“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
TEXT — Matthew 5:5-9
Message
Eric Liddell, a Scottish athlete and Christian missionary, is best known for his performance in the 1924 Paris Olympics, where he refused to run on Sunday due to his religious stand, depicted in the film, “Chariots of Fire.” Instead, he competed in the 400 meters, a race he was not favoured to win, and set a world record. His commitment to his faith over personal glory demonstrated his pursuit of godliness. After the Olympics, Liddell returned to China, where he was born to missionary parents, to serve as a missionary himself. He spent the rest of his life there, teaching and spreading the Christian faith.
Although the message of godliness and righteous living has remained one of the Bible’s most contested and debated doctrines today, stories like Eric Liddle’s have continued to demonstrate the possibilities of pursuing a godly lifestyle even in the most challenging environments. Regardless of the reservations from some quarters, we can fully harness the benefits of Christ’s complete work at Calvary, to pursue and obtain this holistic godliness.
This passage reminds us again of our Lord’s exhortation to every follower and disciple. In this Sermon on the Mount, He teaches us what constitutes true Christianity. He extols the virtues of meekness, humility, gentleness, kindness, compassion, and practical purity emanating from true transformation, within and without. Jesus assures us that if we pursue and possess these virtues, we become beneficiaries of divine blessings here in this life and in the life to come. When we demonstrate a deep longing and passionate desire for moral integrity, holiness, and purity, and a commitment to living by God’s will, we stand a greater chance to enjoy the fullness of God’s unsurpassed grace. The message summarises the characteristics and attitudes that are valued in the kingdom of God.
As we examine our lives today, can we honestly say that we have the virtues of humility, righteousness, mercy, purity, and peacemaking? Do you have the passion and longing to pursue and possess holistic godliness? The grace of God is available to enable you to possess them all. But you must ask from God.
Thought for the day
The potency of true Christian living is derived from holistic godliness.
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.
1 comment
Can you make it available for newer android versions..
Can you make it available for newer android versions..
I couldn’t download it because of that.