For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15a).
I mentioned in my last post that each year, I have lent resources that I read. Among all the resources I am reading this year, the Holy Spirit has been unveiling God’s heart through the symbols of our faith aligned with the ten gates of the wall of Jerusalem from my beautiful wife's new book: Crushed to Restored: Principles of Restoration from the Book of Nehemiah. It is a deep revelation of how each of the gates in the book of Nehemiah, lead to the other with the final result of transformation. As I prepared for this post, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the lent post from 2017. How ironic that the 2017 post was about transformation. God knew that. I quickly saw the connection of the gates and the 2017 post.
As we conclude this year's lent and prepare our hearts to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, I want to share some parts of the 2017 post. The resurrection of our Lord is all about transformation; from dying, to burial and to resurrection. Every believer that has experienced the new life in Christ is a living witness to the transformative power of God. Each believer has and still passing through the symbolic gates of the wall of Jerusalem. In a similar way, each believer in Christ have to experience death, burial and resurrection found in Jesus. This is the metamorphosis of resurrection.
From Lent 2017 Blog Post: As I meditate on the huge sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf so you and I could have a relationship with God, the wonderment of the power of transformation is fascinating. It is Jesus sacrifice that made our metamorphosis possible as His followers. You see brothers and sisters; the resurrection made our change a reality. Metamorphosis quickly brings to mind the butterfly. The butterfly undergoes radical changes from starting out as a maggot to adult fly, to a caterpillar and then the final stage of butterfly. Each of these stages is crucial to the development and growth of a butterfly. Skip a stage and we have an incomplete metamorphosis. Two life applications stir in my spirit about metamorphosis and our lives as followers of Christ.
First is the fact that as followers of Christ, we must be willing to undergo radical change to experience the transformative power of God that can eternally impact people. The cost associated with such transformation is not something that is popularly talked about in our times. There is a high cost to carrying that kind of transformative power that changes lives. Are we willingly to pay such a price for the benefit of souls? This is a question we must answer individually. My prayer is that our love for God will be so strong and deep that it makes the cost irrelevant and a joyful service to our Lord.
Secondly is the fact that as followers of Christ, we must live a fragrance-giving kind of life. The scriptures explains this in 2 Corinthians 2:15, “ For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. We wear a heavenly perfume that should be felt by both the saved and unsaved. Because we smell-Jesus to everyone, the fragrance of His presence should remain on those we encounter. This is what making a difference is all about. The tarry of His presence is then able to do a work in the hearts and lives of people. Often times this heart work is not readily visible but eternal. God is Sovereign and He is a surgeon that performs bloodless surgery in the hearts and lives of people all over the world.
Brothers and sisters, just like lent was God’s invitation to experience Him at a deeper and higher level, resurrection is God’s special invitation and permission to carry His presence and make an impact in our world. Let’s rise up! God Bless you!
For The Cause of Christ,
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
I mentioned in my last post that each year, I have lent resources that I read. Among all the resources I am reading this year, the Holy Spirit has been unveiling God’s heart through the symbols of our faith aligned with the ten gates of the wall of Jerusalem from my beautiful wife's new book: Crushed to Restored: Principles of Restoration from the Book of Nehemiah. It is a deep revelation of how each of the gates in the book of Nehemiah, lead to the other with the final result of transformation. As I prepared for this post, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the lent post from 2017. How ironic that the 2017 post was about transformation. God knew that. I quickly saw the connection of the gates and the 2017 post.
As we conclude this year's lent and prepare our hearts to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, I want to share some parts of the 2017 post. The resurrection of our Lord is all about transformation; from dying, to burial and to resurrection. Every believer that has experienced the new life in Christ is a living witness to the transformative power of God. Each believer has and still passing through the symbolic gates of the wall of Jerusalem. In a similar way, each believer in Christ have to experience death, burial and resurrection found in Jesus. This is the metamorphosis of resurrection.
From Lent 2017 Blog Post: As I meditate on the huge sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf so you and I could have a relationship with God, the wonderment of the power of transformation is fascinating. It is Jesus sacrifice that made our metamorphosis possible as His followers. You see brothers and sisters; the resurrection made our change a reality. Metamorphosis quickly brings to mind the butterfly. The butterfly undergoes radical changes from starting out as a maggot to adult fly, to a caterpillar and then the final stage of butterfly. Each of these stages is crucial to the development and growth of a butterfly. Skip a stage and we have an incomplete metamorphosis. Two life applications stir in my spirit about metamorphosis and our lives as followers of Christ.
First is the fact that as followers of Christ, we must be willing to undergo radical change to experience the transformative power of God that can eternally impact people. The cost associated with such transformation is not something that is popularly talked about in our times. There is a high cost to carrying that kind of transformative power that changes lives. Are we willingly to pay such a price for the benefit of souls? This is a question we must answer individually. My prayer is that our love for God will be so strong and deep that it makes the cost irrelevant and a joyful service to our Lord.
Secondly is the fact that as followers of Christ, we must live a fragrance-giving kind of life. The scriptures explains this in 2 Corinthians 2:15, “ For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. We wear a heavenly perfume that should be felt by both the saved and unsaved. Because we smell-Jesus to everyone, the fragrance of His presence should remain on those we encounter. This is what making a difference is all about. The tarry of His presence is then able to do a work in the hearts and lives of people. Often times this heart work is not readily visible but eternal. God is Sovereign and He is a surgeon that performs bloodless surgery in the hearts and lives of people all over the world.
Brothers and sisters, just like lent was God’s invitation to experience Him at a deeper and higher level, resurrection is God’s special invitation and permission to carry His presence and make an impact in our world. Let’s rise up! God Bless you!
For The Cause of Christ,
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
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