Messiah or Savior of the world. He came from heaven to earth, and took human form by birth through the blessed virgin woman called Mary. Jesus was without sin in Him before and after birth. This is because, He came directly as One in and from the divine God. Hence, the holy child from Mary’s womb was not of human seed, because the seed was not from the male reproductive organ, but was the release of the fullness of God the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit as a spiritual seed and took the human form or body only from the chosen and blessed woman. Therefore, He was the very image and fullness of the living God, although with human body and in real sense, He was not from an earthly father. He willingly took the sins of the world on Himself as the sacrificial lamb, and died on the Cross of Calvary to save the world from the principle of sin and death that reigned over mankind. His sinless blood was shed on the cross for sinful man. This was the complete price for the payment, and removal of sin from the flesh that gave mankind freedom from the bondage of sin and death, whose chief ruler is satan. He died for the sins of the whole world, and was raised to life from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was through death in His flesh that He got access to hell and fought the battle of salvation with the chief rulers of darkness right in their domain, and subdued, overcame and defeated satan with all its allies by the eternal power of God in Him. His resurrected life is the testimony or banner of victory over the power of sin and death. Therefore, anyone who believes in Him receives His same life in him or her, which is eternal life. This is the victory of life over death, of good over evil and of obedience to God over disobedience. He is alive forever, and seated on the throne in heaven as the everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6). This means, He is One with God the Father in essence, operations and sovereign power. Therefore, the follower of Jesus is more than a supporter of the divine purpose of God, but is one with the very divine nature and character of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ. This means, a Christian is now another of Jesus-kind. In the same vein, anyone that accepts truly in the heart that, Jesus died on the cross for his or her sins, and confess openly with the mouth that He was raised bodily from the dead by the glory of the God the Father, that person is saved (Romans 10: 9-10). This is whom the Holy Scripture refers to as believer, or born again, generally known as Christian. The term Christian was coin from Christ-like attitude or behavior. The phrase refers to those, who believe that Christ Jesus is not dead, but alive and He is Lord in their lives, and reigns forever. In other words, He now lives in earthly vessels (Human bodies) with His Spirit by exhibiting the very nature and character of God in Him here on earth through all His faithful. The word Christian was first used in the city of Antioch (Acts 11: 26). The reference was to those, who kept themselves together in fellowship after the bodily ascension of Christ Jesus into heaven. This was because, they were portraying the teachings and attitude of Christ, hence were called by others as Christ like or kind of people. Thus, anyone who believes Jesus is the Christ, is saved and born of God (1 John 5: 1). Christ is the same as the anointed One, Messiah or Savior of the world. He was anointed by God, from God and confirmed in God the Father to the world as the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and the everlasting peace between God and man. As the beloved Son of God, Jesus had the absolute power and nature of God the Father in Him to fulfill the will of God here on earth. As He often called Himself, the Son of man. This did not reduce His deity, neither was His supreme divine personality ever diminished. In other words, His divine personality was not second to God, but was and is of God. His appellation as the Son of man, rather confirmed His heavenly presence and inheritance even before the foundation of the world. By calling Himself the Son of man, He was directly expressing His intention of service to humanity or mankind. The Son of man simply means, the heavenly personality of God took human form to represent the purpose of man, as it was originally from God. This was to restore dominion or authority on earth back to man. Unknown to all, except to God the Father and to those who had His spiritual revelation, like John the Baptist; by Jesus reference to Himself as the Son of man was actually the signal of claim to the inheritance of the heavenly Father on earth on behalf of man. As the Son of man, He became a servant to God and mankind. Put in proper perspective as servant, meant He was in service to the purpose of mankind as the original inheritor, heir or successor to the resources of God the Father on earth. The message Jesus was making to the adversary and its systems, was the spiritual declaration that, whatever you (satan) have stolen from God’s children, I AM (Jesus) now here in service of man. In other words, He was saying, I AM the representative of man from God to claim His goodness and resources in the world back to His children. As the Son of man, He was declaring to the wicked spirits of the devil that, He is from God and now in form of man (flesh) for the service of man, to set them free from deprivation into their rightful inheritance, and to establish the fruitful relationship with the heavenly Father forever. Let us make this simple. The declaration Jesus was making was; the earth is the Lord’s and its fullness. That means, God created the earth or the universe and all resources in it by His sovereign power and the authority to rule His creation rest squarely with Him and not the wrong manipulation from the adversary. God lovingly gave man the authority to rule the earth according to His will, but satan stole this authority from man through deceit to establish its wickedness, sin and death. This was against the original purpose or will of God. Therefore, Jesus as the Son of man, God was and is alive in Him as fully man with the perfect Anointing, to restore dominion over all things on earth according to God’s goodness and love to mankind. Some will wonder, how can God take human form? They forget to understand that nothing is impossible with the infinite and all-powerful God. He is not like men, with limited abilities. Anyone, who understands the workings of the spiritual, will know God is capable of doing anything He desires. His power is absolute but use very wisely and compassionately. Therefore, all that He accomplished through Christ Jesus here on earth was by His living Spirit (Anointing), who now is working mightily in the lives of those who believe in Christ (Christians). Clearly, all issues relating to His abilities and purpose of whatever He chooses to do or show are first of spiritual content. The Holy Spirit of God cannot and is not limited in size, shape, form and operations. He chooses and executes at His sovereign will, and nothing can stop or determine His conditions and goal, but only by Himself. Jesus had a human flesh, but His complete nature and content were perfectly spiritual with God the Father. That was why amongst others, He could walk on waters and even stopped the wave of the sea, because the whole creation came from Him by God the Father. So, let our heart search for the spiritual magnitude of Christ, and the great assurance is that, we would detect or discern the perfect nature of the Spiritual God in Him. Moreover, whenever that spark of His revelation is shown in our heart, we would witness His amazing grace and be lifted up to that atmosphere of seeing the immeasurable gift He gave to humanity forever. In any case, back to the point. Like earthly children have inheritance to their parent’s possessions or wealth. The same way was Jesus saying, I AM here in flesh as man, on man’s behalf, and will claim my possessions on earth for humanity to enjoy, which are from my heavenly Father. That means, He was claiming authority over the earth, which is God’s creation. The original plan of God is for man to dominate the earth with His divine goodness. This plan has not changed in God’s reckoning, and that was exactly what the Son of man accomplished for humanity. He was the official lamb from God to save man from the bondage of slavery. God Almighty brought the power of darkness on earth under the control of man, through the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ to death on the cross and raised bodily from the dead to life, which is the whole message of the gospel of salvation to the world. The sinless blood of Jesus Christ is the bridge that separates light from darkness, life from death and victory from failure or slavery. This bridge is built in God’s name, purpose and command, and no force can stand the power of this bridge forever.

Based on the love of God to His human creation through the remission of sins by Jesus Christ, whoever believes the witness of God concerning Jesus Christ as the Messiah (Christ), receives eternal life. Eternal life is the very life in and of God. This is the same as the Holy Spirit, which was revealed in full by Christ Jesus to the world. Every Christian has eternal life, because the Spirit of God now lives inside the believer as divine seed. 

The doctrine of Christ is the same as the revelation of Christ, which simply means, the descriptive picture of God through Christ Jesus, as observed and written by holy men and women, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is the full revelation of God, expressed by His beloved Son, Christ Jesus to the world. The usage of the term doctrine, should not be construe in literary context. Rather, these are the expressions in written words or messages, coded in spiritual content, and led into the spiritual insight of the living or divine laws of God, in the person of Christ Jesus, seen and witnessed in physical form to the world by the operations of the Holy Spirit. This is the heavenly vision and projections of God the Father as in the spiritual, brought to human race or physical in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the body or the human person, and the Holy Spirit supplied all that is of, and in God the Father through Him to the world.

Who is Christ?

Christ is the divine name and office of the heavenly anointing from God the Father on the person of Jesus. This heavenly name and office was from the throne of God, confirmed on Him here on earth by the heavenly Father, and received on Him by the Holy Spirit. The anointing, who is Christ, is the fullness of God’s glory, which the Holy Spirit released on the person of Jesus, as the chosen One from heaven to perfect salvation for mankind. Salvation means the price paid to set those held in bondage free, and restore them back to more than their former lost dignity, and or to their place of glory, which is victory. It is another way of claiming restoration, refund or something taken out of debt and placed in its real and higher credit value. The word of God says, Jesus is the Christ (John 5:1), which means, He is the Messiah. Stated differently, He was the appointed One by God, in God and from God to perfect the will of God on earth, as the savior or defender of the world from the reign of the devil. Before Jesus came and satisfied the perfect requirement of God, evil reigned and was in charge of the earth, but after His death and bodily resurrection, the power of God with His true relationship was restored on earth to mankind. The appropriation and use of this authority given back to us in Christ Jesus, through the love of God the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit is now our responsibility and not God’s. The anointing is the heavenly ministry on the divine person of Jesus, who as the Son of God was the only responsible officer/personality assigned from heaven, to render the ultimate service of God to the world, which was to destroy the wicked spirit of darkness that held mankind in bondage, through sin and death. The freedom path is our faith in Christ Jesus, which gives us access to the Kingdom of God and authority over all the works of evil. This is the loving gift, Jesus Christ gave freely to the world to enjoy. This gift becomes active to those, who believe in Him as the Messiah or Lord and Savior of the world. Do we mean, Savior of the whole world and not just part? Yes! The whole world. We are saved, removed or rescued from the power of darkness to light in Him. Moreover, is through His victory, the glory of God is restored, refreshed and accounted into the respective lives of all who believes in Him. God’s glory means, the spiritual and physical display of His abundant love, goodness and greatness in the lives of His beloved vessels, and over all creation. Jesus, who was from God, received the anointing He had in heaven before He came to earth in flesh, after John baptized Him in water, by the river Jordan (Luke 3:21-22). Therefore, He was the sinless human person, who was of the Holy Spirit, even before birth, and received the fullness of His office in the Anointing, conferred on Him as the Lamb of God or sacrifice for sins of the world, which He did not commit. In other words, He was the divine object of sacrifice, which the sins of the world were laid on and judged. He was the High priest and sacrifice of God the Father, with the heavenly anointing in one body. Christ and the person of Jesus are not separate; neither are they two entities but the same Spirit, with one divine purpose in the person of Christ Jesus. The purpose was to reconcile God and man in one sinless and spiritual body, after destroying sin in the flesh. The purpose was to introduce eternal life to humanity forever, which is God’s spectacle of love. Christ is the spiritual revelation of God in the office of salvation to humanity, while the person of Jesus was the sinless revelation of God’s human personality on earth to perfect salvation. The human personality of God does not mean God has the physical shape as man, but that the characteristics or content in man, like man sees, walk, think, talk, eats (God’s food is love from one heart to another) are some of the characteristics in God. Although, He has much more like, He does not sleep and can be everywhere at the same time with same overwhelming power and knowledge over all situations. God can engage in all activities like talking His will into thousands of human hearts, performing divine help (miracles) to millions of people, sharing His love to hundreds of thousands of women and children, moving mountains to other locations and other supernatural activities without any iota of His diminishing power, focus and abilities to all. He is ever constant and absolute in creative, performing and connecting abilities.

Let us track back to the issue on hand. The primary purpose of God was to deal squarely with the common enemy, both in the spiritual and physical realms. This was to restore man’s lost glory (Remember, Adam and Eve became naked after their sinful act?) and that, the appropriate fellowship with Him is established. Therefore, Christ is the living Spiritual that connected with the living physical in one body, who is Jesus. Salvation was a divine responsibility, which required a sinless human body, having the spiritual power of God in one divine person on earth. Therefore, Jesus the person, and Christ, the heavenly anointing is one of the same God, completely fulfilled in Christ Jesus. This is because, the heavenly anointing was only on the holy, sinless and perfect human body of Jesus, who is the Son of God, and is the true God (1 John 5; 20). He was the only divine person, with the absolute qualification to receive and perfectly act according to the anointing from God the Father, for the work of salvation. The confirmation that Jesus is the Christ was done by God the Father on Him on several occasions, amongst are, when God said, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3: 22). Also, during His transfiguration, according to the gospel book of Luke 9: 35, God confirmed Jesus as His Son in the presence of His three disciples; who were Peter, James and John, and with the two heavenly hosts; who were Moses and Elijah; who came back in spirit and ministry as John the Baptist (Matthew 11: 13-14). Here was the supreme confirmation from God the Father on Jesus, when He said This is my beloved Son, hear Him. Here was God in His most honorable and magnificent self, openly confirming to the world to follow the instructions or words of Christ Jesus, because they were true and divine. This was God’s irreversible agreement with who Jesus Christ said He is to the world. The only One Anointed forever with the love and justice principle of the supreme heavenly vision to regulate the creative component of existence in the world according to the utter will of God the Father, to the ultimate benefit of mankind. This confirmation was necessary because, Jesus is the Truth, the Peace and Life who cannot lie, as He was truly from heaven as the living Word, who is God.

The other confirmation to this study as highlighted below is very intriguing. This is because of the reaction of the people in days of John the Baptist, whom they accepted was a messenger and Prophet of God. Nevertheless, the same people, who accepted John’s prophetic words as genuine, and were from God, rejected his prophecy by spiritual revelation on Jesus is the Christ (Messiah). This is very amazing! As it shows how people make selective judgments, based on convenience and falsehood, and not on truth or good conscience. The Holy Scripture reveals in the gospel book of Mark 11: 32 that, there was an argument by the elders of the people with Jesus. Their concern was by whose authority Jesus was acting on; they were referring to His teachings and miracles. In other words, they were challenging His authority and wants Him to confirm His source of power and divine activities. Jesus then replied their question or concern with the most striking answer. That is, by whose authority did they believe John the Baptist acted on, whom they all agreed was a true Prophet but refused his message concerning Christ? Was his authority from God or men? Here was the response of the elders to the question Jesus asked them, "But if they say, of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John that he was a prophet indeed." What! Read Luke 20; 1-8 for further affirmation of this story. Let us repeat what they said for the purpose of clarity; for all men counted (agreed) that John the Baptist was a Prophet with great admiration. This means, he was a genuine Prophet from God without doubt, based on their definitive expression indeed. John the Baptist was a Prophet of the high esteem following Biblical standard and heavenly ordination, because of the great works and messages that came from God through him.

The above statement from the elders and the people showed they believed John the Baptist was truly a Prophet of God, which means, his prophecies or messages were from God and correct. Subsequently, if they agreed his prophecies were from God and correct, why did they not believe his confirmations on Jesus is the Christ, as he did in gospel book of John 1: 29 "Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world…"