GENTLENESS IS REQUIRED

MEMORY VERSE: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 121-125, Proverbs 25

God wants us to prosper. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Deuteronomy 28:13a says: “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;” According to 2 Corinthians 8:9, He intentionally became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich. Asides prosperity, He wants us to have a long life too (Psalm 91:16). I have heard some people say that Christ, whilst on earth, was a ‘big man’ who had a moneybag where He kept money. A brother once joked that Jesus’ garment was so expensive that when He was crucified, the soldiers began to fight for it and at it the end; they had to divide His garments. This is not so. Besides, why did the Pharisees need someone to identify Him if He was a big man with expensive clothes? Jesus whilst on earth looked like His sheep. He looked just like His disciples; it was difficult to tell the difference between Peter – an angler and Jesus the Messiah. That parting of His garment was a fulfilment of prophecy in Psalm 22:18.

Christ wants us tell our unbelieving friends, especially those who do not believe that He was crucified, that He actually died (for our sins). Through Adam’s disobedience, all men became condemned to death, but through Christ’s obedience unto death, justification came and life for all who will accept Him as their personal Lord and Saviour (Romans 5:12-21). Although, when many of us talk about salvation, we keep silent about holiness. We pretend as if we do not know that God has called every believer to live holy.1 Thessalonians 4:7 says: “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”

It is true that God wants us to prosper and live in good health. Do you know He also wants us to be gentle/ meek? It is the assignment of every believer to share the gospel with the world. Therefore, you are doing a good thing when you preach to your work colleague or friends in college. Do you know that whilst doing all these - as you go about your daily business , you are required to also put on gentleness? Colossians 3:12 says: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” When i hear the way we , especially brethren in Christ, boast about how we responded in a rude way to fellow brother or sister or colleague at work, i marvel. Gentleness involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behaviour toward others. A gentle person does not always flare up at slight provoke. The excuse some of us give is that we do not like to be insulted. If you do not like to be insulted, you are not fit to be Christ's follower because Christ was insulted yet He did not respond. Every man is powerful. We can speak words that influence others; we can act in ways that help or hurt. Gentleness constrains and channels that power. Gentleness is recognizing and accepting that God’s ways and thought are high above our own. Gentleness is not struggling with God. A gentle fellow readily forgives. Where gentleness abounds, competition and sectarianism will disappear. Gentleness is not justifying actions that God calls sin. It is not letting someone continue in sin without speaking the truth. Gentleness means to confront people when they err in line with scripture – be mild, loving and encouraging

QUESTION: Are you a gentle fellow?

PRAYER POINT: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.(Psalm 122:6)

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