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DECEMBER 2021
NAHUM – THE JUDGMENT OF THE RUTHLESS (NAHUM 1-3)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: NAHUM – THE JUDGMENT OF THE RUTHLESS
TEXT: NAHUM 1-3
MEMORY VERSES: “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7NIV)
INTRODUCTION
In the book of Amos, we find a very instructive statement about God, which reads, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7NIV) This, of course, does not mean every prophet of God will have revelations about everything God intends to do here on earth. Rather, it means that God is continually making His plans about different matters of life known to His prophets in different places. So, there is no major event that will take place here on earth that at least one prophet of God will not know about it. This is why we need to take the prophetic ministry very seriously, for, through it, God is able to instruct us about various happenings in our world and how we are to respond to them.
Now among the recorded prophetic revelations we have in the bible are those in the book of Nahum. Who was Nahum? He was one of the prophets that God used in speaking to His people under the Old Covenant. Not much, of course, is said in the bible about how this man came into the prophetic ministry or what he was doing before he became a prophet. Not much is even said about the time in which he lived and prophesied. But based on the prophetic revelations he penned down and their fulfilment in history, bible historians believe that he must have prophesied during the reign of King Manasseh of Judah. And we are considering his recorded revelations in this study because of the lessons they teach us about God’s character and about His power to judge the wicked, however powerful they may be.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED
As we see in the book, the prophecies of Nahum are revelations about God’s coming judgment on Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians. Interestingly, it was not only Nahum that prophesied against the city, as we see in Scriptures. The popular prophet Jonah also prophesied against this city, most likely a number of years before Nahum did. But his prophecy about her destruction was not fulfilled because the king and his people repented of their wickedness and humbled themselves before the living God. This is showing us that though God has announced to judge a nation or a person for their wickedness, if they will humble themselves before Him and repent of their wickedness, He is going to change His mind and spare them. That is what He has revealed to us about Himself in the scriptures. (Cf. Jer 18:7-10; Ezekiel 18:21-23; Jonah 1-4)
But then, we see that God, years later, raised another prophet, Nahum, to prophesy against this same city. This could only mean that their repentance from their wickedness was momentary – after a while they returned to their wickedness, as a dog returns to its vomit. So, this time around, God spoke again through His prophet to let them know what He had determined against them and how He would rescue His people, the nation of Judah, from their hands and also comfort them.
Now Nahum begins his prophetic revelation by telling us two major things about the character of God. And the first is that He is a God of justice. Look at some of the things he says about this: “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished…” (Nah 1:2-3NIV) Clearly, we can see from what Nahum says here that God is not often in a hurry to get angry or to judge wickedness. And this is because He does not take any delight in the destruction of the wicked. This is, in fact, why He usually warns them ahead before judging them. But if the wicked will not repent of their wicked ways, at some point, He will have to step in and punish them for their wickedness right here on earth. (Cf. Rev 2:20-23)
The second thing Nahum reveals about the nature of God is that He is a good God that cares about those who trust Him. His actual words are: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him…” (Nah 1:7NIV) Look at that. God is God of love, a God that so much loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save it. This is why we can rely on Him to take care of us, protect us and do us good only. But we must also not forget that He is a God of justice. So, He will not refuse to judge wickedness, even among His people, if they persist in doing wrong things, something the Scriptures are abundantly clear about (1Pet 4:11).
Unfortunately, many people, especially believers in Christ Jesus, do not understand these things about God. I mean that they do not understand His two-fold nature as a God of love and of justice. So, it is either they want to relate to Him mainly as a God of love or as a God of justice. Now when they relate to Him only as a God of love, ignoring the fact that He is also a God of justice, they may end up abusing His grace. And when they relate to Him only as a God of justice, they may end up missing many things they ought to be enjoying from His hands. So, if we don’t want to rob ourselves of God’s blessing or get into trouble by abusing His grace, we must learn to relate to Him both as a God of love and of justice.
Why, then, is Nahum telling us about God as a God of love and of justice? It is because of the revelation he is going to share about the judgment of God that is coming on the Assyrians and their capital city, Nineveh, and also because of the experience of God’s love and mercy that nation of Judah would experience. Assyria, evidently, was a very powerful nation at the time this revelation was given to Nahum. It was a nation that had subdued many nations, including the nation of Judah. In fact, it was this nation that took the nation of Israel into captivity. (Cf. 2Kings 17&18)
Unfortunately, the Assyrians did not know that the one who made it possible for them to subdue all the nations under them at that time was the living God. So, they began to boast in their strength and power. In fact, during the reign of King Hezekiah, their king, Sennacherib, told him that even God could not rescue him and the nation of Judah from his hand. But God humbled him in a very remarkable way that resulted in the loss of his very life. (Cf. 2Kings 18&19)
Then, apart from the pride of the Assyrians, they were also cruel. So cruel were they that, as God points out through Nahum, all the nations that had felt their cruelty would clap their hands and rejoice in the day that they were judged and brought down by God (Nahum 3:19). That means they would not be judged simply because they were proud but also because they were cruel. Yes, it was God that was using them to punish those nations that they subdued. That, however, did not mean that they too would not be judged for their cruelty.
In fact, based on the revelation given to this prophet about Nineveh, their capital city, what God was bringing upon them was permanently destruction, one from which they would never recover. Therefore, it does not matter how well prepared their fighting men were for what was coming, they would still not be able to escape it. Also, it does not matter how many allies they got together to defend themselves, they would still fall before the enemy nation that God was bringing against them, and all her wealth will be pillaged. And to show them the certainty of this, God draws their attention to another great city, Thebes, that was brought down and taken into captivity, despite the walls of waters that served as her defence. (Cf. Nahum 1-3)
Now did this revelation given about the city of Nineveh and the people of Assyria come true or not? It came true. Though we are not told this in clear terms in the bible, history tells us that it was fulfilled in 612BC, when the Babylonians and the Medes marched against it and made it disappear from the face of the earth permanently, as the Lord had announced through Nahum and some other prophets of His. And this is showing us that nothing can stand against the counsel of God. If He has decreed a thing, it will surely come to pass. The only thing that may make Him change His mind is the attitude of those He has spoken His word about or against.
Also, what happened to Nineveh and its people shows us that, however powerful a nation or a man may be, he is not beyond God’s judgment. So, as long as he is abusing his power or walking in pride towards God or men, a time is coming when God will certainly judge him. This is why everyone in a position of power or influence today needs to be careful how they use their power or authority. There is no authority or power that exist except that which God has established (Rom 13:1). And that means every authority and power is under His control and will be rewarded according to its actions. But if we forget this, whether as individuals or as a nation, and begin to act as we please, a time is coming when God will show us that He is the one ruling over the affairs of all men. Then He will give judgment between men and men and also between nations and nations.
This being the case, those who are being oppressed or harassed at the moment should not give up on entrusting their lives to God for salvation and justice. That is because sooner or later God will surely judge the wicked and proud and give relief, comfort and salvation to the oppressed that are trusting in Him. For example, as we also see through the revelation given to Nahum, God promised to comfort, set free and restore the nation of Judah, which, at that time, was also among the nations being cruelly oppressed by the Assyrians. God promised them comfort and restoration. Look at some of the things He said to them: “This is what the LORD says: “Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be cut off and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, [O Judah,] I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.” (Nah 1:12-13NIV)
Now why did God promise to do this for the nation of Judah? First, it was because they were His covenant people that He was bound to protect, as long as they kept His covenant with them. Second, it was because, though they had erred because of their sins, there were among them those who were looking up to Him for mercy, forgiveness, salvation and restoration. So, though we are God’s people, if we are not living in the light of His word, we may end up becoming victims of men or Satan’s oppressive rule. But if we will repent and look to Him for salvation from any form of oppression we are experiencing, He will answer us and break the yoke of our oppressors from our neck, so that we can be free to enjoy His goodness to the full.
CONCLUSION
All power belongs to God. Therefore, however powerful anybody, being or nation may think they are, they are not beyond God’s judgment. So, if they raise up their head in pride against God or give themselves to wickedness, they will certainly be brought down by Him at the right time.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you learnt from this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
NOVEMBER 2021
LAYING ON OF HANDS AND FALLING UNDER THE POWER– MINISTERS YOU CAN TRUST (TEXT: HEBREWS 6:1-3)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: LAYING ON OF HANDS AND FALLING UNDER THE POWER
TEXT: HEBREWS 6:1-3
MEMORY VERSES: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”(Rev 1:17-18NIV)
INTRODUCTION
One of the things that has grown in popularity over the last few years in its association with the laying on of hands is ‘falling under the power’. Another phrase for this is ‘slain under the power’. And this, generally among Christians, represents a situation in which someone falls under the influence of the Spirit of God when hands are laid on them or when they are ministered to in any other way in a church meeting or programme or even elsewhere. But must people fall down like this each time hands are laid on them or each time they are ministered to by a preacher? What is the significance of falling under the power? Is falling under the power of God even biblical? If it is biblical, why are there many Christians that frown at it? These are the questions we are going to be answering in this study. We are going to be answering them because God does not want us to be ignorant of spiritual matters. And ‘falling under the power’ is also a spiritual matter.
LAYING ON OF HANDS
Now before we begin to examine what is said in Scriptures about falling under the power of God, we first need to understand the spiritual principle that it is largely associated with, which is ‘laying on of hands.’ What does it mean to lay hands on someone and why do people need to have hands laid on them? As we see in Scriptures, ‘laying on of hands’ is one of the basic spiritual principles or doctrines that God’s people need to know and understand. Thus, we are told this in the book of Hebrews: “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Heb 6:1-2NIV)
Can you see that among the elementary teachings of the Christian faith is the laying on of hands? It is actually interesting to know that the laying of on hands is taken to be an elementary subject. That, however, does not mean that it is an unimportant subject. Rather, it means it is something that every child of God ought to know and understand. Otherwise, there are other spiritual principles they may not be able to understand or appreciate. But how many children of God actually understand this subject or spiritual principle? The fact is that many of us do not understand it. That explains why we often go to the extremes in dealing with it.
But the bible clearly illustrates for us what ‘laying on of hands’ means or represents. And the following are the major meanings it gives to it:
– A sign of communicating human blessings: As we are shown in the Scriptures, just before Jacob died, Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim to him, so that he may bless them. And this is part of what is reported about the incident: “And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said…” (Gen 48:13-15NIV) So, we see that apart from blessing people by words of mouth, placing our hands on them is a way of showing them that something is coming from us to them. And this is something that even those who are not believers unconsciously often practise. They lay hands on people when they want to bless them. That, however, does not mean that it is our hands that communicate our blessings. Blessings are communicated through words of mouth. And when they are communicated like that, they become a spiritual force that create certain favourable circumstances for their recipients.
– A sign of communicating God’s blessings or grace: Another purpose of laying on of hands, as we see in the bible, is to indicate the communication God’s blessings or grace. In other words, when we lay hands on people, spiritually we are indicating that something is coming from God to them. It may be divine healing, the Holy Spirit, a spiritual gift or endowment or any other spiritual blessing that God wants to impart. But we must not assume or think that it is our hands that are communicating these things. These are divine blessings and not our blessings. So, they can only flow to those that God wants them to flow to. What I mean is that God’s blessings and grace or provisions cannot be imparted to anyone that He has not already imparted them to. So, the fact that we proclaim God’s blessings or grace on someone does not mean that it will settle on or in their life (Jer 6:14& 23:17). If God Himself has not imparted them with it, nothing will happen to them. This is why preachers of the word of God are warned not be hasty in laying hands on people (1Sam 16:1-13; 1Tim 5:22). Also, if people will not receive what is coming from God to them through us, it does not matter what we say or how many times we lay hands on them, His blessings will not come on them or work in their lives (Matt 10:11-13; Mark 6:1-5). In addition, we must understand that it is not every time that we need to lay our hands on people in order for God’s blessings to be imparted to them. Our laying of hands on them is just a sign to them and perhaps others that are watching that God is imparting them with something. That means God can surely impart people with His blessings or grace without our laying of hands on them. This is why, as we see in Scriptures, people can still receive the Holy Spirit, healing, spiritual gifts and so forth without anybody laying hands on them. (Cf. Deut 34:9; Matt 19:13-15; Mark 6:5 & 16:18; Luke 4:40&6:19; Acts 8:14-17 & 10:44-46; 1Tim 4:14; 2Tim 1:6)
– A means of announcing divine choice: Apart from the points raised above, the laying of hands on people is also sometimes a sign that God has chosen someone for some specific task or position. For instance, this is said about the choosing of Joshua to lead Israel: “So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him.” (Num 27:18NIV) And this is also is said about it: “Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.” (Num 27:22-23NIV) Observe that God had already chosen Joshua before asking Moses to lay his hands on him. In other words, the man had already been imparted with the spirit of leadership and chosen to lead the nation of Israel before Moses was instructed to lay hands on him. So, it was not the laying on of Moses’ hand on him that set him apart or qualified him for the job; rather, it was the fact that God had already chosen him. In any case, when Moses laid hands on him before all the people, he was simply giving them a sign that God had chosen him for the job of leading them. And there are other similar examples in the bible in which hands were laid on people to show them or others that they have been chosen or set apart by God for certain functions. But then, it is possible to lay hands on individuals that God has not chosen at all in this manner. (Cf. Acts 6:1-6 & 13:1-3)
– A sign of spiritual substitution: There is another thing we see in Scriptures about the laying on of hands, which is that it is a sign of spiritual substitution. As we look at the operation of the Levitical priesthood, which was a part of the old testament affairs of the Jews, we see instructions on different kinds of sacrifices the people were to bring to God in order to atone for their sins. And in most cases, the individuals bringing these sacrifices were expected to lay their hands on the animals brought before they were sacrificed. Similarly, on the general day of atonement for the people, the high priest that was to present animal sacrifices to God for them was expected to lay his hands on one of the animals being used and confess all the sins of the people on it. After that, that animal (goat) was to be sent away before the eyes of the people as the sin sacrifice bearing the sins away. So, the essence of laying hands on these animals was to show the people that a substitution was happening. In other words, instead for them to bear the consequences of their sins, whatever they may be, those animals were to bear them for them. Now could sins actually be transferred to animals or people by merely laying our hands on them? No! This kind of substitution or representation is a spiritual thing. So, unless God reckons it to be so it cannot be so. But since He already told the people that anytime they lay their hands on the animals they were presenting for sacrifices He would accept those animals as their substitutes, He honoured His word when they did so in faith. Mind you, as we also see in Scriptures, those animal substitutes could not actually carry away the sins of the people. The only one that could carry away man’s sins was a perfect human substitute. And that was our Lord Jesus Christ, who actually took our place as sinful men and died for us to be saved. (Cf. Lev 1-4&16; Rom 3:25-26&4:25; 2Cor 5:14-21; Heb 9:27-28&10:1-10)
FALLING UNDER THE POWER
Having seen what ‘lay on of hands’ symbolises in Scriptures, let us look at its relationship with the spiritual mystery that is now generally referred to as ‘falling under the power’. And we are doing this because just as we have preachers who often expect that those they lay their hands on should fall down under God’s power, we also have people who think the whole thing called ‘falling under the power’ is a sham. But we cannot judge any practice to be of God or of men or of the devil based on our feelings or thoughts or experience alone. We have to consider what God says about it through His word for us to know whether it has its origin in Him or elsewhere. And has God said anything about ‘falling under the power’ in His word? Yes! What, then, has He said about it?
Well, from what we see in Scriptures, people actually fell under the power of God in bible days. But the term ‘fall under the power’ was not in use at that time. So, ‘falling under the power’ is not illustrated as ‘falling under the power’ in the bible but mostly as ‘falling before the Lord’. Now we can categorise the various such falls before the Lord that we have in the bible into three, namely:
– A fall in awe of God: The first time Ezekiel saw the glory of God, he fell facedown before Him. And it took the Spirit of God to raise him to his feet before he could get up and hear God talk to him. Also, there was a time that Daniel saw a vision of the glory of God and fell into a deep sleep, with his face to the ground and his strength gone from him. It equally took the power of God to set him on his feet in order to hear the message brought to him from God. Furthermore, when Apostle John would receive the revelation of Jesus, which we have in the book of Revelation, he saw a vision of the Lord that made him fall at His feet as though dead. What about Apostle Paul? He too fell before the Lord’s glory when he first encountered Him on his way to Damascus. (Cf. Ezekiel 1-2; Dan 10; Acts 9:1-19; Rev 1)
So, people can actually fall down before the power of God and lie helpless before Him, even without anyone touching them. And that is to show that the glory of God is too much for us to handle in our natural state, if we are not empowered by Him to handle it. But then, in all the examples I just cited, nobody laid hands on those people who fell before the Lord, meaning that we don’t have to lay hands on people before they fall before God’s glory and power. Also, those who fell were conscious of what happened to them. That was why they were able to report it. Apart from that, they all had God reveal things to them. Yes, they fell before Him. But the focus of the visitations they received was beyond making them feel their powerlessness before the glory of God. More importantly, it was to make them receive revelations of the character of God and of His will. THEREFORE, ANY SORT OF FALLING UNDER THE POWER OF GOD THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN KNOWING GOD AND HIS WILL BETTER IS USELESS. AND ANY SO-CALLED FALL BEFORE THE POWER OF GOD THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LIFE OF THE ONE THAT HAS FALLEN IS UNPROFITABLE, REGARDLESS OF THE TITLE OR REPUTATION OF WHO HAS MINISTERED TO THEM.
– A fall to humble the arrogant: After the fall of King Saul from the place of God’s grace, he began to persecute the Lord’s anointed, David. Then, on one occasion, in his attempt to arrest him, he had to go to Naioth at Ramah, where Prophet Samuel was, when he realised that the three different groups of soldiers he had earlier sent to bring David in could not do so. But when, in his pride, he got to where Samuel was, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he too began to prophesy along with the prophets there, just as the men he had sent did. And his prophesying was so intense that he stripped off his royal robes and lay down before the Lord’s power all that day and night. So, his fall before the Lord was to humble him. But did it change him? No! He simply got up afterwards and went back to being the wicked person he had become. (Cf. 1Sam 19:18-24)
Also, John tells us in his gospel that when those who wanted to arrest our Lord Jesus first approached Him, they all drew back and fell to the ground, when He asked them, “Who is it you want?” That means they fell before the power of God, just by hearing the words of Jesus. But did that fall change them? No! They simply got up and went ahead to fulfil their wicked mission of arresting and crucifying him. (Cf. John 18:1-14)
So, there are times that God humbles proud, wicked and unbelieving people before His power. And He does this to show them that they have no power against Him or against His will or counsel. This, however, may not result in their salvation or the transformation of their lives. As long as their hearts are not right, it does not matter how many times they fall down before God’s power, they will still get up and continue in their arrogant and wicked ways. This explains why many have had hands laid on them and have fallen down before God’s power many times and their lives have not been changed or transformed a bit. Unfortunately, many of those who lay hands on people and expect them to fall don’t understand that it is not in the will of man to make people fall down before God’s power but in the will of God. Also, they do not understand that people may fall down before God’s power and still remain unchanged. And that will be the case, if their hearts are not right. In Apostle Paul’s case, though he too was humbled before the Lord’s power when he fell down after encountering His glory, his life did not remain the same afterwards. Why? It was because his heart was right all along. What he was doing was wrong indeed. But he was doing it out of ignorance, thinking that he was actually doing the will of God (1Tim 1:12-14). So, when the Lord appeared to him, he repented and changed his ways. But if we just think people will start acting differently simply because they fall before God’s power when we lay hands on them or in a meeting of ours, we are self-deluded.
– A fall in association with deliverance: Apart from those two categories of falling before God’s power already mentioned in this study, another kind of falling before His power that we see illustrated in Scriptures is that which is associated with people’s deliverance from satanic possession and oppression. For instance, Luke records this incident in his gospel: “In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.” (Luke 4:33-35NIV) Can you see that the reason that man fell before God’s power was that the demon in went out? Obviously, that demon that was afflicting him did not want to leave him. But because he could not refuse to obey the order of our Lord Jesus Christ, he had to go out in such a violent way that he threw the man down. But was he able to injure the man? No! Why? It was because it was the Lord that delivered him. And did the Lord lay hands on him for him to fall down? No!
There is another case of a child that was delivered by the Lord in a similar manner. When the deaf and mute spirit afflicting him was going out of him at the order of the Lord, he shook him violently and threw him down. In fact, everyone watching thought the boy was already dead. But the Lord took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet. And that was his deliverance. (Cf. Mark 9:25-27)
So, sometimes, the reason people fall before God’s power is that certain evil spirits that have been exercising dominion over their lives are going out of them – they are being delivered from them. But it is not every time that such things happen. It all depends on the character of the evil spirits involved.
CONCLUSION
Now, based on what we have so far seen from scriptures on ‘laying on of hands’ and ‘falling under the power’, it is clear that the laying on of hands is a spiritual principle while a falling before God’s power is a spiritual experience. Yes, there are times that people may experience the latter when the former is done to them. But it is not often so. Therefore, preachers who teach that it is pride that keep people from falling before God’s power when hands are laid on them need to drop this wrong belief and realign their thinking with the truth of God’s word. And those who push people and do other kinds of things to make them fall under God’s power also need to drop these unspiritual practices and make room for the will of God to be done in the lives of those coming to them. It is even so bad in some assemblies that the members have learnt to naturally fall down when hands are laid on them, even though they know that it is not God’s power that is responsible for their fall. Why? They want to appease the ego of their men of God. All such things must be ended among God’s people. Otherwise, there will never be a shortage of the operations of manipulative spirits in our meetings.
QUESTIONS
– What other items are majorly used as signs or symbols in communicating divine grace or choice in the bible?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
JOSEPH (TEXT: GENESIS 37&40-50)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: JOSEPH TEXT: GENESIS 37 & 40 – 50
MEMORY VERSES: ““And he sent a man before them —Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.” (Ps 105:17-19NIV)
INTRODUCTION
One main thing we are told in the bible is that the things we have in it were written down to teach us, so that through the endurance, warnings and encouragement they provide we might obtain the promise of God and not ruin our lives (Rom 15:3; 1Cor 10:6&11). So, for example, every story we have in it is for us to learn from. And how seriously we take these stories will go a long way in defining the quality of life we ourselves will ultimately live here in the world and what will become of our eternity. Now one of such stories is the story of Joseph. Who was Joseph? What was so important about his life that his story had to be included in the bible, taking several chapters of the book of Genesis? As we consider the story of the life and deeds of this young man, we see for ourselves a template of how God wants us to approach life, regardless of the circumstances we may be confronted with. And my prayer is that the things we will consider in this study about this man will prove to be of immeasurable help to us in walking in victory in the face of our lives’ challenges, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
WHO WAS JOSEPH?
Now who was Joseph? Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. He was the first child that Rachel, Jacob’s second wife, had for him. And as the bible further tells us, he was loved more than all his brothers because he had been born to his father in his old age. In other words, it was in a time of peace, rest and prosperity that Jacob had this boy. It was at a time in which Jacob had enough time to nurture and shower him with attention and gifts that he was given birth to. This, of course, made his brothers hate him and jealous of him. It also made them persecute him. But was it his fault that his father loved him the way he did? No! And is that to say that his father was right to love a child more than his other children? No! Children should never be given the impression that they are loved less or more than their siblings. Otherwise, the problems this will create in the family may run for generations unending, as we see in the case of Esau and Jacob. (Cf. Gen 30:22-24 & 37:1-4)
But then, it was not only because Joseph was loved most by his father that his brothers hated him. There were two more reasons they hated him. The first was that he used to bring bad reports about them to their father. Naturally, one would expect Joseph to be nothing but a pampered child, especially since his father loved him most. But he was not a pampered child at all. He was not left to himself or allowed to stay at home while others were working. He too was made to work with his brothers in handling the business of the family. In fact, one might say that it was only Joseph that Jacob really took his time to raise and train in the ways of the living God. So, at seventeen, he had no problem spotting the errors in his brothers’ life and reporting them to his father.
Another reason they hated Joseph was his dreams. This young man had dreams that showed that he was going to be the greatest among them and took those dreams so seriously that he narrated them to them and his father. So, even though they did not believe his dreams would amount to anything, the thought of he becoming the greatest among them made them sick, tired and jealous of him. And when they could no longer bear the sight of him, they sold him into slavery. But instead for him to perish in slavery, as they had thought, he ended up becoming the man that saved them and the world of their day from seven years of famine. So, his dreams that he would become greater than all of them were eventually fulfilled and there was nothing any of them could do about it. (Cf. Gen 37 & 38-39)
THE THINGS THAT CHARACTERISED THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
What, then, were those things that made it possible for Joseph to still experience a fulfilment of God’s purpose for his life, as he had been shown in a number of his dreams? What were those things that characterised the life of this man and made him successful? We need to know them so that we too can apply them to our lives and experience a fulfilment of the purpose of God for our lives, regardless of what challenges, opposition or persecution we may be faced with in our life’s journey. Now the following are the major things that characterised the life of Joseph:
– Faith in God: One main thing responsible for the success of Joseph in life, even though he went through all kinds of difficulties, was faith in God. How do we know that he had faith in God? First, through his attitude to the dreams God showed him about his future, we can tell that he had faith in Him. He took all those dreams seriously and earnestly looked forward to their fulfilment in his life. And that is what faith in God is about. It is about taking Him seriously and believing that things will be for us in life or in eternity just as He says they will be. Also, from the accounts of his life that we have in the bible, it is clear that he went everywhere with the consciousness that God was with him. So, he did not expect to fail or live a low life wherever he found himself. Instead, he expected God, who was always with him, to favour, prosper and protect him, so that he would shine. If we too claim to have faith in God, then, we need to take His word and whatever dreams or visions He has shown us seriously and walk all the time with the consciousness that He is always with us to make all things work for our good, regardless of where we are or what opposition we may be faced with. (Cf. Gen 37:5-11 & 39)
– Purity: Another thing that enabled Joseph to experience the fullness of God’s purpose for his life was that he took purity seriously. Starting from the time he was in his father’s house and working with his brother, he had taken purity very seriously. So, instead of joining his half brothers in doing all the terrible things they were doing, he exposed them. And that is the way of the kingdom of God (Eph 5:11). Also, when his master’s wife in Egypt tried to seduce him, he would not give in, even though that eventually led to his imprisonment. In other words, he would not allow himself to be polluted, even if it would cost him his life. But why was he determined to remain pure at the risk of his life? It was because he had the fear of God. He once told his master’s wife, “How, then, can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Which means it was not because he was afraid of men that he devoted himself to purity; rather, it was because he feared God and was concerned about his judgment. So, though he was unjustly punished for a while, God, at the right time, vindicated him and lifted him up. (Cf. Gen 39:9)
But when we compare his case with his elder brother’s, Reuben, we see a great difference. Reuben also was confronted with a situation in which he had to choose between purity and infidelity with his father’s wife. But he missed it and was later placed under a curse by his father. He was told that he would never again excel in life. That means Reuben too was destined for excellence in life. But because he did not take purity seriously, he lost what could have been his in life. Many too have lost what could have been theirs in life because of impurity. And I hope you too have not lost your place in life because of impurity. But even though that is the case, there is forgiveness and restoration with God. So, what you need to do is approach His throne of mercy and obtain whatever form of help you need to get your life straight. (Cf. Gen 35:22&49:3-4; Heb 4:16; 1John 1:9)
– Diligence and trustworthiness: Joseph, as we see in the bible, never for once used his predicaments as an excuse for being irresponsible in life. He did not sit down and allow his life to waste away because he was sold into slavery. Instead, both as a slave and as a prisoner, he showed himself as responsible to both God and man. In other words, he was diligent in handling his God-given gifts and abilities and also diligent in handling whatever tasks and resources people entrusted to him. That was why he rose to become Potiphar’s house manager when he was with him. It was also why the management of the prison he was sent to was turned over to him by the warden. And when he eventually was introduced to the king of Egypt, the man had no trouble entrusting the whole nation to him. (Cf. Gen 39-41)
This, of course, reminds of the words of Jesus that say, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12NIV) So, even if you have suffered all kinds of things at the hands of wicked and unreasonable people, you can still rise to become the person God wants you to be, if you are diligent and trustworthy. But if you are not diligent and trustworthy, even if everybody in the world tries to favour and lift you, your poverty of diligence and faithfulness will be your undoing. So, you who are complaining that nobody wants to help you, how faithful and diligent are you where you are?
– Perseverance: As I already pointed out, Joseph was a man a faith. He was someone that took God seriously. And this was one of the reasons he persevered in the face of life’s trials. True faith in God is patient. True faith in God perseveres. In short, faith alone in God is not enough to receive certain things from Him; patience must be exercised as well. Otherwise, we may not receive what He has promised. (Cf. Heb 6:12-15) What are we saying? It is that even though God has made certain good promises to us, it does not mean that they will come to fulfilment without our facing any challenge or trial. But if we truly believe that God has the power to fulfil His promises to us, regardless of the challenges that we face, we will patiently wait for Him. Joseph waited for God to fulfil His purpose concerning him. Yes, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers, jailed unjustly because he would not commit adultery with his master’s wife and even forgotten for two years by a man that was in a position to help him out of prison. Yet he did not allow any of these things to make him lose his faith in God or to lose character and start misbehaving. Instead, he patiently kept faith in God and continued to do diligently do His will everywhere he found himself. And when the time was ripe, God justified him and exalted him, as He had promised.
In like manner, we too will certainly experience a fulfilment of all of God’s promises to us, if we will persevere in doing His will. As we are told in the book of Hebrews, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Heb 10:35NIV) Did you see that? We may be faced with circumstances that will want to make us think the word of God will not be fulfilled in our lives. But God will not fail us. We just need to do three things. The first is to keep faith in Him and not throw away our confidence. The second is to keep doing His will. The third is to persevere. And as long as these things are in place in our lives, we will surely receive what God has promised.
– Forgiving spirit: Another important quality we see in Joseph is a forgiving heart. This man, because of the things he suffered in the hands of men, especially his brothers that sold him into slavery, had reasons to be harsh and difficult in relating to others and reasons to seek vengeance against those who hurt him. Interestingly, at some point in his life, he found himself in a position in which he could actually take vengeance against his brethren and even against his master’s wife that was responsible for the time he spent in the prison. But he would not do this. Why? It was because He saw God’s hand in everything that happened to him. In other words, he reasoned that if God had not allowed the wicked plots of these people to succeed against him, they would not have succeeded. Also, he reasoned that God was at work in using every negative thing that was done to him in bringing him to the great position he eventually found himself. So, as he later told his brothers, they were not the ones that sent him to Egypt; it was God that sent him there. All of this is why he would not nurse any grudges against them or seek to pay them back in their own coins. Instead, he forgave them and used his position to make the rest of their earthly lives most comfortable for them. (Cf. Gen 45:1-15 &50:15-21)
Now to say the fact, it is people with the kind of heart that Joseph had that God often has no problem exalting. That is because He can tell that they will not use their position of advantage to take vengeance on those who have hurt them. See, one of the reasons some people may never rise above where they are now in life is their unwillingness to forgive those who have hurt or offended them in life. It is also one main reason some who are seriously ill have not been able to receive their healing. God knows what damage they would cause, if they are healthy or in certain positions in life because of the hatred, anger and bitterness in their lives. So, until they have a change of heart, He may not allow them to experience healing or to go from where they are to where they can be in life.
Perhaps the reason you too are still at that spot in life is that you will not forgive certain individuals who allowed themselves to be used by the devil to hurt you in some serious ways. But God, as He did in Joseph’s case, is able to turn all their wicked acts against you around for your good, if you put your trust in Him. Not only that, He already tells us that vengeance is His duty and that He will revenge. So, He does not want us to play God in dealing with our enemies and others who have hurt us. That is because none of us is wise enough to know the proper judgment to give to those who have hurt us. And if we are left to do it, we will most likely mess things up and allow the cycle of wickedness to continue instead of ending it. So, let go of your anger and bitterness and forgive everyone that has hurt or offended you, regardless of how grievous their offence may be. That will be healing to your soul and body and exaltation to your life. Remember that both Abraham and Job had to forgive those who offended them and even pray for them before they too could experience God’s restoration and fruitfulness in their lives. You too should do the same, and you will witness the glory of God. (Cf. Gen 20; Job 42:7-11; Rom 12:19-21)
CONCLUSION
The story of Joseph is one of those bible stories that are given to inspire us to maintain faith in God and to persevere in doing His will instead of making excuses for failure or irresponsible living. And if we too will take to heart the lessons of his story and act accordingly, we will certainly find God moving mountains on our behalf and turning around for our good every evil thing men may do against us when the time is ripe. But are we going to take to heart these lessons? I pray that our hearts are strengthened by the Spirit of God to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
QUESTIONS
– In what ways do you think Joseph’s story can help both young and old people today?
– How can having a forgiving spirit help break the cycle of wickedness in our world?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
OCTOBER 2021
OBADIAH—IN THE DAY OF THEIR DISASTER
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021
TOPIC: OBADIAH—IN THE DAY OF THEIR DISASTER
TEXT: OBADIAH
MEMORY VERSES: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Gal 6:1NIV)
INTRODUCTION
The book of Obadiah is the shortest of all the old testament books of the bible. And though very little is known about the author and his ministry as a prophet of God, the message of the book is one that deserves full attention of all God’s children. Why? It is because it speaks of God’s judgment between brethren that are not walking in love towards one another. Who are these brethren? They are Esau and Jacob. As the bible shows us, right from the womb, these two men had been involved in bitter rivalry (Gen 25:21-23). Unfortunately, even years after they had left the earth, their descendants also would not stop relating to one another in bitterness. And this bitterness was given full expression by the nation of Edom (descendants of Esau) in the day that the nation of Judah (descendants of Jacob) was sacked and taken into captivity, as we see in the book of Obadiah. God, therefore, had judge between them in order to show us that He would not overlook manifestations of hatred among brethren, who are supposed to love and care for one another. If we have not forgotten, the story of Cain and Abel is also given to us in the bible to teach us similar things. It is given to show us that God expects us to be our brother’s keeper and protector. But if, instead of protecting and looking after them, we, like Cain, become the predators that are bent on devouring them, God will have no choice but to judge us according to our actions, just as He judged Cain. (Cf. Gen 4:1-16) And this, again, is the message of the book of Obadiah.
IN THE DAY OF THEIR DISASTER
Now the book opens with a declaration of God’s judgment on the nation of Edom. And look at some of what He says that He will do to this nation:
“The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom — We have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, and let us go against her for battle”— “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.” (Obad 1-4NIV)
Did you see that? God said that He was going to demote the nation of Edom among all other nations of the world. That means this nation must have been a respected one at that time among other nations of the world. But God said that would no longer be the case for her, for He would invite some enemy nations to attack her and reduce her to nothing. In fact, He went on to say that even the allies of this nation would be turned against her in that day and that all her hidden wealth would be taken away. (Cf. Oba 5-9)
This, of course, is worthy of note, for it is showing us that kingdoms and nations don’t just rise and fall – the one that determines what becomes of them is God. He is the one that lifts up nations and people. And He is the one that brings them down. In other words, no one, not even the devil, can make great a nation God has not made great, regardless of how hard they try. Then no one can bring down a nation, if God has not brought it down, regardless of how hard they try. And so that we may be clear about this and not think the events of this world are products of accidents or chance, there are times that He speaks through His prophets in advance, as He did in the case of this nation, Edom, of what He will do to certain nations or kingdoms of the world. (Cf. Jer 18:7-10; Dan 2:20-21)
In any case, why was God going to judge the nation of Edom and bring her down the way He announced through Obadiah? Two main reasons are given in the book. The first was pride. Look again at how God points this out: “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’” (Obad 3NIV) That means this country felt it had arrived at a place in strength, power, wealth and influence where nothing could bring her down. That was nothing but pride.
Now the bible is clear about the fact that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, any individual, group of people or nation that begins to act in pride will surely have God as her enemy and be thrown down. It is only those who humble themselves before Him and see themselves as incapable of accomplish or acquiring anything without Him that He will lift up in due season. And are we such people? Are our families, communities, companies, country made up of such people? The kind of individuals we are in our hearts will determine whether we will experience God’s lifting or be thrown down. (Cf. James 4:6-10; 1Peter 5:5-6)
The second major reason God was judging the nation of Edom was her attitude towards her sister nation, Judah, in the day of their disaster. As it is expressly made known to us in the bible, as long as we are in this world, there is no guarantee that we won’t face some evil days. This may be as a result of our own sins and foolishness or just as a result of the hostility of the devil and his agents. Whatever, the case may be, what we need from our brethren, if we should find ourselves in an evil day, is their comfort and protection and not their insult, persecution or attacks. And that is also what God expects of them.
Remember the story of Job and his friends. Job had been attacked by the devil in a very terrible way. And that was not because he did anything wrong or stupid but because Satan was bent on proving his faith in God to be false. But his friends, who did not know or understand the reasons for his ordeals, persecuted and insulted him in several ways, instead of comforting him. So, when God was going to restore him, He judged them as guilty and asked that they should offer sacrifices for their sins against their friend and brother, Job, and also asked the man to pray for them. Otherwise, He was going to judge them according to their folly. (Cf. Job 1-42)
What is that teaching us? It is that God does not want us to despise or take advantage of our brethren if they should find themselves in a time of trouble. Even if they are responsible for their own mess, God still wants us to always remember that they are our brethren. So, their protection, restoration and comfort should be our utmost concern. That is why the Spirit of God, speaking through Paul, in our memory verse for this study, says, ““Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Gal 6:1NIV)
Did you see that? Our aim must be to bring back our brethren, if they should miss it, and not to castigate them or do anything that will make things worse for them. But as we see in the book of Obadiah, this was not the case with the nation of Edom. Her people did not keep in mind the fact that they and the people of Judah were brethren, when the latter were being judged by God for their wickedness. Instead, based on the accusations God brought against them, they:
– Attacked them (Oba 10 &14).
– Offered no help for their deliverance (Oba 11).
– Despised them (Oba 12).
– Rejoiced over their disaster (Oba 12&13).
– Profited from their misfortune (Oba 13).
– Acted as if there were no hope of restoration for them, when God actually had plans of restoration for them (Oba 17-21).
Therefore, God said that He was going to judge them ruthlessly and bring them down from their lofty heights. But if we look at the way we too relate to our erring brethren or brethren that are facing difficult times because of some satanic attack, will it be any different from the way that country, Edom, related to her sister country, Judah? I am sure you and I both know the answer to this question. We just need to keep in mind the fact that just as God judged the nation of Edom for their hostility and hatred towards their brethren of the nation of Judah, He is also going to judge us for whatever hostility, hatred, bitterness or persecution we show towards our brethren in the day of their disaster. My prayer is that we won’t wait for His judgment to come on us before we repent of our sins and begin to do what is right.
CONCLUSION
Our instruction as God’s people is that we love one another just as Christ has loved us. And if we truly love one another in this way, we will never do anything to destroy our brethren or to make their situation worse in their moments of trial. Instead, we will always labour in love to protect, comfort, strengthen or restore them, regardless of what situations they are faced with in life. But where we do not function in this consciousness, God’s judgment is inevitable.
QUESTION
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
SEPTEMBER 2021
HOW TO TRULY TRUST GOD (PROVERBS 3:5-9)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021
TOPIC: HOW TO TRULY TRUST GOD
TEXT: PROVERBS 3:5-9
MEMORY VERSES: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you” (Psalm 9:10)
INTRODUCTION
If I ask you, do you trust God? I can safely guess what your answer would be; yes, I do. If you are a believer, of course, that is what your reply should be. And if you look around and ask Christians some questions relating to how they are living their lives, most people will tell you they are trusting God. For instance, if you think someone (a believer) is of marriageable age and you bother to ask the person his/her plans concerning marriage, you will most likely get an answer like this; It is well or we are trusting God. I mean if the person does not have a concrete plan at the moment. What I am saying in essence is that it is not uncommon for believers to say “they are trusting God” when they are hoping for a better life or for the situation of their lives to change for good.
There is nothing wrong with the phrase I trust God or I am trusting God. In fact, according to the word of God, we should place our trust in God at all times and in all things. That is the will of God for us. However, many people that claim to trust God do not even know what it means to put their trust in God. A lot of people misrepresent it. And it is wisdom for you to know what it means to really trust the Lord so that you will not be disappointed. (Isaiah 49:23) The Bible clearly says that if you trust God, you will not be disappointed. That means if you don’t trust him and think you are trusting him, you will be disappointed. So it’s wise to know what it means to trust God.
Let us examine the words of Solomon. (Proverb 3:5-8)
Verse 5a – Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
The first thing Solomon wants us to know about trusting the Lord is that it is of the HEART. It is first a HEART matter. And this is the major ingredient missing in many people’s trust in the Lord. If you trust in the Lord, your heart must be with him. Your heart must fellowship with him. Your heart must pant after Him. The question is this, is your heart with the Lord? Can the Lord boast that your heart is with Him? The proof that your heart is with the Lord is that you are seeking after him. So you can ask yourself, are you seeking after God or another thing.
Verse 5b – do not depend on your own understanding.
Any level of wisdom, knowledge, or understanding outside the scope of God is mixed with falsehood and foolishness. So when you depend on your OWN understanding outside the scope of God, you are simply walking in Truths mixed with falsehood and foolishness. And you can tell where that will lead. So if you truly trust God, your dependency will be on God’s understanding of how life should be lived.
Verse 6 – Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take.
What does it mean to seek the will of God in all you do? It simply means follow the path of righteousness in all things. What some people think this verse means is that you should always pray to God to show you his will in all you do. And of course, it is His will for us to depend on Him in prayers for everything. Primarily, What Solomon is saying here is not about prayer, it is about doing what pleases God in all you do. It is about seeking justice, truth, and righteousness in everything you do. Solomon then added that there is a benefit in following God’s will, and it is that God will lead you on the right path. There is a big lesson here. If you want God’s direction always, seek to do what is right in all you do.
Verse 7 – Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Wisdom is good. According to Solomon, wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. What Solomon is saying here is not the wisdom you get from fellowship with God, it is the wisdom you get from learning things in this world. And God is not saying those forms of wisdom are totally useless, No. What He is saying is that you should not be impressed by them. This also means, your trust must not be in them. And the reason is that it is not always complete and mixed with falsehood and foolishness. So Solomon says you should rather follow after the fear of the Lord and don’t be involved in Evil. You see, there is always an element of evil in the wisdom of this world no matter how good it is. So God is saying again, don’t be impressed. Fear the Lord and turn from evil.
Verse 8 – Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
Everybody wants to stay in good health. We want to be strong. God is giving you a blueprint on how to enjoy health. Fear the Lord and turn from evil. Of course, the fear of the Lord and turning away from evil is not all we need to do to enjoy health. For instance, you must practice healthy living too to enjoy health. But what God is saying is that the foundation to a healthy life is to fear God and depart from evil.
Verse 9 – Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.
Apart from direction and staying in good health, another thing we all want is wealth. And Solomon explains also how to have wealth. Be generous to God. Generosity to God is honour to Him. It is not just giving to the Lord but honouring Him. And that is why he continues to say that you must offer the best to God. You see, when we give the best it is a big sign that we trust God. And the reward is enormous. He will bless you. And I am sure you want His blessings.
OTHER THINGS THAT PROVE YOU TRULY TRUST GOD
- (1Thessalonians 5:16) Prayer is evidence that a man trusts God. When we pray we are simply saying we depend on you, oh God. And whenever you pray, ensure you are truly praying.
- (1Thessalonians 5:18) This is God’s will for us. When we thank God always what we are saying is that God is good, we depend on him and we know he can take care of us.
- Seeking to know HIM. (Amos 5:4) We don’t trust people we don’t know. No one put his trust in a stranger. So to truly trust God, You must know Him.
- Be generous to people. (1 Timothy 6:18) Be willing to share.
- Go to work. (Psalm 90:17) If you are not busy with a legitimate endeavor, you don’t trust God. God will bless something that you are doing.
This is the conclusion of the whole matter, let your heart be involved in your fellowship with Him, trust His instructions for living, never forget to be generous and he will lead your path, give health and cause you to enjoy wealth. Shalom.
- What is the most important thing you have learnt?
Prophet Tolulope Olarinre
ORDER IN THE CHURCH MEETINGS (1CORINTHIANS 14:26-40)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021
TOPIC: ORDER IN THE CHURCH MEETINGS
TEXT: 1CORINTHIANS 14:26-40
MEMORY VERSES: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you” (Psalm 9:10)But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (1Cor 14:40NIV)
INTRODUCTION
One of the reasons many of our church meetings today do more damage to people’s lives than good is lack of order in them. Many actually don’t even know that it is not every church meeting that may be a blessing to God’s people. For instance, Paul says to the Corinthian brethren in one of his letters to them, “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.” (1Cor 11:17NIV) Why is this so with these brethren? It is so because, as Paul further points out, there are divisions, selfishness and bitterness among them. And these things are finding expression in their meetings and even so-called love feasts. Therefore, instead of them being blessed and transformed by the Lord in those meetings, they are being judged by Him. That, of course, begins to result in manifestations of sicknesses, weaknesses and even physical death in their midst. And the only way for these things to stop among them, as Paul shares with them, is for them to judge themselves in the light of the word of God and repent of the wickedness that is in their midst. (Cf. 1Cor 11:17-34)
In like manner, we see assemblies of God today in which similar things are happening. Members are getting sick and weak, and are not being healed, even when they are prayed for. Then, in some cases, members, including the young ones, are dying miserable deaths, deaths that are not associated with persecutions. All these things are happening because they will not judge themselves in the light of the word of God. And if we don’t want our church meetings through which we are supposed to be experiencing more and more of God’s blessings to become channels for satanic afflictions or channels through which we are judged, we must study to walk in love with one another and rid of our lives everything that is not consistent with love.
ORDER IN THE CHURCH MEETINGS
But then, it is only through sins like bitterness, selfishness, sexual immorality and so forth that God’s people can be deprived of being blessed or edified by God through their meetings. Disorderliness in their meetings also can deprive them of any experience of God’s blessings they may hope to have. And Paul speaks about his also in his letter to the Corinthians, saying:
“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (1Cor 14:33-40NIV)
What must be our main focus in all our church meetings, as Paul tells us in this text? Two things are involved. The first is that everything we do must be done for the strengthening or edifying of everybody. That means anything that will not edify God’s people must not appear at all in any of our meetings. Yes, it is okay for us to have songs, hymns or psalms to sing, music to make, sermons to preach, prophecies to share, tongues and their interpretations to give, love offerings to give and so forth. But any of these things that will not edify, build up or heal the brethren must not be done at all, regardless of what urge we feel to do it. And every one of us must keep this in mind.
Unfortunately, this is often not the case with many of us in our assemblies. We just do things because we feel like doing them or because we see others doing them. Our mutual edification is often not our aim. That is why we find it convenient to sing songs, do dances and preach sermons that are not aimed at edifying anybody. Do you know that we even organise special programmes today for the sole purpose of taking money from the brethren instead of building them up? That explains why, though we meet regularly in many of our churches, our growth is not in any way reflecting this.
The second thing Paul says we must focus on in all our meetings is order. He says everything we do should be done in a fitting and orderly way. In other words, our meetings must not be characterised with confusion. And every one of us must know this. But a lot of times, we see that brethren don’t want to be orderly. Instead, they want to come into church meetings and do as they please. Some want to sit where they please, go out and come in as they please or even stand around as they please. Seriously, I have been to church meetings where many brethren would not stay inside the meeting place to participate in what was going on, especially if they were not ministering in one way or the other. This is utterly wrong and must be corrected and discontinued. Otherwise, we will keep hindering our individual and collective experience of the blessings of God.
So, Paul, in the passage in which he speaks about these things, makes it very clear to us that what he is saying about order in our church meetings is the Lord’s command, not his or anybody’s opinion. In other words, the Lord wants us to be orderly in all our meetings. Therefore, even though we may have all kinds of things we want to do in these meetings, they must be done in an orderly manner and WITH RESPECT FOR THE GIFTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCHES and also WITH RESPECT FOR THEIR TIME. That is why he says things like, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” (1Cor 14:27-32NIV)
Did you see that? We are not expected to use all the time in the world for our meetings. So, we must regulate the number of those who minister to us in our meetings and also the amount of time that they use. As Paul stresses, regardless of how much revelations we are receiving from God, our spirits are under our control. So, we can control how we share these revelations, without causing confusion or wearing the people of God. Sadly, there are church leaders who do not understand this. That is why they keep unduly engaging their brethren in meetings that may not accomplish God’s purpose in their lives, seeing that they are ignoring God’s command on how things are to be done in their midst.
Also, Paul speaks in that bible text of a class of people that should not be allowed to take over the meetings of the Corinthians. He says the women in the church must be silent (1Cor 14:33-35). Why? Is the Lord really saying that women should not be allowed to speak in our meetings? Or is He really saying that women should not be allowed to occupy leadership roles in our meetings? First, when we consider what this apostle says in chapter 11 of this same letter, we see that women are allowed to pray and prophesy in our church meetings. Since that is the case, since it is alright to have prophetesses prophesying in our meetings, it is not wrong for our women to teach or speak in our church meetings.
What kind of silence, then, is Paul referring to? It is a kind that is borne out of sense of submission to authority. As he points out, the Law says the women must be in submission in all public assemblies and not be in charge. What law is he referring to? Is it the law of Moses? No! There is nowhere in the law of Moses where women are not permitted to speak in public meetings or to take leadership positions. It was only the offices of the priests and the kings that they were not given room to occupy. But they could lead or proclaim the word of God in any other capacity that they were gifted by God to function. So, we had someone like Deborah leading the nation of Israel at a time in their history. Then, even in Moses’ day, certain women, the daughters of a man called Zelophehad, spoke up about their father’s inheritance and how it should be passed on to them. And God honoured them. So, Paul could not have been referring to the Law of Moses in that text. Besides, as we see in several of his writings, believers in Christ Jesus are not under the Law of Moses and so are not expected to live according to it. (Cf. Num 27:11; Judges 4-5)
What Law, then, is Paul referring to in the text? It is the Law by which the Greeks govern their affairs. See, at the time Paul wrote this letter and among most Greeks and Romans, women were not permitted to lead public meetings or to direct the affairs of the state. And in order not to offend those who were just coming into the church and make church meetings look like a place where lawlessness was tolerated, the law and public sentiments had to be respected. Also, to prevent some women from disrespecting their husbands or other men because they were holding certain leadership roles in the church, as it was most likely the case at that time, measures had to be taken to minimise the involvement of women in leadership positions at that time in the churches of God. Yet there were exceptions at that time, for there were churches then that had certain women that were serving as deacons and leaders and some in whose houses church meetings held (Rom 16:1-15; Phil 4:2-3). Why were there these exceptions? It was because God gifted those women to serve and lead some of His churches in very special ways, and everybody could recognise that.
Now since, in many parts of the world today, there are no national laws forbidden women from taking up leadership positions in the society, there should be no fear that anyone will be offended, if they are allowed to use their God-given leadership abilities to direct or help in directing the affairs of the church. More so, it was not only women that were to be silent in church meetings at that time, so as not to cause confusion or grumblings or murmurings in them. Also, men, at that time, that had tendencies to teach destructive heresies were to be silenced as well by church leaders that knew the will of God. What all this means, then, is that lack of submission and heresies also can bring about disorderliness in our church meetings. So, we must watch out for them and deal with them appropriately. (Cf. 1Tim 1:3-6; Titus 1:10-14)
Well then, why should there be order in our meetings? There should be order in all our meetings for these major reasons:
– The Lord Jesus is present in all believers’ meetings by His Spirit: Clearly, the Lord tells us that where two or three of us come together in His name, there He is in their midst (Matt 18:20). Also, Paul says that when we come together in the Lord’s name, His power is readily present with us (1Cor 5:4). Since this, then, is the case, we must function always in our meetings with a consciousness that the Lord is there. That means if we are disorderly and behaving as we like, we are disrespecting Him. There are things we will not do in our meetings if some important earthly dignitaries should join us. And if we will not want to annoy or disrespect human beings in our meetings, should we not all the more be careful not to dishonour the Lord in them?
– Our God is not an author of confusion: Confusion in any of our meetings or even lives is a sign that God is not in agreement with what we are doing. Very clearly, Paul tells us in the bible text we are using for this study that God is not an author of confusion or disorderliness but a God of peace. So, even though He is always present in all our meetings, anything that is associated with confusion in them is not founded in Him or in agreement with His will. If we, then, see any trace of confusion in our meetings, we need to ask ourselves if what everything we are doing in these meetings is in agreement with the will of God or not. Are we not functioning in selfishness or with a desire for vain glory or in a spirit of disunity? These are some of the things that may result in confusion in our meetings. Now remember what happened at the Tower of Babel. Why did God confuse the speech of men at that time? It was because what they were doing was contrary to His for humanity, His will that we should spread out and replenish the earth. We still see the same confusion in most our cities that are unduly crowded or populated today. We see people wasting hours that they could have used in productive living elsewhere on the road. Why must everybody be in the same place? Why are we leaving the scarcely populated areas for already densely populated areas? Often, it is because we want greener pastures. But some people made those places that we now refer to as greener pastures what they are today. Why are we not replenishing those places we are abandoning, so that they too could become the desire and delight of many? Well, as long as we continue to defy God’s plan for us, confusion will not stop being evident in our lives and affairs. (Cf. Gen 11:1-9)
– Order is a symbol of unity: As we are told in Scriptures, all of us who have been baptised into the body of Christ are one in Him. Therefore, we must maintain and manifest this oneness as we relate to one another and in all our meetings. And where this is the case, each of us will not be looking at his own interests alone in any of our meetings but also at the interests of others. Also, where this is the case, each of us will respect one another’s gifts and ministries and see how we can promote them instead of trying to minimise their relevance. This, of course, will promote order and mutual edification of the brethren in all our meetings. (Cf. 1Cor 12:12-27; Eph 4:1-16; Phil 1:27-2:4)
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, even though we are to pursue and maintain order in all our meetings, we must not allow this to degenerate into an occasion to hinder or prevent brethren from exercising their spiritual gifts or doing the will of God in our meetings. This is why Paul concludes by saying, “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (1Cor 14:39-40NIV) Did you see that? We must not allow our pursuit of order in our meetings to hinder manifestations of spiritual gifts in them. Otherwise, those meetings may become merely mechanical meetings that will not be accomplishing the will of God in people’s lives. And this, sadly, is the case in many assemblies of God today.
QUESTION
– How has this study blessed you?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
ZACCHAEUS – A READY HARVEST (LUKE 19:1-10)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 1st SEPTEMBER 2021
TOPIC: ZACCHAEUS – A READY HARVEST
TEXT: LUKE 19:1-10
MEMORY VERSES: “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35NIV)
INTRODUCTION
One main thing farmers consider before harvesting any of their crops is the maturity of the crops. That is because to harvest crops that are not mature or ready for harvest is to waste them. And if you waste your crops, you have wasted your labour. Now this principle is also applicable to soul winning in the kingdom of God. That is because the souls of men are likened to crops to be harvested by the Lord Jesus. For example, on one occasion, when the Lord saw the number of helpless, depressed and confused people that were coming to Him to be ministered to, He told His disciples of the need for them to pray to God, whom He referred to as the God of harvest, to send in labourers into His field of harvest, for the harvest was plentiful (Matt 9:35-38). On another occasion, He referred to the people in a Samaritan town called Sychar as ready crops that are waiting to be harvested (John 4:1-42).
Since this, then, is the case, since the Lord sees the souls of unsaved men as crops to be harvested when ripened, it is important that all of us who are working with Him as labourers in His vineyard function with the same consciousness. We need to function with the consciousness that the souls of all the unbelievers, who are destined for salvation, in our world must be ready for harvest before we can succeed in harvesting them into the kingdom of God. Otherwise, there is nothing we say or do that will make them take God or the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ seriously. And if we try to force, coerce or manipulate them into becoming children of the kingdom, we may end up destroying their lives or the work that God has been doing in their lives and also waste our own labour. So, we need to learn to watch out for the readiness in people in every matter that concerns the salvation of their souls. That way, we will be able to tell those what we just need to sow this seed of the word into their lives and wait for it to germinate from those that we simply need to water the seed of the word of God that has already been planted in their lives and from those who are already mature for harvest.
ZACCHAEUS – A READY HARVEST
Now we see an example of this in the way our Lord Jesus Christ related to a man called Zacchaeus during His time here on earth. Here is the account:
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.'” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”” (Luke 19:1-10NIV)
From what we see in this account, though our Lord Jesus actually came into the world to seek and to save lost souls, the lost souls that He ended up saving were those who were ready to be saved. And how do we know whether someone is ready to be saved or not? First, there will be in him an acknowledging of the fact that he needs salvation. He may be morally upright in many ways. But he will know somewhere in his heart that something is missing or that there is a void in his life that needs to be filled. Now he may not know how to be saved or what to do to be saved. But he will know in his heart that he needs salvation and that he cannot save himself. That is what we see in the young rich man that came to the Lord Jesus to find out what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. According to him, he had been a keeper of the laws of God from his childhood days. Still, he knew somehow in his heart that his eternity was not sure and that he needed to be sure of it. (Cf. Matt 19:16-20)
Second, such a person will begin to look for a saviour. For example, we had people during the Lord’s days here on earth that came to Him to know what they needed to do to be saved (Matt 19:16; Luke 10:25). And we also see an example in the man Zacchaeus, whom we are considering for this study. It was his heart’s desire to be saved that prompted him to climb a tree in order to just take a look at Jesus. Think about the trouble he must have gone through in order to climb that Sycamore tree. Mind you, we are talking about a very wealthy man that had almost everything anybody would wish to have in life. Yet because he was a soul that was ready to be harvested into the kingdom of God, he laid aside all that just to look at Jesus. But what exactly did he expect that to do for him? How did he expect looking at Jesus to result in his salvation? I am sure he did not really have anything concrete in mind. He simple felt he needed to begin to take some steps in the direction of receiving salvation. That was why he did what he did. And there have been many like him too that just wandered into some church meetings or crusades, not knowing exactly what they were doing, and eventually got saved. Praise God!
Third, regardless of how vile, morally upright, poor, rich or influential the person may be, they will readily open their hearts to accept the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, if they are a ready harvest for salvation. And this often surprises preachers. Here is this person that does not look like one that will accept the Lord Jesus Christ or want to have anything to do with Him at all. Yet when the message of the cross is preached to him in its simplicity, he accepts it without anybody putting pressure on him or flattering him (1Cor 2:1-5; 1Thess 2:3-6). On the other hand, however, you may meet someone that looks very much like a ready soul for salvation and yet, when you give them the gospel, they show no serious interest in accepting it or yielding their life to the Lord Jesus Christ. That is to say that they are not a ready harvest.
In any case, Zacchaeus showed himself to be a ready harvest when the Lord spoke to him. How did the Lord know this man was up in the trees, seeking salvation? How did He even know his name? At least, there is no record in the bible that this man had been one of the Lord’s acquaintances before this incident. So, how did He know him and what he was up to? It must have been by revelation. This is showing us that there are times that carefully observing people only won’t do in knowing whether they are a ready harvest for salvation, if the Spirit of God does not reveal to us the state of their hearts or their present spiritual conditions.
So, we must be sensitive to what the Spirit is saying to us or showing us about those in our world in order for us to know their readiness for salvation. Otherwise we may miss the opportunity to lead those ready souls to experience the salvation of the Lord. The Lord did not miss the opportunity to lead Zacchaeus to salvation because He was walking by the Spirit of God. That was why He called out to him and also went to eat and dine with him in his house, even though He knew that would attract people’s criticisms. We too may find ourselves in such situations, ones in which those ready souls are individuals that are hated by the society. And in such situations, we must not allow people’s opinions or our desire for their praise to jeopardise the work of God.
Another thing that shows that someone is a ready harvest for salvation, as we see in Zacchaeus’ case, is their prompt readiness to turn away from a life of wickedness to a life of righteousness in Christ Jesus. They may not know how to go about it or even fully comprehend what doing so might cost them. But they are ready to repent and do the will of God, regardless of their present circumstances. Of course, it is the Spirit of God that produces this promptness in them. But it is a sign for us who are already saved that they are ready for the salvation of the Lord Jesus and that we need to take advantage of their readiness.
Zacchaeus, having received the Lord into his house and heard words of salvation from him, rose up on his own and expressed his desire to set his life right. And did the Lord rebuke or condemn him for that? No! Instead, He commended what he did and told those listening that that was a sign that salvation had come into his house. So, a ready willingness on a man’s part to repent of his wickedness and begin to live for the Lord Jesus is a sign that he is a ready harvest for salvation. But when we see anyone who shows no interest in turning away from his wickedness in order to live for the Lord, we may just be dealing with one who is not yet ready for salvation, even if he claims to already have it.
CONCLUSION
Until people are ripe for salvation, we cannot lead them to experience it. To, then, attempt to pressure or trick or flatter one that has not been made ready by the Spirit of God to accept Christ’ salvation is to work against the will and purpose of God. And the result will not be good. So, what we should look out for in the unsaved in our world is their ripeness for harvest into the kingdom of God, for once they are ripe, leading them to salvation may even feel like being too easy for us.
QUESTION
– How has this study helped your understanding of how to handle witnessing, evangelism or soul winning?
– What is the most important lesson for you in the study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
AUGUST 2021
BE DOERS OF THE WORD (JAMES 1:22-25)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2021
TOPIC: BE DOERS OF THE WORD
TEXT: JAMES 1:22-25
MEMORY VERSES: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
INTRODUCTION
Many in our world today attend church meetings week in week out but only give little attention to practicing of the word of God. In fact, there are many believers who attend all their church meetings but whose lives do not reflect the word of God they are listening to. Why is this so? It is so because their reasons or motives for attending these meetings are not right. When you come for church meetings, what are your motives for coming? When you study the scriptures, what are your motives for studying them? People attend church meetings for different reasons. But our motives and disposition to the word of God must be right, if not, the word of God will do us no good, and our coming for church meetings will result into a waste of time and other valuable resources.
BE DOERS OF THE WORD
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22NIV) The person that hears the word but will not commit himself to practicing it is a deceiver. He is deceiving no other person but himself. His life will not produce any good fruit. Such a life will be empty and meaningless. James further describes the character of the one that hears the word of God but will not practice it, saying, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:23-25). What does James call the man who hears the word and will not do it? A forgetful hearer! He listens to the word of God like everybody else, but his problem is that he forgets the word of God. Therefore, there is no way he can practise it.
But why will someone read through the scriptures or go for a church meeting and listen to a sermon but will eventually forget and not do the word? The following are some of the reasons many often forget the word of God that they have read or listen to:
– The state of your heart: The parable of the sower describes the different states of the mind of men, when the word of God comes to them, and what become of the word of God in their hearts. And the Lord’s disciples asked Him what this parable meant. So, He told them, “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:11-15NIV)
– Ignorance of the word as the ultimate solution to the problems of men: Until a man sees the word as the ultimate solution to all his problems, he will not commit himself to practising it. God said to Joshua to meditate on the word of God day and night if he wanted to be successful in discharging what had been committed to him. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8NIV)
– Ignorance of the word of God as being able to save your soul: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21NIV). James is addressing believers here, those who have been saved. Yet he writes to them to embrace the engrafted word which is able to save their souls. Even though they have been saved, if they don’t give themselves to the word of God, their salvation could be lost.
– Ignorance of the word of God as being able to build us up and to give us our Inheritance: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Act 20:32). The word of God is able to build us up in all ramifications of our lives when we give ourselves to it. But if we don’t know that our lives, relationships, finances and all other aspects of our lives can be built up with the word of God, we will find it hard to give ourselves to practicing it.
OUR RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD
“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25NIV) The key to retaining or keeping the word of God is to continue to listen to it and to read it. It is not enough to read or listen to the word once; you must also continue at it. And this requires a deliberate and conscious effort on our part. You must build up the habit of listening to and reading the word. The word of God is not what you hear and forget. If the word of God should come to you either as you study the scriptures or listen to sermons, it is exactly what you need at the moment that the Spirit of God is bringing to you. When we get to listen to or read the word of God, God will be bringing our way solutions to our problems. But if we will not take seriously the word that the Spirit of God is bringing to us, we will suffer for it one way or the other.
Another way we are expected to respond to the word of God is to keep the word. “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15NIV) The devil will make every effort to steal the word from our hearts. So, we are to guard it, protect it and keep it jealously. Also, the care and pleasure of this word will want to choke the word in our hearts. Therefore, we are to protect and keep it.
Now God is not expecting us to keep only part of the word He is bringing to us by His Spirit. Rather, He expects us to keep everything and to do everything. That requires a whole lot from us. We cannot be selective or choosy as to the word of God to practice. Take for instance, in this assembly, we get to listen to God’s word twice every Sunday, twice every Wednesday, through other weekly publications and lots more. And God expects every one of us to be committed to keeping it and doing it. By the way, there is reward for it both in this life and in eternity. So, we will do well to take the things we hear seriously and to act on them.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is only the doers of the word that get blessed. If you only hear the word but will not act on it, you will have no blessing. It is only the one that keeps the word that can only produce the fruit of what it talks about. When we commit ourselves to studying and listening to the word, faith will be built up in our hearts. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. And when faith gets built up in our hearts, it will produce the fruit of what it talks about in our lives. “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.” (Heb. 4:2NIV)
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you have learnt?
By Emmanuel Olarinre
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
DEBORAH (JUDGES 4-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2021
TOPIC: DEBORAH TEXT:
TEXT: JUDGES 4-5
MEMORY VERSES: “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh…” (Judg 4:9-10NIV)
INTRODUCTION
The bible story of Deborah is one that is set forth to show us that God does not see women as second-class citizens or as unusable by Him. On the contrary, any woman that will cleanse herself of corruption or filthiness and make herself available to Him will also be a useful instrument in His hands, fit for all kinds of good works (2Tim 2:20-21). Besides, the word of God has made it abundantly clear to us that, in Christ Jesus, there is neither male nor female – men and women are one before God in Him (Gal 3:26-28). This is why we must not discourage or hinder our women in the church from increasing in usefulness in the hands of God, especially through a gross misrepresentation of Scriptures. Otherwise, we will find ourselves hindering the work of God and bringing ourselves under His judgment.
DEBORAH – A SYMBOL OF TRUE LEADERSHIP
Now who was Deborah? A number of things are revealed to us about who she was and what made her name come to prominence among her people and even in the bible. And most of these things are seen in the following verses:
“Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'” Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.” (Judg 4:4-10NIV)
From what is said in this bible text, we can see that Deborah was:
– A prophetess: The first thing we are told about this woman in the bible is that she was a prophetess. How did the people know and acknowledge that she was a prophetess? It must have been because she consistently prophesied to them, and her prophecies came to pass. We also have other women in the bible that were known as prophetesses in their days (Ex 15:20; 2Kings 22:14; Neh 6:14; Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9). So, it is not only men that God is able to use as prophets and in making His will known to His people through divine revelations and utterances; He is able to use women as well. And if He has chosen to use a woman in this manner, we should not undermine her in any way or try to discredit her ministry. Otherwise, we will have God Himself to answer to.
– She was a wife: Another thing that is revealed to us about Deborah in the text above is that she was a wife. She was the wife of a man called Lappidoth. Exactly who this man was we are not told. But it is clear that Deborah was submissive and answerable to this man, even as a prophetess. If she had been unruly and disobedient to him, it would have been mentioned in the text. And if she had packed out of the house because she felt that she had become too important to stay under the leadership of her husband, the text would have indicated it. Also, if she had been irresponsible in bringing up her children, Scriptures would have shown it, as they show of some other people in the bible. But the text shows us that this woman was still being called by her husband’s name, even as a prophetess, showing us that she was indeed a model and good example of how godly women that are gifted ought to function in their homes. It is unfortunate, however, that we have here and there in the church today women who, because of certain spiritual gifts they have been blessed with, will not submit themselves to their husbands or act responsibly at home towards their children. Some of them will not even conduct themselves appropriately towards other people in the church and around them. And it is because of individuals like them that proponents of ‘women should not hold any position of leadership in the church’ often have loud voices. But we need to know that it is not wrong for God to gift any woman in a special way for the benefit of His people and those in the world. What is important, however, is for such women to know that being gifted in any way does not mean we are not to be recognise or be submissive to other authorities established by God. Otherwise we will be nothing but authors of confusion. And when that is the case, God Himself may have to step in at some point and take us out of the way. This, of course, I believe, is the explanation for the early exit from the world of some of our great men and women of God.
– She was a judge: Then, apart from being a prophetess and wife, Deborah was equally the judge or leader of the nation of Israel when she was alive. First, as clearly pointed out in the bible, all the Israelites came to her to have their dispute settled. In fact, she had a place where she held court and was thought of by the people as their mother – mother in Israel (Judges 5:7). Then, when God was set to deliver them from the hands of Jabin, the king of the Canaanites, she was the one that summoned Barak and instructed him about what to do. But why would these Israelites look to a woman for leadership, when the land was not in shortage of men? It was because they recognised that she had been endowed by God with the spirit of leadership and wisdom to lead them. That means when they went to her for counsel, direction or justice, they got it.
Now what is that telling us? It is telling us that when God has blessed someone, even a woman, with the ability to lead with wisdom and excellence, we should recognise them and submit to them. Otherwise, we will not profit from their gifts or ministry. And there are many today who are still being robbed of the goodness of God to some degree because they will not acknowledge the leadership of certain women raised by God for them. These ones often use Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians and also to Timothy about the roles of women in the church and in their homes as their reason for rejecting the leadership of women in the church (1Cor 14:33-34; 1Tim 2:11-15). But they ignore others things said by this same apostle that show that there were women that were leaders in the church at that time. Some of these women were deaconesses and some of them were pastors, who had churches meeting in their homes. So, we should not misrepresent Paul as saying that God is utterly against women leading His people. Rather, we should look at the context in which he says the things he says. (Cf. Rom 16:1, 3, 6 & 12; Col 4:15)
By the way, why will God give a woman leadership and teaching abilities in His church, when He does not want her to use them? That is unlikely. Often, the problem, as I pointed out before, is the unwillingness of certain gifted women to submit to their husbands at home or to other leaders of God’s people.
– She was an encourager and warrior: Then we equally see that Deborah was an encourager and warrior. After God had revealed to her that He was going to deliver His people from Jabin and the commander of his army, Sisera, through Balak, she stood by him to make sure that the job was done. She did not just prophesy to the man and leave him to deal with the matter all by himself. Instead, she was there all the way to encourage him. By the way, the man was not even willing to go anywhere without having the woman by his side. That is to show the level of respect and trust he and others in the land had for her. And did she back out? No! On the contrary, she also got herself ready for the battle and went with them. Whether she really fought or not was not the issue. But the fact that she boldly stepped up as their recognised leader to lead them to fight their enemies was enough to show us that she was a warrior. That, of course, was one of the reasons her name would continue to be honoured, as long as the bible is being read. And there are still women like her, women that are willing to encourage and support their men to win in life. It is, thus, left for our men to recognise the presence of such women in their lives and allow them to be used by God to fulfil His purpose in their lives.
– She was grateful: Finally, we see from the accounts given about this woman in the bible that she was a grateful soul. After God had defeated their enemies, she, along with Barak, lost no time to sing to bless the name of the Lord and to also rebuke the people of God who would not take their places in fighting for the freedom of the land. This is to show that she recognised that their victory was given by God and that He alone should be praised for it. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many of us that are being used by God to bless people in one way or the other. We often want to take for ourselves the praise and honour that should be given to God. And that is one of the reasons we don’t progressively witness greater things by His hand. It is thankful hearts that receive more from God, even without asking. And being thankful to God is not always about singing. You may not be able to sing well or compose songs. But do you have a grateful heart? When God causes you to experience victory over a challenge or opens certain doors of favour for you, do you thank and praise His name? You don’t need to be able to sing or dance well before you can show God that you are grateful for all that He is doing in your life. You just need to have a thankful heart.
CONCLUSION
Deborah, as we see in the bible, was indeed a woman of substance and character. And her name came to prominence because of the roles she played in liberating her people from the hands of the enemies that oppressed them severely for twenty years. In like manner, God is still blessing women today with all kinds of marvellous gifts for the building up of His church and for the transformation of many in the world. And we will do well to recognise and honour them, if we want to be blessed through the grace of God on their lives. However, such women must also labour to be women of character, so that their ministry will not be hindered or short-lived, and so that they can be models in all good things for others to follow.
QUESTION
– How helpful is this study to you in understanding God’s mind about using women?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
A GROUND FOR WITNESSING (MARK 5:1-20)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 11TH AUGUST 2021
TOPIC: A GROUND FOR WITNESSING
TEXT: MARK 5:1-20
MEMORY VERSES: “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” (Mark 5:18-20NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Who is a witness? A witness is simply someone who provides evidence to others concerning what he has seen, heard or experienced. Otherwise, he would have no ground for witnessing. So, in other for the Lord’s apostles to be true witnesses for Him, they had to first witness His life and works and also experience in their own lives what He wants everyone to whom He would be sending them is to experience. (Cf. Mark 3:13-19) In like manner, anyone that would be a true witness for Him today must also have a ground for doing so. He too must have seen, heard and experienced the good life he will be talking to others about. Otherwise, he will most likely find witnessing a hard or boring thing to do.
A GROUND FOR WITNESSING
Now we see an example of how easy witnessing can be, if one has a ground for it, in a man that the Lord Jesus Christ healed of madness. As the account goes, this man’s condition was so serious that the bible says concerning him, “This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” (Mark 5:3-5NIV) But why was his situation so terrible? It was because he was possessed by a great number of demons (Mark 5:6-10).
So, it is not every mad person that has gone mad because of abuse of drugs. There are times that people become mad as a result of demonic possession or affliction. In fact, most of the mad people we may find around have become mad through demonic possession or affliction. It may be that they got involved in some diabolical things that went wrong or that certain individuals attacked them through witchcraft or sorcery. Whatever the case is, madness is a terrible state that one should not even wish for his enemies. That is because unless mad people are divinely healed, psychology, psychiatry or sorcery will never succeed in healing them.
Therefore, if the Lord Jesus had not come to that man’s region at the time He came there, the man may never again have experienced any divine visitation that would result in his deliverance. I said that because his deliverance was the only work the Lord did in that region before He was begged by the people there to live. But as God, who would love to see this man delivered, would have it, he was the first person the Lord met as He got out of the boat on coming to the place.
Now we are not told exactly how demons gained access into this man’s life and made him mad. They made him mad anyway, and his life became utterly miserable as a result of this. In fact, those demons that occupied his life were so many and wicked that they when they eventually left him and entered a large herd of pigs feeding nearby, all the pigs, about two thousand of them, rushed into the lake in the place and were drowned. Imagine that. About two thousand pigs could not endure the presence of those demons in their bodies. So, they committed suicide. Yet a man had all of them in him for ‘only God knows’ number of years. Perhaps that was the way he too would have committed suicide someday, when he could no longer endure their presence in his life. And many indeed have committed suicide in this manner, when they could no longer endure the presence of the demons that were afflicting and tormenting them. (Cf. Mark 56-13)
Well, again, all thanks to God that Jesus came to this man’s region and delivered him from his bondage to destruction and shame. And his deliverance was so perfect that those who came to confirm it were shocked to see him calm, well dressed and in his right mind. So, when the Lord wanted to leave the place, he earnestly begged Him to allow him to follow Him wherever He went. But the Lord declined and instead told him to go and tell people everywhere how much God has done for him. And he went, just as He had been instructed, and proclaimed the saving grace and power of God all through a place called ‘The Decapolis’, which means ‘The Ten cities’. (Cf. Mark 5:14-20)
Now why was it not difficult for that man to go around and tell people about Jesus and His saving grace and power? It was because he himself was a living witness to what the Lord could do for anyone who would come to Him for salvation, deliverance or restoration. At least, he did not go to Jesus for help; rather, it was He that found him and delivered him. If He could, then, seek out a mad man like him, who had no friend or family to help him, would He not be much more willing to help the sane people who come to Him?
By the way, He has said that He would by no means drive away anyone who comes to Him for salvation (John 6:37). But how will they come to Him that they don’t know? And how would they know Him, if they did not hear about Him? Also, how would they hear about Him, if there were no one to witness to them? Then how would any witness to them, if they did not witness anything that would give them a ground for witnessing? (Cf. Rom 10:14-15)
That delivered mad man freely gave his witness about the saving grace of the Lord because he had experienced it. And if we too claim to have experienced the same thing, then, it should not be hard for us to speak for Him to the world. To say the fact, one of the main reasons many of us who call ourselves Christians find it hard to witness is that we have not truly experienced His saving grace or power. Many of us are still struggling with sin and all kinds of bad habits. And many of us are still under different forms of satanic bondage. How, then, do we call people to experience a kind of liberty we ourselves have not experienced? It is just impossible. (Cf. 2Pet 2:19)
So then, if we have not yet experienced Christ’s saving power and grace, what we should first seek is to experience these things, so that we may have a true ground for witnessing. Otherwise, we will be nothing but false witnesses. But if we claim to have experienced these things indeed and are still not speaking for Him, telling people what we have witnessed with Him, then we are probably selfish or fearful.
Now whether it is selfishness or fear that is keeping us from witnessing for the Lord, it is not acceptable. That is because apart from the fact that we have not received the spirit of fear, we have also not received the spirit of selfishness. What we have in us is the spirit of love, of power and of a sound mind. So, we need to wake up and allow His love to so overwhelm us that we won’t be able to do without telling anyone who cares to listen how much the Lord has done for us. (Cf. Rom 5:5; 2Cor 5:14; 2Tim 1:7)
CONCLUSION
Our personal experience of the saving grace, power and love of the Lord Jesus Christ is what gives us a true ground to be His witnesses in this world. And unless we have not experienced these things in our lives, we should never be comfortable not daily saying to the world by our words and actions what we have experienced with Him.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
THE PEOPLE GOD USES (JUDGES 7:1-8)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 4TH AUGUST 2021
TOPIC: THE PEOPLE GOD USES
TEXT: JUDGES 7:1-8
MEMORY VERSES: “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” (2Tim 2:20-21NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Why does God use certain people in very big ways to do very big things and does not use others at all to anything that will significantly affect those around them? Everything boils down to our state of heart and attitude towards Him, His instructions and His work. As we see in the bible, it was because of God’s love for all men that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our redemption and salvation (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). But will all men be saved? No! Why? It has to do with the response of everyone towards His offer of salvation. Yes, this offer of salvation is free (Rom 6:23). But God will not force anybody to accept it. Truly, He will show men the need to accept it and even move them to do so (John 6:44). But He won’t force them to take it. And it is only those who take it that will not perish but have everlasting life.
A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART
In like manner, God will love to use every one of His children that have accepted His offer of salvation for good works, that is, in accordance with His good purpose. In fact, as the bible tells us, He recreated them to do those good works He had prepared for them in advance to do (Eph 2:10). But will this be the case? Has this always been the case? The answer is ‘No’. For instance, He once sent Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons as king in place of Saul, the first king of Israel. And when he got there, the man’s first son, Eliab, was brought before him to see whether he was the one chosen by God. But God immediately said this: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Sam 16:7NIV)
What does this tell us? It tells us that before God uses His people for anything, there are things He requires and considers. And it is those who meet His requirements that He will ultimately use. In Eliab’s case, God told Samuel not to look at his appearance or height. Is that to say that people’s appearance or physical looks do not matter at all to God? No! But people’s physical looks, appearance or natural status hardly matter when it comes to doing God’s work of blessing humanity. Their state of heart, character and attitude towards His instructions are more important than all those.
Now exactly what was wrong with Eliab’s character and attitude to God we are not told. But since God told Samuel that He had rejected him, it must mean that He had initially considered him and found him wanting. The same thing goes for all the sons of Jesse except David, who was eventually chosen by God. And what was the one quality that was in David that made God choose him where He had rejected his brothers, as mentioned in the bible? It was love and passion for God. God referred to him as ‘a man after my own heart.’ So, one of those things that can place us in that position where God will be willing to use us for any kind of good work is for us to be a person after his heart. (Cf. Acts 13:18)
But then, we must also not forget that there was a job God was unwilling to use David for, even though he was a man after his heart. And that was the building of his temple. Evidently, if he had chosen David for this work, he would done it wholeheartedly and joyously. Knowing this, of course, thrills God’s heart and made Him bless him with many great and wonderful promises. But He could not use him for this work because he was a man of war and had shed much blood. This shows us that our profession too, even though it is a legitimate one, may sometimes be the reason God will be unwilling to use us for certain good works. Nevertheless, whether He uses us for a particular work or not is not what is important to Him. What is important to Him is to know that whatever work He gives to us will be done faithfully, gladly and according to His will. (Cf. 1Chro 28:2-3)
ATTITUDE SAYS A LOT
Furthermore, in our main bible text for this study, we see some other examples of what God considers before He selects His people for His work. Look at the way the account is set forth:
“Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.” (Judg 7:1-8NIV)
From what we see in this text, there are two main things that God considers in choosing those who will work with Gideon in delivering Israel from their enemies, the Midianites. And they are boldness and vigilance. God did not require these people to be great or mighty warriors to use them. He did not even need their righteousness or holiness, for they did not have it. Otherwise, they would not be slaves of the Midianites for seven long years. But He required them to have boldness, a kind that comes from knowing that He is able to save and deliver them. Also, He required them to have an attitude of vigilance and not be individuals who easily get carried away by the things happening them or because of their hunger or thirst for certain things.
Unfortunately, only three hundred people passed these tests out of the thirty-two thousand men that had gathered to work for the Lord. And those were the ones that God used to get the job done. So, for God, it is not always about the number of those who will work with Him or for Him but about their quality. Do we also have the quality God is looking for in His ministers or servants? We may be His children indeed. But if we do not have those qualities that will make us usable for Him, He will not use us. That, of course, does not mean that we will no longer be His children. We will still remain His children. But we will be children that are probably useless or unusable to Him in many ways. Remember that He did reject the thirty-one thousand, seven hundred Israelites that He sent home in Gideon’s day. They still remained His people. But they were unusable for Him, as far as their deliverance from Midian was concerned.
HOW DEPENDABLE ARE YOU?
In addition, as we see in the bible, our staying power or ability on whatever God gives us to do is also one of the things He considers before selecting us for any of His good works. Our Lord Jesus says, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62NIV) Did you see that? Anyone who deserts whatever assignment or task given to him by God, however little the task may be, is unfit for service in his kingdom. It does not matter his reason for leaving undone the work God has given him. He is simply unfit for God to use. And until he submits himself to be made fit by the Spirit of God to remain faithful to the end in handling whatever task he is given, he will remain useless to God in many ways. So, if God is not using you in any serious way now, check your life to see how you have handled His work in the past. Did you always finish the tasks He gave you or did you often find a reason to abandon them? God is not seeking deserters for His work but those who will recognise the duties of their ministry and fully discharge them to the end. (Cf. Col 4:17; 2Tim 4:5)
WHAT ABOUT PURITY?
Finally, the bible also shows us that our attitude towards purity often determines what God uses us for and the degree to which He uses. As Paul shows us in his second letter to Timothy, if we will take advantage of His grace (His Spirit, His word and the family of believers) to cleanse ourselves of every form of impurity and ungodliness, we will become a holy instrument in His hand, useful for any kind of good work. But if we, like Samson of bible days, continually abuse the grace of God or misrepresent it for a licence for indulgence in all kinds of impure things, we will, at some point, find ourselves bound, blinded and locked away from a place where we could be useful to serve God in any significant way. (Cf. Judges 13-16; Gal 5:13; 2Tim 2:19-22; 1Pet 2:16)
CONCLUSION
God wants to use all His children for His good works. He actually recreated all of them for His good works. But it is only those who set their hearts on Him to fully please Him and who cleanse themselves of every wrong attitude and impurity that He will ultimately find useful for any good work.
QUESTIONS
– Can you mention other qualities that God considers before He selects someone for any of His good works?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
JULY 2021
MAINTAINING ZEAL WITH KNOWLEDGE (LUKE 10:38-42)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 14TH JULY 2021
TOPIC: MAINTAINING ZEAL WITH KNOWLEDGE
TEXT: LUKE 10:38-42
MEMORY VERSES: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” (Rom 10:1-2NIV)
BACKGROUND
One of the main challenges we are facing in the church today is lack of zeal among many brethren. This is just so obvious that church leaders don’t need to say this is the situation in many of our Christian assemblies before we know it is. Many brethren are not just on fire for the Lord as they are supposed to be. They are not zealous about righteous living, church meetings, prayers, bible study, giving, evangelism or anything spiritual. They just want to do things at their own pace and in their own way. And this spiritual apathy is not helping the growth and usefulness of the body of Christ at all. In fact, it is the major issue the Lord Jesus has against the church of the Laodiceans in His letter to them. He says that they are neither hot nor cold and are in danger of being spat out of His mouth as fake brethren, if they will not repent. In like manner, as many so-called believers today that are not zealous about God and His righteousness are in danger of being rejected as false, for lack of zeal for a cause may just be as bad as no commitment to it at all. Mind you, the Lord has recreated us to be a people that are eager to live for Him and do all kinds of good works in His name. So, if we are lacking in zeal for Him and His works, it may just mean that we have not been born again at all. (Cf. Titus 2:14; Rev 3:14-21)
MAINTAINING ZEAL WITH KNOWLEDGE
But then, apart from lack of zeal, there is another similar problem that the church is confronted with today, which is zeal without knowledge. In our memory verses, Paul speaks of his concern for the salvation of his people, the Israelites. Why? It is because even though they are zealous for God, their zeal is not based on knowledge. That means it is possible for people who are not saved at all to be zealous for God either in the church or in some other religions of the world. And where this is the situation, as our Lord Jesus Christ has forewarned, there is every tendency that all kinds of atrocities can be committed in the name of God, something that we are witnessing day by day in different parts of the world today (John 16:1-4).
What I am saying is that wherever people function with zeal without true knowledge of God or of His will, there is bound to be all kinds of chaos and evil acts. Then there will be no reward from God for whatever they do. Instead, they may even get punished for doing what He has not sent them to do. This is why Solomon, in one of his proverbs, says, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” (Prov 19:2NIV)
Therefore, while it is important for us to be zealous for God, it is even more important that we first know Him and what He wants, so that our zeal for Him will not amount to nothing, in the final analysis of things. And this is what a story told by Luke in his gospel about one of the visits of the Lord Jesus to the house of certain women that were friends of His teaches us. Here is the story:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:38-42NIV)
Who were Martha and Mary? They were sisters of a man called Lazarus, who was a very dear friend of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was this man, Lazarus, that the Lord Jesus brought back to life after he had been dead for four days. So, the Lord had a very close relationship with him and his sisters. (Cf. John 11)
Well, it happened that He visited these women one day, and their different attitudes towards His presence in their home that very day was noted by Him and also used to teach us how important it is for us to watch against zeal without knowledge. As the account shows, as soon as Jesus got to their house, Martha, who from all indications appeared to be the elder of the two sisters, got herself busy. She started running up and down to prepare refreshment and so forth for Jesus and those with Him. On the contrary, her sister, Mary, sat down at the Lord’s feet to hear the word of God from His mouth. This, of course, so displeased her that she had to take up the matter with the Lord. But the Lord’s response to her and her protest revealed that she was someone who had zeal but no knowledge. And the things that revealed her as one with zeal without knowledge are also the major things that often mark the lives of others like her who have zeal but no knowledge.
What, then, are those things? As we see in the account, they are:
– Distraction: Why was the Lord Jesus in these women’s house? Was it to eat or to teach them? Evidently, it was to teach them. Is that to say that it would, then, be wrong of them to entertain Him and His companions? No! But people must learn to prioritise in life. So, the most important thing the Lord required from Martha and her sister Mary during that visit was their attention to His word. And it was when they have learnt from Him what He wanted from them that they would know the proper way to take care of Him. But instead for Martha to fully attend to His word, she allowed herself to be distracted by the preparations that had to be made. So, though she would not prioritise with learning the will of the master, she still wanted to serve Him. How, then, could she be a good and profitable servant?
In like manner, people who are zealous for God without knowledge don’t often take learning from Him seriously. They just want to serve Him. But how does He want to be served? They are not interested. They just want to do their own thing and present it to Him for endorsement and praise. So, when they are in church meetings, their mind will not fully be in what is being done for the edification of the brethren but on what they want to do. They will not be available to hear God’s word, pray or ask questions where necessary. Instead, they will just be jumping from pillar to post, doing all kinds of things that could be deferred to some other time or even ignored.
Are we, then, saying that church meeting preparations are unimportant or that services like ushering, venue management, video and audio recording of meetings should be scrapped? No! Rather, we are saying that God’s people who are involved in these things must handle them in such a way that they are not distracted and cheated of the blessings of the word of God. In other words, they must prioritise learning what pleases God above service.
– Undue comparison: Another mark of zeal without knowledge is undue or unnecessary comparison. Martha was angry with Mary that she would not join her in running around in preparing meals and other things for the Lord. She even accused the Lord of not showing enough care for her in this matter. Otherwise, He would have set her sister right. But why must Mary run around with her in what she was doing? Was that what the Lord would have her do? In like manner, people with zeal without knowledge often want to drag everybody along with them in what they are doing. And if a brother or sister will not join them in it, they will label them uncommitted or unserious. But does every child of God have the same gift? No! Or are we all of us gifted by God to do the same things? No! So, regardless of how passionate we may be for the service of the Lord, we must mind and respect other people’s gifts and desires and not try to pressure them to do things they are not gifted to do or condemn them for not serving God the way we love to serve Him (1Cor 16:12). That someone is not serving God the way we are serving Him does not mean that they are missing it or are unacceptable to Him. Everything depends on their understanding of how to serve Him and their devotion to the service to which He has called them.
– Anxiety and anger: The Lord places His fingers on two other marks of zeal without knowledge, as revealed in Martha. And these are anxiety and anger. Martha was worried and angry about the fact that many things were not going the way she wanted them to go when Jesus came in to visit them. That made her so furious that she even confronted Jesus. And that is what often happens when we allow anxiety or anger to set in while we are trying to serve God. The Lord has already commanded us not to be anxious about anything but to pray instead (Phil 4:6). That includes our service to Him.
So, if we sense that we are already getting anxious about certain things we want done in the kingdom that are not being done yet or well, we need to pause and pray. Otherwise, it won’t be long before that anxiety will lead to anger or frustration. Then we may find ourselves becoming bitter and saying hateful and hurting things to the people of God. We may even forget ourselves totally and allow our anger to lead us into sin. Remember that it was anger that made Moses sin against God and lose his ministry of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land (Num 20).
In like manner, I have also seen situations in which church leaders allowed anxiety and anger to lead them to do to their brethren things that are totally out of line for us as children of God. Yes, they are zealous for God and for excellence in His house. But because they lack the understanding that our service to God can never be more important that His people that we are serving, they go out of line to do things that are displeasing to Him. I have been tempted to act similarly many times too, especially when I see brethren handling the work of God anyhow or with contempt. But they are not my children but God’s children. So, though I am in a position to correct or rebuke them, I must not allow anxiety or anger to make me go outside the word of God in doing so. Otherwise I will not be held guiltless by God.
CONCLUSION
It is very important that God’s people are zealous for Him and eager for everything that concerns Him and His kingdom. That is because lack of zeal for God may just be an indication that we do not belong to Him at all. However, our zeal can only be proper and true zeal when it is inspired and maintained by knowledge. So, our first priority in all things must be to know God and what He wants for us and from us. Then we can zealously channel our knowledge of Him and His will to serve Him in acceptable ways. Otherwise, we may end up destroying His work and even our own very self through our ignorant or misguided zeal.
QUESTION
– How has this study helped you?
By Johnson O. lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
OUR CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER (1JOHN 5:14-21)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 7TH JULY 2021
TOPIC: OUR CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER
TEXT: 1JOHN 5:14-21
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the epistle of John that we are considering, we saw that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the ground for our victory over the world. That is because it is through it that we were born again with the life and nature of God. And since we now have the life and nature of God in us, we can live as He wants us to live and do the things He wants us to do in this world, regardless of the challenges or opposition we may be faced with.
OUR CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER
But then, everything does not end with having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be recreated or born again. We must also continue to demonstrate our faith in Him to receive the strength, boldness, wisdom, understanding, protection and material resources that we need to live the new life that is now ours. And this is where prayer comes in. Prayer, as we see in all of Scriptures, is one major way through which we demonstrate our dependence on God. So, when we are praying to Him, we are showing that we recognise that we cannot handle the matter we are entrusting to Him by ourselves. And since there is no matter of our lives that we can handle by ourselves, we are commanded in Scriptures to pray to Him at all times, about everything and without ceasing (Luke 18:1; Phil 4:6; 1Thess 5:17).
However, as John will let us know in this letter, it is not every kind of prayer that God answers or that we can expect Him to answer. He will only answer prayers that are in line with His will. So, this apostle says this to us: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1John 5:14-15NIV) Did you see that? What motivates and inspires us mentally with confidence to pray to God is that we can trust Him to answer us, as long as our prayers are in line with His will. So, our focus must not only be on praying to God without ceasing and about every matter of our lives; it must also be on learning to know the will of God about every matter of our lives. That is because it is our understanding of His will that will enable us to be able to offer prayers that He will hear and answer.
Mind you, this is not merely about saying the correct words to God when praying; our lives also must be consistent with His will. Remember that John has earlier told us in this letter of something else that gives us confidence to pray to God and to receive from Him. That is our devotion to doing what pleases Him. And what pleases Him? Faith that is working through love! So, we must not assume that we will always receive from God simply because we are using correct prayer lines or phrases. If our lives are inconsistent with His will, there are prayers of ours that He may never answer. (Cf. Deut 29:19-21; Gal 5:6; Eph 3:12; 1John 3:23-24)
Furthermore, as he equally points out in this letter, there are prayers we may offer for others that God may not answer, if their lives are not consistent with His will. His words on this are: “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” (1John 5:16-17NIV) Did you see that? All wrongdoing is sin. But it is not every sin that immediately or ultimately leads to people’s physical death. How, then, shall we know if someone’s sin will lead to their death or not? It can only be by revelation. As we see in the bible, any sin can lead to death (Gen 39:1-10; Lev 10:1-3; 2Sam 6:1-10; Acts 5:1-11). Therefore, inasmuch as God has not revealed it to us that a brother or sister living in sin will die in their sin, we should pray for restoration for them. Otherwise, we may just allow brethren that are not supposed to perish in their sins to perish. (Cf. Gal 6:1-2)
In any case, as John rounds off his thoughts in this letter, he reminds us again of a number of things those of us who are truly children of God know. The first is that we don’t have to live or die in any form of sin. And that is because we are already born of God and can expect Him to protect us from the evil one. If any so-called child of God, then, is living in sin, it is either he is not born again at all or that he is ignorant of how to take advantage of the grace of the Father to live a life of victory over sin. (Cf. 1John 5:18)
Another thing we know as children of God is that this world’s systems are under the control of the devil. But that does not make him God or mean that what he has over the world is absolute control. The only true God and giver of eternal life that we must worship, live for and count on for everything we need in life is the son of God, Jesus Christ. And as long we are counting on Him, He will keep us safe from the evil one, who is the god is the age. This is why we are told to keep ourselves free from idolatry of every kind. (Cf. 1John 5:19-21)
CONCLUSION
We are not called upon to have faith in the Lord Jesus only for our salvation and recreation but also for our daily experience of victory in this world. And if we want to daily experience the victory He has purchased for us over the trials of this life, we must learn to express our dependence on Him for everything we need through prayers that are offered in line with His will.
QUESTIONS
– Is there any particular sin that can lead to people’s death?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
JUNE 2021
PLANS FOR GOOD AND NOT FOR DISASTER (JEREMIAH 29:1-14)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 30TH JUNE 2021
TOPIC: PLANS FOR GOOD AND NOT FOR DISASTER
TEXT: JEREMIAH 29:1-14
MEMORY VERSES: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (JER. 29:11NLT)
INTRODUCTION
There are so many lessons to learn about the character of God through the way he related to the Jews that were exiled to Babylon. One of them is that God never forgets or abandons us even when we miss it or get things wrong, for he is a loving and compassionate God. What God will do instead is to send his words to us for our restoration. The Jews were carried into slavery because they disobeyed God. So, He permitted the king of Babylon to carry them into captivity. And in this study, we will be looking into what led the people of Judah into captivity, God’s word to them in captivity and their restoration.
THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH
The people of Judah were carried into captivity by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin king of Judah. Obviously, it was because of their sin that this happened. But, specifically, it was the sin of Manasseh king of Judah that brought an entire nation into trouble. “These disasters happened to Judah because of the Lord’s command. He had decided to banish Judah from his presence because of the many sins of Manasseh.” (2kings 24:3) As we see in this bible text, it was the sin of Manasseh that brought disaster on generations after him. His sin was so grievous before God that he brought his wrath on his people. And what kind of sins was it? It was the sin of shedding innocent blood. “Who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.” (2kings 24:4NLT)
King Manasseh also led the nation of Judah to worshipping idols. “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. He built pagan altars in the Temple of the Lord, the place where the Lord had said, “My name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple.” (2Kings 21:2-5NLT) King Manasseh did not only worshipped the vain gods all by himself, he led the nation of Judah astray to the worship of idols. In fact, king Manasseh seduced them to doing more evil than the nations whom God destroyed before them. “But the people refused to listen, and Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. Then the Lord said through his servants the prophets: “King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even more wicked than the Amorites, who lived in this land before Israel. He has caused the people of Judah to sin with his idols.” (2Kings 21:9-10NLT)
When the cup of the iniquity of Manasseh was full, God had to pronounce his judgment on the land, that lead them into 70 years of captivity years later. “So this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of those who hear about it will tingle with horror. I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and the same measure I used for the family of Ahab. I will wipe away the people of Jerusalem as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down. Then I will reject even the remnant of my own people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies. For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me ever since their ancestors came out of Egypt.” (2Kings 21:12-15NLT) The fulfilment of this prophecy did not come to pass during the reign of king Manasseh until the reign of king Josiah who did what was right in the Lord’s sight. (2kings 22, 23). The prophesy could have been fulfilled during the reign of king Josiah but this king served God all through his reign with a perfect heart (2kings 22:1-2). This king also destroyed the altars of idols that Manasseh built (2Kings 23:12). So, God said that because this king had served him with a perfect heart, he would not bring the promised disaster until after he had died and been buried in peace (2kings 22:20).
Now perhaps if king Jehoiachin had also served God with a perfect heart, the disaster that befell him and the entire nation of Judah wouldn’t have happened in his time. The lesson to learn from these two kings is that it is rewarding to follow the ways of God. It is rewarding to serve God. It is rewarding to practice righteousness. When we follow the ways of God, we get to enjoy the promises of God. The way of God is the way of peace. For as long as we are following the ways of God and obeying all his instruction to letters, we won’t have to partake in the errors of our forefathers or any ancestral flow.
The promised disaster was unleased during the reign of king Jehoiachin though it started during his father’s reign. Unlike King Josiah that served God faithfully, Jehoiachin did what was evil before God. “Jehoiachin did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father had done (2kings 24:9).” So, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem, conquered it and took them into captivity. “As the Lord had said beforehand, Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the treasures from the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. He stripped away all the gold objects that King Solomon of Israel had placed in the Temple. King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans—10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land’. Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon, along with the queen mother, his wives and officials, and all Jerusalem’s elite. He also exiled 7,000 of the best troops and 1,000 craftsmen and artisans, all of whom were strong and fit for war.” (2Kings 24:13-16NLT)
GOD MESSAGE TO THE JEWS IN EXILE
But then, because of His great mercy, God sent his word to his people in exile through prophet Jeremiah concerning how they are to behave themselves in Babylon and their restoration. “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”” (Jeremiah 29:4-7NLT) Even though these Jews got into exile because they disobeyed God, He still reached out to them through his prophet not to allow their present condition to get into their heads. God told them to enjoy life and have fun. He told them to farm and eat the produce of their farms and to also build houses and plan to settle down.
Furthermore, God told them to work for the peace and prosperity of the land he has caused them to be carried into exile. That means God wasn’t expecting them to be lazy at work even though they were slaves. He expected them to be diligent and to also work with the right motives. God also instructed them to pray for the peace of the land so as to experience peace. It is when the nation is at peace that they too can enjoy peace. Likewise, we must learn to pray and work for the peace and prosperity of the land where we live. We must pray for the peace of our neighbourhoods. We must pray for the prosperity of the organization or company we work with. And as students, we must pray for the peace and prosperity of our schools and our lecturers or teachers.
“This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:10-11NLT) God’s word to these Jews was comforting and hopeful. Even though they had to stay for seventy years in exile, at least, there is a promise of freedom for them. God could have banished them forever but he had compassion them. And His words to them was that my plans for you are for good and not disaster, to bring you hope of freedom and a desired future. God’s word to us as well, regardless what our conditions maybe, is that His plans for us are for good and not for disaster. Our present condition may not agree with this at the moment but it is the reality.
THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS
“In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:”This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord’s people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”” (2 chronicle 36:22-23NLT) This is amazing. God never makes promises without having the intention to fulfil them. And in restoring his people, as he had promised them, all he needed to do was to stir up the heart of king Cyrus to free them. So, their freedom was a miracle. Then tt was a national freedom. We can as well count on the promises of God for us because he never disappoints.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of where we are at the moment, it is never over or too late for God to fulfil his good promises concerning us, as long as we are trusting in him. Just as he said to the Jews that were exiled to Babylon during the state of their hopelessness, He is saying the same things to us never to lose hope or give up on Him and life. His plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you hope and a future. There is hope and future in God for anybody that will reach out for him. God instructed the Jews in exile to pray to him wholeheartedly for their freedom from captivity and for the restoration of their lost fortunes and that he would listen to them. “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”” (Jer. 29:12-14NLT)
And did He listen to them or not? He did and ended their captivity in a miraculous way so much so that they went back to Jerusalem with lots of treasures and valuable items. “And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings. King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods. Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah. This is a list of the items that were returned: Gold basins 30, Silver basins 1,000, Silver incense burners 29, 10 gold bowls 30, Silver bowls 410, other items 1,000. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:6-11NLT) God fulfilled his promises of restoration to them exactly as it was prophesied. This will be our testimony and much more if we will reach out to God whole heartedly.
By: Evangelist Emmanuel Olarinre
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
FAITH THAT OVERCOMES (1JOHN 5:1-13)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 23RS JUNE 2021
TOPIC: FAITH THAT OVERCOMES
TEXT: 1JOHN 5:1-13
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
As we have seen again and again in the parts of this letter of John that we are considering, it is possible for one who calls himself a Christian to make false claims about his relationship and fellowship with God. And that will be the case with us, if we are not bringing forth fruit that will show that we are truly God’s children and are living our lives together with Him. What kind of fruit, then, are we to bring forth? It is the fruit of love. God is love, as John tells us in this letter. So, if we are truly in fellowship with Him, living with Him, learning from Him and drawing from Him, we too will be living a life of love. But it is not only because we are in fellowship with God that we are able to live a life of love; it is also because we are His actual children, born with His very life and nature. And this, again, is what John seeks to re-emphasise, as he begins to round off his admonitions to us in this letter.
FAITH THAT OVERCOMES
Now why is John raising the issue of the new birth we have received from God again in this letter. It is just to let us know that the kind of life God wants us to live in this world is not beyond us. In other words, God’s demands on us to live a life of love and righteousness in this world is not something impossible or hard for us. If we, then, find it impossible or hard for us to live, it will either be because we are not children of God at all or that we are trying to live a life different from the one He has called us to live (Col 2:6-23). And look at the way he puts these things:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood — Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1John 5:1-13NIV)
What are John’s main points here? First, it is that anyone who believes that Jesus of Nazareth, for there have been many with the name ‘Jesus’, is the Christ is born of God. People may believe all kinds of things about Jesus. They may say that He was one of the great prophets of God, and He was, or say that He was a great teacher of the way of righteousness, and He was. But unless they believe God’s testimony about Him, they are not God’s children and do not have eternal life. And has God really said anything about Jesus? Yes! What has He said about Him? He has declared that He is His Son, whom He anointed to be the saviour of the world, and that all men should listen to Him (Matt 3:16-17 &17:5; 2Pet 1:17).
But is Jesus the saviour of the world indeed? Yes! And in very few but powerful words, John shares with us a very profound truth about the coming of Jesus into this world. What is that truth? It is that though Jesus is fully God, He is also fully man – He came by water and blood. That was what qualified Him to take our place and die for our sins. Of course, He severally speaks of Himself to the Jews and His disciples as the Son of man. But on the day that He was crucified, John and those standing with him before His cross saw as blood and water gushed out from His side, when a soldier plunged his spear into His dead body. So, apart from this being a symbol of the purification and atonement that He did for us, it is also showing that He was fully human. (Cf. Lev 14; John 19:33-36; Rom 3:25-26; 1John 5:6-8)
In any case, it is only those who believe this confession of God about Jesus and so come Him for salvation that will be saved and receive God’s own kind of life, eternal life. In fact, John tells us in this passage that one of his reasons for writing this letter is to let as many of us that believe in Jesus Christ know that we already have eternal life in us. It may not look like we have it yet, perhaps because of our present circumstances in this world. But the truth is that we already have in us God’s own kind of life in us, in our spirits. Of course, what this fully means is beyond our comprehension at the moment. But because we have God’s own kind of life in us, we can live differently in this world. Yes, because we have His very life and nature in us, we can now live like His actual children in this world, without struggling.
All of this is why John tells us that God’s commands to us are not burdensome, grievous or cruel. That means, as I said before, there is nothing God is asking us to do that is beyond us. The life of love and righteousness that He is asking us to live is not beyond us. On the contrary, because we have been born with His life and nature, we are now overcomers in this world. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which has made it possible for us to become children of God, is our victory over this world. In fact, as John plainly tells us in this part of his letter we are considering, it is only those of us who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God that have overcome this world and all the lies and evils that are associated with it. (Cf. 1John 5:1-5)
See, the system of this world is organised to make us fail miserably in it or lose our souls while trying to win in it. And that is because, as John will later show us in this epistle, it is a system that is being controlled by the devil. So, without being connected to a higher life and power than the devil’s, we stand no chance against the system of this world. But because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not only born of God but also connected to His provisions for living a victorious life in this world. And all we need now is to continually rejoice in Him and also learn how to make the most of what He has provided for us to walk in victory over whatever challenge the world throws at us. In other words, those of us in Christ Jesus are not disadvantaged in this world at all and should not live as though we were.
CONCLUSION
Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the ground for our victory over this world. And that is because it is through it that we are born again with the life and nature of God. This being the case, we have no excuse for not living lives that are well pleasing.
QUESTIONS
– How does our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ make us victorious over this world?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MEMORY VERSES: “
BACKGROUND
There are two major things that John tells us about who God in this first letter of his that we are considering. The first is that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Anyone who is in fellowship with Him, then, is in fellowship with light. Therefore, that person cannot continue to walk as one in the darkness or as one who has no light of life. The second thing he tells us about God is that He is love. All along, in this letter, he has been showing us that anyone who is truly in fellowship with God will live a life of love. So, if we claim that we are in fellowship with God and still hate our brethren or neighbours, then, our claims of knowing Him are false. Or if we claim that we are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus and yet are walking in hatred, our claims are false. Why? It is because God, who is our Father, is love. If we, then, are His actual children, we are love and must walk in love. And that is what John wants us to get in this part of his letter that we are now considering. First, he wants us to know that God is love. Second, he wants us know the character of His love, so that we will not have any misrepresentation of what true love is and how we are expected to practise it.
THE GOD OF LOVE
So then, he begins by saying this to us: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1John 4:7-8NIV) Did you see that? What is our instruction as children of God? It is that we are to love one another. Why? It is because God is love and the source of love. And since we are His children, children who know Him, then, we are partakers of His love nature and must certainly love. If we will not love, then, our claims of being His children or of knowing Him are false. It is as simple as that.
How, then, do we know whether we are walking in love as God is or not? It is by understanding the character of God’s love. What many people call love really is not love. Sometimes it is selfishness. And sometimes it is lust. But we can know true love by considering how it functions. And we can know how it functions by considering the way God functions, for God is love and the definition of love. What, then, is the character of true love as illustrated in God? Here is what John has to say about this:
– True love sacrifices for others to live (1John 4:9): When we are talking about love, we are looking beyond something that we express with our mouths. We must also express it with our actions. In other words, it is what we do that will show whether there is love in us or not. God, as John tells us in this letter, is love. And how do we know that? We know because we are beneficiaries of His love. He saw us in our sins and would not just leave us there. Instead, He gave His one and only begotten Son to pay for our sins and make eternal life available to us. So, when we are saying God loves us, it goes beyond words of mouth. He has already proved it by sacrificing His Son for us to live. Thus, true love gives or makes sacrifices to save others or to make others better. Any kind of love that is unwilling to give or sacrifice itself or what it has to help or save others is no love at all. In like manner, any so-called love that gives or sacrifices itself or something else to promote wickedness or evil is no love at all. So, if you are giving yourself or your resources to promote sexual immorality, greed or any other kind of evil in someone, you do not love the person at all.
– True love loves first (1John 4:10&19): Another character of true love, as we see in God, is that it loves first. It does not wait for the object of its affection to love it first or to get better before it shows it love. And that is what we see in God. He did not wait for us to love Him first or to quit living in sin first before He expressed His love for us. In fact, there was no way we could have quit sinning by ourselves, for we were slaves of sin. And there was no way we could have loved God first, for there was no love in us – all we had in our evil nature was hate. Nevertheless, God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, while were still powerless and unprofitable to Him in any way, Christ died for us (Rom 5:6-8). So, if we are waiting for people to love us first or do us some good first or start behaving well first before we love them, it is either we do not have the love of God in our hearts or are ignorant of the character of His love. His own love does not wait to be shown love or treated nice and with respect before it shows love. It just loves because that is what it is, and it cannot do otherwise.
– True love is reliable (1John 4:16): There is something else that is equally remarkable about God’s love, as John shows us in this letter. And it is that it can be trusted; it can be relied upon; it does not fail. Look at his exact words on this: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us…” (1John 4:16NIV) Those who truly know God’s love and have experienced it can tell that it is reliable. His love is always there for anyone who will receive it and enjoy it. Man’s love cannot be relied on forever. Even when they mean well and love us truly, they cannot beat their chests and tell us that they will always be around to love us. That is because they are not meant to be here on earth forever. And even if they are around and are willing to show us love, the circumstances of their lives may not permit it. They may not have enough resources, time, energy, influence and so forth to prove their love for us. But this is not so with God. He lives in eternity. So, He is able to love us forever. Then everything belongs to Him. So, He is able to love us with everything He has. In fact, as the bible tells us, if He would not withhold His Son from us, when we needed Him for our salvation, what else would He not freely give to us? Nothing! More so, He is everywhere. So, we can experience and enjoy His love wherever we are in this life or in the age to come. This is why we can always depend on His love and live and plan on its basis. Oh, what the majesty of His love! (Cf. Rom 8:31-39; 1Cor 13:8-13)
Now, having shown us these things about the character of the love of God, John goes on to tell us to begin to live likewise, if we are indeed children of God. And his words are:
“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:16-21NIV)
What is the point John is making here? It is the same thing he has been saying all along, which is that if we are truly God’s children, then, He is in us and we are in Him. Therefore, walking in love will not be a problem for us. So, first, we will love Him. Second, we will prove our love for Him by loving our brethren. But if we claim to love God, whom we have never seen with our natural eyes, but hate our brothers and sister whom we can see, then, our claims are of loving God are false. So then, the rule is that anyone who loves God must also love his brethren. And where this is the case, we will have no reason to be afraid when we eventually face Him on the day of judgment. There is no fear in true love, as this apostle further tells us here. On the contrary, perfect love drives out every kind of fear. No man walking in love will be afraid of any form of punishment because love is the fulfilment of all the laws of God. So, if we want to be able to stand before God, our Father, daily or on the day of judgment without any kind of fear, we should give ourselves to walking in love.
CONCLUSION
God is love. Anyone, then, that knows God and lives in Him is living in love and will walk in love. But anyone who will not walk in love does not know God, regardless of what his claims are.
QUESTION
– In what ways has this study helped to you understand love better?
– What is the most important thing you have learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
THE GOD OF LOVE (1JOHN 4:7-21)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 16TH JUNE 2021
TOPIC: THE GOD OF LOVE
TEXT: 1JOHN 4:7-21
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
There are two major things that John tells us about who God in this first letter of his that we are considering. The first is that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Anyone who is in fellowship with Him, then, is in fellowship with light. Therefore, that person cannot continue to walk as one in the darkness or as one who has no light of life. The second thing he tells us about God is that He is love. All along, in this letter, he has been showing us that anyone who is truly in fellowship with God will live a life of love. So, if we claim that we are in fellowship with God and still hate our brethren or neighbours, then, our claims of knowing Him are false. Or if we claim that we are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus and yet are walking in hatred, our claims are false. Why? It is because God, who is our Father, is love. If we, then, are His actual children, we are love and must walk in love. And that is what John wants us to get in this part of his letter that we are now considering. First, he wants us to know that God is love. Second, he wants us know the character of His love, so that we will not have any misrepresentation of what true love is and how we are expected to practise it.
THE GOD OF LOVE
So then, he begins by saying this to us: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1John 4:7-8NIV) Did you see that? What is our instruction as children of God? It is that we are to love one another. Why? It is because God is love and the source of love. And since we are His children, children who know Him, then, we are partakers of His love nature and must certainly love. If we will not love, then, our claims of being His children or of knowing Him are false. It is as simple as that.
How, then, do we know whether we are walking in love as God is or not? It is by understanding the character of God’s love. What many people call love really is not love. Sometimes it is selfishness. And sometimes it is lust. But we can know true love by considering how it functions. And we can know how it functions by considering the way God functions, for God is love and the definition of love. What, then, is the character of true love as illustrated in God? Here is what John has to say about this:
– True love sacrifices for others to live (1John 4:9): When we are talking about love, we are looking beyond something that we express with our mouths. We must also express it with our actions. In other words, it is what we do that will show whether there is love in us or not. God, as John tells us in this letter, is love. And how do we know that? We know because we are beneficiaries of His love. He saw us in our sins and would not just leave us there. Instead, He gave His one and only begotten Son to pay for our sins and make eternal life available to us. So, when we are saying God loves us, it goes beyond words of mouth. He has already proved it by sacrificing His Son for us to live. Thus, true love gives or makes sacrifices to save others or to make others better. Any kind of love that is unwilling to give or sacrifice itself or what it has to help or save others is no love at all. In like manner, any so-called love that gives or sacrifices itself or something else to promote wickedness or evil is no love at all. So, if you are giving yourself or your resources to promote sexual immorality, greed or any other kind of evil in someone, you do not love the person at all.
– True love loves first (1John 4:10&19): Another character of true love, as we see in God, is that it loves first. It does not wait for the object of its affection to love it first or to get better before it shows it love. And that is what we see in God. He did not wait for us to love Him first or to quit living in sin first before He expressed His love for us. In fact, there was no way we could have quit sinning by ourselves, for we were slaves of sin. And there was no way we could have loved God first, for there was no love in us – all we had in our evil nature was hate. Nevertheless, God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, while were still powerless and unprofitable to Him in any way, Christ died for us (Rom 5:6-8). So, if we are waiting for people to love us first or do us some good first or start behaving well first before we love them, it is either we do not have the love of God in our hearts or are ignorant of the character of His love. His own love does not wait to be shown love or treated nice and with respect before it shows love. It just loves because that is what it is, and it cannot do otherwise.
– True love is reliable (1John 4:16): There is something else that is equally remarkable about God’s love, as John shows us in this letter. And it is that it can be trusted; it can be relied upon; it does not fail. Look at his exact words on this: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us…” (1John 4:16NIV) Those who truly know God’s love and have experienced it can tell that it is reliable. His love is always there for anyone who will receive it and enjoy it. Man’s love cannot be relied on forever. Even when they mean well and love us truly, they cannot beat their chests and tell us that they will always be around to love us. That is because they are not meant to be here on earth forever. And even if they are around and are willing to show us love, the circumstances of their lives may not permit it. They may not have enough resources, time, energy, influence and so forth to prove their love for us. But this is not so with God. He lives in eternity. So, He is able to love us forever. Then everything belongs to Him. So, He is able to love us with everything He has. In fact, as the bible tells us, if He would not withhold His Son from us, when we needed Him for our salvation, what else would He not freely give to us? Nothing! More so, He is everywhere. So, we can experience and enjoy His love wherever we are in this life or in the age to come. This is why we can always depend on His love and live and plan on its basis. Oh, what the majesty of His love! (Cf. Rom 8:31-39; 1Cor 13:8-13)
Now, having shown us these things about the character of the love of God, John goes on to tell us to begin to live likewise, if we are indeed children of God. And his words are:
“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:16-21NIV)
What is the point John is making here? It is the same thing he has been saying all along, which is that if we are truly God’s children, then, He is in us and we are in Him. Therefore, walking in love will not be a problem for us. So, first, we will love Him. Second, we will prove our love for Him by loving our brethren. But if we claim to love God, whom we have never seen with our natural eyes, but hate our brothers and sister whom we can see, then, our claims are of loving God are false. So then, the rule is that anyone who loves God must also love his brethren. And where this is the case, we will have no reason to be afraid when we eventually face Him on the day of judgment. There is no fear in true love, as this apostle further tells us here. On the contrary, perfect love drives out every kind of fear. No man walking in love will be afraid of any form of punishment because love is the fulfilment of all the laws of God. So, if we want to be able to stand before God, our Father, daily or on the day of judgment without any kind of fear, we should give ourselves to walking in love.
CONCLUSION
God is love. Anyone, then, that knows God and lives in Him is living in love and will walk in love. But anyone who will not walk in love does not know God, regardless of what his claims are.
QUESTION
– In what ways has this study helped to you understand love better?
– What is the most important thing you have learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
TEST BEFORE USE (1JOHN 4:1-6)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 9TH JUNE 2021
TOPIC: TEST BEFORE USE
TEXT: 1JOHN 4:1-6
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
All through passages of the first letter of John, which we are considering, one thing that is continually staring us in the face is the fact that people can make false claims about their relationship and fellowship with God. As this apostle clearly points out, relationship and fellowship with God are not merely a mouth thing; our actions must as well agree with our claims. If we are truly children of God and are in fellowship with Him, our lives will bring forth the fruit of that fellowship, which is love. But if we are living in hatred and doing all kinds of shameful things that are inconsistent with the character of God, then, even if we are religious like Esau, we are lying about knowing God or being related to Him. And we are in danger of totally abandoning a life of faith in Him at some point, as some have already done.
TEST BEFORE USE
But then, as John shows us in the portion of this letter that is before us for this study, it is not only by not bringing forth the fruit of love that we can abandon faith in Christ Jesus or that we can show that we do not belong to the Lord Jesus indeed. We can also show that we do not belong to Him by following false prophets and teachers, who claim to believe in Jesus Christ but whose so-called faith in Him is twisted. So, it is not only those prophets or preachers whose character is not consistent with that of Christ or who are not bringing forth that is in agreement with His nature that are false (Matt 7:15-20). Even those prophets or preachers who do not believe correctly are suspects. How, then, do we recognise these ones and avoid being misled by them? John answers this for us by saying?
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (1John 4:1-6NIV)
Based on what this apostle says, the first necessary step to take in recognising individuals who could lead us astray from true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is to test the spirit by which they function or operate. So, we must not be gullible. Of course, we are also not to be cynical, rejecting everything that we don’t feel good about as evil or as false. Rather, we must test the spirit by which those who seek to lead us in the church or those who want us to fellowship with them operate. (Cf. 1Thess 5:19-21; Rev 2:2)
Why is this important? It is important because there are many false prophets, teachers, evangelists, apostles, pastors and believers in the world today. And this is not a new thing, for even at the time that John wrote the words of this letter (over two thousand years ago), there were many false believers and preachers in the world. These ones went out from the church to start their own thing. And by so doing, they showed that they were never of God.
What kind of test are we, then, to subject them to? Here John says we are to subject them to the test of what they truly believe about Jesus Christ. It is not enough to say, “I believe in Jesus.” What do you believe about Him? Who is He to you? Do you believe that He is who and what God says He is? God testifies Himself that Jesus is His beloved Son (Matt 3:17; Mark 9:7; 2Pet 1:17-18). And do you believe that about Him? Anyone that does not believe Jesus to be the Son of God is not one of His. As John tells us, such a person is operating by the spirit of the antichrist. He may be a fine person by this world’s standards. But that does not change the fact that he is operating by the spirit of the antichrist, the spirit of falsehood.
Even today, we have religious groups who claim to believe in Jesus but who do not believe that He is the Son of God. The Muslims, for instances, claim to believe that Jesus was one of the great prophets that God sent. They even believed that He was supernaturally born. But they do not believe that He is the Son of God or that He died for the sin of the world or that He would someday judge the world in righteousness. So, even though there are a lot of wonderful persons among them, who fear God in many ways, they are operating by the spirit of falsehood.
Then we also have religious sects who believe that Jesus is the Son of God but who do not believe that He actually lived and died as a man. And what these ones do not understand is that if Jesus did not live and die for our sins as a man, then, everything about our redemption was a fraud – there was no redemption at all (1Cor 15:12-18). But our redemption is not a fraud. It is a reality. So, again, John tells us that anyone who does not acknowledge that Jesus has come in the flesh is of the antichrist. That person is operating by the spirit of falsehood.
What about those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and actually died for our sins but who do not think His works are perfect enough to save us or redeem us from the dominion of sin and of the devil? These are the type that will be calling the name of Jesus on the one hand and also be practising sorcery, asceticism, angelic worship or psychology on the other hand. Look, for example, at the way the use of tokens – candles, handkerchiefs, oil, water and so forth – is now widespread among many of God’s people today. While there is indeed a background in the Scriptures for the use of some of these things, the use they are put to today, for the most part, is founded in sorcery and witchcraft. And these things are revealing those who practise them as children of the antichrist, children of the spirit of falsehood. (Cf. Col 2; 1Tim 4:1-5)
Now, as John further tells us, those who are functioning by this spirit of error will not listen to those of us who are operating by the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of the living of God, regardless of what we say to them, unless the hold of that spirit is broken on their lives. Yes, of course, those of this world will listen to them because they think and speak from the same point of view. But we who are in Christ are not operating by the same spirit that is at work in them. So, they won’t listen to us and we too must not listen to them or associate with their errors. This does not mean we are to hate them or condemn them as worthless and lost. Rather, it means we cannot be a part of their assemblies or errors. Instead, our focus must be on how we will turn them away from the path of destruction they are walking in.
But are we up to this task? Are we up to the task of identifying these liars and deceivers and avoiding their errors? The answer is ‘Yes’. As John tells us, we are not only born of God, He is also living in us by His Spirit. And because He is greater than the spirit of falsehood that is at work in them, we have already overcome them. That means the Spirit of God in us will not allow us to fall for their lies or errors. Instead, through His aid we will be able to tell who these liars and deceivers are once we meet or see them. And isn’t that beautiful thing? It is. But then, it also shows that those who are following all these so-called prophets and religious leaders who are not but liars are suspects themselves. If they do have the Holy Spirit in them, He will not allow them to be deceived or misled. So, that they are misled is indicative of the fact that they do not have the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God in them.
CONCLUSION
There are all kinds of groups of ‘believers in Christ Jesus’ today that are seeking to draw a following after themselves. They may look nice, pure, knowledgeable and understanding in many ways. They may even be astonishing people with all kinds of signs, miracles and wonders. But if they would not believe fully and only what God says we are to believe in Christ Jesus and also would not bring forth fruit in keeping with His righteousness, we must have nothing to do with them, as far as faith matters are concerned.
QUESTIONS
– According to this study, what are the marks of false believers or preachers?
– What is the most important thing you learnt from this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
TRUE LOVE (1JOHN 3:16-24)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 2ND JUNE 2021
TOPIC: TRUE LOVE
TEXT: 1JOHN 3:16-24
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in this epistle, we saw that the relationship between God and believers in Christ Jesus is beyond a friendship; it is also a family thing. Believers in Christ Jesus are actual children of God, born with His life and nature in them. So, besides the fact that they are able to learn the proper way to live from Him through fellowship, they also have in them His very divine nature that makes it possible for them to live lives that are pleasing to Him (2Pet 1:3-4). And what kind of life is pleasing to God? It is a life of faith and love. So, true children of God are those who are continually demonstrating their faith in Him and also walking in love with their fellow men. And as John makes clear to us in this letter, anyone who claims to be a child of God and to be in fellowship with Him but who will not walk in love is a murderer like Cain. Such a person does not have the life and nature of God in him at all, for if he does, he will certainly be walking in love with his fellow men.
TRUE LOVE
But then, what is love? How do we know what true love is and what it is not? That is the next thing John begins to discuss with us in the passage of this letter that we are considering for this study. And here is what he says to us:
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1John 3:16-24NIV)
From what John tells us here true love is depicted in what our Lord Jesus Christ did for humanity. What did He do for us? He laid down His life for us. Why did He lay down His life for us? He laid down His life for us so that we may be saved from our sins and eternal destruction and brought into fellowship with God, the creator and owner of our lives. So, the demonstration of Jesus’ love for us is not geared towards encouraging us to live useless and meaningless lives; rather, it is to lead us into a life of meaning and fruitfulness. In fact, the bible says, “He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (Cf. 2Cor 5:15) That means He demonstrated His love for us and died for us so that we would stop living the empty and vain life we were living and start living the kind of meaningful and productive life that He lived before God, when He was here on earth.
Unfortunately, many who claim to love people today don’t understand this concept of love. They don’t understand that true love is that kind of love that is demonstrated to make people’s lives right and not to encourage them to destroy themselves. So, in demonstrating love for their so-called loved ones, they do things for them that may ultimately lead to their destruction. Yes, they may be making a lot of sacrifices in order to demonstrate love. But any sacrifice made for people that is not geared towards making their lives or our lives right before God is not based on true love. And such sacrifices cannot attract the praise of God. Where true love is involved, there are sacrifices that we will not make for people, for we will know that such sacrifices will destroy them or us. If, for instance, you give your body to someone you are not married to, you are not demonstrating true love for them. You are simply destroying both of you. If you truly love them, you will not sacrifice your body for them.
In any case, John is showing us here what true love is. And his point is that it is illustrated in the death sacrifice of our Lord Jesus for our redemption, recreation and restoration to God. That, of course, is in contrast to what Cain did to his brother, Abel. Jesus gave His life for His unrighteous brothers and sisters in order to bring them to God. But Cain killed his righteous brother in order to prevent him from enjoying the goodness of God in the land of the living. If we, then, are true children of God, who have His nature of light and love in us, we, like Jesus, will love our brethren and lay down our lives for them, if that is what will make them become the people God wants them to be.
However, if, in simple matters that involve sharing our possessions with our brethren in church or other needy people around us, we are unwilling to share with them or support them, we are showing that the love of God is not in our hearts. Again, that takes us back to making false claims about our relationship and fellowship with God. Those who are true children of God and are learning from Him, will surely demonstrate His love to those around them, regardless of the circumstances, with actions and not just with words of mouth. And this is not something they will be forced to do but something they will be doing naturally.
Now, as John further shows us, if this is the way we are functioning, if we are truly walking in love with those around us, then, we can also set our hearts at rest before God, even when we have feelings of condemnation in us. And there are times that we do feel bad in ourselves because people have misunderstood or misjudged us or because certain things we did in love and good faith did not turn out the way we wished. But even at such times, inasmuch as we are sure that we are walking in love, we do not need to allow feelings of condemnation to weigh us down. That is because God, as John tells us here in this letter, is greater than our hearts and feelings. Our feelings are not our judge; God is our judge. So, that we feel right or that our conscience is clear about something does not mean it is right before God. In like manner, that we feel bad or that our conscience condemns us about something does not make us wrong. The one who decides whether we are right or wrong is God. And He is telling us that as long as we are walking in love, how we feel does not matter; we will always stand right and perfect before Him. (Cf. 1Cor 4:4)
Is this, then, to say that it is not a good thing for us to feel good in our hearts about the way we are living before God? No! It is good to have hearts and consciences that are clear before God. That is because it gives us confidence to approach God in prayers. If you have ever felt bad about yourself or certain things you have done, then, you must know already that such things usually affect our confidence in prayer, even though God does not want it that way. But when your conscience is clear, you are able to pray freely and boldly without first wanting to clear yourself before God.
However, as John equally shows us in this letter, it is not our clear conscience or confidence before God, when we pray, that makes us receive answers to our prayers. Rather, it is our obedience to His commands. His actual words about this are: “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.” (1John 3:21NIV) Did you see that? We do not receive from God because of our clear consciences or confidence but because we obey His command and do what pleases Him. Of course, later in this epistle, John will tell us the place of praying according to the will of God in receiving answers to our prayers (1John 5:14-5). But, here, he is already telling us that receiving answers to our prayers goes beyond using the right words; our lives must also be right and lived in light of God’s command.
Now what has God commanded us to do? John summarises it in the following way: “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1John 3:23-24NIV) So, God’s command to us basically involves two things. The first is to believe in Jesus Christ, that is, to believe He is who God says that He is and will be who He says that He will be. The second is to illustrate our faith in Him by walking in love with one another. It is those who are living in the light of this command that are living in God and that have Him living in them. And these will always know that God is in them because the Holy Spirit will give them this testimony in their hearts (Rom 8:16). Do you, then, have this testimony in your heart? If you do, then, you are His and He is yours.
CONCLUSION
Children of God are children of love. And love is not something of the mouth alone; it is also something that has to be demonstrated with actions. Otherwise, it won’t be love at all. But then, if we do not understand what true love means, our so-called love actions will not accomplish God’s purpose but our own purpose, which will never attract His praise.
QUESTIONS
– Give two illustrations of what true love is not.
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAY 2021
BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS (JOSHUA 1:6-9)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 26TH MAY 2021
TOPIC: BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS
TEXT: JOSHUA 1:6-9
MEMORY VERSES: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isa 43:2 NIV)
BACKGROUND
It is not the will of God for you to be timid. It is not part of the redemptive package that was delivered to us. Rather, the scriptures in 2 Timothy1:7, says that “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind”. So what God gave us are love, power, and a sound mind. Not timidity and fear. Every believer must be conscious of this. You must think about this every day. Let it be a part of your daily meditation. You should practice saying it as part of your daily confession. Say that you self now; “I have the spirit of Love, power and of a sound mind at work in me and that I will not give in to fear”. You must fight the battle against fear every day. You see, no matter the thing the Lord has said about you, no matter the great promise he has given you, no matter the level of gifts you have received from him, if you allow fear and timidity, you may be denied of exploits that should have happened through you. What am saying is that someone may be aware that he can do great things and still end up mediocre in this life. You may have the potential to be a great leader and never take any significant leadership position in your lifetime. The essence of this teaching is to get rid of fear in our lives.
GOD’S INSTRUCTION TO JOSHUA
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Josh 1:6-9NIV)
The first thing I want you to observe in this passage of the scriptures is that the word “Strong and Courage” appears 3 times. This is a very strong emphasis. Between verses 6 to 9, God spoke about this, 3 times. Why was God emphasising this to Joshua? There are many reasons. I will begin to talk about them one after the other.
First, it takes a strong and courageous man to lead the children of Israel. A faint-hearted person couldn’t lead the children of Israel no matter how anointed he was. Go and read about the account of these people in the book of exodus and you will see how severally they frustrated God and Moses in the Journey. There was an incident that all of them began to cry because of meat. (Exodus 16:1-3) They all stood at their doorpost and started crying against Moses to give them meat. It was such a disastrous event in the bible. So many similar incidents happened in the journey that could make a leader give up. And in fact, Moses at a point was tired. He nearly gave up. He asked God to take his life at some point. So it takes someone the Lord has emboldened his heart to lead such a people. In the same vein, whatever task the Lord has committed to your trust, it takes strength and courage to fully discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Second, it takes strength and courage to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. God has sworn that He will give the people of Israel a special land; a land flowing with milk and honey. However, for God to ensure that His promise was not truncated by Satan, He needed a man that will act in courage no matter the present circumstance. What promise has the Lord made to you? Or about your ministry, work, career, occupation, etc. If you will not act in boldness and courage and take hold of the promise, Satan may delay, frustrate or truncate the entire process.
Third, it takes strengths and courage to be prosperous and successful. That someone has an ability for something does not guarantee success. Such a person must act in courage despite all odds. In the case of Joshua, he was qualified enough to lead the children of Israel. He has all the abilities required to be their leader. This man Joshua had been an assistant to Moses all through the journey and had demonstrated faithfulness on several occasions. So God chose him to lead his people. But for him to be successful, he also needed to demonstrate courage. And where would he get the required amount of courage to lead these people? God said he must give himself to studying, meditating, doing, and talking about the instruction manual that was delivered to him. Let us look at the way it was said. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8NIV). Joshua’s duty was to take this instruction seriously every day. The lord is still giving such instruction today. You need the required amount of courage to be prosperous and successful in this life. You need the required amount of courage to do all the Lord wants you to do and be for his kingdom. This instruction is still relevant today. Take it very seriously.
Fourth, it takes strength and courage not to be terrified and discouraged in the face of adversity. Things will not always go the way we plan or want it. There are inevitable challenges in life. No matter how you bind and cast, you still must carry some crosses and drink from some cups. See, Jesus said in the world you will have tribulation. (John 16:33) It is inevitable. Paul talks about the evil day. God knew there will be times Joshua would be confronted by mountains that are bigger than him. And if you read the whole book of Joshua, you will find out that indeed, Joshua, was confronted with serious challenges. You are also not immune from the challenges of life and the ones associated with your calling. You are going to face them. There are even challenges ahead that you are not aware of. That is why God is saying to you now that you need to be strong and courageous.
Fifth, because the Lord has promised; “I will be with you wherever you go”. This is the bedrock for courage and strength. The awareness that The Lord God Almighty is with you. Let this be your motivation every day. God wanted Joshua to think about this all the days of his life. God is saying to you too; I will not leave you nor forsake you. Consider our memory verse again, even when you pass through the most difficult season of your life, the Lord will be with you right there. Never forget this. Boast in this every morning. Remind yourself before you set out for the day.
CONCLUSION
If you want to fully discharge the duties of your ministry and accomplish wherever you set your heart to do, you need a high level of courage to be a doer and not a daydreamer. I want you to take note of this gain; that you have the ability for something does not mean you will be successful at that thing. That you have a special gift for something does not mean you will use the gift to do much. That you are anointed for a purpose does not mean you will fulfill your purpose. You need to step out of your comfort zone and be all that God wants you to be. If God has called you to be an evangelist, evangelise well. If your calling is to be a teacher, teach well. If your own is to lead, lead with every ability in you. What is that thing you have been planning to do, stand up now and get to work? It is not going to be easy, you will be confronted with roadblocks, take them out of the way, and achieve your dream. Finally, the only one you can draw strength, boldness, and courage from is God. And you can draw from him through prayers. Never be tired of drawing strength from God through prayers. You can also draw from him through study and meditation on His word. May God strengthen your heart to be all that He wants you to be in Jesus name. Amen.
QUESTION
- What is the most important thing you have learne?
Prophet Tolu Olarinre
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
WHOSE CHILD ARE YOU? (1JOHN 3:1-15)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY 2021
TOPIC: WHOSE CHILD ARE YOU?
TEXT: 1JOHN 3:1-15
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in this letter of John that we are studying, we saw that unless we allow the word of Christ to remain in us, there is no way we will remain in Him and bear fruit that is consistent with the will of God for us. So, the reason many so-called believers today are not bringing forth the fruit of righteousness is that they will not allow God’s word to dwell in them; they will not make room for His word to live in them and bring forth fruit. Also, the reason some have abandoned the faith altogether and gone the way of the world is that they did not allow the word of God, which was proclaimed to them, to dwell in them. And if we too want to keep bringing forth fruit that delights God’s heart and if we do not want to find ourselves outside the life of faith in Him someday, we need to allow His word to be at home in us.
WHOSE CHILD ARE YOU?
Now, in the part of this letter that we want to consider for this study, John goes on to press upon our hearts a very vital truth about our relationship with God and how this ought to affect the kind of life we live in the world. And what is this truth? It is that we are God’s actual children. That being the case, our fellowship with God is deeper than that of friends and companions; it is a fellowship between a father and his children. So, bringing forth the fruit of fellowship with God is not something that is beyond us; rather, it is something that we have born to do. If we, then, are not bringing forth this fruit, living to demonstrate the character of God Himself in this world, it is either we are ignorant of who we are or we are not who we claim to be at all. Look at some of what John says about this:
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” (1John 3:1-6NIV)
Remember that this letter is written to believers in Christ Jesus. So, they are the ones that John is describing here. And how does he describe them? He describes them as children of God. If you, then, are a believer in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God. You will not be a child of God. You are already His child, His actual child. Those of the world may not know or accept you as His child. That is understandable, for they do not know Him. But you must know yourself as His actual child at this moment and live accordingly.
Yes, as John further points out, what we will look like in the future has not yet been made known to us by God. But we do know that when our Lord Jesus eventually appears to take us to be with Him throughout eternity, as He had foretold, we will be transformed to become exactly like Him (Phil 3:20-21). Now how do we show that we are making ourselves ready for our Lord Jesus and an eternity with God? We do so by living in purity and staying away from every manner of sin. As we see in this letter and other places in the Scriptures, there is no sin in our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, He came to take away our sins, so that God may accept and recreate us to be His own. If we, then, belong to Him truly, we will not continue to sin. If we continue to sin, then, we do not know Him or have any relationship with Him.
You can see here again that John is emphasising authentic Christian living to us. He is showing us the need to be sure that our claims of being related to God and of being in fellowship with Him are true and not false. See, the church has never been in shortage of people who claim to be Christians or children of God but who are not living differently from those of the world. And John, like the other apostles of old, wants us to know that is cannot be. We cannot claim to be children of God and individuals who know Him and are in fellowship with Him and still be living in sin, any kind of sin.
Yes, it is convenient to say that faith is a thing of the heart and that what people see on the outside does not really matter. But that has never been the position of the word of God. The position of the word of God is that if you truly believe something in your heart, your actions will prove it. James says a lot about this in the second chapter of his letter to us. Unfortunately, there are preachers who are constantly labouring hard to diminish the relevance of what this man of God says by painting him as legalistic. And interestingly, it is apostle Paul’s writings that they often use to prove their point.
However, there is no place in Paul’s writings in which he says or suggests that what matters is the Christian’s heart and not what he does. On the contrary, one of the things he says to us is that there is no way we can claim to have died to sin and still continue to live in it (Rom 6:2). So, though these apostles all use different words in their letters to educate us about Christian living, they all are saying the same things to us. And we will do well to pay close attention to everything they are saying.
In any case, John goes on in the passage we’re considering to let us know that there is no middle ground for us, as far as our relationship with God is concerned. We cannot claim to belong to God and be living like a child of the devil. It is either we belong to God or to the devil; it is either we are God’s children or Satan’s children. In fact, his actual words are:
“Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” (1John 3:7-10NIV)
So, the pressing question for us here is, “Whose child are you?” Are you a child of God or a child of the devil? Am I a child of God or a child of the devil? If I am a child of God, I will give myself to doing righteous things, which is synonymous to walking in love. And I can do this, as John shows us in this text, for I now have in me the seed of God, the very essence of life of the living God. Yes, I now have in me God’s own nature. This is why living to demonstrate God’s character and quitting a life of sin in this world is a natural thing for the Christian. It is what he loves to do. It is something he has been born with the capacity to do and not something he struggles to do. If we, then, have one who calls himself a child of God, who takes no delight in living to please Him, he is not a child of God – his claims are false. Also, if we have one who calls himself a child of God but who still goes on living in sin, as though he had not been born again at all, then, he is not a child of God – his claims are false.
Now, again, John is telling us these things so that we will check our lives to see if we have not been deceiving ourselves all along about being children of God or being in fellowship with Him. If we are children of God, then, we should live a life of love and righteousness like Him. And he illustrates this for us by reminding us of Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel. Why? It was because he was of the evil. Because he was of the evil one, he hated righteousness and would not allow it to thrive where he was. Yes, he too claimed to be a worshipper of God and even brought him sacrifices. But his actions showed that the one he really belonged to was the devil. (Cf. 1John 3:11-12)
In like manner, if anyone claims to be a child of God and is still living in hatred, he is lying about his relationship with God. He is nothing but a child of the devil. Children of the devil hate others, especially those who practise righteousness. They also, like Cain, do not want righteousness to thrive where they are. This is the explanation for the hatred those of the world have for us. They belong to the evil one. But we who are children of God have come out of death into life. And we prove this to the world by loving one another. If anyone, then, claims to be a child of God but still hates his brother or anyone around him like those of the world, John tells us that that person is still in death. Not only that, he is also a murderer and does not have the life of God in Him, for anyone who hates another person may someday murder him, if the circumstances present themselves. Are you, then, a lover like God or a murderer like the devil?
CONCLUSION
If we are not children of God, then, we are children of the devil. And this goes beyond what we claim that we are; our actions must also be in agreement with our words.
QUESTIONS
– What are the distinguishing marks between the children of God and the children of the world?
– What is John’s description of an authentic Christian life in this letter?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
REMAIN IN HIM (1JOHN 2:18-29)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY 2021
TOPIC: REMAIN IN HIM
TEXT: 1JOHN 2:18-29
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the first letter of Apostle John, which we are now considering, we are reminded that the Christian is not of the world and so should not be in love with the ways of the world. He is someone that has revelations of God and of His ways and that has also the person of the word of God living in Him. More so, he has overcome the devil already and is not under his power anymore. Therefore, he has all that it takes to live differently in this world and do the will of God. But if he will not live differently from those of the world, then, his so-called relationship with God becomes questionable. In other words, his claims of loving God and being in fellowship with Him may just be false. And if that is the case, then, like the world that he is in love with, he too will eventually pass away into an eternity without God, an eternity of shame, pains and sorrow.
REMAIN IN HIM
But then, what could make a believer, one who has professed Jesus as his Lord and has been brought into fellowship with Him begin to live a life that is contrary to his profession? What could make one who claims to be in fellowship with the God of light be walking in darkness? What could make one who claims to have the love of God in him be walking in hate, bitterness or selfishness? Or what could make one who once professed Jesus as Lord to turn his back on Him and His people and start living as he pleases, like those of the world? And all around us are so-called believers who are living lives that are contrary to the will of God for us and even those who have totally turned their backs on the Lord. If we do not know what is responsible for these things, then, we too may at some point fall into the same mess and have our faith and souls destroyed.
So, John, in the passage of his first letter that we want to consider for this study, shares some very vital and basic truths with us about what could make a believer live a life that is contrary to his profession or abandon the Lord altogether. In fact, he tells us that one of the reasons he is sharing these things with us is that we may not be led astray by anybody who may want to lead us astray (1John 2:26). That means it is not a new thing for God’s people to be led astray. And if some were led astray in bible days, then, we can be sure that some others can be led astray today.
In any case, John begins to show us what usually makes believers live contrary to the truth they profess or abandon it by first telling us the nature of the times in which we are living. His words are:
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist — he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (1John 2:18-23NIV)
The first thing we see from what this apostle tells us is that we are in man’s last hour here on earth. Evidently, the hour he is referring to is different from our twenty-four hours in one day hour. He is speaking figuratively and showing us that man’s time here on earth is almost up. And when we consider the fact that he wrote these things more than two thousand years ago and yet we are in the last hour, it becomes even clearer that he is not referring to ‘hour’ as we know it but to a period of time.
Now what is the nature of this period of time that John is speaking of, a period which represent man’s last days here on earth? It is a period in which the antichrist (the lawless man that will set himself in the place of God over all things) will show up (2Thess 2:1-12). But then, as John notes, there are already many antichrists in the world. There are already many people who oppose the Lord Jesus Christ and everything He stands for in the world. Unfortunately, some of these antichrists have gone out from the church. In other words, some of those who are now against the Lord Jesus Christ and His truth were once in the church. They once proclaimed Jesus as the Lord and shared in the Holy Spirit and in the goodness of the word of God.
For example, some of the stars in the music and movie industry today, who are shaping the minds of many all around the world and causing them to throw away caution and ruin their lives through various forms of immorality, were once very committed members of some Christian assemblies. I am talking about people who once confessed Jesus as Lord and perhaps got baptised in the water and claimed to have received the Spirit of God. Among them are even those who once sang in the church or led others in evangelistic works. Yet when you look at their lives today, you cannot even see anything that suggests that they once had something to do with God. Everything they now stand for is contrary to the will of God. What went wrong with them?
Well, whatever went wrong with such people is also what is going wrong with those who have not yet left the church but whose lives are contrary to the truth of God that they profess. The spirit of the antichrist is at work in them. And though they may profess Jesus as Lord, they never really belong to Him. That is what John says of those who abandoned the faith they once professed to uphold something contrary to it. They never belong to the Lord Jesus Christ or in His church. So, it is only a matter of time before they leave. In fact, it does not matter how long they stay with the church, they will still leave someday.
But how is it possible for one to confess Jesus as Lord and begin to fellowship with His people and still not really belong to Him? It is possible through a failure to remain in Him. See, the consistent position of the Scriptures is that true faith in the Lord is from start to finish. In other words, it is only those who demonstrate their faith in Him from the beginning of their walk with Him to the end that truly have faith in Him and belong to Him. Those who believe for a while, regardless of how many years that may be, do not have real faith in Him and do not belong to Him. In like manner, those who claim to have faith in Him but are living lives that are contrary to their profession do not really believe in Him, and it can even be said that they do not belong to Him at all. (Cf. Luke 8:13; Rom 1:15-17)
So, if we want to show that we truly belong to Him and are not making false claims about our relationship with Him, we must remain in Him till the very end of this hour. Yes, if we want to show that His anointing is truly on our lives and that we have knowledge of the truth of His person, then, we must stay in Him till the very end of our race here on earth. It is only by doing this that we can truly live lives that are worthy of Him and that are consistent with His character. It is only by doing this that we will not fall away.
In John’s gospel, chapter 15, he shares with us what Jesus has to say about how to bring forth fruit that is consistent with our fellowship with Him. And it is by remaining or abiding in Him, just the way a branch of a tree abides in the tree for nourishment. Any branch that is cut off from the tree cannot receive nourishment to stay alive, not to talk of bring forth fruit. In like manner, anyone who claims to be in Christ Jesus but who will not remain in fellowship with Him to draw nourishment from Him cannot remain alive to God or bring forth the fruit of His love or righteousness. That is why the Lord says apart from Him we can do nothing. That means apart from Him we cannot live the life God wants us to live or bring forth the fruit He wants us to bring forth. And if we are not living the life He wants us to live, we are not living at all – we are simply wasting away. (Cf. John 15:1-16)
But how do we remain in Him? And what do we gain by remaining in Him? John answers these question by saying:
“See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us — even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” (1John 2:24-29NIV)
Did you see his answers? First, he tells us that the only way for us to remain in Christ is for us to allow His word to remain in us. As long as His word remains in us, as long as we continue to embrace His word and to allow it to take roots in our hearts, we will never fail to bring forth the fruit of His word or depart from a life of faith in Him. So, if you observe that you are drifting away from a life of faith in Him, you need to check your attitude towards His word. Anyone who will not make room for the word of God in his heart cannot bring forth the fruit of His character or abide in Him.
Now, as John rightly shows us, God has already anointed all of us who truly believe with His Holy Spirit, who is a real person and not some lie, mirage or myth – a being that is a product of men’s imaginations. And this Holy Spirit is in us and among us to teach us everything we need to know to live to please God. So, we do not need anyone else to teach us. This, of course, does not mean that once you have the Holy Spirit in you, you don’t need to learn from anybody again. If that is what John means, then, we should not listen to him as well or pay attention to what he is saying to us through this letter.
But John does not mean that we do not need anyone at all to teach us the things of God or the things of life. That is contrary to what he himself is doing through this letter, for he is teaching us through it, and contrary to what we find in the bible about the practice of members of the first century church. What he means is that we do not need anyone outside the church of God, outside the family of God’s anointed people, to teach us the proper way to live. We do not need the to listen to the wise men and philosophers of this age in order to know how to live meaningfully. Neither do we need to pay attention to the superstitious ideas of men of dark and corrupt understanding in order to know how to make the most of our lives. We have the Holy Spirit in us and among us, who is ever ready to teach us all that we need to know through the Scriptures and through the people He has gifted among us. So, all we need to do is to take seriously all the truth that He is teaching us and to act on it. And we will never depart from the Lord or fail to bear Him good and much fruit. Instead, we will find that we are confident and unashamed to welcome Him when He comes to take us to be with Him forever.
CONCLUSION
Will it not be a beautiful thing for us to meet the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns with joy and without any feeling of shame? It certainly will! But the only way that is going to happen is for us to remain in Him till the very end. And we can do that by allowing His word to remain in us, so that we may always live it out. Anyone who will not allow His word in him will certainly not live to please Him here in this world and is in fact in danger of abandoning Him altogether at some point. What, then, will it be in our case? Are we going to allow His word in us and abide in Him forever? Or are we going to continually reject the truth He is confronting us with, when we feel it is running against what we want, and prove ourselves to be among those who never really belong to Him?
QUESTIONS
– According to this study, what are the things that can show that a so-called believer never really belonged to the Lord?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
CHILDREN, MEN AND FATHERS (1JOHN 2:12-17)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 5TH MAY 2021
TOPIC: CHILDREN, MEN AND FATHERS
TEXT: 1JOHN 2:12-17
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
One main thing that John has been confronting us with in his first letter, which we are considering, is the fact that fellowship with God changes a man’s life. So, no one who is truly in fellowship with Him will remain the same in nature or character. As he shows us, God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. And if we are in fellowship with Him, we will walk in the light and live like those who have the light of life to walk with. Also, God is love, as John will later fully discuss in this letter. So, if we are truly in fellowship with Him, we will be walking in love with our brethren and all the people in our lives. But if we are living a life that is contrary to the nature and character of God, then, our claims of knowing Him and of being in fellowship with Him are false. And only God Himself knows how many so-called believers today who are making false claims about who they are and their so-called relationship with Him. These ones, if they do not embrace the truths God is showing them and act accordingly before it is too late, will someday certainly hear those terrifying words of our Lord Jesus, which are, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Cf. Matt 7:21-23)
CHILDREN, MEN AND FATHERS
Now, in the passage of the letter we want to study, John begins to show us that the Christian is different from those of the world and expected to live differently from them. And he does this by first of all reminding us who and what we are before God, regardless of what stage of our lives we are in, saying:
“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1John 2:12-14NIV)
First, we can see from what John says here that whether we are children, young people or fathers and mothers in Christ Jesus, we have a place in God’s heart and in His scheme of things. That is why he tells us that our sins have been forgiven and that we have revelations of God, we have overcome the devil, we are strong and the word of God lives in us. These are our realities. So, we are meant to continually meditate on them in order that we may act accordingly.
First, as we see in the text, our sins have been washed away and we can now freely fellowship with God and know Him better and better. We are, therefore, not expected to be talking, living or acting like those who do not have revelations of Him at all. Second, because of what Jesus has done for us, we have overcome the devil. We are not going to overcome him; we have already. So, we need to begin relate to the devil, his agents and their works from the standpoint of victors and not victims. We are not to live in fear of him and his demons but as those who have authority in Christ Jesus over them and their works.
Then we see from the text that we are not weaklings; instead, we have been made strong with the strength of Christ. So, we do not face like from the standpoint of weaklings that can be crushed at will by the circumstances of life but from the standpoint of those who are mighty in the land to deal with any situation of life and walk in victory over it. And is this how we are functioning? If this is not the way we are functioning, then, we are living below God’s expectations from us.
Furthermore, we see from what John tells us that the word of God lives in us. And when he is speaking here about the word of God, he is looking beyond the written word to the person of the Christ, the word of God that became flesh. So, John is in other words saying that we have the fullness of God Himself living in us. This is why our hearts are able to agree with the written word, embrace it and act on it. That means we live out the word of God, not just because we see it in the pages of the bible but also because the person of the word Himself is in us.
Now, since this is the case with us, we can’t just be living like those of the world or be in love with what they are in love with. We have been made different persons on the inside. So, we must separate ourselves from the world to live to please God. And this is why John says the following to us:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1John 2:15-17NIV)
What is our instruction here? It is that we are not to love the world or anything in the world. Is this to say that we are to hate those of the world? No! God Himself does not hate those of this world. The bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for its salvation (John 3:16). So, when we are told not to love the world, we need to understand the sense in which we are not to love it. It is not in the sense of wanting salvation for those of the world; rather, it is in the sense of cherishing and conforming to the ways of the world.
As John further tells us, what those of this world want and do are fundamentally against what God wants. Their desires are wrong and corrupt. In other words, the things they often pant for and go after are things that will ultimately destroy them. Then, even in handling those things that God has freely given for our enjoyment, they usually go beyond the boundaries He has set for us in enjoying these things and pollute and destroy themselves with them. Also, those of the world rarely recognise the place of God in their lives and success. So, if they are not giving credits to some dead gods for the beautiful things happening in their lives and to their lives, they will be giving credits to themselves.
Now John’s point is that any life, old or young, whose desires and affections are not subject to God’s will and whose confidence is not in God is a life that God has already condemned and that will definitely perish with this world, if it does not repent. That life will never experience eternal fellowship and all that comes with it with God. Anyone, then, who claims to be in fellowship with God and has God’s love in his heart cannot be in love with that kind of life or be living it. Otherwise he will be showing that the love of God is never is in heart. But the man who has God’s love truly in his heart and is living it out, counting on His provisions, will surely live with Him forever.
CONCLUSION
So, you can see that the Christian, whether he is a child, a young person or an old person, can never be on the side of the world, if he truly knows who he is and wants to live accordingly. He cannot be in love with their passions, desires and ways. It is when a Christian does not know who he is in God or is ashamed of his new-found life in Him that he begins to take side with the world or begins to desire to be like them. And where that is the case, it is clear that such a person’s Christianity is questionable – his claims about being in fellowship with God may just be false. The question, then, is, “Am I for the world or for God?”
QUESTION
– Why is John really pressing the issue of the fruit of our fellowship with God in this letter?
– List the fruit of our fellowship with God that John mentions in the portions of this letter that we have already considered in the order that it appears?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
APRIL 2021
FALSE CLAIMS (1JOHN 2:3-11)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL 2021
TOPIC: FALSE CLAIMS
TEXT: 1JOHN 2:3-11
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
John’s first letter, as I pointed out when introducing it, was written to instruct us on the significance of fellowship with God and the fruit it is meant to bear in our lives. Now, as he shows us, in order for our lives to bear the true fruit of fellowship with God, we need to know who God is. And who is God? The first thing John tells us about this is that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. That means to be in fellowship with God is to be in fellowship with light. And if we are in fellowship with light, then, we will see Him as He really is, see ourselves as we really are and also see life as it really is. Then, having seen the truth that the light of God is showing us, we need to accept it and act accordingly. It is when we accept the truth that the light of God is showing us and respond accordingly that our lives can be what they are meant to be. But if we walk on in life, as though we had not seen the light, then, John says our claims to be in fellowship with God is false. Also, if we claim to be in the light and yet will not accept the truth that it is showing us, we are making God out to be a liar and cannot receive His cleansing in our lives. (Cf. 1John 1:5-2:2)
FALSE CLAIMS
Now, in the passage of the letter before us for this study, John dwells further on the issue of making false claims about our fellowship with God. And his words are:
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” (1John 2:3-11NIV)
What is John’s main message here? It is that it is not enough for us to claim to know God or to be in Christ with our mouths; our actions must also prove it. As he points out, anyone who claims to know God and is living contrary to His will is a liar – he does not know God. Also, he says anyone who claims to be in Christ Jesus must live his life as Jesus did when He was here on earth. Otherwise, such a person’s claims about being in Christ are false.
Now what kind of life did Jesus live when He was here on earth? It was a life of love. He loved all men, both those who loved Him and those who hated Him. Yes, He never failed to rebuke and correct them for their hypocrisy and wickedness. But everything He did was done in love and done to bring humanity back to God. It was love that made Him come into the world. It was love that made Him give His life as a ransom for us. And His command to His disciples, which John is stating for us again in this letter, was given like this: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35NIV)
What is the Lord’s command to all His disciples? Love one another! And how are they to love one another? In the same way He, Jesus, has loved them! But why did He give them this command? First, it was because He Himself is love. So, anyone that is in fellowship with Him must walk in love. Second, it was because He had shown them what true love is by loving them and giving His life for all men. Third, it was because He was going to empower them by His Holy Spirit to love. Love, as we will later see in this book, is of God. And unless God empowers us to love, we will not be able to love with His kind of love. We have our own kind of love. But it is a selfish and self-centered kind of love. It is a love that can be corrupted with hatred or bitterness. It is a love that often drives us to do crazy and destructive things to ourselves and the ones we claim to love. But God’s love is different. It is pure, holy, loving and full of all kinds of good fruit, as described by Paul in 1Corinthians 13. And for us to love with His love, He has to first recreate us on the inside, fill us with His Holy Spirit and then begin to teach us what true love is and how to practise it.
But God cannot teach us what true love is, teach us how to practise it and also empower us to practise it, if we are not in fellowship with Him. And if we are in fellowship with Him truly, then, we will be walking in love, which is another point John is making here in his letter. This man wants us to know that there is no way we will be in true fellowship with God and our lives will remain the way they were before we came to Him. Our fellowship with Him will certainly change our lives, if it is real to us. Yes, our fellowship with this God of light and love will show us that the way of love is the right way for us to take in life. So, he says to us:
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” (1John 2:9-11NIV)
Now, all along, John has been showing us in this letter that it is possible for us to be false believers in Christ Jesus. And who is a false believer? It is that person that claims to be in fellowship with God but whose life is not bearing the fruit of that fellowship, whose life has remained unchanged, for the most part. The point, then, is that there is no way we will truly be in fellowship with God and our lives will remained unchanged. There is no way we will truly be in fellowship with Him and His character will not begin to find expression in us in very obvious ways.
If we, then, claim to be in fellowship with Him and are still walking in hatred, greed, selfishness, bitterness and immorality, our claims are false. And it is either we are not in living in His light at all or we are arrogantly refusing to accept the truth that His light is showing us. Whatever the case is, we are heading for a place that we do not know, for everyone that is walking in darkness does not know where he is heading. And we need to stop lying to ourselves about going to heaven and so forth and retrace our steps before it is too late.
CONCLUSION
True fellowship with God results in changed lives. Therefore, if we claim to be in fellowship with Him and yet our lives have remained unchanged by His love and power, then, we are just deceiving ourselves. And only God knows how many so-called believers are deceiving themselves today, claiming to be in the light of the Lord but actually walking in darkness. Such people, if they will not repent and do what is right, will someday find that the path they have taken does not lead to God’s eternal kingdom of righteousness but to a place of eternal condemnation. And that is why we need to deal truthfully with ourselves and examine ourselves in the light of God’s word to see if our lives are truly bringing forth the fruit of fellowship with God or not.
QUESTIONS
– Why will anyone make a false claim about His relationship with God?
– Explain in your own words the meaning of ‘True fellowship with God results in changed lives.’
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RESCUED FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS (COLOSSIANS 1: 12-14)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021
TOPIC: RESCUED FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS
TEXT: COLOSSIANS 1: 12-14
MEMORY VERSES: “
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Col 1:13-14 NLT)
INTRODUCTION
There are forces that are in operation in this world. These forces are not the physical forces that we can interact with physically. They are spiritual forces. And it is these spiritual forces that control what we see in the physical realm. There are activities going on in this unseen spiritual world that constantly determine our experiences in the physical world. For example, we are told this in the bible: “Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” (Dan. 10:13-14) From what is said here, we can see that Daniel’s experience in the physical realm at that time was being determined by certain events going on in the spiritual realm. In like manner, our experiences in this life are always being determined by the happenings in the realm of the spirit. This is why we need to be spiritually minded, so that we will not allow experiences that are contrary to the will of God to forced on us from the realm of the spirit.
RESCUED FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS
Now the forces at work in the spiritual realm can be divided into two, namely: the forces of darkness and the forces of light. Every one of us falls in any of these kingdoms, either the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. As for the kingdom of darkness, the bible says, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” (Eph 2:2-3NLT) The devil is the commander of the kingdom of darkness. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
What I am saying is that anyone who refuses to obey God, the spirit at work in him is the devil. If you have not obeyed the call of God for salvation, the spirit at work in you is the devil. He will be the one controlling your life. See, everyone who has not been saved from his sins through the blood of the lamb is under the reign of the kingdom of darkness. Demonic forces will dominate his mind and control his life. How about the Christian who commits sin too, that is, a so-called Christian that is living in sin? Does that mean it is the devil that is work in him? Yes, it is. “…he is the spirit at work in the heart of those that refuse to obey God.” (Eph 2:2 )
Anyone that sins is of the devil (1John 3:8). It doesn’t matter if it’s a small sin or big sin. Sin is sin. A very small lie is a sin. Unfaithfulness is a sin. So, though a person claims to have the Holy Spirit in him, inasmuch as he is living in sin, the one that is influencing him is the devil. The devil is at work in him. He may be a church leader. The one at work in him is the devil. His master is the devil. He may profess to have the Holy Spirit but his master is the devil, and he is in the kingdom of darkness.
Then, as for the kingdom of light, the bible says, “Always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Col 1 : 12-14NLT) The kingdom of light is also known as the kingdom of the Son of God, the lord Jesus. Those living in this kingdom have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. They were once under the dominion of Satan but have now been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of God.
Now to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness implies that we have been rescued from everything that Satan and his kingdom represents through the blood of the lamb. We have been rescued from the power of sin. We have been rescued from ancestral curses and all other works of the devil. It implies that we are now seated with Christ in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers. It also implies that we been blessed and can never be cursed.
CONCLUSION
But then, the way we respond to this reality will go a long way in determining if we will experience the realities of God’s word or not. So, first, we must believe God’s word as truth. If we don’t believe His word as the absolute truth, we can never experience it. Second, we need to confess the word. We need to say the same thing in agreement with God. If God says that He has delivered you from those ancestral curses, you must agree with Him and say the same thing. But if you believe you are still cursed, then, you will experience such curses in your life. In the kingdom where we belong, curses do not exist there. We only have blessings. But when we put our hands into sin, any kind of sin, we are opening the door for the forces of the kingdom of darkness to afflict us. That is why sin is dangerous. Well then, as a Christian, you don’t need deliverance, for you have been delivered. You only need to work in your freedom.
QUESTION
– What is the most important lessons you have learnt?
By Emmanuel Olarinre
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE GOD OF LIGHT (1JOHN 1-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY 2021
TOPIC: FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE GOD OF LIGHT
TEXT: 1JOHN 1-5
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
In John’s introduction to this first epistle of his that we are studying, he makes it clear that the goal of their preaching is to lead people into fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. And why does anybody need to be in fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ? According to him, it is because God is not just the source of life; He Himself is eternal life. And it is when we come to Him and begin to fellowship with Him that we start to truly live. That means everyone that is not in fellowship with God is not living; he is in the realm of death, even if he is physically alive. And death and everything that is associated with it will not stop manifesting in his life in various ways until he comes to God. But should he die in that condition, then, his experience of death becomes permanent and eternal. This, of course, is not what God wants for any of us. This is why He is calling all of us through His messengers, among whom John is one, to come out of death into His life. And anyone who answers this call by believing in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is out of death into life (John 5:24).
FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE GOD OF LIGHT
But then, as John will have us know in this letter, in order for us to truly experience the eternal life that fellowshipping with God makes available in every area of our lives, we must not just see God as life but also as light. Look at the way John puts this: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1John 1:5NIV) Did you see that? The message that our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the visible expression of the life of God, declared to His disciples when He was here on earth with them is that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. So, our call to fellowship with God is not just a call to fellowship with life but also a call to fellowship with light or, putting it simply, a call to walk in the light.
Now we all know what light represents or what it means to be in the light. Light is what makes things visible (Eph 5:14). Light reveals to us the true state of things. With light, we can tell what is good for us from what is injurious to us. And with it, we are able to see what appropriate steps we are to take or not to take to stay safe and out of danger.
But we also know there are different kinds of light and all with different degrees of quality. So, the quality of any kind of light we use is what will determine how well it is able to reveal the true situation of things to us. Unfortunately, all the natural and artificial lights that we have can only help us as far knowing the true state of natural things is concerned. They cannot help us to know the true state of our hearts, the truth about the invisible world around us and the truth about the future that is ahead of us. We need a greater and more powerful light to know these things. And God is that light. In fact, James calls Him the Father and source of all lights, one who does not change His position and cast shadows or doubts (James 1:17). Then, in his gospel, John calls Jesus the true light that gives light to every man that comes into the world (John 1:9).
What, then, is the point of all this? It is that God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. So, anyone that comes to fellowship with Him has come to fellowship with light. That means that, first, the person is going to begin to see himself as he truly is in the light of God. God will not lie to him about himself or anything else. Instead, He will let him see the truth about everything that concerns his life and the truth about the steps he needs to take for his life to be what it is meant to be and to go in the direction it is meant to go.
Second, the person will have to choose to stay in God’s light by accepting or embracing the truth being shown to him and acting accordingly. Otherwise, the person will still be dwelling in darkness. What I am saying is that anyone who refuses to accept what God’s light is showing him about his life, world or anything else is showing that he is unwilling to live in the light. He may have reasons, such as fear, love for pleasure, pride and so forth, for not wanting to stay in the light and accept God’s verdict about his life and every other thing. But such a person, regardless of his claims about knowing God, is not in fellowship with Him.
Third, anyone in fellowship with God, as light, will have to keep his life open and do only those things that can be freely displayed in the light. We all know that there are things that we don’t want to do in the full glare of people because we will be condemned for doing them. So, we reserve such things for the dark hours or for secret places. And that is in agreement with our Lord’s words that say, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21NIV)
Did you see that? People naturally love darkness instead of light. That is because the works of their hands are evil. But anyone that comes into fellowship with God must love the light and live in it, so that everyone can see that His works are acceptable to God. And that is exactly the point that John is making to us in this letter. He wants us to know that it is not enough for us to say that we know God or that we are in fellowship with Him; our lives and conduct must also show that we are in fellowship with Him. We cannot, then, continue to walk as though we were in darkness, feeling our way through life and stumbling and falling into obvious sins. That will only be showing that we are either not in the light at all or are arrogantly refusing to accept what the light is showing us. And that is why John says this to us:
“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 1:6-2:2NIV)
The first thing we see in what John says here, which he will still later speak of in the letter, is that we can actually have false claims about being in fellowship with God. As he shows us, God is light and so anyone that is in fellowship with Him is walking in His light. But if someone claims to be in fellowship with Him and is still walking in darkness, doing secret and shameful things that are not meant for the light and unwilling to admit these things as shameful, his claims are false. In other words, that person is a liar. But anyone that is walking in God’s light indeed is in fellowship with Him. And as long as that person continues to accept the true condition of his life and to act accordingly, as shown by God’s light, the blood of Jesus Christ will keep him pure from every sin.
It is in the context, then, that John tells us to confess our sins, whatever they may be, or admit that what God says of our sins are exactly what they are. Why? Until we do this, we will be making God out to be a liar and will never be able to experience His forgiveness and purification. So, John is not saying, as many have interpreted this passage to mean, that every child of God is still living in sin and needs to admit it. Rather, in the context of the entire passage, what he is saying is that if we are walking in the darkness, that is, living in one form of sin or the other, and will not admit it, we are lying about knowing God or being in fellowship with Him. That is because that is contrary to the way of the light.
Unfortunately, this is the case with many today who call themselves God’s people. Though God has made their sins and errors known to them, they will just not admit them or forsake them. He has told them that adultery, greed, bitterness, envy, malice, unwillingness to forgive, manipulation, hypocrisy and every other evil act people may be involved in are wrong and unacceptable in His sight. But they will not admit it. And we are not talking about people who are struggling with certain sins in their lives here. Rather, we are talking about people who have freely given themselves to certain acts of the flesh and will not listen to what God is saying about them or deal with them. And we are saying that whatever their reasons for being like this may be, they are showing that they are not in any true fellowship with God as they claim.
See, anyone that is truly fellowshipping with the light will admit the truth that the light is showing him and act on it. So, if there is any sin in his life that God is showing him, he will admit it to be sin and not make excuses for it or act as if it were nothing. That way, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive him of his sin and cleanse him of his unrighteousness.
However, as John further shows us, the availability of forgiveness in Christ Jesus is not an excuse for living in sin. Forgiveness is not the same thing as repentance. That we are forgiven our sins does not mean that we have repented of them. Indeed, God is willing and ever ready to forgive us of any sin. But what He wants really is not for us to be coming for forgiveness every now and then about any kind of sin but to start walking in victory over every form of sin. That is why John says I am not writing these things to you so that you will begin to indulge in sin, for that will be showing that you are not truly in fellowship with the God of light, but so that you will know that God has provided an advocate for us, that is, Jesus Christ. And this advocate is the sacrifice that was given to atone for our sins, as believers, and also for the sins of the whole world. So, whatever our sins may be, whether the ones we committed in the past, the ones we are committing now or the ones we may later commit, He has already taken care of them. And we should not allow these sins to keep us away from continuing in fellowship with God. (Cf. 1John 2:1-2)
Now you know that there are many that have abandoned their faith and walk with God because they fell into certain sins. This made them feel so ashamed of themselves that they feel condemned in their hearts and unworthy of being with God again. But that feeling of condemnation is not from God but from the devil, who wants to keep them in perpetual bondage to sin and death. And perhaps you are in that condition too. You feel bad, terrible and useless because of certain sins you committed and are no longer willing to freely walk with God. You are just allowing the devil to cheat you of what God has freely provided in Christ Jesus for your salvation and purification. What you need to do is to first admit that you are wrong and then to accept God’s offer of forgiveness and cleansing in Christ Jesus. Then, go and sin no more. It is as simple as that, for God has made it to be so.
CONCLUSION
God is light; and in Him there is no darkness at all. So, to be in fellowship with Him is to be in fellowship with light. And if we are in fellowship with light, then, we should abandon darkness and its works and begin to forever live as children of light (Eph 5:8-14).
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD-THE ESSENCE OF PREACHING JESUS (1JOHN 1:1-4)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 7TH APRIL 2021
TOPIC: OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD-THE ESSENCE OF PREACHING JESUS
TEXT: 1JOHN 1:1-4
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
BACKGROUND
John, like the rest of the Lord’s apostles, was a preacher and teacher of the word of God, besides being a prophet. And the first thing he does in this first letter of his, which we are studying, is to tell his audience that it is a person they are preaching and not just a collection of good principles and philosophies of life. There are all kinds of religions in the world. And all of them have all kinds of principles, laws, commandments and philosophies that they teach to their adherents. But all these things they teach and command are but rules of men like themselves, men that may not really be better than them but whom they have elevated above themselves. However, this is not the case with Christianity, as John would have us know in this letter. The main focus of Christianity is not to give people principles, laws, commandments and so forth. Rather, it is to introduce them to a living person and the great possibilities of having a life with Him. And that is the main thing John seeks to make known to us in the first few verses of this letter that we want to consider in this study.
THE ESSENCE OF PREACHING JESUS
Well then, how does John set this forth for us? He sets it forth by saying the following:
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” (1John 1:1-4NIV)
Now the first thing this apostle makes clear to us in the above text is that he and the other apostles know quite well what they are preaching. According to him, what they are preaching is not just something they heard but also something they saw with their eyes, something they looked at and something that they touched and felt. In other words, what they are preaching is something they have lived with and experienced its genuineness. So, they are not like many today who are paid to advertise products, services or programmes that they themselves have not tested to see how effective or efficient they are. Also, they are not like those have been bewitched or brainwashed to promote and propagate human or satanic ideas, philosophies or religions that have obviously not benefited or made better their own lives.
But what is it that they are preaching? What they are preaching is eternal life. Eternal life? What is eternal life? Is that kind of life, a never-ending life, even available? People live and die. And that has been the normal thing for everyone. But really, we do not like to die. We do not want to die. Even very old people would not want to die, if their bodies and minds are still able to carry them in life and they would not have to be a liability to anybody. Why is this so? It is because we were created by God to be eternal beings. We were not created to die or experience death. Rather, we were created to live on and on and on. That is why Solomon says that God has set eternity in our hearts, even though we cannot comprehend what He is up to (Ecc 3:11).
Why, then, do we experience death at all? It is because of sin. It was sin that brought death on humanity (Rom 5:12). But what is death? What many of us know to be death is the separation of a man’s spirit from his body (James 2:26). And that, of course, is death. But that really does not end man’s existence. According to the bible, man continues to exist even after he has left his physical body. So, physical death is not real death but a mere symbol of real death. Real death is spiritual. And it is the separation of man from God, his maker. That was what sin did to man in the beginning. Sin separated him from his maker, so that he could not enjoy fellowship with Him or live the remaining part of his earthly life with Him.
God, however, because of His love for us, does not want that separation that sin has caused between us and Him to be a permanent thing. And it will be a permanent thing, if we should die physically in that condition. So, He has not stopped reaching out to us since our fall in the Garden of Eden to bring us back into fellowship with Him. This, in fact, was why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin, so that He may be able to live in us and with us again and forever. And anyone who would come to Him and accept His offer of salvation would not live in death again but be taken out of death into life (John 5:24). So, while death really means to be separated from God, life means to be with God, living with Him and doing everything with Him. What this means, then, is that those who are separated from God are not really living – they are dead.
But why is this so? It is so because God Himself is life and the source of life. To live without Him is to have life absent from whatever we are doing. And when life is absent from what we are doing, there won’t be fruitfulness, growth or progress. All we are going to be seeing is barrenness, death and decay. And isn’t that the picture that the lives of many are painting today? Their lives are barren, empty and useless, though they are seen to be alive. Their lives are decaying and giving off all kinds of offensive odour to those around them. That is because they are separated from life, separated from God (Eph 4:18). And that is how it will be forever, if they should die physically in that condition without coming to God to experience life.
So then, John’s message is that life is now available to everyone that is in death and wants to have it. Life is now available to everyone that is tired of their experience of emptiness, confusion, decay, uselessness and sorrow. Yes, eternal life is now available to everyone that is afraid and fearful of what the future holds for them. And John says that he and all the other apostles of the Lord have seen, heard and experienced this life.
How, then, can others too experience this eternal life instead of eternal death? John says it is through fellowship. But through fellowship with who? First, he says it is through fellowship with those who are already experiencing this eternal life. And that makes sense, for it is those who are already experience life that can show those who are in death how to experience it. So, as God’s people, our relationship or interaction with those of this world, who are all living in death, ought to be showing them that life is available and that they can have it.
But then, it is not their fellowship with us that will give them life; rather, it is their fellowship with the one that is giving us life that will give them life. So, John says we are experiencing and enjoying life instead of death through our fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, it is by sharing our lives with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, that we will come to know and experience life in reality and end our experience of death, stagnation and decay (1John 1:3).
Now remember that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself says this about eternal life: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3NIV) So, eternal life is impacted, experienced and enjoyed through the knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. You can, then, see why the focus of the message of the gospel is not to give people rules, commandments, regulations and so forth but to make Jesus Christ known to people. As they get to know Him, they also get to know God the Father, for He is the exact representation of God’s being. And as they get to know God, they get to know everything they need to know about life and how to enjoy it eternally and to the full.
But nobody can get to know God, if he will not allow Him to fully participate in his life and affairs. See, God is beyond someone that you read about in books and form your own opinion about. He is a living person. Yes, He is invisible to our naked eyes. But He is real and all around us. And if we will embrace Him and allow Him in our lives, He will make Himself known to us and lead us into an experience of life with Him throughout eternity. Is this, then, what we want? Do we want an experience of life with God throughout eternity or an experience of death without God throughout eternity? Well, for those of us who are already in fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we are already experiencing life. So, John is not sharing these things with us to make us afraid or fearful about our condition but to make us know that we have every reason to be joyful.
CONCLUSION
It is clear that men everywhere don’t want any experience of death. But because our understanding of what death truly means is little and, in some cases, faulty, we fail to see that we are living and wallowing in death and that it will soon overwhelm us, if we do not find life. And we will not find life or experience it, if we will not go to the author of life, that is, Jesus Christ, and allow Him to be fully involved in our lives and take total charge of them.
QUESTIONS
– Do you now know the difference between life and death?
– Why is fellowship with God the only way to experience life through Him?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MARCH 2021
OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (1JOHN 1-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH 2021
TOPIC: OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
TEXT: 1JOHN 1-5
MEMORY VERSES: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1John 1:6-7NIV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1JOHN
1John has for centuries been accepted as one of the letters of Apostle John, who was one of the first twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, even though the letter does not contain his name or anything else concrete enough to affirm that he was the writer. But since it is a traditional belief that he wrote the letter, we have no reason not to accept him as the writer. Besides, the language of the letter, especially the frequent use of words like ‘light’, ‘darkness’, ‘love’ and ‘hate’, is similar to that of his gospel. So, it is safe to go with the traditional belief that he authored the letter. And even if he did not author it and someone else did, the contents of the letter are just too relevant to be ignored.
Then, as for the time or date the letter was written, there is nothing said in the letter that could help us speak of any specific time or date. But since much of the ministry of this apostle was done in the first century, it is safe to conclude that the letter was written sometime during the first century A.D. In addition, it is clear that the letter was not written to any specific Christian audience. So, it was more of a general letter that was written to edify and strengthen all of God’s people everywhere in their faith and walk with God. And in fact, from what John says in his introduction, we can infer that he is more or less writing the letter on behalf of other leaders of the church at that time (1John 1:1-4).
Now what was this letter written to accomplish in brethren’s lives? Actually, the writer himself states in very plain words a number of reasons he wrote it. And these reasons are given to us in the following verses and passages:
“We write this to make our joy complete.” (1John 1:4NIV)
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1John 2:1-2NIV)
“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1John 2:12-14NIV)
“I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.” (1John 2:21-22NIV)
“I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1John 2:26-27NIV)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1John 5:13NIV)
From what this apostle says in the verses given above, it is clear that this letter was written by him to keep the brethren informed about who they are and what is theirs in Christ Jesus, to keep them in purity and from being led astray and to make them perfect in the joy of the Lord. So, if we too want to know who we are and what is ours in Christ Jesus, and if we also want to know how not to be led astray by liars and pretenders in our world today, we need to take very seriously the things John shares with us in this letter.
However, there is something else that this apostle says in the letter and which he, in fact, speaks of its implication all through it. And that is the fact that we, believers in Christ Jesus, have been called to a life of fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ (1John 1:1-3). In other words, we have not been called to live alone in this world but to live with God our Creator and Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I mean that we have been called to share our lives with God Himself and to fully be a part of His life. This knowledge alone is sufficient to keep us joyous and bold in facing any life situation or circumstance, for victory is sure for us always.
But then, since we have been called to share our lives with God and our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to understand what it means to truly be in fellowship them and begin to live accordingly. Otherwise, our claims of being in fellowship with them will be false. Therefore, John, through this letter, shares some very vital truths with us about what it means to be in fellowship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ and how this fellowship will shape or affect our lives and our relationships in this world. This and a number of other things that he mentions in the letter are what we will be looking at in the next couple of weeks. And my prayer is that none of us will remained unchanged by the lessons of the letter by the time we are done going through it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
- OUTLINE
Introduction 1John 1-5 - The essence of preaching Jesus 1John 1:1-4
- Fellowshipping with the God of light 1John 1:1-2:2
- False claims 1John 2:3-11
- Children, Men and Fathers 1John 2:12-17
- Remain in Him 1John 2:18-29
- Whose child are you? 1John 3:1-15
- True love 1John 3:16-24
- Test before use 1John 4:1-6
- The God of love 1John 4:7-21
- Faith that overcomes 1John 5:1-13
- Our confidence in prayer 1John 5:14-21
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
SO THAT MY HOUSE WILL BE FULL (LUKE 14:15-24)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL 2021
TOPIC: SO THAT MY HOUSE WILL BE FULL
TEXT: LUKE 14:15-24
MEMORY VERSES: “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.” (Luke 14:23NIV)
INTRODUCTION
As we see in the Scriptures, even before man fell in the Garden of Eden, God had made plans for His redemption (Eph 1:3-4; 1Pet 1:18-19). And when the time came for Him to begin to fulfil this plan, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world as the price for our redemption. However, He did not start to unveil His plan for our redemption to all of us at once or at the same time. Instead, He started its unveiling with the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham His friend (Acts 3:26; Rom 1:16). Actually, He had made a covenant with this man that He would bless and save the whole world through one of His descendants (Gen 22:17-18). Then, several times and in different ways, He spoke to his descendants to remind them that He would certainly fulfil this promise at the appointed time (1Pet 1:10-12). Unfortunately, when the fullness of time came and He began to fulfil this promise by causing Jesus to born as one of Abraham’s descendants, His own people would not believe, accept or embrace Him. In other words, though some among them received Him as the deliverer God had promised to send to them, the nation as a whole rejected Him. (Cf. Matt 23:37-39; Luke 19:41-44; John 1:10-11)
SO THAT MY HOUSE WILL BE FULL
But then, it is not only the Israelites that God’s plan of redemption is meant for. Rather, it is the whole world that it is meant for. So, in the parable that we want to consider for this study, Jesus reveals to us God’s desire to have His kingdom full of as many people as would embrace His plan of redemption, regardless of their tribe, colour, age, social status, religion or handicap. Not only that, He also reveals to us how His servants that are sent to tell men about God’s plan for their redemption are to handle the job and relate to those they will be meeting. And here is the parable:
“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'”” (Luke 14:16-24NIV)
Now in order to get the full point of this parable, it is important we know what led the Lord Jesus to telling it. And that is seen in the verses preceding the ones in which the parable is told. As those verses show, the Lord had been invited to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee in the land. And He went. Then, while at the meal table with His host and the other guests of the man, He began to share some things with them about how to conduct themselves in feasts or social functions and how they were to organise their own feasts and be rewarded by God on the day of judgment. This, of course, led one of those with Him to say, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” (Cf. Luke 14:1-15)
That means, even at that time, the Jews had some revelations about what the kingdom of God would look like after it has been fully established (Rom 3:1-2). They knew that it would be a day of celebration and rejoicing for all of God’s people. They knew that it would be a day in which people would no longer experience pains or have reasons to cry, weep or be sorrowful. And isn’t that what everyone in the world is longing for? Isn’t that what politicians and leaders all around the world continually promise to give to people, a day in which everyone will be truly free and safe to live out their potential?
But then, we know that man cannot bring or lead himself into this day. He just does not have the capacity to do so, even if he does have the will to do so. That is why our world has remained messed up and dangerous to live in, despite all our effort to make it a safer place for us. So, we have just two options. The first is to accept the salvation and redemption that God our creator offers us, which will lead us into the new order of things that He has prepared for us and Him. The second option is to reject what He is offering us and perish in our attempts to save ourselves. And He is continually sending people to make us aware of these options and the consequences that will follow the one that we choose.
At any rate, in responding to what that man said to the Lord about the blessedness of those who accept God’s offer of redemption, He tells the parable we are considering. So, the parable concerns the kingdom of God and people’s attitude towards taking their place in it. And as it implies, God has already done everything that needed to be done for mankind to be saved and brought into His eternal kingdom of peace, love and enjoyment. But then, the Jews, who were the first to be told the good news of what God was doing for man’s salvation, would not accept this offer and take their place in His Kingdom for various reasons. That way, they showed themselves unworthy of it. And when they had been given sufficient time to respond appropriately to what God was offering them and they would not, the offer was extended to other nations of the world, who God had also planned to save before the creation of the world.
Now what are the lessons for us in the parable? The first is that God has a place in His kingdom for as many as would come to Him, regardless of who they are. That is because it is never His desire for anyone to perish. (Cf. John 6:37&40; 2Pet 3:9) So, we must not listen to those who keep giving the world the impression that it is few people that God wants in His kingdom or that it is few people that will be in His kingdom. Indeed, there are Scriptures that show us that it is not everyone that professes to want to be a part of this kingdom that ends up being a part of it. That, however, is not to say that God wants only few people in His kingdom. On the contrary, even from one of the visions John saw, there will ultimately be multitudes that no one could count from every tribe and tongue in God’s eternal kingdom. Therefore, we should be willing to reach out to as many as we can with the gospel of His kingdom, for there is place for everyone who will come, regardless of who they are and where they are in life. (Cf. Matt 7:13-14; Luke 13:22-30; Rev 7:9-17)
The second lesson for us is that God will not spend forever calling people or inviting them to accept His offer of a new life in Christ Jesus, even though He wants everyone saved. At some point, He will have to leave them and move on to reaching out to other people, if they will not take Him seriously. We see this illustrated in how the man in the parable reassigns his servants to reach out to some other people after those he has originally invited to his feast wasted their time and effort. And God’s children that are proclaiming His word also are often confronted with similar challenges. I mean that there are times we keep reaching out to some individuals with God’s word and they keep giving us meaningless and unreasonable excuses or turning us down. And when that is the case, we need to be pay attention to the leading of the Spirit, so that we will not end up wasting the time, energy and resources meant to be used in reaching out to others on them. (Cf. Acts 13:44-47)
Don’t forget that we cannot bring into God’s kingdom anyone that He Himself has not drawn to come (John 6:44; 1Cor 12:3). So, when we have done all that we can as humans in inviting people to be a part of God’s kingdom, and they will still not come, we need to commit them to their creator and allow Him to do them that which only He can do. Also, we must not forget that there is room for everyone. So, if some people will not come in, we need to reach out to some others. And we must not stop reaching out to others until God says there is no more room for them to come in. When, then, will that happen? I mean that when will God get up and shut the door of His kingdom? It is when it is time for Him to send Jesus back again. And when will it be time for Him to send Jesus back again? We don’t know. So, as long as He has not sent Him back again, we must take it for granted that there is still room in His kingdom for as many as may want to come in. (Cf. Matt 24:36; Luke 13:24-25)
CONCLUSION
God’s plan of redemption is for all men. So, even if everyone in the world comes to Him, He will take them in, for He has a place for all of them and wants His house to be full. However, if people will not take Him seriously, at some point, He will need to pass over them to some others. And every child of God must understand this, so that we will not waste our time, energy and resources on flogging a dead horse.
QUESTION
– How has this study helped you?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –IT WILL CERTAINLY COME (MALACHI 4:1-6)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 10TH MARCH 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –IT WILL CERTAINLY COME
TEXT: MALACHI 4:1-6
MEMORY VERSES: “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
CONCLUSION TO THE BOOK OF MALACHI
As I have pointed out severally in the course of our studies in this book, the main focus of the series of messages given by God to His people, the Jews, through Malachi was to bring them back to a life of faithfulness to Him and faithfulness to one another. And in our last study, we saw Him addressing the ignorance of many among them who felt that He was apathetic about justice. But is He actually apathetic about justice? No! From what we see in Scriptures, there is no single day that God does not dish out justice to people everywhere. However, because many do not understand the nature of His judgment, they assume that He is too slow to judge wickedness and reward righteousness or that He does not even give what is just to people at all. And when people reason like this, there is every tendency that they will begin to misbehave and use their assumption that God is apathetic about justice as their excuse.
This, unfortunately, was the case with the Jews that Malachi was sent to prophesy to. They gave themselves to all manner of unfaithfulness to God and to one another because they felt He was silent about the injustice in the land. Therefore, God told them through His messenger that they were wrong about Him and that the time is coming when every one of them would see the distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous, between the godly and the wicked.
IT WILL CERTAINLY COME
Furthermore, God began to inform them that the King of righteousness they were expecting, based on what the prophets before Malachi had predicted, would certainly come at the appointed time. But His coming would not be as they expected. His coming would eventually usher in the Day of Judgment, a day in which all men would be duly rewarded for all they have done. And in order to make them ready for this, God would be sending a messenger ahead of Him, one that would prepare their hearts so that they would not miss out on the blessings of His first visitation.
Now the last chapter and passage of the book of Malachi is focussed on further enlightening the people about that great Day of the Lord and the sureness of its coming. Look at what is said there:
“”Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the LORD Almighty. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”” (Mal 4:1-6NIV)
From what God says here, it is clear that the day in which God will judge all men for their faith and works is certainly coming. And that day is going to be a day of distress for all evil doers and a day of triumph for the righteous, even as made clear in several other parts of the Scriptures, a day in which nobody will be shown any kind of favouritism (Rom 2:5-11). And the one who will be judging all men on that day is God’s own Son, the King of righteousness, whose first coming has been predicted by several prophets of old (Is 9:2-7; John 5:22-29; Acts 10:42&17:41).
Now, in order to prepare His people, the Jews, for the first coming of this King of Righteousness, a coming that would result in the redemption of all mankind, God announces ahead His plan to send them prophet Elijah, who will once again lead their hearts back to righteous living. And He would this so that the people would not miss out on the blessing of the first visitation of their king. But then, the question that arises is, “If Elijah did come again as God predicted through Malachi, can we, then, say that incarnation is indeed a reality?” Mind you, all kinds of stories have been told about believers in incarnation. So, if Elijah did come to live in this world again, whether in the same form of body that he first lived in or in another, then, incarnation is indeed a reality.
But again, we are confronted with the Scripture that says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (Cf. Heb 9:27) What, then, are we to believe? Or is God contradicting Himself. Well, the first thing we need to keep in mind is that we are to believe all Scriptures, even when they appear contradictory. Then we are to allow Scriptures to interpret Scriptures instead of using our own ideas or understanding of things to interpret them. That way, we will not go beyond what is written and be misled.
Therefore, in the case of the prophecy above, though God said that He would be sending Elijah to be the forerunner of His King of Righteousness, He did not mean that He would be sending Prophet Elijah that once lived among the Israelites and was taken up into glory, without experiencing death. Unfortunately, I have heard people say that God wanted to send him back so that he too may taste death. But that is nonsense. God specifically said through Malachi and Isaiah the reason He would be sending this man that He referred to as Elijah. And it was not for him to taste death but to prepare the Jews for their coming Messiah. (Cf. Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1&4:5-6)
Again, God did not mean that it was actually Prophet Elijah that He was going to send to prepare His people for their coming Messiah. On the contrary, what He meant was that the person He would be sending would have the kind of bold and fearless spirit of Elijah. In other words, he would be someone that would not be afraid of even the most powerful or wicked of all men. And in order to fulfil this promise, when the time came for the one spoken of to come, God sent one of His angels to announce his coming to his father. Look at what the angel said to him:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17NIV)
Did you see that? John the Baptist was the one Prophet Malachi was referring to in that prophecy. And he was not Elijah; rather, he simply had the kind of fiery spirit and boldness of Elijah. Then, just as Elijah was every concerned about the restoration of the people of Israel to the worship of Yahweh, John’s main concern was also that the people be fully restored to God. And in making that happen, it was his job not just to preach repentance from sin to them but to also show them their promised Messiah and King (John 1:19-33).
Unfortunately, because the people misrepresented this prophecy, they did not recognise John the Baptist as the Elijah that was promised (Matt 17:10-13). And since they did not recognise him as the one God had promised to send to them, they could not recognise Jesus, whom he came to introduce to them as their promised Messiah and King. So, as a nation, they ended up treating both of them shamefully and missing the blessings of their ministries. You can, then, see how dangerous misrepresenting Scriptures or prophecies can be. It can make us embrace errors as truths and also make us miss out on the blessings of God.
In any case, the point God intends to communicate through Malachi to us in this concluding part of his book is that the Day of Judgment will surely come. And on that day, everybody will fully see the justice of God. We will all see on that Day that there is nothing that we do, good or bad, that escapes God’s notice and that He will not reward us for. Are we, then, preparing for this day? Or do we still think it is all a joke? Regardless of what we think of it, it will certainly come. And the fact that part of the prophecy, which includes the coming of John the Baptist and the first coming of the Lord, has already been fulfilled is enough proof that this judgment will certainly come.
QUESTION
– In what ways has this study been helpful to you?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE? (MALACHI 2:17-3:18)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 3RD MARCH 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?
TEXT: MALACHI 2:17-3:18
MEMORY VERSES: “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
BACKGROUND
We have been looking at what God has to say to His people through Malachi about their unfaithfulness to Him and to one another. And in our last study, we saw Him addressing the people specifically about their unfaithfulness in marital matters. First, He says they are being unfaithful by intermarrying with their pagan neighbours, opening the doors of their lives for idolatry and a desecration of His temple among them. Second, He says they are being unfaithful by maltreating their wives and giving room for widespread divorce in the land. And why are they being unfaithful in their marriages in this way? It is because they do not understand God’s purpose in establishing the marriage institution. And what is His purpose in establishing it? His purpose is to use it to fill the earth with godly people. So, once we miss it in the choice of who we marry or in our conduct in our marriage, we frustrate this purpose. And this explains why the world is being daily populated with wicked and immoral people instead of godly people – many marriages are established and being run on purposes that are contrary to the will of God.
WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?
Now in the part of the book of Malachi before us for this study, God begins to deal with one of the excuses of His people for misbehaving and acting in unfaithfulness. And what is this excuse? It is that God Himself is passive about justice. Just take a look at how God puts this to them through Malachi:
“You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”” (Mal 2:17NIV)
“You have said harsh things against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'”” (Mal 3:13-15NIV)
Can you see the sort of things these people are saying against God? They are saying that He is inactive as far as justice matters are concerned. Otherwise, why are evil doers and those who insult Him to His face prosperous and also getting away with their wickedness? And their conclusion is that serving Him and living in His righteousness is a waste of time.
Unfortunately, we still have many who have similar thoughts today. I mean that we have people who see God as passive about justice because of the prosperity of the wicked in their wickedness. These ones are constantly asking, “Where was God, when this kind of wickedness was done? Why did He not do anything about it?” And this is often their excuse for the moral failure in their own lives.
But what all such people do not understand is that God is never passive about justice any time. On the contrary, what the bible tells us is that He does not fail to dispense justice each new day, even though unrighteous people know nothing about this (Zeph 3:5). Then, because He is a merciful God, who does not delight in the destruction of the wicked, it is not always that He judges people immediately for their sin or wickedness (Lev 10:1-3; 2Sam 6:6-7; Acts 5:1-11). Often, He gives them time to repent (2Pet 3:9; Rev 2:21&6:9-11). Also, there are times that He withholds his judgment on people because of the intercession of others for them (Amos 7:1-6). But if they will still not repent, then, at the set time, God will certainly judge them here on earth, not just on the Day of Judgment. This may be a sudden judgment or judgment in stages (Gen 19:1-29; Amos 4:6-12). But He certainly will not allow unrepentant wicked people to go unpunished.
Therefore, it is ignorance of the nature of God’s justice that makes people think that He is passive about judging the wicked. And in the case of these Jews, this ignorance has led them to become more and more unfaithful to God. As God points out, it has made robbers of all of them. And if He had not remained unchanging in showing them mercy, all of them would have been destroyed already. So, He says this to them:
“”I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.” (Mal 3:6-12NIV)
Look at that. Because these Jews were ignorant of God’s justice and so felt that it was useless to serve Him, they began to act in unfaithfulness in giving their tithes and offerings. In fact, as we see in the above text, all of them were guilty of this. All of them were guilty of stealing from God what was meant for Him, as stipulated in the laws of His covenant with them. Perhaps this was the reason their priests began to collect even lame and blind animals from those who came to them, seeing that the tithes and offering coming in were not enough to take care of them. And we see similar things today among many of our church leaders. They act in unfaithfulness in money matters, twist the scriptures and use all kinds of gimmicks to fend for themselves because their members act in unfaithfulness in supporting them. They too are not different from the priests of Malachi’s day.
In any case, God, through Malachi, began to show these people that their unfaithfulness in the area of giving to support their ministers and the poor among them (for their tithes and offerings were meant to be used for these purposes) was one of the reasons they were not experiencing prosperity in their lives (Deut 14:28-29 & 26:12-15). It was a major reason devourers were devouring the fruit of their labour. And the only way for them to experience liberty from this was to return to being faithful in doing the will of God. In like manner, even though we are not operating under the same laws of giving as those Jews, if we too are being unfaithful to God in the use of our resources, we will be opening the door for devourers to devour the fruit of our labour. And unless we repent of this, we may never experience any breakthrough.
Then, in dealing with the issue of His being passive about judging the wicked among them, God makes it clear to them that He is not being passive at all. The judgment of the wicked that they want is coming. But it will not come the way they expect it. Truly, they have been told in the book of the prophets that a King was coming to reign over them in righteousness and justice, a king that would give justice to everyone, according to their works. And they felt that this king ought to have come, if God was serious about fulfilling His word concerning His coming. (Cf. Isaiah 11:1-5; Malachi 3:1)
Therefore, God assures them again through Malachi twice, as we see in this book, that the one they are expecting will certainly come. But His coming will, as He first points out in the passage we are now studying, will not be as they expect it to be. He will be coming to purify the land of every form of uncleanness and judge every form of wickedness among the people. However, before He comes, a messenger will be sent ahead of Him to prepare the hearts of the people for His ministry. So, here in this book, we see in clear terms prophetic revelations about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world and that of John the Baptist, His forerunner. But then, as it is sometimes the case with prophecies, it was not revealed on this occasion to the people that the Lord would be coming into the world more than once and that it is when He shows up the second time that He will bring judgment on all men. So, whatever they understood about His coming through this prophecy could not be adequate. (Cf. Malachi 3:1-5; Luke 3:1-6; John 1:19-28)
In addition to the prophetic revelation given by God about the coming judgment of the Lord, God also assures these people that the time will certainly come when He will let them see the distinction between the righteous and the ungodly. His words on this are: “”They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”” (Mal 3:17-18NIV) Can you see that? God has His own time for making the distinction between His righteous people and the ungodly known. So, even if it appears at the moment as though the righteous and the wicked are being treated alike or as though the wicked are getting away with their wickedness, the time will surelly come when it will be clear to everyone that this is not so at all. But will the righteous be patient until this time? That is a question for each of us to answer in his heart.
Well, what are the lessons here that we must not miss? First, it is that when we cry to the Lord to judge the wickedness in our land, we need to understand that His judgment may not come the way we expect it to come. So, while we are crying for the judgment of the wicked, we should watch that we too are not a part of the problem of the land. Otherwise we also will not be spared when the judgment we are seeking comes. Then, if we have allowed the prosperity of the wicked to make us give up on righteous living, we need to know that a time is coming when God is going to make clear distinctions between those who are for Him and those who are against Him. What, then, will be our fate when He does this?
CONCLUSION
Has our ignorance of the nature of God’s judgment led us into a life of unfaithfulness in any way? Are we using the misbehaviour of those around us, who seem to have escaped God’s judgment, as an excuse for our own misbehaviour? We need to know that God is never passive about judging wickedness, even though He is merciful and patient in dealing with sinners. So, at His set time, every form of wickedness will be dealt with by Him. And no excuse whatsoever will stop Him from doing what is right and just.
QUESTIONS
– How can our understanding of the character of God’s judgment or justice help us in relating to the wicked in our world?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
FEBRUARY 2021
HOPE AND TRUST IN GOD (ESTHER 1-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2021
TOPIC: HOPE AND TRUST IN GOD
TEXT: ESTHER 1-5
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MEMORY VERSES: “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esth 4:16)
INTRODUCTION
There is no body that is immune from life trials and challenges. Every living person that ever existed, at some point in their lives, were faced with challenges that seemed overwhelming to them, challenges in which there seemed to be no flicker of hope. The father of faith (Abraham), as we have in the scriptures, had his own share of life’s trials and challenges, even though he was a friend of God. From Isaac to Jacob down to the Prophets of old, they all had their own share of life’s trials and challenges. This did not leave out even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There was a time that he was in a boat, travelling with his disciples, that the devil rose up against him in a storm to destroy them on the sea (Mark 4:35-39). But is that how God planned it to be for everybody? No! It was the fall of man brought man into this situation.
Nevertheless, our God is a good and loving God. So, the Lord Jesus says to his disciples shortly before his crucifixion, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” ( John 16:33 ) Here, the Lord tells his disciples that sorrows and persecution await them in this life. But the good thing is that he has overcome the world for them. In other words, he assures them of Victory. And what he said to those disciples, he is now saying to us too. He is giving us that assurance of hope too that we will have peace in him and that he has overcome the world for us. Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection have brought us victory over anything that devil may throw at us. Hallelujah!
HOPE AND TRUST IN GOD
In this study, we will be looking at the account of Mordecai, Queen Esther, the Jews who were taking as captives by Nebuchadnezzar, how they all got into trouble and a death sentence was passed over them and how instead of given up on life, they turned to God for deliverance. Here is a portion of the account:
“At that time there was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. His family had been among those who, with King Jehoiachin of Judah, had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter” (Esther 2: 5-7).
As we find in this passage, there is a mention of a man called Mordecai, son of Jair, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. Mordecai had a very beautiful cousin called Esther that he adopted as his daughter, when her parents died. But at this time, Mordechai, his cousin Esther, Jehoiachin king of Judah and the Jews were exiled into Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. It is possible it was at the invasion of king Nebuchadnezzar into that Esther lost her parent. Whatever the case maybe, king nebuchadnezzar invaded jerualem and carried the Jews into slavery with the king of Judah. We have the accounts in 2 kings 24: 8-16. It was at this time that Mordechai and Esther were carried into captivity too.
Now chapter one of the book of Esther talks about King Xerxes’ banquet, which was a display of the wealth of his empire, for he was a very powerful king. He organised feasts for his nobles and officials that lasted 180 days (half a year). That is unimaginable. Queen Vashti, his queen, also gave a banquet for the women at his royal palace. But then, the bible goes on to say, “On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.” (Esther 1:10-12) So, King Xerxes had to seek advice from his counselors to know what must be done to Queen Vashti. And they advised him to banish her from the presence of the king forever (Esther 1:19-22).
In the course of time, King Xerxes was advised to get another queen for himself instead of Vashti. Beautiful young virgins, in which Esther the cousin of Mordechai was inclusive, were sought for the king and were given beauty treatment for one year. Esther found the favour of God and was selected as Queen in place of Vashti, for the bible says, “Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.” (Esther 2: 16-18)
Now there was a man named Haman, who somehow, during this period, became the most powerful among King Xerxes’ officials. In fact, he was next to the king. The king commanded everyone to bow to him as a demonstration of honour, but Mordecai would not bow to him because he was a Jew. So, the bible says, “When Haman got to hear this he was furious and decide to punish him and the entire Jews. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.” (Esther 3:5-6) And this evil man wasted no time about his plot to bring about a genocide, for the bible further says, “Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.” (Esther 3:8)
This is evil conspiracy. And I want you to know that there will always be people like Haman either at your place of work, neighbourhood or even in the church. Well, Haman’s treat was not an ordinary treat. King Xerxes believed him without making any findings to see for himself if it was a right or wrong allegation. And when Mordecai got to hear about the death sentence that was passed over the entire Jews, he didn’t just cried or put on sack cloths, he turned to the God of their ancestors. Look at how the account is given in the bible: “When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.” (Esther 4:1-3)
Furthermore, Mordecai sent a message to queen Esther to approach the king to have mercy on them, but the queen couldn’t just go if the king did not call for her. And here is Mordecai’s response to that: “Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”” (Esther 4:13-14) In this situation of hopelessness that the whole Jews found themselves, Mordecai had his trust and hope in God. He even said that if Esther would not help, help would come from another place. In other words, God always has backup plans. That was a great demonstration of faith in God.
Now if you, like Mordecai, find yourselves in a ‘gun to the head’ situation, and there seems not to be help from anywhere, do you remember God? For many, it is only when things are all going well with them that they remember God’s promises to them. It is only then they can declare the promises of God with boldness. But when their conditions seem contrary to God’s word, they just chicken out and begin to talk fear. That is not a demonstration of trust and hope in God. The bible says, “For God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5-6) But this Scripture will not produce the fruit of what it talks about in our lives, if it has not gain roots in our hearts.
CONCLUSION
In Conclusion, Esther demonstrated her faith in God by going to see the King, which was contrary to the laws of the land. As the bible tells us, Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.” (Esther 4:16-17) On the third day of the fast, Esther took the steps of faith to see the king, and God favoured her. In like manner, if anyone will put his or her trust and hope in God in the face of contrary situations, God will never disappoint her because he does not disappoint.
By Emmanuel Olarinre
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –UNFAITHFULNESS IN THE LAND (MALACHI 2:10-16)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS –UNFAITHFULNESS IN THE LAND
TEXT: MALACHI 2:10-16
MEMORY VERSES: “the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
BACKGROUND
As we saw in our last study in the book of Malachi, if there is widespread unfaithfulness in any place and it is going on unchallenged, God’s ordained leaders there ought to put themselves on trial to see if they are not, for the most part, the reason this is so. In the case of the Jews that Malachi came prophesying to, God held their priests responsible for strengthening them in unfaithfulness towards Him and towards one another. These priests had the duty of guiding them in their relationship with God and also in showing them what was acceptable to God and what wasn’t. Unfaithfully, because of their greed, they would not point out to them what was wrong about their lives and about their service to God. Instead, they encouraged them to carry on in meaningless and unacceptable worship, thereby causing many to stumble. And God had to let them know that His wrath was on them because they were functioning like this and that things would certainly get worse for them, if they would not repent. This, of course, is written to teach all of us that are in a position to lead others to do what is right before God to take our duty seriously. Otherwise, like those priests of Malachi’s day, we too will pay dearly for encouraging or strengthening rebellion against God.
UNFAITHFULNESS IN THE LAND
Now, having shown the priests of these Jews the areas of their unfaithfulness to Him and the need for them to repent of them and also lead the people to repent, God goes on to address the people through Malachi about their unfaithfulness to Him and to one another. This, of course, is showing us something of the character of God. He is never partial. Instead, He will deal with everybody as their actions deserve. So, if we miss it because we are misled or encouraged by someone to what is wrong, it is not only that person that will be held responsible for our errors; we too will receive our own share of the blame and whatever punishment that follows. And was that not what happened when God was judging the rebellion of man in the Garden of Eden? That was it. It was not only the serpent that was held responsible for what happened; Eve and Adam was also held responsible for their respective roles in what happened. (Cf. Gen 3)
In like manner, the priests of God’s people at the time Malachi came to them may have been unfaithful to God in various ways. But that was not an excuse for the people themselves to be unfaithful to God and to one another. They too had access to the laws of God and were in fact supposed to be reading and meditating on them individually and as families, so that they may observe them (Deut 6:4-9 & 11:18-21). So, if they were misled by their priests, it was because they too did not have in them the desire to be faithful to God.
In any case, as I already pointed out, God is not going to overlook their unfaithfulness. Instead, He addresses it and shows them how it is already affecting their fruitfulness in life and in worshipping Him. Look at what He says to them through His servant:
“Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob – even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty. Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,” says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.” (Mal 2:10-16NIV)
From what God says here, we can see that apart from the unfaithfulness of these Jews and their priests to Him in their worship, they were also being unfaithful to one another. First, the text makes it clear that they were ignoring the fact that they all came from the same father (Abraham) and that they all belonged to the same God and were breaking faith with one another. In other words, they made to themselves promises they had no intention of keeping and were cheating one another in many ways. You can, then, imagine how that must have been paralysing their growth and development among other nations, seeing that they were not functioning as one in accordance with the laws of their God.
Then, as shown in the text, another major area in which these Jews were manifesting unfaithfulness is that of marriage. And their men appeared to be the leading figures in this unfaithfulness. But how were they manifesting it? First, they were manifesting it in intermarriage with the pagan nations around them, thereby desecrating the sanctuary of God among them and His covenant with them. The laws of the covenant God made with these people are very clear about how to relate to the pagan nations around them, especially in marriage matters. For instance, the Law says, “Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.” (Deut 7:3-4NIV)
So, these people are not permitted by God to intermarry with children of their pagan neighbouring countries. Why? Is it because these pagans are not real human beings? No! Or is it because God does not love them? No! God loves and cares about them too. But as long as they are corrupt, immoral and idolatrous, they are not worthy to be in marriage relationships with His own sanctified people. And if His people should arrogantly or stubbornly go into marriage relationships with them, they will definitely be led astray. This, of course, was fully illustrated in King Solomon. As wise as he was, he was misled into idol worship the moment he began to cleave in love to foreign and pagan women. Therefore, when these Jews also began to intermarry with their pagan neighbours, God had to quickly step in to restore them. Otherwise, it would not be long before they were led back into idolatry and once again come under His wrath. (Cf. 1Kings 11:1-11)
Then, apart from intermarrying with idol worshippers, many of these Jews also were acting in unfaithfulness towards their wives and even divorcing them. If this had not been widespread or rampant, perhaps the Lord would not have addressed the whole nation about it. But from what we see in the text, it would seem that it had become a common thing among them for husbands to treat their wives as they pleased, despise their marriage covenants with them and then divorce them. Why this was so we are not told. It may be because the pagan women around them were seriously seducing them and shamefully using all kinds of means to lure them into immoral relationships with them. One cannot be too sure about it. But it is clear that the whole nation at that time had lost touch with God’s reason for establishing the marriage institution and needed to be called back to the truth about it.
So, through Malachi, God told them frankly that He hates divorce. Yes, sometimes, it may be unavoidable, as our Lord would later teach the people (Matt 5:32& 19:3-9). But it is never God’s will for people to get married, becoming one flesh, and then destroy themselves and their marriage through unfaithfulness. That is because, as God points out, this works contrary to His plan of raising godly children through our marriages. Indeed, He wants us to multiply and fill the earth. But what kinds of individuals are we going to fill the earth with, if our homes where these individuals are to be raised are nothing but a hell? It is certain that it is thieves, robbers, prostitutes, kidnappers and so forth that we will fill the earth with, as long as our marriages are not right and we are destroying ourselves and our children through all kinds of unfaithfulness, violence and divorces.
In any case, God further makes it clear to all those who are acting in unfaithfulness towards their partners that He would not look with favour on their offerings or prayers until they do the right thing. Actually, many of them at that time had been weeping and crying because they could not understand why God would not accept their offerings, sacrifices and supplications. And that was a good thing – it is a good thing to be concerned about what God thinks of what we are doing. But being concerned like this is not enough, we also need to be willing to do His will once it is made known to us. And in this case, the will of God was for every married Jew to return to faithfulness to their spouse and stop desecrating the marriage institution He set up.
Now how do all these things affect us? Are they even relevant to us at all? Yes, they are. They are because there is equally widespread unfaithfulness to God and to one another among those of us who believe today. Of course, our spiritual leaders must be held responsible for this in many ways. However, we too have the word of God, and if the desire to please Him had been in our hearts, we would have been pleasing Him, regardless of whatever unfaithfulness we see in our leaders. But because many of us too have no intention of doing the will of God, we ignore His word and give ourselves to all forms of unfaithfulness.
Therefore, we now freely deceive, cheat and injure one another, even though we claim to be members of the same body, the body of Christ. Also, our young men and young women now freely mingle in immoral relationships with the unbelievers around them. And some of them will even tell you that we all are serving the same God and that, once love is involved, it does not matter who they marry. Then, what about our marriage relationships, are they any better those of Malachi’s days? Consider the rate of divorce even in many of the so-called Christian nations today. Is it not alarming? Well, God is saying the same things that He said to the Jews of Malachi’s day to us – return to faithfulness to me and to one another. Until we do this, He will not be pleased with us. And if He is not pleased with us, then, He is not pleased with our offerings, service and prayers. This, perhaps, is the explanation for some of the unanswered prayers of many of us.
CONCLUSION
Unfaithfulness works contrary to God’s purpose among His people and also hinders the flow of His blessings in their lives. So, face the reality about whatever form of unfaithfulness you have in your life and do the right thing. Then you will be giving room for the fulfilment of God’s purpose and the free flow of His blessing in your life and world.
QUESTION
– What is the cure for unfaithfulness among God’s people?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – PRIESTS ON TRIAL (MALACHI 1:6-2:9)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – PRIESTS ON TRIAL
TEXT: MALACHI 1:6-2:9
MEMORY VERSES: “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the book of Malachi, we saw God defending Himself to the nation of Israel who had accused Him of being unfaithful in maintaining His love toward them. As He made clear to them, He had never been unfaithful in loving them, even though they had been unfaithful in relating to Him in many ways. And to prove this to them, He drew their attention to the condition of the nation of Edom at that time because of His judgment on them. Even though that nation was their sister nation, it was already in total ruins and would not be allowed to rise again because of her wickedness. But their own nation was still standing, despite the fact that they went into exile for years because of their wickedness. And why were they still standing as a nation at the time Malachi was preaching to them? It was because God had not stopped loving them. So, if their lives were not fruitful and productive as they were supposed to be, it was not because God was being unfaithful to them; rather, it was because they were being unfaithful to Him, as their forefathers had been. And if they did not want to experience more years of humiliation and shame from the hands of their enemies, they needed to return to being faithful to God in all their ways. That, of course, was the main message of Malachi.
PRIESTS ON TRIAL
Unfortunately, these Israelites did not see themselves as unfaithful to God at all at that time. And that, of course, was a serious problem. It is a serious problem to be in trouble and not to know you are. It is a serious problem for our lives to be out of order with God’s purpose and not know. Our Lord, in a letter to the Laodicean church, rebukes them for not being aware of their spiritual poverty. While they think they are rich and in need of nothing, He sees them as poor, naked, blind, pitiful and wretched. And it is only as they accept what He says about them and turn to Him for restoration that they can be restored. (Cf. Rev 3:14-18)
In like manner, the Israelites that Malachi was preaching to were totally unaware of their unfaithfulness to God. Therefore, He had to start drawing their attention to the various ways they were manifesting unfaithfulness and how this was affecting their fruitfulness and peace of mind. And He began with their priests, their teachers, who were supposed to know His mind and teach it to the people. He began with them because they themselves had terribly missed it and so could not guide the nation in the path of faithfulness.
See, as we are shown in the Scriptures, these priests are ordained by God to be responsible for the spiritual life of the nation. So, they are supposed to lead the people to adequately and appropriately worship God and also maintain fellowship with Him. They are, in short, responsible for making the people know what is acceptable to God and what isn’t. And if the people should miss it in their walk with God, it is their job to lead them to restoration. (Cf. Lev 10:10-11; Ezek 44:23)
Therefore, if the people are not living right before God, if they are unfaithful to Him in any way or if they are apathetic in their dealings with Him and are doing things that would result in their destruction, their priests must be put on trial. Yes, their priests have to be examined to see if they are not being irresponsible in ministering to them. And we see God doing exactly this in the book of Malachi. He puts these priests on trial and holds them responsible to a great extent for the unfaithfulness of His people in relating to Him. Look at some of the things He says about them:
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “You place defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty. “Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”-says the LORD Almighty.” (Mal 1:6-10NIV)
Now can you see the problems of these priests and how they are affecting the nation? They themselves are not relating to God with respect. Yet they don’t even seem to know this. Truly, they confess God as their Father, but their actions prove this not to be so. As I pointed out before, in line with their education and training in spiritual matters, they are supposed to know what kinds of sacrifices and offerings God will accept and what kinds He will not accept (Lev 22:17-25). Also, they are supposed to treat the Lord’s offerings with respect and not profane His name in the land (Lev 22:1-2). Yet the priests of Malachi’s day would accept even blind and crippled animals as sacrifices to the Lord from the people. Yes, they would accept from them for their God what none of them would be foolish enough to offer as a gift to their governor. Why? It was because they were mainly concerned about their own share of these sacrifices (Num 18:8-19).
And don’t we see the same thing in our churches today and among our leaders? Don’t we too offer God services and offerings that we cannot offer our bosses at work or our parents at home? And don’t our leaders encourage us to serve God anyhow and to bring Him any kind of offering, even stolen money, just because they want to take care of their bellies? Yes, we call Him all kinds of beautiful names, but our actions do not show that we love or honour Him as we claim to do. And this shows that we are not any much different from the people that God sent Malachi to.
In any case, the Lord, through Malachi, makes it clear to these priests that He is angry with them. And so angry is He that He says, “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” (Mal 1:10-11NIV) Did you see that? God was not pleased with these people at all and saw everything they were doing as useless. And could it be that this is the way He also sees all that we are doing? Does He see our meetings, praying, dancing, giving, evangelistic outreaches and erection of magnificent structures as useless? And that is the way He sees them, if they are not being done in spirit and in truth. They will never accomplish His will in our lives or in the lives of all the people we are gathering for our meetings or reaching with whatever gospel we think we are preaching.
Now, having told these priests what He thinks of all that they are doing, God goes on to tell them to repent, if they do not want to continue to suffer for their misbehaviour. Just look at what He says to them:
“And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD Almighty. “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction — because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the LORD Almighty. “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.” (Mal 2:1-9NIV)
Can you see that there are consequences for not walking in the will of God for our lives? These priests of Israel are already being punished by God for despising Him and for not taking their responsibilities to the people seriously. They are already being despised and humiliated in the land, instead of being treated with respect and honour. And worse things will happen to them and their so-called wealth, if they will not repent, as God points out through Malachi. Indeed, they may not be prophets, but they are His messengers to the people. So, they are supposed to cherish His truth, preserve it unadulterated and also proclaim it. That was the way their ancestors functioned. But they are acting differently and misleading the people. They are, in short, responsible for the widespread unfaithfulness in the land. And the only thing that will save them from the wrath of God is repentance.
Now all this shows that God expects anyone He has sent to teach and lead His people in righteous living to take his ministry very seriously. That is because how seriously he takes it will affect how seriously the people he is sent to will take God in their personal lives. And if he fails to be serious with this work God has given him, it is right from here in the world that he will begin to suffer the consequences, which may come in form of shame, humiliation, sickness or even untimely death. Only God Himself, then, knows how many of us who are ordained to minister to His people are already suffering because of our unfaithfulness in doing so. If we too do not want things to get worse for us, then, we need to lose no time in returning to faithfulness to God in every area of our lives.
CONCLUSION
If there is widespread unfaithfulness or apathy towards God in our land or among the people of God, God’s anointed leaders need to begin to examine themselves in the light of the Scriptures to see if they are not failing in their duties. But if they will not do this, at some point, God will step in and begin to set things right Himself. And who can tell what measures He will take in judging those who are erring?
QUESTIONS
– In your judgment, why was it difficult for the priests of Malachi’s day to see that they were not pleasing God at all in their service?
– In what ways are the things said to the priests of Malachi’s day applicable to our church leaders today?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – IN DEFENCE OF GOD’S LOVE (MALACHI 1:1-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – IN DEFENCE OF GOD’S LOVE
TEXT: MALACHI 1:1-5
MEMORY VERSES: “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
BACKGROUND
As I pointed out in our last study, the messages given in the book of Malachi were given to the people of Israel after they had been brought back from exile. And the focus of these messages was to call them back to a life of faithfulness to God and faithfulness to one another. But in doing this, God had to first deal with whatever form of doubt they had about His love and faithfulness to them. Evidently, these Israelites (Jews) had been accusing God of being unfaithful to His covenant to them. That would most likely be because, even though they had returned to live in the land He had given to their ancestors, they were still not totally free from the rule of their enemies. They did not have kings over them at that time but governors that were appointed by their Persian Emperors (Neh 5:14-19; Mal 1:8). So, they felt God was not being faithful in loving them and keeping the covenant He had sworn to their ancestors that He would permanently give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance (Gen 15:18-19). This, perhaps, was one of their excuses for misbehaving and not living in faithfulness to Him.
IN DEFENCE OF GOD’S LOVE
But was God really unfaithful to this nation? No! And did He really not love them anymore? No! In the first place, it was their own unfaithfulness to the covenant God made with them that resulted in their going to exile. Despite the fact that He sent several prophets to warn them to return to Him in faithfulness, they did not return to Him, both the northern and southern nations of Israel (2Chro 36:11-21). So, He allowed them to be carried off into captivity by their enemies for many years. However, just as He had promised them, when the time He set for them to spend in captivity was up, He moved the hearts of their captors to release them to go back to their land, so that they may again live to worship Him there (Ezra 1-2).
Now that was in itself a prove of God’s faithfulness to His word and of His great love for them. But they did not seem to see this at all. I mean that they somehow could not grasp the fact that it was because of the love of God and His faithfulness that they were brought back to that land. If He had not loved them, He would have allowed them to perish in those foreign lands that they were all dispersed to. And in bringing this point home to them, He says this through Malachi:
“”I have loved you,” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the LORD says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the LORD Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the LORD-even beyond the borders of Israel!’”” (Mal 1:2-5NIV)
Observe here that God is answering a question that these Israelites happen to be frequently asking among themselves, which is, “Where is the love of God that is so much talked about in the Scriptures and by our ancestors?” And in answering them, God draws their attention to the way He has dealt with the nation of Edom, which is made up of the descendants of Esau. As seen in the text, that nation was in utter ruins at the time Malachi was speaking to the nation of Israel because of God’s judgment. Not only was she in utter ruins, God also insisted that she would forever remain like that, regardless of what effort her people made to rebuild or restore it. And why? First, it was because God rules over all nations and judges their affairs. So, He is not the God of the Israelites alone; He is the God of all nations, the God of all flesh. The second reason God insisted on wiping out the memory of the nation of Edom was because He hated her.
But then, as God rightly points out in that text and as we equally see in other parts of the Scriptures, Esau was Jacob’s blood brother. They were of the same father and the same mother. So, Esau too was a descendant of Abraham. That means he too could have been a partaker of the covenant God made with Abraham to bless him and to give the land of Canaan to his descendants after him. But he was not a part of it. Why? According to the Scriptures, it was because he was a godless person, one who did not take God very seriously, one who took spiritual things very lightly. Look at what is reported in the bible about his attitude towards his birthright and his attitude towards marriage; it is not anything to emulate at all. Then, for many years, he also nursed the thought of killing his own brother because the latter cheated him. And if God had not intervened, he would certainly have murdered him. How, then, was he any different from Cain, who murdered his brother Abel? (Cf. Gen 25:29-34, 26:34-35 & 28:6-9; Heb 12:16-17)
Unfortunately, the very same attitude was what was prevalent among Esau’s descendants, the Edomites. They too were godless, immoral and full of wickedness. In fact, as recorded in Scriptures, in the day that their sister nation, Judah, was being judged by God, they were there to add to their pains and miseries (Ps 137:7; Obadiah). Just consider the adjectives God uses in qualifying them in the text we are considering for our study – ‘The wicked land’ and ‘A people that will always be under God’s wrath.’ So, when He says, “Esau I have hated,” it is because He knows that Esau, like Cain, represents a nation of people that will forever despise His love and His purpose for them and devote themselves to wickedness.
How, then, is Jacob different from Esau? He is different because, even though he has his own human weaknesses and failure, he loves God and takes Him very seriously. So, regardless of how messed up he is or what challenges he is confronted with in life, he will always cast himself on God for help and salvation. And the same attitude is seen in his descendants. They may go astray and do all kinds of terrible things against the will of God. But there will always be among them a remnant that is willing to repent, seek God’s face and worship Him.
All of this is why God says, “Jacob I have loved.” And it was because of this love God had for him that his descendants were left with a remnant that returned to occupy the land He had given to them. But He wanted the people to see this. He wanted them to understand that it was because He loved them that they were still existing as a nation. Yes, they were not fully independent at that time, but their memory had not yet been wiped out from the face of the earth. So, they still had hope, hope of full restoration, which God would bring about at the right time. Since that, then, was the case, He wanted them to wake up to what He was saying to them and begin to live faithfully and responsibly before Him. Otherwise, things may just go from bad to worse for them again.
Now is it possible that we too are in doubt of the love of God for us? Are we in doubt of His love for us because things are not as beautiful or smooth for us as we would love them to be? Well, God wants us too to know that it is because of His love for us that things have not gone worse for us, as it is probably the case with the lives of many around us. See, as natural men, we do not deserve any good thing from God’s hand because of our sins. All that we deserve is His wrath and judgment. But because of His great love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and redeem us to Himself, regardless of how messed up our lives may have been. And now that we have been redeemed and restored to Him, we can trust Him to fully set our lives right in this world and to also safely lead us into His eternal kingdom of rest. (Cf. Eph 2:1-10)
However, we also will need to keep walking in faithfulness before Him in all things in order to fully experience His love and all that He has for us. We must never diminish in our faithfulness to God because our natural lives and circumstances at the moment do not yet look like we want them to look. He will forever love us and remain faithful in taking care of us and building us up to ultimately become the persons we are meant to be, regardless of our natural circumstances. Becoming all that He wants us to be or having our earthly lives fully set right, nevertheless, is not something that will happen overnight. We will need to walk with Him with patience and faithfulness for this to happen. And that is consistent position of the Scriptures. (Cf. 1Cor 7:17-24; Heb 6:12)
CONCLUSION
The love of God for us is always real and sure. Also, His faithfulness to His promises to us will never fail. If life, then, is not going for us as we want or expect, we should know that it can never be because God has stopped loving us or failed us. Rather, it may be because we are lacking in patience or because we have opened the door of our lives for His judgment or satanic afflictions through our unfaithfulness, ignorance or carelessness.
QUESTION
– What is the relationship between our experience of God’s love and our faithfulness to Him?
By Johnson O. Lawal
JANUARY 2021
HOW TO BE IN LOVE (MARK 12: 30-31)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2021
TOPIC: HOW TO BE IN LOVE
TEXT: MARK 12: 30-31
MEMORY VERSES: “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21NIV)
BACKGROUND
I want to share with us today what it means to be in love. We will be examining what it means to be in love with God, with yourself and others. Now, why is such a topic important? It is important because we were created to love. In us, God wired the nature to love. Not only believers in Christ Jesus here but every human being. So we are all creations of love. Let us go back to Genesis. But before then, let us look at what John says about the nature of God. (1John 4:16) God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. John tells us here that the Nature of God is Love. The scriptures says in (Genesis 1:27) that God created man in His own likeness and image. This shows that God created man to represent all He is; in Nature and resemblance. So since God nature is love, it reveals that the seed of love was planted by God in man.
God created Man to love him and in return respond back in love. God is both a giver and receiver of Love. But you must notice that it was God that first showed man love. Before he brought man to existence, he had created all that he needs. Not only that, God established a love relationship with the man. And that was why He was going at the cool of the day to interact with the man. (Genesis 3:8). The point am making is that God created man to love Him and for Him to respond back in Love. So love is not something man should struggle with since God planted it in his nature. However, a lot changed about the love nature of man when he sinned. The presence of sin in Man twisted his Nature. So he could no longer love the way he should.
Get me right. I did not say his Nature died. No, it was twisted. It was corrupted. Sin corrupted it and made it not responsive to God. So he could no longer express Love the way God wants him to. Now when the scriptures says that man died, it does mean he died physically nor his nature died but was dead to God. He couldn’t respond to God appropriately. But because the nature of Love is still in Man and must find expression, he started falling in love with other things apart from God. See the case of marriage relationship. God established the kind of love in marriage relationship. And it is the highest level of love in this realm apart from our love to God. Initially, God created them to be a man and woman. Not long, man started seeing reasons why he should have more than one wife.
Not only did man was in love with many other women but started falling in love with animals, people of the same sex and even objects that could not respond. Remember that when man sinned, the implication of the sin did not start manifesting in its full measure. It started gradually until man went full crazy that God had to end him at a time. Let us look at the life and Journey of the first Nation God chose to have a relationship with. God gave them some sets of laws. The first and the most important Law God gave them was about the issue of Love. Loving God, loving oneself and loving others. It was Jesus that really painted the picture well.
Let us look at our text again. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ f 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ g There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31). I want us to start noticing certain things about this verse of the scripture.
First, God demanded that we love him with some certain qualities. The soul, the mind, the heart and the body. Why? Because that is what we were created to be. Man ought to love God with his entire being. His body, soul, mind and heart must be involved.
Another reason is that love for God is dedication to Him. It means, our love for God cannot be shared. It must be with our total being. That is why Jesus says you cannot love God and mammon at the same time. It is either you are dedicated towards God or other things.
Also, it is what you love with your mind, soul, heart and body will eventually be you master and lord. Let us look at the case of Solomon. The scriptures say Solomon loved the Lord at a time. (1kings 3:3) What happened? He greatly was blessed. He was used by God. At another point, the scripture be says he loved strange women. (1Kings 11:1-9) What happened after? They drew him to wickedness. That is showing us that what you love has the capacity to control your life.
Remember that God also commanded the children of Israel not have any other god apart from him. Before this time, many of them had been exposed to so many other gods in Egypt. They have seen how passionately Egyptians followed after other gods. So God told them that he is the only One Lord and God. I want you to observe something. Before God said they should love him, he said they should not have any other gods. Why? Because having other gods in your life is showing love to that god in God’s eye. So if anyone is serving Satan, he is in love with Him. Many people will not agree to this. Ask many people that visit witch doctors if they are love with Satan. Many will frankly say how I can love Satan? God forbid! But in the real sense, they are in love with Satan. In your mind, you may think you just want something from him but you are actually in love with him. One of the reasons you are in love with him is that Satan will demand from you what will make him your Lord. He will start demanding what will require your soul, body, heart and mind.
Now about the children of Israel, remember that they couldn’t love God the way God want them to. And as a result many of them couldn’t enjoy God to the fullest. Yes, they enjoyed the goodness of God. God is forever faithful in showing us love. The point am making is that they couldn’t responded back to God in love because they were still sharing in the full measure of twisted human nature.
What about Believers in Christ Jesus?
We are partakers of God’s divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) We have been restored to what God originally want us to be. We can freely and fully express Love in God’s dimension. The scriptures says the love of God is spread abroad in our heart. The kind of nature we have received from God made it possible for us to Love like God. However, we can see all around today that not all the children of God are showing God’s love. Even though we have received his nature of love, we still need to be committed to learning how to love like him. Just like God was interacting with Adam in the garden.
How we can increase in the love of God
We can fully love God to the degree that the revelation of His Love is dawn in our spirit. This is very important. God first showed us love. John accounts for that in His epistle. (1John 4:19) When we sinned against God, God himself offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. (Ephesians 5:2) God so loved the word that he gave us the most precious gift to us.(John 3:16). The bible also says God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not counting our sins against us. (2Corr 5:19) That is why the scriptures also says the goodness of God leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4) Many of us came to Him because we saw the riches of His goodness. Look at Zacchaeus, Matthew the tax collector, Mary Magdalene, Peter and even Paul. They all saw the riches of His love. Look at that the woman with Alabaster oil of ointment. (Luke 7:36-46)See what Jesus says with his own mouth. The one that acknowledged most will love more. We can only love God to the degree that we acknowledges His Love.
Let us look at the other part of our text. Something equally important just as Jesus said. What Jesus is saying is that loving your neighbour is as important as loving God. You know why? Because love to God is shown in love for people. John confirms that in his letter (1 John 4: 19-21)
There is something we should also notice. He said you should love your neighbour as yourself. So “yourself” appears in the picture. That is suggesting that you can only love your neighbour to the degree that you love yourself. So God is not against you loving yourself. However, you cannot love yourself properly if God does not show you how to love yourself. And you will only know how to love yourself when you have embraced the love of God in your heart. You can see that everything still boils than to God.
Get my point. God must fill your heart with revelations of His Love. You must comprehend how much he loves you; what he has done for you and you want stand to gain in His love. It is on that note that your heart will be strengthened to love yourself. You can now talk like David – I am wonderfully and faithfully made. (Psalm 135:14) God will wash inferior complex and will not replace it with the world superiority complex. God will show you who you are and what you can do. Hallelujah! Let us look at Paul prayer for believers in his days (Eph 3:14-19 NIV)
The summary of this teaching is that we have been recreated by God to function in love just as he His. God want us to be in love with him with everything that is in us. He want us to show Agape love to others. He want to fill our hearts with His love so that we can love ourselves more and show love every second. However, for us to function properly in God’s love, we need to keep learning and praying to him. We must fully acknowledged the depths and length of God’s love for us.
By: Olarinre Tolulope
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – INTRODUCTION (MALACHI 1-4)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY 2021
TOPIC: RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS – INTRODUCTION
TEXT: MALACHI 1-4
MEMORY VERSES: “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Mal 3:6NIV)
INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI
The book of Malachi is clearly the last book of the part of the bible that we commonly refer to as the Old Testament. And many bible scholars believe that the book was written about four centuries (four hundred years) before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do they believe so? It is because of the similarities of the issues addressed in the book to those addressed by Ezra and Nehemiah, who both lived about four hundred years before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If it is true, then, that this man lived and preached about four hundred years before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, can we safely say that he was the last prophet sent by God to His people before John the Baptist? And if he was the last prophet sent by God to His people before the coming of John the Baptist, why did He leave them for so long before coming to them again? Really, these are questions that are not answered for us in the bible and so attempting to answer them through the records of historians may put us in trouble. So, it is best we just leave them and focus on the message of the book and its relevance.
Now who was Malachi? Actually, the name ‘Malachi’ means ‘My messenger’. So, again, there are bible scholars who believe that the writer of the book most likely had another name and that this name ‘Malachi’ was just a pseudonym. Actually, we see something similar in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon simply refers to himself as ‘The teacher’. In any case, whether ‘Malachi’ was the real name of the author of this book or a mere pen name, the message that his book is communicating to us is what we need to pay a careful attention to.
What, then, is the message of the book of Malachi? It is that God’s people, the nation of Israel, should return to faithfulness to their covenant God, so that He too may return to them (Mal 3:7). As we see in the book, these people, including their priests that were supposed to be guiding them in their relationship with God, had become unfaithful God and to one another in many ways. They were unfaithful in their worship life, unfaithful in their national life and even unfaithful in their marital life (Mal 1:7-2:16). Yet they never stopped accusing God of not being faithful to them by not sending the Messiah and deliverer He had promised them and by not dealing with the different forms of injustice that were finding expression in their midst (Mal 2:13-14&17, 3:13-15).
But as we see in our memory verse, God had remained faithful, loving and kind to these people, in spite of their unfaithfulness. That, in fact, was the reason they had not been utterly destroyed like their sister nation, Edom (Mal 1:2-4 & 3:6). So, in calling them back to Himself, He, through the mouth of His servant, Malachi, makes it very clear to them that He has remained unchanged in nature, in love and in faithfulness, and that the reason their lives are out of order and without peace is that they have been unfaithful to Him. And there two approaches He adopts in making His making this point known to them. First, He raises the charges He has against them and tells them what they need to do in order to be restored to Him. Second, He addresses the charges they have against Him and shows them what they are missing in their knowledge and understanding of His nature and ways.
Then, in concluding His message to these people, God makes it clear to them that the Messiah and Saviour He had promised them would certainly come at the appropriate time. However, His coming will not be as they want it or accomplish what they desire. Instead, His coming will be to purify men for God and separate those who do not belong to Him from those who belong to Him. In other words, the fullness of His coming will usher in God’s day of eternal judgment. And in order to prevent them from missing the good and saving ministry of their Messiah and utterly perish, God promised to send a messenger ahead of Him that would prepare their hearts for His coming. (Cf. Mal 3:1-5 & 4:1-6)
Now how do all these things find relevance with us? Is the message of God through Malachi even relevant to us today at all? Yes, it is. And it is because we also are living in a time in which there is so much unfaithfulness among the people of God, including their leaders. We too are unfaithful in our worship life, unfaithful in our daily life and unfaithful in many of our marriages. In short, the apathy towards God is now widespread in the church. Then many of us no longer take very seriously discussions or talks about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that is because many years have come and gone since He first announced His return, and He is yet to return. So, though we still claim to belong to Him, we really no longer believe in our hearts that He will do as He has promised. This is why we live as we please and yet find it convenient to blame God for everything that is wrong in our lives and in our world (Prov 19:3).
But why are we like this? One major reason is that we have lost touch with the faithfulness of God. Yes, we have lost touch with the fact that God is ever faithful and is going to keep every word He has said to us about His kingdom of righteousness and the coming judgment, which He will bring about through His Son, Jesus Christ, at the right time. And if we are not going to perish with world, we need messengers like Malachi, who will continually remind us of the faithfulness of God and of the need for us to return to being faithful to Him in every area of our lives. But do we have them? And if we do have them, what has been our response to their call for us to return to faithfulness to God? Well, my prayer is that, as we study this book together in the next few weeks, God Himself will open our hearts to see the relevance of its message to us in these last days and also strengthen us to lose no time in applying them to our lives. Amen.
OUTLINE
- Introduction Malachi 1-4
- In defence of God’s love Malachi 1:1-5
- Priests on trial Malachi 1:6-2:9
- Unfaithfulness in the land Malachi 2:10-16
- Where is the God of justice? Malachi 2:17-3:18
- It will certainly come Malachi 4:1-6
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
LESSONS FROM THE BEREANS (Acts 17:10-12)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 13TH JANUARY 2021
TOPIC: LESSONS FROM THE BEREANS
TEXT: Acts 17:10-12
MEMORY VERSES: “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:24-25NIV) “Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” (Luke 8:18NIV)
BACKGROUND
Our Lord Jesus, once when dealing with the devil, quoted Moses’ words to him, which say, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And this is to show us how important the word of God is to us. We talk all the time how important it is for us to eat good food for our sustenance. But food can only sustain our bodies, bodies that will still perish at some point; it cannot sustain the real person in us, our spirits, which are going to live forever. The only thing that can sustain our spirits and make them experience the goodness of God forever are the words He says to us about how to truly live. And remember that we were created by His word in the first place. In fact, everything was created by His word and is being sustained by His word. So, if our lives will be sustained forever in the good purpose of God, we must live every moment on the basis of His word. But we will not live on the basis of His word every day, if we do not seek to hear it and also relate to it appropriately. Therefore, one of the things we must be educated in is the proper way to relate to the word of God and experience God’s blessings through it. (Cf. Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4; Heb 1:3)
LESSONS FROM THE BEREANS
Now there are different passages in the bible that teach or show us how to relate to God’s word and experience its blessings. But the one we will be considering for this study is that given by Luke in Acts of the apostles concerning the first of believers in a city called Berea. And here is his account of how the word of God came to this people and how they related to it:
“As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17:10-12NIV)
What are the main lessons for us from the way these people responded to the word of God that Paul and Silas brought to them? There are just three of them, which are:
– Receive the word: In order for us to benefit from God’s word at all, we must first receive it. In other words, the seed of His word must first be planted in our hearts in order for it to germinate, grow and bring forth fruit in us. Unfortunately, we often make the mistake of expecting individuals who do not have the word of God in the to bring forth the fruit of His word in their lives. This is impossible. People can only give what they have. So, if you want your life to bring forth the fruit of God’s word and to bring it forth abundantly, you must not only receive the seed of His word into your heart, you must also make sure it is an abundance of it you are receiving. The message that Paul and Silas brought to the Bereans resulted in their faith in Christ Jesus. That means it resulted in a change of their lives. But this would never have happened, if they had not first received the word brought to them.
– Receive the word with eagerness: Another thing we see in the Berean brethren is that they did not just receive the word brought to them by Paul and Silas; instead, they received it with great eagerness. That means they were enthusiastic and excited to receive the word that was brought to them. It also means they were open-minded in receiving it. And if the word of God will do us any good in our lives at all, this is the way we too must receive it. We need to be excited about it. We need to be eager to have it planted on the soil of our hearts, knowing that we have no life apart from it. And if we are excited about it, those around us will know, for it will show on our faces and through our reactions.
But why did the Bereans receive the word of God brought to them with great eagerness? It was because they did not see the message that was brought to them as the word of man but as the very word of God. (Cf. 1Thess 2:13) One of the reasons many are not excited about God’s word today is that they really do not see it as the message of their creator and owner to them. These ones do not know how relevant it is to have words from the author of their lives planted in their lives. So, even when they are in a church meeting, they will not pay any serious attention when the word is being taught. It may be then that they will be dozing, wandering in their minds or chatting with some friends. They will just find one assignment to give themselves that will not make them listen to the word. And if they are listening at all, they will most likely be looking blank and praying that the sermon end soon. God’s word cannot benefit such people or change their lives, regardless of how long they stay with the church. So, as our Lord says to us, “Consider carefully how you listen to God’s word.” (Cf. Luke 8:18)
– Verify the word: It is good to be excited about the word of God and to be glad to receive it into the soil of our hearts. But as our Lord makes clear in a parable about the operation of God’s word, that we are excited about His word does not mean it will ultimately bring forth fruit in our lives. If we do not ponder on what we have received to see where and how to apply it in our lives, the seed of His word will eventually die in us. Not only that, it is not every message that people bring to us that we can take to be of God. It is on us, therefore, to consider carefully whatever message people claim to bring to us from God to see whether it is consistent with the body of truth we have in the Scriptures or not. And this is one thing we see in the Berean brethren. Yes, they were open-minded in receiving the word of God, but they were also wise enough to carefully examine the Scriptures every day to see whether what they were being taught was consistent with them or not. So, they were not gullible, just as they were not cynical. (Cf. Luke 8:4-15)
Sadly, the same thing could not be said about many of us today. First, we don’t give ourselves to meditating on the word of God we are receiving, which explains why it is not producing fruit in our lives, as it should be doing. Also, most times, we just receive whatever our preachers bring to us, without spending time to meditate on it and to verify whether what is being taught to us is actually the word of God or something else. But the bible is clear that there will be false teachers and false teachings in the last days (1Tim 4:1-5; 2Pet 2:1-3). And the only way not to be victims of their errors is to always verify every bible teaching or sermon we receive. Our failure to be doing this, however, is the reason there is widespread deception, oppression, hypocrisy and all kinds of evil in the church today. And this will remain so until we all begin to act responsibly in relating to the word of God, so that it may achieve in our lives the good purpose of God.
CONCLUSION
Our attitude towards receiving the word of God has a great role to play in determining whether our lives are transformed by it or not. If we receive His word eagerly, not as the word of men but as His very word, and also devote ourselves to verifying its correctness and to meditating on it, it will bring forth the fruit He wants in our lives. But if we do not desire to have His word planted in our hearts or if we cultivate the habit of treating it casually or not taking it seriously, there is no way our lives will be a manifestation of His divine purpose.
QUESTIONS
– How important is it for us to be excited about the word of God?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
RESPONDING TO THE WORD (James 1:21-25)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 6TH JANUARY 2021
TOPIC: RESPONDING TO THE WORD
TEXT: James 1:21-25
MEMORY VERSES: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22NIV)
BACKGROUND
The word of God, as we see all through the Scriptures, is His agent of changing people’s lives. That explains why our Lord Jesus and all the prophets and apostles of old took the preaching and teaching of His word very seriously. But for this word to accomplish in people’s lives the things God wants to see, they need to respond to it appropriately and adequately. In other words, it is not enough for God’s word to be well taught to people; it is also important that those who are being taught receive this word and act on it in a way that it will do in their lives what God wants it to do.
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Why do we have many today all around the world who are exposed to God’s word week and week but whose lives have remained unchanged? These ones have remained wicked, immoral, fearful, discouraged and depressed, even though the word of God is able to cleanse a man’s life of all these things. Is it that they are not being taught the word of God in truth? That may be the case. Actually, many of our so-called preachers of the word today are not taking seriously Paul’s admonition to Timothy that says, “Preach the word.” So, instead of preaching the word, what they have been preaching are largely philosophies of men and doctrines of demons. And these cannot take the place of God’s word or do the work that His word can do in people’s lives.
But then, it is not every preacher that is handling the word of God deceitfully or inappropriately. There are preachers, here and there, that are truthfully teaching the word of God to those in their world and also living it. And if the lives of those they are feeding with the word have remained unchanged, then, the problem is not with the word or with them but with the response of those they are giving the word to. It is true that God says that His word will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He has sent it (Is 55:10-11). However, as I already pointed out, if we will not respond appropriately and adequately to whatever He says to us, His word will not accomplish His desired purpose in our lives. And there are several examples in the bible that show this to be true.
Therefore, James says this to us in his epistle:
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:21-25NIV)
Now there are three major instructions James gives us in this part of his letter that I want us to consider. And they are:
– Get rid of all forms of immorality and wickedness in your life (James 1:22): From what James says here, it is clear that the world is used to widespread immorality and wickedness. So, all the horrible and vivid pictures of immorality that we are being doused with day after day are not peculiar to our generation alone; first century saints also were doused with the same things. But as children of God, it is on us to say ‘No’ to them. It is on us to rid our lives of anything that has to do with immoral living and wickedness. That is one way to show that we now belong to God and have put off the old man. (Cf. Eph 4:20-24; 1Pet 2:1-3)
– Humbly accept the word of God (James 1:22): The second thing James tells us in this text is to accept the word of God. And he does not just tell us to accept His word; he also tells us how to accept it. He says accept His word with humility. When monarchs gave instructions to their subjects in days of old, those subjects accepted them with humility, for they knew their words were supreme (Ecc 8:4). And if that is how people treat men, who are but a breath, shouldn’t God our eternal Creator and only Ruler be treated with greater honour? He should. So, James says accept His word with humility, agreeing that whatever He says about any matter is the final word on it – it cannot be revised, altered or improved by anyone. And why do we need to accept His word in this manner? It is because it is the only thing that can make us experience the fullness of God’s salvation in our lives. Yes, our Lord Jesus died for us to be saved from our sins and God’s coming wrath. But for us to remain in the salvation He obtained for us and enjoy all the phases of it, we must take the word of God very seriously. Otherwise our lives will be messed up and ruined, just as the lives of the people of this world are being messed up and ruined every day.
– Do what the word says (James 1:22-25): The third thing James tells us is to do what the word says. According to him, it is not enough for us to receive the word of God meekly as the final word for our lives; it is equally important that we do what the word says. In fact, until we do what the word says, whatever we say we believe or accept about it will be merely a joke. We cannot say that we believe or accept what God says to us as true about our lives or anything else and not act on it. We will simply be deceiving ourselves, if we are doing that. What shows that we actually accept God’s word as true is our acting on it. So, James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, deceiving yourselves; do what it says.” And as he further points out, it is only the one that does what the word says that will experience the blessing of the word – he is the one that will see the fruit of the word in his life. But the one who does not do what the word says and who only simply listens to it is like anyone who looks at his face in the mirror and immediately forgets what he looks like the moment he turns away from it. That kind of person can be easily misled into agreeing that he is what he is not.
Well then, from what James shares with us here, it is clear that until we see the word of God as supreme in our lives, we will not embrace it. And until we embrace His word, we will not act on it. Then, until we act on what God says about our lives, our world and everything else, our lives will not experience His blessings and salvation, even though these things have been purchased for us. Many today wonder why their lives are not reflecting the beauty of the word of God and everything has been a struggle for them, having become Christians. The only reason that can be the case for them is that their attitude towards His word is wrong. If we treat the word of God as James tells us here, we are guaranteed to experience its beauty in all its fullness. But if we treat it casually or as we please, just the way we treat the word of some of the people in our world, we will experience nothing but the fate of the disobedient.
CONCLUSION
If we want to see God’s word work in our lives and produce in them all the beautiful things He talks about, we must take it seriously by humbly embracing it as supreme to everything else and by acting on it.
QUESTION
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2021, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com
alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
October 2020
2CORINTHIANS – TWO KINDS OF SORROW (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 7:5-16)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – TWO KINDS OF SORROW
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 7:5-16
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
One of the reasons Paul wrote this letter, which we are now considering, to the Corinthians was to explain to them the reason he cancelled his plan to visit them and put in order certain things that had been out of order in their midst. And as he points out in the opening passages of this letter, it was not because he did not really intend to visit them that he did this, neither was it because he wanted to lord it over their faith. Rather, it was because he did not want to pay them a painful visit that he cancelled his plan to visit them and decided to write a letter to them instead. But then, the letter still ended up hurting these brethren in way, causing them to be altogether sorrowful. (Cf. 2Cor 1:13-2:11)
TWO KINDS OF SORROW
Now, in the passage we want to consider for this study, Paul commends these brethren for the way they responded to the contents of the letter, even though it caused them to be sorrowful. And in addressing them on this, he takes some space to talk about the two kinds of sorrow there are and the one that God approves of between the two of them. Look at what he says:
“For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn — conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.” (2Cor 7:5-13NIV)
From what Paul says here we are able to see how he got to know what impact the letter he had written had on the Corinthian brethren. Don’t forget that we are looking at a time in which you could not get to know about loved ones living far away from you, if you did not visit them, if they did not write to you or if someone who had been with them did not come to give you a report about them. So, as Paul shows us in this letter, he did not get to know how the Corinthians were faring by revelation. Rather, he got to know how they were doing through Titus, his ministry companion, who had visited these brethren and had seen what the grace of God was doing with them and among them.
In any case, through the coming of Titus and the report he brought about the brethren in Corinth, Paul, who had been going through all kinds of trials in Macedonia, was greatly comforted. So, God used two things to comfort Paul in his troubles. The first was the coming of his brother, Titus, whom he had been longing to see for a while. The second was the report Titus brought about the response of the Corinthians to the letter he had written to them.
What report, then, did Titus bring about them? It was, as I said before, that the letter that they received caused them to be sorrowful. And what kind of sorrow did Paul’s letter produce in these Corinthians? It was godly sorrow. What is godly sorrow? Godly sorrow, as we are shown in the passage before us, is that kind of sorrow that leads people to repentance. In other words, the one expressing this kind of sorrow does not just feel sorrowful about the wrong thing they have done and that has been brought to their notice; they also take appropriate and adequate steps towards repentance and towards setting things right.
We see an illustration of this in what Apostle Peter did after denying the Lord three times in one night. The Lord had told him that this would happen, but he did not believe Him – he did not think he could ever deny Him. But he did. And when he realised what he had done, he wept bitterly and was exceedingly sorrowful. But he did not allow this sorrow to destroy him. He did not allow how bad he felt to make him turn away from the Lord Jesus Christ totally in shame. Instead, he stayed with the other apostles throughout those dark hours of watching the Lord being beaten, molested and crucified. And he remained with them until the Lord resurrected and called all of them back to himself. Then, from that moment on, he never relied on his own ability again to stay faithful to the Lord but on the power of the Spirit of the Lord. (Cf. Matt 26:69-75; John 20-21)
In like manner, the brethren in Corinth felt really bad and were sorrowful about the things Paul says in his letter concerning them and the wrong things going on among them. But they did not allow that to turn them against Paul or to make them resent him. Why? They knew he had told them the truth about themselves and that it would be in their interest to act on what he had said. So, they wasted no time to see to it that things were set right among them. And this made Paul happy, for he could see that they were not just sorry about their errors; they also took steps to set things right. So, in the long run, everybody was glad. Nobody had any reason to regret what had happened. Paul did not regret that he wrote to correct these brethren. And they also did not regret receiving his letter, for it did not destroy their fellowship with Paul but only strengthened it.
Now that kind of sorrow, as Paul further points out to us in the passage before us, is the kind of sorrow God approves of. That is the kind of sorrow He wants to see in His children, when they err or miss it and are rebuked or corrected. But is that the kind of sorrow we exhibit, each time a word of correction or rebuke comes to us from God through His people? Are we like these Corinthian brethren too? Are we ready to set the things that are wrong about our lives right, when they are brought to our notice? Or do we just feel bad for ourselves for missing it, taking no step whatsoever to repent of our sins or wrong acts and order our steps in the right direction? Or could it even be that instead of facing the wrong things that have been pointed out to us by others, we get angry with those God is using to show us these things and start fighting them? If this is the way we are, then, what we have is not godly sorrow but worldly sorrow.
See, as Paul shows us in the passage we are considering, worldly sorrow is that kind of sorrow that does not produce repentance in the one expressing it. Instead, what it produces is death, which could be spiritual, physical or eternal. Look at the case of Judas Iscariot, for example. After he realised that he had done the unthinkable by betraying his Lord, the author of life, he became exceedingly sorrowful too, just as Peter was. But the only difference was that his own sorrow did not lead him to repentance but to death. Instead for this man to repent and turn to the Lord for mercy, at least he was among those that the Lord died for on the cross, he decided to pay for his sins by killing himself. What he did not know, however, was that physical death is never a sufficient payment for man’s sins – only eternal death would do. So, anyone who thinks that by committing suicide, he will be paying for his sins, is simply self-deluded. It will never work. (Cf. Matt 27:3-5; Rom 6:23)
Well, like Judas Iscariot, there are many today who, when confronted with the reality of their wrongdoings, allow the sorrow they feel to destroy them or their relationships with others, instead of repenting. No one ever feels good when being rebuked or corrected for doing something wrong, even if the one handling the correction is doing it in a most gently and constructive way. Nevertheless, when God rebukes or corrects us for our wrongdoing, regardless of who He uses, it is so that we will not be destroyed but be restored to the path of righteousness. So, we are not to allow the sorrow or hurt we feel in our hearts to drive us away from Him, to make us resent the people He is using to correct us or to overwhelm us to point that we hurt, injure or even take our own lives. And we do have people who have run away from home or the church of God because of certain sins they committed, just as we have had those who took their own lives. But this kind of sorrow does not have God’s approval or commendation. It can only lead to eternal destruction in the end. So, let us watch ourselves.
Now, in closing his thoughts in this section of 2Corinthians that we are considering, Paul again expresses his joy over the brethren in Corinth for not disappointing him or making nonsense of his boasting about them to Titus. He had told Titus that they would do what was right, when corrected, whether he was there with them or not. And that was exactly what happened. They did what was right, though it was only a letter that the apostle wrote to them. No wonder he was overjoyed when he received news about them. We too need to constantly prove to those who lead us in the Lord that we will do what is right with our lives, whether they are with us or not. We need to go beyond every form of eye service and be real people, who will please God, regardless of who is looking or not looking. But is this the case with us? (Cf. 2Cor 7:13-16)
CONCLUSION
What God wants from us when we are rebuked isn’t just sorrow but also repentance. So, don’t think you can use your crying or weeping or any other thing you do about the wrong things in your life to make Him look away from your errors. That will never work. The only thing that will work and win His commendation is your true repentance.
QUESTIONS
– Can you give more examples of manifestations of godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com | alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2 CORINTHIANS - The Basis for a Leader's Authority (Text: 2 Corinthians 10) 28/10/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – THE BASIS OF A LEADER’S AUTHORITY TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 10
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
We have now come to the last major section of 2Corinthians. And in this section, Paul addresses the brethren on their view of his ministry and his apostolic authority over them. Evidently, some among them were not taking his leadership seriously, even at the time he was writing the letter. Why? It was largely because they were comparing him with certain so-called apostles that had also come to them and ministered among them, something that was a product of ignorance. So, he needed to let all of them, especially the unruly ones among them, know the basis of his authority over them and of his willingness to use this authority to set things right among them.
THE BASIS OF A LEADER’S AUTHORITY
Now he begins to address this matter by first appealing to them to correct themselves and do what is what is right, while he is still away from them. Otherwise, when he comes to them, he may have to use his apostolic authority to discipline them in a way that never think he can use it. Look at the way he puts his thoughts:
“By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you — I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” (2 Cor 10:1-11NIV)
What is the first thing we note from what Paul says in the above text? It is that there are brethren in Corinth, as I pointed out before, who think of him as a weak, timid and unimpressive leader. They think of him as someone that is only bold when writing and not when it comes to addressing people face to face. But why will they have this opinion about him? It is because he will not, as some other leaders they know would do, use worldly principles in leading them, something that he will later speak more on.
As he points out here, even though we live in the world, we are not of the world (John 15:19 & 17:16). So, we do not function according to worldly principles or standards. We have our code of conduct, given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we have our own weapons of fighting, which, though are not man-made, are very effective in dealing with life’s problems and challenges. In fact, these weapons, as Paul makes clear to us in this letter, carry God’s divine power to change people’s minds and destroy the wrong philosophies that make them act stupid and wicked. Of course, he does not talk about these weapons here, but there are other letters of his in which he talks about them (Eph 6:10-18).
Unfortunately, because some of the brethren in Corinth did not know these things, they could not relate to Paul’s method of leadership. They had expected him to act like a king or ruler among them and boss everybody around. But he disappointed them. Instead of living and acting like a king or lord among them, he lived among them with fear and trembling and dealt with all of them like a servant, just the way the Lord Jesus Christ would want His leaders to lead (Matt 23:8-12; Mark 10:41-45; 1Pet 5:1-4). So, when he started writing to them and exercising his apostolic authority through those letters, they felt he was being mischievous. To them, he should act like a man, come to them and boldly face them and say whatever he wanted to say to them, instead of addressing them through letters.
And there are many like these brethren today too. They are ignorant of the fact that church leadership is different from the kind of leadership we see in the world. They do not understand that church leadership is aimed at serving and changing people’s lives through weapons of righteousness and not through coercion, manipulation, brutality and other weapons of the world. So, they deliberately despise leaders that would not lord it over them or abuse them in any way. And such individuals will remain immature in the things of God until they know the truth, embrace it and begin to practise it.
In any case, in dealing with this problem, Paul further shows these brethren the basis for the authority he and his co-ministers have over them. In other words, he wants them to know that they actually have the authority to lead, guide, teach, correct, rebuke, discipline and even punish them. And where did they get this kind of authority? They got it from God. That means they would not have had any authority to do anything among these brethren or to them, if God had not given it to them (John 3:27). But God did authorise them to go and preach the gospel in every place and to disciple men in following Jesus (Matt 28:18-19; Mark 16:15-20; Rom 1:5).
However, the fact that God authorised them to go and preach the good news about Jesus and make disciples of all nations of the world does not mean that they are qualified to lead any child of God they find around or even the Corinthians. Something else qualifies them to lead these Corinthian brethren. And it is the fact that they were the ones that brought the gospel to them. Look at how Paul puts this:
“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man’s territory. But, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2Cor 10:12-18NIV)
Did you see that? God assigned the Corinthian brethren to Paul and his co-workers as a field to work on. In other words, it was God that opened the door of ministry to them among these brethren. And when He did, they took advantage of it and began to labour among them. So, apart from the fact that God gave them the authority to preach to them, they also earned it through the work they have done among them.
It is, however, unfortunate that there are church leaders and preachers today that think they have the right to lead or control any child of God they meet, just because God has ordained them. Even if God has ordained you to proclaim His word and to disciple His children, it is only those that are in the field of ministry He has assigned you to work in that you have the authority to direct. More so, you have to earn the right to lead them. If you have not been truly labouring among them, then, don’t expect them to automatically embrace you as their spiritual leader.
Now there are other important things Paul mentions in this chapter that we are considering, which we must not overlook. And one of them is the nature of the authority God has given him and his fellow ministers over the people of God. According to him, the authority God has given them is to edify people and not to destroy them. This explains why they would not live among them and lead them as rulers or kings. But how many of our leaders know this or are functioning on the basis of this principle? Today, we find many leaders who ruthlessly handle God’s people, talking to them anyhow, impoverishing them as they please and injuring them in many ways. The Lord will certainly judge them in righteousness for this. But then, as we will see in another passage of this letter, many of God’s people love to be treated in this manner. They love those who abuse them and oppress them. Otherwise they will not be taking lightly those who treat them the way God wants them to be treated. (Cf. 2Cor 11:19-21)
Another thing Paul mentions here, which is worthy of note, is that he will not compare himself or measure his work with what any other person is doing. As I earlier pointed out, one major reason certain members of the Corinthian church would not take Paul’s leadership seriously was that they were comparing him with some other so-called ministers of the gospel, who evidently had been commending themselves. But this apostle knew better. He knew it is foolish of anybody to measure himself by himself and with himself or even with others. That is because it is not the one that commends himself that is approved but the one whom the Lord Himself commends. And that is something we all need to keep in mind. None of us is fit enough to judge our labour or other people’s labour in the Lord. The only one who is fit to do this is the Lord Himself. So, let us desist from any act of comparing ministers of the gospel or of judging them and their work. They are not our servants but the Lord’s servants. And their master knows the right way to judge and reward them. (Cf. Rom 14:4; 1Cor 4:1-6)
CONCLUSION
Ignorance of how church leadership is to be handled can lead us into undermining the leaders God has given to help us become all that He wants us to be or into abusing our spiritual authority. So, let us sit with the Scriptures and gain true knowledge of how God’s leaders are to function and how those who they are leading are to respond. That way, we will not be hindering our spiritual growth or destroying the work of God.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2 CORINTHIANS - The Character of Christian Giving 14/10/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – THE CHARACTER OF CHRISTIAN GIVING TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 8-9
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
We have come to the second major division of the letter of Paul to the Corinthians that we are considering, 2Corinthians. And as he points out in it, the Corinthians had pledged to give (perhaps money and some other things) to support the people of God who were in need in Jerusalem. So, in order to make sure that they were ready, when it was time for them to redeem their pledges, Paul wanted Titus and some other representatives of the church of God as a whole at that time to visit them and see to it that everything about their preparation to deliver on what they had promised was finalised and made good (2Cor 8:13-9:5). And in writing to inform these brethren about this, Paul uses some space in the letter to clarify a number of very important things that all God’s children need to know about the character of Christian giving. Of course, he does not say all there is to know about the character of Christian giving here. But what he says here is more than enough for us to get God’s approval on our giving, if we will apply them to our lives.
THE CHARACTER OF CHRISTIAN GIVING
Now what are those things we need to pay attention to about Christian giving, especially at a time like this when there are so many erroneous teachings on giving? The following are the points Paul raised:
– Christian giving begins with a giving of oneself to God (2Cor 8:5): The will of God, as revealed by Paul in this letter, is that true giving has to start with a giving of oneself to God and then to His people. If we are unwilling to give ourselves to God, then, we have no business trying to give to Him. That is because it is not really our gifts that God wants but our lives. If we have no problem yielding our lives to Him, then, we will have no problem releasing our resources to Him. Unfortunately, what we see today is that many try to bribe God with their gifts. They think they can make Him look away from their errors through their gifts. They may not see it that way, but that is how it is. Why will you want to give to God through the church, when you have no intention of embracing His Son Jesus Christ or doing His will? That will not work, for unless God accepts you, your gifts to Him will remain useless (Gen 4:1-5).
– Christian giving is a manifestation of the grace of God (2Cor 8:1-7): Another thing Paul points out to us about Christian giving is that it is a manifestation of the grace of God. In other words, it is God that provides people with resources to give to others and also motivates and strengthens their hearts to do so. This being the case, it does not matter whether we have plenty or little, as long as God’s grace to give is at work in us, we will give to Him and His cause and do so cheerfully. Truly, we all do not possess that special gift of giving creatively and overwhelmingly. But the grace of giving has actually been given to every child of God. That means each of us can give all that He wants us to give and as He wants us to give. What we need is to seek to excel in this grace. In other words, we must not quench any of the promptings of the Spirit of God in us for us to give. Otherwise God’s grace of giving will not find expression in us as it ought to. (Cf. Acts 4:36-37; Acts 9:36-39; Rom 12:7)
– It is not in man’s place to command anybody to give; people’s giving must be motivated by love for God (2Cor 8:8-9&24): Though Paul was the apostle that God used to start the church of the Corinthians and so could command them to do certain things, using his apostolic authority, he knew that it was not in his place to command anybody to give to God or to others. People must be motivated by the love of God in their hearts to do so. Love gives. That’s why God gave His Son for our salvation, as proof of His love for us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). If we too truly love God, we will prove it by giving to Him through His people (Heb 6:10; 1John 3:16-17).
– As long as people are willing, their gifts are acceptable based on what they have and not on what they do not have (2Cor 8:10-12): One of the things that make our gifts acceptable to God is the willingness in us to give them. And as Paul shows us in this letter, if the willingness to give is there, God will accept our gift based on what we have and not based on what we do not have. So, if we give little because little is what we have, God will cherish our gifts and reward us for it, inasmuch as we are giving willingly. But if the willingness is not there, even if we give much, then, though men may accept our gifts, God will not look on them with favour. (Cf. Ex 25:1-2 & 35:4-29)
– Christian giving is aimed at promoting equality (2Cor 8:13-15): One of the evil practices that are widespread among preachers of the word of God today is that of impoverishing God’s people in order to enrich themselves. They don’t seem to mind at all who they take from. They just take from anybody that they see, even those who need serious financial help and those who do not even know the Lord at all. And they have created different ways of using the Scriptures to rob people in their greed. Their end will be as their actions deserve. Well, as Paul points out here in this letter, one of the reasons God wants us to give to our brethren is to promote equality among us. This, of course, is not the same as egalitarianism, a belief that all people must enjoy the same measure of rights and resources in the world because they all people are equal in principle. Rather, this is about helping one another with our resources and even skills to bring all of us to that point where there are no needy persons among us. That was how the church functioned in her early days – they all gave to support one another until there were no needy persons among them (Acts 4:32-35). So, the aim of Christian giving is not to give to make some preachers richer and richer and their brethren poorer and poorer, neither is it to encourage laziness or slothfulness in any of the brethren. The aim is to bring all of us to that point where we are able to take care of ourselves, our families and other people in our lives, without being unduly dependent on anyone. So, only genuine needs are to be considered, as far as our giving is concerned. (Cf. 2Thess 3:6-10)
– Christian giving is done as people purpose in their hearts (2Cor 9:1-7): It is sad that in many places today Christian leaders often try to dictate to God’s people what they should give. Not only that, they often pressure, coerce and even manipulate them to give. But Paul makes it very clear in this letter that that kind of giving is not acceptable to God. So, if you allow anybody to force, coerce or manipulate you to give or pledge to give, you have just allowed the person to make you make a waste of your giving. The will of God is that individuals must determine in their own hearts what they will give for God’s cause or to His people. Why? It is because God loves a cheerful giver, one who gives cheerfully, willingly and generously. So, even when people have made pledges to God, which is perfectly alright, it is not in anybody’s place to pressure them to redeem such pledges. (Cf. 1Cor 16:2)
– God aids hearts willing to give (2Cor 9:8-9): One of the excuses people often make for not giving is that they don’t have what to give. But as Paul already points out to us here, however little our resources may be, inasmuch as we are willing to give, God will accept whatever we give. Then, as long as our hearts are willing to give, God will make the grace of giving abound to us, so that in all things, at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work. In other words, God aids hearts that are willing to give, giving them sufficient food to eat and more than enough resources to share freely with others. But they first have to learn to start giving from where they are before they can expect God to take them to where they are supposed to be.
– Christian giving results in thanksgiving to God (2Cor 9:11-13): When we give as God wants us to give, people will truly thank God for us. That is because our giving, motivated by the Spirit of God, will truly meet their needs. People may not tell us anything about their needs. But if our hearts are yielded to God, He will be able to use us to give to meet their needs. And when this happens, it can only result in much giving of thanks to Him. That is why I earlier said we must learn not to quench the inspiration and promptings of the Spirit of God for us to give.
– Christian giving inspires prayer (2Cor 9:10-11&14): Apart from the fact that Christian giving results in a giving of thanks to God, it also inspires people to pray for those who have given to them. And we are talking about heartfelt prayers here. People may not remember you in their prayers on any good day, if you have not asked them to pray for you in some specific ways. Even if you have asked them to pray for you, they still may not remember to pray for you. But when you give to meet a real need in their lives, they will naturally lift their voice in prayer to God for you. So, do you want people to keep offering prayers to God concerning you, then, learn to keep yielding yourself to the promptings of the Spirit of God to give to them.
CONCLUSION
It is not every kind of giving that is acceptable to God. So, if we want our own giving to be acceptable to Him, then, we must take very seriously all that Paul says in this letter to the Corinthians about Christian giving. Otherwise whatever we call giving will be nothing but a waste of our resources in the sight of God. Yes, people may find what we have given exceedingly useful, but we will still not have God’s praise for what we have given.
QUESTION
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
AKỌRI: ADURA – IBO NI O YẸ KI A TI MA GBADURA? 14/10/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH (IJỌ OTITỌ BIBELI)
ALAKALẸ ẸKỌ BIBELI ATI ALAYE
ỌJỌRU 14, OWARA 2020
AKỌRI: ADURA – IBO NI O YẸ KI A TI MA GBADURA? AYỌKA: JOHANU 4:20-24
AKỌSORI: “Bi o si ti n gbadura ni ibi kan, nigba ti o ti dake, ọkan ninu awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ wi fun un pe, Oluwa, kọ wa bi a tii gbadura bi Johannu si ti kọ awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ.” (Luuku 11:1)
ỌRỌ AKỌSỌ
Lara awọn nkan ti a ti kọ sẹyin lori adura gbigba niwọnyi: ‘pataki ẹkọ adura’, ‘ta ni o yẹ ki a ma gbadura si?’, ‘ki ni idi ti Ọlọrun ṣe fẹ ki a ma gbadura si Oun?’, ‘irufẹ awọn nkan wo ni o yẹ ki a ma gba ni adura?’ ati ‘igba wo ni o yẹ ki a ma gbadura?’ A wa fẹ tẹsiwaju ninu ẹkọ na nipa wiwo ‘ibi ti o ti yẹ ki a ma gbadura?’ O si ṣe pataki ki a ṣe agbeyẹwo nkan ti bibeli sọ lori ibi ti o ti yẹ ki a ma gbadura, ki awọn adura wa ba le ma jẹ itẹwọgba niwaju Ọlọrun ni igba gbogbo. Bi a ṣe mọ, oniruuru ẹkọ odi ni o wa ni igboro loni lori eyi. Fun apẹẹrẹ, a ri awọn ti wọn sọ pe ti a ba fẹ ki adura wa gba, ki o si ma ni idiwọ rara, a gbọdọ de awọn ori oke ara kan ti Ọlọrun sọkalẹ tabi fi ibujoko rẹ si. A si ri tun ri awọn to jẹ pe ti wọn ko ba i ti de eti omi, wọn ko gbagbọ pe adura wọn le gba. Yatọ si eyi, a ri awọn ti wọn n sọ pe ọrọ Jesu gan ni awọn dirọ mọ ni tawọn. Idi si ni yi ti o fi jẹ pe kọrọ iyara wọn nikan ni wọn gbagbọ pe adura wọn ti le gba. Ewo gan wa ni o yẹ ki a di mu tabi gbagbọ ninu gbogbo awọn ilana adura gbigba wọnyi?
IBO NI O YẸ KI A TI MA GBADURA?
Ti a ba fẹ mọ ibi ti o tọ fun wa lati gbadura, ki Ọlọrun si gbọ, a ni lati gbe ọrọ Jesu Oluwa wa yẹwo lori rẹ. Ki ni Jesu kọ wa lori ibaṣepọ pẹlu Ọlọrun ti o ni itunmọ, ti o si jẹ itẹwọgba? Nkan ti O kọ wa ni pe Ẹmi ni Ọlọrun, ti a ba si fẹ sin in ni otitọ ati ni ododo, a gbọdọ sin in lati inu ẹmi wa. Ọrọ yi jẹyọ nigba ti O n ba obinrin kan sọrọ lori aye rẹ. Bi a si ṣe ri ka, nitoripe obinrin fẹ fi ọgbọn pẹ otitọ ọrọ ti Jesu n ba sọ silẹ, o ṣe ayaba lọ si ori ọrọ ibi ti o tọ lati jọsin Ọlọrun ati ibi ti ko tọ. O sọ wipe, “Awọn baba wa sin lori oke yi, ẹnyin si wipe, Jerusalemu ni ibi ti o yẹ ti a ba ma sin.” (Johanu 4:20)
Njẹ irọ ni obinrin yi a pa bi? Rara o. Ni otitọ, Ọlọrun tikararẹ ti sọ fun awọn ọmọ Isiraẹli pe Oun yo yan ibikan ti wọn yo ti ma jọsin Oun fun wọn nigba ti wọn ba de ilẹ Ileri. Nigba ti akoko si to fun un lati ṣe imuṣe ọrọ yi, Jerusalẹmu ni ilu ti O yan fun wọn. (Wo: Ditaronomi 12; 1Kironiku 22-23:2) Ṣugbọn ṣa o, ijọsin awọn ọmọ Isiraẹli ni Jerusalẹmu ni i ṣe pẹlu ẹbọ riru ati fifi ọrẹ fun Ọlọrun, ko ni i ṣe pẹlu adura rara. Eyi tunmọ si pe ko di igba ti wọn ba to de Jerusalẹmu ki wọn to gba adura si Ọlọrun, ki O si gbọ. Ibikibi ti wọn ba wa ni wọn ti le e ba a sọrọ ninu adura, ki O si gbọ, ki O si tun dahun.
A si wa ri ninu bibeli pe nigbati Solomọni Ọba n ṣe iyasimimọ Tẹnpili Ọlọrun ti o kọ ni o bẹ Ọlọrun pe, ninu aanu rẹ, ki O dahun adura ki adura ti ẹnikẹni tabi ijọ eniyan ba gba si lati inu Tẹnpili yi tabi nibikibi ti wọn ba ti dojukọ Tẹnpili yi lati gbadura. (Wo: 1Awọn Ọba 8:22-53) Eyi gan lo wa fa ti ọpọlọpọ fi wa ro wipe ti wọn ko ba i ti de Jerusalẹmu tabi inu Tẹnpili Oluwa ti o wa nibẹ, adura wọn ko le fi taratara gba.
Ṣugbọn nigba ti Jesu Oluwa de, ti O si bẹrẹ si ni kọ awọn eniyan ni ijọsin otitọ si Ọlọrun, O fi ye wọn pe ilana yi ko wa ni ibadọgba pẹlu ifẹ Ọlọrun, bi o tilẹ jẹ wipe Ọlọrun fi ọpọlọpọ ọdun fi aye gba awọn eniyan rẹ lati tẹle. A si ri ifidumlẹ eyi ninu idahun ti O fun arabinrin ti a n sọrọ rẹ yi lori ibi ti o tọ lati jọsin Ọlọrun. Akọsilẹ idahun na ni eyi:
“Jesu wi fun u pe, Gba mi gbọ, obinrin yi, wakati na mbọ, nigbati ki yio ṣe lori oke yi, tabi Jerusalẹmu, li ẹnyin o ma sin Baba. Ẹnyin nsin ohun ti ẹnyin ko mọ: awa nsin ohun ti awa mọ: nitori igbala ti ọdọ awọn Ju wa. Ṣugbọn wakati na mbọ, o si de tan nisisiyi, nigbati awọn olusin toto yio ma sin Baba li ẹmi ati li otitọ: nitori iru wọn ni Baba n wa ki o ma sin on. Ẹmi li Ọlọrun: awọn ẹniti nsin i ko le ṣe alaisin i li ẹmi ati li otitọ.” (Johanu 4:21-24)
Ki ni koko ọrọ Jesu Oluwa wa ninu awọn ẹsẹ bibeli yi? Koko rẹ ni pe ijọsin otitọ si Ọlọrun ki i ṣe nkan ti a le de mọ ile kan tabi ilu kan tabi ori-oke kan. Ijọsin otitọ si Ọlọrun fẹ jẹ eyi ti o gbọdọ waye lati inu ẹmi wa wa. Ẹmi ni Ọlọrun funrarẹ. Nitorina, ẹnikẹni ti o ba fẹ sin ni otitọ ati ni ododo gbọdọ sin pẹlu ẹmi rẹ ati pẹlu ọkan otitọ. Bi Jesu si ṣe sọ, awọn ti yoo si Ọlọrun tọkantara ati pẹlu aiṣẹtan gan an ni Oun funrarẹ n wa. Ko ki i ṣe awọn ti wọn yo korajọpọ sinu ile kan tabi si ori oke kan, ti o si jẹ pe ọkan wọn ko ni si pẹlu rẹ.
Eyi wa ja si pe ọkan wa ni Ọlọrun n wo, ki i se ile ijọsin wa. Niwọn igba ti ọkan wa ba si ti mọ niwaju rẹ, ti o si jẹ pe tọkantọkan ni a n juba rẹ, yin in logo, fun un ni ọrẹ ati gbadura si, o di dandan ki O tẹwọgba ijọsin wa, lai fi ti ibi ti a ti n jọsin ṣẹ. Ṣugbọn ti ọkan wa ko ba wa pẹlu rẹ, ti o si jẹ pe boya ọja, ile-iṣẹ wa, ibi okowo wa, oko wa, ọdọ awọn ọrẹ wa tabi ibi inawo kan ti a fẹ lọ ni ọkan wa ba wa, ko si bi ile, yara tabi ori-oke ti a duro si ti le dara to, ijọsin wa si nibẹ ko le jẹ itẹwọgba. Idi si ni pe Ọlọrun ko fẹ awọn ti yoo kan ma fi ẹnu lasan sin in, ti ọkan wọn yo si jina si. (Wo: Maaku 7:6-7)
Ki a tun ma wa gbagbe pe pẹlu iṣẹ irapada ti Jesu ti ṣe fun gbogbo wa, awa gan ni Tẹnpili Ọlọrun lọwọlọwọ bayi. Bẹẹni, gbogbo wa ti a ti tipasẹ Jesu di ọmọ Ọlọrun ni a ti di ilegbe Ọlọrun, ti o tunmọ si pe Ọlọrun n gbe inu wa ni bayibayi. (Wo: 1Korinnti 3:16 & 6:19) Nitorina, ko si ibi ti a duro si lati jọsin tabi gbadura ti Ọlọrun ko ni i gbọ. Boya inu yara wa ni, ile-iwẹ ni, ile igbọnsẹ ni, aarin ọja ni, ibi iṣẹ wa ni, inu ọkọ ni ati bẹẹbẹẹlọ, niwọn igba ti ọkan wa ba ti wa ninu nkan ti a n ṣe, o ti pari — Ọlọrun yoo tẹwọgba ohunkohun ti a ba ṣe ni orukọ ọmọ rẹ Jesu. Ko si yẹ ki a jẹ ki ẹnikẹni tan wa jẹ pe ti a k o ba i ti de awọn ile ijọsin kan tabi awọn ori oke gbankọgbi kan, Ọlọrun ko ni gbọ ti wa.
Ṣugbọn o tun wa yẹ ki a ṣe agbeyẹwo ọrọ Jesu ti awọn kan ma n saba dirọ mọ gẹgẹ bi idi ti wọn ṣe n sọ wipe ko ki i ṣe ibikibi ti a ba ri ni a ti le gbadura. Ki si ni ọrọ naa? Ọrọ naa ni a ri akọsilẹ rẹ ninu iwe Matiu, ori kẹfa, ti o ka bayi:
“Nigbati iwọ ba ngbadura maṣe dabi awọn agabagebe; nitorii nwọn fẹ ati ma duro gbadura ni sinagogu ati ni igun ọna ita, ki enia ki o ba le ri wọn. Lotọ ni mo wi fun nyin, nwọn ti gba ere wọn na. Ṣugbọn iwọ, nigbati iwọ ba ngbadura, wọ iyẹwu rẹ lọ, nigbati iwọ ba si se ilẹkun rẹ tan, gbadura si Baba rẹ ti mbẹ ni ikọkọ; Baba rẹ ti o si riran ni ikọkọ yio san a fun ọ ni gbangba.” (Matiu 6:5-6)
Ki ni a ri dimu ninu ọrọ Jesu ninu awọn ẹsẹ bibeli ti o wa loke yi? Nkan akọkọ ni pe nigba ti Jesu gan wa laye, awọn eniyan a ma gbadura ninu sinagọgu ati ni ibikibi ti o ba wu wọn. Njẹ o wa tunmọ si pe Oluwa lodi si eyi? Rara o! Nkan ti O lodi si ni idi ti wọn ṣe n gbadura ni awọn ibi ti wọn ti n gbadura yi. Gẹgẹ bi O ṣe sọ, idi ti awọn kan ṣe n gbadura ni gbangba, boya ninu sinagọgu ni tabi ibomiran, ni ki awọn eniyan ba le ri wọn gẹgẹ bi aladura. Igba kan tilẹ tun wa ti O ba awọn Farisi ati awọn Ọlukọ ofin wi fun bi wọn ṣe fẹran lati ma gba adura gigun ki awọn eniyan ba le ma bọwọ fun wọn bi ọga ninu adura gbigba (Matiu 23:14). O wa tunmọ si pe alaṣehan ni awọn wọnyi ati pe nitori asehan wọn ni Jesu ṣe ba wọn wi lori adura gbigba wọn ni gbangba, ti O si jẹ ki o ye wọn pe adurakadura ti a ba gba lati ṣe aṣehan ko jẹ itẹwọgba niwaju Ọlọrun.
Amọ o, ko wa tunmọ si pe awọn ti o n gbadura ni gbangba tabi ti o n gbadura gigun nikan na ni o le jẹbi asehan. Eniyan le gbadura ninu yara rẹ ki o si tun jẹbi aṣehan. A ri ọpọ to jẹ wipe ti wọn ba n gbadura ninu yara wọn tabi ni ẹyinkunle wọn, gbogbo awọn to wa ni ayika ni yo mọ pe wọn ngbadura. Aṣehan ni eyi na jẹ. Ko si ni ere lati ọdọ Ọlọrun. Idi ti Jesu ṣe kọ wa lati ma gbadura si Ọlọrun ni ikọkọ ni ki a ba le ni oye pe adura gbigba ni i ṣe pẹlu biba Ọlọrun sọrọ, ko ni i ṣe pẹlu biba eniyan sọrọ. Yatọ si eyi, O tun kọ wa ki a ma gbadura ni ikọkọ ki a ba le yẹra fun idilọwọ awọn eniyan ti a ba n gbadura. Nitorina, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe eniyan ni a n gbadura fun, a ko gbọdọ gbagbe nigba kankan pe Ọlọrun ni a n ba sọrọ. A ko si gbọdọ wa ma gbadura lati wu awọn eniyan lori, ki wọn ba le ma gboriyin fun wa pe a mọ adura gba. Ọlọrun ko ni dahun adura wa nitori pe ẹnu wa dun, tabi nitori pe a mọ ọrọ to lẹsẹẹsẹ tabi nitori pe adura wa gun; Ọlọrun yo dahun adura wa nitori pe alaanu ni, nitori pe a gbadura si pẹlu igbagbọ ati nitori pe a gbadura si tọkantọkan.
Nitori eyi, nkan ti o yẹ ki o jẹ wa logun julọ ti a ba n gbadura si Ọlọrun ni ọkan ti a fi n gbadura si, ki i ṣe ibi ti a duro si lati gbadura si. A le gbadura si ni ikọkọ tabi ni gbangba. Niwọn igba ti ọkan wa ba ti mọ, ti o si wa ni ibadọgba pẹlu ifẹ rẹ, ti a ko si jẹ ki ohunkohun (boya ẹrọ agbelewọ wa ni tabi ero okan wa tabi oorun) di wa lọwọ, o di dandan ki o da wa lohun. Jesu, ti o jẹ awokọṣe wa, na fi awọn igba kan gbadura ni gbangba (Johanu 11:41-42&12:27-28). Ko ki i ṣe gbogbo igba na ni o fi gbadura ni ikọkọ. Ṣugbọn boya ikọkọ ni o ti gbadura ni o tabi ni gbangba, ko fi akoko kankan gbadura aṣehan tabi ki O gba adura ti ọkan rẹ ko si nibẹ. Nitori eyi, ko si igba ti o gbadura ti Ọlọrun ko da lohun. Ti awa naa ba si n fi gbogbo igba tẹle ilana ti O la kalẹ fun wa, o di dandan ki Ọlọrun naa ma fi gbogbo igba da wa lohun.
ỌRỌ IPARI
Riri idahun si adura ti a ba gba ko ni nkankan ṣe pẹlu ibi ti a ti n gbadura; dipo bẹẹ, o ni ohun gbogbo ṣe pẹlu ọkan ti a fi n gbadura. Nitorina, ọkan wa ni o yẹ ki a ṣiṣẹ le lori, ki o ba le ma fi gbogbo igba wa ni ibadọgba pẹlu ifẹ Ọlọrun, ki adura wa si ma ba ni idena.
IBEERE
– Njẹ a ri awọn ori oke pataki kan tabi ile ijọsin kan ti o jẹ pe ti eniyan ko ba i ti de ibẹ, adura rẹ ko le gba?
– Ki ni o ṣe pataki julọ si ọ ninu ẹkọ yi?
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS – DON’T MAKE YOUR LEADER ANGRY 04/11/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – DON’T MAKE YOUR LEADER ANGRY TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 11-12
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
In the passage we studied last in 2Corinthians, Paul gives the basis for exercising leadership authority over the Corinthian brethren. As he points out, there are two main reasons he is qualified to instruct, lead, correct, rebuke and even punish these brethren. The first is that he was authorised by God Himself to go and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and disciple those who believe in him. The second is that he actually ministered to these brethren and among them. So, he had earned the right to lead them. But then, even though he had been given the authority to lead these brethren, he knew that the authority given to him by God was to build them up and not to tear them. And this is something every leader must keep in mind. Whatever measure of authority you are given is to build people up and not to destroy them. So, whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, with that authority must be towards building up those that you are leading.
DON’T MAKE YOUR LEADER ANGRY
But what led Paul to talking to these brethren about the basis for his authority over them? It was the fact that some of them had been looking down on him and ignoring the relevance of his leadership. They were actually saying that he was a timid, weak and unimpressive leader. And that was because they were ignorant of the way leadership in the church is to be handled. That was, in fact, why they were comparing him with some other so-called apostles that had ministered among them. It was so serious that Paul could not ignore the matter but had to address it in this letter.
Now, in treating it, the first thing Paul does is to let the Corinthians know that apart from the fact they are ignorant of how church leadership is to be handled, they are also gullible. His words are: “I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (2Cor 11:1-4NIV) Did you see that? These brethren put up easily with the deception of some of those who came to minister to them after Paul had left them. That means they would not use their head at all in processing what was being taught to them and done to them to see whether those things were in line with the truth they already knew or not. And that is nothing but gullibility, a situation in which we refuse to think clearly and carefully about what others are telling us or doing to us, to see for ourselves whether it is wise at all for us to embrace or endure them.
In any case, the gullibility of the Corinthians actually upsets Paul, and this is evident from the things he goes on to say to them, things that he should naturally not have said. They were supposed to be commending him to others for faithfully ministering to them in Christ Jesus. But they would not do that. Instead, they were looking down on him as inferior to their so-called super apostles that he refers to as nothing but false apostles and deceitful workmen. (Cf. 2Cor 11:13 & 12:11)
So, in his anger, Paul goes over for these brethren the things that make them consider him to be inferior to their so-called super apostles in order that they may begin to think right. And what are those things? The first is that he did not labour to impress them. While those they were comparing him with were determined to make an impression on them through oratory, show of charisma and other things, Paul’s focus was to let them know the Lord Jesus Christ, be built up in Him and be presented to Him chaste, when He comes for all His saints. So, it was not because he was not knowledgeable or uneducated that he related to them in simplicity; rather, it was because his concern was for them to be the persons God wanted them to be. What is your concern as a church leader? What is your focus in proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it to lead God’s people to perfection in Christ Jesus or to impress them with your oratory, swags, expensive lifestyle and so forth? (Cf. 1Cor 2 & 2Cor 11:1-6)
The second reason Paul gives here is that he, unlike the so-called super apostles that the Corinthians were praising, would not be a burden to them, when he was among them, but got his support from other brethren who already understood what it means to support their ministers. He simply put up with the difficult conditions of ministering among them. And why? It was because he did not want to hinder the gospel of Jesus among them. Unfortunately, they took that to mean that he was not qualified to receive their material support. But what they did not know was that those so-called ministers who were impoverishing them, in the name of ministering to them, were not acting in the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were false apostles, deceitful workmen, who, like Satan, were masquerading as angels of light. And who knows the number of such false ministers that are in our various assemblies today, who injure, molest, cheat and corrupt the people of God, all in the name of exercising spiritual authority? Their end will definitely be as their actions deserve. (Cf. 1Cor 9:7-12; 2Cor 11:1-15 & 12:13)
The third reason some of these Corinthians considered Paul to be inferior to those so-called apostles he is talking about in this letter is that he would not boast among them about his accomplishments or sufferings for the Lord or abuse his authority over them. According to him, those false apostles had been boasting about their accomplishments in the kingdom of God, their sufferings, their spiritual gifts and also the special revelations, visions and dreams they had received from God. Not only that, they had been abusing these brethren in various ways and imposing themselves on them. Unfortunately, these Corinthians put up with them. They seemed alright with being treated in that manner. (Cf. 2Cor 11:16-20)
But Paul and his colleagues would not act like that. In fact, he said that they were too weak, and rightly so, to do such things to anybody, not to talk of God’s people (2Cor 11:21). And why would they not act like this? Was it because they did not have stories to tell about the things God had done through them or the things they have suffered for the Lord or the great spiritual experiences and revelations they had had? No! They actually did. In fact, Paul takes some space in this passage that we are considering to share some things about his experiences as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, the things the Lord revealed to Him and how these experiences affected his view of life and ministry. And he does this, though reluctantly, because he is pushed by these Corinthians’ insensitivity to his love for them. (Cf. 2Cor 11:16-12:10)
Again, why would Paul and his colleagues naturally not give themselves to boasting about their accomplishments and spiritual experiences in Christ Jesus? He gives us four reasons in the passage we are studying. First, it is because it is not in the will of God for believers to boast about anything, for there is nothing we have received or accomplished that is not from the Lord (1Cor 4:7; 2Cor 11:17). Second, every kind of boasting that is not based on what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has done through us is foolish (2Cor 11:21). Third, there is nothing to gain from it – there is no reward from God for any kind of boasting that is not done in praise of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 15:187-18; 2Cor 12:1). Fourth, boasting has a way of making people think more highly of us than they ought to (2Cor 12:6).
Today, here and there, we have many so-called church leaders who are constantly boasting of how much they are doing for the Lord Jesus Christ, how much they have suffered for Him or what great spiritual experiences they have had. And they are doing this to boost their image before the people of God, so that they would think very highly of them. But as Paul makes very clear here, all such boasting is foolish and without any reward from the Lord. That is because none of us has any sufficiency of his own; our sufficiency is of God. He is the one responsible for all the good things in our lives and all the good or great things we have been able to do in life. So, He is the one that we should boast about and not ourselves. (Cf. 2Cor 3:5-6; Phil 3:3-16)
Well then, though Paul does a little boasting here in this letter, it is not something he is happy to do. And that shows us that there are times that our misbehaviour in the church can push our leaders to act or speak in ways they will naturally not want to. Yes, no one can use anybody’s misbehaviour as an excuse before God for misbehaving. But if we will not conduct ourselves appropriately, we can push others, including our leaders in the church, to do or say ugly things that they will not be happy about. And that will never be to our advantage (Heb 13:17). So, be careful not to do things that will make you leader angry to the point that he will misbehave. God will never take that lightly with you. And who knows how He will react?
Well, in closing, Paul reminds these brethren that his ministry among them was accompanied with enough signs, wonders and miracles to show that he is indeed a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and not inferior to any other apostle (2Cor 12:11-12). So, he will come again to them as their apostle, making his third visit, and will not act differently from the way he has functioned among them in the past. However, he wants them to know that he may have to use his apostolic authority to fix things among them in a way that they probably have not seen him use this authority before. And he says this so that they will correct themselves before he comes and be able to enjoy his visit to them to the full. (Cf. 2Cor 12:14-21)
CONCLUSION
Church leaders are people like us too. So, if we would not treat them right, by obeying them and commending them for the work they are doing among us, as we ought to, we may anger them and drive them to do things they are not supposed to do. This is why all of us must learn what leadership in the church entails, as designed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and begin to relate to it accordingly. Then we will not be making foolish comparisons of our leaders or subjecting ourselves to the wrong forms of leadership that are widespread in many of our assemblies today.
QUESTIONS
– Does a Christian leader have a right to be angry with those he is leading?
– Can you think of other examples in the bible of cases in which a leader’s anger pushed him to act unwisely?
Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
AKỌRI: ADURA – KI NI GBEDEKE AKOKO TI O YẸ KI A FI MA GBADURA 04/11/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH (IJỌ OTITỌ BIBELI)
ALAKALẸ ẸKỌ BIBELI ATI ALAYE
ỌJỌRU 04, BELU 2020
AKỌRI: ADURA – KI NI GBEDEKE AKOKO TI O YẸ KI A FI MA GBADURA AYỌKA: MATIU 6:8
AKỌSORI: “Bi o si ti n gbadura ni ibi kan, nigba ti o ti dake, ọkan ninu awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ wi fun un pe, Oluwa, kọ wa bi a tii gbadura bi Johannu si ti kọ awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ.” (Luuku 11:1)
ỌRỌ AKỌSỌ
Bi a ti ṣe kọ tẹlẹ, o ṣe pataki fun gbogbo eniyan, paapaajulọ awọn ọmọ Ọlọrun, lati fi ara wọn jin lati kẹkọ ninu bibeli lori adura gbigba. Idi si ni pe ki wọn ma ba ma gba agbadanu adura. Ko wa tan si ori ki kọ ẹkọ lori adura gbigba nikan o; o tun ṣe pataki fun wa lati ma ṣe amulo awọn ẹkọ ti a n kọ lori adura gbigba. Aijẹbẹ, a kan n kọ ẹkọ lasan ni – aye wa ko ni jẹ ere adura gbigba bi o ṣe ye ki o jẹ. Nitorina, bi a ṣe n tẹsiwaju ninu awọn ẹkọ ti a n kọ lori adura gbigba, mo rọ ọ lati mu awọn ẹkọ na ni ọkunkundun, ki o si ma fi igba gbogbo ba Ọlọrun sọrọ pe ki O fun ọ ni okun lati ṣe amulo wọn.
KI NI GBEDEKE AKOKO TI O YẸ KI A FI MA GBADURA
Wayi o, nkan miran ti a tun fẹ gbe yẹwo lori adura gbigba ni iye iṣẹju tabi wakati ti o yẹ ki a ma lo lati gbadura. Ki gan ni gbedeke akoko ti o yẹ ki a ma lo lati gbadura lojumọ? Njẹ bibeli ti lẹ sọ wipe iye wakati tabi iṣẹju bayi ni o yẹ ki a ma lo lati ba Ọlọrun sọrọ? O ṣe pataki ki a mọ eleyi ki a ma ba ma da ara wa lẹbi pe a ko gba adura to tabi tan ara wa jẹ pe a n gbadura to tabi ju.
Gẹgẹ bi a ṣe ri ninu bibeli, lotitọ, Ọlọrun fẹ ki a ma gbadura laisinmi ati laiṣaarẹ. Amọ ko si gbedeke akoko kankan ti O fi lelẹ fun wa lati ma ba a sọrọ tabi lati ma a gbadura si. Nitori eyi, ko tọna fun ẹnikẹni lati ma sọ fun awọn eniyan pe ti wọn ko ba i ti gbadura fun wakati kan tabi meji tabi mẹfa tabi ju bẹẹ lọ, wọn ko ti mọ nkan ti wọn ṣe tabi pe wọn ko ki i ṣe Kirisitiani ti o muna doko.
Lakọkọ na, o gbọdọ ye wa pe ko ki i ṣe iye wakati tabi iṣẹju ti eniyan lo lati gbadura ni yo sọ bi adura rẹ yo ṣe gba si tabi bi Ọlọrun yo ṣe tara da lohun si. Rara o. Dipo eyi, irufẹ ọkan ti eniyan fi ba Ọlọrun sọrọ ni yo sọ iha ti yo kọ si adura rẹ. Fun apẹẹrẹ, Jesu sọ eyi nigba ti O n ba awọn farisi ati awọn akọwe awọn Juu wi: “Egbe ni fun yin, ẹyin akọwe ati Farisi, agabagebe; nitori ti ẹyin jẹ ile opo run, ati nitori aṣehan, ẹ n gbadura gigun: nitori naa ni ẹyin o ṣe jẹbi pupọ.” (Matiu 23:14) Njẹ o ri bayi? Awọn Farisi ati akọwe wọnyi nifẹ si ki wọn ma gbadura gigun nibikibi ti wọn ba ti fun wọn ni anfaani lati gbadura. Ṣugbọn ki ni idi ti wọn fi n gbadura gigun bi eyi? Bi Jesu Oluwa ṣe so, nitori aṣehan ni wọn ṣe n ṣe bẹ. O tunmọ si pe awọn wọnyi ko ma gbadura gigun nitori pe ẹbẹ adura wọn pọ ṣugbọn nitori pe wọn fẹ wu awọn eniyan lori, ki wọn ba le ma kan sara si wọn gẹgẹ bi afadurajagun to le. Njẹ eyi wa ba ifẹ Ọlọrun mu bi? Rara o! Ko ba ifẹ Ọlọrun mu. Idi si ni yi ti Jesu fi gbojuagan si wọn, ti O si jẹ ki o ye wọn pe adura agbadanu ni wọn n gba.
Lafikun, Jesu tun sọ eyi lori adura gbigba: “Ṣugbọn nigba ti ẹyin ba n gbadura, ẹ ma ṣe atunwi asan bi awọn keferi; wọn ṣebi a o titori ọrọ pupo gbọ ti wọn. Nitori naa ki ẹyin ma ṣe dabi wọn. Baba yin saa mọ ohun ti ẹyin ṣe alaini ki ẹ to beere lọwọ rẹ.” (Matiu 6:8) Ki ni idi ti Jesu ṣe sọ wipe ki a ma ṣe atunwi asan ti a ba n gbadura? Idi ni pe Ọlọrun Baba wa ti a ba sọrọ ko ni isoro pẹlu eti rẹ lati gbọran. Nitorina, ko ki i ṣe bi a ba ṣe tẹnu mọ ọrọ to tabi pariwo to ni yo ṣe gbọ to. Yatọ si eyi, Oun jẹ Ọlọrun ti o mọ ohun gbogbo. Nitorina, ki a to la ẹnu wa ba sọ ohunkohun, O ti mọ. Ko wa yẹ ki a ma ba a sọrọ bi ẹni ti ko mọ nkankan nipa ṣiṣe atunwi asan.
Nkan ti mo tilẹ wa fa ki a kiyesi ninu ọrọ Jesu ni pe ko si bi ẹni ti o ba n ṣe atunwi asan lẹnu adura gbigba ko ṣe ni pẹ tabi ki o dabi ẹni pe o n lo akoko to pọ lati gbadura ju ẹni ti ko ṣe atunwin asan lọ. Njẹ eyi wa ja si pe adura rẹ yo gba ju ti ẹni ti ko ṣe atunwi asan lọ ati ti ko si pẹ lẹnu adura gbigba tirẹ to o? Rara o! Oluwa ti fẹkan tẹlẹ sọ fun wa pe ọpọ ọrọ ko kun agbọn; pe a n ṣe atunwi asan ko tunmọ si pe Ọlọrun yo gbọ ti wa. A kan n fi akoko wa ṣofo lori adura gbigba lasan ni, niwọn igba ti a ba n ṣe atunwi asan. Idi si ni pe o lodi si ifẹ Ọlọrun.
Nitori eyi, mo fẹ ki a fi sọkan pe riri idahun si adura wa ko ni i ṣe pẹlu wakati tabi iṣẹju ti a lo lati gbadura. Dibo bẹ, o ni i ṣe pẹlu ọkan ti a fi ba Ọlọrun sọrọ ati bi ẹbẹ adura wa ṣe wa ni ibamu pẹlu ifẹ rẹ si. Njẹ eyi wa tunmọ si pe a ko nilo lati pẹ lori adura gbigba rara ati pe ti a ba kan ti ba Ọlọrun sọrọ fun bi isẹju kan tabi iṣẹju meji, o ti to. Eyi ko ri bẹ rara. Lotitọ, Ọlọrun yo dahun adurakadura ti a ba gba, yala pẹlu isẹju kan ni tabi iṣẹju meji ni, niwọn igba ti a ba ti gba ni ibamu pẹlu ifẹ rẹ. Amọ nkan melo gan ni a le ba Ọlọrun sọrọ lori laarin iṣẹju meji tabi iṣẹju kan? Nkan diẹ naa ni. Ọlọrun si fẹ ki a ma ba Oun sọrọ lori ohun gbogbo to ni i ṣe pẹlu aye wa.
Nitorina, gbedeke akoko ti a o lo lati gbadura ni i ṣe pẹlu awọn nkan ti a fẹ ba Ọlọrun so ni igba ti a fẹ gbadura ati bi aye ṣe ṣi silẹ fun wa to lati gbadura laini idiwọ tabi iyọlẹnu awọn ti o wa ni ayika wa. Fun apẹẹrẹe, a ri wipe Jesu Oluwa wa gan ko ni gbedeke akoko kan ti O fi n gbadura nigba ti O wa lorilẹ aye yi. Awọn igba kan wọn ti O fi gbogbo oru gbadura, ti o tunmọ si pe O lo to bi wakati mẹfa lati gbadura (Luuku 6:12). A si ri awọn igba ti o jẹ pe yo tete sare ji jade lati lọ gbadura ni, ki o to di pe awọn eniyan yoo ji, ti wọn yoo si tọ ọ wa fun ẹkọ ọrọ Ọlọrun ati iwosan (Maaku 1:35-37). Eyi tunmọ si pe O le ma ri ju wakati kan tabi meji lọ lati gbadura ni iru awọn akoko yi. A tilẹ tun wa ri pe nigba ti O wa pẹlu awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ ninu Ọgba Gẹsitimani, O beere lọwọ wọn pe ṣe wọn ko le ba Oun sọna ninu adura gbigba fun wakati kan pere ni (Matiu 26:40).
Awọn apẹẹrẹ yi fi idi rẹ mulẹ fun wa pe ko si ko si gbedeke akoko kan ti a le sọ pe ohun ni a gbọdọ ma lo lati gbadura. Sibẹsibẹ, o ṣe pataki ki a ma lo akoko to peye lojoojumọ lati ba Ọlọrun sọrọ. A le ma ni wakati kan tabi meji taara lati gbadura laini idiwọ tabi iyọlẹnu awọn eniyan. Iṣẹ ti a n ṣe, ile ti a n gbe, igbeyawo wa, bi awọn ọmọ wa ṣe dagba si ati awọn nkan miran ti o fara jọ awọn wọnyi ni yoo sọ iye iṣẹju tabi wakati ti a o le lo lẹkanṣoṣo lati gbadura. Nitorina, bi a ko tilẹ le lo wakati kan tabi jubẹẹlọ lati gbadura laidanuduro, yala nitori awọn ọmọ wa tabi nitori akoko ti a n lo lẹnu iṣẹ, a ṣi le pin akoko adura wa si bi ọna mẹta tabi jubẹẹlọ, ninu eyi ti a ti le ma fi boya ogun iṣẹju tabi iṣẹju mẹẹdogun gbadura ni akoko adura kọọkan, laini idiwọ tabi iyọlẹnu ẹnikẹni.
ỌRỌ IPARI
Ko si gbedeke akoko kankan ti a la kalẹ ninu bibeli fun wa lati ma fi gbadura. Ṣugbọn niwọn igba ti a mọ pe o yẹ ki a ma gbadura laisinmi ati laiṣaarẹ, ti a si tun mọ pe ohun gbogbo ti o ni i ṣe pẹlu aye wa ni o yẹ ki a ma fa le Ọlọrun lọwọ, o ṣe pataki ki a to aye wa ni ọna ti a o fi ma ri akoko to peye lati ba Ọlọrun sọrọ laini idiwọ tabi iyọlẹnu awọn ti o wa ni ayika wa.
IBEERE
– Bawo ni o ṣe rọrun fun wa to lati fi akoko to peye silẹ lati ba Ọlọrun sọrọ lojoojumọ?
– Ki ni pataki julọ ninu nkan ti o kọ ninu ẹkọ yi.
Lati ọwọ Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
AKỌRI: ADURA – IPO WO NI O TỌ JULỌ FUN ADURA GBIGBA 11/11/2020
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH (IJỌ OTITỌ BIBELI)
ALAKALẸ ẸKỌ BIBELI ATI ALAYE
ỌJỌRU 11, BELU 2020
AKỌRI: ADURA – IPO WO NI O TỌ JULỌ FUN ADURA GBIGBA AYỌKA: MAAKU 14:32-35
AKỌSORI: “Bi o si ti n gbadura ni ibi kan, nigba ti o ti dake, ọkan ninu awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ wi fun un pe, Oluwa, kọ wa bi a tii gbadura bi Johannu si ti kọ awọn ọmọ ẹyin rẹ.” (Luuku 11:1)
ỌRỌ AKỌSỌ
A bẹrẹ awọn isọri ẹkọ lori adura gbigba nipa sisọrọ lori pataki ẹkọ adura gbigba. A si sọ wipe o ṣe pataki ki a kọ bi a ṣe n gbadura gẹgẹ bi alakalẹ ọrọ inu bibeli ki a ma ba ma gba agbadanu adura. Ọpọ loni ni o jẹ wipe adabọwọ ara wọn tabi ti awọn wooli wọn ni wọn n tẹle lori adura gbigba. Ṣugbọn adabọwọ eniyan, bi o ti wu ki o jọni loju tabi wuni lori to, ko le rọpọ alakalẹ Ọlọrun. Nitorina, ohunkohun, ẹkọkẹkọ ti a ba ti ri pe o lodi si awọn nkan ti a lakalẹ fun wa lori adura gbigba ninu bibeli, nṣe ni o yẹ ki a takete si. A ko gbọdọ titori pe wooli agba kan tabi alufa nla kan ni o sọ awọn nkan yi ki a wa tẹle. Niwọn igba ti o ba ti tako nkan ti a fi lọlẹ fun wa ninu bibeli, nṣe ni ki a yẹra fun. (Wo: Ditaronomi 13:1-5)
IPO WO NI O TỌ JULỌ FUN ADURA GBIGBA
Wayi o, ara awọn ibere ti o tun ma n jẹyọ lori adura gbigba ni o ni i ṣe pẹlu ipo ti o tọ fun eniyan lati wa ti o ba fẹ gbadura. Ipo wo gan ni o tọ fun ẹniyan lati mu tabi wa ti o ba n gbadura? Ṣe ori iduro lo tọna julọ ni tabi ki a kunlẹ? Abi ki a dojubolẹ gbadura ni o dara julọ ni tabi ki a gbojusoke si Ọba ọrun tabi ki a joko sibikan? E wo gan ninu awọn ipo yi ni o tọ julọ fun adura gbigba, ti yo jẹ ki adura wa jẹ itẹwọgba niwaju Ọlọrun?
Fun awọn kan, adura ori ikunlẹ ni o ṣe iyebiye ju niwaju Oluwa, paapajulọ ti o ba jẹ pe adura fun idariji ẹṣẹ tabi fun ojurere ni a n gba. Fun awọn miran ẹwẹ, adura ti a ba dubulẹ gba, paapajulọ ni ihoho ọmọluabi, ni o ma n jẹ bi idan ju. Awọn kan si wa ti wọn gbagbọ pe ki a duro gbadura ni ọ tọna julọ. Eyi si wa lara idi ti o fi jẹ pe ọpọ igba ni awọn adari adura gbigba ni awọn ile ijọsin wa ma n fẹ ki awọn eniyan dide duro lati gbadura ti wọn ba wa ni ipade adura tabi ni akoko adura. Inu a si ma bi ẹlomiran ti o ba ri pe awọn kan ko dide duro lati gbadura ni akoko ti o n dari rẹ. A tilẹ ri awọn ti wọn gbagbọ pe awọn ti o ba joko gbadura ni akoko adura agbapapọ ti ijọ le gbe ogunologun tabi ki ẹmi buburu ti ara elomiran jade wọ ara ti wọn lọ.
Ṣugbọn ti a ba ṣe agbeyẹwo awọn nkan ti a fi han wa ninu ọrọ Ọlọrun finnifinni, a o ri pe ko si otitọ kankan lara gbogbo awọn adabọwọ awọn eniyan yi. Nkan ti a n sọ ni pe ko si ibi kankan ninu bibeli ti a ti fi idi rẹ mulẹ pe ti eniyan ko ba kunlẹ, dide duro, dubulẹ tabi joko gbadura, Ọlọrun ko ni gbọ adura rẹ. Eyi tunmọ si pe ko si ipo ti eniyan ko le mu tabi wa lati ba Ọlọrun sọrọ.
Fun apẹẹrẹ, Jesu Oluwa ko ni ipo kan pato ti o ma n mu ti o ba fẹ gbadura. Ipo ti o ba mu ma n ni i ṣe pẹlu ibi ti o ba wa ati bi nkan ti o fẹ gbadura nipa ba ṣe dun un ni ọkan to. Nitorina, a ri awọn igba ti o dubulẹ gbadura, gẹgẹ bi a si tun ṣe ri awọn igba ti o jẹ pe o duro gbadura ni. A tilẹ tun wa ri pe ninu asamọ kan ti o pa fun awọn eniyan lori adura gbigba, ọkunrin agbowo ode ti o sọrọ nipa rẹ duro gbadura ni. Ọlọrun si gbọ adura rẹ. Eyi ja si pe ọkan ti a fi n ba Ọlọrun sọrọ lo ṣe pataki ju, ki i ṣe ipo ti a mu. (Wo: Maaku 14:32-35; Luuku 18:9-14; Johanu 11:41-42)
Lafikun, a ri pe awọn ẹniyan mimọ igbaani ko ni pato ipo kan tabi omiran ti wọn ma n mu ti wọn ba n gbadura. Ipo ti wọn ba mu ni akoko kan ni i ṣe pẹlu ibi ti wọn wa ati pẹlu itara ọkan wọn ni akoko na. Nitori eyi, a ri igba ti wọn duro gbadura, gẹgẹ bi a si tun ṣe ri awọn igba ti wọn dide tabi dubulẹ gbadura (Ditaronomi 9:18-19; Joṣua 7:6-9; 2Awọn Ọba 18:41-46; 1Kironika 17:16). Ṣugbọn idahun adura wọn ko fi igba kankan ni i ṣe pẹlu ipo ti wọn wa lati gbadura. Dipo eyi, o ni i ṣe pẹlu ọkan ti wọn fi gbadura ati bi adura wọn ṣe wa ni ibamu pẹlu ifẹ Ọlọrun si. Dafidi, fun apẹẹrẹ, fi igba kan dojubolẹ gbadura si Ọlọrun ki ọmọ ti o kọkọ tipasẹ Baṣeba aya Uraya bi ma ba a ku. Ṣugbọn Ọlọrun ko da lohun nitori pe adura na ko wa ni ibamu pẹlu ifẹ rẹ. (Wo 2Samuẹli 12:13-23)
Nitorina, nkan akọkọ ti a gbọdọ mu ni ọkunkundun ti a ba n gbadura ni ki ọkan wa wa pẹlu Ọlọrun ni akoko ti a ba n gbadura si. Ko ki i ṣe pe ki a sọ pe a n gbadura, ki ọkan wa ma rede kiri tabi ki o jina si Ọlọrun (Maaku 7:6). Nkan ikeji ti a gbọdọ mojuto ti a ba n gbadura ni ki adura wa wa ni ibamu pẹlu ifẹ Ọlọrun. Ti a ko ba i ti gbagbe, Johanu sọ eyi fun wa ninu lẹta rẹ akọkọ si ijọ Ọlọrun: “Eyi si ni igboya ti a wa ni niwaju rẹ, pe bi awa ba beere ohunkokun gẹgẹ bi ifẹ rẹ, o n gbọ ti wa.” (1Johanu 5:14) Ṣe o ri bayi pe ko sọ pe ti a ba beere ohunkohun lọwọ Ọlọrun lori ikunlẹ, yo gbọ ti wa tabi pe ti a ba bere ohunkokun lọwọ rẹ lori inaro, yo gbọ ti wa. Dipo eyi, o sọ pe ti a ba bere ohunkohun gẹgẹ bi ifẹ rẹ, yo gbọ ti wa. Nitorina, bi a o ṣe mọ ifẹ rẹ ni o yẹ ki o jẹ wa logun julọ, ki a ba le ma gba adura ni ibamu pẹlu rẹ.
Nkan ẹkẹta ti o tun ṣe pataki ki a fi si ọkan ti a ba gbadura ni ki a wa ni ipo ti yo o jẹ ki a fi ọkan si nkan ti a n ṣe, ti ko si ni jẹ ki a sunlọ. Fun apẹẹrẹ, idi kan pataki ti a fi le sọ fun awọn ti a n dari ninu eto adura lati dide duro ni ki a ba le ran wọn lọwọ lati ma sunlọ. Akiyesi si ni pe, ọpọ ni o ti ma n ṣe ọpọlọpọ wahala ki wọn to wa fun eto tabi ipade adura. Ti awọn wọnyi ba si joko tabi dojubolẹ tabi kunlẹ gbadura, o ṣeeṣe ki wọn sunlọ ki wọn to mọ nkan ti o n ṣẹlẹ. Ṣugbọn ti wọn ba wa ni inaro, a ti sunlọ wọn yo o ṣoro diẹ, bi o tilẹ jẹ pe ẹlomiran ninu wọn yo si papa sun na ni.
Yatọ si eyi, awọn ibi kan wa ti ko le fi aye silẹ fun wa lati mu awọn ipo kan ti a ba fẹ gbadura. Fun apẹẹrẹ, ti eniyan ba fẹ sare fi bi iṣẹju melokan gbadura ninu ọkọ ero tabi ibi iṣẹ rẹ, o ṣeeṣe ki o ma ni ore-ọfẹ a ti kunlẹ, duro tabi dubulẹ gbadura laida wahala silẹ tabi jẹ ki awọn miran foju si lara. Irufẹ ẹni bẹ yo fẹ joko si ibikan ti awọn eniyan ko ti ni le tete fura si nkan ti o n ṣe lati gbadura. Nitorina, ibi ti a ba wa na wa lara awọn nkan ti yo juwe iru ipo ti a o mu lati gbadura.
Ni afikun, o tun ṣe pataki ki a bọwọ fun ẹnikẹni ti o ba n dari wa ninu adura gbigba ti a ba wa pẹlu awọn ọmọ Ọlọrun miran. Ọlọrun ko fẹ rudurudu, ko si ki fi igba kankan lọwọ si (1Korinnti 14:33). Nitorina a gbọdọ wa ni itẹriba fun ara wa ki a ba le fihan pe a bọwọ fun Kirisiti (Efesu 5:21). Idi si ni yi ti a fi gbọdọ tele nkan ti ẹni ti o n dari wa ninu adura ba sọ nipa ipo ti o fẹ ki a wa, niwọn igba ti ko ba ti tako ọrọ bibeli, ti ko si tako ilera wa. Ti o ba fẹ ki a dide gbadura, ki a dide pẹlu ibọwọ fun Ẹmi Kirisiti ti o wa ninu rẹ. Ti o ba si fẹ ki a joko, ki a ṣe bẹẹ pẹlu. Eyi kọ ni yo sọ bi Ọlọrun yo ṣe dahun adura wa si. Ṣugbọn yo fihan pe a n gbọran si aṣẹ Ọlọrun, ko si ni jẹ ki adura wa ni idena. O tun wa ṣe pataki na fun ẹnikẹni ti o ba n dari adura lati ma lo ọpọlọ rẹ. Ko mọgbọn wa lati sọ pe ki gbogbo eniyan dide duro gbadura, lalai ku ẹnikẹni, ni ipejọpọ ti awọn arugbo tabi awọn oloyun wa. Ẹni to ba n ṣe eyi n fihan pe oun ko ni imọ tabi oye ọrọ Ọlọrun to ati pe oun ko mọ bi a ṣe n tẹlẹ itọni Ẹmi mimọ.
ỌRỌ IPARI
Lai denapẹnu, koko nkan ti mo n sọ ni pe ti a ba fẹ gbadura, ki a jẹ ki ifẹ Ọlọrun jẹ wa logun ninu ẹbẹ adura wa, ki a si tun wa ni ipo ti o rọ wa lọrun julọ lati gbadura pẹlu ọkan ti o papọ si ọdọ rẹ, lalai ṣe idiwọ tabi iyọlẹnu fun awọn ti o wa ni ayika wa ati lalai tanrawa jẹ nipa sisun lọ tabi rirede kaakiri ninu ọkan wa nibi ti a ti n gbadura.
IBEERE
– Ki ni pataki julọ si ọ ninu awọn nkan ti a kọ ninu ẹkọ yi?
Lati ọwọ Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
September 2020
2CORINTHIANS – MINISTERS YOU CAN TRUST (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 6-7:4)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – MINISTERS YOU CAN TRUST
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 6-7:4
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in 2Corinthians, we saw that the Christian, who understands God’s provisions for him, is a highly motivated person. He may be faced with diverse challenges and trials in this world. Nevertheless, because he is counting on God as his sufficiency, looking forward to his eternal home and eternal reward and assured of the love of Christ, he does not give up on life or on Christian living. Instead, he keeps on drawing from God all that he needs to walk in victory over whatever trial he is faced with and to stay relevant in God’s scheme of things. And Paul and his ministry partners were this kind of persons. They were highly motivated believers and ministers of the gospel. But what about us? Are we also highly motivated by the grace of God to live victoriously and relevantly in this world?
MINISTERS YOU CAN TRUST
Now in part of this letter that we want to look at for this study, Paul tells the brethren in Corinth one important thing about the grace of God. And it is for them not to take it in vain or allow it to become pointless in their lives. His words are, “As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2Cor 6:1-2NIV) What does this mean? First, it means that they have received the grace of God. If they had not received the grace of God, then, they could not take it in vain or waste it. Second, it means they could waste the grace of God. In other words, they could live their lives in this world as though those lives lacked the grace of God.
What is the grace of God? The grace of God simply means God’s provision or activity that is geared or channelled towards making man what He wants him to be and enabling him to do what He wants him to do. So, when we are talking about God’s grace, we are looking at what He has done or provided and what He is doing or providing in order for us to be the persons He wants us to be and do the things He wants us to. And all that Paul speaks of in this letter about Christian motivation is God’s grace to us. Our salvation, our righteousness, the indwelling of the Holy Spirt, our eternal home, our eternal body, our eternal reward and the unfailing love of Christ for us are all manifestations of the grace of God to us. All these things have been provided and put at our disposal by God Himself. We don’t need to pray, fast or give some special offerings to have them. We already have them. But if we don’t know that all these things are manifestations of God’s grace to us, we may keep praying to God for grace, asking Him again and again for what He has already given to us or for what He has already done for us.
In any case, Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians is for them not to waste the grace of God. And they will waste the grace of God and have their lives messed up in this world, if they will not take advantage of all that He has provided for them to remain true to Him and to remain motivated in walking in His righteousness. In like manner, if we too will not take advantage of all that God has provided for us, as revealed in Scriptures, we too, like those of this world, may give up on God, on ourselves, on life or on righteousness and have our minds messed up and our lives ruined. Then it will look as if God did not do anything for us at all. And you really need to ask yourself, “Am I taking advantage of the grace of God for me to be the person I am supposed to be in this world and to do the things I am supposed to do or am I living as though God had done nothing to make my life meaningful and truly relevant in this world?
Now there is another element of God’s grace that Paul mentions in this letter, which the Corinthians are equally being admonished not to take in vain. And that is Christian leadership. As we are clearly shown in Scriptures, all the brethren that are specially gifted in the church to lead us in becoming more and more like Jesus Christ and in doing His will have been given to us by the grace of God (Eph 4:11-16). So, every expression of leadership we have in the church is an expression of the grace of God. It is up to us, then, to make the most of their presence in our lives and midst to build us up to be all that God wants us to be in Christ Jesus.
Unfortunately, many in the church today are not taking adequate and appropriate advantage of Christian leadership. Why? Ignorance is one major reason. They do not know what they stand to benefit or enjoy through God’s provision of spiritual friends or companions in Christ Jesus. Another major reason for this is the obvious misbehaviour of many so-called Christian leaders. When Christian leaders to do not live up to the standards given to us in Scriptures about Christian living or make it their goal to do so, when they do not stand before God’s people as examples of what God wants to see in them, then, they unconsciously sow seeds of discouragement and rebellion in the hearts of those they are leading. And this will most likely affect the response of those looking at them to their leadership.
But then, as we also see in Scriptures, no one can use the failure of his church leadership as an excuse for not making the most of the grace of God to be the person God wants him to be. None of us can use the failure of our leaders in the church as an excuse for misbehaving in this world. God will not accept that at all. That is because His word says clearly that we are to follow our leaders only to the degree that they follow Christ (1Cor 11:1). And if we cannot find any leader that is living up to this where we are, we should move elsewhere where we can find them or take up the challenge of being that kind of true church leader others are failing to be to those around us.
In any case, Paul does not want the Corinthians to take their own spiritual leadership and companionship lightly or in vain. And why? It is because, as he points out in this letter, these brethren have been trying to shut them out of their lives. His words on this are: “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange — I speak as to my children — open wide your hearts also.” (2Cor 6:11-13NIV) Did you see that? Even though it was Paul and his ministry companions that God used in founding this church in Corinth and in building them up, at some point, they began to doubt their leadership.
But why? Though another reason for this is mentioned elsewhere in this letter, the one Paul gives here is that these brethren have been getting involved in undue fellowship with those of the world. Look at the way he puts this:
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2Cor 6:14-7:1NIV)
What constitutes undue yoking or fellowship with unbelievers? Does living together in the same house, working together in the same office, schooling together in the same institution or doing business together constitute undue yoking with them? As long as we are in this world, there is no way we won’t be relating to unbelievers to one degree or the other. We cannot altogether avoid them or have nothing to do with them. That will only be possible, if we leave this world. (Cf. 1Cor 5:9-10)
So, it is not wrong to live with unbelievers, to do business with them, school with them or work with them. That is not undue fellowship. What constitutes undue fellowship with unbelievers is any kind of friendship or association with them that makes it difficult or impossible for us to serve God and do His will faithfully or that makes it impossible or difficult for us to act responsibly in other legitimate relationships of ours. And once we get involved in this kind of friendship with them, it will also affect our relationship with the people of God in our lives. Therefore, Paul warns the Corinthians in this letter, as he warns us too, to separate and cleanse themselves from all such friendships with those of the world that are preventing them from taking full advantage of the grace of God, including his own leadership. He says this is important because there can be no such fellowship between Christ and Belial, between light and darkness, between the temple of God and the temple of idols. And we are the temple of God. If we, therefore, do not want to be corrupted but to remain relevant in the purpose of God, we must separate and cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates us or prevents us from making the most of the God’s grace.
But then, what qualified Paul and his colleagues to ask the brethren in Corinth to take their leadership seriously, so that they can make the most of it for their edification? Was it the fact that they were the ones that took the gospel to them? That, of course, qualified them to ask them to do so. But it was more than that. That someone has been used by God to lead you to Christ does not mean that the person will always be in a position to lead you in the things of God. If he himself does not take his personal walk and growth in Christian living seriously, he may, at some point, be unfit to lead you.
So, Paul was not asking these brethren to take their leadership seriously merely because they were the ones that God used in leading them to Christ. Rather, he was asking them to do so because their lives were right before God and men and because they were standing before them as examples of the kind of persons God wanted them to be. They would not do anything that would discredit their ministry, a ministry that they received through God’s mercy (2Cor 4:1). In other words, they would not corrupt, cheat or injure God’s people. And they would not twist the word of God or use shameful ways to make life better for themselves. Instead, regardless of the situations in which they found themselves, they conducted themselves as true servants of Christ. But can the same things be said about those of us who are leading God’s people today? Can we boldly say that we are not doing anything that will discredit our ministry or that will destroy what God is doing in the lives of His children or in leading those that do not believe to His Son Jesus Christ? (Cf. 2Cor 6:3-10 &7:1-4)
CONCLUSION
God’s grace is always available for us to take advantage of to live life as He wants us to live it. And one of the expressions of this grace is church leadership. But are we taking advantage of this expression of His grace and the other ones that are revealed in scriptures as we ought to? Or are we just allowing our lives to be messed up and ruined as though we did not have God’s provisions to make life worthwhile for us? And if are leaders in the church, are we too making the most of the provision of the leadership gifts we have receive from God to do His will or are we abusing these gifts (graces) by becoming a part of the problems God is trying to solve?
QUESTIONS
– How important is it for God’s people to understand what His grace means or represents?
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com | alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS – A BELIEVER’S MOTIVATION (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 4-5)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – A BELIEVER’S MOTIVATION
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 4-5
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
One of the things that Paul reveals to us about himself and his colleagues in the opening verses of 2Corinthians is that they were constantly in trouble as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, God also was always there to comfort them, keep them safe and lead them to experience Christ’s victory in all their troubles. Then, despite the fact that they were constantly in trouble, God never stopped using them. Instead, He kept on diffusing through them the holy fragrance of the knowledge of Him. So, in the midst of their adversities, they could still see many lives being set free and changed by God through their ministry. And why was this so? It was so because they understood how to live and minister under the new covenant that God has initiated through our Lord Jesus Christ.
How, then, do we live and minister under this new covenant? We live and minister by totally depending on God as our sufficiency. As Paul points out in this letter, living a life that is well-pleasing to God, which is a life of ever-increasing glory, in this world is a function of the work of the Spirit of God, from start to finish. He is the one that makes people alive to God. He is the one that recreates them with the life and nature of God. He is also the one that works in them to will and to act according to the good purpose of God. And as long as He is working in us, we can be sure that our walk in this life will a walk of victory all the way, regardless of what we are confronted with.
A BELIEVER’S MOTIVATION
Now since this is the case, we all ought to take the ministry of the Spirit of God in our lives very seriously. And that is because we will find in it a great source of motivation. That was Paul’s discovery. So, he says in this letter:
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2Cor 4:1-6NIV)
What ministry is Paul referring to in the above text? It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In other words, he is saying since we have the Spirit of God ministering to us, in us and through us, we do not lose heart or lose hope. Yes, the challenges and trials of our lives may still be there. But the presence of the Spirit of God in us motivates us to live with a sense of victory over them all. So, we don’t allow ourselves to become a part of the problems of this world or twist the word of God to make life’s circumstances pleasant for us. Instead, we stay on the path of truth and sincerity. And as long as we are living and ministering like this, we don’t blame ourselves for people’s unbelief and destruction. That is because we know that Satan is to blame. He is to blame for their inability to see or appreciate the light of the glory of God that is shining on them. Interestingly, as Paul notes here, the true knowledge of the glory of God is gained only through the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ, for He is the true image of God. And until God Himself shines the light of this knowledge in people’s hearts, there is no way they can know Him or know themselves.
But then, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us, to us and through us is not the only source of motivation for the Christian or for a minister of Christ. There are other things Paul discusses in the passages we are considering for this study, which also serve as sources of motivation for us to stay in the path of righteousness in this world. And one of them is our eternal home with God (2Cor 4:7-5:8). As we find in all the Scriptures, this world is never meant to be our permanent abode, whether we believe in God or not. Our eternal home is waiting for us. And in this home, we are either going to live and enjoy with God forever or live and suffer with the devil and his angels forever.
Now we who have come to God through Jesus Christ know that we are going to be with Him forever in that eternal home. So, whatever it is that we face or go through in this world is nothing to compare to the everlasting joy, peace and satisfaction that await us in that home. And this is another reason we do not lose heart because of the trials and challenges of this life but fix our gaze on our unseen eternal home and inheritance. Look at the way Paul summarises this: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2Cor 4:16-18NIV)
Did you see that? Even though our bodies have to experience some degree of afflictions in the world and even grow old and weak at some point, we are becoming more and more like Christ on the inside. And whatever it is that we go through here in the world because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can only result in eternal rewards for us. In addition to that, when God eventually brings us into our eternal home with Him, He will clothe us with an eternal body in place of this weak, mortal and perishable body. Therefore, for those of us who understand this, our focus is never on the trials and challenges we can see but on the overwhelming weight of glory they are accomplishing for us. And as Paul shows us here in the letter, God has given us His Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing that this will actually be our experience. So, we have something grand and indescribable to look forward to in the midst of the chaos and confusion going on in the world – we are not hopeless. But are you looking forward to these things, as Paul and his colleagues were? Or have you already lost your mind because of the trials of your life? Have you already given up because of the temporary trials or enjoyment of this world and released your life to be destroyed by the devil? (Cf. 2Cor 5:1-8)
Also, another source for Christian motivation that Paul mentions in this letter is eternal judgment. See, people can live their lives as they please, though they are not supposed to. But they cannot escape the results of doing so. And the one who determines the results we get from the way we live our lives is God. He is the Chief rewarder of everyone. He will reward each of us not only in this world but also when He restores all things. This, of course, is something the believer in Christ Jesus already knows. Otherwise he would not be a believer. And if he truly knows this, then, it will affect the way he lives and relates to those in his world. I mean that the knowledge of the coming judgment of God is in itself a source of motivation for upright and righteous living. This is why Paul says this to us in the letter: “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.” (2Cor 5:9-11NIV)
The last source for Christian motivation that Paul speaks of in this letter is Christ’s love for the world, not His love in our heart. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all and give salvation to all who come to Him (John 3:16). But it was not only God that loves the world; our Lord Jesus Christ Himself also loves the world. And He proved His love for us by giving Himself willingly for our redemption and recreation (John 10:17-18). This, for Paul, is meant to motivate us to live for Him and to speak for Him. So, he says:
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor 5:14-21NIV)
From what Paul says here, we can see that Jesus Christ gave Himself to death for us, so that we can live our lives for Him and not for ourselves. If we live for ourselves, our lives will ultimately result in death. But if we live for Him, what we will experience is life for life, eternal life. And we can live for Him, for in Him we are new creations, new beings, and in Him all the charges of sins against us have been dropped by God. So, in Christ Jesus, irrespective of how horrible our lives have been in the past or what people now think of us, we can actually live fresh lives in this world, lives that are righteous in the sight of God and that are useful to Him in reconciling others to Himself. But what has made all this possible? It is the love of Christ.
CONCLUSION
So then, the believer is meant to be a highly motivated person and not a depressed person. He has the ministry of the Spirit of God ever available to him and instantly available to him. He has the hope of eternal life with God in a kingdom of righteousness. He has the expectation of being righteously rewarded by God for every good thing he does in this world, things that those of this world may choose not to notice or reward him for. In addition to all these, he has the love of God and of His Christ. So, even if all men reject him as fake or worthless, God will never leave him or stop showing him love.
Unfortunately, because many of us are ignorant of this, we live in depression, confusion and discontentment like those of the world. We have even had Christians who committed suicide as well as those who gave up on righteous living altogether in order to become one with the world. These things are happening to us because we do not know how draw from the various sources for motivation that God has provided for us. But the moment we recognise them and begin to take advantage of them, life will take on real meaning for us and we will never waste any moment again in depression, confusion, delusion or discontentment.
QUESTIONS
– How motivated are you to live in the righteousness of God?
– Apart from ignorance, can you place your fingers on any other reason many believers today are not motivated to live in the will of God?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com | alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS – THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 3:7-18)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 3:7-18
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in 2Corinthians we learnt from Paul that if we would see and take God as our sufficiency in all things, He would cause us to experience the victory of Christ Jesus wherever we go and also use us in remarkable ways to diffuse the knowledge of Him everywhere. And this is the way we are to live under the new covenant that God has made with His people. Of course, Paul does not explain the concept of the new covenant in this letter to the Corinthians. And that is probably because he is taking it for granted that they already understand it. Therefore, anyone who does not understand what this new covenant entails may not understand what Paul is saying in the passage we are considering for this study.
Now, as explained in other Scriptures, the old covenant, which was ratified with the blood of animals, was the one that God made with the children of Israel, when He brought them out of Egypt to lead them into the land of Canaan. And with this covenant came what is referred to in Scriptures as the Law of Moses, which was given to guide the conduct of the people, and the Levitical priesthood, which was established to help the people in their fellowship with God. But because the people were not empowered from within to live according to the laws of the covenant, they kept on failing God and bringing themselves under the curse of the covenant. This is to show us that no matter what righteous laws men are given to live by, they will still fail to keep them, unless they are recreated with God’s life and empowered by His Spirit to do so. (Cf. Ex 24:3-8; Heb 9:16-22)
That being the case, God, as He had foretold through His holy prophets of the past, at the right time decided to abolish this covenant and introduce a new one. This new covenant, which was established on the unblemished blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, has to do with the recreation of man and his indwelling by the Spirit of God. And it not for the Jews alone to embrace and enjoy; it is also for everyone that will come to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, God’s purpose is that through the Lord Jesus Christ all men may be created and made fit from within by His Holy Spirit to eternally live for Him. (Cf. Jer 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-31; Heb 8:7-13)
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT
So, then, the new covenant, which all of us who have put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are now sharers of is based solely on the activities of the Spirit of God in us and through us from start to finish. This makes it different from and more glorious than the old covenant in which the people are left to discover for themselves that there is no way they can keep the laws of God by themselves, if they are not supernaturally enabled. And that is why Paul takes some space in this letter to enlighten the Corinthians (and us too) about the superiority of the ministry of the Spirit of God in the believer and through him to the ministry of the law in the Jew and through him.
How, then, is the ministry of the Spirit superior to and more glorious than that of the Law? According to Paul, it is superior to it and more glorious than it in the following ways:
– The ministry of the Spirit gives life while the ministry of the law kills (2Cor 3:6-9): As revealed in Scriptures, the law, though good, does not communicate life or strength to anybody to live to please God; rather, it merely awakens their consciousness of sin and their desire to sin. So, it ends up condemning them as sinners, making them spiritually dead to God and objects of His wrath. (Cf. Rom 3:19-20&7:4-25) But the ministry of the Spirit of God is unlike this. First, He makes us alive to God, so that we are able to respond to Him appropriately and adequately (Eph 2:4-5). Second, He makes known to us what God expects of us. Third, He fills us with the desire and inspiration to want to please God. Fourth, He energises us to actually live to please God. So, what the law could not achieve in terms of producing righteousness in man, the Holy Spirit is now accomplishing in the lives of those who believe in Christ Jesus. This is why, writing to the Philippians, Paul says, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Cf. Phil 2:13) And since the ministry of the law, which communicates nothing but death, came with some measure of glory, it is natural to expect the ministry of the Spirit, which communicates life and righteousness, to be much more glorious than it.
– The glory of the ministry of the Spirit is eternal while that of the law is fading glory (2Cor 3:10-18): As Paul shows us in this passage, even though the ministry of the law came with glory, its glory is that which fades away. And he uses an occurrence in Moses’ life to illustrate this. Moses, when receiving the law of the old covenant, was with God for forty days and forty nights. This happened twice. In any case, when he came back to the people, they observed that his face was radiant and that they could not look at it steadily. So, he decided to put a veil over his face anytime he appeared before them. Then, whenever he went to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil. But then, as Paul also notes here, after a while, the radiance on the face of Moses began to fade away. And he was fully aware of this. Yet he did not stop using the veil when he was with the people. Therefore, they did not know what was going on; their minds were kept in the dark. (Cf. Exodus 34:29-35)
But why did Moses act like? Why did he keep the people he was ministering to in the dark about the fading away of the radiance on his face? According to Paul, it was fear that made him do this, fear of diminishing in relevance among them. Somehow, he had come to see the radiance on his face as a mark of distinction, for, with it, it was easy to recognise him as different from others. All you needed to look out for was ‘the man with the veil’. So, when he realised that the radiance was fading away, he became afraid that the people may not again take him as seriously as they had taken him, if they should know about it. That was why he kept them in the dark about it and continued to use his veil. But his use of that veil was totally unnecessary; it was a useless ritual.
Unfortunately, at the time Paul was writing this letter, many who were living by the law of Moses were still in the dark about what had become of it and the covenant it was upholding. That covenant had been abolished by God already. So, the law and the priesthood that came with it had also been abolished and forsaken as a means of making people righteous before God. In fact, gospel account shows us that the veil separating the Most Holy place of the temple of worship from the Holy place was torn into two, from top to bottom, on the day our Lord Jesus Christ was sacrificed for the sin of humanity. This indicates that God is through with that arrangement of worship. Nevertheless, the teachers of the law of Moses would not accept the reality that God was done with all that they were doing and that the glory of their ministry was already gone. So, they kept up with all the activities prescribed by the law, activities that would not change anybody’s life or produce the righteousness God wants. In fact, they were willing to kill or die to uphold these things that were nothing but useless rituals. As such, they could not taste or experience the life that the Lord Jesus has brought to all who believe in Him. (Cf. Matt 27:50-51; Heb 8:7-13)
But the glory of the ministry of the Spirit is not like this. It is not in any external thing that we may use to impress people or to show ourselves as distinct. Rather, it consists in the unending transformation of our lives to be more and more like Christ’s. So, what makes our lives glorious is not the dress we wear, the building we use for meetings or any religious activity we may commit to. On the contrary, what makes our lives glorious is the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ in us. And the one working in us to make this happen is Lord the Spirit. Therefore, we must learn to yield ourselves to Him and rely on Him fully as our sufficiency, which is the point Paul has been making all along.
It is sad, however, that many who call themselves believers today are not walking in this light. Instead of allowing the Spirit of God to work in them and make their lives truly glorious by producing the character of Christ in them, they try to substitute this with useless religious rituals. They it is their devotion to things like preaching, teaching, singing, wearing of some religious attires, exercising of spiritual gifts, praying or studying of Scriptures that will make their lives pleasing to God. But as good as these things may be, they possess no power of their own to change our lives. The only one that can change our lives and make them truly glorious is the Holy Spirit. And until we turn to Him and rely on Him fully as our sufficiency in all things, whatever we give ourselves to, however good it may be, will soon enough become a useless ritual. This explains why there are many today who are praying, fasting, studying Scriptures and so forth but whose lives are still terribly messed up. And in order to keep people from seeing the dirt in their lives, they do more and more of these religious activities as a cover up for their lack of character and inability to demonstrate the grace of God. And as long as they are like this, they, just like the teachers of the law of Moses, will never experience the liberty of the Spirit of God from all the horrible things that have held their lives in bondage. In addition to that, a day is coming when what they call glory will be revealed to all as nothing but a sham.
CONCLUSION
Life under the new covenant is one that is lived on the basis of the activities of the Spirit of God. And it is only this kind of life that is truly glorious, not the one that tries to extract glory through mere religious activities.
QUESTIONS
– Can you make a list of the things that people do today in the church that constitute nothing but useless rituals?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com | alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS –WHO IS FIT? (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 2:12-3:6)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS –WHO IS FIT?
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 2:12-3:6
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in 2Corinthians we learnt from Paul how important it is for us to explain ourselves to people, when we fail them. People are people and not God. So, unless certain things about us are revealed to them, they will not know. And this is why we must not never assume that those we have made certain promises to should understand us, when we fail them. Instead, we should do our best to explain our failure to fulfil our word to them. This will not only help in maintaining our integrity before them, it will also help in shutting the door of our relationships against bitterness of every kind.
WHO IS FIT?
Now in the passage we are considering for this study, Paul begins to talk about the quality of ministry he and his colleagues have and the reason for their fitness in ministering the way they do. Look at the way he puts these things:
“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Cor 2:12-3:6NIV)
The first thing Paul points out to us here is that it does not matter where they are or what the circumstances of their lives may be, God is always leading them in experiences of victory. Therefore, he praises Him. The second point he raises is that God is using them to communicate His divine knowledge to people wherever they find themselves and regardless of the circumstances. And he uses the ‘Roman Triumph’, which the Corinthians are well familiar with, to illustrate this. What is this ‘Roman Triumph’ all about? Well, it is about how Roman Generals that have been victorious in their campaigns are celebrated when they come back into their city. They come back leading their captives and their soldiers into the city, with priests burning incense to their gods. And the fragrance of the incense being burnt by their priests means different things to the people in the train. To the victorious generals and their armies, the fragrance reminds them continually that they are victors that will be greatly rewarded. But to the captives of these generals, the fragrance is that of death for them – it reminds that they will soon enough be executed.
Now why was Paul saying these things and using these imageries? It was because he and his ministry partners were constantly ministering under the most difficult of situations (1Cor 4:9-13). In chapter 1 of this letter he speaks about the nature of trials they faced in the then province of Asia and how they almost gave up on living because of them. Yet, in the midst of it all, God saved them. (Cf. 2Cor 1:8-11) Then, in the passage we are now considering, he speaks about the inward restlessness he felt when he got to Troas, expecting to find his brother Titus there but did not find him. And even though a door of ministry was opened to him there, he was not at peace enough to take advantage of it. So, he left there for Macedonia, where he was confronted with more trials and challenges of faith (2Cor 7:5).
Nevertheless, in the midst of all these trials, Paul had reasons to thank God because he could see Him at work in their lives and ministries. In other words, in spite of the oppositions and persecutions they were facing everywhere they went, God was still using them and accomplishing great results through them. Their lives and ministries were not happening without affecting the world and causing men people to react either positively or negatively. That is because God was using their lives and ministries like an aroma to spread the knowledge of Himself among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. And among those who were being led to experience eternal salvation, their lives and ministries were leading them to experience more and more of the life of God. But among those who were perishing because of their rejection of Christ, their lives and ministry were a continual source of reminder to them that their lives would someday end in utter destruction, if they would not repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In like manner, if we too will look away from our challenges and trials unto God, He will always cause us to experience the victory Christ has already obtained for us. Not only that, He will use us to touch the lives of those in our world in tremendous ways. The Christian life is meant to impact his world; it is not meant to go unnoticed. He is the light of the world. He is the salt of the earth. And here in this letter Paul refers to him as the aroma of Christ. So, if he lives his life the way he is meant to live it, then, he cannot be ignored. But aren’t we being ignored by those in our world? Are our lives giving off the kind of fragrance they are meant to be giving off to those in our world? Our lives and ministries constantly leading them to the knowledge of God and reminding them something of their fate, when all has been said and done? (Cf. Matt 5:13-16)
In any case, what was responsible for the kind of victory the apostle and his ministry partners experienced everywhere they went? What makes someone fit for this kind of life that thrives in the midst of adversity, without having to twist or corrupt the word of God? Or how is someone able to live for God and minister in the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances and still see lives being saved and changed day after day through what he is doing? And this was the situation with Paul and his colleagues. Tremendous things were still happening through them in the lives of many around the world, even though life was not making easy for them at all. In fact, as he notes here in the passage, these Corinthian Christians themselves were a proof that God was doing tremendous things through them. So, they did not even need to talk about it to anybody; neither did they need anybody to write letters of recommendation for them to take with them to anywhere in order for people to accept them as true ministers of Christ. What the Spirit of God had done with the lives of these brethren in Corinth was a letter on its own that anybody anywhere could read concerning what the grace of God could accomplish in people’s lives (1Co 6:9-11).
But how was this possible, which is the point Paul is getting at in this passage? How were ordinary people like Paul, Silas, Timothy and the rest of his team able to touch people’s lives in this manner, despite the fact that they lived and ministered under very difficult circumstances? Was it because they were smart, courageous, highly intelligent, highly educated, prayerful or tenacious? Was there any special quality in them that made them fit for this kind of feat? As Paul clearly shows us, there was nothing in them that qualified or made them fit to be able to live and get the kinds of results they were getting. The one that qualified and made them fit to function the way they did was God Himself.
Therefore, he says, “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Corinthians 3:4-6NIV) Did you see that? The competence, sufficiency, adequacy and fitness of these men to function the way they did and get tremendous results, even under the most difficult circumstances, came from God. He was the one that made them competent, able, fit ministers of the gospel. And He did this by His Holy Spirit whom He put in them. So, they were not relying on anything of the flesh to be effective in living and ministering. And their ministry was beyond just reading scriptures to people, as the law of Moses was continually read to the Jews. The Spirit of God Himself was actively involved in everything they did, blessing and changing lives through it.
This is why they could not take credit for their success and effectiveness in living to please God and in ministering to bless lives. They could not give the credit to their devotion to prayers or the word of God; neither could they give the credit to their patience, humility or any act of righteousness of their own. That was because they knew that everything came from God.
Now have we too realised that the only source of competence we have in living godly lives and serving God effectively in whatever situation we find ourselves is God? Until we realise this and begin to walk in its consciousness, there is no way our lives can produce the kind of fruit God wants them to produce.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of the circumstances we are faced with in life, we can always have an experience of victory in living to please God and in being used by Him to bless those in our world in tremendous ways. And all we need for this to be so is to continually fix our gaze on Him and not on our trials and to see Him as our sufficiency in all things.
QUESTIONS
– Why is it difficult for many to see God as their sufficiency in all things?
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS – EXPLAIN YOURSELF (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1:12-2:11)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS –EXPLAIN YOURSELF
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1:12-2:11
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (ENGLISH)
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
One main lesson of our last study in 2Corinthians is that though the Christian is not immune from life’s trials, he has an immediate and adequate source of comfort to handle whatever trial or challenge he may be faced with in life. And who is the source of this immediate and adequate comfort? It is God our Father. He is, as Paul tells us in this letter, the Father of all comfort. So, if you need any form of comfort in your life, don’t try to extract it from men, things or institutions, for they will all fail you; instead, draw it from God. And one main way to do this is to take your prayer life seriously and to take advantage of the prayer support of other believers as often as you can. This was the way Paul and his fellow ministers functioned. So, not only did they continually receive God’s comfort in all their troubles, they were also strengthened to be able to comfort others too in whatever trouble they might be in with the same comfort they were receiving from God. And if we too will function in the same manner, we also will soon enough become comforters in our world.
EXPLAIN YOURSELF
Now, in the section of this letter we want to consider for this study, Paul begins to dwell on one of his major reasons for writing the letter, which is to offer an explanation to these brethren in Corinth for his failure to fulfil his promise to them. And what was this promise? It was that of paying them a visit to encourage them in the way of the Lord and to set right some of the things that were wrong in their midst. But why did he fail to fulfil this promise? That is what he deals with in the passage before us. And he deals with it for two main reasons. The first is to let these brethren know that it is not in his character not to fulfil his promise to people. So, if he makes a promise and fails to fulfil it, there must be a genuine reason for it.
The second reason Paul decides to explain himself to these brethren is to let them know he would never take them for granted or lord it over their faith. In other words, it was not because this apostle wanted to do as he pleased, whether the brethren were hurt by it or not, that he failed to fulfil his promise to them. Rather, it was because he had their best interest at heart that he changed his plans of visiting them. And look at the way he puts it:
“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.” (2Cor 1:12-2:4NIV)
From what Paul says here, it is clear that he and his ministry partners were always careful to relate to those in their lives in the holiness and sincerity that come from God. So, they were not manipulative and crafty individuals, who would tell people that they would do things that they had no intention of doing. Rather, they were truthful children and servants of Christ. And as he further points out, the Lord Jesus Christ they preached to the Corinthians is not a crafty individual; He is not a ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ person. Rather, in Him God’s ‘Yes’ is ‘Yes’, and His ‘No’ is ‘No’. This, of course, agrees with our Lord’s own words, which say, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matt 5:37NIV) So, we can confidently trust Him to make all His promises good to us, including that of coming to take us to be with Him in His everlasting kingdom. This is, in fact, why He has anointed us with His Holy Spirit, as a deposit guaranteeing that He will surely come to us at the appointed time.
Furthermore, from what Paul says in this passage, we can see that even though he changed his plan of visiting the Corinthians, as he had promised, it was in everybody’s best interest that he did so. Why did he want to visit them in the first place? As we see in the letter, it was basically to deal with a problem that had arisen among them. Evidently, one of them had done something that upset the whole church (2Cor 2:5). Exactly what he did, we are not told. Maybe it was his case that Paul refers to in 1Corinthians 5, the case of a brother having sexual affairs with his father’s wife. It is difficult to say.
At any rate, what the man did so upset the church that Paul initially felt there was a need for him to go to Corinth and personally deal with the case on his way to Macedonia. But then, as he further considered what this visit would do to the brethren and to him as well, he decided not to go again but to write a letter to them instead. His feeling was that there was no way he would pay them this visit and not hurt them with the rod of discipline. And if he should hurt them in this way, he would be hurting the very people that were supposed to be comforting him. So, as was his custom, he wrote to them a very simple and easy to understand letter (2Cor 1:13). This is to let us know that all of the letters we have in the New Testament part of the bible were not written by the apostles to impress the brethren or to show them how knowledgeable and anointed they were. Rather, they were written with great consideration for those who would receive them and learn from them. And that is in keeping with the way our Lord Jesus Christ preached and taught those who came to Him. He taught them only to the degree that they could understand Him (Mark 4:33).
Unfortunately, many of our preachers today don’t preach with consideration for the ability of their audience to comprehend what they are saying. It is either they are preaching to impress their listeners and blow their minds with heavy theological words and phrases or they are preaching just to fulfil all righteousness. Whatever the case is, their focus is not to preach to accomplish God’s purpose in the lives of His people. And this explains why we have so many people today that attend church meetings week after week but who are still illiterates, as far as the things of God are concerned.
In any case, though Paul’s intention was to minimise the impact of the discipline he wanted to give the brethren in Corinth by not visiting them but writing to them, his letter still ended up hurting them. And that was because he wrote to them out of a painful and distressed heart. Thankfully, as we will later see in this letter, that letter accomplished to a great degree what that apostle desired. It caused the brethren to earnestly act to set what was wrong in their midst right. In other words, they called the erring brother to order. In fact, the punishment they inflicted on him was so great that Paul, in this letter, had to plead on his behalf for them to forgive and show him compassion. Why? It was so that Satan would not take advantage of the situation and totally ruin the brother’s life or deceive others to be hiding their sins for fear of what the brethren might do to them, if they should find out. (Cf. 2Cor 2:5-11)
What lessons, then, are there for us in all of this? The first is that we must learn to conduct ourselves truthfully and according to godly wisdom in all our relationships. No telling of lies. No making of promises we have no intention of keeping. That is not the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, let us avoid it. The second lesson is that we must learn to explain ourselves as clearly as possible when we fail people. Don’t say, “He should understand that I did not mean to hurt him.” Instead, make him understand why you ended up hurting him, though you did not plan to do so. People are not God. So, unless God reveals certain things to them about us, they will not know. So, if there are things that require that we explain ourselves to people, we should endeavour to do so. That way, we can shut the door against all forms of bitterness among us.
Third, whatever the measure of authority God has given us over people may be, we must not let them have the impression that we don’t care about their feelings at all in the way we exercise it. Even when we mean well, we should be careful not to use our authority to ruin a great relationship. God gives us authority to build people up, not to destroy them, as Paul would later tell us in this letter (2Cor 10:8&13:10). Therefore, each time we use our authority without consideration for what it does to people, we are abusing it. And the one who gave it to us will someday hold us accountable for how we have used it.
Another thing we learn from this passage is to look beyond what is said to us or done to us by others in every case where discipline is involved. There are times that people may hurt us while trying to correct or rebuke us. Instead, of looking only at the pains their actions are bringing to us, we should also look at the merits of what they are doing. If they are right about us, then, we should change our ways, regardless of how bad they may make us feel. The Corinthians acted on Paul’s words of rebuke and set things right in their midst, though those words hurt them badly. And that is a mark of spirituality. So, if you want to know one who is truly spiritual, one of the marks is a willingness to accept correction or rebuke in meekness, even when the means through which it has come is faulty or painful.
CONCLUSION
For our fellowship with one another in the church to grow in richness and vitality, we must endeavour to relate to one another in sincerity and holiness and also deal with every form of misunderstanding among us. This is the way to build a truly spiritual assembly that God can always count on for the fulfilment of His good purpose here on earth.
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
August 2020
2CORINTHIANS –WE HAVE A COMFORTER (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1:1-11)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 26TH AUGUST 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS –WE HAVE A COMFORTER
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1:1-11
MEMORY VERSES: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:17-18NIV)
BACKGROUND
2Corinthians opens with Paul introducing himself and Timothy as the authors of the letter (2Cor 1:1). And he includes Timothy’s name to remind the brethren in Corinth that he considers the young man not just as his son in the Christian faith but also as his fellow minister in Christ Jesus. So, the views expressed in the letter are not just his but also Timothy’s, indicating that are functioning in the same spirit, with unity of mind and purpose. Then, in introducing himself, he makes it clear that he is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God (2Cor 1:1). So, he has not doubt about the roles he is to play as a member of the body of Christ and also about the fact that he has not appointed himself to be what he is in the church – God appointed him and set him in his place. (Cf. Acts 13:1-4, 15:28 & 26:12-19)
We also should be able to say the same thing about ourselves. We should be able to say that we are whatever we are in the church and are occupying whatever position we are occupying today by the will of God. Yes, men may have commissioned us to act in certain capacities in the church. But have they done so by the will of God? Does it please the Holy Spirit as well for us to be doing whatever we are doing in the church today or is it only men that are pleased? If the place we are occupying in the church today is not the one God has set us in, then, whatever use that place to do is our own thing – we will not receive any reward from God for it
In any case, Paul introduces himself to the Corinthian brethren as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will of God in order to let them know that all that he has done and that he is doing are not his ideas. He did not choose himself to be an apostle and to be preaching around the way he has been doing. He has been chosen and sent by God to do these things. So, it will be in their interest to take him, his words and his works very seriously.
WE HAVE A COMFORTER
Now 2Corinthians, as I pointed out in my introduction to it, is a letter that reveals a number of things about Paul’s view of life and ministry under the new covenant. And the very first one of those things is that being a believer or a preacher does not immune us from life’s challenges in any way. We are going to have our own share of them. In fact, there are certain additional challenges that we will be faced with because we are Christians.
Nevertheless, regardless of how terrible or insurmountable those challenges may be, we have a source of comfort and strength to overcome them, which the world knows nothing about. We have God as our Father and Comforter. And if we will allow Him, He will not only take care of us in all our troubles but also equip us to be able to take care of others in all their troubles. Just look at the way Paul puts these things:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2Cor 1:3-7NIV)
Look at that. Sufferings are not things we can totally avoid or run away from in this world. Even our Lord Jesus Himself says, “In this world, you will have trouble. But cheer up, for I have overcome the world.” (Cf. John 16:33) So, we should not be surprised when all kinds of trials and challenges begin to flow into our lives because we are living in this world or because we are Christians. What we, however, need to watch is that we are not the ones foolishly inviting troubles into our lives by living lives that are contrary to the will of God for us. Whatever suffering we receive as a result of that will not be Christian suffering but self-inflicted suffering. (Cf. 1Pet 2:19-20 &4:12-16)
In any case, whatever the distress or discomfort or suffering we are confronted with may be and regardless of how it has come to us, we can also receive comfort to handle it from God. That is one main thing Paul wants us to hold on to. And it is one main thing that we need in order to go through this life and not lose it. God is not just a Father; He is also a comforter. In fact, He is referred to in this passage by Paul as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. So, first, we can expect Him to show us compassion when we are faced with difficult times and it looks like we are going to be utterly destroyed. Second, we can expect Him to come to our aid and comfort us in ways that we will know that we have been comforted in all (not some) of our trials. Third, we can expect Him to so comfort us that we too will begin to spread His comfort to others around us, regardless of what troubles they are faced with. So, with Him in our lives, we can actually rule and reign over all the trials of this life. That is one of the things that Paul discovered about Him. And I do hope you too have discovered this same thing about Him?
But then, why does God sometimes allow us to be faced with trials of life in the first place? At least, He has the power to keep any kind of trial from coming into our lives. Yet He does not always keep them from flowing into our lives but allows them. Why? Paul answers this for us, as he briefly intimates the Corinthians about the nature of trials he and his companions faced while living and ministering in the province of Asia. He says:
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2Cor 1:8-11NIV)
Look at that. The hardships that Paul and his companions faced when they were in Asia were so intense that they felt the sentence of death in them. But why did God allow them to face such? As Paul explains, He allowed it so that they would learn not to rely on themselves but on Him alone. Think about that. If we are not faced with certain difficulties in life, we may totally forget that we have no power or wisdom of our own to handle anything in life and make it worthwhile for us. Even when we are conducting our lives in righteousness and truth, it still does not guarantee that certain trials will not show up in our lives, for it is not our righteousness that keeps these things away from us but God Himself. So, as we are faced with them, we are reminded again and again that we have God and that there is nothing too difficult for Him to handle.
What we are saying is that every trial of life, great or small, is meant to drive us to God, the source of all strength and comfort. And if our life’s issues do not drive us to Him, then, our so-called faith in Him is questionable. The challenges that Paul and his ministry companions faced in Asia drove them to trust God more and more for their lives and safety. And they were not failed or disappointed by Him. So, they were able to trust Him to continue to rescue them, regardless of what future trials they may still face. That means if we also learn to trust God today with our lives, we are building a foundation to be able to trust Him with them tomorrow.
Now, in closing his thoughts on Christian suffering and God’s adequate and immediate comfort to deal with it, Paul shows us one major way to receive the comfort of God, which is through prayer. Look at how he puts it: “On God we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (Cf. 2Cor 1:10-11) How will they continue to receive God’s deliverance? It is through prayers, their own prayers and the prayers of other believers. So, if you ever need comfort in any area of your life, and who doesn’t need it, then, pray to God. And He will surely comfort you, for Paul says, “He comforts us in all our troubles.” That means He does not discriminate at all about when to comfort us. He is devoted to comforting us in all our troubles, whether they are great or small.
Then also learn to engage the prayer support of other believers. From what Paul says to the Corinthians, it is clear that he does not take lightly at all the prayer support of the brethren. He is unlike some preachers of today who think they are too anointed to receive the prayer support of their brethren. And he is also unlike some believers of today who think they have no need of the fellowship of the brethren, not to talk of their prayer support. On the contrary, he makes it clear to us in this part of his letter we are considering that the prayers of other people of God for us can make a certain measures of His favour available to us, which may not be otherwise made available. So, while you cannot use other believers’ prayers as a substitute for your own prayers, it is still very important that you do not minimise the relevance of their prayer support in your life. Don’t try to fight every battle of life alone. You belong in a family. It is called the household of faith. So, learn to take advantage of the faith and prayer support of members of this family in your moments of need. And thanksgiving will surely overflow to God on your behalf, that is, in answer to the prayers of many.
CONCLUSION
The Christian life is as much a life of struggle as the life of an unbeliever. However, the Christian has God as his ever-present Father, Companion and Comforter. So, regardless of what struggles he has to deal with in life, there will always be comfort for him not just to handle them but to also help others too with their own struggles. But to continually access this comfort, he must learn to trust God absolutely in all things, pray continually and take advantage of the fellowship of the brethren.
QUESTIONS
– How real to you is the fact that God is a comforter?
– What lessons did you learn from Paul’s view of the trials he faced in life?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
2CORINTHIANS – LIFE AND MINISTRY UNDER THE NEW COVENANT (TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1-13)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST 2020
TOPIC: 2CORINTHIANS – LIFE AND MINISTRY UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
TEXT: 2CORINTHIANS 1-13
MEMORY VERSES:
INTRODUCTION TO 2CORINTHIANS
Of all the letters of Paul that we have in the bible, there is none that reveals the secret of his effectiveness as a Christian, the source of his motivation and the kind of challenges he encountered as a new covenant minister like 2Corinthians. So, the letter is more of an abridged form of this man’s autobiography. And it serves as a template for us of how life is to be lived and ministry carried out under the new covenant.
Now 2Corinthians, unlike many have thought, was not the second letter of this man of God to the Corinthians. 1Corinthians, which many of us now take to be his first letter to the Corinthians, would actually be his second letter to them. That is because he himself in that letter says this: “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people…” (1Cor 5:9NIV) So, he had earlier written a letter to these brethren, which we do not have, before he wrote 1Corinthians.
If 2Corinthians, then, was not Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, and it wasn’t, then, can we safely say that it must have been his third letter to them? No! But why? Well, it is because from what he says in the letter, we can infer that he wrote to them yet another letter after he had written 1Corinthians in which he said things that seemed to really hurt these brethren and made them take steps towards purifying the church of the mess in her at the time. (Cf. 2Cor 2:1-4 & 7:8-12) So, 2Corinthians would actually be his fourth letter to the Corinthian brethren.
But then, I need to let you know that it is not the number that this letter takes in Paul’s correspondences that we are after but the things that the Spirit of God intends to teach us through it. Anybody is free to challenge what I have stated here about the number this letter takes in Paul’s writings to the Corinthians and believe otherwise. But inasmuch as the person embraces the lessons of the letter and commits themselves to acting on them, God will be glorified in them and through them. So, as we begin our studies in the letter, let your focus be on learning and practising the things the Spirit of God wants all of God’s children to know through it. And I pray that you will be enabled by God Himself to understand and make the most of all that He will be teaching us through the letter in the next few weeks in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now there are three main divisions in this letter. In the first division, Paul briefly opens up to the brethren about the challenges and trials he and his ministry partners faced in Asia, where they had ministered for about three years, and how God rescued them from them all (2Cor 1:1-11). Then he goes on to explain to them the reason he failed to keep his word about visiting them to them and what specific things he would have them do before he finally comes. And he does this so that they will not think he is abusing the authority he has over them as their apostle and leader. (Cf. 2Cor 1:12-2:11) Finally, in this division, Paul shares extensively with the Corinthians the secret of effective Christian living and ministry, the nature of our ministry as believers, the ground for our courage, the ground for our motivation and how we are to treat the grace of God. (Cf. 2Cor 2:12-7-16)
In the second division of 2Corinthians, Paul addresses the brethren about their love gifts to other people of God that are in need. And as he does this, he takes some space to show them a number of very important things about the character of Christian giving. How should the Christian give? What should be his focus when he is giving? What kind of giving is acceptable to God? What is Christian giving meant to accomplish among God’s people? And what will Christian giving motivate or inspire the brethren to do? These are the questions that Paul raises and answers in this division. (Cf. 2Cor 8-9)
The third and last division of this letter is devoted by Paul to warn some of these brethren to stop taking him and his ministry lightly. As we will see when we come to this division, there are certain members of the Corinthian church that think of Paul as an overrated or second-class apostle. They think he does not qualify to exercise apostolic authority over them because he is inferior to some other apostles, false apostles actually, that have come to minister among them. So, he uses this last division of this letter to defend the integrity of his apostleship to these brethren by telling them some of the things he would most likely have never experienced or witnessed in life, if he had not been an apostle. He also uses it to show them the nature of authority God has given him over them and his personal devotion to using it to accomplish His desired results. (Cf. 2Cor 10-13)
So, in the next couple of weeks, those are the things we are going to be examining together as we study this book. And I encourage you to keep your mind open and eager to learn, as we do this, so that the Spirit of God will be able to minister adequately to you all that He has in mind for you. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you forever. Amen.
OUTLINE
DIVISION 1:
- Introduction to 2Corinthians (2Corinthians 1-13)
- We have a comforter (2Corinthians 1:1-11)
- Explain yourself (2Corinthians 1:12-2:11)
- Who is fit? (2Corinthians 2:12-3:6)
- The ministry of the Spirit (2Corinthians 3:7-18)
- A minister’s motivation (2Corinthians 4-5)
- Ministers you can trust (2Corinthians 6-7:4)
- Two kinds of sorrow (2Corinthians 7:5-16)
DIVISION 2
- The character of Christian giving (2Corinthians 8-9)
DIVISION 3
- The basis of a leader’s authority (2Corinthians 10)
- Don’t make your leader angry (2Corinthians 11-12)
- Examine yourself (2Corinthians 13)
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
WHAT WILL BE YOUR PROFIT? (TEXT: MATTHEW 16:24-27)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST 2020
TOPIC: WHAT WILL BE YOUR PROFIT?
TEXT: MATTHEW 16:24-27
MEMORY VERSES: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26NIV)
BACKGROUND
What is life to you? What do you seek to obtain in it? Everyone that has come of age in this life wants something from it. Some want wealth. Some want position. Some want fame. Some want power. Some want children. Some want pleasure. Some want knowledge. And what people want out of life is what motivates them to do the things they do. But what a lot don’t really consider is whether what they want out of life is really something that they will be able to hold on to forever or not. They don’t ask themselves, “Will what I want in life be true profit for me someday or not, or will it just be nothing, smoke, gas, nothing of worth?” If what I am labouring for and running after to gain in this world ends up becoming nothing, then, I will have wasted my life and effort. It might even be said that I should not have lived at all. So, it will be wise of me to make certain that all my labour and quest in this life do not amount to nothing. And that is the Lord’s message to us in the portion of the book of Matthew, chapter 16, which we are considering for this study.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR PROFIT?
As a background, the Lord Jesus Christ has been rebuking Peter, one of His apostles, for taking a stand against what God intends to accomplish through His death. Evidently, this apostle is ignorant of the fact that it is only by dying that the Lord will be able to save mankind and redeem God’s entire creation, so that God’s new order of things might be introduced. His own thought is that everything about the kingdom the Lord Jesus has been talking about is of this earth. And if that is the case, then, His death does him and the other disciples no good at all. So, he tries to talk Him out death talks. But the Lord does not take that lightly at all. He knows that it is Satan that is speaking through Peter and trying to make Him act contrary to His very reason for being here on earth. So, He rebukes him sharply, saying, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me…” And we too must learn to adopt the same response in dealing with anyone or anything that is trying to mess up with our mind and lead us away from our very purpose for existing. (Cf. Matt 16:21-23)
In any case, having rebuked Satan and sent him away from using Peter to talk Him, the Lord began to show His disciples that their main focus must never be on gaining this world, which is bound to perish, but on gaining God’s eternal kingdom. And this will only happen when they follow Him and take up whatever cross of suffering they need to bear, even if it is that of losing their lives, in order to truly profit from their living in this world. Look how He puts it:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”” (Matt 16:24-27NIV)
From what the Lord says here, it is clear that He recognises life as a business in which one is expected to make profit or gain from. And since life is a business, it certainly involves labour. But the Lord’s concern here is not about our labour in life but about what comes out of it. What will all these things we are doing amount to at the end of everything? All our quest to become this and that and to have this and that, what will they amount to at the end of everything? Will our labour be truly profitable? Are we really going to receive reward that we can enjoy throughout eternity from all that we are doing? Do we even believe there is eternity? Do we believe that life does not end here in this world? These are the questions that the Lord intends to stir up in His disciples and in us too with the statements He makes in the text above.
At any rate, He wants us to know that is possible to make a waste of our lives. Yes, it is possible for our labour on the business of life to amount to nothing, even if we gain this whole world. And it will amount to nothing, if we lose our souls in the process of wanting to gain this world. Look, as the bible abundantly makes clear, while our souls are eternal and will stand before God to receive their rewards someday, this present world that we see is not going to be forever. It is going to be destroyed someday by God, and all the activities in it will end. So, it is absolutely impossible to have it as our profit. (Cf. Heb 1:10-12; 2Pet 3:10-12)
Not only that, regardless of what we become in this world and how much of the things in it we get for ourselves, there is nothing of it that we can take out of it with us. The bible is clear about this, and our experience too confirms it. Naked we come into the world and naked we will go out of it. We cannot take our titles, influence, wealth, knowledge, fame, relationships or bodies out of it. We are going to leave everything here, showing that nothing we possess in this world is truly ours; everything is a gift from God to us. This is also showing us that there is nothing we labour to possess, own or become in this world that can be taken as profit or gain for us. Everything will someday be taken away from us, just as we will be taken away from everything. (Cf. Ps 49:16-19; Ecc 5:15-16; Rom 2:5-10; 1Cor 4:5; 1Tim 6:7)
Since this, then, is the case with this world and living in it, how do we profit from living in it? How do we handle the business of living and not make a waste of our lives and everything? Remember that the Lord already tells us that there is no profit for a man that gains this whole world, a world that cannot really be gained, and loses his soul. Also, He already tells us that there is nothing of this world that we can give in exchange for our souls. That is because, as I pointed out before, our souls are eternal but this world is not. So, there is nothing of this world that can buy our souls or keep them from perishing – nothing given is ever going to be enough (Ps 49:7-9).
The only way, then, for our souls to be saved and have profit from living in this world is for us to give them to God, the owner of our lives, the world we live in and everything else (Ps 24:1). He is the only One that can redeem us and also teach us how to live and do things that will result in eternal profit for us. And He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, for this very purpose. He sent Him to pay the price for our souls and to also show us how to live in this world and profit from doing so (Rom 3:23-26; 1Pet 1:18-19). So, if we are going to profit from living, we must embrace Him. Yes, we must take Him as our profit, even if it is going to mean losing our lives and everything else in the world. That is because a loss of our lives or anything else that is of this world is really no loss at all, if we have gained Jesus. You can now see why He says the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. But the one who tries to save his life by winning this world will someday realise that he has lost it. (Cf. Phil 3:7-10)
Now do you want to gain your life or lose it? Do you really want to stand before your maker someday and win His praise and reward for a life well lived? If you do, then, take the Lord Jesus Christ very seriously. Take His instructions about true living very seriously and live in the light of them, even though doing so may cost you the whole world or even your life. This is what you are made for; this is what true living is all about.
CONCLUSION
Solomon, the wisest man that lived here on earth before He came, searched and searched with all the wisdom God gave him to find out the meaning of life, to know for himself what man ought to give himself to and profit from life. And look at his conclusion: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.” (Eccl 12:13NIV) Think about this. Our main duty, our main business in this life is not to acquire wealth, position, knowledge, fame or anything else. Rather, it is to fear God and live on the basis of His word. This is what being human is all about. And if this is not what our lives is all about, then, we are not living as humans ought to live – we are simply wasting our lives. Yes, we may be rich, powerful, famous, influential, knowledgeable and so forth. But if all that we do and acquire are not handled in the light of living to please God, we are wasting our lives and will have no profit or reward from God for them. And I pray that it does not get too late for us to know that this is our reality.
QUESTION
– In what ways has this study blessed you?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
DON’T ASSUME - DEAL WITH THE ROOTS! (TEXT: HEBREWS 12:15 & 2CORINTHIANS 7:1)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 5TH AUGUST 2020
TOPIC: DON’T ASSUME – DEAL WITH THE ROOTS!
TEXT: HEBREWS 12:15 & 2CORINTHIANS 7:1
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” (HEBREWS 12:15)
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2CORINTHIANS 7:1)
Our opening text has keywords that we are familiar with today – Grace, Bitterness, Defilement and Diligence. It also leaves us with a probing question ‘Can we fail of the grace of God?’ While some people are of the opinion that ‘Once Saved is Forever Saved’ – Eternal Security – and that nothing the believer does or refuses to do can change his eternal status, texts such as these bring us to a point that forces us to carefully weigh our affirmations in the light of the whole counsel of God. Apostle Paul in his letters to the Saints – believers washed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb – in the passages above, draws our attention to three key facts, which we will consider, using a case study:
- The possibility of believers being defiled.
- The possibility of believers failling of the grace of God.
- The believer’s responsibility to carefully guide against all these by: Looking diligently; Regular Self-Examination and Cleansing; Taking advantage of the Word of God, the weapon of Prayer and The counsel of other brethren.
CASE STUDY – MOSES
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1Cor 10:11)
Let us look a bit diligently into the life of Moses, that great Leader of God’s people. From the scriptures, we can gather the following facts from the life of Moses:
1. HUMILITY AND GENTLENESS (NUMBERS 12:3)
The Meekest of all the Men which were upon the face of the earth in his days! He was really gentle and humble.
2. FAITHFULNESS (NUMBERS 12:7)
The Lord himself attested to the fact that Man Moses is a Faithful man – Steadfast and trustworthy!
3. AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (NUM 12:8)
The Lord affirmed that with Moses, He speaks mouth to mouth!
4. A MAN OF GREAT GRACE (EXODUS 33:12)
He was an Intercessor and there are other enviable characteristics which can be seen in the life of Moses! He was the Man God used to wrought several miracles in Egypt – the ten plagues (Exodus 7-11) – The crossing the red sea (Exodus 14) – The rain of Manna (Exodus 16) — Water from the Rock (Exodus 17) e.t.c. What a great Man!
THE ROOTS
5. HE OFTENTIMES TAKES THE POSITION OF GOD OVER THE PEOPLE (passing judgement on God’s behalf/ Fighting For God – Exodus 2:11-15)
“And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.” (Exo 2:12)
When we look at this passage we can deduce a few points.
a) He is a man of hot Anger
b) He slew the Egyptian – that was murder!
c) He hid him in the sand – he covered His acts of sin.
d) He continued to live life normally as if nothing happened, though he had done something wrong.
Oh, that was before He had an encounter with God, Yes, but these four roots, undealt with, continued to pervade his whole life even after years of his encounter and walk with God.
Exodus 32: 19-28
1) His Anger waxed hot vs 19
2) Took the Calf, burnt it, grinded it, poured it upon the face of the waters, then made the children of Israel to drink it.
3) Ordered the Massacre of THREE thousand Men!
4) He acted on God’s behalf – He gave the order for the Massacre using God’s authority. But where was it recorded that God spoke to Moses in verse 27?
5) He broke the Table of Covenants
6) He went ahead to intercede on behalf of the people but over what He has done…No! He probably saw no need for that! He continued to relate with God normally as if nothing has happened!
– The Lord made it clear that the judgment Moses passed on the people was not from Him! In verses 34-35 – We saw that God’s intended Judgment was to bring a Plague upon the people, which he eventually did!
– He broke the two tablets of commandments in anger, did he in any way apologise for doing that? But do you also know God noted it? (Exodus 34:1)
6. HE TOOK THE GRACE OF GOD FOR GRANTED / OVER FAMILIARITY WITH GOD
– He saw God’s judgment fall on a few instances, which could have served as a caution or warning for Him.
– He could have taken caution from the death of Aaron’s children – legally anointed priests (Lev 10:6-7). But did he actually believe that God can do that to him? He is presumably above the law!
– What of Miriam’s leprosy in Numbers 12:13 – he could have learnt from that too…
– What of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’s Rebellion in Numbers 16:16-32… the earth opened up and swallowed up all they had – lives, properties, everything!
GRACED, YET HE FAILED
NUMBERS 20: 8-12
“…and the Lord said…speak ye unto the rock before their eyes and it shall bring forth ‘his water’… and with his rod, he smote the rock twice…”
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
“…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled…”
The roots he refused to deal with sprang up and eventually left him defiled! But for God’s mercy…these roots He left unattended to, these roots he ignored, these roots he believed grace covers… he was hell bound. These things not only cost him the promised land physically but also wanted to take his eternity with God away from him. The devil was laying claims to the body of a renowned God’s general – to put in our contemporary setting!
“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 1:9)
What are the roots you have ignored, covered, given excuses for over the years and in the course of your spiritual walk with God? Is it bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, pride, arrogance, unwillingness to submit to authority, love of Money or lust? Whatever they may be, they must be dealt with!
CONCLUSION
Regular Self-Examination and Cleansing, Taking advantage of the Word of God, The weapon of Prayer and The counsel of other brethren are powerful channels that God has provided to help believers deal with these roots! Avail yourself of them.
QUESTION
What have you learnt from this study?
By Emmanuel Babalola
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
July 2020
GOD’S COMMANDS OR MAN’S TRADITIONS TEXT: MATTHEW 15:1-20
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY 2020
TOPIC: GOD’S COMMANDS OR MAN’S TRADITIONS
TEXT: MATTHEW 15:1-20
MEMORY VERSES: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (Matt 15:8-9NIV)
BACKGROUND
One of the things believers must be careful of is that of replacing the word of God with human traditions. Are human traditions altogether bad or evil? No! Traditions are practices that people have tested over a long period of time and have embraced to be acceptable and proper for them to live by. We may also want to call them culture. And from place to place, they sometimes vary. But one common thing about them, regardless of the place where they are entrenched, is that people have embraced them to be the proper way to do things or say things. So, anyone that acts contrary to them is seen as rebellious or stubborn. And such people may incur the wrath of those who strictly adhere to whatever tradition they have broken or violated, depending on the strength of the tradition in that given society.
Now while, as I pointed out before, there are many good and commendable traditions from one society to another, they must not be valued more than people’s lives or God’s word. Wherever people take their traditions more seriously than life itself or more than God, the author of life, all kinds of evil will definitely be seen there. And this is one of the things our Lord Jesus Christ made it a business to teach to the religious leaders of His earthly days. Like in every other place in the world, these Jews also had their own traditions, which are, for the most part, moral, good and acceptable. However, their leaders had a major problem, which was that of often taking these traditions more seriously than people’s lives and even the word of God. One of such instances is what we have in the passage we are considering for this study, which, in part, reads:
“Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'”” (Matt 15:1-11NIV)
GOD’S COMMANDS OR MAN’S TRADITIONS
From what we see in the passage above, it is clear that the religious leaders of the Jews of Jesus’ days took the traditions of the land very seriously. And was anything wrong with that? No, nothing was wrong with it, inasmuch as such traditions were good and consistent with the righteousness of God. But in the case above, we see that though the tradition they were trying to uphold was not bad in itself, their attitude towards upholding it was wrong.
Now what was the tradition in question? It is that of giving a ceremonial washing to one’s hands before eating. That means it is customary for them to wash their hands before they eat at all, whether those hands are dirty or not. And is it not a good thing for one to treat his hands this way? It is a good thing. In fact, it is hygienic. But to try to make this a rule for everybody or to attempt to condemn anybody as unacceptable to God for not so treating his own hands is a problem. And that is the point the Lord Jesus wants these Jewish leaders to get. He wants them to know that hygiene rules are not synonymous to spiritual rules. Someone may break hygiene rules and still be right with God. Yet another may keep all the hygiene rules in the world and still not have God’s approval, which is the case with many of these religious leaders.
As the Lord further explains to His disciples in the passage before us, the kind of food people eat or do not eat does not aid their relationship with God or destroy it. That is because food is simply something that goes into the body and then comes out of it after the body has utilised what is useful in it. So, it is incapable of defiling man or making him holy. What defiles a man or makes him approved of God is the state of his heart. If our hearts are full of evil and wicked thoughts, we get defiled and miss God’s approval. That is because those evil thoughts are what we will ultimately carry out (Luke 6:45). But if our hearts are full of righteous and godly thoughts, we are able to walk in the purity of God and receive His praise. (Cf. Matt 15:10-20)
Therefore, we must look away from what we eat or do not eat in defining our relationship with God and focus on matters of the heart. Is that to say we should not be concerned at all about what we put into our mouths? No! We need to be concerned about what we eat and drink, for these will certainly affect our health conditions to one degree or the other. However, food, in general, does define our relationship with God (1Cor 8:8). So, while it is important that we are hygienic in the way we handle what we eat and drink, we should not let this overtake our devotion to God.
The religious leaders of the Jews in the days of our Lord Jesus Christ were radical in handling the traditions of their elders. But they were not as radical in upholding the word of God. In fact, as the Lord points out, they would rather uphold those traditions than uphold the commands of God, wherever they ran contrary to one another. So, it was evident that though they claimed devotion to God with their mouths, their hearts were very far away from Him.
In like manner, there are many who claim devotion to God today but whose hearts are far from Him. Such people are ready to go to any extent to defend their church traditions and crucify anyone who acts contrary to them. But when it comes to defending the integrity of word of God and acting on it, they will not show up. In fact, like the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day, where the word of God runs contrary to their traditions, traditions that they benefit from, where His word threatens to take away certain undue privileges and honour they have been enjoying through their traditions, it is their traditions that they will uphold. And that is when you will begin to hear things like, “Let us put the bible aside. This is our culture here.”
Now we too may start asking ourselves, “How much of our church traditions and practices are consistent with the will of God? Are we even willing to examine them in the light of His word?” To say the fact, what should define what becomes a tradition or culture among us is the word of God. The word of God represents the will of God for us. And until all our so-called traditions are founded on His word, our devotion to them will not earn us His praise.
More so, what God is really concerned about is the devotion of our hearts to Him, not our traditions. Our traditions may be good and acceptable. But are we practising them – out a heart that is after pleasing God or just to outwardly conform to people’s expectations?
CONCLUSION
In any case, let us remember these words of the Lord to the disciples of old on this matter, “Every plant my Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” (Cf. Matt 15:13) In other words, whether we like it or not, a time is coming and has now come, when God will uproot from the midst of His people all the worthless doctrines and traditions they have held on to and show them how unprofitable their devotion to these things have been.
QUESTION
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM (TEXT: MATTHEW 20:1-16)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 22ND JULY 2020
TOPIC: THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM
TEXT: MATTHEW 20:1-16
MEMORY VERSES: “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” (1Cor 3:5-9NIV)
BACKGROUND
Among the parables of our Lord Jesus Christ is the one that speaks about a landowner that went out one day to hire people to work in his vineyard. And this story, as the Lord points out, is to teach us certain valuable lessons about the work of the kingdom of Heaven. Anyone, therefore, who is involved in this work or that seeks to be involved in it needs to take it very seriously. This is so that he will understand how God views the work of His kingdom and those who are doing it and how He intends to reward them. Otherwise he may end up labouring in vain.
As we see in the verses of the bible that precede the ones for this parable, the Lord shares the parable in response to Peter’s question on what those of them who left everything to follow Him stand to gain (Matt 19:27-30). “Will there be any reward for abandoning everything to work with you in God’s vineyard?” Peter seems to be asking. And the Lord says, “Yes, there is a lot for you to gain in this life for following me to do this work. More than that, you will be receiving eternal rewards too. However, God will not reward people for the work they have done in His kingdom as those of the world do. So, those who think they are first may end up being last.” To, then, make this point clearer to Peter and the others, He goes on to say:
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”” (Matt 20:1-16)
THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM
Now before we look at the main points of this parable, let me first say that we must be careful in interpreting a parable like this, which the Lord does not comment on, so that we do go beyond the points He intends to communicate with it. And why does He not comment on it? It is because He is taking it for granted that it is simple enough for His audience to understand. As we see in the text, the main characters of the parable are the landowner and the workers he brought to work in his vineyard. That, of course, is a familiar sight for the people the Lord is addressing. They know what it is to be a landowner and what it is to be a worker in somebody’s farm or on someone’s land. They also know what it means to recruit people to work in a farm or on a land. What may baffle them, however, is the way the landowner in the parable rewards his workers, making no discrimination between those who worked throughout the day and those who came to join in the work in the very last work hour. But then, that is also not something beyond contemplation. Any landowner may decide to do whatever he wants with his money.
So, in a nutshell, there is nothing difficult to understand in the parable itself. But the issue is not about the parable but about the message it is communicating or the lessons it is told to teach. As our Lord already tells us, this parable is about the kingdom of heaven. That means it is showing us how God recruits people to work in His kingdom and also intends to reward them. And here are the main lessons to pick from it:
– The work of the kingdom of God is enormous: The reason that landowner kept going out that day to get more people to work in His vineyard was that the work was much. If those he first brought into the vineyard could handle all the work, he would not have gone out to get more people. But he could see that the work was too much for them to handle and finish that day. So, he kept going out to recruit as many as were willing to work with Him till the very last hour. And that is how the work of the kingdom of God is too. It is beyond what few of us can handle. So, till the very end of this age, God will keep recruiting as many as are willing to work with Him to do the work. And the earlier those of us who are already involved in this work understand this the better for us. Otherwise we may end up hindering others that are being brought in to join us in the work. (Cf. Luke 9:49-50)
– God will use you anytime you are ready: As long as it was day, what the landowner in that story needed was anyone that was willing and ready to work for him. The time they joined did not matter, for there was a lot of work to be done. In like manner, as long as this world stands, there will always be work in the kingdom of God for anyone who is willing to serve God. But the one that is willing to work, as the bible points out, must also purify himself from anything that contaminates in order that he may be a worker that is useful to God and prepared to do any good work. (Cf. 2Tim 2:20-21)
– Everyone will be rewarded by God for his labour: One thing that is obvious about the landowner in this parable is that he was not a cheat or an oppressor. And that was why he did not ask his workers to come back another day for their wages. Instead, he paid all of them right after the day’s work, including those who worked for just an hour. In the same vein, our God is not an unjust God or a cheat. If we do anything for Him, He will certainly reward us for it, even though we and whatever we use in serving Him all belong to Him. (Cf. 1Cor 15:58; Heb 6:10)
– There is a set time for our reward: As we see in the parable, the landowner did not reward his workers until the day’s job was over. Yes, he may have given them some food and water and spoken encouraging words to them for strength and focus while they were working. But their real and full reward was not given until work time was over. So, while it is true that God will reward duly everyone that labours with Him in His vineyard, we must also know that our real and total reward will not come until the end of this age, when God brings us into His eternal kingdom. This is why we must keep working with Him diligently and patiently, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. We may receive some earthly rewards and encouragement, as we do the Lord’s work. And we may not receive any. That should not bother us. Our full and real reward will certainly come when our work time is over. But our work time won’t be over until we leave this world.
– God does not reward as people reward or think: As I pointed out earlier, the part of this parable that must have baffled the Lord’s audience a little is where the landowner decided to reward everybody the same way. This, of course, made those who worked in his vineyard throughout the day to protest. Unfortunately, they had no case, for the man paid them exactly what they had agreed that they would collect for working for him. And according to him, it was sheer generosity that made him give those who started working late the same amount he gave others. But then, since he watched all of them work, he must have concluded that if those who came in late had come in earlier, they also would have given their best. The point of this, then, is that we should not expect God to reward us according to our own estimation of what we are doing for Him, whatever it may be. So, we should stop comparing ourselves with others, as far as doing the Lord’s work is concerned. He alone knows what task He has committed to individuals’ hands and how well they are handling it, as Paul tells us in our memory verses. And at the right time, He will reward everybody according to His generosity and His estimation of their labour. Therefore, those that we think are ahead of others in doing the Lord’s work may not be ahead of anybody after all, when God begins to reveal the true nature of everyone’s work. Judge nothing, then, before the appointed time, for it is not the one who commends himself that is approved but the one whom the Lord commends. (Cf. 1Cor 4:4-5; 2Cor 10:18)
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Lord wants us to know through this parable that our focus must not just be on the reward God is going to give us for working in His vineyard but also on the quality of service that we render. God will certainly reward everyone that labours in His vineyard. But the reward will not just be on how much time we put into doing His work but also on how well and faithfully we labour with Him. (Cf. 1Cor 3:5-15)
QUESTIONS
– What will be your counsel to any minister of God that thinks God is too slow in rewarding him or is not giving him enough for his labour in the kingdom?
– What is the most important thing you have learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
A TEMPLATE FOR THANKSGIVING (TEXT: JOHN 6:1-13)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY 2020
TOPIC: A TEMPLATE FOR THANKSGIVING
TEXT: JOHN 6:1-13
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” (John 6:11NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Who could we have learned thanksgiving from, if not from our Lord Himself? He delivered to us a template for conscious thanksgiving. The feeding of five thousand men, besides women and children, was such a big miracle that happened as a result of an act of thanksgiving from the mouth of Jesus. John records that ‘when he had given thanks’ what was just little was more than enough. Five loaves of bread and two fishes fed more than five thousand people. And they were satisfied to the fullest and also had twelve baskets left uneaten. What a miracle! That is just what one of the innumerable things a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God can accomplish.
WHEN THERE IS A NEED
What do you do when you when there is a need to be met? How do you handle needs that are beyond your ability? No other person can teach us this better, if not our Lord. He is fit and capable to teach us, not only because He is our Lord but because He also experienced anything we could dream of experiencing today. When He walked the face of the earth, He was confronted with all kinds of needs. And I see it as fitting for us to learn how He once confronted a need He was faced with, as recorded in the bible passage we are using for our study (John 6:1-3).
JESUS RECOGNIZED A NEED
The first thing here is that Jesus recognized a need and was ready to meet it. “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”” (John 6:5-6 NIV) Jesus was not only concerned about teaching the people the word of God and healing their sick bodies, but He was also concerned about what they would eat. You will get the full background of the story when you read the four gospels, which all speak about this event. The people had been following Him everywhere He went. Then, almost unconsciously, they followed Him to a point that they found themselves in a remote place, somewhere far from the city. Interestingly, they were still with Him till evening, having nothing to eat.
Luke captures the background of the story very well. (Cf. Luke 9:12-17) He tells us that it was His disciples that came to Him, suggesting that He should send the people away so that they could buy foods for themselves. It was on that note that Jesus answered that the disciples should feed the people. There is a lesson there for us to learn. Identifying needs and the readiness to meet them. You see, the disciples also recognized the need that the people need food but were not ready to take responsibility for them. Yes, from human perspectives, they couldn’t have met the need of those people, even if they wanted to. But Jesus taught them a lifetime lesson on that occasion, something the early church came to embrace – the feeding of widows. He showed them not to ignore or shy away from their responsibilities, for those crowds that came to their meeting were their responsibilities. So, He seemed to be saying to them, “These people have been following us for long. And many of them are now so tired and weak. Some of them do not even have money to buy any food. Don’t let them go away like that, so that they won’t faint on the way.”
We can as well learn from that. There are responsibilities the Lord wants our eyes opened to. I am speaking here of people that the Lord is bringing our way to minister to. We may not have what it takes, just like those disciples of the Lord, to take care of them. But if we will reach out to God, as our Lord Jesus did, we will perform wonders.
WHERE CAN WE BUY BREAD FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE TO EAT?
“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Jesus asked one of them (Philip) this question (John 6:5). And watch Philip’s reply: “Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:7NIV) See that. Jesus already knew what He is going to do. He only asked to know what Philip would say. Other gospels record that the whole disciples answered Him the same way. They were like, “What does this man mean?” Even if we work for 8 months, we cannot feed this huge number of people. That is how a natural man responds to any problem that is bigger than what he can handle. And perhaps the Lord is asking you too, “Where are you going to get the money to pay your debt, bills, and other need?” Will you answer like Philip and the rest of the disciples, or would you say there is nothing impossible with God?
DO YOU HAVE ANY BREAD? GO AND FIND OUT!
Like I said earlier, if you don’t read the whole four gospels that talk about this story, you will not get the whole picture. John records that Andrew spoke up and said we have five bread and two fishes here. But that is not how it happened. It was Jesus that asked them if they have any food at all. “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”” And it was on that note that Andrew spoke and said we have five bread and two fishes from a boy. (Cf. Mark 6:38)
WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
God is asking you now, “What do you have?” Don’t say I don’t have anything. God is telling you, “Go and find out what you have.” It is a continuous process from bible days till now that God works with what a man has. For example, God asked Moses, “What is in your hand?” He answered and said, “A rod!” That was his shepherd rod. And it was with that same rod that God did mighty signs and miracles that we are still reading about today. Also, when David killed Goliath, it was his small sling that the Lord used to kill the giant. There are several accounts in the bible of people that God used the most insignificant thing or resources in their lives or around them to do mighty things.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING
Can you take an inventory of what you have right now? Now don’t let your mind be limited to those physical things and resources you have around. What about the skills and natural abilities that you have within you? What about your spiritual gifts? What about that idea that has been coming to your mind for some time now? What Jesus had at that time was just two loaves of bread and some fishes from a boy. What I am saying is that you too always have something God can use to make miracles happen.
WHAT ARE YOU TO DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE? GIVE THANKS
Let’s learn from Jesus. What did Jesus do with what was available? The bible clearly says He gave thanks. The question is that why did He give thanks? Why did He not request from God to turn the available few fishes and bread into abundance? Why did He not start casting out demons that were limiting them from feeding the people? Jesus didn’t do all of those. He simply gave thanks. There must be a reason for this. Paul says in all things give thanks, for this is the will of God for you (1Thess 5:18). Let me clarify something. I am not trying to say that when we face needs in our lives, we should not ask God to meet them in prayers. Jesus taught us to ask, and He Himself asked God for all things in prayers. Also, I am not saying we should not cast out demons, when there is a need to be met and we sense the workings of demons in preventing us from meeting them. Satan and his gang may be responsible for certain limitations you are experiencing. But in this case, in this type of event, Jesus only gave thanks.
WHY JESUS GAVE THANKS
He gave thanks for several reasons. First, He gave thanks as an acknowledgment that God is the true provider of all things. This is what all of us should learn and be conscious of. A man can have nothing except God gives it. Jesus gave thanks to show us that God is the provider of the available resources they had – the two fishes and the five loaves of bread. Human beings’ reasoning may disagree with this. One may say it is the boy’s parents that provided the bread and fishes. And that may be true in a sense — his parents or anyone may have been responsible for making the food available to the boy. But ultimately God is the source. How? God is the source of life for everyone.
Another reason is that God is the originator of every raw material that is being used to produce or make anything. You know all of us came into this world naked, without nothing. We all met everything here. Some of us have indeed contributed largely to what we met. However, none of the raw materials did we bring along while coming into this world. Also, God is the source of skills and inspiration to do anything. I know that so many people have not realized this, but it is just the truth. If any man has any ability to do anything on this planet, it is a gift from God.
Jesus also gave thanks knowing fully well that God who has provided the five loaves of bread and the two fishes could provide more than enough of them. Remember the children of Israel in Numbers 11, when they cried to Moses for meat. The bible says every one of them was crying in front of their tent. That is how terrible it was. Moses then went ahead to ask God meat for the people. Interestingly, the Lord said that He was going to give them meat. He said that He was not only going to give them for a day or two or three or four but that they would eat until the meat comes out of their nostrils. See that. They would eat meat until they were fed up. Moses then asked God how it would be possible for Him to feed all the people with meat. See God’s response: “The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short?” You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”” (Num 11:23NIV)
CONCLUSION
This is wonderful! God did exactly what He had said He would do for the people. And if He could provide meat for the children of Israel where they could not find meat, then, multiplying what is already available will be nothing to Him? Jesus, of course, recognized this. If you too truly acknowledge that everything you have now is God’s provision for you, He is able to do more than give you a million of what you have right now, such that there will be leftovers. This is the route to the supernatural.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you have learned?
By Tolu Olarinre
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH – CONCLUSION TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS (TEXT: HEBREWS 13:1-25)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 8TH JULY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH – CONCLUSION TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS TEXT: HEBREWS 13:1-25
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
So far, in our studies in the book of Hebrews, we have seen that Jesus Christ is the one that God has appointed for humanity to be both their Saviour and High Priest. In other words, anyone that wants to be saved from his sins and everything that has enslaved him and separated him from God can only receive salvation through Jesus Christ. Also, having been saved, anyone that wants to enjoy God to the full and make it into His eternal rest can only do so by embracing Jesus Christ as his High Priest. So, living a true life of faith in God in this world is all about taking Jesus Christ seriously from start to finish. We, like the Jews of bible days, may have had all kinds of things we committed ourselves to before in order to please God and get His approval. But now, it is only by embracing what God has done for us through Jesus Christ and walking in the light of it can we have His approval and enjoy His blessings to the full. Also, we may have all kinds of people that stand before us as great examples of how to live to please God. But only Jesus stands as the perfect example of how to live and please God. And this is why we must give Him the most careful attention in our lives. Otherwise we will drift away from God and lose our eternal inheritance.
CONCERING CHRISTIAN LIVING
Now, in closing his thoughts in this book, the writer moves away from dealing with doctrinal matters and begins to give his readers some general instructions on Christian living. And his first words are:
“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”” (Heb 13:1-6NIV)
Here we see that even though this man makes very clear in this letter that the Christian is not to live by the laws of the old covenant again, seeing that God has already abolished that covenant, he does not imply at all that the Christian is lawless or can live his life anyhow. That is why he tells us in the passage above to walk in love with one another and show true care for one another, regardless of our conditions, for love is the fulfilment of everything in the laws of the old covenant (Rom 13:10). He also tells us to be kind to strangers, to stay away from every form of sexual immorality and to live lives that are free of greed or covetousness. And as he points out, there are rewards, even earthly rewards, for taking these instructions seriously, just as there are punishments for ignoring them.
Then he goes on to instruct us on how to relate to our leaders and the various Christian teachings we may come in contact with. His words are:
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.” (Heb 13:7-19NIV)
From what he says here, how are we to relate to our leaders? First, we are to relate to them with a heart that is willing to learn. We are to watch their lives and see what results their faith in the Lord is accomplishing for them. Then we can imitate their faith. And the same Lord Jesus, who is at work in their lives and who does not change with time or date, will also work in us too and make our lives what they ought to be. Second, we are to submit to our leaders, so that we will not make their job difficult but a delight for them, for they are going to give account for our lives to God. Otherwise we too will not find life pleasant for us in many ways. Third, we must learn to pray for them, especially that they will be able to live honourably in all ways and not fall into satanic traps.
Then how are we to relate to strange Christian teachings? We are to relate to them with caution. There will always be people that will come up with so-called new revelations from the Scriptures in the church. But the truth is that there are no new revelations. All the revelations the church needs to function in the will of God were delivered to the apostles and prophets of old and passed on to us. So, whatever anybody brings up as a new revelation must be verified with the body of truth handed down to us by God through these faithful apostles and prophets of old. And if it agrees with it, then, it is not a new revelation; it has always been there. But if does not agree with it, then, it is an error and should be discarded.
This is why the writer of this book tells his Jewish Christian brothers and sisters to do away with teachings that suggest that it is alright for them to continue to participate in the sacrifices that are associated with the old covenant, which God has already abolished. As far as he is concerned, all those sacrifices and the foods and drinks that go along with them have nothing to contribute to the salvation of anybody. So, it is a waste of time to be involved in them. Jesus Christ, however, has already offered Himself once for all to make us holy. Therefore, He is the one we should fully identify with, even in suffering, in order that we may inherit that glorious eternal city that we are looking forward to. And if anyone is thinking of what sacrifices he should bring to God, then, he should bring Him words and songs of praise and acts of kindness to others as his sacrifices. Those are the real sacrifices that God is pleased with and not the offering of bulls, goats and so forth.
Finally, the writer of this book offers for the brethren one of the bible prayers that have blessed my heart the most, saying, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21NIV) Now simple as this word of prayer is, it is really the kind of prayer we are to be offering for ourselves and for other people of God in our lives. And what are its major highlights? The first is that God may equip our lives with everything good for doing His will. It is not enough to want to do the will of God; we must be equipped by Him to do so. So, we must learn to pray that God Himself will make us fit to do His will. The second highlight of that prayer is that God Himself will produce in our lives everything pleasing to Him. Unless God makes our lives pleasing to Him, there is nothing we do that will earn His praise or approval. In other words, it is only what God Himself has produced that is acceptable in His sight and has His approval.
So, we see through the prayer offered for us here that it takes God Himself, working in us and building us up, for our lives to be what they ought to be before Him. This is showing us again that the true life of faith is one that is absolutely dependent on God for everything from start to finish. Therefore, stop wondering how you are going to make it into God’s eternal rest in the face of all the challenges of this life. Instead, start trusting God totally and reckoning upon His ability, provisions and workings. And when all has been said and done, you will receive a glorious entrance into that home of rest that He has prepared for us all.
In closing, the man of God shows us again that there is a lot he would have loved to communicate to his readers, whom he is well acquainted with, but which he does not intend to do through this particular letter of exhortation. That is, in fact, why he calls the letter a short one and announces his intention of visiting them, once Timothy, who has just been released from prison, comes to him. That means if we consider the letter a long one, we are showing ourselves to be lazy and not ready to dig deep in our study of Christian truths. Then we also see through what he says about Timothy here that the brethren at that time were used to being persecuted for the sake of Jesus. So, we too should not think of persecutions for the sake of Jesus as strange but as part of the package. And may the God of peace Himself keep us strong and blameless before Him till the very end.
By Johnson Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH – HOW TO RUN AND WIN (TEXT: HEBREWS 12:1-29)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 1ST JULY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH – HOW TO RUN AND WIN
TEXT: HEBREWS 12:1-29
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In the last passage that we considered in our studies in the book of Hebrews, we saw what true faith in God is. And the point of it all is that true faith in God affects the lives and experiences of those who possess it. So, if we claim to have faith in God, and that faith does not affect our conduct, then, it is no real faith. Real faith touches and changes people’s lives. It also affects their experiences. And more than enough examples of what real faith does to people are given to us in that great chapter of the book of Hebrews on faith illustrations. This is to let us know that living a life a faith in God is not peculiar to us. There have been many others before us that lived this life and finished well. We will, therefore, do well to determine to run and finish well in our own race of faith too.
HOW TO RUN AND WIN
But how do we do this? How do we run our race of faith and finish well and strong? That is what the writer of the book of Hebrews proceeds to tell us in the passage before us for this study. And the first thing he says we must do is to fix our gaze on Jesus. His words are:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:1-3NIV)
What cloud of witnesses is this man referring to here? He is referring to the great men and women of faith that he mentions in the previous passage we considered. He already tells us how these people lived by faith in God and died without receiving the promise of God’s eternal rest. And why did they not receive it? Was it because God failed or could not deliver on His promise? No! God’s promise of eternal rest has to do with an introduction of a new order of things. In other words, His eternal rest is far beyond what this present creation can handle – it is something reserved for our experience when God has taken away this present order of things and established His eternal kingdom. Therefore, inasmuch as the current order of things remains, all the saints of old that have gone ahead of us will have to wait, for only together with those of us that are still living that they will be brought into perfection.
In any case, the writer of this book wants us to know that, at the moment and figuratively, we are surrounded by these invisible people, who are waiting for us and desiring that we too will finish well and join them. So, we should not give up, regardless of what we are faced with. Instead, we should look carefully at our lives and throw off everything, whatever it may be, that is hindering us and that is tying us down and preventing us from running our race in such a way as to obtain what God has promised us. And we are to preserve in doing this, as we fix our gaze on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Now there are some very important points in what this man says here that we must not miss. The first is that it is our duty to identify anything that can keep us from obtaining God’s rest and throw it off. The second is that we must persevere in doing this. In other words, we must not be tired of doing away with wrong things in our lives. The moment God brings them to our notice, we must get rid of them. The third thing is that we must not forget that Jesus is the source and perfecter of our faith. He is the one that saved us and brought us to God. And He is also the only one that can lead us into that place of rest God has prepared for us. So, we must never turn our eyes away from Him. On the contrary, we are to fix our gaze on Him.
And observe that even though the writer of this book already shows us a number of people who lived by faith in God and finished their race well, he does not tell us fix our gaze on any one of them. They are all great people. But none of them saved us or could have saved us. And none of them is a perfect example for us of what living a life of faith from start to finish means. So, we are not to fix our gaze on any of them. We can learn from them, and we are to learn as much as we can from them. But the only saviour and perfect example of what living a life of faith means is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, He is the one we are to fix our gaze on.
But then, fixing our gaze on Jesus goes beyond saying, “Lord, my eyes are on you.” Rather, it means looking at Him and pondering on the life He lived, so that we may receive encouragement through it. And the writer of this book tells us about the life Jesus lived. It was a life of unparalleled focus on what God wanted to give to Him. He knew what God wanted to accomplish through and what it was worth. So, though He had to deal with the opposition of men all through His earthly days and suffer many things, even to the point of death on the cross, He endured everything in order to secure our redemption. He did not faint or yield on any occasion to the pressure of sin. And that is what we are called upon to consider about Him and embrace, so that we too will not lose heart, even if we have to shed our blood for this, but stay strong to the end and obtain what God has promised. In other words, we are called to look away from earthly and temporary things to those eternal and permanent things God has prepared for us. (Cf. Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:16-18)
This, as we are further shown in this book, however, will require that we understand the nature of God’s discipline and then yield ourselves to it. There will challenges and trials of all kinds in our walk of faith. There will be oppositions and persecutions too. But our attitude towards these things matters a lot and will determine whether they will destroy us or serve as stepping stones for us to get to where God is taking us. If we see them as punishment and a result of God’s unfaithfulness to us, then, we will ultimately miss it. But if we see every one of these things, however unpleasant it may be, as allowed by God to discipline or toughen us (not punish us), so that we may learn to better and better take advantage of His grace, then, we will certainly receive all that we need to walk in victory over them. And as the writer shows us, this is the way God brings up His children to become the kinds of persons He wants them to be. Anyone He does not bring up in this sense, then, is not one of His own. Therefore, our admonition is to endure hardship as discipline and brace up for action. (Cf. Heb 12:4-13)
Another thing that we need in order to run our race well and obtain what God has promised is the support of one another. All along in this letter, the writer has been drawing our attention to the need for us to help one another in staying in the will of God. And here again, in the passage we are considering, he brings up the same thing, saying:
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.” (Heb 12:14-17NIV)
Did you see that? We all have a duty to watch over one another and see to it that none of us misses the grace of God. The relevance of this cannot be overemphasised. Satan will continually do all that he can to bring all of us down. And one of his best strategies is to isolate us from other believers through bitterness or anger. This is why we must be careful not to nurse any grudge against any of the people of God in our lives. If we are offended, let us bring it up and deal with it in accordance with the word of God. Or if we know certain individuals among us are having difficulties getting along, we are to step in and help them. But to allow the enemy to isolate us from the brethren for any reason or to trick us into living secretive life is to open ourselves to the danger of missing the grace of God. (Cf. Phil 4:2-3; Philemon 8-21)
Finally, in the passage we are considering for this study, the writer warns his readers again, as he did in the tenth chapter of the letter, not to take the grace of God that has appeared to them in Jesus Christ lightly. According to him, it is a fact that they have not been called to experience God the way the Israelites under the old covenant were called to experience Him. Their first encounter with God, as we see in the book of Exodus, was awesome and frightening for all of them, including Moses. It was an experience that showed God as a consuming fire and One that cannot be freely approached without meeting with death. So frightening was the experience that all the people told Moses to tell God not to talk to them directly again. (Cf. Ex 19&20; Heb 12:18-21)
But we have not been called to experience God in that manner. Instead, we have been called to experience Him in a sweet, pleasant and joyful way and to be a part of His invisible kingdom that will soon be made visible for those who believe in Him to enjoy throughout eternity. That is why we are able to freely approach His throne of grace now and receive whatever we need. And this is meant to be an eternal experience for us. In other words, God’s intention is to be a sweet, loving and enjoyable God to us throughout eternity. (Cf. Heb 12:22-24)
However, we must not take this lightly and think we can live our lives as we like. As it is made clear to us in this passage, if those who did not take the warnings Moses, who was an earthly messenger, brought to the people about God seriously suffered for it and missed His rest, we must know, then, that anyone who does not take the warnings of our Lord Jesus, sent to us from heaven, seriously and turns away from Him will also certainly miss God’s eternal rest. This is why we are told this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:28-29NIV)
Did you see that? What we are called to receive is an eternal kingdom of rest and not an earthly and temporary kingdom. So, we should all the more take all that the Lod Jesus has done for us and represents to us very seriously. That way, we will be able to carry our enjoyment of Him and God on for eternity. But if we, for any reason, play down on what He has done and represents, then, we will someday discover truly that God is not just love; He is also a consuming fire. And that is something those who think the God of the Old Covenant has gotten softer under the New Covenant need to seriously consider.
CONCLUSION
All the saints of old that ran their race of faith well and finished strong stand before us as wonderful illustrations of how to walk with God by faith from start to finish. Yet the only one that stands before us as a perfect example of what God wants us to be is the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, He is our eternal saviour. Therefore, we are to fix our gaze fully on Him and let Him continually be our motivation in all that we do. Not only that, we are to understand and embrace the disciplines of God, as we support one another, so that none of us will miss the grace of God.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
June 2020
MAINTAINING FAITH – FAITH ILLUSTRATIONS (TEXT: HEBREWS 11:1-40)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH – FAITH ILLUSTRATIONS
TEXT: HEBREWS 11:1-40
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
The book of Hebrews is a book on faith. And we have seen in it that the object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the one God sent to bring us eternal salvation and lead us into His eternal rest. Since this, then, is the case, it is important that we put our faith in Him from start to finish. There may, of course, be things, people or programs fighting to take His place in our lives. But we must turn away from everything else to fix our gaze on Him, for He is the only One that can bring about the fulfilment of God’s purpose in our lives. So, the last words of the writer of the book of Hebrews in the portion of the book that we considered in our last study are: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV) This means faith in God is not something to be practised or demonstrated once in a while by those who have come to Him for salvation and justification; rather, it is is a life that they live. In other words, we must see our life as one to be lived solely on the basis of faith in God. Everything we do must be hinged or founded on the basis of our faith in Him. Otherwise we are not living at all – we are just wasting our lives.
FAITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Now to make the relevance of this clearer to his Jewish audience and, of course, to us, the writer of this book decides to take some space in it to illustrate what living a life of faith in God means. And he begins by defining faith for us, saying, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1NIV) From what he says here, we can see that faith does not have to do with what our senses can handle; rather, it has to do with trust that produces certainty. So, whether our senses can perceive or relate to what we are dealing with or not, we are sure that things will go for us the way we expect them to go. And this is the ground on which every true hope rests.
Having defined faith for us, he goes on to show us how faith in God affects people’s relationship with Him. And his point is summarised in these words: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb 11:6NIV) True living is about pleasing God. And any life that is not lived to please Him is a wasted life – it is no life at all. But for anyone to please God there are two things he must take seriously about Him. First, he must take seriously the existence of God. Anyone that does not live everyday with the consciousness that God exists and is real can never please Him. How do you please someone that you do not believe exists? Or how do you please one that you are not walking in the consciousness of his existence or presence in your affairs? It is not possible.
The second thing anyone that is going to please God must take seriously about Him is the fact that He possesses the ability to reward people on the basis of how they treat Him. Do you know that God rewards people? He does. And His rewards go beyond what to be enjoyed here on earth; His rewards are also eternal. So, anyone who claims to have faith in Him must relate to Him on this basis, living and seeking to get His reward. Otherwise his so-called faith is no faith at all.
To bring this point home to his readers, the writer of this book gives more than enough examples of people who pleased God and got His commendation. And he picks all these people from their Scriptures. In other words, the names he lists – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses and so forth – are all household names for the Jews; they are names of people that they treat with lots of respect because of the way they lived their lives. But why did they live their lives the way they lived them? Why did they abandon relationships and homes in order to go to places they did not know at all? Why did they take the things of this world very lightly and even embrace suffering and death? And how were they able to do things that were impossible for ordinary men to do? As we see in this passage, it was by faith in God.
Faith in God is the only thing that unites all the people mentioned in this passage. These people all lived at different times and were faced with diverse challenges of life. Yet God commended all of them for living lives that were pleasing to Him. Why? It was because they all took Him seriously. They took His existence seriously. They took His sovereignty and power seriously. They took His word and promises to them seriously. And these things made them live lives that were contrary to those that the people of their days were living; they made them look beyond this world that is passing away to the eternal home of righteousness that God has promised to bring them to (Heb 11:13-16). No wonder God is not ashamed to identify with them as their God and no wonder it is said in this book that this world is not worthy of them (Heb 11:16&38).
Nevertheless, even though these people lived their lives in this manner, twice the writer of this book makes it clear to us that none of them literally received what God had promised during their lifetime – they just embraced it by faith, knowing that God would be faithful to fulfil His promise to them. And by saying that, he is showing us that what God had promised them was not something earthly and temporary but something eternal and permanent. Abraham, for instance, received the promise of a child from God in his old age. And he received a fulfilment of that promise during his lifetime (Gen 17, 18 &21). Then his descendants received the promise of the land of Canaan made to him several years after he had died.
However, as we see clearly in this passage, if what these people wanted to inherit from God were mere earthly possessions, they would most likely have chosen their own path or lived to please themselves. But because what God promised them was eternal rest in His eternal kingdom, they maintained their faith in Him till the point of death. And even now, they are still waiting to receive the fulfilment of this promise of God’s eternal rest. Why? It is because God’s intention is that without us, that is, without our Lord Jesus returning to take His saints here on earth out of it, they will not experience a fulfilment of it. No wonder the writer of this book tells us that God has treated us better by making them wait for us. Where they are waiting for us and the conditions of the place in which they are waiting for us are not revealed or discussed in Scriptures. But we do know they are waiting for us to be made to join before they fully come into God’s rest. (Cf. Heb 11:39-40)
How, then, should we respond to this? if all the saints of old got their commendation from God by living a life of faith in Him from start to finish, then, we also will only be able to get His commendation by living a life of faith in Him from start to finish. Then if all the saints of God who lived and died looking forward to His promise of eternal rest have to be made to wait for those of us who will be alive when Jesus comes before they obtain God’s eternal promise for them, then, we have no excuse for messing up or for throwing away our confidence in the Lord because He has not come. Remember that we have been told that the one coming will certainly come and not delay. This is why we must keep on living by faith in Him and not shrink back. But what if He does not come in our own day too? Even then we must keep faith, taking consolation in the fact that there have been many who died while holding on to the same living hope and who are still waiting, even in death, for the day the Lord will bring all His people (both those who are alive and those that are dead) together to inherit His eternal kingdom.
CONCLUSION
True faith in God will make us take Him seriously in all things and even live contrary to the world and its systems, if need be. So, if you claim to have faith in God, how seriously do you take Him? This is what determines whether you have His commendation and obtain His promised eternal rest or not.
QUESTIONS
– In what ways is the passage for this study similar to Apostle James’ treatment of the subject of faith in his letter?
– What is the most important thing you learnt from this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH – OUR RESPONSE TO OUR HIGH PRIEST (TEXT: HEBREWS 10:19-39)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 17TH JUNE 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH – OUR RESPONSE TO OUR HIGH PRIEST TEXT: HEBREWS 10:19-39
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In the portion of the book of Hebrews that we considered for our last study, the writer makes very clear to us the reasons the Jews must abandon their way of worshipping God and now embrace Jesus Christ as their all in all. According to him, the covenant God had with them, when He just brought them out of Egypt, which delivered to them everything about their worship life – the laws, the Levitical priesthood, the temple of worship and all the prescribed sacrifices and offerings for worship – has already been abolished by God. And that covenant was abolished because the people could not handle it. Besides, it did not give the people the kind of access they needed to God. So, it was set aside, and a new one, which has been foretold by God through His prophets, was introduced through Jesus Christ. And this new covenant not only makes it possible for the Jews and everyone who comes to God through Jesus Christ to live to please Him; it also gives them unrestricted and instant access to Him.
Since this, then, is the case, it is only wise and proper for the Jews to do away with that old covenant and everything associated with it and embrace Jesus Christ and all that He is to all of humanity. And who is Jesus to us? He is our Saviour and great High priest. He is the one God sent to take care of our sin problem, so that we could be reconciled to Him. And as it is abundantly made clear in this book, Jesus has solved man’s sin problem once for all. What the blood of the animals and birds being shed under the old covenant could not accomplish, Jesus has already accomplished through the shedding of His own blood. So, no kind of sin can keep anybody away from God again, for through the sacrifice of Jesus everybody can now receive justification from all their sins and a place in the eternal kingdom of the Father. What a glorious thing!
RESPONDING TO THE MINISTRY OF OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST
But then, we need to know how to respond to all that Jesus Christ has done for us and all that He now represents to us. Otherwise everything may end up becoming pointless to us. I mean that if we do not know the proper way to respond to the ministry of Jesus Christ to us, we may end up not becoming the persons God wants us to be or inheriting the eternal rest He has promised us. That is the next subject the writer of the book of Hebrews picks and begins to dwell on throughout the remaining part of this letter. And in the part that we are considering for this study, he says the following to us:
– Be confident to draw near to God (Heb 10:19-22): As we have clearly seen in this letter, Jesus Christ, as our great high priest, has cleared the way for us to boldly approach God’s throne of grace and take whatever we need to the persons God wants us to be in this world and to remain true to Him to the very end (Heb 4:14-16). But He is not going to force us to do this. We have to do it ourselves. We have to change our mentality in relating to God and begin to function with that consciousness that no sin or veil can stop us from approaching Him today in order to freely enjoy Him. Before Jesus came, even the Jews, who had God’s revelation and God’s tabernacle in their midst could not freely approach God and not meet with death. But now that Jesus Christ has come things have changed for us all. Even the vilest among us can now approach God freely and boldly to receive remission for his sins and full acceptance as a child of God. So, the writer of this book says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb 10:19-22NIV) You can see that if you allow your sins, past or present sins, however terrible they may be, to drive you away from God and miss His blessings, it is your fault. Jesus has taken care of whatever sin anybody has committed or may commit in this present age. All we need to do is approach God on this basis and receive mercy and grace, as occasions may demand.
– Stay in fellowship with other people of God (Heb 10:24-25): Another thing we must do in response to what Jesus has done for us is to stay in fellowship with all His people in our lives, so that we may support one another and stand together as one on our journey into God’s eternal rest. And the writer’s words to us on this are: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb 10:24-25NIV) Did you see that? We all need all the support and encouragement we can get from one another on this journey. Just like the children of Israel that were brought out of Egypt, we too have been called out of the world with others to inherit God’s eternal rest. So, we are not alone in this journey, and we must not live as though we were alone in it. This is why we must watch our conduct, so that it will not bring discouragement but courage and strength to the hearts of the brethren. Remember it took only ten people to keep the entire congregation of the Israelites from entering the physical rest God had promised them (Num 13&14). So, how we relate to one another can determine where we end up in our walk of faith.
– Don’t abuse the sacrifice of Jesus (Heb 10:26-31): Many believers are often bothered when they hear that the sacrifice of Jesus has taken care of all of our sins in this age, past, present and future sins. And the reason is that they think this kind of assertion may give people licence to sin as they like. While their fear is valid to some degree, it still does not change the fact that Jesus’ sacrifice has indeed taken care of the sin of humanity once and for all. So, anyone who accepts what He has done is justified from all his sins and anyone who does not accept it remains condemned. But then, we must understand that what Jesus did is real and our acceptance of it makes it possible for God to recreate us to be human beings as human beings ought to be. And if we have truly become the kind of persons He wants us to be, there is no way we will take the sacrifice of Jesus as a licence to continue in iniquity. We know that our Lord will not offer Himself for sin again, for He has already done so once and for all. So, if, having known this truth, we deliberately begin to do wrong things, all because we think Jesus’ payment for sins covers for us, then, we are showing that something is wrong with our so-called faith in the Lord Jesus. And as the writer of this book shows us, when we act like that, we are trampling Jesus Himself under foot, treating the payment of His blood for us as nothing and insulting the Holy Spirit. Think, then, of the kind of punishment that anyone who does this will receive from God. It will go beyond the penalty of physical death, which was being given to those under the old covenant; it will be an eternal punishment. In other words, even though such a person claims to have confessed Jesus as His Saviour and High Priest, he will still end up in hell, if he goes on living like that.
– Hold firmly to your faith (Heb 10:23&32-39): One of the things the priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ should inspire us to do is to hold firmly to our faith in Him. As we have seen in this book, He is the guarantor of the new covenant God has made with His people and through Him we are able to access God instantly and always to receive whatever we need in our walk of faith. So, even though there will be challenges and trials, we can always count of Him to be faithful in being there for us till the very end. Yes, like the original recipients of this letter, we may have suffered a lot or lost a lot because of our faith in Him. But nothing we lose here in this world is worth comparing to what we are going to gain when we eventually come into God’s eternal rest for us. And if we don’t want all our sufferings to be for nothing, then, we need to hold firmly to our hope in Him. How? By being patient in doing the will of God! And our patience will pay off, as we are told by the writer of this letter, if we do not give up. That is because our Lord that is coming will not delay but come quickly. It may look to us now that He is sluggish or slow about bringing us into God’s eternal rest that we are longing for. And it is so to us because we have no understanding about God’s timing. But if we will just hold fast our faith in Him, we will not be put to shame. That, of course, is what God expects of us, as we have seen in our previous studies in this book. He expects us to carry on in faith in Him to the very end and not shrink back. He takes no pleasure in those who shrink back and considers them to be faithless. And do we belong to the class of the faithless? Do I belong to the class of the faithless? That is the question every one of us who have come to the Lord needs to answer for ourselves. As for me, I do not belong to the class of the faithless but the class of those who believe to the very end and are saved.
CONCLUSION
It is one thing for the Lord to be our Saviour and Great High Priest; it is another thing for us to take His ministry to us seriously and make the most of it in obtaining all that God has promised us. Thankfully, we have been shown in Scriptures how we are to make the most of all that He represents to us. So, let us not be lazy but diligent and patient in responding to all that He has done for us and all that He is to us. Then, regardless of what we are faced with, we will not shrink back in our faith in Him but go from strength to strength till the very end.
QUESTION
– How relevant is the passage used for this study to the Christian’s walk of faith?
– What is the most important lesson for you in the study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH – THE OLD VERSUS THE NEW (TEXT: HEBREWS 8-10:19)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 10TH JUNE 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH – THE OLD VERSUS THE NEW
TEXT: HEBREWS 8-10:19
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
The focus of the book of Hebrews, which we have been studying for some weeks now, is to educate the Jewish mind about the supremacy of the person of Jesus to everything the Jews under the law of Moses know about the worship of God. This, of course, is being done to help any Jew that has come to the Lord Jesus Christ to see that He is all that they need and that it is a mistake to return to their old way of worshiping God in Judaism or to mix their old way of worshipping God with the new way Jesus Christ has opened for men to come to God and serve Him. Now, Jesus Christ, as shown us in this book, is not just our saviour; He is also our high priest. And in fact, it is by being our high priest that He is able to lead us into a full experience of the eternal salvation He has purchased for us. But since it is the Jewish mind that is being addressed here, the writer of this book needs to explain to it how Jesus became our priest, the kind of priest He is and what makes His priesthood superior to that of the Levites.
THE OLD VERSUS THE NEW
Now, in the portion of this book that we are considering for this study, he goes on to give a more elaborate explanation on why the Jews need to abandon their old way of worshipping God and embrace Jesus Christ fully as their all in all. And he begins by first talking about the supremacy of the tabernacle in which Jesus serves as our high priest. And his words are: “The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” (Heb 8:1-2NIV) Look at that. The tabernacle in which Jesus serves is God’s true tabernacle, which is in heaven. This makes it superior to the one in which Aaron and his descendants serve. They are serving in an earthly tabernacle that is just a copy and shadow of the one in which the Lord is serving. So, the ministry of the Lord is evidently superior to theirs. (Cf. Heb 8:1-6)
Then since the ministry of the Lord as a priest is superior to that of Aaron and his descendants, it must mean that covenant or agreement that He seeks to establish between God and those who come to God through Him is also superior to the covenant that Aaron and his descendants seek to establish. Now there was indeed a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. It was Moses that mediated between the two parties in establishing this covenant. And it was on the basis of this covenant that the law given to the people. So, as long as they kept the law of God that was given to them, God would take care of them and make them enjoy all His blessings and promises. But if they would not keep the law given to them, they would not experience God’s blessings but His curses. (Cf. Ex 24:1-8; Deut 28-29)
Unfortunately, the people could not keep the terms of the covenant God cut with them, as the several accounts of their history given in the bible show. So, they were eventually driven out of the land that God had promised on oath to give to them and their descendants forever. And even at the time that this letter was written, though they were occupying the land, they were not occupying it as free people – they were under the Romans. But why were they not able to keep this covenant? Why were they not able to keep the laws of God that were meant to preserve them in His promises and blessings? It was because they did not have the nature that could do so. So, God, as He predicted by the mouth of His servant, Jeremiah, had to cancel that covenant in order to establish a new one, one that would see to it that His laws and precepts are right in the hearts and minds of the people in order that they may never fail to act on them. And as the writer of this book tells us, Jesus Christ is the mediator of this new covenant. Since, then, there is a new covenant, the covenant which Moses is a mediator of has become obsolete and to be done away with. No one, then, should think he can approach God and receive anything from Him again on the basis of that covenant – it will not work. (Cf. Jer 31:33-34; Heb 8:7-13)
Furthermore, another thing the Jews, especially those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ among them, need to do away with is their earthly tabernacle of worship. Already, the writer of this book has told us that this tabernacle is a mere copy and shadow of the true tabernacle of God in heaven. And because of this, it is unable to give those who approach God for worship, including their high priest, direct and unrestricted access to Him. In fact, the set-up of the tabernacle itself shows this, as explained in the book and in other places in the bible. (Cf. Heb 9:1-8) But what those who come to God need is direct and unrestricted access to Him, which is what Jesus now offers us. Therefore, inasmuch as the earthly tabernacle of the Jews is unable to meet the need of God’s worshippers, God has to set it aside as useless (Heb 4:14-16). And the Jews too need to do the same.
More so, since the tabernacle of worship of the Jews is no longer useful or relevant in accomplishing God’s purpose in the lives of His worshippers, it follows that all the sacrifices being made in it are also no longer useful or relevant in accomplishing His purpose. In fact, as we are shown in this book, those sacrifices being made day after day and year after year were never accomplishing God’s purpose before. They were just mere ceremonies and rituals that were required to be done under the law to just make the people outwardly acceptable to God. Those things did not take care of the hearts of those bringing them. (Cf. Heb 9:9-10)
But why were the sacrifices being made in the first place? They were being made by the worshippers to obtain remission and forgiveness for their sins before God. Don’t forget that they were into a blood covenant with God. And in order for them to enjoy God’s blessings that came with that covenant, they had to keep His laws. But God, knowing that there was no way they could keep those laws because of their human weaknesses and limitations, made a way for them to atone for their sins and receive forgiveness, so that they would not die for not keeping His covenant with them. And that was through the different kinds of sacrifices and offerings they were to bring, things that involved the shedding of the blood of some animals and birds, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. (Cf. Heb 9:16-22)
Unfortunately for these worshippers, the blood of those animals and birds that they were sacrificing could not really take away their sins, for there is no way any animal can ever be a perfect sacrifice for human beings. So, all the sins they committed remained unpaid for. Yes, God would not punish them for those sins because of the sacrifices that had been presented for them. But those sacrifices were never what God wanted, even though the law of the covenant He had with the people required that they were made. (Cf. Heb 10:1-7)
What, then, did God want? What He wanted was a human sacrifice that would take care of the sin problem once for all. Yes, what He wanted was the shedding of the blood of a human being that would pay once for all for our redemption from sin and give room for God to recreate us, cleanse our consciences of dead works and fill our hearts with His laws and the desire to live by them. And thankfully, God found that perfect sacrifice in our Lord Jesus Christ. So, He has offered Himself without blemish by the Spirit of God for us through the shedding of His blood on that cross at Calvary. And His blood, in a spiritual sense, has been presented in the true tabernacle of God to once for all take care of the sin of humanity, including all the sins the Jews committed under the covenant God first had with them. Therefore, He has obtained eternal redemption for us, Jews and Gentiles alike, so that we may obtain God’s eternal inheritance that He has promised us. Also, He has initiated the new covenant God promised to make with the Jews, the covenant of a new creation that has the Spirit of God in him and that also has the laws of God in his heart and not in a book. (Cf. Jer 31:33-34; Heb 9:11-15 &10:8-18)
Since this, then, is the case, all the sacrifices that are associated with the worship life of the Jews are no longer needed or necessary in obtaining forgiveness or acceptance from God. So, they must be abandoned. Also, the laws that required that these sacrifices are made are no longer needed or required in living a life that is well-pleasing to God. So, they must be abandoned. Jesus Christ has already done all that we need to be holy and perfect in the sight of God. That means we have no problem of acceptance before God. He has accepted us and we can fully and confidently approach Him now through Jesus Christ. And all we need is to fix our gaze on Jesus and begin to learn from Him how to draw from God Himself to live a life that is well pleasing to Him. Isn’t this beautiful? It is.
But what is the relevance of all this to those of us who are not Jews? It is this: if the Jews no longer have to seek God’s acceptance, approval or forgiveness on the basis of the covenant that God cut with them through Moses, then, we, who were never a party to that covenant, have no business whatsoever trying to live on the basis of the laws and regulations that came with it. Rather, we are to live on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for us and on the basis of who He is to us.
CONCLUSION
The covenant that God cut with the children of Israel through Moses and all the laws and regulations that came with it could not accomplish God’s purpose in the lives of the people. So, God had to set it aside in order to establish a new covenant with them through Jesus Christ. And since this is the case, neither they nor we have any business trying to live on the basis of what God has set aside. Otherwise we will be taking the grace of God, all that He has done for us in Christ Jesus, as pointless. And who can do that and not meet with His wrath?
QUESTION
– How has this study blessed you?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 7:1-28)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH TEXT: HEBREWS 7:1-28
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study, we looked at the need for us to remain diligent to the very end in our walk of faith. True faith, as we have been learning in the book of Hebrews, is that which is demonstrated from start to finish. Any faith that does not operate in this sense is no faith at all. And this is why our faith in God through Jesus Christ must be accompanied by patience. Indeed, God has called us out of the world to inherit His eternal salvation and rest. And we are already experiencing a taste of this through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But since we do not know exactly when He will eventually bring us into eternal rest, a place where we are separated from everything that is contrary to His will for us, we need to wait patiently for Him. And we will wait patiently for Him, if we truly believe.
Now, as the writer of the book of Hebrews has pointed out again and again in the passages we have already considered, we have not been left alone in all this. In other words, our Lord Jesus did not just die to save us from our sins and leave us to find our way into God’s eternal rest on our own. Making it into God’s place of eternal rest for us on our own is practically impossible. And God knows this. So, just as He appointed Jesus to be our Saviour and the one to bring us back to Him, He also appointed Him to be our High Priest. (Cf. Heb 5:5-6)
What, then, is the job of a priest? His job is to help those who come to God through him to perfect their relationship and fellowship with God. Yes, his job is to help those who come to God through him become all that God wants them to be and obtain all that He wants them to obtain. But remember, again, that the writer of this book is originally addressing the Jewish mind. And the Jews, at the time the letter was written, had an existing and functioning priesthood, the Levitical priesthood. So, even though they had already come to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, many of them were still having issues with what to do with their laws (the Laws of Moses) and with their priesthood.
Is Jesus’ blood actually sufficient in permanently atoning for man’s sin or do we still need to keep offering the usual sin sacrifices we have been making? What do we do with the laws of Moses and all the ordinances attached? Are these things really no longer relevant in living a life that is well pleasing to God? And what about our priests and their priesthood, are they no longer relevant to our relationship with God, if Jesus is now our High Priest? Then what about our great temple that still stands in Jerusalem, the place God has chosen to put His name on, does it no longer have any relevance in our worship of God? These and perhaps a host of others were the questions that were being frequently asked among these brethren. In fact, when you consider the fact that on one occasion Paul the apostle was asked to join some men in making some sacrifices according to the laws of Moses, just to give the Jews in Jerusalem a feeling that he was still for the law of Moses and all the Jewish customs, you should be able to appreciate how difficult it must have been at that time to get Jewish believers in Christ Jesus to look totally away from Judaism to the new life in Christ Jesus. (Cf. Acts 21:17-26)
A PRIEST OF A NEW ORDER
So, these Jewish brethren needed a lot of clarifications on who Jesus really is to us and how relevant His ministry to us is in obtaining fully all that God has prepared for us. And this is why, in the passage we are considering for this study, the writer of the book of Hebrews takes some space to explain to them and, of course, to us a number of things about the priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, the kind of priest He is and why we should forget about the Levitical priesthood and the laws that came with it and embrace Jesus and His priesthood with all our hearts. As he pointed out before, our Lord Jesus is not a priest in the order of Aaron but in the order of Melchizedek. Therefore, he begins his explanation by reminding us who Melchizedek is, so that we will have a better understanding of the kind of priest Jesus is.
Now who is Melchizedek? As he tells us, “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” (Heb 7:1-3NIV) Look at that. The name of this man is not one that the Jewish believer is not familiar with. And in fact, anyone who has read the book of Genesis thoroughly will recognise His name. He was the one that visited Abraham after he defeated the kings that captured his nephew Lot. And all that we know from the account in the book of Genesis was that this man was the priest of God Most High and that He brought Abraham and his men bread and wine after that battle. Also, we are told in the account that He blessed Abraham and that Abraham gave Him a tithe of all the plunders he got from the battle. Besides all this, nothing else is said again about this man in any other place in the Jewish Scriptures apart from in Psalm 110. (Cf. Gen 14:17-20)
But here in the book of Hebrews, the name is coming up again. And the writer of this book is showing us that this man is not an ordinary man. He is the King of righteousness and peace. And He is a King that lives forever and ever, a type of the Son of God Himself. In other words, the one who appeared to Abraham was more than a mere man; it was God that manifested Himself as a priest to minister to him, speaking of something to occur in the future. No wonder Abraham worshipped Him with a tenth of all he had gotten from that battle; and no wonder He too blessed Abraham. (Cf. Heb 7:4-10)
Why, then, is the writer point out all these facts to us in the letter? It is to show us the nature and significance of the priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, as he points out, has been made a priest, not in the order of Aaron but in the order of Melchizedek, who lives forever. In fact, God swore that He is to be a priest forever in the order of this Eternal King and Priest. So, evidently, His own priesthood is better and greater than that of Aaron. But why was there a need for another priest to come, not in the order of Aaron but in the order of Melchizedek? It was because the Levitical priesthood could not accomplish God’s purpose in the lives of His people. It could not bring them to the perfection God wanted. In fact, in the writer’s own words, it was weak and useless. So, it had to be set aside, with its temple and all that is associated with it as inferior and obsolete. Also, the law that came with it had to be set aside as inferior and obsolete. And what about the priests serving the people through it? They also have to be set aside as inferior and incapable of accomplishing the will of God in the lives of those they serve. By the way, they themselves are weak and imperfect. Also, they are unable to serve the people forever, for they must die as men do. So, they cannot meet our need to have instant and unlimited access to God for whatever we need any time, any day and anywhere (Cf. Heb 7:11-23)
But Jesus, who has become our Priest in the order of Melchizedek on the basis of God’s oath and by the power of God’s indestructible life, lives forever. So, He is a guarantor of a better and new covenant that God is making with all those who come to Him through Him, the Jews first and then the Gentiles. Also, because He lives forever, His priesthood is a permanent one. Therefore, the writer of this book concludes his thoughts on this matter by saying this to us:
“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” ( Heb 7:23-28NIV)
Look at that. Jesus is perfect and without any sin. Jesus offered Himself for humanity once for all. Jesus is exalted above the heavens. Jesus lives forever. Jesus has a permanent priesthood. So, He is able to save those who come to God through Him forever, because He always lives to intercede for them. Therefore, He is the kind of priest we need.
CONCLUSION
Our walk with God requires that we have a priest that is one of us, that understands us and that can help us become the persons God wants us to be and come fully into His purpose for us. But we don’t need a priest that will hinder our relationship with God through his own imperfections. And we don’t need one who is not instantly and always available to us. Rather, we need one that is perfect before God and instantly and always available to us, so that he can help attain the perfection God wants for our lives. Unfortunately, none of the priests in the order of Aaron can be this kind of priest to us because of their weaknesses and failings and inability to live forever. But Jesus is everything that we want in a priest to us and to anyone that comes to God through Him. Why, then, should anyone want something less? Why should anyone hold on to a priesthood that is incapable of meeting his spiritual need? This is the message of the writer of the book of Hebrews in the passage before us.
QUESTIONS
– Why should we totally turn away from the priestly ministry of Aaron and his descendants?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
May 2020
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 6:9-20)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 6:9-20
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the book of Hebrews, we were shown the danger of spiritual stagnation or arrested spiritual growth. And it is that the one involved may, at some point, pass the point of no return, a point where it becomes absolutely impossible to bring them back to a life of faith in Christ Jesus. So, it is important that we remain excited about the person of Jesus Christ. It is important that we remain eager to take hold of that for which He has taken hold of us. It is important that we keep on pressing forward in our walk of faith in Him to know Him better and to become all that He wants us to be. That is because a lack of display of earnestness along this line may just be proof that we never truly believed. And if we never truly believed, then, our falling away is inevitable.
BE DILIGENT TO THE END
Now why did the writer of this letter say things like these to the brethren? Was it to frighten them or to show that he was doubtful about their salvation? The answer is ‘No!’ He did not say these things to frighten the brethren or to express any kind of doubt about their salvation or faith in Christ Jesus. Rather, he said them to wake them up from their spiritual slumber and keep them from falling into the trap of the devil. This is why he goes on to say the following to them in the passage we are now considering for our study:
“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case — things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” (Heb 6:9-15NIV)
From what he says here, it is clear that he has no doubt that these brethren are true believers in Christ Jesus. This is even evidenced by the fact that they are still working in love toward God and His people. In other words, they have a testimony of supporting other believers in other places and the missionaries that are visiting them. And this, as pointed out in the passage we are considering, is something God will never forget to reward them for.
However, just like the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, which say, “It is he who stands firm to the end that will be saved,” the writer wants these Hebrew Christian brothers and sisters to know that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our devotion to Him are only real, when they are carried on to the very end. It is by carrying these things on to the very end that we make the hope of our eternal salvation sure.
But have we not been saved already? Is eternal salvation not ours already, since have put our faith in Christ Jesus? Yes, we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have been saved already. And eternal salvation is already ours. However, from what we are taught about the apostles and prophets of old, our salvation manifests in three different stages. First, we have a manifestation of our salvation from the dominion of sin, the devil and the world (Rom 6:14, 18&22; Col 1:13; 1John 5:4-). So, at the moment, we are no longer slaves to these things because of our faith in Christ Jesus. This, however, does not mean that we will never again be tried by the devil or tempted to sin anymore. As long as we are in this world, we will continue to face all kinds of trials of faith because of the presence of sin and the devil in the world (Eph 6:10-18; 1Pet 2:11). But because of our faith in Christ Jesus we are able to experience God’s protection and salvation from all their works and schemes. And this is the second way in which our salvation is manifesting. (Cf. John 17:11; 2Thess 3:2-3; 2Tim 4:18; Jude 24)
Paul speaks about those who are perishing and those who are being saved (1Cor 1:18; 2Cor 2:15). Those of the world who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ are perishing. As long as there is breath in them, they have not yet perished. There is still hope of salvation for them. But once they die in that state, they perish. Then those of us who believe in Christ Jesus are being saved. Why does he say that we are being saved? It is because we have not yet experienced the fullness of our salvation. Of course, our Lord Jesus already paid for our salvation in full. He already obtained eternal redemption for us. But we are yet to fully experience what He has obtained for us. There is still an aspect of it that we are waiting for. And that has to do with our permanent separation from sin, the devil and the world. It is what will bring the full experience of our eternal salvation. It is what will bring us into God’s eternal rest for us. And we are all told by God to look forward to it. But because we don’t know exactly when it will happen, we call it hope, the hope of our salvation (1Thess 5:8; 1Pet 1:3-5).
Now this hope that eternal salvation from everything that is contrary to the purpose of God for will fully come to us is not a dead or an unsure hope. It is a living hope (1Peter 1:3). It is a hope that does not disappoint (Rom 5:5). We hope for it to appear in our day because we don’t know exactly when God will bring it about. But we do know that He will surely bring it about in His own good time. And in order for us to partake in it, when it is eventually revealed, we are being taught by the writer of the letter to the Hebrews that we must maintain our confidence in the Lord to the very end.
Again and again in this letter, he has been telling us that it is only faith that hangs on to the very end that is truly faith. And for our faith to remain steadfast like this, we must add patience to it. So, he tells us not to be lazy but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what God has promised (Heb 6:12). Did you see that? Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not the only thing we need to come into a full experience of our eternal salvation. We also need patience. And Abraham is given to us in our text as a good example of those who obtained what God promised to them by faith and patience (Heb 6:13-15).
God made a promise to Abraham. And he believed Him. But in order for him to receive the promise, he had to demonstrate patience. True faith is patient. If we truly believe in God, then, we will be patient with Him. If we truly believe God, then, we will know that He will not fail to deliver on His promise to us, regardless of how long it may take Him. So, we will be patient as well.
And now the question is, “Can God be trusted to deliver on His promise to us?” If His trustworthiness could be contested, then our faith in Him and our patience with Him would be in vain. But God can be trusted. He does not lie or fail to deliver on whatever He has said that He will do. In fact, as the writer shows us, in the case of Abraham, not only did God make a promise to him to give him many descendants, He also swore to do so. But then, why did God act like this in Abraham’s case? Why would God swear to him that He would surely bless him and multiply His descendants? It was to clear any form of doubt in him and make him absolutely sure that He would do as He had promised. (Cf. Heb 6:16-18)
In like manner, as we are told in the passage we are considering, we too can trust God not to dash our hope of eternal salvation through Christ Jesus but to fulfil it. And this hope, according to the writer, is like a firm and secure anchor for our souls, an anchor that connects us to the very presence of God, where Jesus Christ our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek is forever present. In other words, the hope that God will certainly give us eternal salvation at His own appointed time ought to steady us and keep us from straying away, regardless of what challenges will may be faced with. Besides, our Lord Jesus Christ is always there in His presence to help us stay true to the very end. Our own duty, then, is not to be lazy but to remain faithful and patient, regardless of what trials we are faced with, and to continually approach God’s throne of grace with confidence for whatever we need to stay true and strong to the very end. Then, at the right time, we will fully experience what God has promised. (Cf. He 6:19-20)
CONCLUSION
True faith in Christ Jesus remains faithful to the very end because it is patient. So, let us add patience to our faith in Christ Jesus, so that we may receive what God has promised us, even eternal salvation. And let us continually remember also that we are not alone in all this. We have an eternal high priest that has gone ahead of us into the presence of God for us and has made the way for us to receive whatever we need to remain true and strong to the very end. Let us, then, not be lazy but earnest to take advantage of His ministry to us.
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 5:11-6:8)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 5:11-6:8
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the book of Hebrews, we were introduced to the priestly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we saw that He did not appoint Himself to be our High Priest; God appointed Him. God appointed Him because, first, He is one of us – He is a man like us. Second, God appointed Him as our High Priest because He was the only man that was tempted at all point but did not sin. So, He attained that maturity that God wants all men to attain in this world, the maturity that is revealed through total obedience to God, even in suffering. And if we too want to attain the maturity He has attained, if want to live the rest of our earthly lives fully pleasing God, we need to embrace His ministry as our High Priest, having come to God through Him. (Cf. Heb 5:10)
GROW UP
But then, instead for the writer of this book to proceed in explaining to his readers (the Jewish Christians to whom this letter was originally written) the significance of the priestly ministry of Jesus, he does not do so immediately. And why? It is because, as he points out in the letter, they are no longer showing any serious interest in learning to know more about the person of Jesus Christ and what He is to humanity. Here are his words about this:
“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb 5:11-14NIV)
Did you see that? There is always a lot to learn from God about the Christian faith or life. But unless we are eager to learn and grow in our knowledge of God, of His provisions and of His ways, we may remain stagnant throughout the remaining days of our earthly lives. And this, of course, is a very dangerous thing. Well, as the writer of the book of Hebrews says about these brethren, it is hard to take them further in their knowledge of Christ because they are just too slow to learn. In fact, in the Greek rendering, the implication of the word used is that these brethren are lazy to learn. In other words, they are not making any serious effort to learn and understand the will of God for them, which is a foolish way to live (Eph 5:17).
Therefore, as the writer further points out, when these brethren ought to be teachers already, they still need someone to teach them the elementary or basic truths of God’s word all over again. That means they are not coming to maturity. They are not growing up. You cannot address them as you would address mature believers. They are not yet well acquainted with the doctrine of righteousness. So they cannot properly distinguish for themselves the right or wrong way to live. And they remind one of the Corinthian church of bible days (1Cor 3:1-4).
Now only God knows how many believers today are in this condition. Only He knows how many of us are suffering from arrested spiritual growth. Only He knows how many of us, who ought to have become teachers of His righteousness, are still in need of people to tutor us and follow us up before we live responsibly here in this world. And to say the fact, just by looking at the lives of the believers around us, we can tell that many of us are still like this.
It is true that all of us need one another for mutual edification, regardless of the degree of Christian maturity we may have attained (Rom 1:11-12). However, when we won’t live responsibly at all in our Christian faith without anybody pulling us or pushing us, having become Christians for some months or years, then, something is definitely wrong with us. And what is wrong is that we are not growing at all. But it is not that we cannot grow. Rather, it is that we are just too lazy to learn the things we need to know to grow and become responsible in the kingdom of God our Father.
See, God, having given us new birth in Christ Jesus, does not want us to remain babies. Instead, He wants us to grow up to become mature adults in Him. He wants us to become individuals who are not only living to please Him but who are also helping others to know Him better and to live to please Him. And He has made available to us all that we need to attain this kind of life. He has given us His life and nature. He has given us His word. He has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us and strengthen us. He has made His throne room available to us to approach anytime and any day for help, whatever kind of help it might be. He has also given us the fellowship of the brethren to take advantage of. If, then, in the face of all these things, we are still small in our Christian faith, it can only mean that we are lazy and unwilling to learn. (Cf. Rom 15:14; Eph 4:9-16; Heb 4:14-16; 1Pet 2:1-3; 2Pet 1:3-9)
Now what is the solution to this problem, the problem of arrested spiritual development? It is for us to wake up and take advantage of all the things God has provided for us to learn and move on to maturity. We must express the willingness to do this. Yes, we must express the willingness to move on from wanting to learn the basic truths of the Christian faith all over again to learning those spiritual truths that are for mature Christian minds. And what are these basic truths we need to move on from? The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us in these words:
“Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.” (Heb 6:1-3NIV)
Wow! The things this man refers to as elementary truths about Christ are things that even many of us preachers today are still struggling to understand. He speaks of repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment as elementary truths of Christ. So, if all we know and can teach or all we are learning are centred on these things, it means that we are yet babies in the Christian faith, even if we are church leaders. It is as simple as that. And we need to wake up and get ready to move up the ladder and begin to learn advance spiritual truths that will make us ready to live lives that are well-pleasing to God and to also help others become what He wants them to be. In fact, there is always more to learn and know about Jesus Christ. We never get to know or experience Him enough or fully, as far as living in this world is concerned (1Cor 13:9-12; Phil 3:10-15).
But if we refuse to wake up and give ourselves to doing those things that will make us grow in our faith, our faith may at some point be endangered. And that is the problem with arrested spiritual growth or development. When you refuse to grow up, when you get all lazy about your walk with God and stop making any effort to know Him better or to live truly for Him, even as a church leader, at some point, the enemy may succeed in getting to you. Then the following words from the writer of the book of Hebrews, God forbid, may become your reality:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.” (Heb 6:4-8NIV)
Now I know many have stumbled while trying to explain what this little passage of the book of Hebrews means. And that is because they took the passage out of the setting of the entire discourse. What led him to say these words? It is the subject of arrested spiritual development that the brethren are experiencing. And he is saying, if they remain like this, no longer excited about Jesus, no longer interested in knowing Him better, all because of their trials and challenges, there may come a time when they will fall away from faith in Him. This does not necessarily mean that they will stop trying to live to please God. Rather, it basically means that they will stop living to please God by faith in Christ Jesus.
He already speaks in the previous passages we have looked at of a possibility of this, using the case of the Israelites Moses brought out of Egypt as an example. He is now saying the same thing again, using different words. And the point is that when people refuse to proceed in their walk of faith in Christ Jesus, when they refuse to know Him better and to learn to take more and more advantage of His grace, they are faced with the danger of falling away from a life of faith in Him. They may fall away into idolatry, atheism, mysticism, Judaism, Islam, the worship of self or any man-made religion. It does not matter what it is. The fact is that they have fallen away from a life that is lived on the basis of faith in Christ Jesus, which is the only acceptable life before God.
And when that is the case, as the writer points out, it becomes utterly impossible for such people to be brought back to the Lord. He does not say it is difficult or hard for them to be brought back. Rather, he says it is impossible for them to be brought back to Him. In other words, they have passed over to the point of no return. So, nothing that is said to them or done for them will work again in restoring them to faith in Christ Jesus. And some of us may have come in contact with such individuals. They believe they have seen it all in Christ Jesus. They have enjoyed His goodness, His love, His gifts, His power and so forth. Yet, at some point, none of these experiences meant anything to them again; none of these experiences was strong enough to make them keep their faith in the Lord. So, they turned their back on Him and rejected Him as fake, figuratively crucifying Him again as the leaders of the Jews did. And that being the case, they show themselves unworthy of all that the Lord has done for them. They can, therefore, only expect from Him nothing but the destruction of their souls.
Now will this be the case for everyone that refuses to move further in His walk of faith with the Lord Jesus Christ? I wouldn’t know. So, I cannot tell whether it is going to be your experience or not, if you keep refusing to move on in your walk with Him. I sincerely pray that it will not be your experience or mine. But praying about this is not enough. We need to act too. Yes, we need to wake up and desire more and more, as long as it is called ‘Today’, to move on to maturity in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. That is because an unwillingness to progress in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ may just be a sign that we were never really saved.
CONCLUSION
There is great danger in remaining in spiritual stagnancy. So, wake up from your slumber and begin to take advantage of the grace of God to be all that He wants you to be in Christ Jesus.
QUESTION
– What is the most important thing you learnt from this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 5:1-10)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 5:1-10
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
One of the things we learnt in our last study in the book of Hebrews is that we need a priest in our relationship with God. Yes, we need a priest that understands us and that can help us in maintaining our confidence in God to the very end, so that we do not fail to enter His eternal rest. And thankfully, the writer of the book of Hebrews closes the last passage we used for our study by announcing to us that Jesus Christ is our High Priest. The same Jesus, who is our God, Lord, Saviour, Apostle and Brother, is also our High Priest. And as we see in our last study, He has already gone through the heavens for us, so that we can now freely and boldly approach God’s throne of grace. Therefore, we have no reason to allow any situation of life to destroy our faith. All we need is to confidently approach God to receive whatever we need to stay faithful and strong to the very end.
OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST
Now, in the passage we are considering for this study, the writer of this book shares further with us about the position of Jesus as our High Priest. And for the Christian who is not a Jew and who is just learning the truth about the Christian faith, this may not be difficult to accept. Even if he has in the past been involved in the worship of gods that have chief or high priests, he will understand that when there is a change of god or religion, there must be a change of priest. But this is not so for the jewish mind. They have their own priesthood that was established by God Himself. And all their priests, beginning with Aaron and his sons, are ordained or anointed of God. If anybody is now referring to Jesus as their High Priest, when there is already an ordained High Priest of God that is serving in their tabernacle, the person will have to do some explaining of how this is so.
With this in mind, the writer of the book of Hebrews, beginning with the passage we are now looking at, starts to share with his jewish brethren (and of course, us as well) some very vital truths about the priesthood of Jesus. How did He become a priest, even though he has not come from the Israelite tribe that God has ordained for priesthood? What kind of priest is He? What makes His priesthood better than the one God first established and that all the Israelites recognise and identify with? How relevant is His priesthood to those who come to God through Him? These are the major questions he answers for us in this passage and in the ones we are going to be looking at subsequently.
So then, he begins laying the foundation by telling us in a general sense who a priest is and what his job entails, saying, “Every high priest is chosen from his fellow-men and appointed to serve God on their behalf, to offer sacrifices and offerings for sins. Since he himself is weak in many ways, he is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes. And because he is himself weak, he must offer sacrifices not only for the sins of the people but also for his own sins.” (Heb 5:1-4GNT) From what he tells us here, three major things stand about a priest. One: he has to be a man in order to be able to fully identify with men like himself in all their humanity, with all their ignorance and mistakes, and serve them well before God. Two: a priest helps the people to maintain their relationship and fellowship with God. Three: a priest must first have his own relationship and fellowship right with God before he can truly help others in their relationship and fellowship with Him.
Having pointed these things out about priests and the nature of their job, the writer goes on to tell us how people become priests. He says, “No one chooses for himself the honor of being a high priest. It is only by God’s call that a man is made a high priest — just as Aaron was.” (Heb 5:4GNT) Did you see that? People don’t become priests by merely desiring to do so. Rather, they become priests because they are chosen by God. And that was how Aaron, the first high priest of Israel, became one. He did not choose the honour of becoming one by himself; instead, God gave him that honour by choosing and ordaining him (Ex 28). And that is a very important lesson for us to note. It is God that chooses people’s positions for them in life. So, don’t try to choose for yourself what He has not given to you. Don’t ever try to bestow on yourself the honour God has not given you, as many are doing today, addressing themselves by all kinds of titles God has not given to them. What you will ultimately find behind such acts will be nothing but utter disgrace. (Cf. John 3:27)
In any case, the writer of this book continues by letting us know that just as Aaron was ordained by God to serve the Israelites as their High Priest in that earthly tabernacle, Jesus also has been ordained by Him to serve everyone who comes to God through Him as his High Priest. His words are: “In the same way, Christ did not take upon himself the honor of being a high priest. Instead, God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” He also said in another place, “You will be a priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.”” (Heb 5:5-6GNT) What does this mean? It means that just as God pronounced Jesus as His actual Son, He has also pronounced Him as our eternal priest, a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Now the writer is going to later in this letter explain in detail what it means for Jesus to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek. But here he is telling us in advance that He is our eternal priest. And He did not make Himself our priest; God ordained Him to be so. Think about that. Even our Lord Jesus did not take on Himself the honour of becoming our high and eternal priest; God gave Him this honour. And that being the case, it will be foolish for any of us to take on ourselves an honour that God has not bestowed on us. Don’t give yourself a title that God has not given you. It is dangerous and destructive to do so.
Finally, in this passage, which is basically a foundation for what we will be looking at later in our studies in this letter, the tells us why Jesus is qualified to serve as our High Priest. He says, “In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him. But even though he was God’s Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him, and God declared him to be high priest, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 5:7-10GNT) Why is Jesus qualified to serve as our priest? He is qualified because He is also a man like us. Yes, He is fully God. But He is also fully man. In fact, He lived as a man in real time and in a real world – the records are there for all to examine.
Furthermore, in living as a man, Jesus fully identified with our humanity, something the writer has earlier pointed out in this letter (Heb 2:14-18). In other words, He too experienced all the challenges and pains that are associated with living as a man in this world. And while in this world, He did not have to offer any sacrifice for His own sins, like the priests ordained in the order of Aaron, for He never sinned. However, He offered prayers and requests to God, even with loud cries and tears, in order to receive mercy and grace in His hour of need, serving as an example to us of how we too are to relate to God. And in all this, He too learnt, in His humanity, what it means to obey God in all things, even when we have to suffer, which is the state of perfection God wants all of us to attain in life. Therefore, having attained this perfection that God wants for us all, Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for us.
Think about that. Because Jesus Christ, as a man, lived that perfect life that God wants us to live, He became the only One that is able to give us eternal salvation. And note that what He offers us is not temporary salvation from sin, the devil and everything that seeks to destroy us; rather, what He offers us is ETERNAL SALVATION. That means He has what it takes for us to be permanently and absolutely free forever. Amazing, right? But it is the reality. And in order to make this – our eternal salvation – certain, God also ordained Him to be our ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST, a priest in the order of Melchizedek. That means He is now available to help us forever in our relationship with God, so that we can fully come into His ETERNAL REST FOR US. What a beautiful thing we have for us in Christ Jesus! And all we need to do is to recognise these things and begin to fully take advantage of them.
CONCLUSION
A priest is one ordained by God from among men to help them in their relationship with Him. And because he is a man, he is able to relate to those he is serving with understanding. But while the priests ordained by God to serve the Israelites were men with personal moral weaknesses and failures and who also didn’t live forever, Jesus Christ is a man with no sin or failure in His life and who lives forever. So, He is the only one who is truly qualified to help us in our relationship and fellowship with God, so that we can enjoy eternal salvation and rest. That is why God ordained Him as our Eternal High Priest. Our duty now is to embrace Him and His ministry, so that we can get all the support and enablement we need to be all that God wants us to be and do all that He wants us to do.
QUESTIONS
– To what extent is the ministry of a priest relevant?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com/alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 4:1-16)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 5TH MAY 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 4:1-16
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study we looked at two major reasons Jesus is of greater honour than Moses and is to be taken more seriously than him. The first is that while Moses functioned as a servant in God’s house, Jesus functions as a Son over God’s house. The second is that Moses service was in an earthly tabernacle, which was just a shadow and symbol of God’s real tabernacle. All that he did was pointing to something real that was to later come. But Jesus’s service is over the reality that Moses’ service was pointing to. In other words, His own labour is over God’s real house, and we, who have come to God through our faith in Him, are that house. Therefore, the Spirit of God now warns us to be careful not to harden our hearts towards Him and whatever He is saying to us. And this is because all the people that Moses brought out of Egypt, who hardened their hearts in unbelief towards the message he brought to them from God, were denied the rest of God. They were not allowed to enter the Promised Land, which was the place of rest God had prepared for them. If those people, then, even though they were saved from Egypt, were disallowed from entering the rest of God, which was simply a symbol of what is to come, are we also not going to be denied the true rest of God, if we refuse to take the Lord Jesus Christ seriously?
GOD’S SABBATH REST
So then, in the part of the book of Hebrews that we are considering in this study, the writer decides to take some space to educate us further on the rest of God. And he bases everything on the Scripture he sets forth for us in the previous passage we considered, which says:
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'” (Heb 3:7-11NIV)
Now he already tells us that the Israelites Moses brought out of Egypt were unable to enter God’s rest because of their unbelief. So, the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, was a form of God’s rest for His people. But from what he shares with us in the passage we are now considering, it is clear that there are other forms of God’s rest. According to him, the very fact that David, the writer of the Psalm he is using to explain this subject, says to us by the Holy Spirit, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,” shows that God’s rest for His people goes beyond the Promised Land that the Israelites were called to enter. And as he further notes, David said these things several years after Joshua had already led those who believed into the land of Canaan. So, definitely, God’s rest goes beyond a physical land, which can perish or be lost to another person. The physical land that the people received was just a symbol of the other forms of real rest that God wants His people to enjoy (Cf. Heb 4:1-8)
What, then, are the other forms of rest God wants His people to enjoy? First, we have rest from a life dominated by sin and the devil in this world. We know that the natural man is a slave of sin and of the devil (John 8:34; Rom 7:14-24; 2et 2:19; 1John 3:8). And this is why his life is miserable, empty of goodness and full of chaos, even in the world in which he lives. But now he is able to experience salvation and rest from the rule of the devil and sin and all the things that are associated with their rule through the redemptive works of the Lord Jesus Christ. All he needs to do is to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as all the Israelites needed to do to be set free from Egypt and brought into the land of Canaan, the land of rest, was to believe the gospel that Moses brought to them.
Therefore, the writer of this book tells us that those of us who have believed the gospel of Jesus Christ enter God’s rest (Heb 4:3). The Israelites that did not enter the land of Canaan, which was a physical symbol of God’s rest, did not enter because of their unbelief – they did not allow the word of God to produce faith in them. But we who have believed the gospel of Jesus have entered that place of rest God has destined for us in this world. We have come to a place where sin and the devil no longer have dominion over us (Rom 8:14; Col 1:13). Yes, we have come out of the realm of death and all that is associated with it into the realm of life and all that is associated with it (John 5:24; 1John 3:14). And we should continually thank and celebrate God for doing this for us through Jesus Christ.
But then, that is not all about God’s rest, as we see in the passage we are studying. In other words, there is still standing another rest of God for those who believe. And concerning this rest the writer says to us, “There remains, then, a Sabbath — rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Heb 4:9-11NIV) Did you see that? Just in the same breath that he says that those of us who have believed enter God’s rest, he also tells us to make every effort to enter that rest. That means that he is not speaking about the same form of rest. The first form of rest is that which we enjoy in our walk in this world. The second form of rest is that which we enjoy with God throughout eternity. It is rest from all our earthly struggles and activities. It is rest with God in His rest from creation works.
And how do we enter this rest, this eternal rest, that the writer of the book of Hebrews speaks of? It is by maintaining our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to the very end. The reason most of the people Moses brought out of Egypt did not enter God’s symbolic rest, the Promised Land, was that they did not believe to the very end. Yes, they believed long enough to come out of the house of bondage, Egypt. But they did not believe long enough to enter God’s rest for them.
Now we are confronted with the same living and active word of God, who knows everything about us and sees everything about us. So, the same demand of faith is being made on us. We too are required to take our Lord Jesus and all that God is saying to us through Him seriously to the very end, so that we may enter God’s eternal rest. How, then, are we going to do this and not fail? Certainly, we too will be confronted with all kinds of trials and challenges that will want to rubbish our faith in Him and make us quit. How do we walk in victory over them all to the very end? We have the answer to this in the following words of the writer to us:
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16NIV)
First, he tells us what we must do, which is that we must hold firmly to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of what happens. In other words, we must not change our confession about who He is to us. He is our God, Lord, Saviour and Brother. Second, he tells us how to do this, which is by taking advantage of His ministry as our High Priest. That means Jesus is not just our God, Lord, Saviour and Brother; He is also our High priest. And in order for us not to lose our confidence in Him and so miss God’s eternal rest for us, we need His ministry as a priest.
The Israelites that Moses brought out of Egypt had priests among them, priests provided and ordained by God for them, something the writer will still discuss in detail later in the book. And these priests were supposed to help them in their relationship with God, so that they would come into His rest for them. But because their priests, including Aaron, their high priest, were men with several weaknesses like them, they could not help them to find the grace they needed to enter the land of promise. Instead, those priests also perished with them in the wilderness.
Our own case is, however, different, as the writer of this book shows us. That is because the High and only Priest God has provided for us is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And though He too has been tempted in every way, just as we are being tempted, He was without sin. So, He understands us fully and is able to help us deal with whatever challenges our faith.
More so, He has already gone through the heavens and cleared the way for us to be able to approach God freely and confidently. Therefore, instead of allowing our faith to be rubbished any day or any time, all we need to do is to approach God’s throne of grace freely and boldly too, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us, according to our need. That means if any one of us loses his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and misses God’s eternal rest, it is not because he has to; it is because he will not take advantage of God’s mercy and grace.
CONCLUSION
God’s rest, whether physical, spiritual or eternal, is obtainable only through faith in Him and His word. But faith in God must be from start to finish. Otherwise it is no faith at all. And in order for our faith in Him to be maintained to the very end, we need to learn to boldly and freely draw from Him whatever we need, since Jesus, the High Priest He provided for us, has already opened the way for us.
QUESTIONS
– How many forms of rest are discussed in Hebrews 4?
– What is the most important thing you learnt in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
April 2020
MAINTAINING FAITH—A GREATER THAN MOSES (TEXT: HEBREWS 3:1-19)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 29TH APRIL 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH—A GREATER THAN MOSES
TEXT: HEBREWS 3:1-19
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
There are two main points that are raised all through the book of Hebrews on how to maintain our faith in Jesus Christ. The first has to do with knowing and appreciating who He really is. The second has to do with giving Him our utmost attention. And in our last study, the writer shares with us three main reasons we must pay the most careful attention to our Lord Jesus Christ. The first is so that we may not drift away from Him and all that He represents. The second is so that we may not come under the wrath of God. The third is so that we do not waste the grace of God that He represents to us.
A GREATER THAN MOSES
Now, having made these things clear to us, he goes on to say, “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (Heb 3:1NIV) First, look at the way he addresses these brethren. He calls them (all of them, regardless of whether they have titles or not) ‘holy brethren’. In other words, all of us who have put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are holy to God. That means we have been separated from the world by Him to be His and to serve His purpose. We may not look like we have been separated in this way. And we may not even be living as though we had been separated to be God’s and for His purpose. But because of our faith in Jesus, we have been separated from the world by Him to be His own people and to serve His purpose. That is what it means to be holy.
Then he equally calls all these brethren, regardless of their positions in the church, ‘sharers in the heavenly calling’. That means they all have been called by God Himself to represent Him in this world and to be a part of His eternal kingdom. So, it is not only the leaders – apostles, pastors, prophets, evangelists and so forth – of our various assemblies that are called by God; we all are called by Him.
Well, I don’t want us to miss the point that the writer of this book is communicating to us, which is that, on the basis of the truths he already makes clear to us about the person of Jesus Christ, we are to fix our thoughts and attention on Him. That means we are to consider and ponder continually on who He is to us, so that He may take His rightful place in our lives and that we may fully enjoy Him. And who is He to us? As he shows us in the letter, Jesus is our apostle and high priest. In other words, He is God’s special messenger sent to save us and to make our relationship with Him what it is meant to be.
But then, remember again that this man is basically addressing the Jewish mind here, a mind that is not ignorant of God in a number of ways. So, there is every tendency for this mind to be asking, “But what about people like Moses, Joshua, Aaron and several other prophets that God has used in defining for us how to worship Him? Are you really saying that we are to take Jesus Christ more seriously than them?” And in dealing with these and other similar questions, he begins to develop further for these brethren what makes Jesus supreme to all their prophets, starting with Moses, who happens to be the most revered of them all.
Now remember that it was Moses that God used in leading the nation of Israel out of that house of bondage, Egypt. It was he that God used in parting the Red Sea for them. It was he that God used in taking care of them in the wilderness for forty long years. It was also he that brought them the Ten Commandments written by God Himself on stone tablets and all other laws of God. In addition, it was this same Moses that built the first Tabernacle of God among them, established their priesthood and gave them all the laws concerning the proper worship of God. So, it is not enough to merely say to those who know these things and have lived for years on their basis that Jesus, who was rejected by their religious leaders and eventually killed, is to be taken more seriously than Moses; you have to substantiate such claims in very clear and sound ways. And that is exactly what the writer of this letter does. Look what how he sets forth his points:
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” (Heb 3:1-6NIV)
Why should Jesus be taken more seriously than Moses by these Jewish brethren? First, it is because He was faithful in doing the will of God, which was to bring humanity salvation and reconcile them to God. But Moses too was faithful in all God’s house, according to God’s own testimony (Num 12:5-8). So, what makes the difference? Well, as the writer puts it, the difference, first, is in the fact while Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, Jesus is faithful as a son over God’s house. And who has the greater honour in the house, the son or the servant? The son, of course! The servant works in the house, but the son is lord over the house.
The second difference between Jesus’ faithfulness and Moses’ faithfulness is seen in the fact that Moses was faithful in an earthly house or tabernacle, which is simply a shadow of something real that was to come in the future. But Jesus is faithful over God’s real house, which is made up of people. That means His labour is not on making an earthly tent or house fit for God to live in, when, in fact, God cannot live in any earthly house, however magnificent it may be (Acts 7:48-50). Rather, His labour is on doing what will make people, who were originally made in the image and likeness of God, once again fit for Him to dwell in and work in. And God has found Him to be faithful in doing this. Therefore, He is worthy of greater honour than Moses in every way, and we should take whatever He brings to us about the proper way to worship God more seriously than whatever Moses or anybody else brings to us. By the way, Moses never did or said anything in contradiction with what our Lord is now saying to us. On the contrary, all that he did and said were done to bring us to obedience in Christ Jesus.
It is on this basis, then, that the writer goes on to give these brethren the warning of the Holy Spirit from their own Scriptures, which says:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” (Heb 3:7-11NIV)
What does he mean by saying these things? Well, it is just what he has been saying all along, which is that God is talking to us now through His Son, Jesus Christ, and we must take Him seriously and not harden our hearts towards Him. Otherwise we will miss His rest for us. As he further explains here in the letter, most of the people that God used Moses in leading out of Egypt did not make it into His rest for them, which at that time was symbolised by the Promised Land. They simply wandered through the wilderness for forty years and perished there. Why? Hardness of heart! Unbelief! God simply could not convince them to take Him seriously. Their hearts kept turning away from Him and His laws and provisions for them in unbelief. So, at some point, He swore in His anger that they would never enter His rest. And that was exactly what happened. (Cf. Num 13&14; 1Cor 10:1-11)
Now we are being warned not to fall into the same error as did those people. As we see here in this book, everything that happened to those people that Moses led out of Egypt was just a shadow of the reality that we have been called to obtain and enjoy. And if many of those who were called out to obtain a symbolic rest were rejected and disqualified from obtaining it because they did not take the word of God that Moses, God’s servant, brought to them seriously to the very end, what do you think will happen to those of us who have heard God’s word directly from His Son and have been blessed by it, if we should turn away from faith in Him? A disqualification from entering His eternal rest!
All of this is why the writer of this book admonishes us to do our best to help and support one another in this matter, so that none of us will develop that kind of sinful heart that turns away from faith in God through Jesus Christ. That is because it is not enough to start out in faith in Christ Jesus; it is also important we continue in our faith in Him till the very end. It is those that hold firmly to the very end the confidence they have in Him that truly believe in Him and that are truly sharers in the inheritance that God has given to Him. Those who shrink back from faith in Him for any reason and at any point will be simply taken as unbelievers. This, I strongly believe, is one major thing preachers of ‘once saved, forever saved’ need to take into serious consideration so that they may be balanced in handling the subject of our eternal salvation. (Cf. Heb 3:12-14)
CONCLUSION
Moses was without doubt a great servant and prophet of God that had God’s own approval as a faithful minister in His house, a symbolic house. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ is greater than this man because He has God’s approval as a son over His real house, which we are. And if those who took Moses and the word of God he brought to them lightly were rejected and denied a place in the land God had promised on oath to give to their forefathers, those of us who wilfully harden our hearts against the Lord Jesus Christ, who is greater than Moses, having experienced His goodness, should not think that we will be spared.
QUESTIONS
– How seriously should believers in Christ Jesus take the ministry of Moses?
– In the light of this study, what can you say about the subject of ‘Eternal salvation’?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 2:1-18)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 22ND APRIL 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 2:1-18
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
We have, for a while now, been looking at the supremacy of Jesus over all beings and things in our studies in the book of Hebrews. So far, we have seen that He is supreme to all the prophets of God, whether those that are already dead or those that are living. We have also seen that He is supreme to all the angels, whether God’s angels or Satan and his demons. And He is supreme to all these beings and people because He is God’s Son, God’s Heir and God Himself. So, if there is anyone we need to take seriously in all of life, it is He, which is the next point the writer of this book raises in the passage we are considering for this study.
PAY THE MOST CAREFUL ATTENTION
Now what is his argument? It is that if Jesus is all the things he already mentions in this letter, and He is, then, we need to give Him and whatever He is saying to us utmost attention. At least, we know how important it is to take seriously God’s prophets and God’s angels. We know from Scriptures that not to take what God is saying to us through these messengers of His seriously is to get into trouble with Him. And since God will not overlook our disobedience to prophetic or angelic instructions that are from Him, why should we think He will overlook instructions that He brings to us through His own very Son, whom He has made heir of all things?
So, the writer of this book says to us, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Heb 2:1NIV) What kind of attention are we to pay to what our Lord Jesus is saying to us? A more careful attention! This is not a man talking to us. This is not an angel talking to us. This is God Himself talking to us. So, we need to give Him a more careful attention and take Him more seriously than we take anybody or have taken anybody. Did you get that?
Then why do we need to give the Lord Jesus our utmost attention, the most careful attention? The writer says we need to do so for the following reasons:
– so that we do not drift away (Heb 2:1): Evidently, he is addressing here those who have already come to God through Jesus Christ, not those who are yet to do so. And he is saying to us that the only way to maintain our faith in Him and our place in God’s scheme of things is to keep paying utmost attention to what the Lord is saying to us. The moment we stop paying attention to His teachings, commands and admonitions, we will start drifting away from God’s grace, from God’s provisions and blessings. Yes, we will start running out like a leaking vessel. And before we know it, everything that is true and meaningful in us will be gone and we will be left empty. This, of course, is the explanation for the falling away of everyone that was once in the Christian faith. They somehow stopped paying utmost attention to what the Lord was saying to them and started paying attention to other things, people or beings. And before they or anybody knew it, they had departed from the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus into complete unbelief and a life of uselessness.
– so that we may escape the coming wrath of God (Heb 2:2-4): As it is clearly shown to us in this passage and all through the scriptures, those who disobeyed or ignored instructions brought to them from God by angels or even prophets did not fail to receive a just punishment for doing so (1Sam 15; Luke 1:5-20). How, then, will anybody escape God’s punishment, if he ignores the good news of our salvation brought to us by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? Not only that, there were people who heard Him directly and also heard God’s testimony about Him, which they have confirmed to us. In addition, God Himself is still confirming the testimony of His Son Jesus to us through various signs, wonders and miracles being done in His name and through diverse manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit of God in the lives of those who have put their faith in Him. And if, in the presence of all these things, we still reject and turn away from Him and what He is saying to us, how shall we escape the coming wrath of God?
– so that we do not waste the grace of God (Heb 2:5-14): Why did our Lord Jesus come to the world in the first place? Was it because of angels, fallen angels? No! Or was it because of animals? No! Rather, He came, as we see in the passage we are considering, to restore us to our original place in God’s purpose. In explaining this the writer quotes a scripture for us from the Old testament part of the bible, which says, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.” (Heb 2:6-8NIV) Why does he give us this Scripture? It is to show us our original place in God’s plan. And as we see in the Scripture, originally, God made us to be a little lower than the angels. This, of course, suggests that man is lower than the angels in creation order. But when we look at the same text in Psalm 8, from which this Scripture is taken, we see that the word the Hebrew word that is used and translated as ‘angels’ in some English bible versions is ‘Elohim’, one of the names of God. And it is used in its plural form, just as it is used in Genesis 1:1. This is why there are English bible versions that use the word ‘God’ or the words ‘Heavenly beings’ instead of ‘angels’ in the Psalm.
In any case, I showed you all that to let see that, originally, man was made to be second to none other than God Himself. He was made to be superior to the angels. And all things were placed under his feet, that is, under his dominion and authority. In fact, the writer of the book of Hebrews, commenting on this, says, “In putting everything under man, God left nothing that is not subject to him.” (Cf. Heb 2:8) That is huge. But then, he goes on to show us that this is not the case at the moment. We don’t see everything under man’s dominion at the moment. Rather, we see that man himself is subject to many things in creation. We see that he is not fully in charge of God’s creation, as he was originally made to be. So, animals, ants, birds, sea creatures, germs and so forth are still able to frighten or kill him. And we see that he is also powerless in the face of angelic beings.
But this is never God’s purpose for man. And in order to restore him to Himself, He sent His own Son Jesus Christ to be born as a man and to live as a man, a descendant of His friend Abraham, whom He had promised to bless the whole world through (Gen 12:1-3&22:15-18). Then, not only was He to be born as a man and to live as a man, He was also to die as a man. Why? God wanted Him to fully share in our humanity, so that He would be able to help us through life, having being through whatever any of us might hope to go through. (Cf. Heb 2:9-18)
The point that is being made to us in this passage that we are studying is that Jesus Christ did not just come to die for our sins. Yes, He did come to make atonement for the sins of humanity by tasting death for all of us, as a man, in order to bring us into the family of God, something that we will still look at in detail much later in our studies in this book. Also, He came to set us free from our fear of death by paralysing through His own death the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil. But He did more than those. He also fully lived like a man and encountered all the fears, trials, temptations and challenges that anybody might hope to experience in life. And why? It was so that, having walked in victory over all these things, He might be able to help anyone who comes to Him to also walk in victory over them. In other words, if all He came for was just to die for our sins, then, He did not need to live for as long as He did in order to do that, for He had been without sin from birth. But in order to also show us how to live a life of victory over sin and the devil, He lived to serve as our perfect example of man as man ought to be and to also be our great High Priest and Helper in our relationship with God. All of this is why the writer of the book of Hebrew says, “Even though we do not see ourselves at the moment occupying our original place of dominion in God’s scheme of things, we see Jesus, who has attained the perfection God wants to see in us. And by taking Him seriously and fixing our gaze on Him, we too will be able to fully take the place God has prepared for us.” (Cf. Heb 2:9)
Now God has done all this for us through His Son Jesus Christ because of His love for us and not because we asked for it or because of any righteous acts of ours. Everything came to us by His grace (Eph 2:1-10). If we, then, for one reason or the other, reject God’s gift to us in this way, what will that amount to? A waste of His grace! And how do you think God will react to that? Trust me, we don’t want to find out, which is all the more why we need to give Jesus the most careful attention.
CONCLUSION
Because of the place Jesus occupies in God’s creation and also because of what He has done for humanity, the right thing for us to do is to give Him our utmost attention. But if we fail to do this, then, not only are we going to drift away from the grace and goodness of God; we are also going to be faced with the eternal wrath of God.
QUESTIONS
– What is the main theme of the second chapter of the book of Hebrews?
– What is the most important thing you learnt from this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 1:4-14)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 15TH APRIL 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 1:4-14
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
BACKGROUND
In our last study in the book of Hebrews, we looked at what the writer has to say about who Jesus is to God and to all of His creation. According to him, Jesus is more than a prophet of God, even though He did function as a prophet of God when He walked the face of the earth. He is actually the Son of God and the Heir of everything God owns and has. Not only that, Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being. In other words, He is God Himself, and anyone who has seen Him has seen God. This is why it is fundamentally wrong to compare Jesus with any prophet of God or to take the words of any prophet of God more seriously than His words. It is equally the reason it will be a mistake to abandon Jesus and faith in Him in order to seek peace, rest, healing, satisfaction or any other thing from any other person, being or institution. He is the owner and source of life and everything we may need to live our lives meaningfully. So, if we leave Him because we are faced with certain challenges or trials of life, challenges and trials that can never be beyond His ability to handle, to whom, then, do we go? (Cf. John 6:66-69)
JESUS AND THE ANGELS
Now, to further establish the supremacy of Jesus over all of God’s creation, the writer of the book Hebrews goes on to show his Jewish brethren, whom he is addressing, that He is not in any way to be compared with any of the angels of God. And why does he do this? It is because the Jews believe in the supernatural. They believe that there are angelic beings who serve God and are sent from time to time to make His will known to men. In fact, their Scriptures contain accounts of some angelic appearances that their forefathers and other prophets of old experienced. Then, even at the time this letter was being written, angels were still appearing to men and bringing them supernatural experiences (Heb 13:2). So, there is every tendency that some who have had such experiences may want to take the angels they have seen or heard more seriously than Jesus Christ.
Interestingly, similar things are still happening today. People still see and hear angels. People still experience the supernatural through angelic visitations. And such people also stand in the danger of wanting to take those angels or the experiences they have had through them more seriously than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. That, of course, will be idolatry. And one major way to prevent it is to make the supremacy of Jesus over all the angels, whether God’s holy angels or demons, known and clear to us all.
So, in the passage of this book that we are considering for this study, the writer shows us why Jesus is supreme to the angels. And why is He supreme to them? First, it is because He is God and has been given the name above all names (Heb 1:3-4). Very clearly in this letter, the writer shows us that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation His being, meaning that He is God Himself. Not only that, because He submitted Himself to God the Father and humbled Himself to be presented as the sin sacrifice for humanity, God exalted Him above all His creation and gave Him the name that is above all names, including all the names of the angels (Phil 2:5-11). In fact, the writer tells us here that the name we are talking about has been given to Jesus as an inheritance from God. So, we are looking at the name of God Himself, which is not in its letters or sound but in its authority (Matt 28:19). And we are saying that our Lord Jesus is now functioning in the name and authority of God the Father. Therefore, every being everywhere, including all the angels, whatever their names or titles or authority may be, are now subject to Him (1Pet 3:21-22).
The second reason the Lord Jesus is supreme to all the angels is that God Himself says so. And in the section of this letter that we are considering, the writer gives us a number of scriptures in which God testifies that Jesus is His own Son and that all the angels, who are basically His servants, are to worship Him (Heb 1:5-13). In fact, he closes the passage by saying, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14NIV) Look at that. All the angels, however powerful and awesome in appearance they may be, are servants of God sent to serve those who will inherit the salvation of Jesus. In other words, they are sent to serve us on behalf of God. So, you cannot compare them in any way with Jesus the Son of God and giver of eternal salvation.
Now since this is the case, whatever angelic encounter we have must first be subjected to the body of truth that the Lord Jesus has delivered to us. And any such encounter that does not agree with what He has delivered to us must be denounced and rejected, regardless of how spectacular it may be. Then the angel or angels that have brought about that encounter must not be accepted as of God, however magnificent they may seem.
Unfortunately, many, including preachers are ignorant of this. And that is why we still find among God’s people today people who worship angels and also those who think everybody must listen to them and take them seriously because of certain angelic visitations and experiences they have had. We also have those who pray in the names of certain angels, as though those names carried a greater authority than the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. But just as it is made clear in other places in the bible, it is equally made clear here in the book of Hebrews that God’s people are never to worship any angel or take the words of any angel more seriously than what has already been given to us in Scriptures (Col 2:18-19; Rev 19:10&22:8-9). Also, there is nowhere it is suggested or taught in Scriptures that it is alright for us to pray in the name of any angel or even any other being apart from Jesus. To do so is to be involved in idolatry and to be separated from Christ Himself. By the way, there is no real angel of God that will allow us to worship him. Only demons will do such things, which explains why many of those who worship angels or pray in their names are under very serious demonic control and oppression.
Therefore, even though angels are real and God has sent all of them to minister to all His people in this world, we must see to it that we do not engage in any form of idolatry with them. The only one we must worship is the Lord Jesus Christ. The only one we must serve is He.
CONCLUSION
Angels are great and powerful beings. But we cannot compare them with Jesus Christ in any way. That is because, while they all are just servants of God sent to minister to His people here in the world, Jesus is not only God’s son; He is also one with God and heir to everything He has. Therefore, He is the one we are to worship, serve and depend on for everything that we need.
QUESTIONS
– Why is it wrong to take any angel more seriously than Jesus or to worship any angel?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 1:1-3)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 8TH APRIL 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 1:1-3
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
INTRODUCTION
In our introduction to the book of Hebrews, which was the focus of our last bible study, I made it clear that the book was written to help certain Jewish believers in maintaining their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Evidently, those brethren had become unsettled because of the trials of their faith and were already being pressured to turn away from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to their old order of worshipping God under Judaism. And in order to help them, the writer of this letter decides to educate them again on the person of Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of their faith, in the light of the things they already know from the order of worship introduced to them by Moses and their prophets of old.
WHO IS JESUS?
Who, then, is Jesus? Who is He to God? Who is He to humanity? Our answers to these questions will go a long way in determining what ultimately becomes of us in God’s scheme of things. If our knowledge of who Jesus is is correct or right, then, we can enjoy Him and all that He represents. And if our knowledge of who He is is wrong, then, we are totally going to miss all that God intends for us to enjoy and experience through Him.
Many today, as in the days of old, have different kinds of thoughts about Jesus. Some see Him as a great philosopher, perhaps the greatest of the philosophers. Some see Him as one of the greatest prophets of God. And some others see Him as God’s anointed One, who came to save mankind from their sins. But the reality of the person of Jesus is not about who we think He is but about who God, the Creator of everything, says He is. That means God has to reveal Him to us in order for us to know who He really is and be able to use that knowledge for our benefit. (Cf. Matt 11:27&16:13-17; Luke 10:22)
As we are shown in the bible, one of the reasons His life and ministry could not bless many during His earthly days was that they did not relate to Him properly. And why did they not relate to Him properly? It was because they really did not know Him. They thought they knew Him. But they only knew Him from a worldly point of view. They did not know who He really represents to God and to Humanity. So, they rejected, condemned and murdered Him, though He was sent to be their Lord, Messiah and Saviour. (Cf. Matt 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6; John 1:10-11; Acts 13:27-28)
In like manner, many today stand in the danger of missing out on the blessings of the person of Jesus Christ because they do not know Him and are relating to Him from a worldly point of view. But God has revealed who He is to us through the Holy Scriptures. And all we need to do is to pay attention to what He has said about Him in them and to begin to relate to Him accordingly.
So then, in the passage that we are considering for this study, the writer of the book of Hebrews answers for us the question ‘Who is Jesus to God?’ And his words are:
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Heb 1:1-3NIV)
Now from what this apostle tells us in this passage, we can see for ourselves that Jesus is:
– More than a prophet or messenger of God: As I pointed out before, there are those who see Jesus as one of the greatest prophets God sent among men to bring them words from Him. But we can see from this text that Jesus Christ is more than a prophet or messenger of God. Indeed, God sent Him to bring words of salvation to humanity and to perform all kinds of miracles, signs and wonders to lead people back to God. Nevertheless, He is God’s own Son. So, there is no room for comparing Him with any messenger, however great that messenger may be. This, of course, is something difficult for the Jewish mind to comprehend or accept, seeing that it has been brought up to know that there is just one God (Deut 6:4). But that is God’s own testimony about Him, and it is on the basis of man’s response to it that he is either justified or condemned (Ps 2:7; Matt 3:16-17 & 17:1-9; Heb 1:5; 1John 5:10-12). This, of course, does not mean that there are more than one God. No! Rather, it means that though there is only one God, He manifests Himself in three different personalities. He manifests Himself as a Father who creates and cares for all, as a Son who is the recipient of the Father’s love and as a Spirit who fills everything and everywhere.
– God’s heir: Another point we are shown in this passage is that since Jesus is God’s Son, then, He is also God’s heir. In other words, He is the owner of everything God owns and has created. In fact, we are told here that it is through Him that God created everything, for He is the word of God that became flesh (John 1:1-4&14; 2Pet 3:5-7). So, when you come to Him, you have come to one who has whatever you may ever need in life in His care.
– God Himself: Of all the points that is raised about the person of Jesus Christ in this passage, the most challenging one is the fact that He is radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. That means He is God Himself, and once you see Him, you have seen God. Think about that. All that God is and represents is fully expressed in the man Jesus. No wonder He Himself said to His disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” So, when you are dealing with Him, you must realise that it is God Himself that you are dealing with, the Creator, Owner and Sustainer of the whole creation. And whatever respect, honour or attention you give to Him, it is God you are giving it to. Likewise, whatever respect, honour or attention you fail to give to Him, it is God Himself you have failed to give it to. (Cf. Matt 10:40; John 14:8-9; Col 1:15-17&2:9)
CONCLUSION
If Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the Heir of God and God Himself, and He is indeed these things, then, putting our faith in Him and maintaining our faith in Him can never be a mistake. Rather, it means we have come to the most important person in all of life. Therefore, we should settle down at home with Him and enjoy Him and all that He has for us to the full. And to seek something else, whatever it may be, in any of the religions or philosophies of this world is to seek to return to a low life, which is no life at all. This is the first point the writer of the book of Hebrews will want us to understand and digest.
QUESTIONS
– Who is Jesus to you?
– What is the most important lesson for you in this study?
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)
MAINTAINING FAITH (TEXT: HEBREWS 1-13)
ALAYTHIA BIBLE CHURCH
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY
WEDNESDAY 1ST APRIL 2020
TOPIC: MAINTAINING FAITH
TEXT: HEBREWS 1-13
MEMORY VERSE: “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Heb 10:38-39NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Of all the new testament books there is not one that speaks more clearly about the person of Jesus Christ and His instant or immediate ministry to humanity than the book of Hebrews. Yes, the gospels say a lot about Him, but their focus is on His birth, earthly life and ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. And what about the other epistles, do they not have a lot to say to us about the person of Jesus? They all, especially the epistle to the Colossians, tell us a lot about the person of Jesus, what He did for us and what we must do to walk in the light of what He did for us. But none of them focuses on describing Him and His ministry in the light of the Old Testament Scriptures as does the book of Hebrews. This is why everyone who truly desires to know Jesus and who He is ready to be to Him right away ought to continually give himself to studying and meditating on this book.
Now who wrote this book? Theologians have not been able to agree on the authorship of the book. And the reasons are obvious. The author does not introduce himself either at the beginning of the letter or at its end. He does not even say anything concrete about himself that will let us know who he is. While I, like some church historians and bible teachers, believe it was Paul the apostle that wrote the book, it will be wrong for anybody to insist that it was him or anybody else that wrote it. In any case, regardless of who we take the author to be, the truths that are declared and taught in the book of Hebrews are of utmost significance and must be taken seriously by every child of God.
Then who was this book written to and why was it written to them? Again, the author does not specify. But it is clear from the contents that the group of people he writes to know him well and he also knows them well (Heb 5:11-12, 6:9, 10:32-35 &13:22-24). In addition, it is plain that the people he writes to are Hebrews or Jews, for the things that are said in the book about Moses, angels, Joshua, Aaron, the Levitical priesthood, the Jewish tabernacle of worship, Abraham, Melchizedek and so forth can only be said in the way they are said to those who are of Jewish background or to those who are well-acquainted with Jewish history and customs.
As for why the book was written to these people, the contents indicate clearly that these brethren were contemplating going back to Judaism because of the trials of their faith (Heb 10:32-34). They had indeed come to Christ by faith. But that had equally exposed them to all kinds of persecutions from different kinds of people, especially their Jewish brethren that were still devoted Judaism. So, at some point they began to wonder if they did not make a mistake in turning to the Lord Jesus Christ and embracing Him as their Messiah and Saviour. It was like they were comparing their worship of God through the way Moses laid down for them to their worship of God through Jesus Christ to see which was the right one, especially seeing that they were being greatly persecuted for abandoning the former. This, of course, was severely affecting their spiritual growth and progress (Heb 5:11-6:3).
Hence, this letter was written to set them right and bring them back to the truth that is in Christ Jesus that some of them were already gradually abandoning, just as the children of Israel that Moses brought out of Egypt at some point threw away their confidence in God and wanted to abandon the cause they were brought out to obtain. In fact, there are a number of instructions in the letter that show that these brethren were to help one another to abide in the truth and not depart from it (Heb 3:12 & 12:15-17). And the author’s approach is to present before these brethren the basic elements, figures and champions of the Jewish faith under the law and show them how they are all just a shadow of what the Lord Jesus Christ represents and came to accomplish. So, in a sense, everything and everyone these people have adored under Judaism are all inferior to Jesus Christ, the Supreme One. And turning away from Him in unbelief, then, is the mistake, not turning away from Judaism or anything else.
In short, in this letter, the author opens the reader’s eyes to mind-blowing truths about the Supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things and over all things and also to His roles as the only one who is constantly available to make humanity whole before God. So, to put our faith in Him is not a mistake at all. And any child of God who is having troubles about His faith in Him or anyone who is wondering if his faith in Him is not a mistake in the first place can always go to this book to find the comfort, courage, encouragement and strength that he needs to keep faith.
Well then, I want you to join me in studying this book together for the new few weeks. And I pray that the Spirit of God Himself with teach both you and me all the wonderful things God wants us to know through the book. I also pray that He will strengthen our hearts not just to be filled with the knowledge of His will through the book but to also act in accordance to everything He will be making known to us through it. Amen.
OUTLINE
– Introduction Hebrews 1-13
– Who is Jesus? Hebrews 1:1-3
– Jesus and the angels Hebrews 1:4-14
– A most careful attention Hebrews 2:1-18
– A greater than Moses Hebrews 3:1-19
– God’s Sabbath rest Hebrews 4:1-16
– Our great High Priest Hebrews 5:1-10
– Grow up Hebrews 5:11-6:8
– Be diligent to the end Hebrews 6:9-20
– A priest of a new order Hebrews 7:1-28
– The old versus the new Hebrews 8-10:18
– Responding to the ministry of our great High Priest Hebrews 10:19-39
– Examples of faith Hebrews 11:1-40
– How to run and win Hebrews 12:1-29
– Concerning Christian living Hebrews 13:1-19
– Conclusion Hebrews 13:20-25
By Johnson O. Lawal
Copyright © 2020, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to alaythiabiblechurch@gmail.com / alaythia4all@gmail.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 07085711280)