How should a born again Christian behave | part 2

The following are ways a born-again Christian should behave:

• Not vengeful (Romans 12:17, 19)
• Obedient (Ephesians 6:1–9; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:18–19; 1 Peter 5:5; 1 Timothy 6:1)
• Orderly (1 Corinthians 14:40; Titus 1:5; Colossians 2:5)
• Peaceable (Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:18; Romans 14:19)
• Perseverance, don’t grumble (James 5:9–11)
• Respectful to elders (1 Timothy 5:17–19)
• Humble (Matthew 11:29; Titus 3:2; 1 Peter 5:5–6)
• Submit to authority (Romans 13:1–5, 1 Peter 2:13–15).
• Thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Colossians 3:15)
• Treat servants well (Colossians 4:1; Deuteronomy 24:14–15).
• Truthful (1 Peter 3:10; Proverbs 6:16–19)
• Walk in light (Ephesians 5:8–14)
• Walk in love (1 John 4:7-8; Ephesians 5:2; Romans 13:8-10; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 4:8)

We continue from where we stopped in the article titled How a Born-Again Christian Should Behave, Part 1.

15. Born again Christians should not be vengeful

In Luke 17:1, Jesus told his disciples that while we live on earth, offenses will surely come.  We all have someone who has wronged us in one way or another. Therefore, it is important for us as born-again Christians to learn to let go of the pain we suffer as a result of the misdeeds committed against us. Letting go of these ills helps us heal, thus keeping us from taking revenge.

The Bible teaches that born again Christians should not avenge themselves. This is because according to the Bible, ‘vengeance belongs to God’. This is recorded in Romans 12:19, which says

“Beloved, DO NOT AVENGE YOURSELVES, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ SAYS THE LORD.”

So when offended, a born-again Christian is expected to forgive, let go, and not allow bitterness to take root in their heart.

In fact, the Bible tells the born-again Christian not to repay evil for evil. This is recorded in Romans 12:17 as follows:

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.”

16. Born again Christians should be obedient

According to the Bible GOD VALUES OBEDIENCE MUCH MORE THAN SACRIFICE. In other words, God prefers believers who WALK IN OBEDIENCE to His word to those who walk in total disregard of His word, yet they offer huge SACRIFICES’ in the form of cash donations to church or other charitable organizations.

Thus, a born-again Christian is better off walking in obedience to the word of God without making huge sacrifices than walking in disobedience while making large sums of money as sacrifice. It’s like BRIBING God to overlook your disobedience to His word in favor of the HUGE CASH DONATIONS you give in church or some other place.

In this regard, children have been commanded to obey their parents while parents have been commanded not to provoke their children to wrath; young people have been commanded to submit to the old; servants and slaves have been commanded to obey their masters while masters have been commanded not to mistreat their servants; wives have been commanded to respect their husbands while husbands have been commanded to love their wives; everyone is commanded to obey the authority; Jesus has commanded us to walk in love; and so forth.

Scriptures concurring with this command include the following:

Ephesians 6:1–9, which says

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with a promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’

And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eye-service, as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”

Titus 3:1, which says

“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, TO OBEY, and to be ready for every good work.”

1 Peter 2:18–19

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh. For this is commendable if, because of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.”

1 Peter 5:5

“Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you, be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

1 Timothy 6:1

“Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.”

17. A born-again Christian should be orderly

Born again Christians are called to walk in an orderly manner. To this end, they are expected to conduct all their affairs in a decent and orderly manner, devoid of confusion. This is what the Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:40 when he says:

“LET ALL THINGS BE DONE DECENTLY AND IN ORDER.”

Similar sentiments are echoed in Titus 1:5, that says

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should SET IN ORDER THE THINGS THAT ARE lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you -”

Another scripture that speaks about being orderly is Colossians 2:5. It says

“For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see YOUR GOOD ORDER and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.”

18. A born-again Christian should be peaceable

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus said:

“Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be CALLED SONS OF GOD.”

In short, when we pursue peace in all our transactions with fellow men, the reward reserved for us in heaven is the title ‘sons of God.’

The Apostle Paul urges believers to pursue peace with all people in Romans 12:18 by stating

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN.”

In Romans 14:19, The Apostle Paul sums it up for us by saying:

“Therefore LET US PURSUE THE THINGS WHICH MAKE FOR PEACE and the things by which one may edify another.”

19. A born-again Christian should learn to persevere and not grumble during trials

Grumbling is a sign of unbelief, for which God harbors great distaste. The journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land was marred with countless grumblings and murmurings against God and His servant Moses (Numbers 11, 13, 14).

Despite the many miracles that God did by the hand of Moses in their midst, the moment a new challenge arose, they would quickly forget previous deliverances God had accomplished for them and instead fall back into a rant of grumblings and murmurings. As a result, God’s wrath would be kindled against them, so much so that He would send plagues, fiery serpents, and destruction to consume them.

Born again Christians are required to learn from this example and avoid walking down the path of grumbling and murmuring whenever challenges come their way. Instead, they are expected to persevere through trials and witness the deliverance that God will work out for them.

This is what the Apostle James teaches in James 5:7–11. It says

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and later rain. You must also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them blessed for enduring. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

20. A born-again Christian should be respectful of elders

In the book of 1 Timothy 5:17–19, The Apostle Paul teaches that elders should be respected by all brethren. This is what it says:

“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages.’ Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.”

21. A born-again Christian should be humble

Born again Christians have been called to emulate Christ by walking in humility. We find this instruction in Matthew 11:29, where Jesus says:

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, and you will find rest for your souls.”

From this passage, we get a glimpse of one attribute or character of Jesus, namely, being lowly or humble in heart.

Titus 3:2 echoes similar sentiments when it says:

“To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, SHOWING ALL HUMILITY TO ALL MEN.”

The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:5–6 makes it clearer as follows:

Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you, be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.’

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,”

22. A born-again Christian must submit to authority

As followers of Christ, born-again Christians are expected to submit to authority regardless of their country of residence. This is because all authority that exists in any given country has been sanctioned by God. This is recorded in Romans 13:1–5 as follows:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, AND THE AUTHORITY THAT EXISTS IS APPOINTED BY GOD. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from others. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’s sake.”

The Apostle Peter emphasizes this command in 1 Peter 2:13–15 by stating:

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

So, it actually does not matter whether you like them or not, but as a born-again Christian, you MUST submit to the authorities in place for the sake of Christ. Otherwise, your disobedience may cause others to speak ill of your faith.

23. A born-again Christian must be thankful

As born-again Christians, we have been called to be thankful for everything at all times. A heart of gratitude is always blessed, while the opposite is true. By giving thanks in all things, we are acknowledging that God is the one working behind the scenes to make all things work out for good for us who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

The following scriptures emphasize the need for us to always be thankful, regardless of our life experiences.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“In everything, give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Colossians 3:15

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and BE THANKFUL.”

24. A born-again employer should treat his employees well

A born-again Christian who doubles up as an employer in the business world is expected to treat his workers well. We get this instruction in the book of Colossians 4:1 that says:

“Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

In the Old Testament, God instructed masters to be fair to their workers and not exploit them because of their lower position in society. This instruction was given in Deuteronomy 24:14–15 as follows:

“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart.”

25. All born-again Christians should strive to be truthful all times

Every born-again Christian should strive to speak the truth at all times, regardless of the consequences. In the world we live in today, most Christians speak the truth for convenience—that is, when it suits them. If they discover that speaking the truth in a given situation will land them in trouble, they simply choose to lie. Biblically speaking, this is wrong.

The Apostle Peter exhorts us to always speak the truth if we intend to see good days in our lifetime. We find this exhortation in 1 Peter 3:10, which says

“For ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him REFRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL and HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.’”

The Bible also teaches that one of the seven things that the Lord hates is a deceitful tongue. We read this in the book of Proverbs 6:16–19, which says

“These six things the LORD hates—yes, seven—are an abomination to Him: a proud look, A LYING TONGUE, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A FALSE WITNESS WHO SPEAKS LIES, and one who sows discord among brethren.”

Since the Bible is very clear that God hates lies, it is better for a born-again Christian to always speak the truth.

In the gospel of John 14:6, Jesus told his disciples that ‘He is the way, THE TRUTH, and the life.’ This implies that, when you get born again, THE TRUTH comes to live inside you. Thus, by lying, you are actually suppressing the Christ in you.

It is against this background that the Apostle Paul urges us not to speak lies in Colossians 3:9 by saying:

“Do not lie one to another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

26. A born-again Christian should walk in the light

Jesus taught His disciples that He was the way, the truth, and the LIFE (John 14:6). It is this life that brings LIGHT to a person once he or she is born again. We read this in John 1:4-5, which says

“In Him was life, and the LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. And the LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.”

It is thus expected of every born-again Christian to manifest this light in their everyday lives.

The Apostle Paul drives this point home in Ephesians 5:8–14 by saying this:

“For you were once darkness, BUT NOW YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD. WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND TRUTH), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. AND HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, BUT RATHER EXPOSE THEM. For it is shameful even to speak of those things that are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, He says:

Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

27. A born-again Christian should walk in love

The Bible teaches that God is love. Therefore, as Christians, we should emulate this act of love as we relate to our fellow men. We read this in 1 John 4:7-8, which says

“Beloved LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS OF GOD; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, FOR God IS LOVE.”

We find a similar exhortation in Ephesians 5:2 that says

“AND WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

Here, the Apostle Paul tells us to love because Christ showed us love by giving His life for the remission of our sins.

Other Bible verses that urge us to walk in love as born-again Christians include the following:

Romans 13:8–10, which says

“OWE NO ONE ANYTHING EXCEPT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR HE WHO LOVES ANOTHER HAS FULFILLED THE LAW. For the commandments, ‘you shall not commit adultery’, ‘you shall not murder’, ‘you shall not steal’, ‘you shall not bear false witness’, ‘you shall not covet’, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ LOVE DOES NO HARM TO A NEIGHBOR; THEREFORE LOVE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW.”

Hebrews 13:1, that says

“Let brotherly love continue.”

1 Peter 4:8, which says

“And above all things HAVE FERVENT LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”

This marks the end of Part II of our discussion about how a born-again Christian should behave.

Conclusion

This article covered Part II of our discussion about how a born-again Christian should behave. To read part one of the article, click on the link provided below. Finally, as born-again Christians, we are called to be imitators of Christ, as penned by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:1

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

I hope this was helpful. Thank you.

Related Post: How should a born again Christian behave | part 1

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Are you a born-again Christian? If not, kindly say the following prayer from the bottom of your heart, and you will get saved.

Prayer to become a born again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God;

I believe that you were sent of your Father to the earth to save sinners like me;

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

Congratulations friend! You are now a born again Christian!

Welcome to the Family of God!

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/