Attaining Godliness is the aim of every Christian and of all who long for God’s Kingdom. Jesus came to reveal the Father to a humanity trapped in ignorance of its origin. The real stumbling block is ignorance, deepened by the assumption that we already know. In its quest for freedom, humanity lingers in bondage because it does not understand the pivots that make freedom possible. Jesus proposed becoming like a little child — yet the most difficult thing in this world is to become an infant when all along we have been convinced of our own maturity.
Today, Jesus is often viewed through the lenses of the hierarchical structures that govern humanity rather than through the humility He himself recommended. Freedom means reversing that order and aligning it with the demands of the Christian calling. The very word “Christian” assumes behaving like Christ. Jesus insisted that everything He taught came from His Father, which suggests that one acquires Godliness by adopting His teachings, with their focus on how to live before God and others. No one comes to the Father directly except through Jesus. A true Christian behaves like Jesus, so as to avoid misrepresenting Him.
“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” (John 8:28-29 NIV)
When the twelve walked with Him, they all had equal access to Jesus; they simply differed in their level of understanding. Common sense tells us that walking with Jesus does not require human intermediaries. The gospel accounts portray every aspect of Godliness, yet the disciples could not all reach the same depth of understanding at once. Still, Jesus made it clear that a Christian carries the very attributes of Godliness. Jesus assured His disciples that they were not left to walk alone.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:16-21 NIV)
The Spirit of Truth, whom Jesus promised, grants Godliness to those willing to walk the walk according to His teachings. Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life because He bears everything necessary to attain Godliness, whose attribute is eternal life.
Five pivots can serve as a barometer, helping believers examine their conduct and measure whether it meets Christ’s standard. The habits of our environment can never assess true Christianity. Those habits are only acceptable insofar as they display the behaviour of Jesus. There is no room for uncertainty when one is confidently aware of being at one with God.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)
Courage
Timidity is born of doubt — the reservation a person harbours concerning what God has promised for redemption. In Jesus, we have no reason to doubt because of His resurrection and the proven power of His teachings. A person who has confidence in the character of Jesus exudes courage, even when facing the most fearsome personalities in this world. The resurrection of Jesus removes the fear of losing the physical body. Among those who will inherit God’s Kingdom, cowards are not included. If someone calls himself a Christian yet cannot confront evil because of fear, he may as well drop the name. The overwhelming intimidation of those who brandish weapons of war has caused many Christians to succumb.
“Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7-8 NIV)
In Zimbabwe’s political space, some have died defending their convictions. Yet we have heard some Christians ridiculing those who died in that manner. Modern Christianity is increasingly associated with defending oneself rather than defending the most vulnerable in society. We are trapped in a genuine conundrum, thanks to a Christian confusion that Satan appears to have exploited successfully.
We have prayer warriors who pray for their own will far more than prayer warriors of conscience who pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Such Christians assume that those who die for their convictions are unwise. The common view is that there is wisdom in succumbing to the whims of murderers. But what does Jesus say?
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NIV)
When you cannot stand up for the truth because you fear for your life, do not call yourself a Christian. Among those destroyed in hell, the cowardly are mentioned first (Revelation 21:8). Remember that the Israelites who perished in the wilderness were those who displayed cowardice, and this angered God (Numbers 14). This is a serious matter.
Zimbabwe currently languishes in desperation as a direct result of Christian cowardice. Many blatantly evil practices have been committed by those in government, yet cowardly Christians insist they are mandated to support the government of the day, even when that government commits crimes against humanity. Things continue to deteriorate because we tolerate such nonsense. Those who assume it is impossible to detect false Christians are either deceived or deceiving others.
God does not tolerate evil — and that includes those Christians who consider themselves helpless because they are not in leadership. True Christians are not directed by the viewpoints of leaders; they take instructions directly from God. They are God’s instruments, unwilling to submit to the whims of ordinary men. A powerful example is David’s encounter with Goliath. Where were the community leaders when young David confronted the giant? They cowered in their enclaves. It took young David to face the infidel.
No folly surpasses that of calling oneself a Christian while afraid of death. Cowardice is the first test of Christianity, a truthful way to evaluate oneself. Jesus disapproved of pretenders even more than of obvious sinners. Pretenders are worse — the true wolves in sheep’s clothing, serving to dilute the conviction of newly converted believers.
Faith
The only reason a Christian is ever associated with cowardice is a lack of faith, for faith grants the conviction to do God’s work without fear. Nothing else limits Christians except a lack of faith. A doubting person cannot achieve anything, not even the simplest activity like farming. A farmer prepares land before the rains, confident that the rains will come. This is impossible for the faithless, who begin to entertain the thought that the rains might fail. It is impossible for doubtful people to accomplish anything or to please God. True Christians are those in whose lives God dwells. How can that be possible for the doubtful?
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-20 NIV)
Among those who doubt are people who actually know where the truth lies yet remain divided in their conviction. They find comfort suspended between truth and falsehood. Faith means trusting God in everything; never doubting that a life lived for Christ is in vain. The major stumbling block for believers is a lack of faith. Through the apostle John, Jesus warned of the danger of remaining in a lukewarm condition, which is another expression of faithlessness:
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:14-17 NIV)
Jesus would rather tolerate extreme wickedness than lukewarmness. Truthfulness demands standing up for one’s convictions without wavering. This world never lacks people who discourage, but true Christians make it their aim to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). That principle cannot align with the doubtful, who are preoccupied with negative voices. From doubt, cowardice naturally flows — it nearly caused Peter to drown.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31 NIV)
Peter’s fear reveals a lack of faith through doubt; he forgot the principle of faith that Jesus had taught. In short, God’s people are courageous, and that courage flows from faith — a faith that does not doubt God’s power. Jesus said that with faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible. It is one thing to apply Jesus’ words, quite another to confess that we believe what He said while doubting His teachings. That is untruthfulness. There would be no problem in stating outright unbelief in Him and, accordingly, not identifying oneself as a Christian.
Humility
The fundamental condition that blocks anyone from understanding Christianity is pride — trusting in oneself rather than trusting God. A person may be extremely intelligent and appear wise in the eyes of the world, but such self-confidence cannot save a life. A lack of humility causes one to fail on the principle of Godliness, starving the other pivots, such as courage and faith. In any field of learning, the first obstacle is the assumption that one already knows.
There is not much more to say about humility, for it is impossible to be associated with Christianity without it. Courage and faith are driven by knowledge, and knowledge cannot be acquired without humility. What made Jesus outstanding in the principle of faith was His superior knowledge. As humans, we are not born with knowledge; it becomes accessible only when we are willing to learn, especially the knowledge that comes from Jesus. Those who think they already know cannot be taught. This explains why the religious Pharisees could learn nothing from Him. A lack of humility is an attribute that springs directly from Satan.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 NIV)
As the first of the Beatitudes, poverty of spirit — humility — is the gateway to Christianity. One peculiar feature of God’s knowledge is that it does not require advanced education of the kind offered in prestigious colleges (1 Corinthians 1:25-30). It is given through the most despised people of this world, to whom the educated have no time to listen. When a person assumes he is already rich in Godliness, he cannot receive anything associated with Godliness. Jesus illustrated this with the parable of two men who went to the temple to pray — a Pharisee and a tax collector.
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10-14 NIV)
Jesus also made it plain that no one can enter God’s Kingdom without adopting the attitude of a little child. He taught His disciples that leadership must be characterized by servanthood (Matthew 20:25-28), not by lording it over others. For this reason, the hierarchical structures within Christianity remain one of the most serious stumbling blocks, producing the confusion that so often marks Christian circles today.
Prayer
The purpose of prayer is more about instilling humility in us than about petitioning God to set aside His will in favour of ours. As long as we trust in ourselves, we cannot attain humility without prayer, which should be regarded as an essential principle leading toward Godliness. Without it, we remain comfortable in assuming that we are capable without God. This is especially true of those who lead a seemingly trouble-free life and mistake that comfort for God’s blessing.
If we are fortunate, God may humble us someday by taking away everything we lean on for comfort. Such an experience can help a person realize the need for submission. When we carefully follow the principle of prayer, we become stronger spiritually. Prayer means seeking God’s will rather than asking God to submit to ours.
Unfortunately, prayer is often reduced to asking for favours. We hear of all-night prayers designed to persuade God to give in to the petitioners’ wishes, while they stubbornly pursue their own will instead of God’s. Jesus stated plainly that this was the method of unbelievers who imagined God did not understand their situation.
When Jesus gave what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, He was unpacking guidelines for how prayer ought to be conducted. Yet pretenders find it convenient to set aside that guideline, preferring their own eloquence, which they assume to be more pleasing to God. When we follow Christ’s guidelines on prayer, we more easily grasp the principle of humility.
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8 NIV)
From verse 9 onward, Jesus outlines the prayer. This does not necessarily mean reciting those words verbatim; rather, they serve as a framework, especially for meditation. Jesus was simply showing what should characterize the petitioner who seeks to apply God’s mind to every aspect of life. Prayer helps us to adopt God’s mind concerning our daily survival, something impossible without humility. Since we are no longer of this world, the petitioner needs guidance in prayer.
Fasting
The principle of fasting is self-denial, without which it is almost impossible to overcome the stubbornness of human nature. Depriving the body of food and water induces humility, helping a person to grasp the futility of trusting in themselves. As humans, we feel vulnerable without food and drink. Fasting reminds us that God is more reliable than our food supplies. With God we live forever; with food we are only temporarily sustained.
Humility is experienced more readily when we follow sound methods of fasting that open the way for spiritual benefit. Rather than fasting while the mind remains occupied with the things of this world, the recommended approach during a fast is: 1) Bible study, 2) prayer, and 3) meditation. When we engage with relevant Scriptures during the fasting period, we allow God to communicate with us, and we benefit all the more. These three activities can be used interchangeably so that we experience what the apostle Paul also experienced.
“…Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV)
The chief goal of fasting is to occupy oneself with Godliness without being distracted by the needs of the flesh. The spirit does not need food; it is nourished when occupied in prayer and fasting, coupled with God’s word. This leads to humility, making a person teachable, enabling them to believe the Scriptures, avoid doubt, and gain conviction in faith. Even a few Christians, standing up with such conviction in a country like ours, can make a decisive difference.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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