24th September 2026

She was in her 90s. Though unsteady on her feet, she never missed a weekly church service. She had a hug waiting for all who would greet her. She believed that the privilege of being loved by God must flow out of her to touch others — most often in the simplest ways. She wanted others to know that they are also loved by God. She has since passed, but her generous expressions of love remain etched in our memory. 

Santosh Noah was her name, and she was a member of Grace Communion International, Hyderabad. In her we had a powerful example of how Christ works in his followers, by the power of his Spirit, to conform them to his image. This dynamic process results in revealing a God who loves and receives our love for neighbour as to himself (Matthew 25:40).

Paul reminds us, ‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters’ (Romans 8:29 NIV). God is actively shaping us to mirror the character and holiness of his Son.

God’s work in us accomplishes a deep transformation, not just a cosmetic makeover. His sovereign purpose is embedded in his marvellous plan of foreknowing and predestining us into the very likeness of his Son, mirroring the original paradigm of creation (Genesis 1:26-27)

The goal of conformity is to empower us to walk in his obedience in and through a mindset of humility and service to neighbour. That is why the Holy Spirit is sent to abide in and with us to produce fruit that brings increasing consistency between our words, our actions, and Christ’s teachings.

As the followers of Jesus consistently submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in them, God is being revealed as one who remains committed in his love for us. That love ultimately gets reflected in Christlike outreach to neighbour making God’s love and care visible in everyday life.

This study was first published in the 4 August 2026 edition of the GCI Update.

Local congregation:
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