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- Topic: Being Like Christ
[DCLM Daily Manna 9 September 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Luke 6:37-49 (KJV)
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Key Verse: “The disciple is not above his master; but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40).
MESSAGE:
Today’s Scripture pictures Christ speaking to His disciples after he had met the needs of the multitudes who came after him seeking for miracles. He set down the principles and ethics of the Kingdom to His disciples who were not merely after meat and drink but after heavenly treasures.
In the preceding chapters, Christ had shown Himself as Friend of all, humble and meek. One who had not come to condemn sinners to damnation but a present help in times of trouble. He proved Himself worthy of emulation at all times despite the persecutions and denials. This model of life was what He expected His disciples to follow. A true follower of Christ is to be a branch of the true Vine. His fruit must not betray the tree that bear it. Obedience as well as followership makes a believer rooted in Christ against all storms of life.
If we say we are Christians, we are expected to show forth Christlikeness. True love personified by Christ is expected of us. As believers, we do not judge nor condemn sinners. Forgiveness and transparency should be our lifestyle. Every believer is supposed to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. The components of the fruit as summarised in Galatians 5:22 are to be evident in our lives.
We are to be obedient to the Master if indeed we are His disciples as He was obedient to the Father. We cannot do less than what Christ stands for. Being obedient as He was, is what establishes the fact that we are loyal to Him and that is the only prerequisite for sticking to Him. That way, we are anchored on Him in the severest of storms.
Thought For The Day: A tree is known by its fruit.
The Bible In One Year: Psalm 107–109
