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.  

‘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.

‘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. 

‘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.