CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION: Archbishop Ibezim Urges Christians to love unconditionally

By Felix Oti, Awka

The Archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger and Bishop Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion Most Reverend Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim says that his greatest ambition in life is to change the lives of people through service to humanity.

Archbishop Ibezim, who stated this in Awka in his Christmas message to Christians all over the world said that it is necessary because when the lifestyle of people in the society is affected positively, the Church and the society will be happy.

The Awka Diocesan Bishop further urged citizens to live out their human responsibility aspect of divine soverinty.

In his world:”For people like me, we must give out what we preach to people. Anambra state is our own. That is the reason we must continue to make this place conducive.

‘With the incoming government in Anambra state, I have no doubts that the state will be an enviable state because we have a stake, we need to pray for them .we will support them, where they make mistakes we will tell them this is wrong and am sure they have listening ears.

ALSO READ 11 persons die as cult groups clash in Awka

‘My greatest ambition is to change the lives of people. If the lifestyle of people can be changed then the Church will be happy.

‘This Christmas will be a Christmas that has to do with Divine commitments and human responsibility .

‘God is sovereign God And as a human created with the image of God, we have a Divine role to play, we call it human responsibility, In as much as His is sovereign, God is our maker, He is originator of life, He has giving us Emmanuel (God is with us) which is Jesus.

‘Let us not forget that we have human responsibility because at times many in the Church will not do human responsibility aspect.

‘When God does something, He expects you as human being created by His own image to follow it up, to make sure ,It is not God that will work in the bank, to be the Pastors we see, Human being has a great responsibility, He works through human beings.

ALSO READ Mary: Mother of God and Not a Goddess

‘God has created us to be responsible. He has created us in order to carry out the assignment He has given to us. This Christmas we are reminding people to give out.

‘You don’t just live your life anyhow ,you have to live it like some one sent by God. In order to accomplish the purpose of God, that is human responsibility aspect of creation.

‘However, Divine soverighty is Divine as long as we recognize that ,that is where grace comes in, we have grace from God .

‘This passage John 3 Vs 16 is a climax.I know that it is common but we need to deep it in every year. What is the meaning? When you saw God so loved the world.

‘In the midst of challenges/ difficulties/ hardship.. God is looking for who will give? You know things are very expensive, every house hold is trying to survive. But in the midst of this economic meltdown God is looking for who will give, you must give something in other to get something.

ALSO READ Why we sealed Lord’s Chosen Church - Enugu Govt.

‘God has given us Jesus , He came and lay His life and now we are gracelennce of Gods salvation. Salvation is not just that our souls have been saved and continually be saved but we must work out salvation with trembling and fear,this is where human responsibility comes in.

‘As I told you earlier on, if we are Christians we must give out .This is time to give out,

‘I encourage families to make sacrifices ,husbands to their wives, wives to their husbands, parents to their children , Children to their parents etc.

‘Pastors to make sacrifices to their Churches, Churches to their Pastors. When we do that we know that we are really enacting the spirit of giving God himself showed us.

‘We can do that in our state ,we will find out that a little prayer will lead us to a greater place’, Archbishop Ibezim concluded.