We Are Much the Same

When Jesus comes into a person’s life, the same results happen—not the same circumstances nor the same “creature comforts,” but the same traits, the same love, the same fruit. As Christians, we are much the same.

Speaking figuratively, we often become distracted by the wallpaper and marble of a person’s life and miss the beauty displayed outwardly by Christ Jesus. The outward actions and inward transformations that all Christians share come from the fruit¹ of the Holy Spirit² – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – with love being the most recognizable aspect.

It doesn’t matter what criteria you apply to identify a demographic: social status, income, geographic location, or education. Within each sector, the Christians in that group will have similar recognizable traits and inward motivations.

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 – BibleHub.com

So, if you have put your faith in Jesus, then God will do in you the same work He did in Luke, in Timothy, in the woman at the well³. You will be changed. Being owned by Jesus Christ, our Lord (Lord means owner) makes the perceptions people conclude about our personhood irrelevant. WHAT!?

Let me say this differently. If we live to please Jesus, then it doesn’t matter what people think of us. We may be called crazy, fanatical, radical, or foolish; none of those judgments matter. When we die, our final judgment will only be made by Jesus. So, if we don’t want to be ashamed when Jesus judges us for what we did in this life⁴, then we should never be swayed by the opinions of worldly people.

Now, here is a miracle of God: Every Christian has the same desire: to please God. Every Christian has the same character traits: the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian has the same goal: to be resurrected and live with Christ Jesus for all eternity.

It is much easier to please only One person than to please dozens or even hundreds of people. Live for Jesus. That’s what matters. May God prosper you, even as your soul prospers!

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Footnote

1. Strong’s Greek: 2590. καρπός (karpos) — fruit. (n.d.). Biblehub.Com. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://biblehub.com/greek/2590.htm ↩︎
2. Bible Gateway passage: Galatians 5:22-23 – New Living Translation. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A22-23&version=NLT ↩︎
3. Bible Gateway passage: John 4:4-15 – New Living Translation. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204%3A4-15&version=NLT ↩︎
4. 2 Corinthians 5:10 – Our Eternal Dwelling. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/5-10.htm ↩︎