CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY

Christianity — What it is.

Christianity is mostly considered as a religion. In actual fact, Christianity is more than a religion. It is a relationship. ‘Christian’ means Christ-like. Christianity therefore entails being like Christ. In quest of being like Christ, an intimate relationship between a Christian and Christ is built.

Consider this; you desperately want to be like someone yet you know nothing about the person. Impossible! You’ll need to know the person and get as close to the person as possible to discover key things about the person.

In the same way, Christianity is all about knowing Jesus Christ for yourself and getting as close to him as possible to be like Him or to be Christ-like(Christian).

You may be wondering why one would want to be like Christ. The reason is simple: to be considered as a son of God! (Ephesians 1:5 ). We learn from the scriptures; John 5:19–23, John 1:29–34, Matthew 27:54, and Luke 3:21 & 22 that Jesus Christ is referred to as the Son of God. Hence, it is logical to be like Christ in order to also be considered as a Son of God. It must be every Christian’s will to be considered as a Son of God.

This leads us to a follow up question: Why must it be every Christian’s will to be considered as a Son of God? The bottom line of all this is to become an heir to the Kingdom of God until we acquire possession of It. Once again, with reference to the scriptures; Romans 8:17, and Colossians 1:12–14, God’s Kingdom is only inherited by Sons of God. God sent Jesus Christ into the world for this reason, that we shall imitate Him and be called Sons of God(John 3:16, John 1:12) to be joint-heirs with Him until we inherit the glorious Kingdom of God.

A peculiar thing about Jesus Christ was that He was born of the Holy Spirit. This means that we need to also be born again, but this time of the Holy Spirit, if we’re actually trying to be like Him! We can be born again by believing and confessing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that it was by the power of God, or by simply asking God for the holy Spirit(Romans 10:9 & 10, Luke 11:13).

In conclusion, Christianity entails emulating Jesus Christ upon receiving the Holy Spirit to be considered as a Son of God, eligible to be an heir to the Kingdom of God until the hour of inheritance. Inheriting the Kingdom of God is enjoying the blessings of belonging to a Kingdom where Jesus is the Head, where life is run by the Holy Spirit and everything is prosperous.

Conclusion:

CHAPTER 2 : TICKET TO THE KINGDOM

Holy Spirit — the ticket of salvation.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” John 3:5

From the previous chapter, we get to learn that there’s something key we need to enable us be like Christ, hence, be considered as a Son of God.

Here, we get to learn that this essential is the Holy Spirit(Romans 8:14).The Holy Spirit is what seals us as heirs to God’s Kingdom(Ephesians 4:30).

It is important to understand that, unless you are a Son of God, you cannot inherit God’s Kingdom as stated in Romans 8:17. Also, unless you live a Christ-like life, you cannot be a Son of God(John 1:12). Finally, unless you’re born again of the Holy Spirit, you cannot live a Christ-like life(John 14:26).

In other words, what you need first to embark on your journey to inherit the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is what aids you to take your first mile in your journey to inherit the Kingdom of God. Your first mile is about you living a Christ-like life.

Basically, this chapter is letting us know that the ticket we need before we can have access to God’s Kingdom is the Holy Spirit. This is because it’s the Holy Spirit that helps us to live like Christ, then we can be called Sons of God and be heirs to His Kingdom. This brings us to how the Holy Spirit helps us to live like Jesus Christ. Here’s how:

1. The Holy Spirit counsels and reminds us of Jesus’ teachings(John 14:25 & 26). We should know His teachings if we truly want to be like Him.
2. The Holy spirit reveals the truth about God and He who comes from the Father(Jesus Christ) and speaks about Him to us(John 15:26). We need to know the truth about Jesus to live like Him.
3. The Holy Spirit delivers messages from Jesus to us(John 16:13–15). When Jesus constantly communicates with us, living like Him is much easier.
4. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the gifts bestowed on us by God(1 Corinthians 2:12). One of the gifts freely given to us by God is Jesus Christ. This means that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand Jesus Christ. We definitely need to understand Him before we can be like Him.
5. The Holy Spirit gives us the mind of Christ(1 Corinthians 2:15 & 16). How can’t you possibly live like Christ if you have His mind?
6. The Holy Spirit gives us various gifts to do some of Christ’s works such as healing, utterance of wisdom, prophesying, preaching the gospel(1 Corinthians 12:8–11). We should be able to do Jesus’ works if we want to be like Him.
7. The Holy Spirit helps us to yield good fruits like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control(Galatians 5:22). These were all features of Jesus’ lifestyle.
8. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in prayer(1 Romans 8:26 & 27).
9. When you’re baptized with the Holy Spirit, you live by the Spirit, hence you can live without gratifying the desires of the flesh(Galatians 5:16) and that’s exactly how Christ lived — by the Spirit.
10. The Holy Spirit helps us to be righteous just like Jesus Christ(Galatians 5:5). If we want to live a Christ-like life, every quality of Christ must be seen in us and Jesus Christ is righteous, hence, His righteousness must be seen in us.

These are a few ways the Holy Spirit functions as a ‘ticket’ to the Kingdom of God. If you earnestly desire this ‘ticket’(The Holy Spirit), you can simply pray this prayer of salvation:

“Dear Lord God, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. I believe in Jesus Christ with all my heart and that He died for the sake of my sins; You raised Him from the dead. Please come into my heart as my personal Saviour and be the Lord of my life. Help me walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Glory be to God! Believe that you are now born again. Now that you have the ‘ticket’ you’re capable of living a Christ-like life, then you can be considered as a Son of God, then finally you become an heir to the Kingdom of God.

After being assured you are now an heir to the Kingdom of God, it is your duty to remain an heir until it’s time for inheritance.

Read the next chapter to find out how to live in order to remain an heir until the day of redemption.

CHAPTER 3 : NEW LIFE AS CHRIST

The manner of the Kingdom — remaining an heir till the hour of inheritance.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

We have understood Christianity and what it takes to inherit the Kingdom of God. It is necessary to learn about the ideal lifestyle of an heir to God’s Kingdom(Ephesians 4:23 & 24), that is, how to remain an heir till the coming of the Lord, to finally inherit His Kingdom.

Here are a few tips on how to maintain your status as an heir to the Kingdom of God:

1. Love God with all your heart, soul and mind. It is His greatest commandment(Matthew 22:37–38, Luke 10:25–27).
2. Love your neighbour(Galatians 5:14, Matthew 22:39, John 15:12); because whatever you do to your neighbour, you do to God(Matthew 25:31–40). Love your neighbour if you want to inherit God’s Kingdom(The Parable of the Good Samaritan).
3. Obey God’s commandments in Exodus 20:3–17 to inherit His Kingdom(Matthew 7:21, Matthew 5:19 & 20).
4. Do not please or conform to the world(Romans 12:2). If you love the world, you draw away from God(James 4:4 & 5, 1 John 2:15–17 ). You can’t be an heir to two different kingdoms. This implies that you can’t serve two masters(Matthew 6:24).
5. Be righteous(1 Corinthians 6:9 & 10, Matthew 5:20) with the help of the Word of God. The Word of God helps you to be righteous(2 Timothy 3:16, Joshua 1:8). Without righteousness, you cannot inherit God’s Kingdom(Ephesians 5:5).
6. Forgive others in order to inherit God’s Kingdom(The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Ephesians 4:31 & 32, Mark 11:25).
7. Make prayer a part of your life(1 Thessalonians 5:17). We must keep praying to ensure no heir, including us, falls out on the way to inherit the Kingdom of God(Ephesians 6:18).
8. Exercise your faith and make use of it(James 2:14, James 1:2 & 3, Ephesians 6:16). Do all you can to strengthen your faith. You can fill your Spirit with the Word of God — God’s Word builds faith(Romans 10:17).
9. Be on your guard(Luke 12:40, The Parable of the Ten Young Women) and endure to the end(James 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 1:4 & 5) to inherit the Kingdom of God(Ephesians 6:18, Luke 21:36, 2 Thessalonians 1:4 & 5). Endure to the end.
10. Finally, preach the gospel of salvation(Mark 16:15). The will of God is for all to come to repentance(2 Peter 3:9), and this can only be achieved if you preach the gospel(Matthew 28:19 & 20). The Kingdom of God can only be inherited after the gospel has been spread across the earth(Matthew 24:14, 2 Peter 3:9).

Since you have received the ‘ticket to the Kingdom’, living by the above principles will be easy to accomplish.

“In Him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13 & 14

Hope your journey to inherit the Kingdom of God with this guide is fruitful!

Share this guide to spread the gospel of salvation!

~Manuela N. B. Wood