“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15).
TEXT — Galatians 6:12-18
Message
Those who studied the Church of the First Century say that because of the persecution the members encountered, they were circumspect about the admission of new faces into their fold. They wanted to keep off “false brethren” who posed as true followers. The believers were said to have devised numerous means to identify genuine claimants to salvation. One way was to have the aspiring new disciple sketch the image of a fish on the sandy ground. It was a wordless contact that gave the unmistakable message that followers of Jesus were fishers of men.
However, Paul refers to the surer identification mark of a Christian. He said such a person must be “a new creature.” He must “bear in (his) body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” He is not to be guided by adherence to the principles of the old covenant. Being born again simply signifies a new personality who has completely done away with everything evil linked to his former personality. He is now a new creature.
Transformed, the believer is meant to offer the despondent inhabitants a fresh breath of hope, not only through preaching, but also by the lifestyle of holiness, transparency, patience, hospitality and tenderheartedness, among other virtues.
The Lord expects believers to reproduce themselves as new creatures by bringing more souls into the kingdom of God. This is the only reason believers still remain on earth after being saved. Preaching the gospel and winning souls is also the only way to fulfil the prophecy that “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Thought for the day
The true mark of a Christian is his transformed life.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
