By Pastor Lazarus Muoka

Text: Ephesians 4:24 (KJV) “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Man was not created merely to exist, but to know God, walk with Him, please God, and reflect the character of God upon the earth. From the beginning, God’s purpose was that humanity should live in fellowship with Him and display His righteousness and holiness. Sin, however, entered into the world and brought separation between man and his Creator. But thank God, through Jesus Christ, there is a way back to God, a way of restoration, a way of holiness, and a way of becoming what God originally intended us to be.

The Bible says, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” This is not merely a call to change our appearance or improve our behaviour. It is a call to experience a transformation of life. God wants to make us new from within. Christianity is not simply attending church, carrying a Bible, singing hymns, or bearing a Christian name. Christianity is the life of Christ being manifested in a redeemed human vessel.

When a person comes to Christ, God does not call him to continue living the old life. He calls him into a new life. Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

There must be a difference between the life we lived before encountering Christ and the life we live after surrendering to Him. Salvation must produce transformation. Grace does not give us permission to continue in sin; grace teaches us to depart from sin.

Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

The question every believer must ask is: Am I becoming more like Christ?

God is concerned about the condition of the heart because what is inside eventually manifests outside. A corrupt heart will produce corrupt actions, while a heart surrendered to God will increasingly produce righteousness.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Holiness begins in the heart. Before the hand commits sin, the heart conceives it. Before the mouth speaks evil, the heart entertains it. Before the feet walk into wickedness, the heart has already approved it. Therefore, genuine holiness requires the cleansing of the inner man.

David understood this when he cried unto God in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

That should be the prayer of every believer. “Lord, create in me a clean heart.” Not merely, “Lord, change my circumstances.” Not merely, “Lord, bless me financially.” Not merely, “Lord, open doors for me.” But, “Lord, change me. Purify me. Make me holy. Make me pleasing unto You.”

God is more interested in who we are becoming than in what we possess.

There are people who desire God’s blessings but do not desire God’s holiness. They want God’s hand upon their lives but do not want God’s authority over their lives. They want heaven but do not want holiness.

They want God’s promises but resist God’s commandments.

But the Scripture says in Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Holiness is not optional for the child of God. It is not an outdated doctrine. It is not a standard reserved for pastors, missionaries, or church leaders. Every person who claims to belong to Christ is called to live a holy life.

First Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Notice the words: “Be ye holy.” God has not called us to imitate the world. He has called us to reflect Him.

The world may celebrate what God condemns, but the child of God must learn to stand for what God approves. The world may call certain things normal, but our standard is not the culture; our standard is the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

There must be a renewal of the mind. What we watch, what we listen to, what we read, the company we keep, and the things we continually meditate upon can influence our spiritual lives. We cannot continually feed the flesh and expect to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 says, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

The Christian life is a daily walk. Every day, we must choose righteousness. Every day, we must deny ungodliness. Every day, we must surrender ourselves to God.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Holiness involves self-denial. It means saying no when the flesh says yes. It means walking away when temptation invites you to stay. It means refusing to participate in what dishonours God even when nobody is watching.

The greatest test of holiness is often what we do in secret.What kind of person are you when nobody is watching? What do you think about when you are alone? What do you watch when your phone is in your hand? What are the type of words that come out of your mouth when you are angry? How do you treat people who cannot benefit you? What happens in your heart when somebody else succeeds?

God sees it all.Numbers 32:23 warns us, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

There is no hiding place from God. Adam tried to hide after sinning, but God came looking for him. Jonah tried to flee from God’s presence, but God knew where he was. David committed sin secretly, but God exposed it openly.

Psalm 139:7 says, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

Therefore, beloved, let us stop playing religious games. Let us stop pretending before men while our hearts are far from God. Let us return to genuine righteousness and holiness.

The good news is that God does not merely command holiness; He provides grace for holy living. You do not have to overcome sin by your own strength. Christ is able to transform your life.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

If there is an area of your life that has enslaved you, bring it to Christ. If there is a secret sin, bring it to Christ. If there is an ungodly habit, bring it to Christ. If your heart has grown cold, bring it to Christ. He is still able to restore, cleanse, and transform.

First John 1:9 gives us this assurance: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

What a gracious God! He does not call us to holiness and abandon us. He calls us, cleanses us, strengthens us, and helps us walk in righteousness.

The world is passing away. Our opportunities are passing away. Our strength is passing away. One day, every one of us will stand before God.

Second Corinthians 5:10 declares, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”

That day is coming.When you stand before God, your possessions will not save you. Your position will not save you. Your popularity will not save you. Your religious title will not save you. What will matter is whether you belong to Christ and whether your life has been surrendered to Him.Therefore, today, let your heart return to God.

If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, come to Him. If you have wandered away, return to Him. If sin has taken control, surrender it to Him. If your spiritual life has become cold, cry unto Him for restoration.

Let the prayer of your heart be: “Lord, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Testimony Of The Lord’s Doing

‘God Lifted Me Out Of Terrible Poverty’

MY name is Sister Chinaza Nnadiogu. I reside in Togo and worship at the Togo headquarters. I thank God for making my family and l,members of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries.

I have come to thank God for bringing my family and l out of shame, reproach and terrible poverty. The genesis of this terrible condition was the death of my father. When my father died, his family members chased my mother and her children away from the family.

We were six in number andhad nowhere to live.So, I went to live with one of my aunts. The other five were living with my mother in Lomeand were sleeping inan open stallsin a particular market there. What they do is that, after the owners must have closed and gone home, my mother and my siblings would go and occupy the shops.

Something happened when l was about nineteen to twenty years. That incident made me to leave my aunt’s place and joined my mother with other siblings.We were living from one market to the other and I thank God, He preserved me and did not allow evil to befall me.

One day, l had a revelation where I saw people wearing apron.The man that was at their back called me and when l went to him, he said, “you are blessed,” I said amen and suddenly, woke up from the dream.

After about two weeks of this dream, I met a man who asked my hands in marriage and when l asked the man to take me to his church. The man took me to his church and it was The Lord’s Chosen Church, and today, we are living as husband and wife. Praise the Lord!

As soon as l joined this great movement, l began to present the condition of my family to God. Formerly, we were objects of mockery in our village and family because we had no house, to lay our heads. But as I joined The Lord’s Chosen, God of Chosen turned our captivity around and today, my mother and siblings have a comfortable house to stay.

In another development, when my husband was about to pay my dowry, he did the first things he was asked to do and after that my family members gave him list.As soon as he came to prepare himself for the main dowry, his business closed down. There was nothing coming in again. In the process, our branch pastor fixed a programme, titled: “That Pharaoh Must Die.”

Truly, after we attended the programme, the Pharaoh hindering my husband’s business, died and my husband went and did the needful on my head and today, we are happily married to the glory of God. Praise the Lord!