This month, our focus is “More and More.” We are looking at 1 Thessalonians 4, where the Bible exhorts us that as we have received how we ought to walk and please God, so we should abound “more and more.”
The resultant effect of our walk with God is that we should walk in newness. As we abound—getting grounded, built up, and established—it must reflect in the life that you live. The expectation after gaining an understanding of the truth of the Word of God is that men will see the reflection of that understanding.
In Romans 6:1-10, the Apostle Paul asks a poignant question: “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” He explains that those of us baptized into Christ were baptized into His death and buried with Him. Why? So that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
If you claim you have received the Lord Jesus and that you are walking in Him, there is a resultant effect. You cannot claim to understand the grace of God while your life does not reflect the totality of what you have received. Can we continue to live in our old way of life while claiming we have found the truth?
The more I abound in the knowledge of Christ, the more you will see the reality. Our lives reflect the truth we are learning. As the Message Bible captures it: if we have left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? It is like relocating from Nigeria to America but claiming you still live in your house in Nigeria. It is not logical. You have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son; there is no basis to still reflect the “old house.”
The Proof of Knowledge is Life
Colossians 2:6-8 tells us: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him…” Christianity is not a religion; it is coming into the life of God. You grow in it, mature in it, and advance in it. Our theology must become “biology”—it must become flesh and reality. It becomes our lifestyle. We learn the Word so that we can “do life” with it.
The only way to know if I am truly established is by how I respond when “life happens.” The proof of knowledge is life:
Stability: It is the peace of God that stabilizes you in trouble so that you are not running from pillar to post.
Settledness: True knowledge settles you. Fear jumps out.
Character: The things you struggled with years ago—unforgiveness, bitterness, moodiness—you shouldn’t be struggling with today. That is growth. That is “more and more.”
The Red Pepper Test
Our walk with God (W-A-L-K) is superior to our work for God (W-O-R-K). When the people saw the boldness of the apostles, they realized they had been with Jesus. Our Christianity should not be limited to just saying “the Bible says”; we must become the practicality of the Word.
The strength of your freedom is knowledge. You need to stay knowing that you are dead to sin. Think of the “red pepper test.” In the old days, if a child had a convulsion, people might put pepper in their eyes to see if they would respond. If a person is dead, they cannot respond, no matter how pungent the pepper is.
An insult, a lie, or a rumor carried about you is a “red pepper test” to know whether you are actually dead to sin. If every word someone says can ruffle or upset you, the devil has achieved his goal. But he that is dead is freed.
A Culture That Transcends Borders
We must mature in the truth until Christ comes. We are called to demonstrate the culture of Christ, imposing it over the culture of the world. It is not about what is popular or trending; it is about “What would Jesus do?”
I am a believer. I am in Christ. Whether I am in Nigeria, Canada, or the UK, I am committed to the culture of Christ. I will not let the world corrupt me. According to Philippians 2:10-11, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. That Lordship must start with our own lives.
The key is “knowing this.” Not that I used to know, but that I stay knowing. When you start misbehaving, you have stopped knowing. This knowledge must be reflected in the way you speak and your manner of life. Walk in the newness of life. Walk in the reality of what Christ has done.