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How They Dishonoured God!  0

 February 18, 2021  

In Malachi chapter one God said He was being dishonoured. Specifically we are informed in the words of God as follows,

 “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: If then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Mal 1:6).

God said He was being dishonoured by the group of people who should be in the forefront of those honouring Him. Rather than accepting the accusation and repenting the priests began to argue. They cast doubt on the truth of what God said. They pretended all was well while they continued with their corrupt practices in the name of God.

And to refute their hypocrisy and throw their lies back on their faces, God now gives more details of what they were doing. Since they knew what they were doing but pretended not to, it was necessary to expose them so others could see and learn not to follow their evil ways of dishonouring God.

What about you?

There is a need to take a second look at yourself too.

Here, in this piece you will see who were dishonouring God, and what they were doing to dishonour God according to God Himself. You will be able to see yourself in the mirror of the word of God. You will therefore see where you are in your relationship with the Lord and whatever amendments necessary for you.

Please, for you to be able to appropriately evaluate yourself, and before you dismiss any accusation that might already be coming your way with a wave of the hand read through this piece. (Watch this video to the end).

It is titled “How They Dishonoured God” for a reason.

With that in mind, let us have a look at some of the details as given by God as in Malachi 1:7-8:

“7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.”

Normal turned into abnormal

The events referred to the post-exilic generation who had returned to Israel from captivity. Earlier in the Old Testament each worshipper slaughtered his own offering (cf. Lev 4:4, 15, 24, 29; 1Sam 2:12-17). But by the time of the return from captivity (the time of our text), the priests had taken over this function too.

This should have made it easier to ensure the purity of the sacrifices as every worshipper then had to go through the priests. The priests had the duty and the power to ensure that all animals and other items brought as sacrifice by the people met the standard set by the Mosaic law. This is what was the normal at the start when the priests did their duty faithfully.

But from what transpired it soon became apparent that the priests were failing in the performance of their duties. The priests twisted the normal far enough to turn it into the abnormal. Their practices in the temple were no more recognisable as what initially came from God.

It was then the LORD confronted the wayward priests. But when confronted by God they denied all wrong doings. So God had to show them the evidence. Hence, this text.

7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.

 They brought items to God. They brought items of sacrifice to God in obedience to the Mosaic law. So, to the onlooker they appeared to be committed and obedient to God.

  Polluted, that is, defile, unclean meaning ceremonially unclean and therefore not acceptable for sacrifice to God. Items of food (bread) brought were not fit for purpose.

 These things were brought to the altar that belonged to God. The altar was raised up portion like a large table withing the temple where certain aspects of the sacrifice and gifts to God were to be presented before God in the temple.

 Rather than accepting their wrong, they argued with God questioning Him. They said to God, “how have we polluted or defiled you?” They answered back to God denying any wrongdoing. They were saying to God, “show us how we have defiled you.” “Show us what we have done wrong because as far as we know, we have been diligent in carrying out our duties in our service to you!”

 “The table of the LORD” is figure of speech illustrative of where meals are eaten. A place where God dines figuratively as it were. It was as if the sacrifice of food and gifts offered at the altar were for God to eat.

 To be contemptible is to be worthy of contempt. It does not deserve of any respect or reference. Deserving of scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

 The priests as gatekeepers

The office of the priest was a privileged and powerful one. They determine those who could and could not enter the temple and its precincts. In addition to worship, the temple was also a centre of social interaction for the people. the priests could banish someone from the temple. Such banishment led to such a one being ostracized by the rest of society. Such a scenario was considered a disaster by the average Jew of the time.

This was why the parents of the blind man healed by the Lord Jesus Christ refused to confirm that it was Christ who healed their son (John 9:19-23). The people might have been wary of calling their attention to what they were doing wrong. They were in their own world and superior to all else.]]]

 The priests vetted the animals and gifts

The people brought their animals and other prescribed items meant for the various sacrifices to the priests. The priests had to inspect the items brought to ensure they met the required standard as prescribed in the law. They were to reject whatever did not meet God’s prescription.

In this wise the priests were the gatekeepers who scrutinized the offerings and gifts the people brought to God in the temple as to their suitability or not. As the gatekeepers between the people and God every aspect of their work within and outside the temple was to ensure that God was given His due honour by the people.

But the priests became corrupt like the people. They showed partiality. They became greedy and covetous. Hence, animals that were healthy and met God’s requirements were kept for themselves. The people were also allowed to bring unfit animals (sick, disabled) for sacrifice after receiving bribes from the one bringing the sacrifice. Thus, they turned a blind eye. 

Every occasion of sacrifice offered the priests the opportunity to inspect every animal brought before they were offered, and as such an opportunity to demonstrate their love and commitment to the glory of the living God.

But what did they do?

They abandoned their sacred duties for temporary and filthy gain.

They undervalued and devalued God

They were able to do this because their heart was corrupt and could not reference God. 

Put another way, they said the table of the LORD was at the lowest level of their value scale! Hence, they treated it with utmost disrespected by offering defiled sacrifices on His altar.

8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.”

The priests accepted blind, lame, and sick animals from the people and offered them as sacrifices to God on His altar. Both the people and the priests knew this was unacceptable and wrong. Yet they offered them anyway!

 God was not expecting them to answer these questions. Were they to answer, the expected answer to both questions would have been, “yes, it is evil!”

The law of Moses expressly prohibited the offering of blind, lame, sick, and otherwise blemished animals (cf. Lev 22:18-25; Deut. 15:21).

“Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.” (Lev 22:22).

God dared them to offer similar blind, lame, and sick animals they offered at His altar to their governor!

 The governor will not be please with them, and he will not accept their person or show them any favour were they to offer such unfit animals as gifts to him. Of cause, they would not dare.

 God brought them to a real-life situation that they could all relate to. The giving of gifts to governors and other dignitaries they were familiar with.

They had foreign governors ruling over them. They respected and treated them with utmost regard. Both in speech, and practical things they made extra effort to show their respect and honour for such human dignitaries.

Yet the King of Kings, and Lord of Lord, their maker who had done and continued to do them so much good was despised in their eyes. People do things they would not do to another person to God. They give more honour to human dignitaries than to God.

  • Can you imagine someone giving a sick or blind animal to the queen or prime minister or president or some other dignitary?
  • Can you even imagine a friend giving you a defective gift he/she knows you dislike?
  • Can you imagine someone giving you an item he picked from the rubbish bin as a birthday present?

That is what they were doing with delight and congratulating themselves for service well-rendered. Hence, were arguing with God and justifying their actions before Him!

However, before God all the service they were rendering was evil!!!

Please, examine yourself in the light of the foregoing.

The priests knew what they were doing

Remember: To sacrifice to God is to give up something that is genuinely of value as a way of demonstrating or expressing devotion to God.

But they were offering blind, lame, sick and diseased animals to God. They were offering things they did not want, things that were of no value to them, to God. Theirs were no sacrifices at all. They were just carrying out the motions, the semblance of a sacrifice.

Deep down they knew they were doing wrong, but they rationalised their wrong doings. They must have thought God would not mind, after all, everything was going to be burnt in fire.

What difference does it make, healthy or diseased animal?

They had an ungodly pact with the people

The priests who were entrusted with the keeping of the sanctuary and the offering and other services of God should have rejected such sacrifices as they were being brought by the people.

If the people were willing to despise and disobey God while pretending the opposite, the priests should have refused to go along. The priests should have reminded them, taught them, and insisted on the perfect offerings God demanded of His people.

But we are under the New Covenant

Under the Old Covenant, the people had to take their sacrifices and gifts to the temple, a physical structure and there presented to the LORD through the priests. The sacrifices and gifts had to meet the standard prescribed by the Mosaic law.

However, under the New Testament things get remarkably close and personal! For the believers in Christ under the New Testament are the priests and temple roll into one! It is critically important to understand this.

While the Coming to fellowship should be an opportunity to showcase our faith and believe in God, we should be coming with the honour of God in mind.

God has sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ for us. That has abolished the animal sacrifices, so we do not have to carry animals to church for sacrificial offerings.

No more animal sacrifices for those under the New Covenant. The sacrifices of the believers in Christ under the New Covenant are of a different kind.

And more than ever, believers still have to fear and honour God. We still have to sacrifice our offerings.

Remember again, sacrifice is to give up something that is genuinely of value to us as a child of God, as a way of demonstrating or expressing devotion to God. If we come to honour God, we should then give our best, that which is of value to us.

Potential sacrifices

Let us just look at few of the ways we ought to offer our sacrifices to honour God:

Our time, our appearance before God and before our fellowmen, and our substance, all of which are part of our lifestyle of faith.

Our time:

In fellowship, pay attention, participate. Do not be a distraction. In the word. In prayer. In helping others.

 Appearance: Dress properly.

At the risk of being accused of legalism or fashion police I would suggest these barest minimums:

Let your dressing dignify you as a child of God, rather than portraying you as someone wayward:

There should be no plunging neckline, and no trousers falling down your waistline and showing the cleft of your bum. Your skirts should not be so far above the knees that you keep making half-hearted efforts to stretch them to cover your modesty, knowing fully well, they will not suddenly become longer than that they are.

There should also be no distracting and attention-seeking transparent clothing.

Cosmetics: No cosmetics or make-ups that make you look more like a made-up manikin rather than a child of God.

 Practice of the people of God (appearance)

In the day of old, both in the OT and the NT, people of God adorned themselves appropriately, especially the women. Women used cosmetics, jewellery, and other ornaments to enhance their beauty. They did not use such to change their identity or to be the centre of attraction or a source of distraction.

Thus the people of God took care of their appearance properly and in ways that glorified God.

For example we are told:

“18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, And their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, And the tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, And the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, And the hoods, and the vails.” (Is 3:18-23).

Here God was threatening to take away the ornaments of the women as judgement against their sinful ways. These would suggest that holy women were expected to, and it was considered part of God’s blessing to be able to adorn themselves. It was of value to them to do this. They pride themselves at being able to take care of their bodies.

Therefore, loosing, the capacity to adore themselves will be a serious deprivation. Hence, the threat by God to take it away as punishment. But they were not to take care of their external appearance at the expense or to the neglect of their inner or hidden man.

So, we told of them as those:

“3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1Pet 3:3-4).

This is not saying women should not use gold, jewellery, or ornaments, as some have erroneously prohibited women from adorning themselves. Rather, they should be used in moderation as the word of God again tells us:

“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” (1Tim 2:9).

Your heart and practice of your faith

Praise God genuinely with the offering of your lips from a grateful heart. Prayer, fasting, study and practice of the Word of God should be a lifestyle.

Your substance

 To God:

When you give your offering, give genuinely what you can afford. When you give material things, give things of value, useable, and not just worn-out clothes that are not useable for anybody or gadgets that have seen the best of their days.

 To fellow men:

Aim to genuinely help those you can in whatever capacity, without thinking of possible benefits. Do not refuse to help someone you can, simply because you think they will not be useful to you, or because you cannot see any benefit or advantage to derive from them.

 Are you being accused?

  • Are the accusations coming in uninvited like a flood?
  • Yes, has a similar accusation of dishonouring God been made against you?
  • By whom?
  • Any truth in it?
  • Do you think there is no truth in such accusation?
  • Are you already accusing your accusers of maligning your good character?

 Do not dismiss the accusation with a wave of the hand. Rather, evaluate the content of the accusation.

 What are you doing today in the name of God that God may consider evil?

 Especially Note that: Your accuser could come from a number of sources, especially those who are close to you and know much about you: Your conscience, the Word of God, a spouse, a parent, your child, a sibling, a neighbour, a Christian worker, an innocent by-stander, the LORD Himself. These in any combination could be the means God is using to get your attention that you are dishonouring Him. And that it is time for you to re-evaluate your relationship to and service for Him.

 Please, I implore you to heed the call of God now. Do not be too wise in your self-conceit. Rather, repent and start honouring the LORD as He eminently deserves.

 Remember, these old Covenant priests dishonoured God while claiming to be serving Him. It is possible they became complacent because as a group they were in a powerful position. They could even banish people from the temple.

The possibility of people they looked down upon pointing out their errors to them would have be remote. They could even claim like many false teachers do today, that they were God’s anointed and such ones pointing out their evil deeds were in danger of God’s wrath.

God called their attention to their evil deeds. They denied and argued with God instead. God confronted them with the evidence of their evil deeds, evidence they knew was true. Rather than to repent, forsake their evil ways and return to the LORD, they persisted in their evil deeds of polluting the worship of the LORD.

Though the days of animal sacrifices are gone, believers more than ever are to fear and honour God. It is even more critical now that the believer in Christ is both the temple and the priest of the LORD!

God has prescribed for and demanded of all His people for all generations that they must fear and honour Him above all else in all circumstances. The means may be different, but the demand stands for all times.

By what you the believer does every day, you either honour or dishonour the LORD. As His child, you should endeavour to always have the honour and glory of God uppermost in the heart. This will help you to always with His help, honour and glorify the LORD with your life.

 Please, call yourself to order before God does. Resolve now that henceforth, you will begin to honour God with all that you do.

 I pray the Merciful LORD get your attention and grant you the wisdom to genuinely honour and glorify Him according to His prescription in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Doctrine, Exhortation, Salvation, Sermon , , , , , ,

Is Your Temple Fit For Purpose?  0

 January 3, 2021  

When people talk about unpleasant things, they use the language of exclusion. They speak in the second and third persons: ‘he/she/it’, ‘they’, ‘them.’ They thus exclude themselves. Hence, you hear things said about or being done by them. That church is this and that.

But today, I want us to speak the language of inclusion. I want us to turn the search light inwards, towards ourselves. The question I want us to look at and try to answer is: “Is Your temple fit for purpose?”

I want you to make it personal by asking, “Is my temple fit for purpose?”

Isaiah chapters 57:1-58:14 detail some of the sins and waywardness of the people of Israel in the sight of God. To common onlookers, they would have seemed not only religious but truly devoted to God:

They went to the temple. They brought sacrifices and offerings. They attended the feasts prescribed by God and performed many other religious rituals. But God saw through their pretence and hypocrisy and told them so.

The church is in a similar sorry state today.

  And the question in another form “What is the status of the temple of God under your care?”

 I am hoping that by the time you are leaving you will know for certain whether that temple is still the temple of God or it is wholly given to idols.

From the Holy Scripture we have:

“For thus saith the high and lofty One That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isa 57:15).

 And

“For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.” (Isa 66:2).

These texts essentially describe God on the one hand, and his creation including man and others that are not of mankind. But the conversation is directed at man. While it spoke primarily to the Israelites of its day, it has continued to speak to all believers from that day till it is speaking to us today.

A contrite heart or spirit is one in which the natural pride and self-sufficiency have been completely humbled by the consciousness of guilt.

The theological term “contrition” refers to the grief experienced because of the revelation of sin made by the preaching of the law (Jer. 23:29).

 “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29)

 The holiness of God.

What does it mean?

The holiness of God is not just one of His attributes. Rather, it is the conception of His consummate perfection and total glory. It is His infinite moral perfection crowning His infinite intelligence and power.

 It is the moral excellence of God that unifies His attributes, and is expressed through His actions, setting Him apart from all others.

All believers are holy in that they are called to be set apart from the world as God’s own people:

The nation of Israel was thus chosen by God under the Old Covenant and through Abraham (Deut. 7:6, cf. Gen 12:1-3, 15:1-21, 17:1-19).

 “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deut. 7:6).

Israel was thus warned against walking in the manners of the nations around them:

 “23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. 25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” (Lev 20:23-26).

Believers in Christ are a chosen people of God through the Lord Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. The apostles and prophets (Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21; Eph. 3:5). Believers in Christ (Eph. 1:4; 1Pet 2:9).

Hence, believers are not to conform to the world (Rom 12:2). They are not to love the world nor the things of the world (1John 2:15-16). And they are articles and materials for divine use holy and to be kept holy (Ex 40:9-11)

Picture from the Old Testament

 The tabernacle/temple: The Place of the worship of and service to the LORD. 

  • What does it mean for human relationship with God?
  • Where are we as believers in Christ?

Within the vicinity of the temple, there were various washings of either the whole body or parts of the body as part of the ritual cleansing that made the priests, and the people clean enough to stand in the presence of such a holy God.

The ultimate demonstration of the holiness of God is seen in the approach to the holy of holies, containing the Ark of Covenant, that symbolised the very presence of God.

The whole people of Israel were prohibited from entering the holy of holies. The penalty for breaching this command was instant death.

 Remember there were no solid doors with lock and key to keep out the simply curious.

There were only curtains used to separate the different compartments of the tabernacle. Only the high priest had the authority of God to enter the holy of holies. Going in there was not when or how he pleased, but according to how God had commanded him to. He was to go there on only one day of the year, that is, on the day of atonement. Failing to adhere to the process God prescribed would mean instant death to the high priest too.

The day of atonement (Lev 16:1-34).

The holy of holies was accessible only to the high priest. That access was granted only once a year, on the day of atonement. On that day, he entered thrice: He washed himself with water, then put on the linen garments prescribed for the occasion. Then He could enter the holy of holies.

He entered: First with a censer filled with burning coal upon which he then put the sweet incense. He must put the incense upon the fire before the Lord so that the cloud of the incense covered the mercy seat that is upon the testimony so that he would not die. Second time, he entered with the blood of the goat for the atonement for himself and his household. Third time, he entered with the blood of the goat for the atonement for the sins of all Israel.

But before entering certain precautions against defiling the holy of holies were put in place because God could strike the high priest dead while performing his duties there for whatever reason. The helm of the high priest had small bells attached to it (Ex 39:25-26), so that as the high priest moved about performing his duties, the jingling sounds of the bells informed those worshipping outside that he was alive.

A long rope visible from outside the holy of holies was tied to one of his ankles. Should it happen that the high priest should die there within the holy of holies, the rope was to then be used to pull out his dead body as no one would be able to go in to retrieve his dead body. 

The rituals of atonement performed yearly was just to cover their sins enough for God to be able to relate to them. It did not actually remove the sins.

How could such a holy God relate to sinful flesh, especially when we are told that no man shall see God and live?

 Fast forward to the New Testament:

As expected, there is still a temple of and for God

 The believer in Christ as the temple of God

Jesus came and died for the sins of mankind. At His death, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom (Mat 27:50; Mark 15:38). This signified access to God through Christ who has reconciled man to God. He became our peace, as He made us, (the believers) one with God. He broke down the middle partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity (Eph. 2:14-15).

“14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” (Eph. 2:14-15).

A new order is thus established:

New priesthood with Christ being the high priest of the order of Melchizedek priesthood not by the power of the law but by the power of an endless life (Heb.5:6-10; 6:20; 7:15-18) was established. There are now no more special priesthood family as all believers in Christ are now a royal priesthood to God (1Pet 2:9).

While the Aaronic priesthood was established by law, that of Christ was established by oat of God (Heb. 7:21-22). For the priesthood of Christ is a higher and better priesthood than that of Aaron, an unchangeable priesthood as He continues forever (Heb. 7:23-25; 8:6).

Unlike Aaron who ministered in the earthly tabernacle which was a shadow or temporary copy of that in heaven (Heb. 8:5), Christ is a minister in the real tabernacle of God in heaven (cf. Heb. 4:14; 8:2).

 Unlike Aaron and others of his offspring who went in with the blood of bulls yearly, into the physical earthly tabernacle, Christ went in into the tabernacle in heaven with His own blood once and for all (Heb. 9:11-12).

The church is the new temple.

The church, the believer in Christ is now the temple of God (2Cor 6:16).

“14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2Cor 6:14-18).

God dwells there in the person of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 8:9; 1Cor 3:16-17). The same level of purity demanded of the physical tabernacle in the OT is demanded of the human tabernacle in the NT.

From this text (2Cor 6:14-18): The NT temple is living, breathing place. It is the church. Therefore, God says:

We are saved but still live in the presence of sin in this world and can still be enticed to sin.

How then is man to meet the demand of God for purity?

We have positional sanctification, the instant you are saved, you are set apart for holy use by God. Then followed by progressive sanctification. This is the process whereby God progressively removes desire and craving for sin and all those things we are told defiles a man. He replaces them with the desire and craving for God and righteousness.

Contrast between the OT and NT Temples

However, there is big contrast between the OT tabernacle/temple and the NT one.

The Old Testament temple was a none-living structure that was stationed in a particular location, and that contained the presence of God symbolised by the Ark of Covenant within the holy of holies. That holy OT temple was planted amid the people of God who though holy unto God still engaged in sinful activities.

But the New Testament temple is a person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and is indwelled by God in the person of the Holy Spirit. Such a living temple still lives in the presence of sin in the world. This holy temple is constantly challenged, enticed, and attacked by the flesh and its inordinate desires, and the world with is allures and the devil with his devices. They all have in common their insatiable and incessant desire to pollute the temple of God which is the New Testament believer in Christ.

The state of the temple: the believer is not doing the priesthood duties

Small for date / Failure to thrive:

Like a baby who though being fed appropriately fails to grow as expected, many believers do not live up to the maturity level their age as believers would suggest. They manifest problem of failure to thrive in several ways: Such believers are found to be not better than, and in many cases, worse than unbelievers. They make little or no progress in their spiritual growth. They are thus small for date or fail to thrive spiritually.

 Why?

Because though Holiness translates into separation from the world, and separation unto God, rather than being separate, many are deeply immersed into the world. Far too many are still too wrapped up with the world like the Israelites of old with the nations around them. So much so now that the church is much like the world around her.

And God is incredibly angry with His church for this.

Let us remind ourselves of some of the ways people are wrapped up and strongly allied with the world. Yes, the devourers you have not only allowed into your life, but you are diligently feeding.

 Here are a few:

  • Claiming to be sick at work only to go and work at another workplace
  • Spending so much time on social networks and mobile phone at the expense of nurturing your spiritual life
  • TV / Computer:
  • Rather than, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:16), you are investing the time and other resources in building your kingdom on earth.
  • You are almost submerged in the depths of the frivolities of life. You are an expert in the knowledge and practice of sin and have no understanding of your professed faith.
  • Not investing in your spiritual life: Library, time to study, to pray etc.
  • No wonder then that you have the same worldview and opinions about spiritual things as the world around you but at variance to Christ.

Do remember: How your temple gets defiled

  • When you so engage your time and resources in the affairs of the world, you store the word of the world in your heart.
  • Your heart gets taken over.
  • Hence, your thoughts, words and actions will be contrary to God but in tandem with the world and the devil in tow!
  • You as a temple then become defiled and unfit for the things of God.
  • As we are told by the Lord Himself,

“18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” (Mat 15:18-20).

There are numerous similar lists in Scripture.

 But God is serious

There is a “terror of God” (2Cor 5:11), and because of this, we should persuade ourselves as individuals, and persuade others to turn away from the world and to run back to God. God has demonstrated this abundantly as detailed on the pages of Holy Scripture, and throughout the history of mankind. And we are warned that:

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1Pet 4:17).

Remember:

The wife of Lot. Anybody would have thought Lot’s wife was a believer. She had even entertained angels with her husband (Gen 19:1-26).

Israel in the wilderness, and in the promised land. Of the people numbered in the wilderness of Sinai Numbers 1-3, none was alive when the censors were repeated 38 years later in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. And we are specifically told:

“63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” (Num. 26:63-65).

And,

“14 And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.” (Deut. 2:14-15).

And after God settled them in the promised land, they went into apostasy. God eventually had to scatter them as he had promised if they disobeyed Him (Deut. 28). Also see the summary (1Cor 10:1-14, but the whole chapter).

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). They died for their lying to the Holy Spirit and for their hypocrisy

God is not slack concerning sin but does not want any to perish, rather, wants people to repent and return to Him (2Pet 3:9).

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9).

Truly:

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31).

What to do, the way forward:

  • Church, it is time to wake up. Revival of the individual believer / the church
  • Repentance
  • Recognition, and submission to the sovereignty of God over your life, and over His creation
  • Vigorous effort to clean and rededicate your defiled temple and thus, rectify the situation
  • Invest both more time and resources in your spiritual growth.

 Again the person question you alone can answer “What is the status of the temple of God under your care?”

Determine to cleanse out everything that is contrary to God, so God can truly begin to dwell there now.

Please, ensure your temple is fit for purpose. You should recognise where you are in relation to the holiness of our God. Reconsider your ways by getting rid of the things that are causing you to be small for your Christian age or failure to thrive spiritually. You must make haste now so that you will not be counted with the wicked.

 I pray that your eyes of understanding be opened to see the derelict state of the temple of God under your care, the grace to remove all the debris of defilement and rededicate it to God again, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Exhortation, Salvation , , , , , , , , , ,

Beware that your attitude does not portray you as one of the foolish (ungodly)  0

 January 13, 2020  

I do not think there are many people who would want to be thought of as a fool. And I doubt very much if anyone, especially one who is a believer in Christ would want to be spoken of as giving the appearance of a fool. But any believer is vulnerable if not susceptible. It is therefore important to watch against potential slip ups. To help us, we shall look at and try to learn from the life of one of the believers of old.

In the book of Job God testified to the enviable qualities of the man Job. Job was the servant of God. There was none like him in the earth, a perfect man. And Job feared God and eschewed evil (Job 1:8). It was God who initiated the conversation that led to the problems of Job.

At the end of the first conversation, God gave Satan permission to afflict Job, but to spare his life (Job 2:6).

As a result of being allowed by God Satan went to work with a vengeance. He must have been shocked to his bones to hear God’s permission to go out and do what he does best: to do as much damage including grave bodily harm to job. One can be assured that this personality would go to the maximum limit allowed. He immediately went to work with unfathomable zeal. Little wonder then that as a result of and at the end of the Satan’s acts of aggression, Job had lost ALL except his life and his wife.

Yes, Job had lost ALL:

  • He had lost all his property.
  • He had lost all his children.
  • He had lost all his wealth.
  • He had lost his enviable position in society.
  • He had lost his health.
  • Everything was gone, and he was in a terrible state.

Job’s wife was there too!

What is seldom mentioned is that in all his plenty and adversity, the wife of Job was equally affected, and she stayed with him. Even when she is mentioned, it is often in bad light and many even speak of her in venomous outbursts of vituperation.

The personal situation of Job was so terrible that he was now sitting outside on a heap of ashes, scratching his rotten sores with a potsherd (Job 2:8).

Do remember that Job was not privileged to know that God held a council meeting with the sons of God in heaven in which he was a prominent item on the agenda, neither was he informed of what transpired in that meeting (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6).

Only the readers of this book down the ages, including us are given that privileged information. We are reading the story after the events and many therefore frequently think they would have acted differently and better were they in the place and position of Job.

A wife in agony

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).

 It is important to remember that this was a woman married to Job in a covenant relationship. She had lived with him for a long time and was the mother of his 10 children (7 sons and 3 daughters). The wife of Job knew him very well. She knew his devotion to God to be real, and not a pretension. Naturally Job also knew his wife very well.

Job’s wife had enjoyed the period of prosperity with her husband and so was not a stranger to God’s goodness in their lives. But she lost everything, and even her husband though still alive was now a caricature of his old healthy self. She was now a woman deeply grieving and finding adversity with her husband unbearable. Hence, she spoke out of the depth of her sorrow and grief. She was in agony with apparently nobody to help.

Her husband’s attitude towards their calamity must have been a big area of perplexity to her. She just could not understand how someone in his position could still be talking positively about God!

Integrity: (in this context), spotless character in regard to God; blamelessness before God.

God Himself testified to Job’s integrity before Him though Job and his wife were not privy to that testimony given by God at the council meeting.

 Job’s wife knew Job was still maintaining his relationship with God. That he had refused to charge God with error or wickedness. Hence, her question. She was like asking:

  • Are you still maintaining your integrity?
  • Are you still continuing to have faith in your God, the God who has done all these terrible things to us?

She asked the question “Dost thou still retain thine integrity?”, knowing fully well that Job was still faithful to God, and that he was still refusing to blame God for their calamity.

The serpent’s strategy re-enacted

Remember the adversary uses the same strategy of questioning and undermining the integrity of his would-be victim all the time.

 Observe the serpent in the conversation with Eve in the garden:

 With Eve:

Eve was in a place of plenty. A place where all their needs, including regular fellowship with God were met. Yet, the devil came there. Knowing what God has said to Eve, he said,

 “Yea, hath God said?” (Gen 3:1).

 With the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord was in the wilderness. The wilderness was a place of deprivation, preparation and testing. The Lord was fasting as part of the preparation for His soon-to-be lunched ministry of Salvation.

So, further down the line, the devil used the same ploy with the Lord Jesus Christ. Though, he knew Jesus to be the Son of God, he still went ahead to challenge that truth. He wanted the Jesus to use His privileged position to attain an aim in a manner contrary to the purpose of God. He said,

“If thou be the son of God” (Mat 4:3, 6).

Notice that the questions and statements are calculated and framed in a way to create doubt in the hearer. They are coiled like a powerful spring that will spring up with force as the intended victims tries to prove the devil wrong. In attempting to prove the devil wrong or reject his insinuations, the would-be victim actually falls into the snare of the devil!

The devil was saying to the Lord, “you are the Son of God eh! I know but put your power into action for me to see me now!”

 Remember that Eve was wallowing in abundance, while the Lord was in a 40-day fast. They were both confronted by the tempter with things that would be quite enticing and irresistible.

The situation of the believer matters little to the devil. All he is concerned with is the possibility of success in whatever he wants to do concerning his would-be victim. Hence, being in plenty or lack is all game to him.

Yes, the devil makes his moves at the moments of maximum vulnerability! The time he is most likely to succeed in his deception against his would-be victim. He presents his case in a most believable way, attractively packaged to make it seem to be in the best interest of the would-be victim. It is done in ways and situations that even others, especially some in the inner circle of the would-be victim will join in to put pressure upon the intended victim.

Hence, in this case, seeing the possibility of the failure of the friends of Job, next one to try to ally with himself was Job’s unsuspecting.

And so, the devil did not stop with Job nor with his three friends. Rather, he got around to the human being closest to him, his wife.

 Who else could Job have trusted other than his wife?

Job’s wife was advertently acting doing what the devil wanted

The heathens around them were in the habit of heaping curses upon their idol gods when they thought such false gods had brought misfortune and evil upon them. Job’s wife would have seen them berating and reproaching their gods on many occasions.

Job as the head of the family is the one with authority to call time on the family’s relationship with God. Through him, both blessings and curses come. And in this case, all the calamity that befell the family was because his faithfulness pleased God but angered Satan. It led to God allowing him to be further tested by the devil.

And he is the one who could end their relationship with God. Hence, she was asking her husband to do the ultimate: curse God and let Him kill us out of anger and save us from this miserable life!

 What she might have forgotten because of her deep sorrow was that Yahweh, their God was the true God and not an idol. The idea was that Job should make an end of everything, because by what had happened to them, God had proved to be unworthy of their devotion and worship.

What worse thing could befall them other than what they had suffered?

 It is better to die and end all than to live such a miserable life she must have thought. Anything else but this horrible existence!

Be aware and beware for suffering and pain can do much damage to a believer’s thinking.

So, mind your thinking and words when you are in unpleasant circumstances.

Job’s wife’s words would have had very heavy and devastating impact on Job, even more than whatever Job’s friends might have said to him. She was the closest to Him, the only one after God that he could trust, and rely upon. His long-term confidant. And so, to hear her spoke like she did would ordinarily have deflated Him.

Job’s faith showed forth in dealing with his wife

But he showed that he was really a man of faith as he refused to lash out at her.

Job demonstrated perseverance in His faith and trust in God. But Job’s wife misconstrued his perseverance as possibly religious fanaticism. She might have thought Job was blindly refusing to face the reality of their very desperate situation.

 She showed her bitterness against God by lashing out at her husband. Her action would have been another terrible blow to Job, her husband.

 Notice that, though Job and his wife were unaware of what was going on in the heavenly council: The suggestion of his wife that Job should curse God was exactly what Satan had twice predicted in the presence of God that Job would do if God should allow him to attack Job (Job 1:11; 2:5).

Job cautioned his wife

“But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10).

Her husband, who was in addition to the loss of their children and all their material wealth, was in serious physical sickness responded but not in harsh tone as some would have.

Foolish here means spiritually ignorant or undiscerning of spiritual things. Someone lacking understanding or even the capacity for understanding, implying a willful moral insolence and impudence and disobedience to the law of God. See also Deut. 32:6; Ps 74:18.

Notice that her husband, Job, did not call her foolish. No right-thinking believer should call his wife foolish, neither should the wife her husband. There should be no derogatory language between spouses under any circumstances.

Rather, Job was cautioning his wife. It is as if saying, be careful now. Do not speak like one of the foolish women.

Foolish women here likely referred to the heathen unbelievers around them. Job was cautioning her not to let her situation overwhelmed her to the extent that she would disparage and charge God with error.

Who is the fool?

  • The fool is the one who has said in his heart, that there is no God.
  • The fool is the one who worships idols and other false gods.
  • The fool is the one who claims to be a Christian while living contrary to the word of God, and says it is neither God’s nor the devil’s business.

Brother, sister, how do you speak? Like one of the foolish?

Please, speak as one of the wise ones.

Job’s next statement was framed as a question:

“What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”

It was as if Job was reminding his wife of who she was in God, and their previous blessings from God. By his statement in put to her as a question, Job was not being a fatalist who resigned to the will of an unknown God.

Rather, Job recognised the sovereignty of God over their lives, and indeed, over all of creation. He believed nothing would happen to them except God allowed it. He trusted God so much that despite their terrible situation he continued to believe that God knows all things, and especially in their situation, that God knew what He was doing.

His life is the life of one totally submitted to God. In spite of his own personal pain, he found time to be the pillar of support for his wife. Hence, he was still able to be gracious towards her.

Job remained faithful

Through all his travails Job remained faithful to the only true God.

In all this did not Job sin with his lips:

Try to picture the level of personal agony he must have been in because of his sickness, add to that the loss of all he possessed except his wife. And all friends and relatives had deserted them. He had lost his high status in society. Yet, he refused to charge God with error. Though in serious pain, he did not sin!

Only the true and living God could see a person through what Job and his wife went through and still remain in faith to the Living God.

Observe that this strongly positive affirmation of the God-pleasing character of Job that, “in all this did Job sin not with his lips”:

  • Proved Satan’s prediction wrong: Satan had twice predicted to God that if Job was attacked severely enough, Job would curse God.
  • It also vindicated God’s confidence in Job, and God’s words about Job (Job 1:22, Job 1:8, 11; 2:3, 5).

How would you have fared? Or should I ask how you are faring now? Yes, how are you faring in the face of your challenges and troubles?

  • Brother, sister, how is your relationship with God.
  • In what ways may Satan be challenging your integrity before God?
  • What may the devil be predicting concerning you before God?
  • Will God have such confidence in your integrity or faithfulness if Satan were to argue in the court of heaven that he be allowed to attack you to test your faith in God?
  • If such were to happen, or perhaps, is already happening, how will you respond?
  • Like Job or like Job’s wife? Or like the friends of Job?

Please, this is a serious issue. Do not dismiss it flippantly. As the Word of God counsels, examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith!

Rather than berating God as some would have, Job confidently affirmed that trouble (evil) as well as good come from God. Scripture confirms the same (cf. Eccl. 7:14; Lam 3:38). This is in contrast with the view of most people, including Christians.

Problem is no indication of the absence of God

Many people’s view is that bad things happening means the very existence of God is questionable. For if God truly exists and have all the powers ascribed to Him, everything should just be good, and with the complete absence of evil or trouble.

Many Christians even claim if bad things happen to you, you are either not a true Christian, or have some hidden sin in your life, or you are suffering from the sins of your ancestors or the enemy is just more powerful than God! Many of us still have many friends who are not wiser, and oftentimes worse than Job’s friends. Just be aware!

Have a serious problem is not always an indication that God is not there or that God is angry with that person. We should as fallible human beings be humble enough to admit that we don’t always have the answer as to why bad things happen to people.

Such humility will help us to at least reduce our numerous but often ungodly speculations. It will help us to resist from giving grievous advice like the friends of job in our attempts to sound spiritual while only clutching at powerless finger-piercing straws.

Such humility will help us to the realisation that oftentimes when a person is undergoing suffering or mourning a loss just being there but keeping our mouths shut from speaking unhelpful platitudes is more needful.

Remember the Word of God: Even the hairs on your head are numbered, and you are of much value to God (Mat 10:28-31).

Later, Job affirmed to his friends that he would retain his integrity till death (Job 27:5). Christ was to, much later affirm this principle of openly confessing one’s allegiance to God, and to Christ (Mat 10:32-33). And apparently that was what Job did: He remained openly faithful to God till the end.

Not all are called to be a Job

Job was a human like any, and all of us. I have heard that uncountable times. It is true that Job was a human like us. What is probably not true is to in our zealousness to help to assume that everyone having a serious issue is called to be a Job. It is thus important to recognise that though the destination is the same for all genuine Christians, the race and track for each are different. But whatever the case may be, the LORD gives enough grace to be sustained so that His perfect will takes place.

Indeed, how many of us could have stayed true to God if we were suddenly thrown into Job’s position?

Consider where you are now, and the things you think you are going through:

  • How is your relationship with God?
  • How are you bearing up under the burden if you are carrying any?
  • Could you have gone further than Job’s wife and taken the laws into your hands?

Watch where you look for help

It is natural to seek help when there is a problem. It is better still to have help that can help prevent a problem from taking place. Sometimes, in spite of all the best efforts or even because of the best efforts problem occurs. And the need to seek help arises.

 Please, be careful where you look for help. Do not look for help in places where there is none. There are places that have the appearance of righteousness but are actual citadels of wickedness. Those who go to such places receive no help but are fleeced. They end up spending all their livelihood on wolves in sheep’s clothing and their false promises that profit nothing, and the situation will in all probability get worse like that of the woman with the issue of blood before she met Christ (Mark 5:25-26).

Rather, affirm your faith in the LORD as you seek godly counsel.

Be grateful to God that in His wisdom, not many of us are called by God to be a Job.

Remember, Job’s wife stayed with her husband till the end and they were restored together.

What if there is no evidence of blessing?

Each person has his own idea of what things should be present to indicate the presence and blessings of God. Sometimes, such criteria are man-made and may even not have any support from Scripture. But many still insist on them all the same!

 So, what would you do when you are in that place where though you are a believer in Christ, there is no evidence of God’s presence, and blessing, as in this case of Job?

 How long do you think you will stay true to God before seeking additions, and or alternatives?

 This is especially important in this day of benefits Christianity. We have a deluge of prosperity gospel, instant gratifications, and so-called instant miracles.

Please, it is important to look intently at yourself and sincerely re-evaluate your relationship with the Lord and make necessary adjustment.

While not everyone is called to be a Job and his wife, each of us have our place and time of testing.

Believers respond differently and so, need to grow

Remember that, both husband and wife were believers in God and had walked with God for many years. God had been very good to them. But suddenly as if from thin air, they were both beset with an overwhelming tsunami of calamity, though the husband more so, as he was also physically afflicted in his body.

Both were grieving due to their devastating loss. Yet, their response concerning their faith and trust in God were so different. One possible reason for this may be their different levels of spiritual growth. We must always realise that though we may all be true believers in and followers of Christ, we are all at different levels of spiritual growth. The response of the individual Christian to a situation will be commensurate to that person’s level.

This is not to say some are super spiritual while others are not.

At the base level all are fallible. At the Spirit level all can avail themselves of the help of the Holy Spirit. In-between, each person must make use of the means for spiritual growth that God has graciously provided so that he can grow towards spiritual maturity rather than remaining “babes in Christ” (1Cor 3:1).

Each should strive to get to the level thus described, “14 that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” (Eph. 4:14-15).

As people of faith in God, and followers of Christ, we must have faith and trust in God in both prosperity and adversity, even while we are unable to understand why bad things happen.

Watch for you may not be better than Job’s wife

From the foregoing, we have seen a behaviour that could best be characterised as akin to that found amongst the ungodly and which should to be that of a believer in God.

Job cautioned his wife against anything that could have such appearance in her. It was as if Job, her husband of many years who knew her well warned her to watch herself so as not to fall into the trap of the devil because of her grief.

What will be foolishness on our part as New Testament believers in Christ?

 That calls for serious reflection on your part. This is so you do not find yourself inadvertently manifesting a type of behaviour that ordinarily is a preserve of the ungodly. And who is there to graciously caution you as Job did his wife?

 No excuse for unfaithfulness

What Job’s wife said was unbecoming and bad. She seemed to think that Job had good reason to rebel against God in view of all they had lost. And many us were we in her shoes would have done the same if not worse. Hence, her question, and the following statement. Job, her husband knew and understood her. And he was able to show that he was not serving God for profit.

 New Testament believers have an even more obvious or objective thing to look up to: The suffering and sacrifice of Christ on Calvary on our behalf.

 And because the believer’s sacrifice and persecution cannot be compared to that of Christ, it will be foolish to claim any excuse from not being faithful to God.

 This is not to shy away from the pain and suffering of believers in this world. Such are real and are often devastating. However, as the word of God makes clear, whatever level of suffering and deprivation a believer goes through in this world can never be compared to the glory and blessings that await the believer in the presence of the glorified Christ.

Hence, as a believer in and a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, you should recognise that there is no excuse for being unfaithful to your Saviour and Lord. Rather, ask the Lord for more grace in time of need.

God always have use for His children

God has and will always have use for His children. Job’s wife calling Job, her husband to end it all by cursing God is akin to saying God had no use for them anymore. She was deep in sorrow and grief, with her understanding clouded by her grief. She was wearied and tired and she seemed not to have the strength nor the will to want to continue to live.

She therefore looked for the quickest way to end it all: There was no point to continue to live a miserable existence. “Let us make God angry so He can kill us” she might have thought.

Thankfully, God is not man. He is too powerful, long-suffering and merciful to act precipitately or irrationally. But Job, her husband was an example of patience in the face of adversity.

 Job’s faith should challenge you and me and indeed, all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. For as in the case of Job whom God used to confound and silence Satan, God still wants to use His children for His glory in the way and by the means He chooses at His appointed time. It is therefore unreasonable and possibly foolish to think that because of being in adversity, God has no further use for us.

 Never let adversity make you forget the goodness of God

Job’s reply to his wife showed that though his anguish was intense, he still remembered the goodness of God. God had been good to them with all they enjoyed in the past.

 Though one’s circumstances could change dramatically, God never changes. God is always good even when our personal circumstances wants us to think otherwise.

 And as New Testament believers, God has and continues to demonstrate His love for us through salvation, daily provision, protection, and good promises for the future. It is therefore foolish to forget the goodness of God when we have problems or challenges that are not easy to resolve.

 As I often encourage us, you should never question what God had spoken or given to you in your steady state when trouble or difficulties come. God is always good and true.

Do remember:

  • Satan will do his best to make you charge God with error.
  • Satan will come, and especially at periods of vulnerability:
    • He will try to sow doubt.
    • He will try to tempt us with foolish questions.
    • He will try to make us draw foolish conclusions from incomplete and corrupt information.
    • And he will try to urge us to urgent precipitate and unwise actions that could make our situation worse if not irredeemable.

 But never forget who you are in the Lord, neither forget whom your Lord over your life: God not Satan. So, whatever the circumstances may be, we should remember who we are: Job never forgot who he was. Job never forgot who God was for knew he had a living, all-powerful redeemer (Job 19:25). Though his current situation was terrible, Job knew his future was bright (Job 19:25-27).

 We the New Testament believers have our future in the hands of Christ. This is a surer promise of bright future based upon His finished work on the cross. Therefore, we should be careful that our walk or anything in us does not portray us as one of the ungodly around us.

There is a possibility this could happen. Hence, the need for more grace in time of need. Determine not to allow any circumstances to cause to appear as a fool before God.

 Are you getting weary? Are you becoming discouraged? Does your situation seem overwhelming? It can happen. But please ask the Lord for grace to help in time of your need.

 The LORD will always supply enough grace for the circumstances He allows in your life. He did it for Job and his wife. He did it for our Lord Jesus Christ in Calvary.

 He is still on the throne and reigns sovereignly over ALL: the visible, the invisible, the known and the unknown of ALL He created. You are of much value to Him. He will do it for you too. Just ask and believe.

So far so good for the believer in Christ, the child of the living God. God ever watches over all His children.

But what if you are not yet a believer in Christ?

Please understand that the above concerns the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They can with the help of the Holy Spirit and the written word of God, and a humble spirit be able to be obedient to God, even in the worst of circumstances. This is because what God demands of His people can only be done with the help of God who superintends the lives of His people.

 So, if you are not yet a believer in Christ, if Jesus Christ is not yet your Saviour and Lord, the above may sound to you as unreal or a fairy tale. But I assure you it is real and not a fairy tale. And better still, you can come in and have what genuine believers in Christ have.

 How?

 By becoming a born-again child of God:

Accept God’s verdict concerning human beings:

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

That is, in the opinion of God, we all fall short of His standard. Further, our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in hell.

But while we are still in our sin, God took the initiative to reconcile us with Himself as we are told:

“But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Yes, while we were all still in our sin, God showed His love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). So, all we need to do is to accept that Christ has died for our sin by standing in place of us.

We do this by doing what the word of God commands all would-be believers:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Everyone who appropriates the sacrifice of Christ is acceptable to Him. And He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So, I encourage you to appropriate the finished work of Christ and confess Him as your Saviour and Lord NOW!

I prayer that God will accept you into His household through Christ in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Salvation, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

Do You Know That You Are a Double Portion Treasure to God?  0

 September 23, 2019  

O yes, believers in Christ are double treasures of God though not many speak in such terms about man and God.

 

When humans talk of and about treasure, something that they value much, its often centred on some material physical item: a piece of real estate, gold bullion tucked away safely somewhere, some newly acquired exotic gadget or other such things that people are wont to put a premium upon.

 

Earthly treasure is so close to the heart most people that secure storage of treasures is a booming industry. But all such treasures have one thing in common, they are restricted to the earth and cannot be taken along when their owners exit this earth.

 

But from the perspective of God, there are more enduring treasures. No, this is not another piece to berate prosperity and those intoxicated by its acquisition at any and all costs. From the point of view of God man himself is the treasure. Yes, read that right, man himself is the treasure. Come along with me and see.

 

Be humble before Him but do not insult God

It is expected and it is good to be humble before God. It is also important to reflect humility in our everyday interaction with fellow human beings. Such humility before God should be genuine and not be for eye-service, to curry favour, to flatter or hypocritical for I real terms God can neither be mocked nor deceived. God sees through all human facades and masks of deception. But such humility should not be to the extreme where a genuine believer in Christ considers himself worthless in the sight of God.

 

God is infinite, omnipresent, omniscience and omnipotent. God is way, way higher than man by an unbridgeable very long mile. Though believers are precious to Him, they still are his creation which is inferior to Him in everything.

 

There are those who think and claim that they are worthless before God. They claim there is nothing worthy of God’s attention in their life. Such attitude and thinking may sound like humility but in reality, it is another subtle way of insulting God.

 

At the other extreme are those who claim to be sinless because Christ has paid for their sins. They claim they are very important to God. In fact, so important to God that God cannot do anything without them. Some amongst such people have even gone so far as to say that God cannot do anything on earth without asking for their permission.

 

Neither of these two extremes are biblical but are men speaking from their wrong perceptions of their relationship with God. One from confusion and error as to what is humility before God. The other out of the pride of his haughty heart.

 

What is clear is that the Almighty God is so high and lofty compared to man that the right-thinking person cannot but humbly pay homage to the majesty of God.

 

It is the acknowledgement of the infiniteness and majesty of God with the corresponding worship that comes from a grateful and obedient heart that is humility before God, and not some self-denigrating eye-service bowing down like a bulrush done in a so-call place of worship while the heart of such remain deviant to God.

 

Understanding what humility is then prepares us to accept what God calls us who belong to Him without getting puffed up with pride that goes before a fall. Rather than pride, the child of God recognising the enormity of what God has done for him, knowing he can never repay bows down from a heart filled with gratitude in humble adoration of such a loving, merciful God who is mighty to save!

 

Who do you think you are?

  • How would you answer the question, “Who do you think you are?”
  • Is your answer from human or God’s perspective?
  • Does your warped understanding of humility make you to denigrate what God says He made with purpose and wonderfully?

 

Think then answer this question: “Would you spend your all to obtain something you consider worthless or valueless?” Though you are just a human being I doubt if you will knowingly make any serious effort to acquire something that will be worthless to you.

 

So, if you, a mere man with all your proneness to wickedness will not make effort to acquire something you know will be worthless to you, why do you think the Almighty, All-knowing God expend much effort to reclaim man for Himself, if as some say, man is worthless to God?

 

Who is God?

 

But who is this God?

 

Though, man can have a general idea and knowledge about God through His creation, the more important and specific information about God can only be obtained by God revealing to man what He wants man to know. Hence, the specifics we can know of God is revealed in His written Word: The Holy Bible.

 

  • There is only one God (Deut. 6:4; 1Cor 8:4-6).
  • He is the only living and true God (1Thess 1:9; Jer. 10:10).
  • God is infinite in being and perfection (Job 11:7-9, 26:14).
  • God is the creator of all things visible and invisible, known and unknown to man (Gen 1:1).

 

God chose to create when He needed not to. No one compelled Him to create neither was there any with enough wisdom to give Him advice. He created as He desired to create.

 

Down the line many millennia into His creation, a sequel to the prior call of Abraham, their ancestor and founder of the ethic people-group (Gen 12:1-3), God chose Israel to be his possession, a special people to himself (Ex 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6; Ps 135:4), not because of any merit they have over other people-groups for God himself spoke concerning his election of them thus,

 

  • “7The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:7-8). See also 9:6).

 

And we are told further,

 

  • “4For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, And Israel for his peculiar treasure. 5For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. 6Whatsoever the Lord pleased, That did he in heaven, and in earth, In the seas, and all deep places.” (Ps 135:4-6).

 

God is not under any obligation to explain His actions or state His motive for He is most free (Ps 115:3). But though invisible and eternal (1Tim 1:17), He chose to speak and to reveal things that can only be known by revelation, especially those that are of benefit to His intelligent creation.

 

God has always taken the initiative. And whatever He starts He follows through to completion.

 

And so as in the Old Testament period, God acted similarly in the New Testament. Hence, the New Testament believers in Christ are chosen by God as His own possession. No believer in Christ has done anything to merit or to qualify for predestination and call (cf. Rom 8:29-30; 1Thess 1:4; 2Pet 1:10).

 

Some of the attributes of God

Though the pages of Holy Scripture abound with copious details of the majesty of our God, many believers still lack the right perception of God in their heart.

 

Hence, it is worth repeating some of the attributes of God as revealed to us in Holy Scripture, and perchance, you that is reading this may be helped further in your journey of faith:

  • Our God is the only creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1);
  • The God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is our God and He is the only true and living God (Deut. 6:4; Jer. 10:10; 1Cor 8:4-6; 1Thess 1:9);
  • Our God is invisible, infinite in being and perfection (Job 11:7-9, 26:14; 1Tim 1:17);
  • Our God is immutable, immense and eternal (Jam 1:17; Mal 3:6; 1Kgs 8:27; Jer. 23:23-24; Ps 90:2; 1Tim 1:17);
  • Our God sustains his creation and redeems as He pleases (Rom 8:29; 11:36; Heb. 1:3);
  • Our God is great (Ps 135:5);
  • Our God rules sovereignly over the whole universe (Ps 135:6), and so, He does whatever He pleases in and with His creation;
  • The word of our God is all-encompassing and comprehensively powerful (Ps 19:7-11).
  • God Himself speaks, about Himself,

 

“I, even I, am the Lord; And beside me there is no saviour.” (Isa 43:11).

 

And further,

 

“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, And his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; And besides me there is no God.” (Isa 44:6).

 

The advent of man

God reveals to us in the Holy Scripture that He spoke His creation into existence. But there is one element of His creation whose existence seemed to have involved more than the spoken word: the creation of man.

 

Scripture informs us that God took the initiative, that creating man was a deliberated action by God.

 

There apparently was a sort of council meeting concerning the creation of man. Human beings did not just happen to be as in,

 

“Let there be…, Let the waters…, Let the earth….” (Gen 1:3-25)

 

as was the case concerning plant and animal life. Man is not a product of evolution that evolved from some low-level creature.

 

Rather, the need for the existence of mankind was discussed as we are informed,

 

“And God said, Let us make man in our image….” (Gen 1:26).

 

Hence, mankind came into existence by the deliberate and thoughtful creative act of the Almighty God:

 

  • “26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Gen 1:26-27).

 

Our God created man out of love. God made man wonderfully (Ps 139:14), and with the capacity to relate to Him. God created man for the fellowship and worship of Himself as his creator-God.

 

We are told that God deliberately and need I say, joyful fellowshipped with man before the fall:

 

“the LORD God walked in the garden in the cool of the day….And the LORD God called…“Where art thou?”” (Gen 3:8-9).

 

The fellowship with man as God intended was soon interrupted by the devil luring man into sin. But it was man who listened to the devil and disobeyed God (Gen 3). And man has continued in sin and rebellion against God since.

 

God could have easily replaced both Adam and Eve with another set of beings. But He did not, not for want of capacity, for He was willing and ready to replace the Israelites with a new people-group through Moses (Ex 32:10).

 

Rather, God chose to save them because of His love and the much value He placed on man.

 

Further, no one of the creatures of God can be allowed to stop His plan for man. So, God decided to redeem man.

 

What do you think you are worth in gold, diamond or any other precious stone?

 

The means by which you were redeemed will give you a good idea of your worth in the sight of God.

 

If someone was to surreptitiously acquire your precious treasure, to what length would you go to redeem that your precious treasure?

 

Well, God went all the way to reclaim and redeem His precious treasure, man that He had created in His own image (Gen 1:26-27).

 

So, God loved man. Put another way, man is God’s treasure.

 

Naturally, God’s heart was on earth because God’s treasure, man is on earth.

 

[[Scientists tell us that the earth is one of the smallest of the smallest planets. If this is true, the question needs be asked: “Why is God focused on earth, one of the smallest of his planetary creation?” This answer will not be farfetched if I say God is focused on the earth because that is where God’s treasure is. That treasure is man.

 

Remember, God gave the earth to man,

 

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: But the earth hath he given to the children of men.” (Ps 115:16). To buttress this point, remember that God first created all that man would require for his existence (Gen 1:1-25), before He created man.

 

And remember, the truth spoken by our Lord when he said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart will also.” (Mat 6:21).

 

I venture to say the Lord might have been speaking from experience. He knew how much the Father’s heart was on earth and how much He Himself could hardly wait to come down to earth to overcome the strong man the devil and retrieve man, the treasure of God that he stole.

 

Still in doubt?

 

Then tell me, “Why did the Lord of Glory divested himself of his glory to come to planet earth and not to Jupiter, mars or any of these other planets named by man?”

 

Well I say, it can only mean one thing: “Because of His treasure, which is man, is here on earth!”

 

Remember, He came to seek and save that which was lost,

 

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10).

 

Man was the lost treasure of God, stolen by the devil if you like, that Christ came to save.

 

And God needed to do something about His treasure on earth that has been corrupted and taken over by the devil through sin. God needed to redeem His treasure.

 

But, by what means would man be redeemed that will meet the standard demanded by the love, justice and integrity of God?

 

Jesus Christ the Lord of glory

The Lord Jesus Christ was there with His Father in the beginning. He carried out the creation and so knew the purpose and will of His Father for man (Gen 1:1, 26-28; John 1:1-4). He knew man is God’s peculiar treasure. He loved man and loved His Father even more. He knew His Father’s heart was on earth with His treasure, man (Mat 6:21).

 

The Father desired to reclaim, He desired the reconciliation of and the reestablishment of the broken relationship with man. Hence, God took the initiative: He set the price of reconciliation. His loving son volunteered to pay the set price.

 

Apparently, the devil and his cohorts were not in on the arrangement between Father and Son concerning His treasure. Hence, we told of,

 

“7…the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Cor 2:7-8).

 

The Lord Jesus Christ knew about the existing problem of the devil.

 

He said,

 

“10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11).

 

The Lord came in flesh through a virgin birth. He grew up in obscurity though He was of the royal lineage of David for at the time of His birth, the glory had departed and there was only a stump remaining in the stem of Jesse.

 

When He was about 30 years of age in His earthly, fleshly existence, the previously latent and clandestine battles with the kingdom of darkness broke out into the open.

 

The enemy wasted no time in seeking and obtaining the support of the cultural, religious and later, governmental leaders and systems to ensure victory for himself. All the devil needed was to present his own agenda and methods of achieving such in a way these his cohorts believed them as their own, and he was home and dry. Or so he thought.

 

The Ministry of Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus gathered some common members of the community and went about teaching them about the kingdom of heaven and what He was about. The enemy must have thought He was beside Himself. For to the devil it would have made more sense and with success guaranteed to go through established, well-oiled system corrupt men and wicked devil than to start something new in a very hostile environment with recruits not used to the established order.

 

However, Christ was undeterred because He knew His purpose and His calling in life!

Do you know your purpose and calling in life?

 

Man was redeemed with God’s best, His only begotten Son,

 

“even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mat 20:28).

 

The Lord further said, “this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mat 26:28).

 

The devil executed all his repertoire of wills, devices and all else he was capable of, but the Lord came out victorious and in power (Mat 28:18-20).

 

But the devil is under restraint

And so, please remember, left on his own the devil wants to supplant God and failing that, to destroy man as a way of hurting God if that were possible. But is under constraints placed by God. Hence, the devil cannot do all the evil he is capable of doing nor all the evil he wants to do. The devil can only perform with the limit God allows (Job 1:12, 2:6; John 7:30, 8:20).

 

So, we are informed too concerning believers,

 

“being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1Pet 1:23);

 

Christ is the propitiation for the sins of all believers including you (1John 2:2). Christ purchased you with His own blood (Acts 20:28);

 

“who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Tit 2:14);

 

Hence, if you have been saved, you do not belong to yourself but to Christ,

 

“19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1Cor 6:19-20. Also see Gal 3:13; 1Pet 1:18-19; Acts 20:28).

 

Then comes the gospel

The men later described as being perceived by Annas the high priest and his kindred to be unlearned and ignorant (Acts 4:6, 13), proved they were the right choices for the Ultimate Teacher and Builder, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the apostles and their foundational pioneering work (Eph. 3:20), the Holy Spirit working through them, the Biblical Christian Faith was birthed.

 

And so, the world continues to witness the presence and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16), even till today. But remember, they started in earnest after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

 

The vessel, the first treasure (2Cor 4:7)                                                                                            

The believer in Christ, himself a treasure of God, carries the gospel of Christ, another treasure of God.

 

God Himself choses and prepares His vessels. The first step is usually the salvation of the would-be vessel. The vessel accepts the gospel and confesses Christ as Saviour and Lord. The useable vessel must be clean, empty and available for service.

 

Hence, the believer in Christ must seek to become

  • “a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2Tim 2:21).

 

Believers in Christ are vessels that God uses. We are earthen vessels so that we will depend on the power of God and not our own in the propagation of the gospel. The jars of clay are inexpensive, brittle and easily broken. This illustrates the truth that the power released through the preaching of the gospel is from God and not from the believers who are the earthen vessels preaching the gospel.

 

Within the earthen vessel is a treasure, a second treasure.

Within the earthen vessels, the believers in Christ is the gospel, another treasure of God. Hence, a treasure carrying another treasure. As long as the vessel guards the treasure, God would guard the vessel. Believers in Christ must focus on the treasure and not the vessel, and on the master and not on the servant.

 

One way for believers in Christ not to give up in the face of serious challenges is by remembering that we are privileged to have the treasure of the Gospel in us who are though vessels of clay are precious to God too!

 

The enemy fights both the gospel, the invisible treasure and the vessel, the visible human treasure, that carries it (2Cor 4:4). Having failed woefully at Calvary, the enemy now directed and continues to direct the full power of his weaponry against the gospel. This he does by multi-prong attacks.

 

The devil fights against the gospel and believers in Christ through planting and sustaining false religions, philosophies, false teachers and prophets. He also works directly on the unbeliever by blinding the mind of the people as we are told,

 

“the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them.” (2Cor 4:4).

 

The battle has continued till this day as the gospel continues to be veiled from the perishing even today.

 

The sun is always shining though it may not always seem so as we may not see it all the time because it is obscured by other things between it and us.

 

Similarly, the light of the gospel is always shining. God is always seeking to shine its light into the hearts of men in every era and very culture. But the devil puts various barriers between the lost sinners and God.

 

These barriers include love of the world and the things in it over and above God, rebellion against God and everything God stands for, pride that demands self-worship and worship by others, self-righteousness or any number of several other obstacles. They all serve often effectively to hinder the light of the gospel from shining for the enemy simply does not want those who are lost to be saved.

 

 

Again, the treasures are:

  • First Treasure is the vessel which is you the believer in Christ.
  • The Second Treasure is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor 4:6), that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

The gospel illustrated by comparison with creation as described in Genesis

When the sinner hears the preaching of the gospel, when a believer in Christ shares the good news of the gospel with an unbeliever, the light begins to shine. Like the earth of Gen 1:2, the lost sinner is formless, empty and in darkness.

 

As the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, the Holy Spirit moves upon the heart of the person hearing, just as He moved on the face of the deep at the original creation. Then light shines into the heart of this person showing him that he is guilty sinner who needs a Saviour.

 

As the material creation in Genesis began with light, so also does the spiritual creation begin with light. Through the gospel light God shines in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, then spiritual life begins.

 

The believer in Christ is precious to God

 

God sent His only begotten Son to die for you while you were still in your sins. This was because you are valuable to God. Though you may not have adequate knowledge as to your value to God, it is clear that He loves you and decided to save you. Nothing can be plainer that what Christ said,

 

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10).

 

And,

 

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44).

 

And further,

 

“37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40);

 

  • Are you a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ?
  • Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Saviour and your Lord?

 

If yes, then you are doubly precious to the living God. You are God’s treasure and you carry another treasure of God.

 

“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” (Luke 15:7, 10).

 

There is joy because it is a good and God-glorifying thing each time a sinner repents. Remember, you were once a sinner. Which means there was joy in heaven when you repented and were saved.

 

Each person saved is another manifestation of the victory of Christ on the cross over the devil and his kingdom of darkness. A resounding defeat for the devil and his cohorts.

 

And further, if the death of His saint matters to God, “Precious in the sight of the Lord

Is the death of his saints.” (Ps 116:15), then His saints are important to Him.

 

 

This knowledge should humble the true believer in Christ. Especially when you realise that you have not done anything special or important to warrant such love from God.

 

God has refused to give up on man

Many derogatory things are said about man and the devil many of which are true. God himself says many unsavoury things about man and God will never lie. Yet, all these unpalatable attributes have never been able to discourage God from doing everything possible to save man.  

 

And we are informed that God’s determination to save was not an after-thought but a deliberate act,

 

  • “4according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (Eph. 1:4-5).

 

Thus when a person believes in Christ and is saved the sinner becomes a new creation (2Cor 5:17). As the new believer in Christ begins to be transformed by the Holy Spirit through the instrument of the word of God, he begins to be productive and fruitful.

 

The light of the gospel does not shine in your heart simply to give you knowledge of salvation. You are not the end of your blessings.

 

Rather, as a new believer in Christ, God expects you to be a new channel through which the gospel will get to others. Put another way, you are blessed so you might be a blessing to others. As a believer in Christ you become another instrument in the repertoire of God to reach other human beings for God.

 

The gospel is the good news of Christ in glory. Christ has triumphed on the cross over the forces of evil. This is the Lord Jesus Christ who came to seek and save that which was lost. He died on the cross, was buried, He rose from the dead on the third day, showed Himself to His apostles, ascended into heaven and He is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven.

 

The glorified Son of God is the object of every true believer’s faith. He is coming back again but this time in power and glory.

 

We (believers in Christ) are truly a double portion treasure in the sight of the Lord. A jewel of inestimable value. Thus He offered His highest and best for you on Calvary in the person of His only begotten son. The Son offered His life so that He might have you as a co-heir.

 

This knowledge should humble you and indeed humble every true believer. You should not be puffed up as some do.

 

Remember, you have no credentials to present to God other than the righteousness of His Son which has been imputed into your account. God and His Son did everything for you. Therefore, as you begin to understand this knowledge re-dedicate your life to the service of the LORD out of a grateful heart.

 

Begin to seek to make His glory shine through you to others. You should begin to serve now out of love, gratitude and referential fear for who He is and what He has done for you and not from the fear of going to hell. God’s perfect love casts out fear.

 

You are the light in the midst of the darkness around your environment. Begin to shine and let others see the glory of God over your life!

 

To the unbeliever

The above piece about being a double treasure to God refers to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have made peace with God through Christ are commonly referred to as being born-again.

 

But what if you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! What if you are yet to be saved? Then you are still at enmity with God and are yet outside of the circle of the people of God.

 

But God in His mercy has made provision for you too. God says you should repent and come back to Him. He is willing and waiting to forgive you and take you back to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.

So, you should act fast and NOW: Repent, that is, change your mind about what you think of God, Christ, sin and the purpose in life.

 

Wondering, “how do I become born again?”

 

The Holy Scriptures say that:

  1. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

This means that in God’s opinion, we fall short of His standard.

 

  1. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in Hell.

 

  1. “But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Even in our sin, God continued to show us His love and demonstrated this love by sending his Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. He thus gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16).

 

  1. There is only One step that must be taken:
  2. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10).

 

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

 

All that appropriate the sacrifice of Christ are acceptable to Him. For He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30).

 

Why don’t you confess the Lord Jesus Christ NOW?

 

Please, do not reject that invitation as you do not know when you will be called by God to give account of your life!!!

 

I pray that you will take the necessary step towards the Lord and God will accept you in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Salvation, Uncategorized

God is Big Enough, but Who is He to You?  0

 July 28, 2019  

Every person engages in various activities of daily living. The core thing that drives most people is that their needs and desires be met. They had decided what they wanted out of life, and then tailored their endeavours towards achieving it.

 

Things would seem well and good until challenges or difficulties arise. The young person leaves school all pumped up thinking the world is at his feet. “I will be a big success within a short time” he says to himself. But he soon discovers that life is not as easy as he thinks.

 

The point is when things are not going as you expect, where do you go? Who do you turn to?

 

Naturally when people want or need help, they look for someone they think has the capacity to meet that need.

 

  • So, when they need some loan, they go to a money lender.
  • If it is housing, to the estate agent they go.
  • They need treatment for an ailment, they go to a GP clinic, etc.
  • There will usually be terms & conditions to be met for such a need to be met.

 

In all your actions, you will usually act according to your faith in and relationship with God.

 

Oftentimes, you think of the physical helps and networks around you. It is when these begin to fail to meet your expectations that you seem to think of God, and in a half-hearted manner.

 

Part of the problem is that when in need, the place some believer in Christ should go first is the place they go last. This is an indication of what or whom they think God is. If you are a believer in Christ and this reflects your situation, you are not alone. You are not the first to be in this situation, and in all probability, you will not be the last.

 

However, there is much believers in Christ can learn from the experiences of the people of God in the kingdom of Judah. We shall look at a particular event in their live and see what we can glean from it. This would be especially encouraging as even in our day many people of God continue to behave in many ways that are similar to the Israelites of old.

 

A family of God that went astray

God picked a family and brought them near to himself. He multiplied this family turning them into a nation made up of people peculiar and special to himself. He gave them the details of how to approach and worship him. He gave them law and instructions on how to live their lives in a way to please him. He gave promises of protection, provision, progress and promised never to forsake them. They demanded for a king. He set up kings over them thus making them a kingdom unto himself.

 

However, in spite of all that God did for them and to them and all the warnings, they gradually drifted away from God.

 

The people had become so idolatrous and gone after many of the Gods of the surrounding nations, that on many fronts, they were worse than the nations God used them to replace in the promised land. Both the leaders and the people were full of wickedness, and ungodliness including sacrificing their children to false gods. Injustice, violence, and all manners of evil were rampant.

 

The faithful who never leaves his own

It was so bad, that, despite the reforms that one their kings who was zealous for God (King Hezekiah) carried out (2Chr 29:1-31:21), God had decided He had had enough. He was Going to judge them severely.

 

Right now, under king Hezekiah, they were under siege from the most powerful army of the time, the Assyrian army (2Kgs 18:1-37). So, the prophet Isaiah was himself wearied and discouraged because of the terrible things that they were doing.

 

But though, God was going to punish His people, He gave them hope for the future as can be seen in Isaiah 40:12-31.

 

In the midst of their distressing situation and despite their apostasy God was not going to abandoned them to be completely destroyed. They were going to be chastened but not unto perdition. While not letting them go unpunished, God was not going to make an end of them.

 

That nation was the kingdom of Judah.

 

It is still the same God

The same word that God sent to the people of the kingdom of Judah to give them hope in the midst of their trouble and the impending invasion can also give believers in Christ hope today.

 

The people of Judah faced a ferocious army that was intent on doing them maximum damage. Today, many believers in Christ, and in many places, the church of Christ as a group are similarly surrounded by enemies that are intent on doing them maximum damage. But unlike the people of Judah, the believers in Christ are fighting a multi-front war. The world of the ungodly and wicked encircles and threatens to strangle the believer. The battle can often be so fierce that the believer may become weary or even want to give in to the wicked.

 

But our God is on the throne with all the power and love to take care of every one of his children. And this is what we want to remind the believers in Christ of and for them to therefore be encouraged in whatever circumstances they may find themselves.

 

Whatever your situation God is there

  • Are you burdened by the terrible situation of the church?
  • Are your burdened by the level of the wickedness you hear about every day?
  • Like Lot is Sodom, is your spirit grieved by the horrendous disregard for God in almost anywhere you look today?
  • Are you being persecuted for your faith in Christ?
  • Do you feel overwhelmed by your personal situation?

 

Take heart child of God. Your heavenly Father is still on the throne. He knows you. He knows what he is going to do concerning you. And he is never late.

 

But who is God to you?

With God being on our side, his children, we have hope.

But this question needs to be asked and you should answer it sincerely and to the best of your ability: “Who is God to you?”

 

This is very important because the answer could be the reason for your situation and provide the way out at the same time.

When the Lord Jesus Christ asked a similar question of his disciples of what people said he was, there were numerous responses. But when he personalised the question, directing in specifically to his disciples, “…But whom say ye that I am?” (Mat 16:15), there was pin-drop silence. Only one could respond appropriately after a long silence (Mat 16:13-16).

 

As it was then, it is still the same today: It is not what others make of the Lord but what you who claim to be a Christian make of him that determines how you relate to him. And so, the question, “Who is God to you?” or put another way, “Whom do you take God to be to you?”. It is your view of God that underlies how you live your life.

 

Our God is the Almighty

Again, take a reflective look at Isaiah 40:12-31. This is just a snapshot of the numerous passages of Scripture that speak of the majesty of God. As you reflect on that passage observe and mediate on some of the attributes of our God. There is no better place to learn about our God than from the testimony of his word. Though much of this passage is in poetic and figurative language, this is describing our God and some of his actions in terms that we can understand.

 

To help you in your meditation, here are some points that can be inferred from this passage among other things and that you may use as starters:

 

  • God is one and self-existing
  • God unchanging
  • God’s power is unsurpassed (Isaiah 40:27-28).
  • God alone creates and his capacity to create is unsurpassed (Isaiah 40:21-22).
  • God measures all, but he himself is beyond all measure (Isaiah 40:12).
  • God alone has perfect Knowledge, knows all things perfectly, and is absolutely independent (Isaiah 40:13-14).
  • God alone is the righteous judge
  • God’s creation is vast, much beyond what any man can see or know (Isaiah 40:15-17, Dan 4:35).
  • God is higher than any man-made or devil-inspired rival (Isaiah 40:25-26).
  • God is incomparable to any of His creations and any man-made improvisations (Isaiah 40:18-20).
  • God alone promotes and demotes (Isaiah 40:23-24).
  • God gives power to achieve (Isaiah 40:29-31).

 

God is a self-existing. His creation exists because of Him. God owns His own existence to no one, but Himself. He knows all things perfectly, and is therefore, the righteous judge.

 

Idolatry

Yet some still dare to turn their backs on such a God! They turn to idols and false worship of false gods and in some cases, demons. The level of effort and expense they go through to procure these worthless idols shows how depraved they had become.

 

Idolatry did not end with the Israelites nor with the coming of Christ. Idolatry is not just bowing down to a wooden or golden statute and other such things. So, before you absolve yourself from being an idol worshipper claiming that you have no statue you bow down to hear this: Idolatry includes the giving of the worship and reference due to God, to creatures of God.

 

Each time a person thinks a more powerful being other than the true God directs him to comfort you, you may be putting that creature in the creator’s place. It does not matter whether in the face of a formidable army, well-stored magazines, a small circle of friends, or an income, it is idolatry if it is receiving that which is due only to God from you.

 

Remember, your idol or false god could be the devil and the numerous entities that front for him in the affairs of the world, you job, your spouse, your child, fulfilling your lust, and any number of other things people devote their lives to. This is what the Israelites were guilty of on numerous occasions. God had to eventually put a stop to it by sending them into captivity in Babylon.

 

Beware of personal pride

As the saying goes, pride goes before a fall. But common as that saying is, how many do the necessary self-examination to avoid it? Better than popular opinion is what the word of says of pride.

 

Here is a sampling,

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.” (Pro 11:2); and

 

“Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Pro 16:18).

 

Please, never think that you are so faithful and committed to the LORD that you are beyond idolatry or cannot be ensnared. Such thoughts could be a sign of pride and could lead you to lowering your guard against falling victim to the worship of false gods.

 

Remember, the Israelites were people of God and many amongst them were committed and faithful to God. Yet they fell.

 

While His creatures come from nothing: He calls things from nothingness into existence, makes things in existence into nothingness.

 

Do not allow your personal situation to re-interpret the Word of God for you. What you received and believed in the light and when you were in the steady state, do not begin to doubt in the hours of darkness when you are prone to stumble.

 

Rather, examine yourself appropriately and regularly. Get yourself established and rooted in the word of God and personal relationship with his Holy Spirit. When in crisis, and in desperate situation, some claim that their ways are hidden from God or that God is no more interest in them.

 

But God is always the one in sole charge and the arbiter of all events. When you have Scriptural view of God and a heart that loves him you will be less prone to error or being deceived.

 

Some pertinent questions:

  • But you the believer in Christ, what is your response when you are faced with some situation that is serious or even desperate?
  • Who or where do you turn to?
  • What type of help are ready to accept in such a situation?
  • Do you think or assume that the end justifies the means irrespective of what you know of God?

 

You cannot run away from problem for God has not put you in a cocoon isolating you from life challenges. God’s word even says that,

 

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13).

 

So, you, a Christian, what do you do when you face a challenge or problem that does not lend itself to an easy or quick solution?

 

Check yourself, for you may be unknowingly committing a form idolatry.

 

Our God never changes

Again, remember and take this to heart:

 

Believers in Christ should have comfort from God’s attributes or character. Our God measures all but is beyond all measure Himself. Even the waters, the heavens, the mountains, and the dust of the earth, He created precisely to His perfect satisfaction.

 

God alone has perfect Knowledge. No one ever directed the Spirit of God, nor ever will be. His capacity to create is unsurpassed. Yes, his creation is vast, much beyond what any man can know or see. Yet, are insignificant in His sight

 

Our God is incomparable to any of His creations, any man-made improvisations. He is higher than any man-made rival. No man-made image could ever portray such a great God.

 

His power is unsurpassed, and God gives power to achieve. He alone promotes and demotes. Our God alone can deliver.

 

Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. This is letting the people of Judah who were at that time discouraged, and possibly thinking, God does not care anymore, to let them know God still cared for them. God never leaves, nor forsakes His own (Heb. 13:5).

 

You belong to God!

To crown it all: This is the God that calls you his own! Should this be motivation and encouragement enough for you to be able to persist and overcome even the preset storm?

 

It is those who put their hope in the Almighty God that will keep going, even when it seems humanly speaking, it is impossible. Do not judge by what you see or feel alone, but by the word of God. God is with you always. So, take God at His word from this moment on.

 

I pray that the LORD will quickly come to your aid in the Name of Jesus.

 

The unbeliever

But this has been about the people of God, especially in our time, the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you are yet an unbeliever and you are asking, “How do I come in seeing I do not yet know Christ?”

What if Christ is not yet your Saviour? What if you are not yet born of the Spirit? Then the above does not yet apply to you. You are yet outside the fold of the people of God, the believers in Christ.

 

But there is a way out for God has made provision for you too. O yes, God created you. So, he knows you more than you know yourself! God knew you were going to get to this point and he therefore made provision for you.

 

How?

 

By becoming a born-again child of God as demanded and provided for by God:

 

The invitation has gone out to all human beings including you reading this piece.

 

Accept God’s verdict concerning human beings:

 

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

 

That is, in the opinion of God, we all fall short of His standard. Further, our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in hell.

 

But while we are still in our sin, God took the initiative to reconcile us with Himself as we are told:

 

“But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

 

Yes, while we were all still in our sin, God showed His love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). So, all we need to do is to accept that Christ has died for our sin by standing in place of us.

 

We do this by doing what the word of God commands all would-be believers:

 

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

 

Everyone who appropriates the sacrifice of Christ is acceptable to Him. And He Himself extended the invitation to all:

 

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

 

So, I encourage you to appropriate the finished work of Christ and confess Him as your Saviour and Lord NOW!

 

I prayer that God will accept you into His household through Christ in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Salvation, Uncategorized

Be Honest With God For Your Own Good  0

 June 26, 2019  

In everyday interaction and activities, many put much premium on honesty. They desire that others show themselves to be reliable. But oftentimes, the one demanding honesty in others, are not eager to offer sincerity of purpose to those they interact with. This is a double standard which many seem not to give much thought to.

 

The unfortunate thing is that because many seem to get away with their dishonesty amongst humans, they extend it to God. Even, believers in Christ whom one would expect to know better are frequently fraudulent in their relationship with God. This should not be so.

 

The commandments of God demonstrate His wisdom and His love for us. It is in our best interest and for our good to obey them. And so, like many other things God expects or demands of us, to be honest with God is for our own good.

And this piece is offered prayerfully as a timely reminder, and exhortation to believers in Christ to from now, “Be honest with God for your own good.”

 

There is no better place to get encouragement to be sincere in our relationship with the LORD other than the word of God, the Holy Bible. And to the Holy Bible we turn now.

  

We are told concerning God and His word in no uncertain terms. Numerous passages of Scripture give testimony of God and His word. Hear what one of such passages of the Holy Scripture says,

 

“12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

 

In Hebrews chapters 3 and 4, we are first informed of the failure of Israel and the reason for their failure (Heb. 3:7-4:13). In the concluding part of the section (Heb. 4:12-13), New Testament believers are now warned to avoid the error of the Israelites.

 

Let us first have a look at the passage. In both these verses, the language is couched in a manner that man can understand. There is metaphor, and even human parts are ascribed to God though God is a Spirit. For we are specifically informed that, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24).

 

“12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

For: Connects this verse and the next with verse 11, and thus shows the reason why the believers should seek to enter God’s rest. This verse tells us much about the word of God that we do well to note and seriously take to heart for our own good. This is especially important for those who claim to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The word of God: As we are told, in times past God spoke at varied times and in divers manners to the fathers by the prophets. But in these last days has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir over all things (Heb. 1:1). That Son is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The word of God being referred to here is not Christ in person but pronouncements from God. We have a God who though invisible, speaks. This is what is referred to when we are told that, “And God said” (Gen 1:3, 6). We have the spoken word of God in written form now in the Holy Bible. We are informed,

 

“To the law and to the testimony: If they speak not according to this word, It is because there is no light in them.” (Isa 8:20).

 

Further, the Lord said,

  • “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

 

  • “48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:48-50).

 

Hence, when Christ speaks, God speaks.

 

Some inherent characteristics of the word of God.

The inherent characteristics are embedded in or part-and-parcel of the word. The word of God cannot help but be these because of who God is.

 

We are told, the word of God is Quick, that is, the word of God is living. Our God is the living God. His word has living power as the word of God. Hence God is spoken of as one who smites with, “the rod of his mouth….and “the breath of his lips” (Isa 11:4).

 

and powerful that is, energetic. The word of God is active and energetically efficacious. It is always effective in whatever it does. God’s word never returns to Him void (Is 55:11).

 

and sharper than any two-edged sword:

The sword was a powerful weapon of war then, and often had two edges. The sword was sharpened, oiled and polished to the point that its owner saw his own reflection on the blade as if looking into a mirror. Having a two-edged sword was of a great advantage in war.

 

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). It can harden (like it did Pharaoh of the Exodus) or cause to believe as it does the believer. But this whole section (Heb. 3:7-4:13), speaks of the judgement of the unbelieving Israelites, and warns New Testament believers to beware of unbelief so as not to face similar consequences as their predecessors.

 

Piercing: That is, coming through, breaking whatever barrier is on its way.

 

even to the dividing asunder of: Division so incisive that it results in complete separation.

 

soul and spirit:

The soul is the base or earthly part of man. And it is the seat of fleshly or animal-like desires. It is part responsible for the character traits of the natural man.

 

As we are told,

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Cor 2:14).

 

Further, we are told,

“These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 19).

 

The spirit is the higher or heavenly part of man. It is the part that can relate to the Spirit of God. It is the part that when connected to and is receptive of the things of the Spirit ally man to heavenly beings and things.

 

The soul and spirit of man are so closely united that ordinarily man cannot separate or differentiate them. But the word of God is able to differentiate and separate them.

 

and of the joints and marrow: It reaches both the joints and so able to divide them, and the marrow. Christ knew and continues to know what is in man (John 2:25). Hence, the word of Christ is able to reach the deepest and most secret and hidden parts of man including his feelings and thoughts, so as to divide, that is distinguish what is spiritual and heavenly from what is fleshly and earthly.

 

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: Able to judge the purposes of one’s thoughts. It is in the heart we have intents, ideas, concepts and motives that eventually result in actions that may be godly or ungodly. Hence, these things are known and distinguishable by God even before they become real to us.

 

Verse 12: From this verse 12, we are informed of some of the character traits of the word of God and a glimpse of its ability. That is, the word of God is quick (living), powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword (sharper than anything known to man).

 

It pierces through whatsoever it encounters, dividing and separating with precision even the most intricately united entities. The word of God is a discerner (detects and reveals or exposes) even the most secrete intensions and deepest thoughts of the heart of the creature.

 

This verse alone ought to make the genuine believer in Christ to pause and reflect on his attitude towards God and his fellow human beings.

 

But then follows verse 13:

 

“13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

 

Neither is there any creature: Both the visible and invisible, the known and unknown to man. Mankind knows very little about God’s creation, and even very, very and very little about God Himself! God created all without exception and all are therefore known to Him.

 

that is not manifest in his sight: The sight of God is all encompassing. He knows all things, is able to do all things, and is everywhere.

 

but all things are naked and opened: Every creature of God including all human beings are continuously before and are seen by Him all the time, and as they really are and not as they pretend or want to be known. No one of His creatures is able to successfully hide from God. God knows every piece of His creation intimately.

 

Psalm 139 gives us a snap short of such depth of knowledge that God has of humans.

 

unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do: God’s eyes are all-seeing and are always open. All His creatures have to deal or relate to Him. All of us have to relate to God. It is just a question of whether that relationship will be in obedience or in rebellion, whether for blessing or for punishment.

 

Remember:

Heb. 4:12-13 conclude this section of Hebrews 3:7-4:13. And this concluding section is an intensification of the warning given in verse 11. That no one should fall like they did, because of unbelief.

 

Warning believers in Christ not to fall because of unbelief might sound preposterous to a church goer who claims to be a Christian already. But be careful, for that attitude might be because of latent pride. Rather than being self-assured because of your church activities, the humble thing to do is what Scripture counsels:

 

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Cor 13:5).

 

This is the time of grace when you can amend your ways.

 

Thus, this intensification of warning is to ensure that the seriousness of that warning is understood and that necessary actions needed to avoid the fate of the unbelieving Israelites are avoided.

 

It was the word of God that was preached to the Israelites as well as New Testament believers. It was of no benefit to those amongst those who heard it in the Old Testament but who did not believe (Heb. 4:2).

 

Hence again we see the two edges of the sword of the Spirit in action:

  • One edge convicts and converts as here (Heb. 4:2), and the other edge condemns and destroys those who do not believe (Heb. 4:14; 10:23).
  • The same word of God (sword of the Spirit) that saves the faithful believer (Heb. 4:2), destroys the unbeliever or the disobedient (2Cor 2:15-16).

 

Hence here, the reference is not to Christ as the Word, but as the word (the word) that Christ has and wields. This is why Joshua who took over the leadership of Israel from Moses is spoken of within the passage (Heb. 4:8 cf. Acts 7:45).

 

Do you understand? Or are you still asking, “Why should I be honest with God?”

 

Here are three reasons you should be honest with God:

 

  1. The word of God is powerfully effective (Heb. 4:12):

It does whatever God sends it to do (Isa 55:11). When used by the children of God, it is equally effective in comforting believers, as well as working against the ungodly. And we are told,

 

“16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect” (2Tim 3:16-17).

 

  1. Everything is open to and exposed by God (Heb. 4:13, cf. 2Chr 16:9; Job 26:6; Ps 33:13-14; and Ps 139:4, 11-12). Even then man tries to hide from God.

 

Why?

 

Because of sin. Sin results in pretention, which is a futile attempt to cover up, so we would not be found out. Adam and Eve attempted to hide from God by trying to get lost amongst the tree leaves. It was a futile attempt at pretending to be alright when they were not. And since then, human beings have continued to pretend.

 

But no matter the subterfuge, God would eventually expose sin. Since He made man, God knows how and when to remove any, and all the masks of pretention man might have put in place. Hence, we are informed that, the Lord,

 

“both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.” (1Cor 4:5).

 

From this passage then, we see that the instrument with which God will carry out His divine exposure is His living and active word (Heb. 4:12).

 

  1. The examination will be carried out by God Himself (Heb. 4:13):

So, there will be no miscarriage of justice. We live in a world and era in which numerous people are running away from responsibility. They are doing all they can to not be held accountable. And so, choose not to believe in a God “to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13).

 

But whether man likes it or not, the God of Holy Scripture is the righteous judge of all His creation. He judges all His creatures.

 

Though He is love and loving (1John 4:8, 16), and it is this aspect of God that most people trumpet on. They seem to forget, ignore or are ignorant of the truth of the severity of God (Rom 11:22) as recorded in numerous instances on the pages of Holy Scripture. And we are warned that, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31). There is goodness and severity of God (Rom 11:22). It is for our good to bear both aspects of God in mind without attempting to create artificial disharmony between them.

 

Thus:

  • God judged His creation on earth with the destroying flood (Gen 6:11-7:24).
  • He judged Sodom, Gomorrah and the surrounding cities (Gen 19).
  • Though Christ is the good shepherd who “giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, John 10:15),
    • He is the one who will, “sever the wicked from among the just” (Mat 13:49), as well as separate “his sheep from the goats.” (Mat 25:32).

 

Again, remember:

  • The heart is scrupulously examined by God.
    • This is because the heart of man is the seat of human will and intellect.
    • It is where all crucial ideas, concepts and decisions are made.
    • It is the place God demands to be the sovereign ruler.
    • It is also the place man is capable of such high degree of pretence and subterfuge, that his heart would not always match his habits.

 

  • Human exposure
    • Though in ordinary life, when a person is exposed to be a fraud, it can be painful, embarrassing and lead to judicial penalty, all of these are temporal.

 

  • Divine exposure
    • But when God comes forth and removes every mask of pretence behind which a person hides, it enables such a one to present his true self as already known by God, even unto that God.
    • He comes to God as he is truly known to God.
  • In contrast to human exposure, exposure by God will even be more painful.
    • But the good thing about exposure by God is that it can lead to redemption and the gift of eternal life.
    • It is thus of eternal value.
    • Hence, the first step towards your forgiveness and redemption by God is the honest admission of the problem, that is your sinful state, and need to repent.
    • Do it now!
    • For sooner or later you will be exposed, and it may be too late then to avoid condemnation with the wicked.

 

There is nothing that can escape the attention of God, and God as He has done in the past, will judge unbelief wherever and with whomever He finds it.

 

Remember that:

  • The word of God is powerfully effective (Heb. 4:12)
  • Everything is open to, can be, and will be exposed by God (Heb. 4:13).
  • The examination will be carried out by God Himself (Heb. 4:13).

 

God will find you out! So, determine that from now, you will be honest with God in your life

 

One crucial question to ask you

However, there is still one crucial question to ask you who is reading this piece:

 

“Are you born again?”

 

Put another way,

“Have you made peace with God through the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?”

 

Those God considers His own are those who have put their trust or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

 

  • Essentially, they believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came, not to teach us how to live a good life, but that He came to die for our sins, and the sins of the whole world.

 

  • That Christ came physically into the world through the virgin birth, lived a sinless life, though He was tested in all points like any man, but He did not sin,

 

  • He was falsely accused with trump up charges, denied justice, beaten and scorched, and nailed to the cross on Calvary.

 

  • Christ was crucified, He died on the cross and was buried, He rose again from the dead on the third day.

 

  • After His resurrection, Christ showed Himself to and taught His disciples over a period of forty days,

 

  • and in plain sight of them ascended into heaven, where He is now at the right side of God.

 

  • As He rose to heaven, Christ reminded His disciples what He had told them repeatedly, That He is coming the second time in power and glory.

 

These are those described as being born-again or saved.

 

Again, I ask the crucial question, “Are you a born-again child of the Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ being your Saviour and Lord?”

 

If you are not please, make amend now. The bible says,

 

“8 …The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom 10:8-13).

I pray that as you pray, seek His face, the living God will grant you repentance unto salvation in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Exhortation, Sermon

Be aware of and resist the deceitful workers around you  0

 May 29, 2019  

Christianity is a supernatural religion that straddles but the physical and spirit realms. Unfortunately, the supernatural aspect seems to be on continual downgrade. Daily, people who are Christians go more and more in the direction of the physical.

The focus on the physical has become so entrenched that many now view Christianity only from the point of view of the world.

While many still mention the name of God and talk religious talk, their actions demonstrate that they do not believe as the believers of the days of old. Many today are just going through the motions. They come to church and attend religious meetings more as obligation or duty rather than as a demonstration of their belief in and love of God.

But truth remains truth whether a person believes it or not. The unfaithfulness of man will never make God become unfaithful. As the word of God tells us, there is more to life than the physical that we see.

The spirit world is as real and as important to our existence as the physical. In our daily living, we are to interact with the two the way God has instructed us.

So today, let us remind ourselves about one area where the spirit world attempts to negatively impact our lives, and to encourage ourselves to resist any attempt to lure us away from our Lord.

This area is the methodology that the prince of darkness uses to influence us to follow his ways rather than the way of God.

And that methodology is called: Deception. So, you need to “Be aware of and resist the deceitful workers around you.” And to resist them.

Apostle Paul had ongoing encounters with false teachers

The apostle Paul with his companions founded and nurtured the church in Corinth. That church experienced the gifts and the power of God. But in spite of the manifest presence of God within that church, there was also much that could be accounted the work of the devil.

The apostle identified one of the major causes of this apparent contradiction to his critics. These were people who did not accept his apostleship. Not only that, they openly slander him and further brought false teachings and error into the church.

These false teachers presented themselves as people with more accurate knowledge and higher rank than the apostle. Some even accused him of not being an apostle as he was not part of the original twelve appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The issue of false workers seemed to follow him around a lot. And he responded to them in his letters many times. One of such responses in the letter to the Corinthian church.

Specifically,

“13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2Cor 11:13-15).

In this passage, the apostle identified and unmasked these ungodly workers.

 “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

This section is connected to the previous as it now gives the reason the apostle Paul did not want to be considered or thought of in the same category or class as those described in the previous verses above.  

These critics of apostle Paul, and who were working against the gospel apparently were calling themselves apostles of Christ. But they are false apostles because they were not sent or commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ. They were neither sent nor approved by the other true apostles of Christ (Acts 15:1, 24).

They might have appointed themselves or were appointed by men. Hence, they are false apostles. These are the many who corrupt the word of God (2Cor 2:17), and those others like them.

Deceitfulness was the method by which they went about deceiving people as they moved from church to church seeking to gain followers and disciples for their false teachings. They preach, teach, evangelize and engage or labour in other activities of ministry, but all are done for their own gain or profit.

They were pretending to be “workmen” with authority of the Lord to work for the Lord while they were working for and seeking their own gain.

Masters of subterfuge

They transformed themselves. That is, they change their appearance so they will not be recognised. They disguised, they masqueraded, they assumed any posture, title or mannerism that will enable them to represent themselves to others as who they are not. Left to themselves they carried no influence, no authority. They needed a make-over so as to have an appearance close to that of the people they are trying to impersonate.

They went as far as they possibly could to assume in line with their evil motive, the habits, manner and doctrine of the apostles of Christ. They coveted the highest office so that if they succeed in their deceit, they can then corrupt the whole corpus of the body of Christ.

They wanted to be seen and taken as apostles of Christ even though they knew they were not. But they needed credibility to be able to successively deceive the people. On their own, they stood no chance, so they had to claim to be apostles of Christ to gain the needed credibility. They were pretending to be who they were not.

False teachers and other categories of false workers continue the same method even today.

Hence, the apostle Paul did not want to be thought of or put in the same class as them.

An attempt to infiltrate the highest office

They were making out to be apostles of Christ when they were not. Their action was not an accident or out of ignorance. Rather, their action was premeditated and deliberate. They purposefully set out to deceive. They chose to pretend to have been sent by Christ when He had not sent them. They were thus false teachers.

Observe that what is said concerning these Judaizing teachers who were attempting to impose the observance of the law of these believers are also true of false teachers in our day.

As in those days, the false teachers pretended to be upholding the righteous laws of God, so also in our day the false teachers pretend and give the appearance of fighting to uphold the truth of Christianity.

They are aware that falsehood in its true colour will not fool any believer. Hence, falsehood had to be disguised as truth. Hence, false teachers appeal to people through ideas, desires and hopes that people are expected to have, pretending that such could be attained by means other than prescribed by God.

This is a very serious allegation because it concerns the highest office within the church of Christ on earth that a person can occupy. Though the term “apostle” can have the general meaning of someone “sent by another”, its most obvious use is as the title the Lord Jesus Christ bestowed upon twelve of His disciples which He chose after a night of prayer.

These special group frequently referred to in Scripture as “the twelve” occupied a special position only next to Christ. They were given special powers and privileges including: Power to work miracles, authority to write Scripture and many other unique abilities.  

These are the men these false teachers were pretending or attempting to masquerade as.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Do not wonder, do not be surprised about this method and the motive of the false apostles and false teachers.

Why?

Because of who they hold allegiance to, the one who is truly their master.

Satan is their master. Satan is the grandmaster of subterfuge. The masquerade extraordinaire.

It is natural for the disciple to want to be and should aspire to be like his master. Christians are commanded to aspire to be like their master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is the prince of darkness, the power that works in the children of disobedience. The devil’s chief method of operation is deception. Thought, Satan is often depicted as an ugly, hideous-looking, two-horned monster, he is far from such a physically frightening creature. 

Satan not occasionally but habitually transforms himself. Put another way, disguising is his stock-in-trade.

He disguises or transforms himself into an angel of light. He was an angel of light before his fall. So, he knows what to do and how to masquerade himself as an angel of light to humans and other unsuspecting creatures of God.

How does the devil do this in practice?

In the garden of Eden (Genesis 3), he pretended to have the best interest of Eve at heart. That he wanted Eve to have knowledge and wisdom that God had denied her. That God was not as good as He made out to her as God was hiding the best from her.

But all the while, all the devil wanted was for Eve to disobey God and thus create discord between Eve and God. He wanted their ruin but pretended to be helping them to get to a higher level of achievement.

Similarly, in the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Mat 4:1-11), he pretended to be acting in the interest of Jesus Christ by telling Him and asking Him to prove Himself as the Son of God.

In both events Satan used the word of God with much falsehood mixed with it.

Similarly, false apostles and false teachers have the bible. They are always claiming to be working for God. By having the bible and quoting from it, they are claiming to be working for God. They engage in religious activities, display the mannerism using words like God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, salvation and the like.

But what they are doing is to deceive and press any advantage that could be profitable to them. But their true status soon become apparent to those discerning that they only mix some truth with much falsehood to deceive.

As the father of lies, deception is part of the nature of the devil. Deception is an advance form of lying. The devil is the father of lying:

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44).

Satan is the thief that has come to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10:10).

To be able to accomplish his mission, he had to and continues to be the master of deception.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”.

Servants like their master

It is not a difficult matter and it should not be a surprise as to the things the false apostles do since they do what their master does.

If the fountain head is corruption itself, that the stream therefore is polluted should be expected rather than it being a surprise to anyone.

In other words, since Satan himself poses falsely, believers should not be surprised that his agents do the same.

Satan’s agents pose as ministers of righteousness. That is, they profess to be ministers of the Christian religion. They profess and pretend to lead people in the way of truth and righteousness while they are agents of Satan in disguise. In this they are only imitating Satan their master.

Satan’s attacks against the church are often subversive and are often carried out by people within the church who are enemies of the cross of Christ who claim to be Christians. (Phil 3:18).

They claim to be believers while they are not, and their conduct and activities betray them as they demonstrate the opposite. Hence, they cause divisions, produce and spread errors and false doctrine, corrupt the word of God (Rom 16:18; 2Cor 2:17; Eph. 4:14; Phil 3:18; Col 2:4),

Dire consequences await them

They will be judged not according to what they professed or claimed to be, but according to their evil deeds (Mat 7:21-23). Severe judgement awaits the devil and those who through their works ally with him. But before the judgement day comes, these false ministers of various ranks are capable of much damage to the body and cause of Christ.

Virtually from its inception the church faced the onslaught of false teachers. The apostles and those who followed them frequently contended with a diversity of false teachers and their false doctrine.

Know your Christian Faith

The same situation continues to our day. The false teachers are crafty, bold and often daring. Believers in Christ should therefore be on their guard. Being on guard also means you the believer in Christ understand the core tenets of the Christian faith and will therefore detect error when you come across it. Thus, it is important to pray regularly, study the word diligently and cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He applies the word into your life.  

Remember that the church was warned both by Christ and His apostles that such people will arise within the church, and the church was to be on her watch against such (Mat 7:15-16; 24:24; Acts 20:30; 2Pet 2:1-3).

Determine that you will never be a purveyor of error in your Christian journey: Be aware of and resist the deceitful workers around you!!!

To the unbeliever

But this has been about the believers in Christ. Those who have made peace with God through the propitiation of Jesus Christ. They are the one being exhorted to live true to their calling in Christ as they wait for His second coming.

But what if you are an unbeliever? What if Christ is not yet your Saviour and Lord? What if you are not yet born of the Spirit? Then the above does not yet apply to you. You are yet outside the fold of believers in Christ. And you cannot be expected to please the Lord and to do things that are only possible with the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you are saying you what to be part of the wonderful people of God who are the disciples of Christ. You want an end to the enmity between you and God.

And having read this piece you see the possibility but are wondering how you can change your situation.

You are asking, “How do I come into the fold of believers in Christ seeing I do not yet know Christ?”

Truly, there is a way out for God has made provision for you too. 

How?

By becoming a born-again child of God as demanded and provided for by God: 

The invitation has gone out to all human beings including you reading this piece.

Accept God’s verdict concerning human beings:

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And that“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

That is, in the opinion of God, we all fall short of His standard. Further, our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in hell.

But while we are still in our sin, God took the initiative to reconcile us with Himself as we are told:

“But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Yes, while we were all still in our sin, God showed His love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). So, all we need to do is to accept that Christ has died for our sin by standing in place of us.

We do this by doing what the word of God commands all would-be believers:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Everyone who appropriates the sacrifice of Christ is acceptable to Him. And He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So, I encourage you to appropriate the finished work of Christ and confess Him as your Saviour and Lord NOW!

I prayer that God will accept you into His household through Christ in Jesus’ Name, Amen. 6c732f2e72656c

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Salvation

Practice Your Christianity NOW!  0

 May 19, 2019  

Before we begin, have you ever thought of how to answer the question “What makes a person a Christian?”

Many profess to be Christians or believers in Christ. But one wonders how many can sensibly explain what it means to be a Christian to an unbeliever. Perhaps many who claim to be Christians live the way they live because they do not understand who or what makes one a Christian. I would encourage us to reflect on this on our own.

One major expectation and living hope of the Christian is that Christ is coming again. This is one reason a Christian makes effort to live to please the Lord. Though we are saved by grace and it also grace that enables the believers to do the will of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers are still required to take responsibility and make personal efforts in their journey of faith.

How much effort are you making?

So, today, we want to encourage ourselves to practice our Christianity in the here and now, to live a lifestyle that pleases our Lord.

Our discussion will be based on the following passage of the Holy Scripture: 

“11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Rom 13:11-14).

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The recipients of this letter knew the time being spoken of here. The time referred to here is not time in general but the end-time in particular. Right now, is a time of darkness over the earth as the powers of darkness hold sway over the lives of the people. We are in the end time and it is a perilous time (2Tim 3:1).

The time or hour has already come.

Sleep here is a figure of speech for careless Christian lifestyle. For lackadaisical attitudes to be shoved aside. Believers are to awake from sleep means they should come out of their indifference towards spiritual and eternal things.

It is time for believers in Christ to pay closer attention to their lifestyle with the intension of stopping whatsoever is contrary to God in their lives. Rather, they should now be intensifying their efforts in activities that glorify God.

The believer in Christ is to “awake to righteousness, and sin not.” (1Cor 15:34). He is to be sober and vigilant because the enemy is on the prowl seeking whom to devour (1Pet 5:8).

Salvation here refers to the final deliverance of believers in Christ from this present evil world (Gal 1:4). As we are told that, “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1John 5:19), and the whole creation is groaning as it waits for that day (Rom 8:22-23). This is reminding the believers that the time of the Lord coming for their final deliverance when the Lord will take them to Himself is nearer than when they first became believers in Christ.

The Lord’s Second Coming draws near each day (Jam 5:8). This is telling the believers in Christ to live earnestly and expectantly as the Lord could come anytime now. The reason to be awake, vigilant and live soberly is because of our final or ultimate salvation which will take place at the return of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth and could take place unexpectedly anytime (Rom 8:23; Heb. 9:28; 1Pet 1:5).

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Night is a metaphor for darkness. The night is the time when ungodliness reigned. The night is of evil and the wicked plough their wares in thick darkness.The night is the time we live in now, this end time that is full of the activities of darkness.

The night is when evil doers carry out their evil activities. The Lord tells us that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). This period is far gone when viewed from when Christ first came into the world. Though, chronologically one may not know the order of things or what will happen next and when, the believers are to live in expectation of the Lord’s second coming.

The day of final triumph or victory over all evil. The day of the Lord’s second coming is at hand, i.e. it is so close that it could happen anytime. And the believers are commanded and expected to be ready.

To cast off is to throw away with some force as you will urgently throw away a dress on fire!

This is now stated in plain speech: The believers are to do away with works of darkness. Whatever could have an appearance of darkness should be cast off. They are not to rationalize, pretend or argue, but to use whatever means they are capable of to do away with acts of darkness. This is the negative, the DO NOT!

The armour of light means the protective covering of a righteous or holy life. The believers are to put on this armour of light. The various pieces of this armour are described in some detail in Ephesians 6:14-18. These are also the elements of true Christian character. This is the positive, DO THIS!

The time of our final salvation will be the start of a new day for all believers. The present time in which Christ is absent (He has gone to the Father) (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11), and Satan is at work (2Cor 4:4; Eph. 2:2), is described as the night (2Pet 1:19).

Believers are at war with the enemy of God, and as soldiers in a conflict must be alert and equipped for battle with the armour of light. Since the day is almost here, and indeed, could occur anytime, believers are urged to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.

Believers in Christ are all the children of light and the children of the day, are not of the night nor of darkness. They are therefore to

“be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1Thess 5:5, 8).

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Now, some specific activities are mentioned: What to do and what not to do.

Believers in Christ are to walk as becoming of a follower of Christ.

Our own night had passed for we were once in the dark partaking of the works of darkness (Eph. 5:8). But now as believers, we are of the day partaking of the righteous things of the day and not the unrighteousness of the night. Believers are children of light and of the day (1Thess 5:5). So, they should only do things that are fit to be exposed to the light of the day, things that would withstand the scrutiny of their Lord.

Rioting and drunkenness denote various forms of intemperance that usually end in intoxication. Believers are to be temperate or self-controlled in their appetite.

Chambering and wantonness denote various forms of impurity and believers are to avoid any form of impurity in their lives.

Strife and envying denote the various forms poisonous feelings and attitudes between one person and another.

These all go against or work against the law of love between people, especially between the brethren or Christian community. The Christian have nothing to do with wild parties, drunken brawls, sex orgies, vile excesses, bickering and envy.

Notice that the emphasis is on our practical Christian walk – what we can and should do ourselves.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The conclusion or sum-total of what has been said and demanded of the believer now follows.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ is one way of telling the believers in Christ: Conduct your life in such a way that Christ can be seen in and through you. This is saying the believers should take upon themselves, the whole of the Lord’s character, become truly Christ-like. Adopt the lifestyle of Christ, living as He lived, accepting Him as our Guide and Example.

Those who opposed the apostles took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

  • Does your life reflect anything or aspect of Christ?
  • Without some long, winding introduction or description can someone who is meeting you for the first moment see anything different in you?
  • Do remember that you are the first and open epistle of Christ that people see and read (2Cor 3:3).

“For as many of you as has been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27). 

Take no forethought or premeditate on. Do not direct any of your thought and attention to the cravings or demands of your corrupt, fallen nature, as to how you may provide for their gratification or satisfaction. Be realistic and admit it, the flesh which is the old corrupt nature incessantly cries for attention, demanding to be pampered with comfort, luxury, illicit sexual indulgence, empty, fleeting amusements, worldly pleasures, materialism and such other things.

You are not to indulge the cravings that your appetites are demanding. Rather, you should bring your body into subjection.

One makes provision for the flesh:

  • When he/she buys things that are associated with temptation,
  • When he/she makes it easy for himself/herself to sin,
  • When he/she gives a higher priority to the physical than to the spiritual.

Thus, the Christian should not indulge the flesh even a little.

Becoming Christ-like will remove every likelihood of indulging the flesh or anything associated with it.

Verses 13-14 speak of the lifestyle of the believer. Violence, wickedness and crime ordinarily are associated with darkness and night (John 1:5; 3:19-20; 8:12; Eph. 5:8, 11), and should not be found with the Christian.

Summary / Conclusion.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon for His own. Every true believer in Christ should live in that expectation. We should be constantly aware that He could come anytime. Each day brings His second coming ever closer.

While waiting, we put our Christian faith into practice now by putting away from us every work associated with darkness and engaging in works of righteousness.

As we are at war, we continuously put on the armour of God.

As believers in Christ we are able to do this through the grace the Lord has granted us, the ever-present help of the Holy Spirit who ever empowers us to triumph. Hence, we are not to be discouraged or give room to fear knowing that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).

We ensure that we adopt the lifestyle of Christ to such an extent that Christ will be see seen in and through us. Resolve today to be a practicing Christian – one who truly emulates Christ.

May the Almighty God uphold you and continually grant you all you need to be sustained in your Christian journey and to please Him in all you engage in as you eagerly await the Second Coming of the Lord in Jesus Name, Amen.

The unbeliever

But this has been about the believers in Christ. Those who have made peace with God through the propitiation of Jesus Christ. They are the one being exhorted to live true to their calling in Christ as they wait for His second coming.

But what if you are an unbeliever? What if Christ is not yet your Saviour and Lord? What if you are not yet born of the Spirit? Then the above does not yet apply to you. You are yet outside the fold of believers in Christ. And you cannot be expected to please the Lord and to do things that are only possible with the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you are saying you what to be part of the wonderful people of God who are the disciples of Christ. You want an end to the enmity between you and God.

And having read this piece you see the possibility but are wondering how you can change your situation.

You are asking, “How do I come into the fold of believers in Christ seeing I do not yet know Christ?”

Truly, there is a way out for God has made provision for you too. 

How?

By becoming a born-again child of God as demanded and provided for by God: 

The invitation has gone out to all human beings including you reading this piece.

Accept God’s verdict concerning human beings:

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And that“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

That is, in the opinion of God, we all fall short of His standard. Further, our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in hell.

But while we are still in our sin, God took the initiative to reconcile us with Himself as we are told:

“But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Yes, while we were all still in our sin, God showed His love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). So, all we need to do is to accept that Christ has died for our sin by standing in place of us.

We do this by doing what the word of God commands all would-be believers:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Everyone who appropriates the sacrifice of Christ is acceptable to Him. And He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So, I encourage you to appropriate the finished work of Christ and confess Him as your Saviour and Lord NOW!

I prayer that God will accept you into His household through Christ in Jesus’ Name, Amen. o

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Doctrine, Exhortation, Salvation, Sermon

For Your Own Benefit Make the word of God the authority over your life  0

 April 29, 2019  

Lots of people desire to know the truth. They want to deal with facts when making important decisions. Believers in Christ especially talk of wanting to know the will of God for themselves or concerning specific situations. With this mindset that truth is essential in every activity of daily living, the search begins either consciously or inadvertently.  

Amongst profess believers some have lost their way in their attempts to know or discover the truth themselves. They have therefore deliberately or by default contracted the search for the truth to others. Such others that they hold in high esteem that sometimes borders on worship have various designations that include pastor, prophet, mature Christian, apostle and any other title they care to confer on such ones as they chose to subject themselves to determine how they should lead their Christian life.

Thus, many continue to be led astray by blind guides and continue to live a life much below what Christ would want for them. This unfortunate situation is all the more tragic when it is realised that the written word of God is available to them and God promises His presence in the person of the Holy Spirit to the believer.

Some questions for you to ponder:

  • Are you a genuine believer in Christ?
  • Do you take God at His word?
  • Do you believe God still guides His children today?
  • Are you looking to and in the right place for guidance?

We live in an era when to have someone else be in-charge or in-control especially over one’s life makes many uncomfortable. But the reality is that though it may not seem so, if you look well enough you will discover that your life is under the control of many entities in some way.

God created and loves you

The one that truly loves you is God who created you. He loved you so much that he gave His only Son for you (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). And Christ loves you so much that He laid down His life for you (John 10:11; 15:13; 1John 3:16).

On the basis of who God is and what He has done for you, I just want to encourage you now you should for your own benefit make the word of God to be the authority over your life.

To ensure that you the believer in Christ is not left to your own devices or fall prey to the wicked schemes of others, God has made available His written word to you and has granted you His Holy Spirit to teach and train you through the instrument of His written word.

Expressly, we are informed: 

 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4).

The conduct of the believers in Christ

Previous to the above verse of Scripture and in the same epistle to the Romans, believers in Christ have been taught that: 

  • Believers in Christ are not to despise or condemn other Christians in doubtful disputations, debates or disagreements, for example, the eating of food, the way one esteems or do not esteem a day and such other things (Rom 14:1-12).
  • Christians are not to hinder the conduct of other Christians. Rather, believers in Christ should encourage one another in good conduct (Rom 14:13-23).
  • Believers in Christ are to follow Christ as their example or model when dealing with other Christians (Rom 15:1-13).  

Further, Rom 15:1-4 summarised the Christian conduct discussion of Roman 14.

Where believers in Christ are taught that:

  • Those who are strong (in convictions and conscience), ought to bear with the failings (infirmities, weakness) of the weak (v.1). The strong has this obligation as an on-going duty.
  • The strong, and indeed, every Christian should please his fellow Christian for his good to edification (building up) (v.2). That is, a Christian should not be self-centred, rather should be concerned with the spiritual welfare of other Christians around him.
  • In whatever the Christian does or is doing, he should imitate Christ who did not please Himself, but suffered for the sake of others (v.3).
  • Then comes v.4 quoted above:

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4).

This is telling us that all the above are for one purpose: for our instruction. It is for the believers in Christ to be instructed by them and to thereby learn how to conduct themselves that they are written.

Scripture in many other places corroborate the above, compare:  

“This shall be written for the generation to come: And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.” (102:18).

“We will not hide them from their children, Shewing to the generation to come The praises of the Lord, and his strength, And his wonderful works that he hath done.” (Ps 78:4).

“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; Who should arise and declare them to their children.” (Ps 78:6).

This again tells us that the Old Testament Scriptures were written not for the old-time believers alone, but also for the subsequent generations of believers down to and including believers of today.

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

This verse is connected to what has been spoken before. It is the reason for what is to follow here in this verse. Anything or all things without exception that were written before is a reference Scripture. Scripture makes us to understand that writing had been one way of God preserving His word through the past ages. He commanded Moses to write down what He commanded him in a book (cf. Ex 34:27; Deut. 31:9, 24).

Such writings were not only for the use of the immediate recipients of such instructions and commands, but also for the use and benefit of the generations to come. And so, today, it is for our use and our benefit. It is for us to learn, to study and to apply in practice. We are to and should be instructed by them.

Such study and instruction are not purposeless. In addition to being commanded by God, there is much benefit to be derived from it. Believers are to be instructed or trained by them. They are the means of knowing the will of God.

As we patientlystudy and put into practice what we are learning: We will be able to recollect the patience of previous saints as written in Scripture, as they withstood reproaches and persecution because of their faith and we will be encouraged by their example as we face similar situations in our day.

We discover the promises of God, and how they manifested on the pages of Scripture in the lives of the children of God, and the enemies of God, and we draw comfort from them. We will on occasions be able to echo the Palmist’s saying,

“This is my comfort in my affliction: For thy word hath quickened me.” (Ps 119:50).

Our Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings and sacrifice should be our perfect model of self-sacrifice for the good of others.

Our Lord was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. The Lord defeated devil by using the word of God (Mat 4:1-11), which is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17, cf. Rev 1:16).

Indeed, all the events relating to life of the Lord as detailed on the pages of the Holy Scripture are there for our instruction. We thus see much of Scripture speaking of His patience and consolation that sustained Him under such enormous suffering.

And these should be appropriate nourishment for our spirit, ministering to us the hope of that blessed day when these shall be no more as we are told:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev 21:4).

We should especially realise that the same traits the Lord demonstrated in His earthly life including His sufferings and ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we are commanded to demonstrate too.

For example, we are to be:

“rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (Rom 12:12). 

Child of God, you want to make an important decision that is according to the will of God then let God’s word be your authority for guidance.

Again Some Questions:

  • How do you determine the will of God?
  • Or how would you know you know God has spoken?
  • Are you growing in faith?
  • What is your view of the Holy Bible?
  • Where do you get the template for your daily living?

Remember that no man has seen God at any time. But Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son has declared Him (John 1:18). As we are told,

“in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9).

And He rightly said,

“he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).

You want to see God? Then look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

One major way to hear from God is through His written word.

Do you still need convincing?

Let us have a closer look at the source of the knowledge of our faith:

“Whatsoever things were written aforetime”

is referring to the written word of God as found on the pages of the Holy Scripture. It is by the word of God that the believer in Christ should conduct his life.

Some of the attributes of the word of God.

God is the source of the word of God

God’s word is from God and is God and God is His word. Just as you cannot be separated from your word, God cannot be separated from His word. The Word has an enlivening or vitalising power all its own that is quite separate from who preaches it. It has power from the fact that it is God’s Word.

All Scripture is God-breathed (2Tim 3:16).

“16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2Tim 3:16-17).

No prophecy is of private interpretation. Holy men spoke as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit.

“20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pet 1:20-21).

God is committed to His word. He backs up His word:

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Is 55:11).

“For all those things hath mine hand made, And all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, And trembleth at my word.” (Is 66:2).

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12).

Things inherent in or the effect of the word of God:

“7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward.” (Ps 19:7-11).

“16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2Tim 3:16-17).

The experience of previous saints of God:

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Ps 119:11).

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jer. 15:16).

The Holy Scripture is the revelation of God to man. It contains invaluable lessons for all believers in Christ and the whole of mankind that could not have been obtained other than by divine revelation. It is for the believer the manual for living a life that is consecrated to the service of the Living God. 

As we encounter problems, conflicts, tribulations, and troubles, the Scriptures teach us to be steadfast, and they impart encouragement and comfort to us. Hence, instead of collapsing under the waves of unpleasant circumstances, we are sustained by the hope that the Lord will see us through.

We should therefore accept the word of God and let the Holy Scripture be our authority to which we should submit all the time as we continue our spiritual journey in this earthly existence as we expectantly wait and look forward to the soon-coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

This bears repeating so I remind you that:

The one that truly loves you is God who created you. He loved you so much that he gave His only Son for you (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). And Christ loves you so much that He laid down His life for you (John 10:11; 15:13; 1John 3:16). He wants the best for you and has amply demonstrated that.

To ensure that you the believer in Christ is not left to your own devices or fall prey to the wicked schemes of others, God has made available His written word to you and has granted you His Holy Spirit to teach and train you through the instrument of His written word.

God has ensured the preservation of His written word. That word is with you now not by accident but by God’s design and for His purpose.

I cannot put it better than He expressly expressed it:

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4).

So, the ball is in your court. Obey the commandment of God from today. For your own benefit make the word of God to be the authority over your life from Now and for the rest of your Christian journey.

May the LORD grant you the courage to henceforth put Him first in all that you do in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The unbeliever

But this has been about the believer in Christ. Perhaps you are yet an unbeliever and you are asking, “How do I come in seeing I do not yet know Christ?”

What if Christ is not yet your Saviour? What if you are not yet born of the Spirit? Then the above does not yet apply to you. You are yet outside the fold of believers in Christ.

But there is a way out for God has made provision for you too. 

How?

By becoming a born-again child of God as demanded and provided for by God: 

The invitation has gone out to all human beings including you reading this piece.

Accept God’s verdict concerning human beings:

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And that“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

That is, in the opinion of God, we all fall short of His standard. Further, our sin has earned a deserved wage which is death or separation from God in hell.

But while we are still in our sin, God took the initiative to reconcile us with Himself as we are told:

“But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Yes, while we were all still in our sin, God showed His love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. God gave Jesus Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). So, all we need to do is to accept that Christ has died for our sin by standing in place of us.

We do this by doing what the word of God commands all would-be believers:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Everyone who appropriates the sacrifice of Christ is acceptable to Him. And He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So, I encourage you to appropriate the finished work of Christ and confess Him as your Saviour and Lord NOW!

I prayer that God will accept you into His household through Christ in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Salvation

Three reasons for giving thanks to God always  0

 January 16, 2019  

The beginning of a New year is for many Christians a time of thanking God. Some section of the church even engage in what is commonly termed “cross-over” service whereby they ensure that the New Year meets them within the church precinct, never mind that such a one might have lived in disobedience to God all year round, and same lifestyle of disobedience will continue immediately he steps out of the church into the New year.

Oftentimes such thanks to God is for material things and so does not last long. It is alright and indeed expected that we thank God for material things. What is not expected is that the giving of such thanks is limited to the giving of material things. Because of the attachment of thanks to material things received, it does not last, and it is intermittent and half-hearted at best.

Many of the material things many consider as important and as such demand that they be blessed with are oftentimes are not received. Hence, when the material blessings are not coming, giving thanks stops. Questioning, and even berating God may follow from disgruntled hearts, especially from those who have developed the attitude of entitlement towards God. They claim God is obligated to bless them materially because they serve him and are obedient to him.

This attitude perhaps comes from lack of knowledge as to what God has done for the believer in Christ. Hence the need to see the how and why of continuously being able to give thanks to God.

Believers easily thank God for what I refer to as “landmark blessings.” These are the type of blessings people consider important or major in their lives. Things like finding a partner and getting married, the birth of a baby, securing a dream job, buying a car, buying a house, success in a business venture and such like.

As can been seen such blessings are not everyday events. Hence, many do not operate in an attitude of thanksgiving or do so sporadically. On the other hand, seeming delay or absence of any of these often result in anxiety and fear. Any of these could easily become a short-term or even long-term, all-consuming prayer project for some believers.

This piece is written in the awareness that believers in Christ need to be made aware of the very important spiritual blessings from God. These are what may then usher in the advent of material blessings. These spiritual blessings should be the main reasons for thanking God and remaining grateful to Him all the time even when material blessings are not evident.

If we think not only in terms of temporal things but shift our focus to the real things, that is, eternal, permanent things, our thanksgiving will have a better chance of being consistent and eventually becoming a lifestyle as it should be.

We shall look at three reason why we should give thanks to God always.

Three reasons for giving thanks to God are found in a passage in the epistle to the Colossians. 

“12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Col 1:12-13).

“12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Giving thanks is an expression of gratitude. In this case, it is a prayer expressing gratitude, an acknowledgement and celebration of divine goodness. Believers in Christ are to give thanks for who God is. But in this case, it is specifically to be grateful to God the Father for what he has done.

The object of giving thanks in this case is God the Father:

God the Father is the creator of all things and also the provider (Gen 1:1; 1Cor 8:6). He is the Father of Jesus Christ (Mat 3:17; 11:27), and the Father of those who believe in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:26).

He adopts believers into his family (John 1:12-13). It is through the adoption of believers in Christ into the family of God that they become heirs of God (Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:5-7). 

It is the work of the Father (what he has done for the believers in Christ) that is being spoken of here in this verse of holy Scripture. However, the reasons for giving thanks in this case are specified. Three reasons are mentioned, one in this verse and two in the next verse.

The first of three reasons for giving thanks to God the Father is that he “hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints”

This is simply telling us that God is the one who has qualified or made us (the believers in Christ), sufficient or fit to share or receive a portion from the inheritance of the saints. This is in the past tense and a one-off event and not a process. It has already been done completely by God the Father at his own initiative.

We do not qualify for and are not sufficient or fit for this. But God is the one who acted and qualified the believer.

In ordinary everyday things of life, a person has to prove himself to qualify for something, promotion or bonus at work for example. But this is not so in this situation.

No one can qualify for things from God on the grounds of merit. So, God has taken the initiative and acted on our behalf and in our best interest without impugning his own character as the only living and true God.

The saints are the people of God, they are the one who have put their trust in the God of Israel who is the only true and living God. Every believer in God is thus addressed in the word of God as a saint and not some special group of people given the name “saint” after their death by some religious denomination.

Inheritance is something a person inherits from another usually because of being related as in the case of a child inheriting the property of his parents. The saints of God have inheritance reserved for them in heaven.

The inheritance of the saints, (the people of God), is eternal life in the kingdom God has prepared for his people from the foundation of the world (Mat 25:34). This comes through the Lord Jesus Christ to all who believe in him.  God is the Father of light.

Believers start in his light and become lights in the darkness of their environment in the world.

The Father’s work is making us his children by adoption as a one-time event. He justified and sanctified the believer at once giving them a new standing in his presence as his children on the basis of the work of Christ which was the sacrifice from our sins.

This is not progressive sanctification. All believers at salvation and positional sanctification are at different levels of growth but have the same standing before God as his children because he has qualified or caused them to be sufficient to inherit as his children.

The believers are thus spoken of as being complete in Christ (Col 2:10). It is this qualifying or sufficiency that is the ground from which progressive sanctification begins to take place.

It is God who took the initiative and made all things possible.

Hence, we are told,

“29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn amongst many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Rom 8:29-30).

13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”.

The second work of God the Father spoken of in this passage is that he “hath delivered us from the power of darkness” 

The operation of the devil and his kingdom are described in much graphic terms in Scripture.

The term “darkness” as denoting evil is often used as a figure of speech to represent the devil, the kingdom associated with him and ungodliness in general. On the other hand, light is used as a figure of speech to represent God and the good associated with him and his kingdom:

“3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2Cor 4:3-4).

“18having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (Eph. 4:18-19).

The devil and all that are allied with him not only have the power but also the desire to overpower, control and rule over people. And he has successfully ruled and continues to rule over numerous human beings whether they are aware of it or not.

As the word of God makes us to understand, those who are believers in Christ today including you reading this and I writing it have once been ruled by the kingdom of darkness:

“1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Eph. 2:1-3). “” ().

And so, we are told that God had delivered us (believers in Christ) from the power of darkness. God had quickened (made alive) the believers (Eph. 2:1), who were “sometimes darkness.” Hence, believers are now light in the Lord and should therefore walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).

Speaking further of believers, we are informed:

“and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1Thess 1:10).

“14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14-15).

The third work of God the Father mentioned in this passage is that he “hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”

That is, God the Father has transferred or conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. The sense is that of conveying or carrying something very precious or valuable in protective custody and safety under the strictest security that makes hijacking, stealing and vandalizing impossible.

Like the bullion van with its precious cargo under powerful security escort while being overseen by constant real life clear-sight surveillance from point of departure to arrival at the safe depot, so God the Father has taken the saved sinner from the kingdom of darkness and securely conveyed him into the kingdom of his dear Son. And he is forever safe there.

“9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1Pet 2:9-10).

Hence, the three reasons here mentioned for giving thanks are spiritual in the main, but they have very important physical consequences for our current existence as believers in the fallen world.

Because they are spiritual there is the danger of oversight and forgetfulness because we do not see them as tangible the way we hold physical material gifts. Hence, the failure to remain thankful to God when we are not having material blessings the way we think we should.

This piece is just a reminder to all true followers of Christ to remember at least these three eternally enduring acts of God the Father for believers and thus to be giving thanks to him always.

Giving thanks to God is to be a lifestyle for the people of God.

“giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20).

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Col 3:17).

“21Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare his works with rejoicing.” (Ps 107:21-22).

Giving thanks to God can only become the lifestyle of believers if we think beyond the physical and temporal and see into the spiritual with its eternally enduring blessings of God that surpasses temporal blessings or temporal deprivations.

Summary

We should give thanks to God for earthly blessings. But we should realise that the earthly blessings are a result of and follow-up to the heavenly blessings.

While our earthly circumstances may fluctuate with much ups and downs, our heavenly status is established and stable. It for these heavenly blessings which are eternal that should motivate our thanksgiving.

God the Father had:

  • Made us fit to share in the inheritance of the saints;
  • Delivered us from the power of darkness;
  • Translated or conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.

Conclusion

Remember, spiritual blessings are at the core of the relationship between God and his people. Material blessings in this world are more of a bonus. Three of those spiritual blessings are mentioned above.

Think of the eternal blessings of God and you will never lack reasons to give thanks to God the Father always. The eternal blessings are of much higher value and permanent compared to any temporary things of this world.

Think heavenly, give thanks to the God the Father through our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ always.

Please, note that one is speaking to and for those who had put their trust or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

  • Those who had believed that He was the Son of God who came, not to teach us how to live a good life, but that He came to die for our sins, and the sins of the whole world.
  • That He came physically into the world through the virgin birth, lived a sinless life, though He was tested in all points like any man, but He did not sin,
  • He was falsely accused with trump up charges, denied justice, beaten and scorched, and nailed to the cross on Calvary.
  • He died on the cross, was buried, He rose again from the dead on the third day.
  • After His resurrection, He showed Himself to and taught His disciples over a period of forty days,
  • and in plain sight of them ascended into heaven, where He is now at the right side of God.
  • He is coming the second time.

These are those described as being born-again or saved.

But if you are not yet of this group, if the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth is not yet your Saviour and your Lord, please this is what you need to settle first before we start thinking about giving thanks to God the Father.

I encourage you to do what the word of God commands to be done by every person:

There is only One step that must be taken:

1. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

All that appropriate the sacrifice of Christ are acceptable to Him. For He Himself extended the invitation to all:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30).

Why don’t you confess the Lord Jesus Christ NOW?

DO NOT DELAY ANY LONGER. DO IT NOW!!!

May the LORD accept you as you come to him in faith, in Jesus’ Name, Amen sdunhi

 Bible Study, Christian Conduct, Christian Conduct, Exhortation, Sermon , , ,