Looking to Man's Side of the Foundation!

After seeing the divine side of the foundation, we surely cannot afford to overlook man's part in this spiritual equation! The right side says that every one that calls on the name of Christ should depart from iniquity, calling for a changed life on the part of every convert! Being a convert here means that someone has changed from being what he/she was before and taking up a new nature in Christ.

Are you a convert? Do you love the Lord? The Bible says that you must depart from all iniquity. That is to say that the moment you come into Christ, you are not required to touch any unclean thing! Conversion to Christ creates a demarcation between you and sin. Conversion brings you into death with Christ and resurrection into a new life. If you then be risen with Christ, you must seek those things which are above, where Christ is sited on the right hand of God. You must set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Christianity calls for a changed life!

Paul was emphatic in showing the change this wrought in writing saints at Rome: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life..." (Romans 6:3-13). In coming into Christ, they were raised to walk into a new life; not to live as of old again! This is because when we come to the knowledge that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, then we should henceforth cease from serving sin; for he that is dead is freed from sin.

Therefore, God's children, sin should not reign in our mortal bodies, such that we should obey it in its lusts, neither should we should yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Paul knew what change was to be made in one's life when entering into Christ and so he declared that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things about the person are passed away; and all things about him become new.

The new creature is to depart from iniquity whenever a person names the name of Christ and gets renewed in the spirit of his mind. He then puts on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Paul wanted to be our example, and could say without mincing words that after we must have come to Christ, we should allow Him to be magnified in our bodies, whether it be by life or by death, for according to him, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Whatever the case may be, man has a part to play, because salvation is not a name it and claim it thing - one must perform his duty as we are obligated to do in Christianity!

Vitus Ejiogu is a writer and publisher with the Fire-Brand Int"l Ministries, a media ministry that is based in Nigeria.

He is the editor of FOUNDATION SATELLITE magazine also published by the ministry. He pastors a Church in Bauchi and is married with two children.

You can reach him at: firebrandhq@yahoo.com or: 234 80 8181 829.

Website: http://www.palmgates.com or http://www.firebrandhq.com