Celebrating Christmas
(week 51/03)
Olubi Johnson
This is the Christmas week in which we are celebrating the birth into the world of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We wish every single one of you a fruitful Christmas and a Christ filled New year, in Jesus’ Name.
As we celebrate this Christmas I want us to remember that God’s purpose for sending His Son into the earth is for us to have God’s nature in us.
There are 3 levels at which we have Christ in us:
Christ born in us.
Christ formed in us.
Christ glorified in us.
Christ is born in us when we get born-again and so partake of the divine nature:
John 3:3-7 (NKJV): Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 John 3:9 (NIV): No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Christ is formed in us when, through prayer in the spirit with all types of prayer (Ephesians. 6.18, 1Timothy. 2. 1-4) and the practice of the Word, the divine character: loving-kindness, righteouness and justice, gets formed in us and people see Christ in us.
Galatians 4:19 (NKJV): My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
Matthew 5:16 (NIV): In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Christ is glorified in us when the glory and power that was in Christ is manifested in us and we do the works Jesus did and greater.
John 2:11 (NKJV): This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory
John 14:12 (NKJV): “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 (NKJV): when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
All truly born again Christians have experienced Christ in them at level 1.
Some have experienced Christ in them at level 2.
However, so far, the Church has not yet experienced Christ in her at level 3.
It is at this level that God has purposed the Church to experience Christ in her in this 3rd. day.
This manifestation of the same degree of glory that was in manifest in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus, in the Church is imminent as we are already in the 3rd. day.
So as we celebrate this Christmas determine in your heart to experience Christ in you at all 3 levels by walking daily in the fear and the love of God during this season and in the New year.
