To Be Like Christ

"... that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one

another." (Romans 15:14)

God always wants to pour out His full blessing upon us but our bag is full of holes and cannot hold it. Hence God wants to build our character first, put us in His discipline so that we may retain His blessing and be an example to those around. The faithful God whose nature is faithfulness, the loving God whose nature is love, how can He go against Himself? Those who talk to us must go back with the impression that there is goodness in us. Though we may correct them they must feel our goodness. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit. We often develop faults and need correction. Some of us are ill informed. Beginners miscalculate their strength and become proud. They commit many mistakes. They must be patiently corrected with love. They must see goodness in us. "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (Romans 15:2). Do you edify others? Please your neighbor to edify him? You must be prepared to do good to edify your neighbors.

There must be no anger, hatred or jealousy in us. There must be only goodness in us. As you pray for the sick, you are gaining spiritually yourself. When you are praying for sinners, you are gaining yourself. When you learn to pray when others are working, you will be able to pray when you begin to work. As you are praying, you are being charged with faith and hope. When you pray for others, you must not do it haphazardly. You must do your best in prayer. We must admonish one another in love - especially beginners must be admonished. One day these beginners will be seasoned soldiers who will fight by your side for the same purpose with weapons that will not fail. Let us bring into captivity every thought that is not of God and hinders the revelation of Christ. You are a personality capable of development to the perfection of Christ. God wants us to be preserved to be like Christ.