JI
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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Assyrian Umbrella
When you think of an umbrella you think of something or someone taking cover underneath it, most likely from the rain, although i have seen some people using it as protection from the sun. Whatever makes you happy i guess.This essay isnt about umbrellas, its about, yes what else, the Assyrian nation. Umbrella, or Metalta / Shamsiya, as its called in Assyrian, is only used in a metaphorical sense.
I would like to start by sharing with you an email my dear friend sent me the other day, this was my inspiration for this essay. The email read the following:
Dr. Bahnam Abu al-Soof, Professor of Archaeology in Baghdad University.
“All the inhabitants of the villages which are called Chaldean--TelKeif, Alqosh, Batnaya, Telesqoof,
Karamles, Qaraqoush, and others—no connection with the Chaldeans of antiquity. Today’s Chaldean term
is new to us, it came from the west, and from Rome precisely. You people, the inhabitants of the above
mentioned villages are originally Assyrians, descendants of the Assyrians of antiquity. I, for example, was
born in Mosul, and belong to the Chaldean Church, yet I am Assyrian and we all are Assyrians, being
Syrians, Chaldeans, or Maronites.”
Now i know most of you are thinking "Here we go again." Thats fine, but bare with me for a second. Here is the issue: Most Chaldeans think that Assyrians say "You're all Assyrian" out of pure arrogance and ignorance. This, fortunately isnt the case. The way i can prove it is by saying that 10 years ago there was none of this talk of what we should call ourselves or which village we're from etc. I had friends back in the day who were only known as 'Assyrian' who had different accents/dialects. Respect was all around cos we sat under the one umbrella.
These days im afraid to say, thanks to the recent situation in Iraq, all these specific villages have formed their own little political and social parties and associations and our Chaldean brothers have seperated from the Assyrian name to basically form their own nationality. We now have organisations such as Barwar Society, Camp Gelani and Habbaniya Society just to name a few. This automatically creates a sense of isolation for any one person who has not originated from that particular village.
Now this is where the history lesson begins. Historically and Biblically we were all born Assyrian. We had one language and one dialect until we thought we could put one over God so we decided to built a Hotel with a penthouse so we could climb into the clouds. Hence the creation of languages. God created all the other languages in that region so those people opposing him would be confused and not be able to communicate with each other. It seems that to this day we are still confused.
Being Tyaraya, Marbushnaya, Urmishnaya, Jilwaya, Tkhumnaya, Chaldaya or Nochiyaya, does not in any way mean that that is your nationality. It only stipulates the region of Assyria / Bet Nahrain you or your family are from. This same rule also applies to our Chaldean brothers and sisters and as the above quote mentions, it was a name given to those people by the Romans. Fair enough
Try explaining this to all the Assyrians and Chaldeans who are drowning in their own pride. When you meet another Assyrian person for the first time, how long does it take for them to ask you "Which milat are you from?" And when you answer "Im Assyrian" they get angry! Go figure. Its very simple, all you need to do is grab an ancient map of the Assyrian region. All the British maps are very well respected and accurate aswell. You can clearly see all the villages and towns of Assyrian, Chaldea to the south. Again, correct me if im wrong.
So if i apply this rule of origin which these people have created, I cannot say im from Sydney. Ill have to emphasis which suburb im from. I had someone last year forcefully tell me that all Tyarayeh are not actually Tyarayeh, this person told me with the utmost belief and arrogance that they are Ashetnayeh in denial, they are Ashetnayeh but "they just dont know it." Hmmm really? Thats interesting, cos the last i heard, Tyareh (which was divided into Upper Tyareh and Lower Tyareh) and Ashita were 2 different areas, but then again, im sure im wrong.
This is the arrogance which im talking about. People like this are the epitomy of why Assyrians to this day have not progressed. We are too involved and focussed on which tribe is the best. We are too worried about which tribe speaks the correct form of Assyrian, without realising that we have the most beautfiul language in the world simply due to the fact that we have so many dialects, not forgetting our brothers and sisters from the Tur Abdin / Midyat region, the Suryoyo Oomtanayeh. God bless them.
When i was in the company of a few people who spoke a different dialect of Assyrian to me, they actually laughed at me when i started speaking Assyrian. Literally laughed at me and told me i spoke "funny." I looked around the room for some respect, maybe it was there, on the wall or under the couch, but i couldnt find any. Surprise surprise! Now when you do your research, which i have, when you study your history and read credable and respected sources of Assyrian information, these particular people who lived in the mountains have been described as the most illiterate and uneducated Assyrians. (ref. The Assyrians of the Van District, During the Rule of the Ottoman Turks, M.Y.A. Lilian, 1914) This is because they were surrounded by the Turks and Kurds in northern Iraq and did not have schools until the early to mid 1900's when the ArchBishop of Canterbury's Mission to Assyria, built a few schools. So these specific people were taught their own language by the English! Even the Maliks, which these people held in such high regard to this day, were also illiterate and uneducated. Anyway, moving on.
Another issue i have with this type of Assyrian is the whole Qapala (Cane) and Khumala Wear(feather clothes). Im sorry, but this is NOT the clothing or tradition of Assyrians. The Assyrians of Baghdad and Urmi certainly didnt wear these clothes. They also didnt swing Qapaleh and Swords at weddings. Isnt it a coincidence that these feather clothes look very simliar to the Kurdish clothes? But yeh i guess they stole it from us. Its just another example of how the proud force their opinions and thoughts upon others. Even our music has now adopted the whole Tyareh wording and dialect.
For those who know me know that im not 'racist' and that i am totally 100% Assyrian focussed and educated. This is purely my opinion based on my own frustration and facts, from the deep love i have for my Assyrian nation, wanting it to grow and advance, not move backwards. We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot, wanting a piece of the pie, every suit wearing father wanting a larger slice than the next person.
A common excuse we hear is that "We dont have a country." Yes we dont, a 3 year old child can tell you that. Assyria doesnt appear on any world map. We're used to that. But again, where my issue stands is that we have formed communities in cities worldwide. Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Modesto, San Jose, just to name a few. These are our 'countries', or they should be considered as such. If we cannot make it work in these cities, how on Earth can we make it work in Iraq? To me, it just does not make sense. But im sure im wrong, again. With the thousands of Assyrians we have in these respective cities, we should have by now emerged as a respected and intelligent race, forming positive relations with each other and developing a powerful voice in the name of the Assyrian nation. Instead, in Sydney for example, we form over 22 different political associations. Now again, correct me im wrong, logically speaking we would be much stronger if we gathered 22 associations worth of strength and rolled it into one. But what do i know.
Let it also be highlighted that the majority of Assyrian literature was published and compiled in the city of Urmi, Iran (as well as Tehran). They had the resources and ability (and some say intellect) to complete such projects. However, the majority of the Assyrian Church of the East's books were put together in Baghdad, Iraq.
So to have someone who is of my own blood, laugh in my face when i speak my mother tongue, is the most disrespectful and hurtful thing to do. It is only within our own Assyrian community where you will find such a thing. Sitting eyes wide open jaw dropped listening to me speak a different accent of Assyrian as if i was from another planet, astounded, was a very awkward position to be in because it was purely unexpected. But thats fine. So how can we all live together if by some miraculous manner we are given land in Iraq.
This brings me to another point. We are 'fighting' for our rights in Iraq claiming we are the indigenous peoples of that land. Now again, if you have done your research and studies, and i mean proper deep studies of Assyriology, you would be aware of the Assyrian border and which areas it covered. So our political fathers are basically saying that as Assyrians we are entitled to rights and land in Iraq. Thats great. But on the other hand they are indirectly and unwittingly saying to Assyrians that only Assyrians of Iraq are welcome. So if you are an Assyrian from Iran, Syria, Lebanon or wherever else, its not your land. Assyria, in its original days, covered not only Iraq, but parts of Syria, Turkey and Persia. Again, correct me if im wrong.
On a brighter note however, i can say that there are young Assyrians striving to produce positive works for their nation. Nicholas Awde, Nineb Limassu and Nicholas Al Jeelo have released an outstanding book called Modern Aramaic Dictionary & Phrasebook (Assyrian/Syriac). As the title suggests, it is not just a dictionary, it is also a phrasebook. Basically if you travelled to an Assyrian language speaking country, this book would be an essential item to have in your possession. It is created by 3 respected young Assyrian men, educated and learned in the Assyrian language, most noteably Nineb Limassu, an Assyrian Lion from the UK. Job well done and may God bless all 3 of you.
So what am i trying to say? Basically im asking everyone to forget which village their parents are from. It means nothing and is totally irrelevant to ones life and especially their spiritual salvation. I would love to see the youth, who have the power, to come together and work together with no tribal pride. We should all look at the Assyrian youth of Denmark and Sweden as examples. Their interaction with each other and with the Assyrians of London, UK is something we should be proud of. Youth conferences and seminars are the norm, as well as 2 well developed websites and 24 hour online radio stations. The difference between them and the Assyrians of the west? Well in a nutshell, the European Assyrians only have pride in the Assyrian name, be it Urmishnaya, Nochiyaya, Syrianaya (Suryoyo), they all live under the one umbrella, the Assyrian flag.
Support Assyriska!JI
Monday, May 21, 2007
What is a true Christian?
(This is an essay written by myself. Please read it when you have some time to spare.)
There are more than 400 sects and denominations calling themselves "Christian." They all have somewhat different beliefs and practices. Even so, every one of them is named after Jesus Christ. Partly due to this, many non-Christians scoff at the idea that Christianity is directly inspired by God.
True Christians can see the Holy Spirit inside another true Christian. True Christians can see Christ living inside other true Christians. This is not only an honour, but it is the perfect sign of God's love and will. It is not enough having read the Bible, preaching every word and showing how knowledgeable you are if it isn't applied to your own life. If your current actions and personal history tell a story of bad decisions, hurt, pain, cheating and lies, yet you preach the word of God, can you call yourself a true Christian? Christ is to be living inside a true Christian, so would your dark and deceptive actions be that of Christ? Highly unlikely.
A true Christian, will have God's love flowing through him like "rivers of living water" (John 7:38-39). As he/she deeply studies the Bible and feeds on it, and as he fervently prays to God every day on his knees for the spiritual strength, faith, guidance and love he/she needs, the true Christian grows spiritually.
It is obvious that millions of professing Christians never change! They may have "grown up" in a particular Church or they may have "accepted Jesus" in some evangelistic meeting. But in most cases, the "Christ" they have accepted is not the true Christ of the Bible! In most cases, the "Gospel" they have been taught is not the Gospel of the Bible! Far too often, it is just an incomplete message about the person of Jesus Christ – teaching that the only thing we need to do is "believe" that He died for our sins.
These people, in most cases, unwitting victims of Satan's deception, are not told that Christ must live in the same kind of life within them that He lived as a human being almost 2000 years ago. Paul was inspired to warn us about false Christianity, which was already beginning in his day: "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it." (2 Corinthians 11:4)
Sadly, most of us have "put up" with the kind of empty version of the gospel, because it lets us feel comfortable in our sins. It is a kind of "cheap grace" (as Bonhoffer put it) that by neglecting God's Law tempts its adherents to "crucify again for themselves the Son of God" (Hebrew 6:6).
But the true Gospel tells Christians to grow and change, to develop the very character of God (1 Peter 1:15-16). The true Gospel tells us we are to be Kings and Priests in the soon coming Kingdom of God (Luke 19:11-19).
Grow and change? This is the application of God's word to ones own life here on Earth. In simple terms, do not make the same mistakes over and over again without realising why it is happening. Do not bring trouble into your lives without understanding who is responsible. If you know the true Christ, the true Gospel, it will be applied to your life and your experiences will be much more positive.
As we actively surrender to allow God, through His Spirit, to build His very character within us, we should genuinely become better, kinder, more loving neighbours. We should become better, wiser, more dedicated workers of professional people. We should become more thoughtful, loving and patient fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. We should become more zealous bond slaves of Jesus Christ in the great work of His true Church, proclaiming the Truth to all.
Therefore, knowing the 'real' Christ, living as a 'true' Christian, means we should be kind and loving to one another, respectful and honest, not as the world teaches deception and lies. For if you claim you know Christ, this would mean you do not deceive or lie to people, it would mean you take responsibility for your actions and 'grow' as a human being.
Paul wrote: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). That is what true Christianity is all about, not merely believing in Christ, but having the living Jesus Christ living within us by the power of the Holy Spirit! That is what gives us the spiritual strength and love to live by God's law. It is not our strength, it is Christ's strength, His power and His spiritual love placed within us by the Holy Spirit!
For Christ lives within the true Christian. That is the key!
Step by step, each of us must "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18 ). It is not accepted by God if you call yourself a Christian yet you are not growing as a person. If your life has been the same over the past 12months or 3 years and have been attending Church and reading the Bible, but have not bettered your life, I would be asking myself some serious questions.
Through God's help and His Spirit in us, we are to surrender ourselves daily to let Jesus Christ live His life in us. Since Jesus Christ bought and paid for each of us by shedding His own blood, true Christians need to realise their responsibility to seek God's will daily in everything they think, say and do.
Of course we will all stumble at times, falling short of the goal of letting Christ live in us. One must not be discouraged by this. When we slip up and repeat old mistakes, or make new ones, if we are truly repentant and confess these sins to God, He will forgive us. Further, as John stated (1 John 1:8-9), God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Overcoming, then, takes time. It does not happen all at once. That is why we must never get discouraged and give up.
JI - 28/01/07
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There are more than 400 sects and denominations calling themselves "Christian." They all have somewhat different beliefs and practices. Even so, every one of them is named after Jesus Christ. Partly due to this, many non-Christians scoff at the idea that Christianity is directly inspired by God.
True Christians can see the Holy Spirit inside another true Christian. True Christians can see Christ living inside other true Christians. This is not only an honour, but it is the perfect sign of God's love and will. It is not enough having read the Bible, preaching every word and showing how knowledgeable you are if it isn't applied to your own life. If your current actions and personal history tell a story of bad decisions, hurt, pain, cheating and lies, yet you preach the word of God, can you call yourself a true Christian? Christ is to be living inside a true Christian, so would your dark and deceptive actions be that of Christ? Highly unlikely.
A true Christian, will have God's love flowing through him like "rivers of living water" (John 7:38-39). As he/she deeply studies the Bible and feeds on it, and as he fervently prays to God every day on his knees for the spiritual strength, faith, guidance and love he/she needs, the true Christian grows spiritually.
It is obvious that millions of professing Christians never change! They may have "grown up" in a particular Church or they may have "accepted Jesus" in some evangelistic meeting. But in most cases, the "Christ" they have accepted is not the true Christ of the Bible! In most cases, the "Gospel" they have been taught is not the Gospel of the Bible! Far too often, it is just an incomplete message about the person of Jesus Christ – teaching that the only thing we need to do is "believe" that He died for our sins.
These people, in most cases, unwitting victims of Satan's deception, are not told that Christ must live in the same kind of life within them that He lived as a human being almost 2000 years ago. Paul was inspired to warn us about false Christianity, which was already beginning in his day: "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it." (2 Corinthians 11:4)
Sadly, most of us have "put up" with the kind of empty version of the gospel, because it lets us feel comfortable in our sins. It is a kind of "cheap grace" (as Bonhoffer put it) that by neglecting God's Law tempts its adherents to "crucify again for themselves the Son of God" (Hebrew 6:6).
But the true Gospel tells Christians to grow and change, to develop the very character of God (1 Peter 1:15-16). The true Gospel tells us we are to be Kings and Priests in the soon coming Kingdom of God (Luke 19:11-19).
Grow and change? This is the application of God's word to ones own life here on Earth. In simple terms, do not make the same mistakes over and over again without realising why it is happening. Do not bring trouble into your lives without understanding who is responsible. If you know the true Christ, the true Gospel, it will be applied to your life and your experiences will be much more positive.
As we actively surrender to allow God, through His Spirit, to build His very character within us, we should genuinely become better, kinder, more loving neighbours. We should become better, wiser, more dedicated workers of professional people. We should become more thoughtful, loving and patient fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. We should become more zealous bond slaves of Jesus Christ in the great work of His true Church, proclaiming the Truth to all.
Therefore, knowing the 'real' Christ, living as a 'true' Christian, means we should be kind and loving to one another, respectful and honest, not as the world teaches deception and lies. For if you claim you know Christ, this would mean you do not deceive or lie to people, it would mean you take responsibility for your actions and 'grow' as a human being.
Paul wrote: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). That is what true Christianity is all about, not merely believing in Christ, but having the living Jesus Christ living within us by the power of the Holy Spirit! That is what gives us the spiritual strength and love to live by God's law. It is not our strength, it is Christ's strength, His power and His spiritual love placed within us by the Holy Spirit!
For Christ lives within the true Christian. That is the key!
Step by step, each of us must "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18 ). It is not accepted by God if you call yourself a Christian yet you are not growing as a person. If your life has been the same over the past 12months or 3 years and have been attending Church and reading the Bible, but have not bettered your life, I would be asking myself some serious questions.
Through God's help and His Spirit in us, we are to surrender ourselves daily to let Jesus Christ live His life in us. Since Jesus Christ bought and paid for each of us by shedding His own blood, true Christians need to realise their responsibility to seek God's will daily in everything they think, say and do.
Of course we will all stumble at times, falling short of the goal of letting Christ live in us. One must not be discouraged by this. When we slip up and repeat old mistakes, or make new ones, if we are truly repentant and confess these sins to God, He will forgive us. Further, as John stated (1 John 1:8-9), God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Overcoming, then, takes time. It does not happen all at once. That is why we must never get discouraged and give up.
JI - 28/01/07
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Fruits of a Christian
Fruits of a true Christian – (this is an excerpt from an article written for 'Tomorrow's World Magazine')
For the true Christian, God becomes the centre of everything. The genuine Christian is really God-centred. He will want to please God in all his thoughts and actions. He will constantly remember that God is his Father and that Jesus is his Savior. Therefore he will not be looking for clever trick arguments to "get around" keeping God's commandments or His inspired Holy Days.
Rather, he will "feed" on Christ by constantly studying and drinking in the inspired World of God, the Bible (cf. John 6:56-57). He will learn the habit of seeking God in earnest prayer as Jesus did (Mark 1:35). In all of this, he will learn to "walk with God" – to have his thoughts and actions more in tune with God and Christ every day of his Christian life.
A genuine Christian will also be led by God's Spirit to "love his neighbour as himself." He will strive, with God's help and guidance, to be kind, loving and giving. The real Christian will seek to live by Christ's instruction: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
A genuine follower of Jesus will strive to be a "giver", to help, serve, encourage and lift up his fellow human beings. He will put his whole heart into helping to give God's precious Truth to others. As Daniel wrote: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
In his own life and personality, the Christian will, more an more, manifest the spiritual "fruit" that Paul described: "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Through Christ's Spirit living within him, the true Christian will demonstrate love, a sincere, out flowing concern for all men – and warmth and affection for all those around him. The true Christian will always have a deep and abiding love for God and for Christ, his Savior. He will appreciate forever the fact that Jesus Christ came down to Earth to suffer, to shed His blood and to die in order to reconcile us with God. So the genuine Christian will have an everlasting feeling of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ!
Furthermore, true Christians will experience inward joy and peace, which are priceless. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). All Christians will grow in the spirit of kindness, longsuffering, goodness and gentleness and that above passage describes.
Another vital fruit is faith, the spiritual strength to trust in God and demonstrate commitment to that trust in every area of life. As King David was inspired to state: "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as a shield" (Psalm 5:11-12).
The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control, the spiritual strength to master one's sins and lusts in order to obey God. Again, if you truly surrender your heart, mind and will to God, accept Jesus Christ and are baptised in His name, you are promised the power of the Holy Spirit give you this kind of strength and self-control.
Through God's Spirit, He gives us the power to obey His commandments. And our obedience shows that we have that Spirit.
We shouldn't expect perfection in our lives, on the contrary, we should expect trials in our lives which will help us grow. We have already learned that we are to grow in grace and in knowledge, so these will be applied to our lives. The true Christian life is on of overcoming and growing to become more like Jesus Christ, even in our innermost thoughts and desires.
But for true Christians, the magnificent future makes all the trials, tests and "growing pains" more than with it (cf. Romans 8:18 ).
JI
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For the true Christian, God becomes the centre of everything. The genuine Christian is really God-centred. He will want to please God in all his thoughts and actions. He will constantly remember that God is his Father and that Jesus is his Savior. Therefore he will not be looking for clever trick arguments to "get around" keeping God's commandments or His inspired Holy Days.
Rather, he will "feed" on Christ by constantly studying and drinking in the inspired World of God, the Bible (cf. John 6:56-57). He will learn the habit of seeking God in earnest prayer as Jesus did (Mark 1:35). In all of this, he will learn to "walk with God" – to have his thoughts and actions more in tune with God and Christ every day of his Christian life.
A genuine Christian will also be led by God's Spirit to "love his neighbour as himself." He will strive, with God's help and guidance, to be kind, loving and giving. The real Christian will seek to live by Christ's instruction: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
A genuine follower of Jesus will strive to be a "giver", to help, serve, encourage and lift up his fellow human beings. He will put his whole heart into helping to give God's precious Truth to others. As Daniel wrote: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
In his own life and personality, the Christian will, more an more, manifest the spiritual "fruit" that Paul described: "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Through Christ's Spirit living within him, the true Christian will demonstrate love, a sincere, out flowing concern for all men – and warmth and affection for all those around him. The true Christian will always have a deep and abiding love for God and for Christ, his Savior. He will appreciate forever the fact that Jesus Christ came down to Earth to suffer, to shed His blood and to die in order to reconcile us with God. So the genuine Christian will have an everlasting feeling of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ!
Furthermore, true Christians will experience inward joy and peace, which are priceless. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). All Christians will grow in the spirit of kindness, longsuffering, goodness and gentleness and that above passage describes.
Another vital fruit is faith, the spiritual strength to trust in God and demonstrate commitment to that trust in every area of life. As King David was inspired to state: "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as a shield" (Psalm 5:11-12).
The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control, the spiritual strength to master one's sins and lusts in order to obey God. Again, if you truly surrender your heart, mind and will to God, accept Jesus Christ and are baptised in His name, you are promised the power of the Holy Spirit give you this kind of strength and self-control.
Through God's Spirit, He gives us the power to obey His commandments. And our obedience shows that we have that Spirit.
We shouldn't expect perfection in our lives, on the contrary, we should expect trials in our lives which will help us grow. We have already learned that we are to grow in grace and in knowledge, so these will be applied to our lives. The true Christian life is on of overcoming and growing to become more like Jesus Christ, even in our innermost thoughts and desires.
But for true Christians, the magnificent future makes all the trials, tests and "growing pains" more than with it (cf. Romans 8:18 ).
JI
--
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