Fruitful Living
Living the transformed life (Part 1)
• The Bible reveals God’s truth
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14.
INTRODUCTION
Beloved in Christ I am writing to you today as the carrier of a message that is fundamental to our place as Christians in our society. I sincerely pray that after hearing this message, we will all be challenged to do more for God, for country, and for ourselves.
Living the transformed life as a Christian has everything to do with national development. I’ll tell you why.
The transformed life is a life shaped anew by God, to serve and fulfill God’s purpose for mankind. Living the transformed life is a process, a journey that we each embark on when we personally accept and invite Jesus Christ to become Saviour and Lord of our lives. Our lifestyles must reflect the God we profess and embrace.
Where do we start from? By examining and practising some principles that have been clearly spelt out for us in the Bible.
- Let’s Live an exemplary life no matter where you are: Philippians 2:15 advises us to ‘…become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world’.
This Bible verse is clearly telling us to do what is right whether other people are doing it or not. It is telling us to live differently, to strive to live above reproach, so that just as light drowns out darkness, our conduct shall be an example that others will be provoked to respect and to live by.
- Let’s Eschew self-centredness by looking out for the interests of each other: Philippians 2:4 tells us ‘Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.’
This is an indirect way of telling us to be selfless in all our pursuits. As humans, we are naturally prone to selfishness. It is this selfishness that makes us take decisions and carry out certain actions that only favour us even if they are detrimental to our fellow humans.
- Let’s not wait for the government to do everything: James 2:14-16 – “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deed? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
There are some things we can do as individuals in our own small way. This, I believe, is intended to make Christians understand that using our resources to assist less privileged people in society is an opportunity for us to exercise our faith and to honour God.
- Stewardship requires faithfulness: Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful – 1 Corinthians 4:2.
Everything we have has been entrusted to us by God and as stewards, He expects us to be faithful in handling/managing what has been given to us. The first thing God entrusted to us from day one of creation was the earth.
- Let’s respect authority and national laws: 1 Peter 2:13- ‘Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor. Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.’
This scriptureencourages us to respect authority not just at face value but out of respect for God and hierarchies created to establish order in society. Respect for authority keeps us in check and forces us to exercise discipline in fulfilling our obligations (e.g. payment of taxes, pension contributions, etc.) towards the development of the nation.
- Let’s be content: Hebrews 13:5 tells us ‘Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have’ and 1 Timothy 6:6 says ‘Now godliness with contentment is great gain’. I may be wrong but I believe that contentment is the antidote to greed and covetousness which breed corruption in various forms and at various levels in our society. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious but there is a difference between being ambitious and being covetous. Most of the woes of our nation today could/would be avoided if Christians in diverse positions of authority, influence, and power remember this Scripture and pause in their excessive pursuit of material things. Let’s examine our hearts and our motives in our pursuit of money and material things. Are we seeking to acquire something or more of something because we truly need it or because we want to out-compete someone else? Are we living within our means or beyond it? Only we can truthfully answer these questions.
- Let’s eschew idleness: The Bible is clear on this. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 explicitly puts it this way ‘…if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.’ We all know from our basic economic lessons that employment drives productivity at all levels within the economy. If no one works, nothing gets done, nothing gets produced and revenue generation channels simply cease to exist. Working does not always require us to be employed by others. The fact that God has called us to live a transformed life is no excuse for us to spend 24 hours in church when we should be at our workplace offering our services and/or generating income/revenue. There is time for everything. Jesus Christ Himself gave us this counsel in Mark 12:17‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s’.
- Let’s pursue justice and fairness in all our dealings: God expects us to be fair, honest, and truthful in all our dealings.
Colossians 4:1 says “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven”.
To be continued!!
Stay blessed!
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By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
4. Correct the falsehood
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), teach people who Muhammad (pbuh) really was.
Tell them about his mercy.
Tell them about his justice.
Tell them about his patience.
Tell them about his forgiveness.
5. Report genuine offences
Use lawful channels.
The Muslim does not become the police, prosecutor, judge and executioner.
6. Protect the innocent
If one Christian insults Islam, do not attack another Christian who knows nothing about it.
If one Muslim makes an offensive statement, do not blame all Muslims.
7. Restore peace
After the controversy, bring responsible Muslim and Christian leaders together.
Talk.
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Clarify.
Forgive where forgiveness is appropriate.
And rebuild trust.
Ghana must not become a battlefield of religious provocation
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
Let us look around Ghana.
Muslims and Christians have lived together for generations.
We have Muslim fathers with Christian in-laws.
Christian mothers with Muslim sons-in-law.
Muslim and Christian business partners.
Muslim and Christian neighbours.
Muslim and Christian classmates.
Muslims and Christians serving together in the military, police, public service, universities, hospitals, markets and businesses.
This is Ghana.
We must protect this peace.
Religious freedom is precious.
But religious freedom comes with religious responsibility.
A microphone is not a weapon.
A pulpit is not a battlefield.
A smartphone is not a licence to spread hatred.
A viral video is not a fatwa (religious decree).
And anger is not evidence.
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A word to Muslim scholars
To my fellow Imams and Islamic scholars:
Allah has placed a trust upon our shoulders. You are the best of generations selected for the guidance of mankind. Quran chapter 3:110.
When people are angry, we must calm them.
When people are confused, we must educate them.
When people want revenge, we must teach justice.
When people want violence, we must remind them of Allah.
Our microphone should extinguish fire—not pour petrol upon it.
The Prophet said:ِ
لَيْس َ الشَّدِيد ُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيد ُ الَّذِي يَمْلِك ُ نَفْسَه ُ عِنْد َ الْغَضَب
“The strong man is not the one who can overpower others; rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when angry.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6114; Sahih Muslim, 2609)
This is strength.
Self-control is strength.
Restraint is strength.
Wisdom is strength.
Justice is strength.
A word to Christian preachers
And to our Christian brothers and sisters, especially those who preach:
We Muslims deeply revere Jesus (peace be upon him)
He is not an ordinary man in Islam.
He is ʿĪsā ibn Maryam عليه السالم, a mighty Messenger of Allah.
The author is the Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
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When Paul tells us that our “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” he had summarized in the previous two verses what such an attitude was: selflessness, humility, and service. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” – Philippians 2:3-4.
In other words, the attitude a Christian should reflect is one that focuses on the needs and interests of others. Without question, that does not come naturally to us. When Christ came into the world, He established a whole new attitude to relationships with others. One day when His disciples were arguing among themselves regarding who was to be greatest in His kingdom, Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.
Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” – Matthew 20:25-28. Jesus is teaching us that, when we become preoccupied with our own things, it can cause conflicts and other problems with people we know. Instead, God wants us to have an attitude of serious, caring involvement in the concerns of others.
Paul speaks more about this Christ-like attitude in his letter to the church in Ephesus: “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.– Ephesians 4:22-24. Many religions of today, including the New Age philosophies, promote the old lie that we are divine or that we can become gods. But the truth of the matter is that we will never become God, or even a god. Satan’s oldest lie was promising Adam and Eve that, if they followed his advice, “- and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5, NKJV.
Each time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and the people around us, we’re only demonstrating that we want to be a god. But we must understand that, as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want us to try to become gods. Instead, He wants us to become like Him, taking on His values, His attitudes, and His character. We are meant to “be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” – Ephesians 4:23-24.
Finally, we must always keep in mind that God’s ultimate goal for His children is not our comfort, but the transformation of our minds into the attitude of godliness. He wants us to grow spiritually, to become like Christ. This doesn’t mean losing our personalities or becoming mindless clones. Christlikeness is all about transforming our minds. Again, Paul tells us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” – Romans 12:2.
It is God’s will that we develop the kind of mindset described in the Beatitudes of Jesus – Matthew 5:1-12, that we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23, that we emulate the principles in Paul’s great chapter on love – 1 Corinthians 13, and that we strive to pattern our lives after Peter’s characteristics of an effective and productive life – 2 Peter 1:5-8.
Establishing our actions in righteousness
Every person is commanded to live up to divine standards.
a. In the words of Jesus
“ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect” – Mt. 5:20, 48.
Every person in the world is required to live up to that standard. You say, “You’ve got to be kidding!” No, I’m not. You are obligated to live up to that standard with a pure inside as well as a right outside. But you say, “I can’t!” You are absolutely right. That’s why we are given the solution…
b. In the words of Paul
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;– Rom. 3:10, 21-22a.
Though you can’t obtain on your own the righteous standard Christ set, you can receive His righteousness if you are one of those who believe. Isn’t that great? God set the holy standard. And when you acknowledge that you can’t live up to it, He says, “My Son is not only the Lawgiver, but He is the Redeemer as well, who makes it possible for you to live on that level.” Beloved, it’s a fantastic thing! The standard is so high we can’t obtain it. But Christ met that standard and imputes to us His righteousness. Oh, what a blessed thing!
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