Putting on the Character of Jesus

By Rev. Gerson L. Mgaya

Putting on the Character of Jesus provides the real meaning of being a follower of Jesus. It describes the character of Jesus as recorded in the gospels and thereafter shows how a Christian life could be transformed as one puts on that described character. It is a book written in a meditation style where the reader is provoked to spent some moment of reflection and prayer. With its simple, readable text, this book inspires the reader to live a transformed life

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jan 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781467882927

Rev. Gerson L. Mgaya

Gerson Mgaya was born in 1975 in the southern part of Tanzania. He is an ordained a pastor and served as a teacher at Kidugala Lutheran Seminary. He is currently writing his dissertation on Spiritual Gifts: A Socio-rhetorical Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 12-14 in the University of Eastern Finland.

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© 2012 by Rev. Gerson L. Mgaya. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 01/09/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4678-8291-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-8292-7 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Jesus,

The Spirit-Filled Person

The Humility Of Jesus

The Courage Of Jesus

As Wise As Jesus Was

The Friendliness Of Jesus

The Forgiving Heart Of Jesus

Loving As Jesus Did

The Compassion Of Jesus

Living For God

Being As Obedient As Jesus

Conclusion

Introduction

One of the biggest challenges that Christianity faces in our modern age is the fact that faith seems to be divorced from daily life. Faith is considered to be something of the Sunday in the church, but after that it seems to lose impact on the person’s practical life. As a result, the same person is likely to be seen in different faces, which are sometimes opposing each other. One behaves this way at home; in the office he shows yet another different behaviour from that which he shows at home and in the church. The behaviour shown in the church seems to be good and holy, but as one walks out of the church, most of what he/she has in the church disappears. What makes our faith not to manifest in our daily life?

I do not try to explain why that happens. I know there can be different answers, which depend on each one’s situation. My aim in this book is to show how our Christian faith can find a place in whatever believers do in their lives. I am employing an African perspective on life, because it takes life in its wholeness without divorcing any aspect. That is, from African point of view, one’s faith is with him wherever he goes and it affects whatever he does. This perspective seems to relate so much to the biblical perspective, especially on how faith could be realized in one’s daily life.

I consider and understand that growing in grace and attaining a profound knowledge of Jesus is a life-long process. To some people the stage of maturity is attained so fast, but with others, it takes many years. Whether it is fast or slow, it is important, or I could even say necessary for a believer to have his life hidden in Jesus. The result of hiding life in Jesus is that it is Jesus who will be seen and not the individual. And actually, this is what Jesus said. When one believes in Him and abides in His love, He will manifest Himself to and through that believer (John 15:21). This makes the believer empowered of doing things, which Jesus did (John 14:27). But to reach that stage, the knowledge about Jesus is not enough; one needs to know Jesus Himself.

The difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus is so clear. Knowing about Jesus is the thing of mind alone, but knowing Jesus is the reality of both the mind and heart. Knowing Jesus leads one to loving Him and entering into an intimate relationship with Him, which in turn makes a person imitate Jesus. This is a tantamount to saying that one walks in the steps of Jesus because he has been transformed by the Holy Spirit and is enabled to manifest the will of Jesus.¹

The nature of the world of today needs people who know Jesus, otherwise witnessing might become an impossible mission. When a non-believer meets a person who knows Jesus, by all means he meets Jesus, because Jesus has promised to live in those who truly abide in Him (John 15:5). My present worry is that, some of us who claim to know Jesus portray Him wrongly and as a result those who