We thank the Lord for a time to come unto mount Zion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. To the general assembly and church of the FIRSTBORN which are written in HEAVEN, and to GOD THE JUGDE OF ALL, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. And to Jesus the MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT AND TO THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING that speaketh better things then that of Abel. In the light of this see that ye refuse not what GOS SPEAKS thus his servant as the dwine in me appeals to you.

Nothing can be more refreshing than the Twi hymn 280 (Ga. 324) “Yesu di yen kan” as we consider the theme: CHOSEN TO BEAR FRUIT and the focus: LOOKING UNTO JESUS.

CHOSEN TO BEAR FRUIT
- What our Lord Jesus is to us.
- what supported Jesus.
- Our duty with respect to Jesus.
- Those things we’ve of CHRIST

Reference Scripture : Heb. 12:1-2
Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed obtain with so great a cloud of neatness, let us lay aside Every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us and LET US RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BY US. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

WHAT OUR LORD JESUS IS TO US.
1. The author of our faith, and not only the object. By this He is the great leader and precedent of our faith. Beloved and priceless NUPS-G members, even through there are going to be mountains to be climbed, rivers to crossed, stress and strains to be managed JESUS IS THE AUTHOR of the journey (He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall)
2. He is the finisher of our faith. That is He is the fulfiller and the fulfilling of all scriptural-promises and prophecies. “for this reason Jesus says He knows the thoughts that He has for us, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, TO GIVE US AN EXPECTED END.” (Jeremiah 29:11). He is the judge and the rewarded of our faith and therefore determines who they are that reach the mark and from HIM, and in HIM, we have the price.

WHAT SUPPORTED JESUS
As we look Jesus, we cannot turn a blind eye to what supported Jesus as he endured the contradiction of sinners against Him. It was the joy that was set before him. Do we see some kind of joy by us as individuals and collectively as a union? In the case of Jesus he had something in view under all his sufferings, which was pleasant to him. He rejoiced to see that by his sufferings he should make satisfaction to the injured, that he should make peace between God and man, that he should seal the covenant of grace and be the Mediator of it, at he should open a way of salvation to the chief of sinners and that he should effectually save all those whom the father had given him. This was the joy after was set before him. The reward of his suffering is that he’s seated at the right hand of the throne of God. If we continue to look faithfully unto God and endure such contradiction of sinners Christ will exalt us to a station of the highest honour, of the greatest power and influence.

OUR DUTY WITH RESPECT TO JESUS
1. We must look unto Him, that is we must set Him continually before us as our example, and our great encouragement. We must look to him for direction, for assistance and for acceptance in all our sufferings. We must consider him meditate much upon him and reason with ourselves from His case to our own. We must analyse, as the word is comparing Christ’s sufferings and our and we shall find that as His sufferings far exceeds ours, and is a perfect pattern for us to imitate. Once this is done the advantage we reap is a means to prevent our weariness and fainting. Let us observe that there is a proneness to grow weary and faint under trials and affliction especially when they persist for long. The best way to prevent this is to LOOK UNTO JESUS, and to consider Him. Faith and meditation will fetch in fresh supplies of strength, comfort and courage, for Christ has assured us, if we suffer with Him, we shall also (enjoy or reign) with him.

THOSE THINGS WE’VE LEARNT OF CHRIST
In Eph. 4:17…….. Paul when he wrote to the saints of Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus contrasted the Gentiles and those of us who have learned/learnt of Christ.

1. While the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind that live and behave as ignorant people, wholly guided by an understanding employed about vain things, idols and their idols and their worldly possession, things which are no way profitable to their souls and which will deceive their expectations. Paul is calling us as people looking unto God to dare to be different even though we live among them we must not live like them.

2. The apostle takes occasion to describe the nakedness of the Gentile world which was and is still to day noted by darkened understanding. That is they were and are void of all saving knowledge, yea ignorant of many things concerning God which the light of nature might have taught them. They set and continue to sit in darkness, and they loved it rather than light and by their ignorance they were alienated from the life of God. They were and are still now estranged from and had a dislike to, a life of holiness, which is not only that way of life which God requires and approves, and by which we live to him, but which resembles God himself, in his purity, righteousness, truth and goodness.

3. Other notices of the Gentiles which are still prevalent in our times and seasons include the blindness (or the hardness) of their heart which was not because God did not make himself known to them by his works, but because they would not admit the instructive rays of the divine light.

4. Their conscious were served and for that reason had and still have no sense of their in , nor of the misery and danger of their case by means of it, where upon they gave themselves over unto all manner of things. They indulged themselves in their filthy lusts and yielding themselves up to the dominion of these, they became slaves of sin and devil, working all uncleanness with greediness. They made it their common practice to commit all sorts of uncleanness and even the most unnatural sins with insatiable desires

CHRISTIANS LOOKING UNTO JESUS must distinguish themselves from such Gentiles because we have not so learned Christ.
Those of us who have learned Christ are saved from the darkness and defilement which others lie under and, as we know more, we are obliged to live in a better manner that others. It is a good argument against sin that we have not so learned Christ. (Christianity). As people who have learnt of the doctrines and the rules of life prescribed by Christ we have to understand the truth is in JESUS.

This may be understood in two ways: either, we have been taught the real truth as told by Christ, both in his doctrine and in his life or thus the truth has made such an impression on our hearts, in our measure, as it did upon the heart of Jesus.

Another branch of the things learnt or taught us as Christ follows on those words, that we put off, concerning the former conversation, the old men etc. By this the principles, habits and dispositions of the soul must be changed by there can be saving change of the life. There must be sanctifications which consists of these two things.

- The old man must be put off. The corrupt nature is called a man, because like the human body. It consists of diverse parts, mutually supporting and strengthening one another. It is said to be corrupt for sin in the soul is the corruption of its faculties: and where it is not mortified, it grows worse an worse, and so tends to destruction.
- the new man must be put on. It is not enough to shake off corrupt principles, but we must be actuated by gracious ones. We must embrace them. Scopus/advocate them and get them written on our hearts. The new man is the new nature, creature which is actuated by a new principle, even regenerating grace, enabling a man to lead a new life, that life of righteousness and holiness which Christianity requires. The new man is created out of emptiness by Gods Almighty power, whose workmanship it is, excellent and beautiful. We are said to put on this new man when in the us of all God’s appointed means, we are endeavouring after this divine nature, this new creature. This is the more general exhortation to purity and holiness of heart and life.

The apostle proceeds to some things more particular because generals are not so apt to affect, we are told what are those particular limbs of the old man that must be mortified, those filthy rags of the old nature that must be put off, and what are the peculiar ornaments of the new man where with we should adorn our Christian profession.

Take caution of lying and be ever careful to speak the truth. Wherefore since we have been so well instructed in our duty and are under such obligations to discharge it, let it appear in our behaviour and conduct, that there is a great and real change wrought in us, particularly by putting away lying. Of this sin the Gentiles were very guilty, affirming that A PROFITABLE LIE WAS BETTER AN THAN INJURIOUS TRUTH and therefore the apostle exhorts us to cease from lying, from everything that is contrary to truth. This is a part of the old man that must be put off and that branch of the new man that must be put on in opposition to it is the character of speaking the truth in all our conversation with others. It is the character of Gods people that they are children who will not lie, who dare not lie and detest lying. All who have grace make conscious of speaking the truth and would not tell deliberate lie for the greatest gain and benefit to themselves. The reason being that, we are members one of one another and TRUTH IS A DEBT OWE TO ONE ANOTHER.

We are also warned against corrupt communication and directed to that which is useful and edifying . Filthy and unclean words an discourse are poisonous and infections and therefore prove a great deal of corruption in the heart of the speaker and corrupt the minds and manners of others who hear them and therefore Christians should beware of all such discourse. We must not only put off corrupt communications, but put on that which is good to the use of edifying. The great use of speech is to edify those with whom we converse. Christians should endeavour to promote a useful conversation as it may minister grace unto the hearers, in the way of information, counsel, pertinent reproof or the like.

We also to have take caution to be kind one to another. This implies the principle of love in the heart, and the outward expressions of it, in an affable, humble, courteous behaviour. To becomes the disciple of Jesus is to be kind one to another, as those who have learned and would teach, the art of obliging. We should also note that with God there is forgiveness and he forgives sin for the sake of Jesus Christ, and on account of that atonement which he has made to divine justice. We should note again that those who are forgiven of God be of a forgiving spirit and should forgive even as God forgives, sincerely, reading, cheerfully, universally and for ever, upon the sinners sincere repentance as remembering that they pray, FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.

CONCLUSION
As people focussing on “looking unto Jesus” we should provoke not the blessed spirit of God to withdraw his presence and gracious influence from us for by him we are sealed unto the day of redemption. The wake up call has been sounded and it rests on all of us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the at is before us LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER 0F OUR FAITH. AMEN.

Ebenezer Krampah Aidoo
(President – NUPS-G – KNUST)