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Message Transcripts - 2023
Series: Single messages | Title: What time is it? | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: December 31, 2023
There is something I want to quickly draw your attention to from the book of Ecclesiastes. And I want to draw your attention to it because I believe it is going to guide you in the year we are moving into. The year we are moving into will be a gift from God to us. It is important, therefore, that we make the most of it and not allow it to go to waste.
Now, in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verse 11, Solomon says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (NIV) Then he goes on to list for us the various times we may come into in life so that we will know how to make the most of them. He begins, of course, by saying there is a time to be born and a time to die. That is something we can relate to. There is a time to be born and a time to die. Truly, people don’t like to be confronted with death, especially if they do not think they are ready for it or feel that they have done enough here on earth. But if Jesus tarries, every one of us will someday come face to face with death. It is only those who have not been born that cannot come face to face with it. But those who have been born, if Jesus tarries, will surely come face to face with it at some point in life. And it is important that we get our minds ready for that.
Then Solomon goes on to talk about a time to kill, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time scatter things, a time to hate and a time to war. These, indeed, are what we will call ‘disturbing times’. And I deliberately pick them out because they are times that upset us, and we would wish we never came into them. We all would wish we never had to weep, mourn, hate, kill or scatter what we or others have done. But as long as we are here in this world and under the heaven, these are seasons we cannot totally avoid. What is important, then, is for us to know whether it is legitimate for us to kill, mourn, weep, make war or hate.
For instance, when you consider the life of our Lord Jesus, you will see that there were times that He had to weep, even though He is God’s Son with power. It was legitimate for Him to weep at such times. Or was it not legitimate for Him to weep at Lazarus’ tomb? It was! So, He wept there. And it is legitimate for people to weep or mourn, if their loved ones are taken away from them, especially if the dead are still young. Yes, the word of God tells us not to sorrow over our dead loved ones that are believers the way those of the world do. But it does not say that we should not weep over them at all, for it a legitimate thing to do. (Cf. John 11:33; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18NIV)
Also, the Lord once wept for the city of Jerusalem. Why? It was because dwellers of that city rejected the truth God had brought to them. And as Jesus looked into their future and saw what would become of them, He wept over them. Why am I showing you this? It is to let you know that there are times that it is legitimate for us to weep or mourn. And if we are not mourning or weeping when it is legitimate for us to do so, people are going to see us as unfeeling. They are going to wonder what kind of heart we have.
Furthermore, as Solomon points out to us, there is a time for war. In other words, there are times that we need to make war against some people or systems in order for us to have peace. And if we will not fight as such times, we may end up living under their oppressive hands for life.
Well, the point of all this is that even these seemingly disturbing times of life have their own proper places in life. And it is when we are doing something or when we embrace something that is not consistent with the times in which we have found ourselves that we will be seen as acting foolish, irresponsible, wicked or insane. So, Solomon, in verse 11 of the same chapter, says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time…” (NIV) Did you see that? When things are done at the right time, they are beautiful and will receive the blessing and favour of God.
For instance, Solomon tells us that there is a time to kill. And there are times that is true. Often, we see our government pass death sentences on some people. Why? They have been upsetting the land and wreaking havoc wherever they turn. So, they have to be executed at some point. Those who love them, of course, may not appreciate that. They may even have excuses to make for their bad behaviours. But that is not going to change the fact that the land needs to be rid of them, so that others can experience peace.
However, all such things must happen at the right time and for the right reasons. If people are killed for the wrong reasons or at the wrong time, that will be seen as callous. And we all can remember how we felt where such things happened, where people were killed unjustly or without proper trial. We were upset and probably protested. But when people are justly executed, people are satisfied.
Then, when people die at the right time, when they have lived out their time and have done or accomplished all that they could possibly accomplish here on earth, living meaningful lives, it is beautiful. Yes, we may cry at such times. But our tears are tears of joy, for we know that those who have died are not infants, babies or young ones. I am saying that when people who are grandparents or great grandparents die, it is beautiful, especially if their lives have been well spent. So, don’t die before your time, for it is not God’s plan for you to do so.
The point I am making, in any case, is that there is a time for everything. And the question is, “What time is it in your life?” I am not asking whether it is 4pm or 4am. Rather, I am asking, “What are you supposed to be doing right now?” There is a time for everything. There is a proper time for whatever you are meant to do in life. And do you even know what you are meant to be doing in life? If you don’t know, how can you tell what is meant to be happening in your life right now?
We are moving into a new year in the next few hours, if Jesus tarries. What is the new year meant for, that is, for you? What time is it in your life? If you don’t know it, you will most likely waste your life in the year. The word of God makes it clear that we can actually waste our lives. And that is exactly what will happen, if we do not know what we are meant to be doing at every given moment. We may just find ourselves doing the wrong thing at the right time or doing the right thing at the wrong time.
In Proverbs, chapter 6, from verse 6, Solomon says this:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:6-11NIV)
This man is telling us to learn from the ant. And what are we to learn from it? It is the fact that even though the ant has no overseer or commander, it knows when to gather and store its provisions. That means the ant knows when to work and when it cannot work. It is just like what our Lord once said to His disciples. He said, “We must do the work of Him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work.” That means He knew when He was meant to be working and what He was meant to be doing. And when His time came, He knew that His time had come and was ready to glorify God with His death. (Cf. John 9:4; John 17:1)
Well, the point is that our Lord Jesus knew what He was meant to be doing with His life. We too must know what we are meant to be doing with our lives. We must know what time it is in our lives. Is it a time for us to be working? Is it a time for us to be resting? Is it a time for mourning or a time for laughing? Is it a time to make war against people or things that have been limiting or hindering us? What time exactly is it in our lives? We need to know, if we will progress and be fruitful with our lives as God wants.
Solomon speaks about the sluggard in those verses of Proverbs 6. And he accuses this man of sleeping at the wrong time. Is it right or wrong for us to sleep? Yes, it is right for us to sleep. It is a legitimate thing for us to do. But we can be sleeping at the wrong time. We can be sleeping when we are meant to be working. We can be idling away in life when we are meant to be busy working. And that will be because we do not know what the time is in our lives.
We are told this about certain men from the tribe of Issachar of David’s day: “…men from Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.” (1Chronicles 12:32NIV) These two hundred men served under David and were referred to as men who knew what Israel should be doing. They understood the times. They knew what the nation ought to be doing. No wonder they were referred to as chiefs. In other words, they were leaders of leaders. They knew when the people should be saving and when they ought to be planting. They knew when they ought to buying and when they ought to be selling. They knew when they were supposed to make alliances and when they should not.
Don’t you also need to know these things in your life? Do you not need to know when to buy and when to sell, as a business person? Do you not need to know when to invest and when to keep what you have? You do! You need to understand the times. And if there is any prayer you should be offering right now, it is that God will cause you to understand the times you are living in and what you are meant to be doing with them.
See, the time you are in may be different from the time I am in. Yes, we may be living in the same place and at the same time. But that does not mean we are on the same schedule or that we are in the same season of life. So, each of us needs to know the time in which he is living. That way, he will know what he is meant to be doing with it. And as I said before, you need to be talking to God to fill you with the perfect knowledge of the times in which you are living and what you are meant to be doing with them.
Also, you need to settle down with the word of God. That is because it shows us how to identify different times and seasons of life and what to do with them. For instance, it talks about perilous times and the things that mark them. It also talks about times of widespread deceit and scoffing and the things that characterise them. Then it talks about times in which people will no longer put up with sound doctrines and how to relate to them. It is important, then, that if you want to recognise the times you are in and how to handle them, settle with the word of God.
Well, there are two things that I have already mentioned that will help you understand the times in which you are. And these are prayer and the word of God. Then there is a third thing that can equally help you understand the times you are in. This is a recognition of the prevailing circumstances or the events taking place in your life or around you. For instance, there is a time of famine and a time of abundance. Why was Joseph popular in Egypt? It was because he understood the times and was able to tell the Egyptians what to do with the various times they found themselves in. He told them when they were supposed to be working hard and also saving. And he also told them when it was time for them to use their savings.
You also need to know the times you are in and what to do with them. And I am saying you can know them by considering the prevailing conditions or events around you, that is, apart from knowing them through prayer and the word of God. Luke says this about what our Lord once said to the Jews:
“He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?” (Luke 12:54-56NIV)
What the Lord is making known to us is that nothing is wrong with understanding the natural conditions of our lives or of the place we are living in. He said to those people, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.” That means we should be able to interpret the weather. And we have learnt a number of things along these lines through experience, scientific research and employment of technology. So, we can tell the different seasons of the year and respond to them accordingly, making the most of what is possible in each of them.
That being the case, the circumstances of your life or of the place you are living can dictate to you what time it is in your life. It can tell you what sort of business you should be doing, courses you should be studying or training you should be taking. It can equally tell you when to save, when to give out and so forth.
For example, God told Jeremiah not to marry in the land of Judah. Why? War was coming! And it was a kind of war that would make people lose their wives, husbands, children and parents. So, it was not the right time for him to marry. Truly, God was going to save him. But he had no guarantees from Him that He would also save his wife or children, if he should go ahead and make a family. You too need to know whether the time you are in is right for you to marry or not, right for you to have children or not. (Cf. Jeremiah 16:1-4)
Now all this is important so that we can know how to take advantage of the grace of God to prosper and also keep ourselves save from any kind of destruction or depression or disgrace. For example, look at what Luke says to us along these lines from verse 41 of chapter 19 of his gospel:
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44NIV)
God came to these Jews in His Son Jesus Christ. But they did not recognise Him. They did not know that it was God Himself that was visiting them, as Jesus taught and healed many in their towns, cities, villages and synagogues. And because they did not know, they rejected the one that came to bless them. You too may just reject the one that God has sent to bless or lift you up, if you cannot tell the time of your visitation.
Peter tells us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, so that He may lift us up in due season (1Peter 5:7). There is a time for exaltation. And if we do not recognise it, we may end up frustrating all that God is doing to lift us up or move us forward. Then there is a time to stay where we are and endure whatever we are going through in order for God’s purpose to be accomplished in our lives. Remember that Hagar was once sent back to her mistress by the angel of the Lord. She had been running away because of the maltreatment she was receiving from Sarah. But the Lord told her that the solution was not in running away but in staying and learning submission and endurance. So, knowing what time it is in our lives will really help us in staying where the will of God can be fully realised in us. (Cf. Genesis 16)
Apart from that, knowing the time we are and functioning accordingly will keep us from exposing ourselves to problems or challenges that are not meant to be ours. This is said about David in 2Samuel, chapter 11, verse 1: “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.” (NIV) What time was it on David’s timetable? It was the time when kings go off to war. But he did not go off to war as did other kings. Instead, he sent his men to go and fight without him. Therefore, he was exposed to adultery, deceit and murder. That, of course, almost ruined his life and testimony. It brought all kinds of problems into his peaceful and prosperous family. In short, it was the only stain on his garment of integrity.
Not only that, by not going off to war at that time, he almost lost the opportunity to take the city and establish his dominance over it. Joab had to send a message to him, telling him to muster the rest of the army and come to take the city. Otherwise, he would take it and have it named after him. That, of course, is telling us that there are opportunities we may miss, if we will not recognise the time we are in and utilise it accordingly.
So, we must know what time it is in our lives and function accordingly, day after day. Then we will not be doing the wrong things with our lives or doing the right thing at the wrong time. I pray that the Spirit of God will enable you to always recognise what time it is in your life and to make the most of it for His glory and for your exaltation and peace. Amen.
Happy new year in advance.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Laziness
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: December 24, 2023
Series: Enemies of progress
I want to further share with you on ‘Enemies of progress’. I already brought two things for you on this matter. The first is undue attachment to the past. The second is complacency. I am bringing this to you to let you know that when we are talking about enemies of progress, we are looking beyond human enemies. Also, we are looking beyond the devil and his demons. Indeed, Satan is our archenemy. And there are also his demons, who are also always working to hinder us or make life hard for us. But the Lord Jesus has already given us victory over them, as we are shown in Scriptures. So, all we need to do is to take advantage of His grace to frustrate whatever he and his demons are doing to limit or hinder us.
Then even where we are dealing with human enemies – and there may be times in which certain people will give themselves to the devil to be used to harass or hinder our progress – the word of God already makes it clear that no one can successfully stand against us, since God is on our side (Romans 8:31). So, we don’t need to be afraid or be discouraged. That is because God is able to handle them.
However, the most difficult enemies to deal with are the enemies within us. And I have been drawing your attention to those enemies within us that we need to deal with in our lives. As I said, we have already looked at ‘Undue attachment to the past’ and ‘Complacency’. Another one that we want to look at is laziness. When we are talking about laziness, there are different forms of it. First, there is the obvious form of laziness, which is unwillingness to work with one’s hands. And when you are lazy in this sense, you are going to hinder your own progress. That is because God does not promote or sponsor laziness.
Human beings may sponsor or promote laziness, though that is rare. But let us even suppose that people celebrate you for being lazy, God is never going to celebrate you. And there are ample scriptures that show us that God is never in support of lazy people. So, if you are lazy, you are going to hinder yourself. And it does not matter how prayerful you are, bright you are or intelligent you are, as long as you are unwilling to work with your hands, there are heights you will never be able to attain in life and things you will never be able to accomplish. Why? I already answered that question. It is because God does not sponsor laziness. Not only that, as we see in Scriptures, He does not encourage His children to support lazy people or to help them. (Cf. 2Thessalonians 3:6-12)
In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon says whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might. In other words, you must be willing to put your hand to work. Paul says about the same thing in Ephesians 4. He says that the one that has been stealing should stop stealing and find something useful to do with his hands. That way, he too will be able to support others. Lazy people can’t support anybody. What are they going to use to support others? They are not working with their hands to support themselves. So, where will they find what to contribute to others’ needs? All you will find them giving are excuses. If you, then, are lazy, if you are unwilling to work with your hands, you are hindering your own progress. Not only that, you are hindering the progress of others as well, for you are a parasite.
In 2Thessalonians 3, Paul says some very vital things about the attitude God’s people should have towards lazy people. He says that they are not to sponsor or support them. In fact, he reminds them that the rule in the church is that anyone who will not work shall not eat. And on this basis, he tells the brethren not to associate with anyone that is lazy until he repents and begins to live right.
So, again, if you are lazy, you are going to limit yourself. Those who are in a position to help you will not want to do so. That is because they will not want you to waste their support. There have been people who were severally helped with all kinds of jobs. Yet they could not be established in prosperity. Why? They were lazy. They were the ones that would go late to work. They were the ones that would be sleeping when they were supposed to be working. They were also the ones that would be negligent in handling whatever tasks they were given at work. Such individuals cannot attain great heights in life or be where God wants them to be.
Read about Joseph. He was not a lazy man. Read also about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were not lazy men. Yes, the circumstances of life were against them. But as terrible as the circumstances of their lives were, God used them to elevate them. Why? They were not lazy. That means if you are not lazy, however hostile the circumstances of your life may be, you cannot be limited. Slavery cannot limit you. Imprisonment cannot limit you. When Paul was in the prison, he was writing letters to the brethren. Why? He was not lazy. The prison could not keep him from ministering to the people of God because he was not a lazy person. If you too are not lazy, regardless of the circumstance in which you find yourself, you will still be taking steps towards progress and development in life.
The second form of laziness is mental laziness. Unfortunately, it is the form of laziness that is found in most people. Even many hardworking people are mentally lazy. So, the fact that you are hardworking does not mean that you are not mentally lazy. Yes, you are ready to put your hands to work, to do any kind of legitimate work. But you are not ready to put your mind to work. You are mentally lazy.
As you may have observed, it is not those who work the hardest that earn the most or that occupy the greatest position in life. Most of those who do the hardest manual work in life are also the poorest. Why is that so? It is so because being able to work hard with your hands is not enough to put you forward in life. You also need to be able to use your mind. In fact, you need to able to always use your mind first before you use your hand. It is your mind that should direct your hands, telling them what sort of profitable job they should do and what sort of job they should stay away from. It is also your mind that should be telling you the easier or easiest way to get whatever you need to do done.
You can see why I said those who do the hardest work are often the poorest and lowliest in life. That is because they work mostly with their hands and not with their heads. So, they are only slightly different from animals. You may even find animals that act more intelligently than they do. As we know, all animals are creatures of instinct. They defend themselves by instinct. They get their food by instinct. Yes, God has given them all kinds of abilities that enable them to survive. But they rely on their instincts for their survival. They don’t use their brains to think, plan, evaluate and create the way we do. But we use our brains to think, plan, create and evaluate, so that we can make life easier for ourselves and advance with the least effort.
So, you have to learn to put your mind to work. That is because your unwillingness to do so is mental laziness. And that is going to limit you. People will just be issuing instructions to you all your life. Those who are paid most in life are those who know what others ought to be doing. The bible speaks of the men of Issachar and of how they knew what Israel ought to be doing (1Chronicles 12:32). So, they were the leaders in the land in the days of David.
Of course, it is God who gives people the ability to lead. It is also He that gives people wisdom, intelligence and understanding. But you can talk to Him, if you lack any of these things, and He will give it to you (James 1:5). By the way, we are told in Scriptures that God’s intention is that His manifold wisdom will be displayed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms through His children (Ephesians 3:10). So, if you find that you are not operating in wisdom, knowledge and understanding, you should talk to God about it. That way, He can awaken your brain and cause it to begin to work the way it should be working.
Remember the parable told by our Lord Jesus of a man that gave talents to his servants to work with. The one that did not work with his own talent was referred as lazy by his master. Why? Was it because he was unwilling to work with his hands? No! Rather, it was because he was not going to use his head. As his master pointed out to him, he could have put the money he was given in the bank, so that he would receive it back with interests. It was a lot of money that he was given. Yet he just laid it away somewhere. He did not do anything with it. (Cf. Matthew 25; Luke 19)
What, then, was he busy with? Something totally irrelevant! So, he had nothing to show for all the time his master gave him to work. That was why his master told him that he was mentally lazy. And because of that, he could not be promoted or elevated. Instead, what he had was taken away from him and given to someone else.
In like manner, there are many who will have nothing to show for the time they were given by God to live here on earth. And that will be because they are mentally lazy. Like that lazy servant, every time they come in contact with a challenge, they see it as the end of life. They will not think of or consider how they can overcome it. If they are learning in school or learning a trade and they come in contact with some difficulties, that is the end of the road for them. They will abandon what they are learning and find something else to do. If it is in their workplace or business that they come in contact with challenges, they will see it as the end of their world. They will not think and consider how they can handle those challenges and walk in victory over them. Why? They are mentally lazy. So, they are not ready to consider any problem and solve it.
But great companies, organisations and institutions are looking for men and women that will solve problems for them. Many who are starting businesses are looking for problem solvers. And being able to solve problems in this sense goes beyond having a college education. Yes, going to school is meant to be an advantage. But that you have received some formal education from some schools does not mean that you are not mentally lazy. It does not mean that you are ready and willing to use your head. That is something you need to examine your life for and deal with. And may God strengthen you to do so.
The other form of laziness is spiritual laziness. This is laziness in relating to God. It is laziness in fellowshipping with Him and taking advantage of His presence in our lives. And it is those who know Him that can exhibit this kind of laziness. Those who do not know Him cannot be accused of being lazy in relating to Him. But those who know Him, who know that there is nothing they can do apart from Him and who still won’t take advantage of His presence in their lives are spiritually lazy.
Now this kind of laziness will manifest in unwillingness to learn the will of God for our lives. And God’s will is revealed to us in His word. If we are, then, too lazy to search His will for us in His word, we will end up doing things that are contrary to it in life. When God was sending Joshua to lead the people of Israel into Egypt, He told him, “This book of the law must not depart out of your mouth. But you must meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosper and have good success.” (Cf. Joshua 1:8) And if Joshua had been lazy to do that, he would not have prospered or succeeded.
In like manner, if we want to prosper and have good success in life, we must give ourselves to studying the word of God, to meditating on it and to practising it. Joshua was a soldier. And he had to apply what God said to him in order to succeed and prosper. If you are not a soldier like him, then, you are most likely not daily faced with death and other life-threatening challenges as he was. So, if you will apply what God said to him to your life, you will most likely have your own success and prosperity easier than he did. Of course, you may not be prospering or succeeding at the pace you or others will love. But if you keep meditating on the word of God and acting on it, you will surely arrive where God wants you to be in life before you even know it. But you cannot afford to be lazy in learning and applying the will of God to your life.
Another way that spiritual laziness can manifest is in the area of praying to God about what you need. We have been told to pray to God in all situations, at all times and about everything. Our Lord even goes on to say that we should pray until our joy is full. But are we praying to Him so that our joy will be full? We can tell that our joy is not full concerning many things. But we are just too lazy to pray to God about them. How, then, can our joy be full?
Also, we are told to ask so that we may receive, to seek so that we may find and to knock so that the door may be opened to us. And we are further told that those who are asking are receiving, that those who are seeking are finding and that the door is being opened to those who are knocking. But are we doing enough asking, seeking and knocking? (Cf. Matthew 7:7-8)
God is not going to do these things for us. That is why He asks us to do them. Truly, there are things He will do for us without our asking, seeking or knocking. But there are also things that He will not do for us or make available to us, if we will not ask for them, seek them out or knock the door to access them. These things are there waiting for us to make the effort to access and possess them. But if we are spiritually lazy, we will not ask for these things, seek them out or knock the door to access them. And where that is the case, we will not move forward to be all that we can be, have all that we can have and enjoy all that we can enjoy in this life. So, we need to deal with all forms of spiritual laziness that is keeping the best God has in store away from us. And I pray that the Spirit of God will strengthen us to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Complacency
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: December 10, 2023
Series: Enemies of progress
I want to further share with you on ‘Enemies of progress’. When we are talking about enemies of progress, we are looking beyond human beings. Of course, there are times that human beings may constitute enemies of progress. But it is not every time that human beings are responsible for our inability to advance in life. There are times that we are the ones that are actually hindering ourselves because of certain attitudes we have towards life or because of certain approaches we are adopting in facing life.
For instance, as I pointed out last week, when we are unduly attached to the past, we can be hindered. And now I want to add complacency to the list of those things that could constitute enemies of progress in our lives. When we are talking about complacency, we are referring to a false feeling of satisfaction. I mean when you think you are okay because you are totally unaware of the fact that you are not where you can actually be in life, you are complacent.
Now there are many that are complacent. But they do not know that they are complacent because they are misrepresenting it for contentment. Yes, the word of God commands us to be content in life. For instance, we are told this in Hebrews: “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.”” (Hebrews 13:5NIV) This is a direct instruction from God to us, telling us to keep our lives free from the love of money or greed and be content with what we have. And this can be misrepresented as meaning that God does not want us to desire to have more money or to be in better positions in life.
But that is not what being content means. First, being content means to be thankful to God for where you are and what you have, even though you know that you can be more and have more. Second, it means not being willing or ready to do just anything to have more or to be in a better position in life. There are people are willing to do about anything to have more or to be more in life. They can kill, steal, oppress or employ witchcraft in order to be in certain positions in life or to have more of the things of this life. People like that are not content. They are in love with money or positions. And the word of God warns us against such things. It tells us that the love money or things is a root of all kinds of evil. Those who allow this love in their hearts, those who are eager for money or material things may end up ruining their lives, if they are not shown mercy.
Well, the point I am making is that we must not misrepresent complacency for contentment. God wants us to be content. But He does not want us to be complacent. Paul, for instance, talks about his life of contentment in his letter to the Philippians. He speaks of how he has learnt to be content in life, regardless of where he finds himself. That, however, is not to say that he does not want more in life or that he does not want to be in a better position in life. On the contrary, he wants to be more in life. He wants to know Christ better. He wants to be able to reach more people. So, he seeks new opportunities to minister to more people and new places to go and preach the word of God. He is, then, not a complacent person; rather, he is one that always wants more of God and more of living in fruitfulness and usefulness. (Cf. Romans 1; Philippians 3)
If we are complacent, we already have an enemy of progress in our lives. This can manifest in our walk with God. For instance, we can come to a point where we think we already know enough of God, have done enough for Him or have received enough from Him. That is complacency. And there are many children of God that this sort of complacency is finding expression in their lives. They think they already know enough of Him. So, they are not labouring to know Him better. But what they do not understand is that anyone who is not increasing in his knowledge of God will ultimately lose whatever he thinks he knows about Him. What he knows of Him will, at some point, become redundant or useless in carrying him forward in life.
Then complacency can also manifest in our approach to life. We can arrive at that spot where we think God has done enough for us in life and so we do not need to receive more from Him. That, by the way, is a reflection of some measure of selfishness in us. When we think we already have enough and do not need to have more or attain a higher position in life, we are just being selfish. That is because we are thinking only of ourselves and are not thinking of others that God may use us to bless or lift out of poverty, if we have more.
In any case, there are Scriptures that show us that God wants us to have more in life and be more than we are at the moment. For instance, our Lord Jesus says this from verse 6 of Matthew 5: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (NIV) Who is the giver of righteousness? God! So, in order to be righteous, God must give you righteousness as a gift. It is not something that your hard work can obtain for you. And to possess His righteousness, you must be hungry and thirsty for Him in your life. Then for His righteousness to manifest in you, you must also be hungry and thirsty for Him to work in you.
Well, the point is that God wants us to be hungry and thirsty for Him, for more and more of Him. And He says that those of us who are hungry and thirsty for Him, who want to see His righteousness manifest in our lives and in our world, will be satisfied by Him. He will satisfy us with everything we need. Why will He want to satisfy us with everything we need, if He does not want us to have more? The truth is that He wants us to keep having more until we are satisfied. And all we need for that to happen is to be hungry and thirsty for more of Him and more of what He wants us to have.
This, of course, is showing us that He does not want us to be complacent in life. Instead, He wants us to always desire to know Him better, to have His fullness dwell in us, to be all that He wants us to be and to have all that He wants us to have in this world. And what will lead us to experience these things is our hunger and thirst for them.
Look also at what Jesus says in John, chapter 10, verse 10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV) Can you see that? Our Lord Jesus came so that we may experience fullness of life. And if you are complacent, you cannot experience life to the full. If you are complacent, you cannot be all that God wants you to be in life or accomplish all that He wants you to accomplish. The moment you are complacent, the moment you think that your life is okay as it is and that you do not need to be a better man, woman, husband, wife, child, Christian or citizen, you are already on your way out of relevance and out of this world. You are already dead, even though you are alive, and your life has begun to decompose and decay.
You need to understand that as long as you are alive in this world, you cannot have any false sense of self-satisfaction. It will keep you from looking ahead to becoming the person God wants you to be and to having what He wants you to have. It will make you crest. And once you crest in that sense, you can only depreciate in character and usefulness.
God, however, does not want us to crest in life. What He wants is for us to continually hunger and thirst for fullness of Him and of the life that He purchased for us in Christ. So, we must always look forward to what can be instead of fixing our gaze on what is. Of course, we must be thankful for what we are and what we have. And we must not get ourselves involved in anything that is contrary to the will of God in order to be where we want to be or have what we want to have. But we must always be hungry and thirsty for more of God and more of life. Otherwise, our lives will stagnate.
I am going to give you more Scriptures along this line, just to let you know that regardless of where you are right now and what you have accomplished, there is more. Then, regardless of what you know about God or what He has done for you or through you, there is still more. And you should go for it. Remember that Paul, in Philippians 3, says that there is just one thing he does, which is forgetting what is behind and straining to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. Why? He knows that there is something more.
Now when Paul wrote that letter, he had already known things about the Lord and had been used greatly by Him. Yet he knew that there was more to know about Him and experience about His power. He knew that he could be a better person. He knew that what God had planned for him had not been fully accomplished. When would it, then, be fully accomplished? When his time was up here on earth! And that is also when you too can say that all that God has in store for you has been fully accomplished – when your time is up here on earth.
Unfortunately, it is possible for our time to be up here on earth, even though we are yet to see or experience all that God has in store for us. Look at what is written about Joshua: “When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, “You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” (Joshua 13:1NIV) Did you see that? Even though Joshua had done a lot for God and for the children of Israel, God still told him that there was still more to be done, when he had already become an old man. So, the fact that one has become old does not mean that God is through with him or that there is not more for him to experience in life or have in life. But then, his strength or mental capacity may not be able to take what God has for him at that time. And that is telling us that we should not wait until all our strength is gone before we wake up and begin to go for all that God has in store for us.
Well, until it is time for you to die or until our Lord Jesus returns to take us to be with Him, there will always be more of God and of life to know and experience. Look also at what Jesus says here in John’s gospel: “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24NIV) Did you see that? God wants your joy to be complete. So, until your joy is complete, you should keep asking. And that is showing that there is always a place for more, to receive more from God. We just need to be thirsty and hungry for more. Is your joy complete over your life right now? If it is not, then, you can receive more from God until your joy is complete. You can receive from Him to become a better person, a better husband, wife, child, leader or follower. It is just for you to desire to be more until you become all that God has destined you to be in this life and do all that He wants you to do.
Furthermore, in a parable told by the Lord of a man that gave his servants certain sums of money to work with, we see that God does not want us to be complacent but to always hunger, thirst and labour for more. As the parable further tells us, when the man came back and called his servants to account for what he had given to them, he found out that one of them had done nothing at all with what he had given him. This servant just laid the money away somewhere, allowing it to gather dust. So, his master told those there to collect the mina with him and give it to the man who already had ten.
Now his decision made his servants to protest. Look at what is said about that: ““Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’” (Luke 19:25-26NIV) What is this telling us? It is telling us that God does not want us to be stagnant; He does not want us to be complacent. He wants us to know Him better and to increase in fruitfulness and usefulness in His hands. He wants us to increase in resources so that we can be of help to more and more people. But once we become complacent and feel we do not need to know more of Him or have more in life, we will begin to lose what we think we have. And by the time we wake up, we will realise that our lives are already stinking.
So, you must not allow your life to stagnate. You can be a better wife, husband, child, minister, trader or worker. You can be better in every way. And one way for that to happen is for you to be hungry and thirsty for more of God and for that fullness of life Jesus has come to deliver to us. Mind you, it is those who are desiring to know God better and to be better and have more in life that change the world. They are the ones that make the world a better place for us to live in. They are the ones that make righteousness flourish in the world. They are the ones that build, invent and introduce things that make the world easier, safer and more enjoyable for us to live in.
Finally, look at what Paul says to the Corinthians: “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign – and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!” (1Corinthians 4:8NIV) This is an indictment against the Corinthians. Paul is saying that they have become complacent. That is what he means when he says, “How I wish you really had begun to reign!” They had a feeling that they had all that they want and had become all that they could be. Perhaps that was because there was no spiritual gift that was not evident in their midst (1Corinthians 1:5-7). So, they felt there was no greater height to attain in God. That being the case, they were not labouring to know God better and to become better people, taking advantage of His grace.
Now because of their complacency in this manner, all kinds of terrible things began to happen among them. Envy, division, sexual immorality, lawsuits and so forth began to find expression among them. So, you see that a false sense of satisfaction with our lives and our relationship with God will, at some point, lead to a decaying of our lives. That happened to the Corinthians. It can happen to you too. And it will happen, if you are gauging or measuring your life by yourself and with what you think of yourself or others.
You are meant to measure your life using the gauge of God’s purpose, not using your present or past conditions or using another person’s life. What is God’s purpose for your life? What plans does He have for you? Those are the things you should be after. You are to be after becoming what He wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do. If you are like that, you are not going to be complacent. Instead, you are going to be ever hungry and thirsty for Him.
To, then, stay hungry and thirsty in this manner, you should stay in the word of God. As you give yourself to His word, you will continually see that there is more of Him that you can know, that you can be a better person in all ways and that you can have more in life and become more useful in His hand. And I pray that this will be the case with you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Title: Undue attachment to the past
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: December 03, 2023
Series: Enemies of progress
I want to share with you one of the things that can be an enemy of progress in your life. And that is undue attachment to the past. Usually, when we are talking about enemies of progress, we often label certain people as the enemies of our progress. Indeed, there may be situations in which we can rightly refer to some people as enemies of our progress or advancement in life. But it is not every time that we are not making progress or that we are being hindered from going from where we are to where we should be that people are responsible. In fact, it is not even every time that we are being hindered that Satan is directly responsible for the hindrance we are experiencing. There are times that we ourselves are our own enemies. There are times that certain attitudes that we possess can constitute a hindrance to our progress in life.
As I said already, one of those things that can constitute a hindrance to our progress is undue attachment to the past. This could be a feeling of attachment to a bad past or to a good past that we have. Whatever it is, it has remained fresh in our memory and is now preventing us from moving from where we are to where God wants us to be. It is important, then, that we deal with such and do not allow it to constitute a hindrance to our progress or advancement.
Now I want you to see what Paul has to say about the sort of attitude we ought to have in dealing with our past. He says this from Philippians, chapter 3, from verse 12:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14NIV)
First, in some of the verses that precede the ones I just gave you, Paul declares his intention, which is to know our Lord Jesus and the power of His resurrection, to know what it means to partake in His suffering and to also partake in the resurrection of the dead. This man is passionate about these things and wants to see them happen in his life. However, he also knows that he is yet to attain them. How, then, does he intend to attain them? He says it is by pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him.
Paul knew that the Lord Jesus took hold of him for a reason. And he was concerned about the fulfilment of that reason. He was concerned about taking hold of whatever the Lord was holding out for him. How, then, did he intend to accomplish that? He says in that passage that is by forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Is that to say that this man never looked back at the past events or incidents of his life? No! There were times he looked back at what his life was and what it had become.
For instance, in his first letter to Timothy, he reminds of him of his previous way of life in Judaism and how he sought to waste the church of Christ, something totally impossible for him to accomplish. Also, he speaks of the same things to the Galatians in his letter to them. So, it was not that he never thought of the past or considered the things that he had done or that had happened to him. He sometimes did. But he was not going to allow anything he did or that happened to him to tie him down to the past. Why? He knew that there was a glorious or more glorious future for him ahead.
As he says in this passage of his letter to the Philippians, which are considering, the Lord had shown him something about the future He had prepared for him. He had seen the eternal life of glory that he was to live. He had seen the rewards prepared for him. He may not have fully appreciated everything the Lord showed him about his future in the kingdom of God. But he knew that there was an inheritance that was reserved for him and he wanted to take hold of it. And he was not going to allow anything of the past to keep that from happening. So, he says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
You too can ask yourself, “What has the Lord taken hold of me for? What exactly does He want with me or to make of my life? Why has He called me? Why has He saved me? What has He called me to inherit or obtain?” He certainly called and saved you to obtain something. You may not fully know or appreciate what it is. But the word of God tells us that He has an inheritance kept in heaven for us that never perishes, spoils or fades. Do we know what this looks like? No! But we know by faith that He can be trusted to deliver on His promise. All we need is to maintain our faith in Him and keep on pressing to take hold of what He has for us.
Now how do you do that? How do you press on to take hold of the inheritance and other beautiful things that the Lord Jesus has for you? How do you press on to attain the heights He wants you to attain in this life? You may not know what these heights look like. But you need to know how to press on to attain them. I am sure that Joseph did not know what the heights God had prepared for him fully looked like. He did not know that God had prepared the position of the prime minister of Egypt for him. He just knew that the Lord prepared a great place for him in life and was determined to get there.
In like manner, God has prepared a place for you too in this life, that is, besides the place He has prepared for you in His eternal kingdom. There is a height that He wants you to attain in this life. And in order for you to attain it, you need to press on. Yes, you need to press on in your walk with Him, in doing righteousness and in diligently handling whatever your hands find to do.
But I am asking, “How do we press on?” Paul tells us in these words: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14NIV) Did you see that? Paul says there is just one thing I do: I forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. In other words, he does not want anything of the past, good or bad, to hold him down; he does not want to be unduly attached to anything of the past and allow it to become any enemy of his progress.
As I said before, the past we are referring to here could be a good one or a bad one. But let us start with the bad one, which could represent the bad things you did or that were done to you. Whatever it may be, you have to detach yourself from it. Otherwise, it will keep you from moving ahead to be where God wants you to be in this life. It may also keep you from obtaining what God has for you in His eternal kingdom.
For instance, Judas Iscariot quenched his own life because of his bad past. He quenched it because of the terrible thing he did to the Lord Jesus. He betrayed Him and handed Him over to His enemies to kill Him. And when he realised what he had done, he went and hanged himself. Why? He could not see any future for himself. As far as he was concerned, everything was over for him because of what he had done. But was everything really over for him? No! Was God incapable of forgiving him? No!
As we read in Scriptures, before He eventually died on that cross, the Lord Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” That was a prayer for everyone that hurt Him, offended Him and participated in crucifying Him. And that included Judas Iscariot. But the man was not looking ahead at all to what could become of his life by seeking and taking forgiveness from the Lord. He was not looking ahead to see how receiving forgiveness from the Lord could change his life forever and lead him to do things for the Lord that were beyond anybody’s contemplation. He was only looking at how horrible what he had done was. So, he went and hanged himself.
But about the same time, Peter also denied the Lord Jesus Christ. He told the people that he did not know the Lord. And he did that three times in a row. What made it even worse was the fact that the Lord had already predicted that he was going to do so. But he said that that would never happen. He, in fact, said that if others left Him, He would stay with Him till the very end, even if it would mean death for him. Why did he talk like that? It was because he was confident that he was prepared to die for Him. And was he really prepared to die for Him? The events that followed revealed that he was not prepared at all to do so. When it was time to stand for Him, he disowned Him three times in a row.
Now let us see how he responded to his failure on that occasion, looking at Matthew, chapter 26, from verse 73: “After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:73-75NIV) Did you see that? Peter went outside and wept bitterly.
But look at what is said in Judas’ case: “So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5NIV) Both of them were disciples (apostles) of the Lord. And both of them had messed up. But both them reacted differently to their mess. Evidently, both of them were devastated by what they had done, especially knowing that the Lord had predicted that they would both do what they did. But while the one wept bitterly for his mess and decided to retrace his steps, the other went away and hanged himself.
The bible speaks of godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. It says that godly sorrow always leads to repentance that brings salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sorrow leads to death. Peter exhibited godly sorrow. So, he went on to be known as a great apostle of the Lord, one who did all kinds of exploits for Him. And that was possible because he would not be unduly attached to his past. (Cf. 2Corinthians 7:10)
Yes, Peter did a terrible thing in denying the Lord. But that was all in the past, even though it was a near past. And he would not allow that past to make him run away from Him. Instead, when the Lord was raised from the dead, he was among those who went to meet and stay with Him. Why? He was not looking at the past but at the future. He was looking at what the Lord was still able to make of his life in the future.
But Judas, as I said before, was not looking ahead at all. He was only looking at the past. So, he went away and killed himself, sealing his fate in eternal doom. In like manner, if you become unduly attached to any of the terrible things you may have done in the past or that has happened to you, it could hinder you from progressing and becoming all that the Lord has prepared you to be.
Paul himself, as he intimates us in that passage in Philippians 3, had to refuse to be unduly attached to his bad past. Look at some of the things he says about this to Timothy: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1Tmothy 1:12-14NIV) Paul was able to remember that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor of God’s people and a violent man. However, he would not allow his past to hinder him.
Furthermore, he says this about his past to the Galatians in the first chapter of his letter to them:
“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond any of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.” (Galatians 1:13-17NIV)
You can see that this man did not forget at all what he was before coming to the Lord Jesus. He had been an injurious person and a persecutor of the church. But the moment the Lord appeared to him and called him by His grace, he responded and forgot about his past. Of course, some believers tried to remind him of his past when he went to Jerusalem to publicly show himself as a new creation in Christ Jesus. These brethren did not want to associate with him because of his history of violence and persecution of the church. But he was not going to allow that to deter him.
Thankfully, God used Barnabas to help him gain the confidence of the brethren. But he himself was not going to allow anybody to use his past to limit or hinder him. His philosophy was to forget what was behind and strain toward what was ahead. And that is the proper way for us to move forward in life and not be hindered by our past. We must just forget about it.
I am not saying you are to erase your past from your memory. You may not be able to do that. But you must not allow that memory to paralyse or hinder you. Everything is in the past, however close that past may be to you at the moment, and you must not allow it to hold you down. Even if the bad things that happened to you or that you did were done as a child of God, you can take forgiveness from God through Christ Jesus. And as long as He has forgiven you, you must not dwell on the past.
Yes, people may try to remind you or say all kinds of things about your horrible past. But you must not allow that to limit you or hinder you. Forget about it and begin to look at what God wants to make of your life and what He wants you to obtain. That is what you have to daily go for. However horrible that past may be, you don’t need to dwell on it. What you need is to keep looking ahead and pressing on. And the Lord is going to strengthen you to take hold of that for which He has taken hold of you.
Now, as I equally pointed out before, our good past can also become an enemy of progress to us. I am saying that the good things that happened to us or that we did in the past can become a hindrance to us in life. This is often the case when certain things we enjoyed in the past are no longer there. We can become so attached to thoughts about them that we are hindered from moving forward.
But Paul tells us that it is a waste of time to be attached to what belongs in the past, however good it may be. What is important is what is ahead, where we are going from here. Even if God has used you to do all kinds of beautiful things before, these things still belong in the past. What is more important is what the future holds for you. That is what your mind should be on. And that is what you should be labouring to take hold of.
When Paul was writing these things to the Philippians, God had already used him to do all kinds of great things and touch all kinds of people with His blessings. So, just as he had a terrible past, he also had a good one, a memorable one. However, as far as he was concerned, whether it was a good past or a bad one, he would not allow it to limit him. His was to keep pressing on to win the prize for which God had called him heavenward.
That is what you too should be doing. All the beautiful things you did in the past are gone. Yes, God used you mightily yesterday. That is fine. But it is gone – it all in the past. The question is, “Is He able to use you today?” And will He be able to use you tomorrow? All the things that happened in the past and are happening now, where are they leading you? What future are they taking you? That is what you should set your eyes on. And it is the future that you set your eyes on that will most likely determine what you will be doing with your life at the moment. It is what will determine your commitment to the present.
See, one of the things that prevented Job from seeing the future God had prepared for him was his undue attachment to the past. And if he had not been shown mercy, he would have missed the beautiful future God had planned for him. Despite all the terrible things that he went through, he still went on to live longer, to become greater and richer and to have a more beautiful family.
But while he was going through the bad things he went through, he could not see the future at all. Why? He was not looking ahead. He was not looking at what God could do for Him and where He could take him, despite his current circumstances. So, as I said before, our current circumstances could actually make us become unduly attached to a good past or a bad past. It is on us, however, not to allow that to happen to us.
Look at some of the things Job said before God came to his rescue:
“Job continued his discourse: “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness! Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.” (Job 29:1-6NIV)
Think about that. This man was looking at the beautiful past he had and feeling sorry for himself. His thought was that God was no longer with him, seeing that he had lost everything he used to have and enjoy. But was God not with him? Yes, He was with him. But since he could not see Him in his present, there was no way he could see Him in his future. All he could see was the beautiful past he had, the time when everything was awesome for him, when his business was booming and everyone was relating to him with respect.
Why was he considering that time? It was because he had lost everything, his children, his wealth and his respect. Those who could not look at his face before had begun to mock him. And all this troubled him seriously. But why? It was because he was only looking at the past; he was not looking at the beautiful future God had for him. God had a beautiful future prepared for him here on earth, not just in eternity. And if he had been looking at that, his attitude toward what was happening to him would have been different.
Paul tells us in 2Corinthians 4 not to look at those things that are seen but to keep looking at those things that are unseen, for those things that are seen are temporary but those things that are unseen are eternal. So, whatever you are going through right now, good or bad, is not going to be forever. But there is a forever ahead of you, an eternity ahead of you. And you need to keep looking at it. If you can keep your eyes on it, the endurance you need to exhibit to get there will surely be released by God into you. Then you will be able to press on to take hold of it.
That is one of the things we learn from Joseph’s story. He has also had a beautiful past before he found himself in Egypt. And he could have allowed himself to become unduly attached to that beautiful past. But if he had done that, he would have become utterly useless in the house of Potiphar. So, as I have been saying, undue attachment to the past can make you become utterly useless. If you, then, are utterly useless now, there is no guarantee that you won’t be utterly useless in the future. In fact, there is no guarantee that you will be able to attain the height God has prepared for you, if you are utterly useless at the moment.
Joseph knew that his past was gone. So, what he needed was to live. And he lived fully, even as a slave. He gave himself fully to whatever task he was given in Potiphar’s house. And before long, God’s favour began to shine on his life and to set him apart. Then when he found himself in the prison, he functioned with the same attitude. Did he like to be there? No! But he would not allow his past to limit him or ruin his future. So, while he was there, he diligently handled everything entrusted to him. In fact, he used his stay there to also prepare himself for the future he was looking forward to.
You too must prepare yourself for the future, regardless of where you are now. But you cannot do that, if you are unduly attached to the past. Joseph was not unduly attached to the past when he found himself in the prison. Therefore, he was ready when he was called to stand before Pharoah. That, of course, was when the future God had prepared for him settled upon him. The future He has prepared for you too will settle on you and nothing will keep that from happening, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Talking to your situations
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: November 26, 2023
Series: Single messages
I want to share with you on the need for us to always be prepared to address the situations of our lives if we want them to change. As we are shown in Scriptures, if we want any situation of our lives to change, all we need to do is talk to God about it. If we will talk to Him about any situation of our lives that we are not happy about or satisfied with, we can expect Him to move on our behalf and change the situation or deal with it for us. And we can do this even where the situation at hand concerns an entire nation. James talks about this in the fifth chapter of his letter. There he uses Elijah to illustrate how powerful the prayer of a righteous person can be. It is powerful enough to change the experience of a whole nation.
Well, the point being made is that if we want a change of any situation of our lives, we should talk to God about it. He is the only one that can change the situations of our lives without destroying us or introducing into our lives problems that were never there. However, we also see from Scriptures that in order to change certain situations of our lives, we may need to do more than pray about them; we may need to address them ourselves. And this is illustrated by some of the gospel writers, using an incident in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the incident, as reported by Matthew:
“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back, to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:18-22NIV)
Now there are two things our Lord Jesus sets forth for His disciples here about changing life’s situations, even if they appear hopeless. The first has to do with talking to those situations. The second has to do with praying about them. But something led the Lord to set forth these things for us. And it was the fact that He cursed a tree and made it wither.
As the account shows, He had come to Jerusalem at the time and had needed to deal with those that were buying and selling the temple. And this incident was placed during this period, as pointed out by both Matthew and Mark. It is just that Mark is more detailed in his own account of the incident than Matthew.
Well, Jesus was on His way back into the city of Jerusalem one of the mornings of the period we are talking about. And He was hungry that morning. Why? He was fully man. So, 0He could be hungry. And when He was hungry, He was truly hungry and not pretending, as some would have us believe.
In any case, He was hungry this particular morning and then saw a fig tree. What drew His attention to this tree? As we will see when we begin to consider Mark’s account of the same incident, it was the fact that the fig tree was in leaf that drew His attention to it. And because it was in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit on it. Unfortunately, when He got there, all He saw were leaves – the fig tree had no fruit on it. So, the Lord cursed it, saying, “May you never bear fruit again!”
Now that was all that He said to the tree, as shown us by Matthew. But then, the fig tree, as Matthew further tells us, immediately withered. That, of course, shocked the disciples and they were like, “What! How did this tree wither so quickly?” And the Lord’s answer to them must have been even more shocking to them, for He said, “You can do even bigger things. You can say also say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into sea,’ and it will be done.’”
At this point, it will be okay for us to turn to Mark’s account of this incident and see what he has to say about it. Look at it from verse 12 of chapter 11 of his gospel:
“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:12-24NIV)
As I mentioned earlier, Mark is a little more detailed than Matthew in his own account of this incident. Matthew just summarises for us what happened and how the fig tree cursed by the Lord immediately withered. And did that tree immediately wither or not? It did immediately wither. But Mark shows us that the manifestation of the death of that fig tree did not occur immediately.
Why do we have this clear difference in their reporting? The reason is that Matthew’s focus is on showing us that the tree responded to the word of the Lord Jesus immediately, even though the physical manifestation of that response wasn’t immediately obvious. And that was exactly how it was. In the realm of the unseen, that tree immediately withered the very moment the Lord cursed it. However, Mark’s focus is on showing us the time difference between when the Lord cursed that tree and when the manifestation of the curse became obvious. And we will soon see the reason he chose to do that.
At any rate, Mark tells us in his account that the Lord had already cursed that tree a day before the curse manifested physically in it. When the Lord cursed it, as he shows us, all His disciples that were with Him heard what He said. But they did not see any change in the appearance of the tree. It still stood where it was standing. Its many leaves were still very much on it.
Nevertheless, the following day, when they were passing through the same place, they all saw this same fig tree, already withered from the root. Immediately, Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Why did he express shock? It was because even though they all heard Jesus curse that tree, they did not take to heart what He had said. They may have been wondering why He cursed that tree, seeing that it was not even the season for figs. So, that tree was not supposed to have fruit at the time. Why, then, would He curse a fig tree for not bringing forth fruit when its season was not due? We will look at that in a moment.
But I want us to first pay attention to the fact that what the Lord said to that tree came to pass, even though it did not initially appear as if anything happened to it. His words worked. His words made the tree wither. Truly, those looking at the tree when He said those words did not see any physical change in its appearance. But the following day they saw the change.
That is telling us that words are powerful. Words can change situations. Solomon says that death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). So, the words coming out of our mouths are powerful and are capable of changing things in our lives and in our world. And they are even more powerful when they are spoken under the inspiration of the Spirit of God or under satanic inspiration. I am saying this because it is not only words spoken through the inspiration and power of the Spirit of God that can produce immense power. Words spoken through the inspiration or influence of demons or the devil can also produce immense power to change situations. But words spoken through or under the power of the Spirit of God are, of course, always the most powerful in effect and working. I mean that the greatest manifestations of the power of our words happen only when we speak by the leading of the Spirit of God and through His power.
Well, what happened on that occasion surprised the disciples. So, they asked Him, “How did this happen?” Now, before I go into His response to their question, let me quickly say something about why He cursed that tree. You know that the disciples did not ask to know why He cursed it. And I am sure they did not know at that time why He cursed it. Otherwise, they would have looked forward to seeing what would become of it. But they did not know and also did not bother to ask. And that was most likely because, like us, they are more interested in the demonstration of God’s power than in knowing the need for the demonstration of His power.
When should I demonstrate God’s power? Why should I demonstrate it? When will my demonstration of His power be an abuse of His authority given to me? We are supposed to be interested in these things. Did the Lord abuse His power on this occasion? Did He just curse that fig tree to show that He could do anything He pleased as God’s Son with power? Why exactly did He curse that tree?
To know that, we have to look at the Scriptures. You know there are those who will have us believe that His humanity got the best of Him on that occasion, which was why He cursed the tree. But are they correct? No! Jesus, as we see in Scriptures, was perfect in all His ways, as He walked the face of this earth. There was nothing He did at any time that was contrary to the will of God. Remember He once said to the people, “I always do the will of Him who sent me.” Not only that, the Father Himself testified about Him, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to Him.” (Cf. Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; John 8:29)
So, everything He did was in line with the will of God, including the cursing of that fig tree. And since what the Lord did on this occasion pleased the Father, what we need to know is why He had to do it. Remember that Mark tells us in the account that it was not the season for figs. So, that tree should naturally not have fruits at that time.
However, as those who take care of vines will have us understand, among the things that indicate that a fig tree has fruit on it are the leaves – it will have abundant leaves. And as Mark reports, that fig tree at the time was in leaf. So, it was supposed to have fruits on it. They may not be much. But there would be, at least, early fruits or firstfruits on it. This explains why the Lord expected to find fruits on it, even though it was not the season for figs.
Sadly, that tree did not live up to its promise. It was hypocritical. It was all false appearance. It was giving people the impression that it had what it did not have. So, the Lord judged it for its hypocrisy. And remember that Ananias and Sapphira too were judged because of their hypocrisy (Acts 5:1-11).
Of course, it is not every time that the Lord judges hypocrisy in this manner. But there are times that He does. The Lord could have overlooked the fact that the fig tree in question was hypocritical and not judged it. But He did not overlook it. Instead, He judged it. And we have all kinds of Scriptures that point to the fact that God can judge our hypocrisy anytime. If you are living a hypocritical life, giving people the impression that you are a child of God, when you are not living like one, your life can be judged anytime. If you are giving people the impression that you have the love, kindness, patience, generosity or humility that you do not have, the Lord can judge your hypocrisy anytime. And your life will become dry. Then everyone will know that you have been lying all along about your faith. My prayer is that God will set you right wherever you have been living in hypocrisy before it is too late, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Well, I just want us to know that God’s judgment can come on our hypocritical lives anytime. A fruitless life can be judged anytime. An unprofitable life can be judged anytime. Remember that the Lord shared a parable along this line when some people came to Him to report what Pilate had done, how he had slaughtered some people offering sacrifices, mixing their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing. The parable is in Luke 13. And there the Lord speaks of a man that had a fig tree in his vineyard. According to Him, this man called the one taking care of the fig tree one day and said to him, “For three years now I have been coming to look for fruits on this tree but haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it keep using up the soil?” And it took the intercession of the man taking care of it for it to be spared for one more year.
Now the Lord told that parable to show us that there are people that are using God’s resources in this world and are not bringing forth with their lives the fruit that He wants to see. They are enjoying His grace and all the beautiful things He has to offer. Yet they are not bringing forth any fruit for Him. All that He is doing over them and in them is simply going to waste. People can like such can be judged by Him anytime. That is why we are warned not to waste the grace of God in our lives.
In the book of Hebrews, we are told this from verse 6 of chapter 7: “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.” (Hebrews 6:7NIV) Look at that. Any land that is receiving rain from heaven and yet is not bringing forth good fruit but thorns and thistles for those we are using it is in danger of being cursed. It will be burnt in the end.
In like manner, any life that is not bringing forth fruit to God is in danger of being judged. But we cannot tell when it will be judged. And we can’t tell whom God will be using to judge it. Jesus brought judgment on that fig tree. Peter brought judgment on Ananias and Saphirra. But we may not be able to tell whom He will be using to judge our fruitless lives. So, we need to watch ourselves.
In any case, we have some instructions through this incident of the cursing of that fig tree for us on how to change the situations of our lives. The disciples had expressed their shock about what happened to the fig tree and had asked to know how. So, the Lord began by saying to them, “Have faith in God.” And there are bible scholars that will have us believe that the proper way to put that is ‘Have the faith of God’ or ‘Have the God-kind of faith.’ Whatever the case is, the most important thing to note is that to effect any sort of supernatural change in our lives, we must demonstrate faith in God – we must take Him seriously.
Then the Lord goes on to say, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” This is like saying to the disciples that they can do bigger things. They can go beyond cursing a tree to actually telling a mountain to get out of their way. Again, His words are, “If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” There, then, must have been a mountain before them, which they all could see. And the Lord was telling them that they could actually get it removed. But how?
Well, the first thing to note from the whole thing is that there must be a mountain to address, a situation to fix. You can see it and can tell that it belongs in the wrong place. What, then, do you do to it? Notice that the Lord does not say, “Pray to God about it.” Of course, He still speaks of the place of prayer in changing our situations in dealing with this subject. He says that whatever we ask for in prayer, we should believe that we have received it and it will be ours.
But He does not begin with prayers here, for that is something the disciples are already accustomed to doing. Rather, He begins with talking, talking to their mountains. And that is showing us that it is not every time that praying about our situations is enough. There are times that we must also talk to them. There are, in fact, times that we don’t need to pray about them at all and that all we need is to talk to them.
Jesus, as we have already seen, did not pray about that fig tree. He simply talked to it, and what He said came to pass. No, there was no immediate physical manifestation of what He said. But what He said came to pass. So, here is an obvious mountain that needs to change its position. What do you do to it? First, you talk to it. Second, when you talk to it, you don’t doubt. Third, you believe that what you have said to that mountain will happen. Then you will have what you say.
Can you see the process? If you are a situation before you that needs to change, you must talk to it. Then you don’t doubt your own words. In other words, you don’t change your mind about it. You have already told the mountain, “Move.” So, regardless of what you see or feel about the mountain, your words must always be, “You are moving. You don’t belong here.” Then you believe that the mountain will surely move – it will not refuse to move. And when you are acting like this, according to the Lord, you will surely have whatever you say.
Now think about this: the disciples were looking at a particular mountain when the Lord was saying these things to them. Yet none of them actually approached it to say, “Move!” Why did they not do that? At least, they could have used that to test the effectiveness of what the Lord was saying. But they did not. Why? They understood what He was saying clearly. And we too need to understand it clearly.
See, the idea is not for us to approach any mountain that we see and to say to it, “Move,” just because the Lord has said that we can do something like that and then expect it to move. Of course, we are looking beyond a physical mountain here, though we are not excluding it. But what we are dealing with is any situation that has become a challenge to us, any situation standing between where we are and where we need to go. And the key to understanding how to treat it as we are instructed by the Lord here is in the first words He said to us, which are, “Have faith in God.”
What we are saying is that the basis for addressing any situation that we want to change must always be faith in God. We are not to address it on the basis of our feelings or wishful thinking. It must also not be on the basis of mere positive thinking. There are people who are always positive all the time and who are always saying, “All will be well,” each time they are confronted with a challenge. And it is a good thing to be positive all the time. But we are not told to address our situations on the basis of positive thinking. Rather, we are to address them on the basis of faith in God.
That means God must be at the back of what you are doing. It means that He must be backing you. Why will He do that? He will do so because what you are doing is in line with His will. See, faith in God is based on the knowledge of God and of His will. How do we take Him seriously? Is it not by knowing Him and knowing His will for us?
So, when Jesus says, “Have faith in God and speak to your mountain,” we need to understand that our speaking must be done in agreement with His will. If what you are saying is contrary to His will, He will not back you up. If you are asking a mountain to move for your selfish reasons, don’t expect God to back you up. You don’t just start going around and asking any mountain you see to change its position. On what basis? Is that on the basis of the word of God to you? Is that on the basis of the will of God for your life or your world? Or is it that you just want to prove that you are related to God and have access to His authority and power?
Jesus did not do that. He never had to prove anything to anybody. When Satan told Him to prove that He was the Son of God, He did not answer him. The religious leaders of the Jews asked Him to give them signs that He was of God many times. He did not answer them. His miracles were not done to prove to people that He had the power of God. He did them because it was the will of God for Him to do so. He delivered people from satanic bondage not because He wanted to prove that He had authority but because God wants people to be delivered from every bondage of the devil. All He was doing with His authority and power, then, were God’s works.
So, if you want your situation to move, you need to know the will of God about it. Then you will not be telling that situation to move just because you feel that it should move; rather, you will be telling it to move because it is the will of God for it move. Jesus cursed that fig tree because the will of God is that every tree that is not bearing fruit be cursed. John the Baptist preached that when he came baptising people. He told them that the axe had been laid at the root of the trees and that every tree that did not produce good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. So, again, when Jesus cursed that barren fig tree, He was merely carrying out the justice of God. That was why what He said came to pass. (Cf. Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:9)
Furthermore, as I pointed out earlier, Ananias and Saphirra died because Peter was carrying out the will of God that hypocritical lives should be judged. If Peter had not judged them, they may have lived longer than they did. But he brought judgment on them and was right to do so. So, I want us to know that talking to our situation is not about wishful thinking or positive thinking; rather, it is about enforcing the will of God.
Now when we speak to our situations in this manner, they may not immediately show any physical sign that they have responded or will respond. That fig tree also did not immediately manifest any physical sign that it responded to Jesus’ words. But the following day it was all dead. Your situations too may not show any physical sign that they are responding to the word of God being said to them. But they will surely respond, if you will speak to them and not doubt. So, speak to them. Speak to that mountain that is preventing you from doing what God wants you to do or being where He wants you to be. And it will respond, as long as you speak to it on the basis of the will of God.
Yes, you may wake up tomorrow morning and still see no change in the mountain or situation you have spoken to. But don’t change your mind about what you have said. Instead, continue to say the same thing to it. When, then, are you going to have to stop speaking to it? I cannot say. As Daniel tells us in chapter 4 of his book, God gave a word of judgment concerning King Nebuchadnezzar because of his pride. God said that he would be removed from his royal throne and palace and sent to live among animals like a beast for seven seasons. But do you know that what God said did not physically manifest until a year later?
Did God, then, change His mind about the judgment He had given? No! He did not change His mind about it because Nebuchadnezzar also did not change his mind about doing evil. So, what God said about him eventually came to pass. If you also will not change your mind about those words that you speak in faith to your situations, they will surely come to pass. Those situations will change. Your mountains will move. Your doors will open. And you will have great testimonies to share.
Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: True Christianity
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: November 12, 2023
Series: Single messages
I want to briefly share with you on true Christianity and what it represents. And I will be doing so because there is such a thing as fake Christianity or misrepresented Christianity. Of course, many see Christianity as another religion or one of the religions of the world. And to some extent, they are correct. Yes, several years ago, modern Christians began to dissociate themselves from religion. That means they did not want Christianity to be treated as a religion or as any of the religions of the world. And that was most likely because they saw religion as evil.
Now is religion truly evil? I believe it is the use to which it is put that will determine whether it is evil or not. In itself, religion is not evil. But its roots can be evil. Also, its focus or objectives can be evil. When we are talking about religion, we are look at our tradition or the things we do religiously. And the things we do religiously can either be good or bad. For example, every day we brush our mouths, take our bath and get dressed for the day’s job. Is it a bad thing to take our bath every day? No! Is it a bad thing to brush our mouths every day? No! But we do these things religiously. And we are not going to give up on them because we think that religion is evil.
So, the fact that we refer to Christianity as a religion does not mean that something is wrong with it or that we are out of line to refer to it as a religion. There are things we do religiously. For instance, we hold meetings religiously. And there are Scriptures that point to the fact that God’s people must take their fellowship meetings seriously (Hebrews 10:25). We also pray religiously. Some among us hold pray sessions at home with our families every morning and every evening. It is their religion or tradition to do this. And is that not a good thing? It is a good thing, based on their purpose for doing it and also based on what they are really doing when praying.
Also, we read and study the word of God religiously. Of course, it is not every child of God that is devoted to doing these. But the commands and instructions we have in Scriptures about our attitude towards the word of God show that we must be religious in studying it, in meditating on it and in practising it. I mean that studying the word of God, meditating on it and practising it must be a religion for us – it must be our tradition.
Well, the point is that there are things we do religiously in practising Christianity. And nothing is wrong with these things themselves. But how we do them and what objectives we seek to accomplish through them can make them wrong for us. So, the fact that you religiously attend church meetings does not mean that you are a true Christian or that you are practising Christianity as it should be practised. Also, the fact that you carry a bible everywhere you go does not mean that you are a true Christian.
Then the fact that you pray all the time and even visit prayer mountains does not mean that your life is exhibiting true Christianity. What about giving? Does the fact that you are generous to God and men mean that you are a Christian? No!
These things, as I said before, indeed have their proper places in our walk as believers in Christ Jesus. But they all are a means to an end. They do not make us Christians or children of God. Of course, our doing them can be a sign that we are children of God. Yet the fact that we are doing them does not mean that we are children of God.
To say the fact, our doing these things are meant to promote true Christianity in us. In other words, the reason we attend church meetings, pray, give, listen to sermons and study the bible and meditate on Scriptures is that true Christianity might find expression in us. What I am saying is that our praying and our giving, for example, are to aid or enhance the practice of Christianity in us. In the same vein, our studying of the word of God and our fellowshipping with God’s people are to build us up and enhance the manifestation of true Christianity in us. But doing these things does not make us truly Christian.
What, then, will show that we are true Christians? What will show that we are true Christians is the manifestation of Christ in us. In other words, our lives are exhibiting the life and nature of Christ, demonstrating who Christ really is to the world. That is what true Christianity means.
Back in bible day when believers were referred to as Christians, people called them Christians because they saw Christ in them. This first happened in Antioch, when they began to see the character of Christ in those who were believers in Him. Look at how Luke reports this from verse 22 of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 11:
“News of this [the church that was birthed in Antioch] reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:22-26NIV – Emphasis mine)
I told you before that our devotion to studying the word of God and listening to sermons is meant to enhance our practice of true Christianity. This, of course, is telling us that we must not devote ourselves to doing anything that does not promote true Christianity in our lives. Anything we are devoted to that does not promote the life of Christ in us is not something we should give ourselves to.
Of course, there are normal things of this life that we all need to be devoted to and which won’t readily promote the life of Christ in us. I am talking about those things that aid our survival in the world. For example, it is normal for us to eat, drink, exercise our bodies and even engage in some recreations in order to be fit in living in this world. And whether we are Christians or not, these things are normal and needed for our existence in life. It is, therefore, not wrong to devote ourselves to doing them moderately, even though they may not contribute anything or much to the manifestation of Christ in us.
But we are not meant to give ourselves to things that do not aid our survival in this world and that won’t promote our practice of true Christianity. Instead, we should give ourselves only to those things that build our spirits. And the word of God is among those things. Where it is taught appropriately and adequately and is also received humbly, it will aid the practice of Christianity in those who receive it. That was what happened in Antioch in the early days of the church there. The word of God that the people heard, especially from Barnabas and Paul, promoted the life of Christ in them. People literally saw Christ in them. So, they began to refer to them as Christians.
Now observe that those brethren were not called Christians because they bore bible names, because they attend church meetings, because they carried Scriptures around or because they were always praying. Rather, they referred to them as Christians because they saw Christ in them. They saw them as His followers and representatives. They saw them as those who were living out the message of Christ.
Today, however, all that has changed. People are not usually referred to as Christians today because Christ can be seen in them or because they are promoting His message. Rather, most people are referred to as Christians because they bear bible names, own personal bibles, attend church meetings or call on the name of Jesus. But that was not how things were in bible days. People were referred to as Christians then because others could see Christ in them.
That, of course, is what God is after; that is what He wants. Truly, He did not name believers Christians. That was the idea of the people of that time. But God was fine with it, for it communicated what He had in mind. What does He have in mind? He wants Christ to be seen in us. He wants His fullness to be in expression in us and through us to the world. That was why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us and bring us to Him.
Look, everything about Christianity begins with being in Christ. Jesus died for us so that we can be recreated through our faith in Him. And when are recreated or born again, we are born again into the family of God, born and immersed into the body of Christ. We have several Scriptures that point to this. But we will only look at some of them.
First, in 1Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul says from verse 12, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it I with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1Corinthians 12:12-13NIV) Did you see that? All of us who have demonstrated our faith in Christ Jesus have been baptised or immersed into His body. We have been made one with Him, for we have been born again. Remember this popular Scripture that says, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creature; old things have passed away and all things have become new.” That is what happens when we became born again. We were immersed into Christ and became new creations. (Cf. 2Corinthians 5:17)
The point being made is that we are now living in Christ. We have our breath in Him. We have our life in Him. We have become one with Him in God. Look at something similar that Paul says to the Galatians about this: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28NIV) You can see that all these bible references are directed towards describing our spiritual position now. It is in Christ Jesus.
Now we are brought to be in Christ for a purpose. I mean that God brought us into Christ to accomplish something. Yes, in Him we have been recreated. Also, in Him we have freedom and boldness to approach God. That is our spiritual position. Our geographical location may not have changed. Our occupations and workplaces may not have changed. But ever since we believed in Christ Jesus, our spiritual position has changed. Before, we were outside Him and away from the family of God. But now we are in Him, in the family of God. So, everything we now do is being done from our position as children of God.
That, of course, has great implications. Our position as children of God has great implications. And it is something we should give ourselves to studying. We should be studying the implications of our position in Christ Jesus so that we can take fully advantage of them. For example, because of our position in Christ Jesus, we now have authority over the devil. Yes, we have authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy – and nothing shall by any means hurt us. (Cf. Luke 10:19)
Also, the bible tells us that we have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the remission of our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). So, we are no longer under the power of the devil because our spiritual position has changed. And we need to begin to function accordingly.
But then, as I pointed out already, our position changed for a purpose. It is not so that we can boast that we are free from the devil. Rather, it changed so that we can begin to manifest God in our daily lives. He brought us into His family so that He can reveal Himself in us. So, we are not just looking at ‘being in Christ’; we are also looking at ‘Christ in us’.
Paul tells us that if anyone unites himself with the Lord, He becomes one spirit with Him (1Corinthians 6:17). So, we are not just in Christ; He is also in us. These are spiritual truths. Now the world may not see us in Christ, for the world does not understand the things of the Spirit of God. But angels, demons and the devil can relate to this truth. Satan and his demons can tell that our spiritual position has changed and that we are no longer under his authority or dominion. He can tell that we are now in the family of God and in the body of Christ. It is only the world that cannot relate to this reality because it is blind to spiritual truths.
But there is something the world can relate to. And that is ‘Christ in us’. When Christ is evident in us, they can see Him. They can see Him in the way we talk, live and handle our affairs. They can relate to the manifestation of Christ in us. That, of course, is what is going to draw them to God, which is exactly what God has always wanted. He has not brought us into Christ so that we can be quiet about what He is doing in us; rather, He has brought us to Him so that He can reveal Himself and all that He is doing in us to the world.
So, I want you to pay attention to the fact that there is a difference between our being in Christ and His being in us. Paul refers to the manifestation of Christ in us as God’s secret. He said that God hid it from the devil, his angels and all His creations. But it has always been His intention to live in us and demonstrate His fullness in us and through us. And look at what Paul says along these lines in Ephesians, chapter 3, from verse 7:
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:7-11NIV)
First, this man of God says that God has commissioned him to be a servant of the gospel, to preach it to the gentiles and show everyone how to administer or take advantage of the hidden mystery of God. How do we take advantage of what is hidden or what is a mystery? It is first by having it revealed to us. In other words, the secret must no longer be a secret. And that is what God is now doing through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is making plain to us His secret.
Now what is this secret? Here Paul refers to it as the manifestation of His wisdom through us. He says that His intention is to demonstrate His wisdom through us to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. He wants to demonstrate His manifold and indescribable wisdom through us to the world of men and the world of angels. He wants them to marvel as His children demonstrate His wisdom.
We have an illustration of this in Solomon. God gave him wisdom, the kind that no one has ever had and that no one will ever have. As we read in 1Kings 10, when Queen Sheba visited him, she was dazed at the manifestation of the wisdom of God in his life. And that was equally the view of others who visited him or interacted with him. It is reported in Scriptures that there was no question that was too hard for him to answer and no problem too hard for him to solve. Why? God’s wisdom was manifesting in him. Of course, this manifestation was mostly in the natural realm. But it was still the expression of the wisdom of God through man.
Then we see God doing the same thing through Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They manifested indescribable and shocking wisdom. These people functioned among wizards and sorcerers. But they could not beat them. They were ten times better than all of them in matters of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, according to Scriptures. And that is what God wants to do through us as well. That is the secret that He kept hidden from all His creations. He wants to manifest His wisdom through us. The aim, of course, is to draw people to Himself. (Cf. Daniel 1)
Many from all around the world kept coming to Solomon to hear the wisdom of God from his mouth. And God wants the same thing to happen to us. So, you can pray for it. Paul says it is His intention to show His manifold wisdom through the church. It is His eternal purpose. And He has already accomplished it in Christ Jesus. That means He has already done all that He needed to do to demonstrate His wisdom through us. So, keep asking Him to fulfil this intention in your life, causing His manifold wisdom to be in expression in you and through you.
Also, in Colossians, chapter 1, from verse 25, Paul says:
“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – they mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25-27NIV)
Again, Paul is here speaking about the mystery of God that He kept hidden for generations. What is this mystery? It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. In other words, the mystery of God consists in the manifestation of Christ in us. Christ is referred to in this same letter to the Colossians as the image of the invisible God. It is also said in the letter that it has pleased God to cause His fullness to dwell in Christ. So, with Christ in us, the fullness of God is now dwelling in us. (Cf. Colossians 1:15&19)
But then, will His fullness be evident in us? That is the big question. God’s will is that His fullness will find expression in those of us who believe. But is it happening in me already? Is this happening in you already? Paul prays for the Ephesian brethren that God’s fullness will fill them. In other words, he wants His fullness to take charge of them and be evident in them. Why? That is what will draw men to God, the revelation of Christ in them, the revelation of the fullness of God in their lives. (Cf. Ephesians 3:14-19)
What, then, is the place of preaching Christ in all this? Well, it is indeed important that we preach Christ to those in our world. But any form of preaching that is not accompanied with the manifestation of the wisdom of God and His fullness will not draw people to Him or accomplish His purpose in their lives. People want to see what Christ has done in us. They want to see His image in us. They want to see what He is doing or has done in us. That is what they can appreciate.
If someone wants you to marry someone, for instance, and you have never met the person before, what is reported about that person may not be enough for you to want to meet him or her. But if you are shown the picture of that person, you will want to see whether it is appealing to you or not. If it is, then, you want to meet the person. If it is not, then, you may not want to meet the person, even if she is of awesome character.
In like manner, people need to see the image of Christ in us. They need to see His fullness in us. And if it is His image that is seen in us that we are proclaiming, then, it will be easier for those of the world to relate to our message. Paul says this of himself: “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.” (Galatians 1:19NIV) Did you see that? Paul was preaching the Son of God that was being revealed in Him. He was not preaching a Christ that people could not see in his own life and conduct.
The point I am making is that Christ needs to be seen in us. God wants Him to be seen in us, for He is the exact representation of His being. He wants the worlds of angels, demons and men to see Him in us. This is the secret He has been keeping, the fact that He wants all His creations to see that man is His actual child and that he is capable of manifesting His fullness. He wants them to see His wisdom, righteousness, holiness, love, patience, self-control, gentleness, generosity, goodness, humility and everything He represents in us. This is what will draw all men to Him. This is what will cause them to know that we are truly divine.
Do you know that you are divine as well and not just human? The bible says He has made us partakers of His divine nature (2Peter 1:3-4). Of course, there is nothing divine about our physical bodies. But our spirits have been made divine by God. So, true Christianity consists in the manifestation of the divine nature of God in you. And if He is not seen in you, whatever you are practising is not Christianity at all.
Paul, troubled about the lack of understanding of the Galatians of this matter, says, “My dear Children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19NIV) Think about that. He wants Christ to be formed in them the way a baby is formed in the womb of his mother. You know that as a baby is formed in the womb of his mother, there will come a time when it will become obvious to everyone that there is a baby coming. And when the time is ripe, the baby will be born for everyone to see. In the same sense, God’s intention is that Christ will be fully formed in us and born through us for the world to see. He wants our lives to give birth to the character of Christ for the world to see, just the way they saw Him in His earthly days. That is what true Christianity is all about. And I pray that it will find expression in your daily life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Life without the Father
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: November 05, 2023
Series: Single message
I want us to consider the story of the prodigal son and one of the main lessons that it teaches. This story, without doubt, is a very familiar one. Nevertheless, let us quickly go over a part of it, from verse 11 of Luke 15:
“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:11-24)
Now this brief story is about life without the Father. Here we have a man who had two sons. And one day the younger of his sons asked him to give him his own share of his estate. Interestingly, he did not argue with this boy or deny him what he asked for. Instead, he gave him what he wanted. Why did he give it to him? It was because it was his to have in the first place. In other words, his father had always wanted him to have his inheritance. That was because nothing was wrong if he had his own inheritance and began to manage it.
However, at some point, this young man gathered all that he had and left for a distant country. That means, all along, what he had in mind was independence from his father. The reason he asked for his own share of his father’s inheritance was not that he was suffering. It was not that his father was not taking care of him or that he would not supply what he needed. The reason was that he wanted to be independent of his father – he wanted to get away from him.
Usually, when discussing this story, our focus is on the fact that this young man went away from home, squandered everything he had, got into trouble and eventually came back home to his father. But that is just a side to the story. The other side to the story is that he may not have squandered his wealth. And what if he had not squandered his wealth? Would he have thought of coming back home? He probably would never have thought of coming back to his father. And that was what he wanted. He wanted to be completely rid of his father. He felt that he had come of age and should be able to live his life as he pleased, becoming his own master. The loss of his wealth, however, became instrumental to his homecoming. But I am saying what if he had not lost his wealth? Would he have come back home? Not likely!
Well, the Lord told this story to show us something about our relationship with God as human beings and how we are constantly seeking to live our lives without Him. As we know, when children begin to come of age, they start thinking of gaining independence from their parents. They want to be the ones calling the shots, the ones determining how to live their lives, determining how to use whatever resources they have at their disposal. They do not want their parents telling them what to do, where to go, where not to go, when to come home, what friends to keep or not keep, what to eat or not eat and so forth. They just don’t want their parents dictating anything to them. They want to be independent.
The truth that they, nevertheless, hardly pay attention to is that no true parent wants his child to continually be under his watch. Every parent will want his child at some point to become independent of him. He will not want him to forever be running to him each time he has a decision to make or each time there is a challenge that he needs to handle. Rather, he will want him to grow up to be able to make sound decisions all by himself, deal with his challenges all by himself and even be in a position to support him and others. I mean that every parent will want his child to grow up to be responsible enough to stand by him and support him, when he is old and unable to run around to fend for himself again.
Also, if a parent is wealthy, he will want to have a child that he can entrust his wealth to, knowing that he will not lose it but handle it well. There is no parent that will not want that. There is no parent that will not want a wise child that can manage his affairs for him well when he is too old to handle them. So, the truth is that each parent will ultimately want his child to have his independence.
However, parents don’t want their children to have their independence before they are ready to handle it. They will not want them to have their independence until they are wise and bold enough to handle it and the challenges that may come along with it. And this is not just about age. Rather, it is about maturity. It is about growing up and becoming wise enough to be able to solve the basic problems of life yourself, without having to run to your parents each time you are confronted with a fresh challenge. And even if you have to run to them, it will be for their wise counsel, which they will gladly give, knowing that you have not been a disappointment.
Unfortunately, children usually don’t think like this. They don’t usually pay attention to the fact that their parents will not forever want them to be under their watch but will want them to become independent and be able to stand on their own. And because they don’t have this understanding, they often want to gain their independence before they are ready to manage it. Yes, they want to have their freedom before they are grown up and become mature enough to be able to manage it. This sometimes may create issues at home for them. And some stubborn ones may leave the home because of this and not return until, like the prodigal son, they get into trouble and see the need for their parents to bail them out.
Now we can relate to the picture I just painted. But do you know that it is similar to what happens in our dealings with God, our Father and Creator? And that is one of the things the story of the prodigal son is told to draw our attention to. The natural man also always wants to be independent of God. This, again, is often seen in children’s attitude to Him, as they grow up. Just as they want to become independent of their parents, they also begin to show signs of a desire to be independent of God, as they are coming of age. In short, they want to be independent of everyone – the want to be their own lords and masters.
So, you can see children that are raised in the church, brought up in the knowledge of God, suddenly showing strong desires to escape from Him. That is because it is somehow coming to them that they should be able to handle their lives without God. What they do not understand, however, is that none of us can do without God. None of us can be what he is meant to be in life without Him. He is the author of our lives. He created us. And He created us for His pleasure. Everything God created was created to bring Him pleasure. Since we, then, are among His creations, we are to bring Him pleasure with our lives. (Cf. Revelation 4:11)
Truly, God has created us to be different from other creations of His. He created us in His own image and likeness. That, however, does not mean that we can amount to anything apart from Him. Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” That is not to say that we cannot attempt to do things apart from Him. Like the prodigal son, we too can attempt to run our lives apart from Him. We can attempt to live our lives without listening to Him or recognising Him. But ultimately, we are going to find out that lives that are lived apart from Him are nothing and things accomplished apart from Him are nothing. This is what we all will someday realise. (Cf. John 15:5)
Well, what I am saying is that ever since the fall of man, it has become natural for man to want to live without the Father. God is his Father. But he does not want to acknowledge that or recognise Him. That was the problem with Adam. Why did he disobey God? Truly, Satan came and deceived the woman, Eve. That was because she did not have enough revelations of what God had shown Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. People are deceived only in areas where they lack knowledge. So, Eve was deceived because she did not have adequate knowledge. (Cf. 1Timothy 2:14)
But Adam was not deceived. Adam knew that Satan was lying to the woman. Yet he decided to follow his wife in sinning against God. Why? He wanted to be independent of God. He did not want to be taking instructions from Him anymore. But it was God that brought him forth. It was God that put him in the Garden of Eden. It was God that provided everything he was enjoying for him. And it was God that put him in charge of that garden and told him to keep it.
By the way, it was not only the Garden of Eden that God entrusted to Adam – it was everything that entrusted to him. The bible says in putting everything under man, God left nothing that He did not put under him (Hebrews 2:8). And he was aware that everything had been put under him. Why, then, did want to separate himself from God? Why did he want to live without Him? What did he hope to gain by doing that? His life was not his in the first place. His life was a gift from God to him. Then he did not create the world that he wanted to run all by himself. He did not put anything in that world. Everything that he had access to was placed in the world by God. Yet he wanted to live his life independent of him.
Now we all know what that brought upon Adam and the whole human race. First, he was sent out of the garden, out of that place of rest and peace. God planted that garden and brought him there. This man, after he had been formed, was placed right in the middle of God’s provision of abundance. Everything he needed was provided for him in the garden. But when he sought independence from God, He sent him out of the garden to go and begin to experience what being independent of God means. So, he began to toil and work hard in order to be able to care for himself and his wife. It was a life of endless toiling that he was plunged into. Sadly, people all around the world are still experiencing the consequences of what Adam did. Many are still involved in endless toiling. They are toiling for what will not last, for what they are going to lose.
Well, as the story of the prodigal son shows us, he left his father, taking along with him everything he had. But before long, he lost everything and was left with nothing. And that is to illustrate to us what will become of everyone seeking to be independent of God. He is going to ultimately lose everything.
But then, those who choose to live independent of God may not lose money. The prodigal son lost his money because he was not financially intelligent. He had not learnt enough from his father about handling money before he left the house. So, he lost all his wealth. But you may live independent of God and not lose your money. You can choose to live independent of Him and be wealthy. You can choose to live independent of Him and still be influential. In fact, your fame may arise out of the fact that you have chosen to be independent of God. There are people that have become famous or influential by living very crazy lives. They do crazy things that get people’s attention and even lead some to fall in love with them.
The point I am making, at any rate, is that your choice to be independent of God may not result in poverty for you. It may not keep you from being famous, powerful or highly educated. This is one thing that Christian preachers often miss. They often erroneously give their hearers the impression that when someone chooses to be independent of God, he will surely not amount to anything in life or be able to get to certain heights in life. But that is not true.
See, the story of the prodigal son is simply an illustration of what can happen to those who seek to be independent of God. A whole lot of other things can happen to those who choose to be independent of God, that is, apart from losing their wealth. They can lose their health. They can lose their positions. They can lose their family. Or they can lose their happiness.
But then, they may, in fact, not lose any of these I just mentioned. They may have what seems to be a perfect life, the kind anyone would wish to have. However, there is something else more important than all these things that those who seek to be independent of God will surely lose, if they do not repent. That is their soul. And losing your soul is worse than losing anything else in this world. That is because the things of these world can be recovered, if we lose them. But our souls cannot be recovered, if they are lost. So, if you lose your soul, you have lost everything.
As I pointed out before, the loss of the prodigal son’s wealth was instrumental to his homecoming. But if he had not lost his wealth, he probably would not have come back home. And if he had not come back home, he would have lost his soul and be forever separated from his father.
So, you can choose to live without God and not lose your money. You can choose to live without him and still be influential. You can choose to live without him and seem to have gained the whole world. But you are going to lose something, which is your soul. Everyone who chooses to live without God will ultimately lose their soul.
Losing some things in this world, however, may draw your attention to God. Losing your health, for instance, may be instrumental to bringing you back to God. Losing your money or fame or position may bring you to an end of yourself, so that you realise that you cannot do without God. But you may lose these things and still not come back to your maker. Though the prodigal son lost everything, he could still have chosen not to come back to his father. And if he had not come back, he would have been forever lost.
Well, we are living here on God’s earth. This is His world. Everything we are using here belongs to Him. We brought nothing here. So, we literally own nothing in this world. He owns everything. The bible says the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it, the world and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). So, we are living in His world. Also, we are using in this world the body and the brains He has given to us. There is, then, nothing we have that we can take credit for. All things come to us from Him. This is why it is foolish of us to try to live our lives independent of Him.
More so, the world that we want to possess independent of God is not one for us to possess. Let us just say God is testing us with this world. It is like He wants to see how we are going to handle the things of this world that are temporary in order to see if we will be worthy to receive what is eternal. This earth and everything being done in it is reserved for fire. But there is an inheritance prepared by God for everyone that comes into this world. Peter says this inheritance never perishes, spoils or fades. So, what God really wants us to have is not something that can be lost. It is not something that will perish, spoil or fade. (Cf. 1Peter 1:4; 2Peter 3:10-13)
Now we know that there is nothing in this world that will not perish, spoil or fade. So, the things of this world are not for us to gain. It will be foolish of us, then, to choose to live without God simply because we want to gain what cannot be gained. Indeed, God put these things in the world for us to use for our comfort. But He also knows that they will not be forever. So, in their place, He has for us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. It is now on us to choose either that which is eternal or that which is temporary.
If we what we want is that which is eternal, then, we will yield ourselves to Him. Then He will make us partakers of the inheritance of the children of His kingdom. Yes, what He has for us is not something we will fully have access to enjoy here on earth. But it is reserved for us and we will be able to access and enjoy it when we come into His eternal kingdom.
As we see in the story of the prodigal son, when he came back home, he did not meet his father in penury. Instead, he met him in abundance. His father was still able to celebrate him and take care of him when he came back home empty. That means what his father gave to him was not all that he had. What he gave to him was just something given to him to test him and see his readiness to receive what was better. But he messed up by running away from home. If he had stayed, he would have continued to learn from his father how to manage what he had been given, so that, instead of losing it, he would gain more and still have his life intact.
In like manner, the only way we can utilise all that God has given to us and not lose them or our souls in the process is to yield ourselves to Him and stay in fellowship with Him. This is the reason we preach the gospel. This is the reason we call people to come into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the way to the Father and to being in eternal fellowship with Him. So, yield yourself to Him and let Him show you how to make sense out of your stay here in the world and how to gain the eternal inheritance He has in store for you.
Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Make yourself ready
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: October 22, 2023
Series: Single messages
I want to share briefly with you on the need for us to always make ourselves ready to handle whatever we are praying or desiring that God would do for us and whatever dreams or visions God has given us about His plans and provisions for us. A lot of times, as believers that are demonstrating faith in God, our focus is on what we want God to do for us or where we want Him to take us. But what happens after then? After God has brought us to where we desire that He brings us, what next? What are we going to do with that position He has brought us? Or after God has given to us the things we want Him to give to us, what next? What are we going to do with what He has given to us?
What I am asking is this: How will what we have received from God’s hand make our lives better? How will our possession or use of what He has given to us make us more fruitful, more productive or more useful in His hands? And if it is a position that He has elevated us to occupy, how will our occupation and use of that position make life better for us or for those around us? How will that enhance our fruitfulness or usefulness in the kingdom of God?
We must continually consider these things and not just focus on what we want God to do for us. That is one of the things that will determine if what He has given to us or done for us will be worth it after all or not. It is also among the things that will tell whether God will answer our prayers and give to us what we are requesting for or not or whether He is going to fulfil His good purpose for our lives or not.
The point I am making, at any rate, is that we need to always make ourselves ready for whatever we are asking God to do for us, just as it is important to make ourselves ready by living the kind of life He wants us to live in His eternal kingdom right here on earth. The life God wants us to live in His eternal kingdom is the very one He wants us to live here on earth. That is because until we give ourselves to living the kind of life God wants us to live in His eternal kingdom here on earth, it becomes uncertain if we have actually been recreated.
If we have been recreated by God, we will be able to live the life of righteousness that we will be living in that home of righteousness that we are looking forward to. Of course, we are going to be faced with all kinds of trials here on earth that will want to make it difficult or impossible for us to live as God will have us live. Nevertheless, God wants us to learn here on earth to take advantage of His grace to overcome those trials or temptations. That, as I said, is one of the things that will show if we have truly been born again and have the life of God in us or not.
See, the life of God in us makes it possible for us to live that quality of life, that heavenly life that God wants us to live here on earth, as it was the case with our Lord Jesus. He was able to live the heavenly life, life as God wants man to live it, here on earth. He had God’s approval right here on earth, not when He was translated into the heavens. In like manner, God wants us to have His approval right here on earth. He wants us to prove with the way we live here on earth that we have His life and Spirit in us.
Yes, living in God’s eternal kingdom is beyond contemplation in terms of its goodness. It is by far better than living here on earth. And one of the reasons is that the things that we are tempted with here on earth will not be there. We are not going to face the challenges we are facing here on earth there. But it is here on earth that we will prove that we are already a part of that kingdom by living as God wants us to live.
So, in Luke, chapter 12, from verse 35, we are told, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.” (Luke 12:35-36NIV) Can you see that? We are told to make ourselves ready for God’s eternal kingdom. How? It is by living righteous and holy lives here in this world.
But then, we can also apply what is said in this Scripture to how we deal with our hopes and expectations in this world as well. In other words, we too need to be ready to handle that quality of life we want God to give us or that position we want Him to lead us into. Otherwise, we may end up messing things up.
For example, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon that became king after him, grew up before his father, under the tutelage of his father. That means he lived to see his father’s exploits and to drink from his wealth of wisdom. Well, he became king at age forty-one. That means he was not a kid when he became king but an adult. And he had had his opportunity to learn from his father first-hand all that he might need to become a great or better king.
Unfortunately, this man could not hold on to the kingdom. He lost the kingdom even before he started reigning. Of course, God’s hand was in that. God had already given His word through Prophet Ahijah that the kingdom will be split into two and a part would go to David’s house and the other part, which was the larger part, would go to the house of Jeroboam. And all this was because of the sin of Solomon. But then, something precipitated the fulfilment of that prophecy. And it was the foolishness of Rehoboam. His foolishness simply hastened the fulfilment of God’s word to Jeroboam. (Cf. 1Kings 11:27-39; 1Kings 12)
What is my point? It is that Rehoboam did not prepare himself for kingship. Yes, he was put on the throne unopposed, at least based on what we see in Scriptures. It was not like that for Solomon. When he was going to be made king, there were all kinds of opposition against him. Of course, the most visible opposition against him was his brother Adonijah. But that is not to say that there weren’t other sons of David that wished to be king in his place. (Cf. 1Kings 1)
Well, what I am saying is that Solomon did not get to the throne of his father, David, unopposed. Yes, he was God’s choice. But he was still opposed. And if his mother had not acted as quickly as she did in securing the throne for him, he probably would not have become king without a bloody contest.
However, Rehoboam become king unopposed. Why? We would not know. And though some bible historians will have us believe that he was Solomon’s only son, there isn’t much evidence in Scriptures to substantiate that claim. But if what they are saying is correct, then, Rehoboam must have been seeing himself on the throne of his father from when he was but a boy. And when his father died, he just naturally sat on his throne and began to rule.
Unfortunately, as I pointed out earlier, he did not prepare himself for leadership. So, he could not hold on to the kingdom. Becoming king is one thing; holding on to your kingdom is another thing entirely. This man did not have the strength and wisdom to hold on to his kingdom. So, he lost the larger part of it.
In like manner, we have many today who rush crazily to assume leadership positions in their countries, cities, communities or organisations but who are not prepared for leadership. And it is when they get there that they will realise that they were never ready for what their hearts have always wanted them to have. But by the time they realise that, many things may have been ruined. Some may never even realise this and continue to mess up things until they their so-called kingdoms vanish.
Well, the main lesson God is seeking to teach us through Rehoboam’s case is that though it is easy for Him to give us whatever we want, in fact, without experiencing any opposition, are we going to be able to hold on to it? Are we not going to lose what He gives to us? Will what He gives to us not ultimately destroy us? Will He still be able to further elevate us with whatever He gives to us? Or will what He gives to us make us crest and make it impossible for Him to further advance us? All of this is why it is important for us to make ourselves ready for what we want to receive from God. We should not just focus on what we want to receive from but, as wise people, should also make ourselves ready to handle what we want to receive from Him in such a way that we will have His praise and He will be able to give us more.
As our Lord Jesus points out to us, God is concerned about how we handle whatever He gives to us, whether it is something material or spiritual. So, it is the one that has that will be given more – the one that does not have will have even the little he has taken away from. It is a spiritual principle that we all must be mindful of. Look at how the Lord puts this in Luke 16, from verse 10:
“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 property of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12NIV)
The Lord is showing us here what God considers in promoting or elevating people. He considers how they handle the things He has already delivered to them. And it does not matter whether they are spiritual things or material things, how they handle them is what is most important to Him. In fact, from what we see here, how we handle material things can determine what sort of spiritual revelations or duties God is going to entrust to us. So, those who are not handling the things of this life well shouldn’t expect God to commit much revelations of the kingdom to them.
We have people today who think becoming a preacher is an easy job. And since there are always vacancies for preachers in the kingdom of God, such people, having nothing else to do, will freely apply. But what they do not understand is that they will most likely be preaching without revelations, that is, for the most part. That is because the diligence and discipline required in handling the word of God will not be exhibited by them. How, then, will God commit His spiritual truths to them?
Well, the point is that if you are not handling well what has been entrusted to you, God is not going to give you more. People may give you more. But God won’t. People may promote mediocrity or sponsor irresponsibility. But God is never going to do that. It is those who prove themselves worthy of what He has given to them that He will give more to.
In the parable that the Lord shares about a man who gave some money to his servants to work with, we have the same principle communicated. As the parable goes, after the man was done settling accounts with all his servants, he had to take away the money given to the servant that did not do anything with his own money. Look at how this is recorded from verse 24 of Luke’s gospel, chapter 19:
“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’. He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” (Luke 19:24-26NIV)
Again, we see here that the principle of the kingdom is that the one who has will be given more but the one who does not have will lose even the little he has. Why will he lose it? It is because he is not justifying it. And I am saying all of this to say that we need to focus not just on receiving from God but also on doing something meaningful with whatever we receive from Him. That man received a mina from his master but did nothing with it. He proved himself unprofitable and worthless with what he received. So, he could not be promoted or given more things. Instead, what he had been given was taken away from him. And the same thing can happen to us too, if all we are just concerned about is receiving from God or being put in certain positions by Him but are not making ourselves ready to make good use of what He wants to give to us.
By the way, we need to understand that God Himself is looking at our readiness to handle whatever He wants to give to us. And if He sees that we are not ready to handle what is coming, He may not just give it to us. If He considers our situation and sees that it may make it impossible or difficult for us to enjoy what He wants to give to us, He may not just give it to us. While talking to the children of Israel through Moses, God says this to them:
“I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” (Exodus 23:27-30NIV)
God was going to give the land of Canaan to the children of Israel. He had made a promise to do this and was, at that time, already leading them there. But before they would go into the land, He wanted them to know that He was not going to hand over all the inhabitants of the land to them at once or in a single year. Why? According to Him, the land would become desolate, if He did that, and wild animals would multiply against them?
That means God was concerned about their readiness to handle the land. He wanted to give it to them. But He also knew that they were not numerous enough to occupy it. So, if He drove out all the people in the land at once, what would happen was that most part of the land would become desolate. That is because they would only be able to occupy the land on the basis of their numerical strength and resources. They would not be able to develop or cultivate whatever was left of the place. And that would cause whatever was left to become a jungle in which wild animals would multiply in an unchecked manner. Reclaiming it, then, would become a very difficult thing for them to do.
So, you can see why God said that He would not drive out the inhabitants of the land of Canaan all at once but little by little. This would give the Israelites time to become numerous enough to occupy and develop all of the land. What we are saying, then, is that the volume of the land of Canaan that the Israelites occupied and received was a function of their readiness to develop it.
In like manner, the volume of what we will receive from God often depends on our readiness to handle it. So, it is important that we be devoted to developing ourselves to be able to handle what is coming to us from God. We need to make ourselves ready for that position we desire to occupy or that God has shown us in a dream that He wants to take us. This is so that the position will not destroy us but become a platform through which we can increase in usefulness in God’s hand and through which He can elevate us even higher.
Now we see this demonstrated in Joseph’s life. God had shown him dreams of greatness and of how he was going to be bigger than his brethren in life. But he did not sit down waiting for God to one day make him the president of a nation. He did not even have the chance to sit and wait like that, for he was sold into slavery. So, he had it rough in life.
Nevertheless, while he was in slavery, he began to develop himself through the tasks being given to him in the house of his master, Potiphar. He did not allow his slavery to make him redundant or irresponsible. It is a shame that some that found themselves in situations that were not as worse as Joseph’s allowed those situations to make them irresponsible. They would no longer aspire to be great in life. They would no longer learn. They would no longer labour to grow or become better than they are. And such people will go nowhere in life, regardless of what dreams or visions of greatness God might have shown them.
Joseph knew what dreams of greatness God had shown him. But how God would fulfil them was not something he could tell. And he was not going to allow his position as a slave to limit him. So, he gave himself to working hard and diligently in the house of Potiphar. It was not long, then, that Potiphar elevated him and made him the manager of his household.
Now if, as a slave, Joseph could not rise through the ranks and become a slave that others would respect, what was the guarantee that he would be able to rise and become important as a free man? But many people do not understand this. They do not understand that if we cannot attain a higher height or become better people in our low conditions, there is no guarantee that we will be able to rise and become better people or greater people, if we should find ourselves in better conditions.
Also, when Joseph found himself in the prison, he did not allow that condition to limit him or destroy his character. Instead, he handled whatever he tasks he was given diligently. And before long, he rose above all the other prisoners there and was made their manager. That, again, is showing us that he had the yeast to rise in him. That was because he developed himself.
Observe that we are not told that Joseph was a warrior. There were warriors in bible days. And Joseph was not listed among them. What gifts did he have, then, that he developed? He had gifts of managing people and resources. Yes, he had the gift of being able to interpret dreams. But that was a spiritual gift. And it was not a gift that was employed all the time or that he needed to employ all the time.
By the way, it was not because Joseph could interpret dreams that he was made the manager of Potiphar’s house. He probably never had to interpret anybody’s dreams for them in that house. So, he was not made the manager of the man’s house because of this spiritual gift. Rather, it was because he was able to manage people and resources well and showed himself responsible enough for this to be known. In fact, God blessed the household of Potiphar while he was doing this. So, the man gave him a free hand in managing his things.
Also, when he was in the prison, he was not made the manager of the prisoners because he could interpret dreams. Rather, he was made one because they could see that he was able to manage people and resources well. Much later, his spiritual gift of being able to interpret dreams became useful while he was in the prison. And that gift was, in fact, instrumental to his release from the prison and his standing before Pharaoh. But it was not the fact that he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream to him that he was made the ruler of Egypt; rather, it was because he gave him the solutions to the problems at hand. The man could see wisdom in him. He could see him as someone that could lead them through the period of famine that was coming. So, he made him his second-in-command.
I am saying this because I want us to know that it is important for us to keep developing ourselves. So, wherever you are, keep exposing yourself to those things that will make you develop to be a better person. See, it does not matter where you are right now, you need to give yourself to personal development. Often, when people become born again, they unconsciously get the impression that they have reached their crest, as far as personal development is concerned. So, they stop aspiring to be better – they stop growing. But that is wrong.
Now, of course, we need to first be devoted to growing spiritually. The word of God tells us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2Peter 3:18). So, you must give yourself to doing those things that will make you grow in your faith and your salvation. Give yourself to studying the word of God and to meditating on it. Give yourself to praying. Give yourself to the fellowship of the brethren.
In short, there are things highlighted for us in Scriptures as what we must do to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And you need to give yourself to these things. Otherwise, you will not grow. Growth does not happen by accident. This is not only true in the realm of natural things but also in the realm of spiritual things. Nobody grows by accident. If we do not do those things that will make our faith grow and become strong, our faith will not grow and become strong. Then we will remain spiritual babies. And we may remain babies like that for life.
Well, the point is that if you are going to increase in fruitfulness and usefulness in the kingdom of God, you must do those things that will make you grow. You may have dreams of how you want God to use you. But if you are not doing those things that will make you develop and grow to increase in usefulness in His hand, what you are expecting may never happen.
In like manner, as far as natural things are concerned, we need to give ourselves to anything righteous that is able to make us grow and become better people. Yes, we need to give ourselves to doing any good thing that will develop our ability to handle people and resources better and also develop our ability to be more effective in speaking. Nobody is going to do this for us. Of course, once in a while, we may find people that will be concerned enough about us to push us to grow and develop. But if we are not ready to grow and develop, such people may at some point let us be.
So, learn to take advantage of any opportunity that is available for you to develop yourself and become a better person. Take advantage of any opportunity available for you where you are to become a better business person, artisan, trader, teacher, student, parent or child. Whatever circumstances you may find yourself in life, look out for opportunities in them to improve yourself and become a better person. Learn more. Study more. Practise more. Give yourself to doing those things that will make you become a better person. That way, when those things that you are expecting God to do for you start happening, you will be ready for them.
Perhaps it is a position you want in your office. What are you doing to be fit to handle that position, if you are put there? Or perhaps it is a billionaire you want to become. Are you learning those things that will make you fit to handle billons of Naira, if it should come your way? If you wake up tomorrow as a billionaire, will you be able to sustain and multiply the money?
Remember the prodigal son. He left his father’s house full but came back empty. Joseph left his own father’s house empty but later sent for his family to come and stay with him. Both of them had to live their father’s house at some point in their lives. But the one who left full came back empty while the one who left empty later became responsible for the welfare of his family. The prodigal got all the money he could get from his father and left the house. But he had not developed enough to be able to handle it. If you too are not developing yourself to be able to handle what you are expecting from God’s hand, you may end up losing it, even if it comes to you. So, take my words to you on this matter seriously, And I pray that God will strengthen you to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Title: Challenges
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: October 15, 2023
Series: Attitude 11
I want us to round off what we began to look at some weeks ago on Attitude by looking at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards life’s challenges or trials. The word of God makes it clear to us that as long as we are in this world, we cannot totally avoid challenges. Of course, by living in a certain way, there are challenges that we can avoid in life. I mean that by walking in the will of God, there are challenges that we will never face in life. But even when we are walking in the will of God, there are challenges or trials of life that we cannot avoid. In fact, there are challenges that are associated with walking in the will of God, just as there are challenges that are associated with living in this world.
See, every place in which we may live in this world will have its own peculiar challenges. And as long as we are there, we will have to deal with those challenges, even though we are children of God. So, no child of God is immune from life’s trials. Even our Lord Jesus Christ was not immune from them. He had His own share of life’s challenges. We too will have our share of them. It is important, then, that we have the right attitude towards these challenges, so that they will not destroy us.
God, as we see in Scriptures, sometimes permit certain challenges or trials to come our way. In other words, if God does not permit some trials to come our way, they will never come our way. For instance, at some point in Job’s life, he faced certain trials that wanted to sink him. And he faced them because God permitted those trials to come his way.
However, God did not permit them to come his way in order that they may destroy him. Rather, He permitted them to come his way so that he may learn some lessons of life and also so that God may prove certain things about him to the devil. In like manner, when we are faced with life’s trials, we must understand that there must definitely be lessons for us to learn through them, seeing that God has permitted them. Understanding this, then, will help us cultivate the right attitude towards our life’s trials or challenges.
Now what sort of attitude are we supposed to exhibit in the face of life’s trial? First, our attitude must be that of a victor and not a victim. I already said that there are challenges that will not come our way, if God does not permit them. And if God has permitted a trial to come your way, He definitely has plans to handle it. That is because you are His child and He will not allow anything to come your way to destroy you.
Look at what Paul says about this: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1Corinthians 10:13NIV) When Paul speaks of temptations here, he is not just talking about temptations to sin but also about any trial of life. So, we must not limit what he says to being tempted to sin; rather, we must see it as including any kind of testing or trial we may face in life.
When challenges of life come our way, Satan will seek to use them to destroy us. But God does not permit them with that kind of intention. As it was in the case of Job, He permits them so that we can learn some things we do not yet know about life, about the people around us, about the devil and about He Himself. That, of course, does not mean that God must bring challenges our way in order to teach us His will. No! His word is always there to teach us everything we need to know about His will.
However, there are things we may not learn or appreciate, even when the truth about them has been revealed to us through God’s word, unless we are faced with certain trials or challenges of life. And I am saying that such challenges are not permitted by God to destroy us but to teach us. Therefore, in dealing with them, we can expect God to be faithful in making sure they are not beyond us and also in making the way out for us to walk in victory over them.
That being the case, we must face all our life’s challenges with a sense of victory and not with a sense of defeat. There are people that face every challenge of life with a sense of defeat. In other words, before the challenge does anything to them, it has already defeated them. The thought of it alone is sufficient to defeat them, to paralyse them or to make them lose themselves. And God does not want that for us. He does not want us to lose our minds in the face of life’s challenges. Why? He is going to make a way out for us.
Now the way God will make out for us to experience victory over our challenges may not be plain or obvious to us immediately. But as long as we are functioning with the consciousness that He is faithful and will never leave us, we will be able to see the way He is making for us. So, it is important that we face every trial of our life with a sense of victory. And that is because God is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us, regardless of where we may find ourselves.
Remember that the Scripture says, “…God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”” (Hebrews 13:5NIV) Did you see that? We also have other similar or related Scriptures in which we have assurances that God will never leave us nor forsake us. And we must continually remind ourselves of what is said in these Scriptures, so that we can strengthen ourselves to walk in victory over any trial we may be faced with.
Our Lord Jesus, just before He went to the cross, said this to His disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33NIV) First, He tells us here that in this world we will have trouble. That means we cannot run away from challenges, as long as we are in this world. But we are not to lose our minds because of these challenges, whatever they may be. That is because there is peace for us in Christ Jesus. And it is on us to draw our peace and strength from Him in the face of our trials.
Then we see in that text that He wants us to cheer up when we are faced with any trial. Why? He has already overcome the world for us. In other words, victory is already ours – our victory has already been secured over any challenge we may be faced with. No wonder Paul says, “Thanks be unto God who always gives us the victory in Christ Jesus.” That means as long as we are ready to draw our strength, wisdom and courage from the Lord, we will always experience victory over any trial or challenge of life that may come our way. But once we lose our minds or throw away our confidence in God because of what we are faced with, we give room for defeat. (Cf. 1Corinthians 15:57)
All of this is why it is important that we continually meditate on the word of God. That is because it is the word of God that gives us assurances of victory in this life. It is His word that builds into us the consciousness of victory in the face of life’s trials or challenges. And once we have this consciousness of victory, we will be able to speak as David did, saying, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Cf. Psalm 23:4)
Furthermore, Paul says this to us in his letter to the Romans: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31NIV) Can you see that? No one can be against us, as long as God is with us. Then Paul goes on to list for us different kinds of challenging situations in which we may find ourselves in life. Yet he concludes his thoughts by saying, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37NIV)
So, in facing any life trial or challenge, face it with a sense of victory. And do not mistake this for the prevailing false sense of victory that many in the world have today. This is not just about telling yourself that all will be well. That you are telling yourself that all will be well does not mean that all will be well. It all depends on who is working with you and for you and through you and also what is happening to your situation. The challenge you are faced with will not just transform itself all by itself and start working for your good. There are forces that must bear upon it to make that happen. Otherwise, your saying ‘All is well’ will never amount to anything.
What I am saying is that facing life’s trials with a sense of victory, for us as Christians, goes beyond having a positive attitude. We have a positive attitude towards our trials because God is with us. And because He is with us, He will make us experience victory over whatever trial or challenge we are faced with. How will that happen? I do not know. But we have all kinds of examples in Scriptures of God’s people that walked in victory over circumstances that naturally would have overwhelmed and destroyed them. God moved on their behalf and turned around what they were facing for their good. And He is always set to do the same for us, if we will maintain our faith in Him.
Then another sort of attitude we ought to have towards our trials is that of thanksgiving to God. Why? First, as I said before, it is because God will never leave us nor forsake us, regardless of what we are faced with. Instead, He will make us walk in victory over our trials. Since He is faithful to us in this way, we should be thankful to Him, knowing that He will do whatever He has to do to make us walk in victory over the trials of our lives.
Paul says this to us in Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 20: “…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) What are we to always give thanks for? Everything! We should give thanks for every good thing that is happening to us. What about the bad things that have happened to us? Are we to thank God too that they have happened to us? No!
Unfortunately, there are believers that have misrepresented what Paul says here to mean that we are to thank God for making bad things happen to us. But when you do that, you are simply holding God responsible for the bad things happening in your life. And is He really the one responsible for them? If He is, are you happy that He is making bad things happen in your life? If you claim that you are happy with that, then, you are self-deceived. You are just lying to yourself, for you know that you are not happy about the bad things happening to you.
Well, when we say that we are to thank God for everything, we do not mean that we are to thank Him for the bad things happening in our lives. Rather, we mean that we are to thank Him in every situation of our lives. We are to thank Him for all the beautiful things we are enjoying from His hands. And where we are faced with trials that want to sink us, we are to also thank Him for not allowing the situations to be worse than they are already.
There is a complementary verse in 1Thessalonians, which reads, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1Thessalonians 5:18NIV) Can you relate to this? We are to give thanks to God in all circumstances. Why? It is the will of God for us to do so. So, having an attitude of gratitude to God in the face of life’s challenges is the will of God. And why does God want us to be thankful to Him, even when we are faced with difficult situations? As I said before, first, it is because He is with us and will surely cause us to experience victory over those challenging situations. We may not see what He is doing on our behalf. In fact, our situations may seem to be getting worse. Yet He is at work to make all things work for our good.
Another reason God wants us to thank Him even if things are ugly for us, as I equally pointed out before, is that things could have been worse. That bad situation could have been worse than it is. So, what has happened is not worse than what you have had. In other words, God has limited your experience of evil. If God does not limit our experience of evil, Satan will destroy us.
Look at Job’s case, for example. God limited Satan’s activities against him. Otherwise, he would have destroyed the man. So, as long as we are alive, regardless of what we are faced with, we need to understand that things could have been worse. The one that is controlling the situations of our lives and preventing them from getting worse is God.
Again, all this may baffle or bother us. I mean that we may be asking to know why God will allow Satan to attack us in the first place. But as I said before, if God allows us to face any challenge, it has to be because He wants us to learn something that will build us up in the faith. It may be that He wants to show us how to take advantage of His grace to walk in victory. Or it may be that He wants us to learn some things about the people around us. Or it may be to develop certain qualities in us that will make us stronger in the faith.
Remember that there are challenges that only strong faith in God can subdue. And if you are faced with any of such, then, you must consider it as an opportunity to build your faith to be stronger. Look at children, for instance. In order for them to develop their brains and muscles, they must be exposed to challenges. And those challenges are often controlled by their parents or guardians. But they must be exposed to them, for the challenges are not meant to destroy them but to build them and maximise their potential.
In like manner, through challenges we are able to maximize our potential in Christ. This is what James is referring to, when he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4NIV) This man is telling us that we are to face our life’s trials and challenges with a sense of joy. Yes, the challenges we are faced with will want to ruin our happiness and joy and also take away our peace. But it is on us to choose not to permit that to happen.
See, if we are functioning with a sense of victory, we will not give room for sadness because of certain challenges we are faced with. True victors don’t walk around with an aura of gloom, sadness or sorrow. Victors rejoice. And we must learn to rejoice in the face of life’s trials. This may be difficult for us to do. But it is what God wants us to learn. He wants us to learn to rejoice in the face of difficulties, knowing that we have already overcome them, even though our victory over them may not be visible yet.
So, He says to us through James, “Count it pure joy, whenever you are faced with trials.” That means don’t let those trials take away your joy, happiness or peace of mind. And if you function like that, instead for your trials to destroy your faith, God will use them to build it up. Every trial is an attack on our faith. Whether it is a temptation to sin or a sickness that is seeking to take our lives or a loss of things, Satan’s aim is to use it to lure us away from God. We need to understand that whatever attack Satan launches against us, an attack on our body, mind, purity, reputation, business or anything, his aim is to lure us away from God. He wants us to throw away our confidence in God and begin to seek peace or rest where it does not exist. That is what he wants.
Now God’s people who do not understand this often fall into his traps. They may turn away from God to the practice of witchcraft. But that is what the devil wants. Or they may begin to complain and blame God for their failure in life or for not taking good care of them. But that is exactly what Satan wants. That was what he wanted to do with Job. He wanted him to throw away his confidence in God and curse Him. And he got his wife to do that but did not get Job to do so. You too must not allow him to get you to throw away your confidence in God because of what you are faced with.
So, James tells us to consider all our trials pure joy and know that they are coming to us to test our faith. And as faith is tested, the fruit of perseverance that is already in us begins to manifest. That means one of the ways God makes us know that we can persevere or be patient is through trials. We have His ability in us to be patient, to endure and to persevere. But unless we are tried in some ways, we may not know how strong God has made us on the inside. And this is why James goes on to say that we should allow perseverance to finish its work in us when we are faced with life’s trials. We should not give up along the way. Instead, we should persevere till the end. That way, we will be able to receive and experience everything God is working towards accomplishing through what we are going through.
Then we must have an attitude of prayer when we are faced with life’s trials. We must be ready to present those trials we are faced with to God. Look at what Paul says to the Philippians about this: “Do no be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7NIV) Did you see that? You must cultivate the culture of committing whatever challenge you are faced with, great or small, to God in prayer.
No, we are not to be anxious about any matter of our lives. However, not being worried about a matter does not mean it is not there or that it has been dealt with. To solve a problem, you must commit it to God. And when you do that, He will fill your heart and mind with His peace. Therefore, even though you may not yet see what He is doing to solve the problem, your heart and mind will be at peace, knowing that victory is sure.
Now when you face your life’s challenges with an attitude of victory, thanksgiving and prayer, you will be led to see what legitimate steps you can take in dealing with those challenges. The word of God already tells us that God will make a way out for us in the face of every challenge of life. And as we pray and meditate on His word, our eyes will be opened to see what steps we can take to experience the victory that He has already given to us.
But we must be ready to take those legitimate steps we can take to experience victory, however simple or unimportant they may seem. The story of Joseph teaches us a lot of things along these lines. As it goes, when he got to the house of Potiphar as a slave, he did not lose his mind or begin to use all his time to cry. Instead, he gave himself to doing diligently whatever assignment he was given. He did not allow the situation to ruin his character. Instead, he remained up and doing. And when Potiphar saw how industrious and useful he was, he began to elevate him until he made him the manager of his household. That is what we are talking about.
Well, not long after that, he got into trouble with his master’s wife and was jailed. Yet he did not lose his mind. Instead, he did whatever he found to do there diligently. And is that not what we are taught to do in scriptures? It is. We are told that whatever our hands find to do should be done with all our might. So, regardless of what situation you find yourself in, have an attitude of industry or diligence. Look out for what you can do to make things better for yourself and others and begin to do it with all your might, that is, besides praying to God, giving thanks to Him and walking with a sense of victory.
Now because Joseph functioned in that way, even though he did not know all that God was doing on his behalf, he was exactly where God needed him to be when He wanted to elevate him. But what if he had poisoned himself or given himself to living an irresponsible life because of the challenges he was faced with, would all the dreams God had shown him have come to pass? No, they would not have come to pass, if he had not exhibited the right attitude towards the challenges he faced.
Challenges will come our way. And Satan will seek to use them to limit us or destroy us. But we can trust God to be there for us to turn all things around for our good. He will, however, not be able to do that, if we do not demonstrate the right attitude towards those challenges.
Also, look at Paul. He spent some time in the prison because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But he did not allow that to destroy or render them useless. Instead, he made the most of his free time there. How? He was writing letters to the saints, instructing them in the will of God. For instance, he wrote the letter to the Philippians from the prison, admonishing the brethren not to be anxious about anything but to be prayerful and joyous all the time. Also, he used that time to be praying, for he told the Philippians that he never stopped praying for them.
But was Paul happy to be in the prison? No! Would he have preferred to be living as a free person? Absolutely! But since he found himself in the prison, he had to take the situation as it was and see what profit he could draw from it. And that, as he confesses to the Philippians, caused even his imprisonment to work for the furtherance of the gospel and also for the edification of God’s people (Philippians 1:12-14).
So, whatever challenge it is you are faced with, don’t allow it to destroy you. It does not have enough power to destroy you, if you won’t permit it. And that is because you have God with you, who is forever working to make all things cooperate for your good. This is where we will end it. I pray that God will strengthen you always to function with the right attitude, regardless of what situation you are faced with in life. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Work and duties
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: October 08, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’ by looking at the sort of attitude we ought to have towards our work and duties or responsibilities. We will be taking the two together because they go hand-in-hand. More so, the same things that are said in the bible about what our attitude ought to be towards our work are what are said about what our attitude should be towards our responsibilities. So, it is only proper to take the two together.
Now the first thing that to note, when we are dealing with what our attitude should be towards our work and duties, is our need of understanding. If we are going to exhibit the right attitude towards our work and responsibilities, we need to understand what is expected of us. We need to understand what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. Until we understand what is expected of us and what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, as far as our work and duties are concerned, we cannot exhibit the right attitude towards them.
In 2Chronicles, chapter 30, we are told of King Hezekiah and how he related to some of the Levites that served in the Temple when he led the people to celebrate his first Passover feast as king. Look at what is said in verse 22 of the chapter: “Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord.” (NIV) This man was encouraging these Levites because they demonstrated good understanding of the service of the Lord. In other words, they knew what they were doing. They knew what was expected of them. They knew what was acceptable and what was unacceptable. And this understanding guided them in their service to the Lord; ot imparted on the attitude they demonstrated in handling the service of the house of the Lord.
So, I am saying that it is important that we understand what is expected of us in handling our work and our responsibilities. It does not matter whether we are dealing with works and responsibilities that are directly associated with the kingdom of God or those that are associated with natural matters of life, we need to understand what is expected of us and what is acceptable and unacceptable. It is the measure of understanding that we possess along this line that will determine whether we are going to have the right attitude towards our works and responsibilities or not.
Now what do we need to understand about our work and responsibilities? The most important thing we need to understand about them is that the one we are serving is the Lord Jesus Christ. So, whether you are serving as a minister of Christ in a church or you are working with an organisation or you are running your own business or you are a student, the one you are serving is the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, it does not matter what your responsibilities are, whether we are looking at your responsibilities to your family members, to your workplace, to your country or to the kingdom of God, the one you are serving and representing is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at what Paul says from Ephesians, chapter 6, from verse 5:
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” (Ephesians 6:5-9NIV)
Also, he says about the same things to the Colossian brethren. Look at it from verse 22 of chapter 3 of his letter to them:
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 3:22-4:1NIV)
Now these two Scriptures are addressing the same things, which have to do with our work and duties. And slaves and masters are the focus of their address. The master-slave relationship was a popular relationship back in bible days. But that is no longer popular today. What is popular today is the employer-employee relationship. We also have other related relationships. For instance, we have the master-apprentice relationship, the teacher-student relationship and so forth.
The point I am making is that these Scriptures are applicable to all work or business relationships. And what they are saying to us is that whatever our work or business relationship may be, the one we are serving is the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the basis for defining the attitude we should exhibit towards our work and duties is our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Christian thinking. Those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ may not reason and function like this. But this is the way we who know Him and are serving Him are expected to reason and function.
Well, what we are being told as believers through these Scriptures is that our relationship with the Lord Jesus goes beyond what happens in our church meetings. In other words, it is not only in church meetings that our relationship with the Lord should affect our conduct or disposition. Rather, it is everywhere we find ourselves that our relationship with Him must affect our way of life.
Sadly, many Christians do not understand this. They think it is only in church meetings that the Lordship of Jesus should prevail in their lives. But they are wrong. His Lordship is expected to affect us in all our relationships. It is to affect our relationships with our spouses, the leaders of our government, our colleagues or employers at work and so forth.
In any case, the point is that our relationship with the Lord Jesus is what should define for us the kind of attitude we are to have towards our work and responsibilities. And this will not happen until we see ourselves as serving Him in all that we do. That is the main understanding we need to possess about our work and responsibilities. Everything lies on what is acceptable to the Lord Jesus and not on what is acceptable to the people we are working for or working with.
In like manner, as far as our responsibilities are concerned, we must always remember that we have the Lord Jesus over us and that He is the one we are representing to all those we are responsible for. As employers, the one that we are representing in paying our workers is the Lord Jesus. As parents, the one that we are representing in caring for our children is the Lord Jesus. As husbands, the one that we are representing in taking care of our wives is the Lord Jesus. As government leaders, the one that we are representing in taking care of our people is the Lord Jesus.
Therefore, the Lord is interested in what we are doing and will reward us for whatever we do. It does not matter, then, whether we are employees or employers, parents or children, government leaders or citizens, apprentices or masters, traders or artisans, the one we are serving is the Lord Jesus. And He is going to reward us for whatever we do. That means the rewards we are going to get for handling our works and responsibilities are beyond what will come to us in this world.
Many of us can easily relate to the rewards that we receive here on earth based on what we have done. And those that will reward us (our employers, clients and so forth) will reward us based on what they think of the quality of work or service we have rendered to them and also based on what they have. But the Lord Jesus sees it all. It is human beings that do not see it all. We may use poor materials in handling people’s work and they may not know. We may insult people while doing their work and they may not know. We may grumble while working for others and they may not know. We may do things to impress people when we actually hate them in our heart. And they may not know. Yet they are going to reward us based on what they can see that we have done and what they have.
But the Lord sees everything. He knows the quality of service we have offered. He knows the heart with which we have offered it. And He will be rewarding us on the basis of His own estimation of what we have done, not on the basis of people’s estimation of what we have done. That is why it is possible for human beings to accept our work but for the Lord Jesus to reject it. In like manner, it is possible for human beings to reject our work and for the Lord to accept it. It is possible for human beings to underpay us for what we have done. But the Lord will never underpay us. Instead, where people have underpaid us, the Lord will pay us in full and even much more.
Then when we are talking about service in the kingdom of God, the same principles are applicable. The Lord is looking at what we are doing. He is looking at the way we are handling the responsibilities given to us. Now people may praise and reward us for what we are doing for the Lord. And it is also possible that they may not praise or appreciate us for what we are doing. But the Lord will reward us for what we have done, good or bad. If people praise us for what we are doing and He does not see us as deserving His praise for it, He will not give us any reward for it. And even if people do not praise us and He considers us deserving His praise for what we are doing in His kingdom, He will reward us for it.
Basically, I am saying that in handling our work and responsibilities, whatever they may be, we must see the Lord Jesus over us. And this is telling us that every work we are doing is spiritual. It is not only those who preach that are doing spiritual work. Whatever any one of us is doing in this life and whatever our responsibilities may be, they are spiritual. They are spiritual because the Lord Jesus is interested in how we handle them and is going to reward us accordingly. Whatever it is you are handling, then, handle it with the consciousness that the Lord Jesus is watching you. And because He is watching you, it is important that whatever you do is done to please Him and not just to please men.
Now considering those Scriptures that we read before, the kinds of attitude that we are to have towards our work and responsibilities and that will please the Lord Jesus are defined for us. First, we are told to avoid eye service. In other words, our attitude must not be that of one who is simply working to please men when their eyes are on him. What do you do when no one is watching you? Do you do what is right? Whatever your work is and whatever your responsibilities are, as long as you know and accept them as yours, then, handle them the right way, whether anyone is watching you or not.
And what is the right way to handle our work and responsibilities? The right way is to handle them wholeheartedly. Whatever you are handling, work at it with all your heart. That is what the bible says. If you have not accepted a job or task as yours, it is different. But the moment you accept something as your job or it is brought to your notice that it is your job or responsibility to do something, you must do it wholeheartedly, whether it is being done for a person or for an organisation. This is applicable to the student too. The moment you enrol in a school to learn, then, you need to wholeheartedly study. You need to pour yourself into what you are doing.
All this, of course, will affect your work results before God and before men. You approach to your work will affect the quality of the products that will come out of it. So, you need to do whatever you are doing wholeheartedly, whether it is in the church or in your workplace or in your business. Also, whatever your responsibilities are to your parents, children, family members, colleagues at work, the church of God or the government, handle them whole-heartedly. Don’t take half-measures in handling your responsibilities. Instead, pour yourself fully into handling them.
Solomon tells us the same thing in Ecclesiastes, chapter 9. He says in verse 10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (NIV) Did you see that? We are told to do whatever our hand finds to do with all our might. In other words, pour yourself into it. This is important because a lot of people hate hard work today. They do not want to pour themselves into whatever they are doing. But that is not God’s way. You must not hate work. You must not hate your responsibilities.
As we see in creation account, God worked diligently in creating the universe. And when we look at His work, we see beauty, excellence and diligence. There are all kinds of Scriptures that talk about the excellence that God brought to bear on what He created. We too need to bring excellence to bear on whatever we are doing. And one of the ways to bring excellence into what we are doing is to pour ourselves into it. We are not taking half-measures. Instead, we give ourselves completely into what we are doing, giving it what it takes. That is what promotes diligence.
When we are talking about diligence, we are talking about showing concern for what we are doing, so that it may accomplish the results it is meant to accomplish. That is the attitude you must have towards your work. You handle it with a consciousness that it must accomplish the result it is meant to accomplish. This is even beyond pouring yourself into your work and working with all your energy. That you use all your energy to work does not mean that you will get the results you are meant to get. If you are not mindful of the results that are expected, you may just waste your energy and skills doing something unprofitable.
So, you need to know what is expected of you by the one or ones you are working for or responsible for. What sorts of results are your clients or customers expecting from the work you are handling for them? And if we are dealing with fulfilling your responsibilities to your parents, children, the church of God and so forth, what sorts of results ought to be accomplished in their lives? You need to be concerned about the results. Why am I doing what I am doing? What is my work supposed to accomplish? That is what aids diligence.
When you are diligent, when you are concerned about the quality and results of your work, you will not do it anyhow. You are going to do it to accomplish expected results. That means if you need additional understanding or knowledge about what you are doing, you will go for it or get someone who knows better than you to help you. That will be because you are concerned about getting acceptable results.
During the reign of King Joash, this is said about those who handled the repairs of the Temple: “The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it.” (2Chronicles 24:13NIV) Can you see that those people were diligent in handling the work given to them? And because they were diligent in handling it, the work progressed under them. When you bring diligence into what you are doing, the work will progress and excellence will manifest in it. When you bring diligence into what you are doing, the beneficiaries will enjoy the results or experience progress through the results.
Therefore, in handling whatever you are doing, you need to be concerned about the results that you are accomplishing. Is it something that will serve those you are working with or something they will cast away as useless? A lot of times, when we receive jobs given to artisans in this country, we have to complain about them or cast them away totally. Why? In doing those jobs, they are not mindful of how well the products would serve you. And several of God’s children are also guilty of this. Once they collect money for a job from you, they will only deliver whatever they like. They will not mind whether it will be useful to you or not.
The same thing is applicable to our traders and others who offer us services. Their focus is often on the money they want to collect for their goods or services and not on how well what they are offering will serve you. And all of us need to watch ourselves as far as these matters are concerned. The Lord will reward us for the goods and services we are delivering to people. The rewards we are going to get will go beyond the money they pay us. The Lord Himself is equally interested in rewarding us for whatever work we do here on earth.
Remember that the earth belongs to our Lord Jesus. So, everything we are using here belongs to Him. And as we use these things to accomplish His will in people’s lives, He will reward us. If we will not use them to accomplish His will in their lives, there will no reward for us from Him, not just here on earth but also when we come into His eternal kingdom. And you should keep this in mind.
Another form of attitude you need to exhibit in handling your work is faithfulness. You need to be faithful in handling your job and responsibilities. In other words, be dependable – be reliable. Where you need to be is where you should be, as far as your work and duties are concerned. What you need to be spending your time to do is what you should be spending it to do, as far as your work and duties are concerned. And where handling money and other resources are concerned, be faithful in handling them. Just be sure that you handle your work and responsibilities in ways that the beneficiaries will not be disappointed in you. You can see that diligence and faithfulness are connected. There is no way you can be diligent without being faithful. And there is no way you can be faithful without being diligent.
Now the Lord Jesus shares a number of things with us on faithfulness and the effects it is going to have on our promotion, elevation and prosperity here on earth. For instance, He says, “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) Did you see that? God rewards faithfulness here on earth. So, we must handle whatever is entrusted to us faithfully. People’s things should not die or get ruined in our hands. It must always be on our minds that when people entrust things to us, those things should be safe with us and also accomplish the purposes for which they have entrusted them to our care.
A job has been given to you. Then be sure you make it ready when you say that it will be ready. The one that will be faithful in handling his work will not make promises carelessly. That is because he knows that he has to deliver on his promises. See, when people entrust things to us, they should be able to go to bed and rest. And when we are responsible for people, they and God should be at rest, knowing that we will not fail them. We see this in Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Those who entrusted things to them could freely go to bed, knowing that they would faithfully deliver. So, God kept on moving people to promote them. Do you also want God to keep lifting you? Then be faithful in handling your work and responsibilities.
Look again at what is said about those who handled the repairs of the temple during the reign of King Joash:
“The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other of articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord; it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.” (2Kings 12:13-15NIV)
Why did the king not require an accounting of the money spent on the repairs of the temple from those who handled it? It was because they acted with complete honesty. In fact, in the parallel account that we have in 2Chronicles 24, we are told that these people returned the money that was left to the king and the priests. That is faithfulness. And we have the same thing said to us in the bible about Joseph. Potiphar did not require an accounting from him of how he was using his resources. Why? He was faithful and honest.
Why are people suspicious of you? You are not faithful, honest and transparent in handling their work. If you are faithful and transparent in handling people’s work or your responsibilities, people will trust you. Yes, there are people that will still be suspicious of you, regardless of how honest you are in dealing with them. And that will be because of their mindset. But they will not have anything against you, if you are honest and faithful.
Well, these are the things you need to keep in mind about the kind of attitude you should have towards your work and responsibilities. And may the Spirit of God strengthen you to take them seriously, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Giving
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: October 01, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’. Already, we have looked at the right kind of attitude to have towards the word of God, prayer, righteousness and sin, rebuke and correction and receiving. Now we want to look at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards giving to God and men. And it is important that we exhibit the right kind of attitude in giving to God and men, if our giving will be acceptable. The word of God shows us that it is possible for us to give in vain. It is possible for us to give either directly to God or men and yet have no reward for our giving.
For example, Paul describes for us in Galatians, chapter 6, two forms our giving may take. He says from verse 7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8NIV) What is Paul’s point here? First, it is that God cannot be deceived, misled or mocked, as far as our giving is concerned. In other words, God can tell the character or nature of our giving. It cannot elude Him.
So, if we are giving correctly, God will know. Also, if we are giving wrongly, God will know. Nothing is hidden from Him. This is why we need to be careful to give according to His will, according to His instructions. Otherwise, our giving may just go to waste.
The second thing Paul says in that text, as I previously mentioned, is that our giving can take two forms. We can give to please our flesh or we can give to please the Spirit of God. When we give to please our flesh, we are giving to please ourselves and not God. In other words, we are not mindful of God in our giving but ourselves. And Paul says that kind of giving can only earn us destruction or corruption. That means we will not get any reward from God for that kind of giving. It does not matter whether we are giving to God directly or to some people, as long as it is not done to please God but ourselves, it can only earn us corruption.
Then Paul speaks of giving to please the Spirit of God. And it is this kind of giving that will earn us God’s praise and reward. In the text before us, Paul says when we give to please the Spirit, the reward for us is eternal life. And that does not mean that we can win or gain eternal life through our giving. No! Eternal life is only obtained from God through faith and as a gift. It is not something we can pay for.
Therefore, Paul does not mean that our giving can or will buy eternal life for us. Rather, he means that the reward we will get for giving to please the Spirit of God is something eternal, something we are going to enjoy throughout eternity. So, we should ask ourselves whether we want God’s praise for our giving or not. If we want His praise, we must pay attention to what we give to Him and how we give it.
Now to say the fact, God is more interested in how give than in what we give. And we see in Scriptures accounts of people who gave to God and who did not get anything in return for what they had given. For example, Cain and Abel once brought their offerings to the Lord. And God rejected Cain and his offering but accepted Abel and his offering. That, of course, made Cain very upset and angry. Why was he angry? It must have been because of the effort he had put into bringing God that offering. But God did not look at his effort or what his gifts may have cost him. He just simply rejected it. (Cf. Genesis 4:1-6)
In like manner, many are giving to God today things that are not acceptable to Him. But because it is not revealed to them that what they are giving to God is unacceptable to Him, they do not see the need to examine their giving and cleanse it of anything that is making it unacceptable to God. So, one day they will find out that all they have been giving to God has been a waste. How, then, will they feel on that day? Definitely, they will feel bad. Cain felt bad when he saw that his offering was unacceptable to God. Unfortunately, instead for him to repent and begin to do what was right, he went on to murder his brother, making an already bad situation worse.
Well, what I want to draw your attention to is that fact that what Cain gave was unacceptable to God. So, ask yourself, “Is what I am giving to God acceptable to Him? What has become of all the offerings I have been giving to God?” You need to be concerned about these things. You need to certain that all your efforts and sacrifices in giving to God are not going to waste. You really need to be sure of these things.
In like manner, you need to be sure that the things you are giving to men are acceptable to God. See, when we give to men, God is touched by our giving. That is because all men are from Him and all men belong to Him. So, whatever we do to them, whether good or bad, concerns Him. This is why we need to have the right attitude also in giving to men.
Now you know that when we are talking about giving to God, He does not use anything we give to Him directly or to minister to Himself. Rather, it is men that will ultimately use whatever we give to Him. And we have people that He has given the right to use what we are giving to Him to. But when they are using whatever we have given to Him, it is as good as He is the one using it. For example, Paul says this to the Philippians about the gifts they sent to support him: “I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:18NIV)
Think about that. These people actually sent their gifts to Paul. But when he would talk about it, he referred to it as a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. Why? It was because the only reason they gave to him was that he was a man of God. He, along with his companions, was the one that preached the good news of Jesus Christ to them and led them to experience salvation. So, even after he had left them, they kept on sending him gifts to support him and the work of God that he was doing. But if he had not come to preach the word of God to them, they may not have known him at all, not to talk of sending support gifts to him. Therefore, they were sending him gifts because he was a minister of Christ Jesus to them.
However, even though he was the one their gifts were sent to, he still went on to say that it was God that they actually gave to. So, God took notice of what they had done. And this is in agreement with the what our Lord says about giving to support those who are representing Him in preaching the gospel. He says if anyone gives a cup of cold water to any of these because they belong to me, he will by no means lose his reward (Matthew 10:42). That means when we are giving to support those who are feeding us with the word of God and aid their ministries, we are actually giving to God.
Also, when we are giving to support God’s cause in our various Christian assemblies, so that His work may progress, He is actually the one we are giving to. No, He is not the direct beneficiary of what we are giving. But He is truly the one we are giving to. And we should be concerned about what He thinks of what we are giving, whether it is acceptable to Him or not.
In that letter to the Philippians, Paul could tell that the giving of the Philippians to him was acceptable to God. He referred to it as a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. Why was he able to tell? It was because he understood the principle of giving, how to give to please God. And since the Philippians gave according to the will of God, he could tell that their gifts were acceptable to Him. You too must be able to tell whether what you are giving to God or men is acceptable to Him or not. And the only way for you to know is to learn what is taught in Scriptures about the kind of attitude we are to exhibit in giving. If you exhibit the right attitude in giving, as stated in Scriptures, then, you know that your giving is acceptable to Him. And if you do not, you will also be able to tell that your giving is not acceptable to Him.
Now what sort of attitude are we to exhibit in giving to God or to men? First, it must be that of willingness. As I told you before, God is more concerned about our attitude in giving than about what we give. I do not by saying that mean that He is not concerned at all about what we give. He is concerned about it. He is concerned about the quantity of what we are giving. But He is more concerned about the quality of our giving, which is often determined by the attitude we exhibit in giving.
Well, I am saying that the first thing we need to note along these lines is that our attitude in giving must be that of willingness. Are you giving willingly or because someone is forcing you, manipulating you or pressuring you to give? If someone is forcing, manipulating or deceiving you to give, then, you are sowing to the flesh and all you can hope to reap from doing so is corruption. Look at what Paul says to the Corinthians about this:
“Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” (2Corinthians 8:11-12NIV)
Here Paul is charging the Corinthians to carry out the expression of their willingness to give. Evidently, contributions were being raised at the time from church to church to support the brethren in Judea. And the Corinthians had also initially expressed willingness to participate. But at the time this letter was being written to them, they had not yet matched up their willingness to give with their gifts. So, Paul had to admonish them to do so, according to their means.
Now he goes on to give us a principle that we all must follow in giving to God or men. He says if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. In other words, what God is first concerned about is our willingness to give. Are you willing to give? As long as you are willing to give and nobody is forcing, pressuring or manipulating you to do so, your gift is acceptable to God, based on what you have and not based on what you do not have.
That means God is more concerned about your willingness to give than the quantity of what you are giving. What you are giving may be little. But as long as you are willing to give, God will accept it, based on what you have and not based on what you do not have. So, He is not going to be angry with you that you are not giving much. That is because He is looking at what you give with the eyes of what you have and not what you do not have. If you are giving little, then, because you have little, He can see that and will accept it. He will not expect you to give what you do not have.
The point we are making is that God is going to measure your giving based on what you have and not based on what you do not have. As I pointed out before, God cannot be mocked in this matter. If you are giving too little, He can tell that you are giving too little. He cannot be deceived in such matters. See, you can give generously in your poverty, just as you can give stingingly in your wealth or abundance. And God can tell these things.
In any case, what He is more concerned about is your willingness to give. Are you willing to give from what you have? If you are willing to give, what you want to give will be accepted by Him and not rejected. We see this same thing illustrated in the accounts we have in the book of Exodus of a time in which God wanted the Israelites to give. Look at part of it from verse 1 of Exodus 25: “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.”” (Exodus 25:1-2NIV)
Can you see that the focus is on receiving from those who were willing to give to God? Then, in chapter 35 where the actual giving takes place, we are told this: “Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze…” (Exodus 35:4-5NIV) Notice that God is asking them to give from what they have and not from what they do not have. He is not asking them to borrow to give to Him. And He is not asking them to steal to give to give to Him.
As I told you before, God is not going to ask you to give what you do not have. He is only going to ask you to give from what you do have. And that is what we see in this text. Moses tells the people that the willing ones among them should bring God an offering. And how did they respond to that? Here is it from verse 22:
“Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewellery of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments…” (Exodus 35:20-22NIV)
You can see that those who actually brought offerings to the Lord were those who were willing. So, willingness plays a key role in the acceptability of our offerings before God. And Paul speaks further on this from verse 6 of 2Corinthians 9, saying, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Corinthians 9:6-7NIV) Again, Paul is showing us here the attitude we must have towards giving. It must be that of willingness.
Look at some of his words again: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. So, it is what you have decided in your heart to give that you should give. Nobody should force you to give what you do not want to give. I know there are times we want people to give the same amount in our Christian assemblies. And occasionally, that may be okay. For instance, if we are making a trip somewhere, everybody may be asked to pay the same amount for the trip. That may be fine and fair. But if we have a project to handle in the church, it will not be right for us to ask everybody to give equally. That may result in murmuring. And where people murmur when giving, their giving will surely be rejected by God.
The will of God is that everybody will decide in his heart what he wants to give to Him or to others. Yes, we can present to everyone the needs of the church and how much we will need to handle them. But everyone must be allowed to determine in their own hearts what they will be giving. Now, of course, people may not give enough, if we adopt this approach. But it is God’s approach to giving. And if people will not give enough, He will surely find a way to make up for it. This truly may slow down the work we are doing. But it is better we slow down in handling God’s work than to go against His will in doing His work. Otherwise, we may end up leading God’s people to give what He will not accept from their hands.
As Paul already makes very clear to us, whatever we are giving to God has to be what we have decided in our hearts. It must not be what we are pressured, coerced, threatened or manipulated to give. Why was God not reluctant to judge Ananias and Sapphira for their giving? It was because they were not forced or pressured by anybody to sell their land and bring the money to Him. It was their decision to sell their land and bring the money to the apostles. So, they have no excuse for trying to cheat God in bringing what they had pledged to give to Him. They wanted to give others the impression that they were giving more than they were actually giving. So, He judged them. And as I said, He judged them in that manner because, all along, it was their choice to give to Him – no one pressured, threatened or manipulated them to give to Him.
What this is showing us is that when we do not allow people to decide in their hearts what they are going to give to God, when we pressure, threaten or manipulate them to give to God what is not coming from their hearts, we make it difficult for God to deal with the errors associated with their giving. God dealt with Ananias and Sapphira for the error associated with their giving because it was all their fault. And I am not saying this because I want to see God take people’s lives for giving contrary to His will. Rather, I am saying it to let us know that we will make it easier for God to set people right in their giving, if we will stop interfering with the processes involved.
Another thing Paul tells us in this text (2Corinthians 9) about our attitude towards giving is that it must be that of generosity. Even if what we have is little, we can still give generously from it. It all has to do with our willingness to give. Look at what is said about the Macedonian churches from verse 1 of 2Corinthians 8:
“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very several trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.” (2Corinthians 8:1-4NIV)
These brethren pleaded to give. Why? They were willing to give. Evidently, the apostles would not have wanted them to give for the welfare of others at that time. That was because, as indicated in the text, it was a time of poverty for them. But since they were willing to give, they pleaded with the apostles to permit them to give. And they gave generously and beyond everyone’s expectations, even in their poverty.
So, don’t be stingy to God. Those who are stingy to Him are cheating themselves, that is besides the fact that doing so may attract some consequences. Our Lord Jesus shares a parable about a rich man whose ground did well one certain year. And all that he could think of was how he would build more barns for his farm produce and settle down to enjoy his riches. He did not think about God at all. So, God said that his life would be taken away from him that very night. And the Lord rounds off the parable by saying that is how it will be for everyone that is storing up riches for himself but is not generous towards God. (Cf. Luke 12:16-21)
If you are not generous toward God, then, you may be denied the ability to enjoy what you have. Also, if you are not generous towards Him, His blessings of prosperity may be hindered from working in your life. And it is not about what you have but about your willingness to give to God. If you are willing to give to Him, then, the chances are high that you are also going to be generous towards Him.
As I pointed out to you before, God cannot be mocked in these matters. He can tell if you are generous or stingy in your poverty and if you are stingy or generous in your abundance. God knows how much you have. So, if you are giving people the impression that the reason you are giving little is that you have little, God can tell whether you are being truthful or not. Just know that if you are stingy towards Him, you will reap the consequences of being so.
Another thing Paul speaks of is cheerfulness. He says God loves a cheerful or buoyant giver. God loves those who give to Him cheerfully. That means He does not just want us to be willing to give and generous in giving; He also wants us to be cheerful about it. In other words, He wants us to be happy to give to Him or to men. Yes, there are times that it may not be convenient for us to give to God or others. So, we may feel the pain of giving at such times. Nevertheless, God wants us to be happy that we are able to give. We are not happy because of the pains of giving in our poverty; rather, we are happy that we are able to give to move His work forward or to help others. See, it is not compulsory that you give when it is not convenient for you to give. So, don’t ruin your giving, if you know that you cannot give happily when it is not convenient for you to give.
Then you need to be careful that your giving is not done to impress men but God. Here is what our Lord says about this from verse 2 of Matthew 6:
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:2-4NIV)
There is a general rule here, which is not to give to impress people. But we can misrepresent what the Lord says here to mean that others must never know what we are giving. And there are times that people must know or will get to know what we are giving. So, the focus here is not on whether people know what we are giving or not but on why they have to know what we are giving.
As the Lord makes very clear, when we are helping others, nobody that does not need to know we are helping them should know. It is common for politicians and many who call themselves philanthropists to blow the trumpet when they give to support people or a community cause. They want the whole world to know what they are doing, when they give something to someone. And that is not because they are accountable to anyone in doing this, as it is the case with non-governmental organisations who handle distributions of money or gifts for their sponsors or partners. God does not want us to do that. That is because it will not earn us His praise. It is only the praise of men that we may get for doing so.
In the church, however, when we are giving offerings, tithes and other things, this rule may not apply. How did Jesus know what that widow gave? He knew because He was looking at what everybody was dropping into the temple treasury. Also, when Barnabas sold his land and brought the money to the church, everybody got to know about it. And that was not because he wanted to impress anybody but because what he did was huge and could not possibly be hidden. So, while it is wrong to give to impress others anywhere, there are times that people will get to know what we are giving in our Christian assembly, even though we are not giving to impress anybody. (Cf. Mark 12:41-44; Acts 4:36-37)
Then there are people that we cannot support where we are or in the church without the knowledge of the leaders of the church. This is so that we do not support the wrong people and have our support wasted or misrepresented. Making the support we are giving such people known to those who should know, then, should not be taken as something done to impress others. Although that also can be done to impress people. But it is something that needs to happen. And ours is to watch our hearts so that where we need to make our giving known to others, we do not do so for the purpose of impressing them. That will not earn us the praise of God but the praise of men. And of what value will the praise of men be to us?
Let us pray.
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Title: Receiving
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: September 24, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’. We have looked at the kind of attitude God wants us to have towards His word, prayer, Christian fellowship, righteousness and sin and rebuke and correction. Now we want to look at the kind of attitude we are to have towards receiving from God and from men. And the first thing we ought to know is that no man can have anything except what God has given to them. Do I by saying that mean that people cannot have anything without God giving it to them? No!
You know people can easily ask, “What about those who are involved in money rituals or those who embezzle public funds or those who rob others or those who kidnap for a living? Is it God that gives them the money they make through these means?” Evidently, it is not God. Yes, these people may have those things that we normally refer to as the good things of this life. Some of them are living in big mansions, riding expensive luxury cars and perhaps also flying around in aircrafts. But it is clear that God is not the one who has given them their wealth. They have become rich through theft, robbery, kidnapping, money rituals or some other terrible vices.
So, when we are saying that no one can receive anything except that which is given to him by God, we are referring to those things that James refers to as good and perfect and which come down from the Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17). In other words, we are talking about those good and wonderful things of this life that God is responsible for giving to people – we are talking about those beautiful things of life that people have received legitimately from the hands of God. We are not talking about things that people have gotten for themselves through manipulations, stealing, embezzlement of public fund, money rituals and so forth.
As the word of God makes clear, Satan also is able to give people things. Remember that he wanted to give Jesus the glory and splendour of this world. He told Him to bow down to him so that He could have these things. Why did he tell Him that he was going to give Him these things? He said so because he has them. And we see that the Lord did not argue with him. He did not tell him that what he was offering was not his to give. That was because He knew that as the prince of this world Satan is able to do that. But He would not worship him, for the only one to be worshipped is God. (Cf. Luke 4:5-8)
So, Satan can make people rich. And he is, in fact, making people rich. For instance, he is the one responsible for making those involved in money rituals rich. Also, he is the one that leads people to steal, kidnap or kill others in order to make money. Remember the bible tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom. There is spiritual and godly wisdom. There is unspiritual and satanic wisdom. And the wisdom that those who steal, kill, rob, do rituals, kidnap people or sell drugs use is satanic wisdom. Satan is the one that makes them creative in doing these things.
But I am limiting what I am saying here to those things people receive or have through legitimate ways, not by stealing, robbing banks, kidnapping people or doing money rituals. By the way, that people get involved in these things does not mean that they will have the beautiful things of this life. If they succeed in having the good things of this life by doing them, it is because God has permitted it. If He does not permit it, their satanic wisdom will not work. And I love saying this to people: the fact that you are eager for money does not mean you will become rich. If God does not permit it, all your efforts and passion towards making money will not amount to anything.
In any case, it is important you know that every good thing you have received in this life legitimately is from God. It has not come as a result of your hard work, smartness or diligence; rather, it has come to you from God. That, however, is not to say we are to overlook the need for people to be hardworking or diligent. And it is not to say that when people work, they should not be paid. The word of God instructs that we must pay people that work for us what is due them.
However, even when people pay you for the work you have done for them, you must still understand that the one that has made that possible is God. There were people who worked and died before they could receive the payment for the work they did. Some worked for months for some governments and yet were not paid. At least, we have witnessed cases in this country in which people worked for the government and all they got was half of their salaries. And we have also heard cases of some who did some projects for the government or some companies years ago and are yet to receive payments for the projects they did. They have been going back and forth to get what is due them and have not been able to get it. Then we have those who have been harassed, murdered or assassinated because they were demanding payments for the works they did for certain people.
So, regardless of how little what you earn may be, as long as you are able to receive something for it, you should give credit to God for it. That is the point the word of God wants us to get. Even if you are doing our personal business, the reason you are able to make profit from it is God. He is the one responsible for every good and legitimate thing that comes to us. He is the one that gives us the ability to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Now in Saint John’s gospel, chapter 3, we are told of a time in which John the Baptist had to address his disciples who had become worried about the fact that Jesus was becoming more popular than him. Look at how this is rendered from verse 27 of the chapter:
“An argument developed between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – look, he is baptising and everyone is going to him.’ To this John replied, ‘A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’” (John 3:25-28NIV)
The part I want you to pay attention to is where John the Baptist says, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.” In other words, it is only what God has given you that you can legitimately receive – you cannot receive what He has not given. But as I pointed out before, you can go out of your way to take for yourself what God has not given to you. And that is going to get you into trouble sooner or later. It does not matter whether it is manipulation, force, witchcraft or sorcery that you are using to get what God has not given to you. It can only lead you into trouble. It is only what God has given that does not come with sorrow or pains.
Also, along these lines, Paul says this to the Corinthians: “For what makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do your boast as though you did not?” (1Corinthians 4:7NIV) Did you see that? Is there any good thing that has come to us legitimately that we have not received from God? Did we bring anything into this world when we came? No, we brought nothing. Everything we have had and enjoyed in this life has come to us from God’s hands. Even the very life in us has come to us from Him. Our bodies also have come to us from Him.
That being the case, we ought to be grateful to Him. Our attitude to God must always be that of thanksgiving. And this is not only about when we receive from God things we have not worked for. Yes, from time to time, God will move people to give us gifts. We should be thankful to Him on such occasions for moving people’s hearts to give to us. And we may not really see anything wrong or difficult in doing that. But when it comes to those things we have worked to earn, we may not see the need to be thankful to God for them. However, whether what has come to us is what we have worked for or gift, we must understand that nothing can come to us except what God has given.
Mind you, speaking about receiving gifts from people, it is not everyone that God moves their heart to give to you that will give to you. Some people may not give to you, even though God has spoken to them about giving something to you. So, if someone takes that bold step to give to you as he has been instructed by the Lord, if someone matches up their desire to give to you by actually giving to you, you should be thankful to God for it.
Am I saying we should not thank men for what they do for us or give to us? No! It is also important that we learn to thank human beings. When people give us gifts or do something for us, we should thank them. Even when people pay us for goods sold to them or services rendered for them, we should thank them. That is because, as I said before, there are people all around us who worked for some people or the government and are yet to collect what is due them. So, if someone pays you for what you have done for them, you should thank the person.
But more importantly, you must acknowledge God as the one responsible for all the good things coming to your life and be thankful. You must not overlook any of the things He is doing in your life. Otherwise, you will be exhibiting an attitude of ingratitude. And ingratitude always comes with consequences. God hates ingratitude. God, as we will soon seen from the Scripture, judges ingratitude. So, we must not be ungrateful to Him.
You know there are times that we totally forget to thank God for certain things He has done for us. That has happened to me personally many times. I would pray to God about something and He would answer. And then it may take hours or days later before I would remember that I did not thank Him for it. Then I would immediately apologise and begin to thank Him. That is because it is better late than never.
Well, from verse 1 of Psalm 103, David tells us this about showing gratitude to God:
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul; and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5NIV)
This man here is telling us of the need for us to acknowledge and praise God for all that He is doing in our lives. He says do not overlook any of His benefits. That means we must continually show gratitude to God. Our show of gratitude to Him must be constant and always. We must be ever thankful to Him for all that we are receiving from Him, not forgetting to thank Him for anything.
Being grateful to God in this manner, of course, will include being grateful to Him also for those things we cannot feel, see or touch that we have received or are receiving from Him. In other words, we are not to be grateful to God only for the material things or the things associated with living in this world that we receive from Him – we are also to be grateful to Him for the spiritual things we have received from Him. Yes, we must be thankful for the material things and other things that are associated with living in this world that we have received from Him. But there are things are even more important than the things of this world that we have received from Him and that we need to acknowledge and be thankful for.
For example, the Lord once sent a number of his disciples out to preach the gospel and heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. And they went and came back with glad tidings. That was because many were healed and delivered from all kinds of problems. What shocked them even more was the fact that demons obeyed them. So, they began to rejoice over that. But the Lord told them not to rejoice because demons submitted to them but to rejoice because their names were written in the book of life. (Cf. Luke 10:17-20)
So, there is a higher level of praise, thanksgiving or appreciation that we can give to God. When we are thankful to God for those spiritual blessings that we have received from Him, we are giving Him a higher level of praise. No, these spiritual gifts or blessings may not be tangible to the human mind. They may not be things we can touch, feel or handle. But they are real and, in fact, more real than physical or material things. And we ought to learn to be thankful to God for them.
For example, Paul says this in his letter to the Ephesians: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3NIV) What is he doing here? He is praising God, praising Him at a higher level. And I am showing you this to let you know that when the Psalmist tells us not to forget any of God’s benefits, he is referring to both spiritual blessings and material blessings.
Also, in 2Corinthains, Paul says this: “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 receive from God.” (2Corinthians 1:3-4NIV) You can see that we are also to acknowledge the comfort we receive from God for our lives and be thankful for it. Paul praises God here for comforting him. Do you too praise God for comforting you? You have been troubled about something. But then, God brought about some circumstances that brought comfort or relief to you. Did you thank Him for that?
We must not limit our giving of thanks to God to when we receive money, some other material things, promotion or protection from Him. We must learn to think deeply about all the things that God is doing in our lives and be thankful for them. That is what we lead us to giving Him higher levels of praise and thanksgiving. And thanking Him for the comfort we receive from Him and even for the comfort He is giving to others through us is one of the ways we give Him a higher level of praise.
For instance, Paul says this to Timothy in his first letter: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” (1Timothy 1:12NIV) If God is using you to bless lives, lift men up and support them in different ways, you ought to be thankful for it. You can see, then, that there are more than enough things to thank God for. We go out and come back safely all the time. We should be thankful for it. We eat safely and enjoy the food we eat. We should be thankful for it. That is because all these things are made possible by God.
See, what we are dealing with goes beyond just receiving things from God; it also involves enjoying them. We can receive from God and not enjoy what we have received. Solomon speaks about this first in chapter 2 of his book, Ecclesiastes. He says in verse 25, “For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment.” (NIV) He is talking about God here. He is saying without him, we cannot eat or find enjoyment. We all know there are some who are rich today but who are not able to enjoy their wealth. That is because the ability to enjoy it has not been given to them.
Then he says from verse 15 of chapter 5 of the same book, “Moreover when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil – this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20NIV) I love this. God can keep us occupied with gladness of heart. And when we are occupied with gladness like this, we are able to enjoy whatever we have. Some people have plenty money to enjoy anything they want in life. But because they are occupied with some illnesses of the body, marital problems or problems with their children, they are unable to enjoy what they have. So, the ability not just to have what we need but to also enjoy it comes from God.
Now Solomon goes on in chapter 6 of this book to say:
“I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honour, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil!” (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2NIV)
Who is behind this evil observed on earth by Solomon? Is it God? No! Solomon is not charging God with wrongdoing. He is just telling us of the evil of having things and not being able to enjoy them. But why will someone have things and not be able to enjoy them? The reason is that God has not given them the ability to enjoy them.
So, if you are able to enjoy life, you need to acknowledge the fact that one who has made it possible is God and be thankful to Him. If you are able to bless others and make them truly happy, you should be thankful to Him. Paul thanks Him for putting him in the ministry and using him to bless others. He goes around preaching the good news, healing the sick and raising the dead. But he knows that the one enabling him to do these things is God. So, he is thankful to Him. You too need to acknowledge what God is doing through your life to others and be thankful for them.
I have been saying being grateful to God goes beyond thanking Him for material things or for any of the things of this world that we receive from Him. It also involves thanking Him for spiritual things, which are even more important. And Peter further confirms this in his first letter where he says:
“Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last times.” (1Peter 1:3-5NIV)
What is Peter doing here? He is giving thanks to God for giving birth to us into a living hope and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. We have an eternal inheritance, which can never perish, spoil or fade. And we ought to be thankful to God for it. In Colossians 1 Paul tells us to give thanks to God for qualifying us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light and for delivering us from the dominion of darkness and bringing us into the kingdom of His Son.
And Peter further tells us this: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2Peter 1:3NIV) Should we not be thankful for this as well? We should. You can see, then, that there are a whole lot of things to be thankful to God for. Our attitude, therefore, towards everything we receive in this life must be that of thanksgiving to God and also thanksgiving to those that He is using for us. We must always be thankful.
But we really can choose not to be thankful. And we have examples or illustrations in Scriptures of attitudes that depict ingratitude to God. Yes, sometimes, it may be out of fear that people will fail to show their gratitude to God, especially publicly. But it is still inexcusable. For instance, we are told in Scriptures of a woman that had experienced a flow of blood for twelve long years. And one day, she told herself that if she could just touch the hem of the garment of Jesus, she would get well. Well, she did as she had told herself and got healed immediately.
However, when she realised that she had been made whole, she wanted to quietly escape without saying a word to the Lord Jesus. Why? She was not supposed to among that crowd in the first place. She had become unclean because of her flow of blood, according to the laws of Moses. So, she had no business being among a crowd, for she would defile them. And one who defiles others like that ought to be stoned to death. You can see, then, why she wanted to escape without telling anyone in that crowd about her healing. But since she had been healed, the right thing for her was to give thanks to the one who had healed her. (Cf. Mark 5:25-34)
In any case, the Lord caught her. And that was when she shared her full testimony. Then she got another word of blessing from the Lord, which was, “Your faith has made you whole. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” That means she was not going to lose her healing. But there have been people who lost their healing because they were not thankful for it.
For instance, we often find non-Christians who attend church meetings or crusades because they want to be healed or cured of certain illnesses or problems in their lives. And God will touch them and heal them. But because they are afraid of the persecution that may arise out of their public sharing of their testimonies, they may keep quiet about what God has done for them and not testify to His goodness. This is not right.
Now, of course, it is not compulsory that you share your testimony before a crowd of people, all in the name of giving thanks to God. But there should be individuals that you will speak to about what God has done for you, so that they can thank God with you. In fact, you should share your testimony with the one God has used for you, if you will not share it with anyone. This does not have to be publicly. But there should be ways you can reach him and let him know what God has done for you through him. Then he can further proclaim a word of blessing on you, which may be necessary for you to be able to retain what God has given you. So, really, there is no excuse for not being grateful to God.
Furthermore, there is an attitude of not acknowledging God at all as the source of the good things we are enjoying in our lives. The Lord shares a parable of a certain rich man whose ground yield good crops one year. And he began to boast to himself about how he would enlarge his storerooms and settle down to enjoy the rest of his life. But the Lord was angry with him and told him, “You foolish man! Your life will be taken from you this very night. Who, then, will enjoy the things you have stored up for yourself?“ (Cf. Luke 12:16-21)
Now the Lord goes on to say that is how it will be for everyone who is storing up riches for himself but is not generous towards God. But that is just one of the lessons He intends to teach with the parable. Another lesson He intends to teach through it is that God punishes ingratitude. That rich man did not express any form of gratitude to God. He did not acknowledge Him for his prosperity. That, of course, explains why he would not thank Him for it. It is someone who acknowledges God for his prosperity that will see the need to thank Him for it and perhaps give Him something in appreciation. The one who will not acknowledge him for his wealth, prosperity or protection will see no need to appreciate Him for it.
In any case, ingratitude is an attitude. And as I pointed out before, God punishes it. He may not take your life, as He took the life of that rich man. But He may deny you the ability to enjoy what He has given you. Remember that Solomon tells us that God gave some people wealth and honour but did not give them the ability to enjoy them. And observe that he did not say that it was the devil that gave them wealth and honour. He did not even say that they stole their wealth or honour. Instead, he said that it was God that gave these things to them. Yet He did not give them the ability to enjoy them in addition. Why? Ingratitude is one of the reasons God denies people the ability to enjoy what He has given them. Yes, the power of God is at work in all of His children. But by not being grateful, we can block the flow of His power in our lives.
Then we have those who may forget to be thankful to God out of excitement. These ones just get so carried away because of what God has done for them that they do not remember to thank Him. Then some just take it for granted that it is God’s duty to do for them whatever He does for them and, as such, there is no special need to be thankful to Him. That is wrong. And as I said before, ingratitude, for whatever reason we have it, can deny us the power to enjoy what God has done for us.
In Luke’s gospel, chapter 17, he tells us a story of certain ten lepers that had approached the Lord to heal them and whom He had told to go and show themselves to the priests, as stipulated by the law. The Law of Moses commands that those who are cleansed of leprosy or any other similar disease of the body must first show themselves to the priests. These priests have to ascertain whether they have been cured indeed or not. And if it is clear that they have indeed been cured, there were offerings they must bring to the priests and sacrifices to be made for them. (Cf. Leviticus 14)
At any rate, as these lepers went to show themselves to the priests, they realised that they had been cleansed of their leprosy. And what did they do in response to that? They ran off like that to show themselves to the priests. Only one of them came back. And he was a Samaritan.
Now the Lord asked, “Were not ten men cleansed? How come it is only one person that has come back? Why have others not come back to give thanks to God?” That means the Lord was expecting them to come back and give thanks. And that is showing us that when God has done something for us, He expects us to come back and share our testimony. He wants you to tell others how good He has been to you. We see an example of this in the way Jesus handled the case of the mad man of Gadarenes that He cured of his madness. The man wanted to follow Him wherever He went. But He told him to go home and tell his family how good God has been to him. (Cf. Mark 5:18-20)
So, God wants us to praise Him before others. That is not to say that He will not accept praises that are done privately. He accepts those too. But He wants us to let others know that He is alive and well and is doing things for mankind. Doing that can help those who have given up on life or who are doubtful whether God can help them or not.
Well, these lepers, out of excitement, went off to the priests but did not remember to come and thank the Lord Jesus who had healed them. Think about it. On getting to the priests, they would have to offer the sacrifices required by the Law of Moses and also give these priests the offerings commanded. But were these priests responsible for their healing? No! Yet they would give them gifts. But they would not even say ‘Thank you’ to the one who actually healed them.
We are told this story so that we too will not be like those lepers. We are told this story so that we will develop an attitude of ingratitude towards God and the people He is using for us. God used Jesus to heal those lepers and expected them to come back and say ‘Thank you’ to Him. So, while it is important to thank God for whatever He has done for us; it is equally important we thank those He is using for us. We must not be found saying things like, “At least, I have thanked God for this. Do I need to thank men too?” Yes, you need to thank men too, if God has used them for you. And it should be an attitude that you will cultivate in life. May the Spirit of God strengthen you to cultivate it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Title: Rebuke and correction (b)
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: September 10, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’. In the last study we began to look at the kind of attitude we ought to exhibit towards rebuke and correction. And I said the very first right form of attitude we must exhibit towards rebuke and correction is that of readiness to accept them. Why must we be ready to accept rebuke and correction? It is because none of us is above mistakes. James tells us that we all stumble in many ways (James 3:2). And since we all stumble in many ways, we all must be ready to be rebuked or corrected, as the case may apply.
This, of course, does not mean that we must surely do something that will make others rebuke or correct us. That is not the point we are making. The point we are making is that we must know that we are not above mistakes. So, there is a possibility that someone may want to draw our attention to something we have done wrong, which we may not even be aware of. Where that is the case, we must be willing to listen to them.
Now that does not mean that anyone who corrects us is will surely be right. It is not every time that people seek to correct others that they are right. People, out of their ignorance or a misrepresentation of what we have done, may want to rebuke or correct us. That does not have to become a problem between us, if we put ourselves in a position of one that can be corrected. If we put ourselves in that position, then, if someone has misrepresented us, we can show them what they have gotten wrong about us or about what we have done. That way, we can continue without our fellowship with them without anybody being offended or hurt.
But if we will not put ourselves in a position where we can be corrected or where someone can draw attention to what they believe we have done wrong, then, we are going to be having problems relating to others. See, even if the person that wants to correct us is wrong, the fact that we are unwilling to look at what they are saying to us will affect our relationship with them. That may make them feel bad. It may also make us feel bad. Then everyone is hurt or injured in some way. And that is not good for human relationships.
God has instructed us to be at peace with all men (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14). But if we will not stand to be corrected or put ourselves in a position where others can correct us, there is no way we can really be at peace in them. So, you must be ready to accept rebuke or correction.
Then we must be willing to admit our faults, if we are wrong in anything. If you are wrong but are not ready to admit it, then, there is a problem. If you are wrong and, instead of admitting, you choose to argue with the one correcting you, then, something is wrong. I gave some examples from Scriptures the other time. I told you of how King Saul argued back and forth with Prophet Samuel, when the latter was sent by God to rebuke him. He was not going to readily or immediately admit that he was wrong. And though he eventually agreed that he was wrong, he was not willing to humble himself before God and seek forgiveness for his sins. So, God rejected him and he lost his kingdom.
In like manner, anyone who will not readily accept correction or rebuke will most likely experience what Saul experienced. He may begin to lose what God has given to him. Or he may lose his place in life or begin to diminish in relevance. It is important, then, that when God rebukes us – whether He is talking to you directly or has sent someone to you – you should not only pay attention to what He is saying to you but also admit your errors. Don’t argue with him.
For example, when God sent Prophet Nathan to David to confront him with his sins of murder and adultery, he exhibited an attitude that we all must know and learn to emulate. Nathan had begun by reporting to David an incident that happened in the land involving injustice. And as soon as he expressed his anger about what had happened and demonstrated a readiness to judge it, Nathan made it clear to him that the incident he had reported was a made-up story that was actually addressing him and what he did to Uriah and his wife, Bathsheba. (Cf. 2Samuel 12:1-12)
Well, here is how David responded to Nathan’s rebuke: “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.’” (2Samuel 12:13-14NIV) Did you see that? When the prophet was done rebuking this man for his sins, what did he say? He said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” This man did not argue with the prophet. He did not tell Nathan to keep quiet for saying nonsense to him. Instead, he immediately admitted that he was wrong. And that is what we are talking about. If you have missed it, then, admit that you have missed it. Don’t make things any worse than it is already. Don’t make a bad situation worse by arguing with God over your errors or by refusing to admit that you have missed, if you have actually missed it.
John speaks about this in his first epistle. He says from verse 6 of chapter 1, “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out 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) What is he speaking of here? He is speaking of our fellowship with God, our walk with Him. And he says if we are in fellowship with God, we will not stay in the darkness. In other words, we will bring our lives out in the open, so that people can see that there is nothing false about it. Also, it means that we expose ourselves to the light of God’s word.
Well, when you are walking in the light, you can see where you are heading. And if you miss your way, you can tell that you have missed your way and need to retrace your steps and go back to the right path. So, those who claim to be walking in the light of the word of God must not hide themselves from His word but continually expose themselves to be guided by its light. And as long as they are walking in the light of His word, the blood of Jesus Christ will purify them from all sin.
What this means is that if you are walking in the light of the word of God, you can easily see where you miss it, if you miss it. If you are wearing a white robe, for instance, and there are spots on it, you can easily tell that it is stained, if you are in the light. That is because the light will show it. But if you are in dark, even if the whole robe is soiled with oil, you won’t know. So, we must walk in the light of the word of God as His children. We must allow His word to shine light on our lives and show us what is right and what is wrong. This is so that we can immediately turn away from anything we are doing that is wrong, the moment the light of His word shows us we are missing it.
And as long as we are like this, the blood of His Son Jesus will purify us from every sin. Even if we do not know we have done something wrong, the blood of Jesus will purify us from our sins, as long as we are walking in the light of His word. This will be the case because God knows that the moment the truth about our error is made known to us through His word, we will not hesitate to admit it.
Having said this, John goes on to say from verse 8 of the chapter, “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 is not in us.” (1John 1:8-10NIV) We are looking at one who denies his sins here. If we are walking in the light and the word of God shows us that we have missed it in some way, then, we have missed it. And we are not looking at people’s interpretation of what is right or wrong here. Rather, we are looking at what the word of God says is right or wrong. I am saying we are not dealing with men’s opinions now about how to live our lives but what God says about how we are to live. And we are saying the moment the word of God shows us that we are wrong about something, we should immediately admit it.
But if we claim that we have not done anything wrong after the word of God has made it known to us that we have missed it, John says that we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If the truth is in you, you will admit it if you miss it. This, of course, has been misrepresented by some people to mean that sin is always in our lives or that we are always sinning. And this is their basis for asking for forgiveness in every church meeting. Someone will ask for the forgiveness of his sins, sins that are most likely unclear, before leaving his house for a church meeting. Then when he gets to the meeting, he will ask for forgiveness again. And if there should be another meeting after the church meeting, he will ask for the forgiveness of his sins again. What is that? Sin consciousness!
Why are you living with sin consciousness? Jesus died for our sins. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. That is why the word of God tells us that sin shall not have dominion over us. So, we are able to walk in victory over every kind of sin. And we must function with this consciousness all the time.
But then, if the word of God draws our attention to something we have missed or to an area where we have erred, the right thing is to admit and confess our sins. In other words, we agree with God that we are wrong and should repent. But if we will not admit our sins, when the word of God has already shown us that we have missed it, then, the truth is not in us. And that is the point John is raising here.
See, the fact that you will not admit your sins shows that something is wrong with you. I told you before that our attitude towards what God is saying to us has a lot to say on whether we truly belong to God or not. If you do belong to God, then, you will take His word seriously. If He tells you that you are wrong in a matter, you will agree that you are wrong in it instead of arguing with Him. If you are arguing with Him, you are calling Him a liar. And that means something is wrong. Your Christianity is questionable. Otherwise, you will not be arguing with God.
As we already saw in David’s case, the moment his error was brought to his notice, he did not argue with God but immediately admitted it. And that was not the only situation in which he exhibited this attitude of readiness to accept and admit his error. In 1Chronicles 21 we are told of a time in which Satan incited him to number Israel against the will of God. And when the census eventually kicked off, he realised that he had missed it.
Now look at his attitude towards his error: “Then David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.’” (1Chronicles 21:8NIV) He admitted that what he did was foolish. He admitted that he had sinned. Yes, God eventually dealt with the land because of his sin. But the fact that he admitted his error made it possible for him to experience God’s mercy. Yes, God was angry and told him that the land must be punished for his sin. But his admittance of his error opened the door of mercy for him and the land.
One of the reasons some people will not experience God’s mercy is that they will not admit their sins. When God is confronting them with their sins, they will not listen to Him but will be arguing with Him. So, they will not be able to experience His mercy. The mercy of God is always available for us, for Jesus Christ has already paid for our sins. Unlike David’s case, where God insisted on punishing him for his sins, God will not insist on punishing us for our sins because He has already laid our punishment on the Lord Jesus. That is why John says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to purify us from all our unrighteousness.
David admitted that what he did was wrong and foolish on that occasion. But if you compare his attitude to King Asa’s attitude when he was rebuked by God, you will see that it is clearly different. God told Asa that he did a foolish thing. But he would not admit it. Instead, he got upset with the prophet sent to him and imprisoned him. That was where Asa missed it. Even though he had been a wonderful king, one that devoted himself to God, his pride would not allow him to admit that he had missed it on that occasion. His pride would not allow him to admit that he had done a foolish thing, as God had said. So, he went on to shipwreck his faith. And his reign came to a quick end. (Cf. 2Chronicles 16)
Now Asa could have obtained God’s mercy, if he had admitted his error. But he missed it because he would not. So, I am telling you that if God shows you that you have done something wrong, then, admit that you have, instead of arguing with Him. That way, you will surely experience His mercy.
Then, as I pointed out in my last teaching on ‘Attitude’, we can also be indifferent towards what God is saying to us. It is one thing for us to listen to what God is saying to us about our errors, it is another thing for us to admit it. Then it is one thing for us to admit what God has said to us about our errors, it is another thing for us to act on it and repent. We can listen to God’s word of rebuke and correction and admit that we are wrong. But we may not take any step towards receiving forgiveness and repenting of our sins. And that will show that we do not take Him seriously. He has spoken. But we will not respond to it. That is indifference.
We see that in Solomon’s account. God came to him twice about his many foreign wives that had led him into idolatry. Yet he did not turn away from his error. Then God said, “Since this is your attitude towards what I am saying, I will tear your kingdom into two and give a part of it to one of your servants.” And that was exactly what He did. He tore the kingdom into two and gave a part to Jeroboam, leaving the remaining part with Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. So, the nation of Israel was split into two because of one man’s indifference to God’s rebuke and correction.
We have something similar in Eli’s case. God had been angry with him because of the sins of his sons. He expected him to punish their sins. But he would not do so. No, he was not in agreement with what they were doing. In fact, he spoke to them about it and warned them not to set themselves against God. But God expected him to do more than that. He expected him to punish them, to remove them from office. But he would not do that. So, God told Samuel that He would punish his entire household.
Now Eli somehow coerced Samuel into telling him everything God had told him. Look at how that is given to us from verse 15 of 1Samuel 3:
“Samuel laid down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel answered, “Here I am.” “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”” (1Samuel 3:15-17NIV)
Did you see that? Eli coerced Samuel into telling him the revelation God had given him about the judgment coming upon his household. Yet, when he was done hearing it, all he could say was, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” That is indifference. He was, in other words, saying, “Look, I am tired of this whole thing. I don’t want to say anything to those boys again. Let God do whatever seems right in His eyes.” He was indifferent towards what God had said. So, His judgment came upon his house.
What is the point of this? It is that if God brings you a word of rebuke or correction, accept that you are wrong and repent. I told you before that there were two main reasons God rebukes or corrects. First, He does so because He loves us. It is those that He loves that He rebukes and corrects. Second, He tells us that we are wrong when we are wrong so that we may repent. God is not under any obligation to rebuke or correct us for our sins before He judges or punishes us for them. Therefore, when He rebukes us, it is because He loves us and wants us to repent. You must repent, then, when He rebukes or corrects you. You must turn away from any wrong thing you are doing. That is the right attitude He wants you to exhibit.
However, you must not misrepresent repentance for penance. Penance is when you try to punish yourself for your sins, for the wrong things you have done, because you are unhappy. Of course, God does not expect you to be happy that you have sinned or erred. And if you have done something wrong and you know that you are sincerely wrong, you will not be happy about it. You are not going to be happy that you have offended God, if nothing is wrong with you. You will not be happy that you have disappointed Him that loves you so much.
David, for instance, was not happy that he disappointed God in those situations that I cited. But he was not only unhappy about his errors; he also took steps towards repentance. He asked God for forgiveness and also took steps towards repentance. And let me also quickly say this: asking God for forgiveness is not the same thing as repentance. You can ask God for forgiveness for the same sins a thousand times and still not repent of them. That, of course, will show that you do not take Him seriously. And in fact, it is saying something about you, which is that you may not really belong to Him in the first place.
At any rate, I am talking about differentiating between penance and repentance. Repentance is when you turn away from the wrong thing you have done. Yes, you are sorrowful about what you have done. But you also turn away from it. You are not seeking to destroy or hurt or punish yourself. Instead, you entrust yourself to God in the matter at hand and choose to do what is right.
Yes, there may be natural consequences for your wrongdoings. And that is not God’s fault. That is your fault. You missed it and exposed yourself to God’s judgment or satanic affliction. But as long as you admit your error and repent, you will experience God’s mercy. The manner His mercy will come and turn around your situation is not what I can explain. But His mercy will surely be experienced by you.
For example, when David murdered Uriah and took his wife for himself, God judged him by taking the son of his adultery with the man’s wife. Nevertheless, when God was going to show him mercy, it was the other son that Bathsheba gave him that He put on the throne of Israel. That is something about God’s mercy – it is unbeatable.
Also, when he numbered Israel, God punished Israel with a plague. Yet when God was going to show him mercy, He made him see His angel standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then he was told by Prophet Gad to go and offer God an offering there. That, of course, was how David got to know the site where the temple of the Lord would be built. And he said of the place, “The house of God is to be here.” You can, then, see why I said God’s mercy is unbeatable. Even in judgment, He is able to bring us revelations that would change our lives forever through His mercy. But it is only those who are repentant that would experience His mercy in this manner. (Cf. 1Chronicles 21:14-22:1)
But then, as I have already pointed out, it is possible for us to go for penance instead of repentance. It is possible to choose to punish ourselves for our sins instead of turning to God for mercy and then repenting of our sins. But the only sufficient punishment for sin is eternal death. That is why if you commit suicide, it will not be enough punishment for your sins. It does not even come any close to it. Eternal death is the complete payment for sins. That means you are going to be separated from God forever.
Now Jesus died for us so that we would not experience eternal death. Why, then, do you want to punish yourself for your sins? Why do you want to injure yourself for your sins? Yes, you are sorrowful. But that is not the kind of sorrow God wants you to express for your sins. That kind of sorrow that leads you to punish yourself or take your life is not the kind of sorrow God wants you to have. That is the kind of sorrow Judas Iscariot had. He did what was wrong and later realised it. But instead for him to return to the Lord Jesus and ask for forgiveness, he chose to kill himself.
Jesus died for everybody’s sin, including Judas’ sins. So, if Judas had approached him for forgiveness, he would have obtained it. But he would not do that. Instead, he went and hanged himself. And by doing that, by going for penance, he condemned himself to utter destruction. You can do that to yourself too. You can commit yourself to utter destruction by going for penance instead of turning to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness for whatever sins you have committed.
Now let me close by reading to you from 2Corinthians 7. Paul had written a letter to the Corinthians before this one in which he rebuked them for certain things that were wrong among them. And the letter somehow hurt them. So, in writing this letter to them, he reassures them of his love for them and lets them know that he did not write the previous letter to hurt them; rather, he wrote it to lead them to repentance. And look at how he put these things from verse 8:
“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 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 innocent in this matter. So, even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.” (2Corinthians 7:8-13NIV)
Paul was happy that his letter produced the right effect in the lives of these Corinthians. It led them to repentance. And through the letter he shows us that there are two kinds of sorrow. The first kind is godly repentance. It is the kind of repentance Peter had. He also denied the Lord Jesus three times in a row. But he did not allow that to destroy or deter him. He was unhappy about what he had done. But he would not run away from the Lord because of it. Instead, he turned to him for forgiveness and restoration.
Judas, however, exhibited worldly sorrow. He punished himself with death for his sin instead of repenting. So, Paul says worldly sorrow leads to death but godly sorrow leads to repentance and brings no regret. Godly sorrow will make you earnest to do what is right. It will lead you in the path of repentance. And that is exactly what God wants. He wants you to exhibit an attitude of repentance towards rebuke and correction.
Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Rebuke and correction (a)
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: September 03, 2023
Series: Attitude 6
We want to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’. We have been looking at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards God and towards other matters of life. And there are things I said that if we possess the right attitude towards them, there is every tendency that our overall attitude towards God and towards other things of life will be right. As I pointed out when we started this series, the kind of attitude we have towards God and other matters of life has a lot to say on whether we belong to God at all or not, whether we will be able to access and utilise His provisions for us or not and to what degree God will use us, if He uses us at all. So, it is important we know the right kind of attitude to have towards God and the things of this life. Otherwise, we may end up missing out on the plans He has for our lives.
Well then, we have already looked at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards the word of God, towards prayer, towards Christian fellowship and towards righteousness and sin. Now we want to look at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards correction. And the first thing we must know is that none of us is beyond making mistakes or sinning against God. Yes, of course, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from all our sins and to purify us to be His own very people, people who are eager to do good works. And He did all this so that we will not sin anymore.
In John’s epistle, he tells us that one of the reasons he writes to us is that we will not sin (1John 2:1). But then, he also goes on to say that God’s people may sin. It is not compulsory. But sin can indeed happen. And if God’s people do sin, that is not the end of the road for them. It does not mean that their relationship with God is gone or that their fellowship is broken. Their attitude towards their error or sin is what will ultimately determine where they go from there. It is what will determine whether they continue to have a beautiful fellowship with God or not. In fact, it is what will show whether they belong to God at all or not.
In any case, John tells us that if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins, not only for our sins but also for the sin of the whole world. So, we must understand it is possible for us to sin against God. No, God does not want us to sin against Him or to commit any form of blunder. That is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and rescue us from the power of sin. It is also why He gave us His Holy Spirit, so that He can strengthen and guide us to be all that He wants us to be. And if we will take advantage of all that He has provided for us, we will live in victory over every kind of sin. (Cf. 1John 2:2)
But then, experience has shown that this is not always the case with most of us who are believers. That is because there are so many things that are beyond us as humans. No, we may not deliberately want to sin against God. But there are times we do things that are wrong and may not even know that what we have done is wrong. Paul says in a letter that he is aware that the fact that his conscience is clear does not mean that he is innocent (1Corinthians 4:4). So, we must not see ourselves as beyond missing it or beyond making mistakes. What we do, however, when it is brought to our notice that we have done what is wrong is what will show where we will go from there and whether we belong to God at all or not.
Look at what James tells us from verse 1 of chapter 3 of his epistle: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body check.” (James 3:1-2NIV) Here James tells us that many of us should not desire to become teachers of God’s people. Does that mean it is wrong for us to become teachers of God’s people or pastors? No!
Paul tells us that if anyone desires the office of a bishop, he desires a noble thing (1Timothy 3:1). So, nothing is wrong with desiring to be a preacher, a pastor, an evangelist, an apostle or anything else. God is not against ambitions. But He is concerned about the reason for the ambitions you have. He is also concerned about your ability to handle those ambitions. So, even if you have an ambition to do something, do you also have the ability to carry it out. If God wants you to do something, He will also give you the ability to do it. So, if you have the desire to do something but find that the ability is not there, it may just be that God has not chosen it for you.
Fine, you may pray to God to grant you the ability to fulfil your desire or ambition. But if He still won’t furnish you with the ability to fulfil it, then, you may want to forget about it. Then even if you have the desire and the ability to do something, the opportunity to do it may not be there. We have Scriptures that point to the fact people may have the desire and the ability to do something and still not be chosen by God for it.
Well, James tells us that many of us should not desire to become teachers. What is his reason? It is that we are going to be judged more strictly. To whom much is given much will also be required. So, if God has given you more abilities, resources and opportunities, He is going to make more demands on you. The greater the grace, the greater the responsibility and the greater the sense of accountability you are required to have.
Then James goes on to say something striking, which is that we all stumble in many ways. First, this man says that we who are teaching others will be judged more strictly and by higher standards. And now he is saying that we all stumble in many ways. He does not say, “Some of us stumble in many ways.” Rather, he says, “We all stumble in many ways.” That means all of us, including those of us who teach the word of God, stumble in many ways. That does not mean we have fallen away from the grace of God. Rather, it means we have kicked something by not paying attention or through ignorance. So, we stumble.
In any case, the point is that all of us stumble in many ways. Therefore, none of us is above rebuke or correction. This is why our attitude towards rebuke and correction must be that of readiness to accept them. You must be ready to accept that you are wrong, if you are wrong. And don’t miss the point I am making. The fact that someone says you are wrong does not mean that you are wrong. But you must have an attitude of one that is ready to see their errors as errors, their mistakes as mistakes. It must not be an attitude of one that is always ready to argue or quarrel with God in order to prove a point. If you are arguing or quarrelling with God for rebuking or correcting you, something is wrong with you. And people who function like this hardly experience the fullness of God’s grace. To say the fact, people who function like this often cut themselves off the grace of God.
Now I will be showing you a number of examples from Scriptures of the different kinds of attitude people can have towards rebuke and correction from God, so that you may know that which is right from that which is wrong. But I am starting by telling you that the very first form of attitude to have towards any word of rebuke or correction is that of readiness to be accept it. That is the right attitude. And you should have it. Otherwise, you will not be ready to admit your sins or errors, when you are rebuked and corrected for them. It is the one that knows that he is not above mistakes and stands to be corrected that can be expected to admit his errors, if he is confronted with them.
In 1Samuel 15 we are told of how God sent Saul to go and destroy the Amalekites and everything they had. It was meant to be a total destruction, a total giving over of everything in the land to destruction. And he went as he had been instructed. However, he was not willing to fully carry out the will of God. Look at what is said about him in verse 9:
“Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs – everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.” (1Samuel 15:7-9NIV)
You can see that this man did not fully carry out the will of God. I really would not know what he thought of God. Did he think that He was not going to find out? Or was he just preparing to give Him excuses for not doing what He had sent him to do? It may be. There are people who are often prepared to make excuses for not doing the will of God. And they are missing the fact that God sees them and knows them thoroughly. So, there is no excuse they will give to Him that will hold weight.
At any rate, God spoke to Samuel again to let him know that Saul had not done his will. He, of course, was angry, upset and in pains about this. So, he went to confront Saul with the truth of his disobedience to God. Now look at how Saul responded to this from verse 9:
“Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honour and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is the lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”” (1Samuel 15:9-21NIV)
What do we see here? An argument with God! A word of rebuke had been sent by God to Saul through Samuel. And it was that he had not done the will of God. But instead for him to admit that he missed it and humble himself before the Lord, he was not willing to accept rebuke or correction. He had to first drag the matter with Samuel before he eventually admitted that it was because he was afraid of his men that he failed to do the will of God.
Think about it. Saul was not ready to accept rebuke or correction. You can read further to see how he related to Samuel on that occasion and what the latter said to him about his kingdom. The point of it all is that he lost his kingdom. God rejected him totally and would not have anything to do with him from that day forward. In fact, the bible tells us that the Spirit of God left him and an evil spirit took His place in his life and began to torment. And he was tormented for the rest of his life.
This man clearly missed it. And what he needed to do when it was brought to his attention that he had missed it was to humble himself before the Lord, admit that he had missed it, repent and yield himself to the Lord’s discipline. But he chose to first argue with God. And as I said before, there are still many like him in the world today. When you try to rebuke or correct them for doing something wrong, they will not admit it. Instead, they will start an argument with you. They will always have a point to make. They will want to have the last word. People like that often shut the door of God’s grace against themselves. They will just block the flow of His grace to them. That was what happened to Saul. He ended up dying on the battle field as one would die who was not anointed. But that would most likely not have happened to him, if he had accepted God’s word of rebuke that day and repented of his sins.
We have another example in King Amaziah of Judah. He became king at age twenty-five. And it is said in Scriptures that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord but not wholeheartedly, not with a perfect heart. Why? It was because after his victory over the Edomites, he brought back to Jerusalem their gods and began to worship them. That was really silly. Those gods could not protect the Edomites from him. Yet he decided that they were the ones he would choose in place of God and worship. It was a terrible thing.
Well, when he came back, a prophet of the Lord went to see him and give him the Lord’s word of rebuke. Look at what is said about this from 2Chronicles, chapter 25, verse 14:
“When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” (2Chronicles 25:14-15NIV)
Who enabled Amaziah to gain victory over the Edomites? It was God. As we find in the account, a prophet, who may be this same prophet that later came to him, had come to him before that battle to tell him that God was not pleased with the Israelite mercenaries that he had hired and that he should send them away. And when he hesitated to do so because of the huge sum of money he had paid to hire them, the man of God told him not to worry about it and that God was able to give him much more than he was going to lose. And because he obeyed the voice of the Lord, he gained victory over the Edomites. (Cf. 2Chronicles 25:7-10)
Unfortunately, when he came back and God sent His prophet to him to rebuke him for bringing the gods of the Edomites with him in order to worship them, he was not going to listen. He was, in fact, not willing to listen at all to what the man was saying. And there are many like Amaziah today who don’t want anyone to place fingers on their errors. They just don’t want you to point out their faults to them. Such people may just be destroyed suddenly.
That was the judgment given to Amaziah. The prophet told him that he knew that God had determined to destroy him. How did he know that? It was because the man was unwilling to listen to counsel. As we are told in the book of Proverbs, the one that is often being rebuked and will not listen is bound to perish suddenly and without remedy (Proverbs 29:1). So, anyone that God is bringing a word of rebuke to but who is not willing to listen to or hear what He has to say may simply be one that is doomed to destruction. I pray that you will not be doomed to destruction. But the fact remains that one of the ways to condemn ourselves to destruction is to refuse to listen to the Lord’s rebuke or correction.
I have already given you two sorts of attitude people may have towards rebuke and correction. The first is that they may argue with you instead of admitting their errors. Yes, they may eventually agree that they wrong. But they will first try to make a point. And as I pointed out to you before, those who do that may just shut the door of God’s grace against themselves. Then the second is that people may not want to listen to rebuke or correction at all. And such may just condemn themselves to destruction.
Another kind of attitude people may exhibit towards rebuke or correction is that of indifference. No, they will not refuse to listen to what God is saying. And they will not argue with him. But they will not do anything about what He is saying to them. Why does God bring us words of rebuke and correction? The first reason He does that is that He loves us. Look at what is said from verse 5 of Hebrews 12 about this:
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6NIV)
Did you see that? If the Lord disciplines you or brings you a word of rebuke or correction, it is because He loves you and accepts you as His own. In fact, if you will read on in this chapter, you will see that it is written that it is those that God accepts as His legitimate children that he rebukes, disciplines and chastens. But you need to know that God is not under any obligation to rebuke or correct us before judging our sins or errors. So, if He first brings us a word of rebuke or correction instead of punishing us for our sins immediately, we should know that it is because He loves us.
God can judge or punish sin anytime He wishes, without warning anybody before doing so. For instance, Nadab and Abihu were judged instantly, as we see in Leviticus 10, for bringing unauthorised fire before the Lord. We don’t have it on record that God first called them aside to warn them or to give them another chance to mend their ways. What we have on record is that they were consumed by fire the very moment they committed their blunder.
Also, when Uzzah touched the Ark of God’s covenant, he was killed instantly. He did not get any warning from the Lord before he was killed. Now someone may say, “But these things happened under the Old Covenant. Does God still judge people in that manner?” Well, He still does. For example, when Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about their gifts, they were killed immediately. Yes, they brought God a gift. Yet they were killed for it. And they were not warned before getting killed. Peter did not call them aside to warn them not to lie about their offerings or gifts again. They were not given any chance to repent. Instead, they were killed instantly – the Spirit of God took them. (Cf. 2Samuel 6; Acts 10)
So, if God brings you a word of correction, warning or rebuke if you do what is wrong, it is because He loves you and wants you to have an opportunity to repent. That, of course, is the second reason He rebukes us. He wants us repent. So, if someone brings you a word of rebuke, God is seeking to use him to lead you to repentance. It is not every time that God speaks to us directly about our errors. A lot of times, it is people like us that He will use to speak to us. And when He does so, it is that we may repent and not perish or destroy ourselves and others. Therefore, He will expect you to humbly accept what He is saying to you and repent.
Let me remind you again of the first things I said about the kind of attitude we should have towards rebuke and correction. I said you need to have an attitude of one that is ready to be corrected. No, you have not done anything wrong. But you place yourself where if you do wrong, someone will be able to rebuke or correct you without having to fight you, hurt you or quarrel with you.
Unfortunately, you cannot correct some people without having to hurt them or yourself. And that is because of their attitude. Then you will start asking yourself, “Have I done anything wrong? Have I not acted on the word of God in doing this? Should I have left this person to continue to misbehave?” That is because their attitude is wrong and they have turned you to an offender.
Then I said you need to have an attitude of one that humbly admits his faults or sins. Don’t look at how the person correcting or rebuking you is handling the job. That is because it is not everyone that will talk to you kindly when they are rebuking or correcting you. That is because it is not everyone that understands that rebuke and correction must be handled gently, that is, under normal circumstances. Some people may be harsh in correcting you. Some may be silly in doing so. And some may be rude in doing so.
To say the fact, there are times we may need the rudeness of some people to wake up to the truth that we need to know about our errors and act on them. We may have had people who are close to us talk to us gently, sweetly and kindly about certain wrong things we are doing. Yet we may not do anything about what they have said. But when someone else comes and rudely addresses us about it, we will wake up and see what others have been telling us before but which we have not been paying attention to.
At any rate, the point I am making is that how we are rebuked or corrected is not what is important; what is important is the merit of what is said to us. Is what is said to us right? If it is right, then, we need to humbly admit it and do the needful. That is what God will expect us to do. He will not want us to argue or refuse to listen. Then He will not want us to be indifferent. In other words, He will want us to accept what is said to us and to repent.
As I said before, we can hear God’s rebuke and still be indifferent towards it. For example, in 1Kings 11, we are told of Solomon and his many foreign wives. This man had married from among the people God had said that they must not marry from. So, when he became old, they led him into idol worship. And this same man that built a temple for the Lord began to build temples for idols and demons.
Well, from verse 9, we are told this:
“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David you father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” (1Kings 11:9-13NIV)
God, as we see in this account, did not send any prophet to Solomon. Instead, He came and spoke to him directly in order to turn him away from his path of wickedness. But did he do as he had been told? No! There are people who often say, “If God wants me to change, He should talk to me directly and not send someone else.” But it is mere self-deceit. The fact that God talks to you directly does not mean you will listen to him. God talked to Cain directly before killing his brother. Yet he went ahead to kill him.
In like manner, God talked to Solomon twice to turn him away from idol worship. But he did not pay attention to Him. So, God said, “Since this is your attitude towards what I am saying, I will tear the kingdom from your hand.” What sort of attitude did he have? An unrepentant attitude! An attitude of indifference! No, he did not argue with God. And he did not tell God to keep quiet. But he did not act on what He told him. So, his kingdom was divided into two and a part of it given to someone else.
We too can lose what God has given to us because of indifference towards God’s rebuke. And this is why many of God’s people no longer enjoy the favour and goodness of God that they used to enjoy in certain areas of their lives. But they are not examining themselves to see what is wrong. It may just be that they have refused to repent of certain things God has been talking to them about. And until they change their ways, they can only lose more of what God has given to them—they will not gain more. May that not be your portion, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Righteousness and sin
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: August 27, 2023
Series: Attitude
Some weeks ago, we began to look at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards God and towards other matters of life. And we have looked at the right attitude to have towards the word of God, prayer and the fellowship of the brethren. Now I want us to look at the right attitude we ought to have towards righteousness and sin. As I mentioned before, there are some basic things we ought to have the right attitude towards. If our attitude towards those things is right, then, there is guarantee that our attitude towards God and other matters of life will be right. And righteousness and sin are among those things we need to have the right attitude towards.
Well then, what sort of attitude are we supposed to have towards righteousness and sin? Let us look at what Scripture says about it. From Hebrews, chapter 1, from verse 8, “But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Hebrews 1:8-9NIV) Why has the Lord Jesus been set above His companions and anointed with the oil of joy? The reason is that He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.
Now this is defining for us the kind of attitude we ought to have towards righteousness and wickedness. And to begin with, we are to love righteousness. That means we must love to do what is good and right in the sight of God. We must love to do what is consistent with the will of God. And we must do this in an obvious manner. In other words, those in our lives must see that we love what is right, what is just and what is pure. That is one of the things that will show that we truly believe in God – our love for righteousness.
Righteousness is not something that we profess with mere words of mouth. Our actions must also show that we love what is right, just and upright. We must also show love for what those who do righteousness. And you can ask yourself, “Do I love those who do what is right, pure and just?” In your office, do you demonstrate love for what is good? When people are doing what is right, do you hail them or praise them? Do you show them that you are in love with what they are doing?
In Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, we are given the account of a young rich ruler that came to the Lord Jesus, asking Him what he must do to gain eternal life. Look at how this is reported from verse 17:
“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him, “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”” (Mark 10:17-21NIV)
Now my focus is not on how the young man responded to what the Lord said to him. Rather, my focus is on how the Lord responded to his claim of having kept all the commandments since he was a boy. As we see in the text, the young man had approached the Lord Jesus and asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. And he began by referring to him as ‘Good teacher’. Then the Lord answered, saying, “No one is good – except God alone.”
Interestingly, there are those who have misrepresented what the Lord said on this occasion to mean that He was denying that He was good. They will quote the Scripture and say, “Even Jesus Himself said that He was not good.” But there is nothing in this passage to indicate that the Lord was saying that He was not good. Indeed, He said to the young man, “No one is good – except God alone.” And what He said that in order to say to this to the man: “Do you realise that by calling me ‘good’, you are saying that I am God?” So, the Lord was not denying the goodness of His life. He was simply affirming it, as we have in all of Scriptures.
In any case, when this man asked Him what he must do to gain eternal life, the Lord simply told him, “You know what is written in the commandments. Just go ahead and do accordingly.” And the young man said, “I have kept all these commandments since I was a boy.” Then we are told that the Lord looked at him and loved him.
What is that telling us? It is telling us that the Lord is in love with righteousness. When people are doing what is righteous in His sight, regardless of who they are or what their religion is, the Lord appreciates and loves them. What I mean is that it is not only Christians that God loves to see doing righteousness. Even when those who are not Christians are doing righteousness, God loves and appreciates them for it.
See, everyone is loved by God, even those who are living in sin. What God does not love is the sin in their lives. The reason He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die was that He loved the world. The bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” (Cf. John 3:16) He did not give His Son for the Christians; rather, He gave Him for the whole world.
At any rate, I want us to understand that the Lord loves righteousness. And when people are doing what is right, just and upright, it does not matter where they are or how little their knowledge of God may be, God is going to show love for them. Look at what is said about Cornelius from verse 1 of Acts 10:
“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” (Acts 10:1-5NIV)
Did you see that? God acknowledged what this man was doing. God acknowledged his devotion to prayer and to supporting the poor. Then, later, when Peter began to preach in his house, he said this, “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34NIV) Who is referring to here? He is referring to Cornelius. And he is saying that it does not matter what people’s language or religion is, if they fear God and do what is right, God appreciates them.
Of course, people’s righteousness cannot save them. Their holiness cannot save them. That, however, does not mean that God not love those who are doing what is right simply because they are not Christians. He loves them. But as I said, your righteousness or holiness cannot save you. Only God Himself saves. And He saves through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So if you call yourself a Christian but are not in love with righteousness, something is wrong with you. God loves righteousness. You too must love righteousness. Yes, you must show that you love it. You should not be among those who abuse those who do righteousness where you are. It is unfortunate that in most of our organisations and communities, we go against those who do righteousness. When people are upright, will not go late to work, will not receive bribes, will not join in falsifying figures or are always doing what is just, others get angry with them and abuse them.
Sadly, we equally have Christians who get angry with such people and call them all kinds of names. And it shows that something is wrong with us. If we love righteousness, we will love those who do righteousness. Even if they are not Christians, we will love them and be praying that God will shine the light of the truth of Jesus on them, so that they can yield themselves to His Lordship.
Now it is those who love righteousness that can be expected to practise it. And it is those who love righteousness that can be expected to be eager to do it. Don’t forget that we are looking at the kind of attitude we ought to have towards righteousness. And I am saying that it begins with loving it. Until we love it, we will not be devoted to practising it. And what the Lord wants is for us to practise righteousness, to be devoted to doing it.
In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 6, verse 33, we are told to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and that every other thing we need will be given to us as well. That means we are to be eager for the righteousness of God; we are to be eager to do it. We have a supporting passage in Titus, chapter 2. And it reads from thus from verse 11:
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teachers us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14NIV)
The Lord Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness. Why? It is so that we can be a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. So, your attitude towards righteousness must be that of eagerness. If you know what is right and also love it, then, be eager to do it. As I have been saying, it is those who love righteousness that will be eager to do it. The one that is not in love with righteousness will not be eager to do it. He will not be prompt to do it, even though he knows what is right to do. This, of course, has a lot to say about whether you truly belong to God or not – your love for righteousness and your eagerness to do it.
What we are saying is that if you love righteousness, you will not just want to do what is right, you will also be eager and excited about doing it. And are you excited to do what is right where you live, where you work? When what is right is made known to you, are you excited to do it? This is often where the problem lies even with those who come for church meetings. They come for church meetings so that they can learn the will of God from His word. Yet when the will of God is made known to them, many do not show or demonstrate any eagerness to act on it.
It is one thing to know what is right to do; it is another thing for you to do it. We must not just know what is right to do, we must also be willing and eager to do it. In other words, our attitude towards righteousness must be that of eagerness to do it.
Another thing is that we must learn to promote righteousness. Apart from loving it and being eager to do it, we must be given to promoting it. So, wherever you are, you must be promoting righteousness. In other words, you must be encouraging others to do righteousness. If someone is doing what is right or wants to do what is right, stand by them to do it. Yes, encourage them to do it. You don’t discourage those who want to do what is righteous. If someone wants to stay away from wickedness, you encourage the person to stay away from it. If someone wants to do what is good for others, you encourage the person to do it. That is one of the things that will show that you love righteousness.
In 1Chronicles, chapter 17, from verse 1, we are told this: “After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.” (1Chronicles 17:1-2NIV) Did you see that? Nathan encouraged David to do what was right. Of course, God would later tell Nathan to tell him that he was not the one but his son that would build him the house. But the man encouraged him to do what was righteous in the sight of God.
Similarly, David made sure he provided everything he could in order to encourage Solomon to build that temple. And that is what we are talking about. If you love righteousness, you will promote it. You will encourage others to do it. Not only that, you will also preach or proclaim it. Noah is referred to in the bible as a preacher of righteousness (2Peter 2:5). While everyone was living in wickedness, this man and members and his household were living in righteousness. And he did that by faith. But he did not stop at living in righteousness, he also did all that he could to preach righteousness, to promote it.
If you too believe in righteousness, you are going to promote it by proclaiming it to as many that care to listen. This is why we support preachers of the word of God with our resources. We want them to keep promoting righteousness wherever they are. This is why we share the word of God online, on the radio, on the television and through any means available to us. What are we doing? We are promoting righteousness. We want righteousness to fill our land because that is what exalts every nation. So, we must promote it. We must encourage everyone in our lives to do righteousness. We must support those who are doing righteousness. And where we can reward it, we should do so. This is so that others can know that it pays to do righteousness.
Now what is the attitude we ought to have towards sin? Let us go back to what we read from Hebrews 1:9. It says, “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Hebrews 1:9NIV) Here we are shown the attitude our Lord has towards sin or wickedness. He hates it. In like manner, we too must hate wickedness. We must hate anything that is wicked. We must hate anything that is ungodly.
In 2Timothy, chapter 2, verse 19, Paul says this: “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (NIV) This is our instruction. We are to turn away from wickedness. We must turn away from sexual immorality. We must turn away from greed. We must turn away murder. We must turn away from hypocrisy, rage, anger, deceit and anything else that destroys humanity. Anything that destroys humanity is wickedness. And we must turn away from it.
Also, anything that sets itself up against God or does not embrace God is wickedness. Wickedness does not end with doing what is evil or what is unrighteous. Wickedness also includes a rejection of God or a refusal to acknowledge Him. And we must turn away from it.
We will, however, not turn away from wickedness, if we do not hate it. So, we must hate wickedness. The reason wickedness is thriving in most of our communities and workplaces is that we do not hate it. Even many of us who refer to ourselves as Christians still have secret love for adultery, greed and other wrong things. So, we hardly, obviously and fully take our stand against wickedness where we are. It takes someone that hates wickedness to take his stand against it publicly and privately.
Well, the word of God is telling us that our attitude towards wickedness must first be that of hate for it. That is where to start from. Until we hate wickedness there is nothing else God can say to us. Until we hate it, we will not stand against it. Until we hate it, we will not turn away from it. It is the one that hates wickedness that will turn away from it. It is the one who hates wickedness that is going to stand against it.
We have all kinds of instructions given to us in Scriptures on how to relate to sin or wickedness. But until we hate it, we will not act on those instructions. As long as we have secret love in our hearts for wickedness, as long as we have secret love for any form of sin in our hearts, we will not stand against.
Something is said in Scriptures about King Amaziah of Judah. Look at it from 2Chronicles, chapter 25, from verse 1: “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.” (2Chronicles 25:1-2NIV) Why is this said about this man? It was because he later went into idolatry. He had defeated the Edomites by the grace of God. Unfortunately, when he was coming back from the battle he had with them, he brought back all their gods with him. He brought back all the gods of these people that could not save them and began to worship them.
That means, all along, this man did not trust God. Yes, he defeated the Edomites. But he did not see God as responsible for that victory. Perhaps he thought it was his intelligence and prowess that gave him victory. In any case, he did something foolish in addition to not acknowledging God as the source of his victory over the Edomites. He brought their gods with him. Why? Did he think they would save him, when they could not save those who made them? I am not sure. But I feel he wanted to choose his own gods. He did not want Yahweh as his God since He was chosen for him by his forefathers. What does that tell us? It tells us that this man never believed in righteousness. He never believed in walking in God. That, of course, was his undoing.
Well, the point I am making is that if you do not hate wickedness, you will not turn away from it or do away with it in your life and where you are. It is the one that hates wickedness that will do that. Then turning away from wickedness is not all we are told to do in Scriptures. We are also told to expose it. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians, chapter 5, from verse 8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8-11NIV) Can you see that? Not only are we to turn away from the fruitless deeds of darkness. We are also to expose them. We are to expose wickedness where we are.
Now exposing wickedness is something many of us believers find it hard to do. We often don’t feel inclined to expose those who are doing what is wrong. That is because we are afraid of the consequences of doing so. And indeed, exposing wickedness may expose us to danger. People may want to hurt or harm us. Think of Joseph, for example. His brother hated him because he often brought a bad report to their father about them. Yes, they hated him for his dreams and because his father loved him most. But those were not the only reasons they hated him. They also hated him because he was continually exposing their wickedness. And was Joseph lying against them? No! They were actually involved in all kinds of wickedness. So, his reports about them were true. Sadly, they sold him to slavery for that. And if God had not been merciful to him, he would have perished as they wished. (Cf. Genesis 37)
In like manner, we too are expected to expose wickedness and not cover it up. But do we want to do that? Are we willing to expose the wickedness going on in our office? Are we willing to expose the wickedness going on in our neighbourhood? Are we willing to expose the wickedness in our family, perhaps a kind that involves adultery? We often are not willing to do so. But that is not the right attitude towards wickedness, as we see from Scriptures. We must be willing to expose it. And until we begin to expose it, it will not be gone from our land. All the time, we speak of our desire to see cheating, oppression, adultery, murder and so forth gone in our land. But these things will not go until we are willing to expose them.
Yes, of course, we must follow the Scriptures and be wise in doing this. Our instruction in Scriptures is to first confront people with the truth that we know about their wrongdoing before exposing them. If we confront them with the truth and they repent, then, we let the matter end. But if they are unwilling to repent, having been confronted with the truth, we must expose their wickedness to all. (Cf. Matthew 18:15-17)
However, when we are living or operating among those who love wickedness and hate righteousness, we need to be wise in exposing their wickedness. Remember that the Lord says, “Men love darkness rather than light because their works are evil.” And that is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance. So, we need to be careful how we expose wickedness. Don’t foolishly expose or report people who will stop at nothing to endanger your life or get rid of you. (Cf. John 3:19)
As we well know today, it is hard to report criminals even to security agents, for there is no guarantee that they are not on their payroll. And it is equally dangerous to confront some people with the truth that you know about their acts of wickedness. Remember Lot in Sodom. Remember that he was helpless in dealing with the wickedness there, even though he was daily tormented by it. What, then, do you do in such situations? Entrust the matter into God’s hand. Pray to Him to guide you on what to do and to bring about circumstances that will expose those who are dealing in wickedness where you are. But most importantly, you must show your aversion for wickedness. You must loathe it. You must hate it in an obvious manner. Those around you must have no doubts about your hatred for the sin in their lives. You don’t hate them. But you hate the sin in their lives. They must not be mistaken about this.
Finally, our attitude towards wickedness must be that of readiness to judge it where we are. Why? That is one sure way to discourage people from engaging in it; it is one sure way to end it. Solomon tells us that when wickedness is not immediately judged, people are filled with schemes to do more evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11). In other words, when people are not adequately and on time punished for their wicked acts, they will only be encouraged to do more. Not only that, they will embolden others around them to join them in doing wickedness.
So, we are commanded in Scriptures to judge wickedness with our authority. Paul tells us in Romans 13 that the one in authority is God’s servant, an agent of wrath sent by Him to judge wickedness. So, if you are in a position of authority, you must use your authority to frustrate and judge wickedness. You must let those under you know that there are consequences for wickedness. The Lord judged the household of Eli because he failed to judge the wickedness of his sons. He was in a position to judge them and remove them from office. But he did not. (Cf. 1Samuel 2-4)
Of course, Eli spoke against what his sons were doing. But that was not enough. He was in a position to judge them. And because he did not, God judged his household. If he had not been in a position to judge them, God would not have held him responsible. Remember that Samuel was together with those men in serving the Lord. And though he was aware of their wickedness, he was too young and without authority to confront them. But he hated what they were doing. So, God talked to him about how He would judge them. But did God hold him responsible for their sins because they were working together at His tabernacle? No! Why? He was not in a position to judge them.
In like manner, if you are not in a position to judge wickedness where you are, God won’t hold you responsible for it. However, He will want you to show your hatred for it and to also do whatever you can to expose and discourage it. That is kind of attitude that we are meant to have towards sin and wickedness. That is the kind of attitude that will earn us God’s praise.
Let us pray.
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Title: Attitude towards the brethren
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: August 13, 2023
Series: Attitude
We have been looking at ‘Attitude’ and how important it is for us to have the right kind of attitude towards God and towards life in general. I have pointed out some things that we need to have the right attitude towards. For instance, I said we need to have the right attitude towards the word of God. If we have the right attitude towards His word, the chances are high that our attitude towards God and towards every other matter of life will be right. Also, we must have the right attitude towards prayer. If our attitude towards prayer is right, then, for the most part, our attitude towards God and other matters of life will be right.
Then we must have the right attitude towards the brethren, the people of God. What kind of attitude are we supposed to have towards them? It must be an attitude of acceptance. In other words, we are supposed to accept them. Look at what Paul says about this: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7NIV) What is our instruction here? It is for us to accept one another. In other words, as believers in Christ Jesus, we must accept one another. What are we to accept one another as? We are to accept one another as fellow believers in Christ Jesus, as members of the same body of Christ, as members of the same family of God.
Now if we are going to have the right attitude towards one another in the Church, we must understand the nature of relationship we have with one another. Until we have a clear understanding of the nature of relationship we have with one another in the church, we will not exhibit the right kind of attitude towards one another. And what kind of relationship do we have? Paul tells us this in 1Corinthians, chapter 12, from verse 12, saying, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. And so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1Corinthians 12:12-14NIV)
What Paul says here shows us how we are related in the church. All of us who believe in Christ Jesus have been baptised into His body. So, even though we are many parts, we are one body in Christ Jesus. And Paul goes on to show us that it does not matter what our tribe or colour or social status is, we are all members of the same body.
Also, in his letter to the Galatians, he communicates the same thought. He says in verse 26 of chapter 3, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…” (Galatians 3:26NIV) Did you see that? In Christ Jesus, we all are God’s children. And all of us must keep this in mind. Then he goes on to say, “For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28NIV)
This reflects the understanding we must possess as Christians. We must understand that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus have been baptised into His body, into one body. Yes, we are many parts, just as our human body has many parts, but we all form one body in Christ. This has nothing to do with our tribe, our colour, our age or our social status. As long as we are believers in Christ Jesus, we are one.
See, it is only in Christ Jesus that all of us assume equality. That is not to say that we do not have leadership or structures of leadership in the church. We do. Otherwise, there will be disorderliness, chaos and confusion. By the way, the leadership we have in the church has been designed by the Lord Himself. Yes, we have leaders appointed by men and not by the Lord. Yet the Lord wants us to have leadership in the church and is not against it. That is because He does not want us to be disorderly.
However, our leaders in the church are not like the community or government leaders. So, they are not to lord it over us, as we are shown in Scriptures. That is because we all are brothers. Yes, those of us being led by them must respect them and hold them in the highest regard. But they are our servants. The Lord is using them to serve us, to build us up and guide us in the way we should go. But they are not different from us. In the sight of God, we all are one with them. (Cf. Matthew 23:8-12; 1Thessalonians 5:12-13)
Furthermore, in Colossians 3, we have the same thought communicated to us by Paul. He says from verse 9, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Colossians 3:9-11NIV) I am drawing our attention to all these Scriptures to let you understand the basis for the kind of attitude we ought to have towards each other in the church. We must see ourselves as members of the same body, of the same household, the household of God.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he refers to the church as the household of God (1Timothy 3:15). In other words, we are members of the same family. We may look different in many ways. But we all are members of the same family, the same body. The works of redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ brought all of us to God, brought all of us into His family, brought all of us into His body.
What I mean is that it is because of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus that we all are members of the family of God and of His body. None of us became a member of His body or of the family of God on the basis of his merits. You have not become a child of God on the basis of your merits, your age, your colour, your sex, your social status, your level of education or your wealth. None of these things matters when we are talking about becoming saved or becoming a child of God. None of these things is required in order for you to become a child of God. All you need to be a child of God is to be a human being and to demonstrate your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
It is through faith in the Lord Jesus that all of us, old and young, slave and free or dark and coloured have come to be in the household of God. This being the case, we must accept one another. As we are told in Romans 15:7, we must accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. In other words, our attitude towards one another must the same that the Lord Jesus has towards all of us. He accepted us. And we must accept one another the same way He has accepted us.
Now the Lord did not look at our colour to determine if He was going to accept us or not. He did not look at our age to determine if He was going to accept us or not. He did not look at our sex to determine if He would take us in or not. He did not look at our level of education to determine if He was going to accept us or not. He did not look at any of these natural things. As long as we came to God through faith in Christ Jesus, His Son, He accepted us.
See, Paul is saying this because he knows that all of us are not the same and cannot be the same. If we take our local assembly as a case study, we will see that this is true. We have all kinds of people among us. We have those who are tall and those who are short. We have men and we have women. We have boys and we have girls. We have those who are married and those who are not married. We have those who are educated and those who are not educated at all. And we have those who are rich and those who are not so rich.
This, of course, does not mean that we expect people to remain in certain situations in life, having become Christians. But if those who are poor, for instance, will come out of poverty, it is important that those who are rich in their assembly accept them and be willing to help them. Also, if those who are uneducated will get some measure of education and become enlightened, then, those who are educated in the church must accept them as their family and be willing to help them get enlightened. And if those who are afraid in the church will get rid of their fears, then, those who are bold must accept them and help them gain some confidence. Then if those who are not cultured (Paul speaks of Barbarians as being in the church in those days) will become exposed and enlightened, those who are cultured must accept them as their own family and be willing to support them to become better people.
Apart from the differences among the people in the church that I just mentioned, differences which have to do with people’s social standing or family background, we are also going to see differences among them that have to do with spiritual matters. For instance, we are going to have people of varying degrees of faith in the church. There will be those with strong faith and those with weak faith. There will also be those with great faith and those with little faith.
Now the word of God tells us that those who have strong faith must accept those who have weak faith, instead of doing as they please. Otherwise, they will not be able to help those with weak faith develop their faith to be strong. Also, those with great faith must also accept those with little faith and be willing to help them grow their faith to be great. (Cf. Romans 14:1 & 15:1)
Similarly, we will have in the church those who understand the word of God and His will well and those who do not. And those who understand the word of God and are living accordingly must accept those who are uneducated in the will of God and be willing to help their growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. Otherwise, those ones that are uneducated in the will of God may not mature in the things of God. Yes, they may remain spiritual babies for life.
Read the letters of our Lord Jesus to the churches in the province of Asia, which we have in Revelation 2 & 3. One of the things you will observe in them is that the Lord accepts all the seven churches He writes to as His church. Yet not all of them were living right or living fully in His will at the time the letters were written. But because the Lord accepted them as His people, He sought to encourage those who were living right at the time and to set right those who were missing it.
The point I am making is that accepting one another is very vital to relating to one another properly in the church. Until we accept one another as members of the same body and family, there is no way we will be able to relate to ourselves properly or give to ourselves the kind of support we are meant to give. What we are saying is that if we will not accept one another as one in Christ Jesus, we will not do all that we are meant to be doing in building one another up in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. If we do not accept one another as Christ has accepted us, we will not give ourselves to watching over and protecting one another as the Lord expects us to be doing.
We have all kinds of instructions given in Scriptures about how we are to treat one another. But the key to fulfilling all these instructions is for us to accept one another. When the Lord Jesus was going to send Peter to the house of Cornelius, this was the first thing He made clear to him. He gave him visions that showed him the relevance of accepting those that God had already accepted, even though they did not look like him. The point the Lord was making to him was that even though his culture or social status did not accept someone, as long as God accepted that person, he must accept them. He must look at them with the eyes with which God was looking at them.
Now look at how the account is rendered by Luke from verse 9 of Acts 10:
“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord! Peter replied, ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.” (Acts 10:9-16NIV)
Peter, raised as a Jew, was not given to eating unclean animals. In the law of Moses, they have instructions about animals and birds that are clean for them to eat and those that are unclean for them to eat. Yet the Lord brought visions that brought him contrary instructions. Naturally, he should have seen those visions as coming from the devil. But he did not. He did not because, as we see from the text, somehow he knew in those visions that it was the Lord that was talking to him, not Satan tempting him. (Cf. Leviticus 11)
Well, he said to the Lord, “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” And the Lord answered him and said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Why did He say this to him? It is because there are people that we consider impure because we see them as inferior to us. Perhaps these ones are not as educated as we are or as rich as we are or as strong in faith as we are. Or it may be that they do not share the same colour, language or level of civilisation as we do. And this may make them irritating to us. But now that they are saved and have become children of God, God wants us to know that He has made them clean and pure. And we must see them with the same eyes. That is why we are told to accept them.
Well, God gave Peter those visions to let him feel free to go to Cornelius’ house to minister. And though he went reluctantly, the Lord wanted him to know that He wanted him to associate with Cornelius, even though he was a gentile. It was a hard thing for the Jewish mind to absorb at that time. All their lives they treated the gentiles as impure. But then, God began to tell them that He had made these gentiles clean and pure through the blood of Jesus Christ and that they must accept them as such.
In the same vein, today, we all will come in contact with different kinds of people. There will be those that will be considered better than us, that is, from the natural point of view of men. And there will be those that we will be considered better than, also from the natural point of view of men. Whatever the case is, we are to accept these people as our family. Our spiritual bond is, in fact, stronger than our natural bond with our family members. This may not seem to be so now. But a time is coming when we will see that our spiritual bond is stronger than our blood ties.
In any case, our instruction is that we are to accept one another as Christ Jesus has accepted us. This is the attitude we must have towards every child of God. We must see them as our own family. And I do not by this mean that we must not demonstrate any form of caution in relating to other believers. But we must first understand that anyone that calls himself a child of God must be seen as one of our own, regardless of the person’s social status, colour, language, age, sex and so forth.
You too must not treat yourself as an outcast in the body of Christ. I am saying that just as it is important to accept other believers as our own, it is also important that we do not relate to other believers with a sense of inferiority or shame. The fact that we are not as rich or educated as some Christians does not mean that we are inferior to them. Why has God made us righteous? It is so that we will lose whatever sense of inferiority we have towards Him or towards men.
See, one of the things righteousness is meant to do for us is to eliminate any sense of inferiority we have in us. If there is anyone we are supposed to feel inferior to, it is God. God does not behold iniquity or tolerate it. Yet He has brought us close to Himself. The bible says through Christ and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).
Mind you, the priests under the Old Covenant did not even have this kind of access we now have to God. As we are told in the bible, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy place, where the presence of God dwelt among the people. That, of course, is not to say that the presence of God was not everywhere in the land. His presence was everywhere in the land. But it was only in the Most Holy place of the Temple that they could always witness the manifest presence of God. And it was only the high priest that could enter it.
Then even the high priest was permitted to enter this Holy Place, which was kept away from all the other priests with a veil, only once every year, with blood in his hands. He was expected to make sacrifices for himself and sacrifices for the people before going into the presence of God. Otherwise, God was going to kill him. Yet the high priest was held in high esteem because he had to God a kind of access that others in the land did not have to Him.
But now, all of us in Christ Jesus, regardless of our age, social status, sex, level of education and so forth, can approach God with freedom and confidence. In fact, we live in His presence every moment. And we are told to approach His throne of grace with boldness, so that we can receive whatever form of help or mercy we need. So, we are not to be ashamed of ourselves in His presence. We are not to feel bad in His presence because we do not have the kind of standing other people have in the world. That is because no one has a better standing before Him than we do. He has made us righteous and is not counting our sins against us anymore.
If you, then, are now able to stand before God, the Creator of heaven and earth, with freedom and confidence, there should be no one on earth that you will not be able to stand before without any feeling of shame or inferiority. I am saying this so that you will not allow your low position in life to keep you from enjoying a beautiful fellowship with God’s people. And you should also not abuse any relationship that your being in Christ gives you the privilege of having with people of great education, wealth or social standing. That will be foolish of you.
Now, of course, where people do not understand the principle behind these things, where they do not know the right kind of attitude we are supposed to have towards one another in the church, bitterness, chaos and so forth can happen. For instance, if an uneducated person is trying to relate to an educated person in the church and the person does not treat him well, he may feel so bad that he won’t want to have anything to do with the church again or with people of such social standings.
Unfortunately, there are many Christian assemblies in which brethren are divided along various lines. We have been told that we are one in Christ Jesus. Yet we find assemblies in which we deliberately group ourselves to highlight our social differences. So, we may have highly educated people put together in one group while uneducated ones are put together in another group. Or we may have those of the same tribe put together in the same group. This is wrong.
See, these divisions are among the things our Lord Jesus came to eliminate by putting us in the family of God. Yet we are creating these boundaries again. Now some will argue that if people of different social statuses are put together in the church, they may not be able to relate properly. That is unacceptable. They have to learn to relate together properly. That is the idea. That is the reason we are told to accept one another just as Christ accepted us.
So, the medical doctor should be able to relate to the carpenter and vice versa. And the rich should be able to relate properly to the poor and vice versa. That is the idea. God wants us to see ourselves as one and relate accordingly. So, you must accept other people of God as your family. And you must also not treat yourself as a castaway.
Then, as I said before, even though we are told to accept one another in Christ Jesus, there are further instructions given in the bible on how to relate to one another. For instance, Paul, speaking to the Corinthians, says, “Make room for us in your hearts, for we have defrauded no one, corrupted no one and injured no one.” That means the reason he is asking the brethren to fellowship with them freely is that they do not have any history of defrauding, corrupting or injuring other people of God. So, before you fully give yourself to fellowshipping with any child of God, you must see that they too do not have a history of defrauding, corrupting or injuring other people of God. (Cf. 2Corinthians 7:2)
Also, in 1Corinthians 5, Paul tells us that we must not associate with certain people who call themselves Christians but who are sexually immoral, greedy or idolatrous. In fact, we are told not to eat with such people. Then, in 2Thessalonians 3, he tells us not to associate with brethren that are lazy and unwilling to work. That is not to say we are to condemn and reject such people as unbelievers. Rather, it is to let them know that we do not approve of their way of life and that they need to repent. And if they will not repent, we are told to see them as unbelievers. Yes, we can continue to pray for them. But we cannot be in any vital fellowship with them unless they are restored.
In any case, in Romans 15:7, we are told why it is important to accept one another as Christ accepted us. It is so that we may bring praise to God. So, if we will not accept one another in love like this, regardless of our faith level, social status, culture, sex, age or family background, we will not bring praise to God. But if we will do so, then, we will be able to fulfil other instructions given to us in Scriptures about how to relate to our brethren. We will continue from here later. Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Attitude towards prayer
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: August 06, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want to continue where we left off on ‘Attitude’. I have been telling us how important it is for us to have the right attitude towards God and towards life, so that we can become all that God wants us to be and also do all that He wants us to do. And I said if our attitude is right towards certain basic things of life, then, our attitude towards God and towards most matters our life will be right.
Now one of those things we need to have the right attitude towards is the word of God. As I pointed out before, the word of God is our life and without it we cannot become the kinds of persons God wants us to become. More so, the word of God describes for us the kind of attitude we are supposed to have towards God and towards other matters of life. So, if our attitude towards His word is right, there is every tendency that our attitude towards Him and towards every other matter of life will be right.
What kind of attitude are we, then, supposed to have towards the word of God? First, we must crave His word like new born babies. Second, we must pay attention to whatever God is saying to us. If we are not attentive, His word cannot take root in our hearts. Then we must humbly accept His word. It is one thing to hear what God is saying to us; it is another thing to embrace it. Until we embrace His word, we cannot act on it. Those who do not act on the word of God are those who will not embrace His word. Why, then, will anyone not embrace His word? It is most likely because they think they are smarter than Him. But until you humble yourself before His word and embrace it, it will not accomplish in your life what God wants it to accomplish. So, it is important that you have the right attitude towards His word. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that you will become the person He wants you to be. In fact, without the word of God you cannot become what He wants you to become or accomplish what He wants you to accomplish in life.
Another thing that our attitude must be right towards is prayer. What is prayer? Prayer is communication with God. In other words, through prayer we commune with God. Then prayer is a way of expressing our dependence in God. We know that God is our creator. We also know that there is nothing, little or big, that we can do apart from Him. Because we know there is nothing we can do apart from Him, we put our trust in Him. And one of the ways we show that our trust is in Him is by praying to Him. We talk to Him about every matter of our lives. We do not consider any matter of our lives as too little or too big to talk to Him about.
As I said already, apart from God there is nothing we can accomplish (John 15:5). So, we are expected to be talking to Him about everything, as we have opportunity. As we are doing this, we are expressing our dependence in Him. We are showing that we are not counting on our wisdom, knowledge, education, wealth, connection, influence or anything we have in ourselves but on God.
Then through prayers we receive what God has provided. God is our provider. He is the one that supplies all our needs. And there are a whole lot of things that He gives to us and does for us without our asking. However, there are things we will not receive or enjoy in this life, if we will not talk to God or pray to Him. That is why our Lord Jesus tells us to ask and that those who are asking are receiving (Matthew 7:7-8). He also tells us to pray, so that our joy will be full (John 16:24). So if we want our joy to be full, we must keep on praying to Him. If our joy is not full over a matter, maybe over a family member, our business or anything else, we must keep on praying to God, so that we will receive from Him what will make our joy full.
The point I am making, at any rate, is that we can receive what God has provided through prayers. It is important, then, that we have the right attitude towards prayer. And what attitude should we have towards prayer? It is that of faithfulness, that of devotion. In Romans, chapter 12, verse 11, Paul says this to us: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV) Paul here says we must be faithful in prayer. When do we talk about faithfulness? It is when something has been entrusted to someone. That means prayer is a responsibility. It is a duty for every child of God and, in fact, for every man.
Remember that we are told in the bible that people started praying in the days of Enosh the son of Seth (Genesis 4:26). Why? They saw that they had a duty to pray to God about everything happening in their lives and in their world. We too must know that we have a duty to pray to God. And that is why Paul speaks of faithfulness in prayer. In fact, all the Scriptures that talk about praying without ceasing, praying at all times and so forth are all pointing to the fact that we must be faithful in prayer. That is because we have a duty to pray. All of us have prayer duties. I have prayer duties. You have prayer duties.
As we read the Scriptures, we see that we are given all kinds of instructions on prayers, what to pray about, who to pray for and how to pray. For instance, in 1Timothy 2 we are told to pray for all men, including leaders of our governments and societies. We are also told in some other Scriptures to pray for our countries, our brethren, our leaders in the church and so forth. And these are commands given to us, not suggestions. Therefore, we must take them seriously, seeing that they present to us our prayer duties or responsibilities.
In 1Samuel, chapter 12, we have an account of Samuel’s final words to the children of Israel. They had demanded for a king and God had told him to answer them and give them what they wanted. And you need to be careful not to pressure God to give you what you do not need. Otherwise, you may end up getting into trouble. The Israelites demanded for a king. And God told him to answer them. But while he was giving his farewell speech, he told them that they had missed it and that he was going to give them a sign from God that they had missed it. So, from verse 16, he says this:
“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realise what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king. Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.’ ‘Do not be afraid,’ Samuel replied. ‘You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” (1Samuel 12:16-23NIV)
This is mind-blowing. Samuel is giving us a very strange thought here, which is that prayer is a duty. His people had missed it and he had shown them that. They also went on to acknowledge that they had missed it. Then they begged him to pray to God for them, so that He would not punish them. And Samuel told them not to worry about that, for God had already chosen them to be His people. Therefore, He would not reject them, as long as they continued to live in His will.
But then, Samuel went on to say to them, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” Think about that. Samuel said that it was a sin not to fulfil his prayer duties to God for the children of Israel. He was their spiritual leader. So, he had a duty to pray for them. He was not supposed to be praying for himself alone; he was supposed to be praying for them as well in order for them to become what God wanted them to become. That was why he said that he would be sinning against God, if he would not take praying for them very seriously. That means this man knew that he had to be faithful in praying for the children of Israel, for it was his job to do so.
I am saying this to let you know that all of us have prayer responsibilities. And we must take it very seriously. There are things God wants me to be praying for, and I must be praying for them. There are people He wants me to pray for, and I must pray for them. I must accept my prayer duties. They are not what I can give to another person. In like manner, your prayer duties are not what you can give to another person.
It is unfortunate that we have many today who are constantly seeking who they will transfer their prayer duties to. So, any time something happens, they must find someone that will do their praying for them. That is irresponsible of you. You may not have thought about it or had anyone told you this before. But the truth is that you are being irresponsible, as far as handling your prayer duties are concerned. Interestingly, there are people who have turned this to a business too. They take money from people in order to pray for them. It is shameful. Such people are not servants of Christ but charlatans. Well, I want you to know that you have no business transferring your prayer duties to anybody. Your prayer duties are yours to handle. And you must be faithful in fulfilling it. That is the point we are making.
Now, as we see in Scriptures, when we pray to God according to His will, He hears us. But we also know from them that it is possible for us to pray to God and not get from Him the kinds of answers we want. And it is not only when people pray outside the will of God that such things happen. They can also happen when we are praying according to His will. What is important, then, is not just that we receive the kind of answers we want from God when we pray to Him but that we also fulfil our prayer duties to Him.
Even where matters of sin and judgment are involved, we still need to fulfil our prayer duties. We have an example of this in David’s case that we have in 2Samuel 12. There he prayed to God for the son of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. God had told him that the boy was going to die. So, the boy became ill. Yet David went ahead to spend days to pray to God about the matter, so that the boy would not die. Why did he do that? He knew God to be a merciful God. That being the case, he believed that the right thing for him to do was to pray to Him for the boy.
Unfortunately, the boy died. And his servants were afraid to tell him. They were afraid to tell him because they did not know how he was going to react to it, seeing that he was not himself. But he suspected that something had gone wrong. So, he called them to himself and asked, “Does the boy live?” And they told him that he was dead. Then he got up, washed himself, went to the house of God to worship and ate. This, of course, shocked his servants, who asked him, “You are acting weird. When the boy was alive, you almost injured yourself because he was sick. Now that he is dead, you are refreshed. What is this about?”
Now David answered them and said that when the boy was ill, he decided to pray for him because he thought God, being merciful, may spare him. But since he was dead, there was no need for him to be sorrowful again. Why? What was important was that he fulfilled his prayer duty for him. How God responded was not the main thing for him; the main thing was that he fulfilled his prayer duty. And think about this: if he had not fulfilled his prayer duty to him, how would he have known whether God would change His mind about him or not? No way of knowing!
The point I am making is that we all have prayer duties. And we must take them seriously. We must be faithful in prayer. And we see an additional instruction about this in Colossians 4. From verse 2 Paul says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2NIV) Why would you devote yourself to prayer? It is because it is a duty. We devote ourselves to our families, for we know that we are responsible for them. We devote ourselves as students to our studies, for we know it is our duty to do so. Otherwise, we will not do well. Also, in business, we devote ourselves to those things that will make it flourish. Why? It is our duty to do so. And if we do not do it, no one else will do it for us. Then if you want to do well in your workplace and rise there, you devote yourself to doing the right thing there – you handle every task diligently.
In like manner, we must see prayer as a duty. Therefore, our attitude towards it must be that of devotion. And it is those who devote themselves to prayer in this sense that we can refer to as men and women of prayer. In Psalm 109, verse 4, David refers to himself as a man of prayer. Can you also refer to yourself as a man of prayer? Can you refer to yourself as a woman of prayer? I can refer to myself as a man of prayer. That is because I take my prayer duties very seriously. I take my prayer duties for my family, the church of God and my country very seriously. That is because I have come to know that it will be a sin for me not to take my prayer duties seriously.
You too must take your prayer duties seriously. You must understand that it is a sin for you not to take them seriously. God is going to hold you responsible for those you are supposed to pray for that you will not pray for and who fail because of this. He will hold you and me responsible for things that fail or get ruined under our watch because we will not pray.
I know we don’t usually think like this. This is why we hardly take prayer seriously, even in our church meetings. Here is someone who has come for a prayer meeting. Yet he is sleeping all the time. Or he is wandering in his mind. He is not excited or serious about it because he thinks it is the exclusive duty of the preacher to do all the praying or most of the praying. But it is your duty to pray. And you must be faithful in doing so. God is not going to reward your irresponsibility in handling prayer. That is why a lot of things are not in place in the lives of many of us. We are irresponsible as far as prayer matters are concerned. And the word of God is telling us to wake up and be faithful in prayer.
Another attitude we must exhibit towards prayer is watchfulness. We must be watchful or earnest in praying. In other words, we must always be ready to break out in prayer. We already know there is nothing we can do apart from God. So, we must be reaching out for him every moment. We must keep our hearts ready to pray anytime. That means as God is showing you things to pray about, you are praying about them and not deferring them. It does not matter what He is asking you to pray about, whether they are matters of your life, of your family, of the church of God or of your country, you are ready to pray about them. You put yourself in a position to pray at all times. And if you always put yourself in a position of readiness to pray, it will not matter when you find yourself in a prayer meeting, you will not need anyone to manipulate, ginger or threaten you to pray. You will just find yourself praying, for you are ever ready for it.
Peter says something to us along this line in his first letter. He says in verse 7 of chapter 4, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” (NIV) This has to do with being vigilant to pray. You know that we are living in a world in which Satan and his demons are ever active. Peter will further tell us in this letter that this evil being prowls around, seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). So, these evil beings are continually working to mess life up for us. They are constantly looking for opportunities to prevent us from doing the will of God, to ensnare us and to prevent us from accessing His provisions for us.
Now, of course, we can resist Satan and his evil beings. But it is only as we yield ourselves to God that we can do so. And God has told us that one of the ways to resist the devil and frustrate him is to pray without ceasing. But we will not do this, if we are not vigilant and earnest about praying. We will not pray, if our minds our clouded with all kinds of worries. This is why Peter says be clear minded, so that you can pray.
See, you may knee in your room to pray. Yet you will not pray because all kinds of thoughts fill your mind. You are worried about the things you need to do, places you need to go, things you need to spend money on and so forth. So, you will not pray because you are distracted. You can come for church meetings too and not pray. And I see many in church meetings who illustrate this. They are in a prayer meeting but are not praying, for they are not clear minded. Yes, they may shut their eyes. But they are not devoted to praying.
Sometimes people’s minds are not clear to pray in this sense because they are angry, bitter or jealous. Look at what Paul says to Timothy along this line: “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.” (1Timothy 2:8NIV) This is talking about the kind of attitude we are to have when praying. We are to free our minds, clear our minds. We are not angry with anyone or bitter against anyone. We are not jealous of anyone or malicious towards anyone. People who come for prayer meetings angry, bitter or envious cannot really pray. No wonder they are not receiving from God or seeing their lives move forward. Yes, we see them, from time to time, going from one prayer mountain to another. But they cannot receive from God because their minds are loaded with all kinds of cares, malice, bitterness and envy. You, then, must rid yourselves of these things, so that you can pray and receive.
Then you must have an attitude of thanksgiving as well. Remember that our instruction is to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Colossians 4:2). So, we are to pray with a heart of one who knows that God indeed answers prayers. That being the case, as he is praying, he will be thankful for what God has done and also thankful for what He will do.
On this same matter, Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything. But by prayer and supplications, with thanksgiving, make your request known to God.” That means prayer must always be accompanied with thanksgiving. It must not just be about what we want to receive from Him but also about thanking Him for what He has already done. Our eyes must not only be on what God has not done but also on what He has already done. And we need to be thankful for what He has done. (Cf. Philippians 4:6)
Check most of the letters of the apostles and you will see that they don’t fail to express thanks to God in them. You will find in them words of thanksgiving like ‘Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,’ or ‘Praise be to God who gave birth to us into a living hope and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,’ or ‘Praise be to God, the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we may comfort others who are also in trouble with the same comfort we have received from Him.’ (Cf. 2Corinthians 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:3; 1Peter 1:3-4)
Did you see that? That is how to pray – you fill your prayer with words of thanksgiving and praise to God. You are not just asking Him to do this and that but also thanking Him for what He has done and is doing. That is the kind of attitude you are to have towards prayer, the attitude of thanksgiving. And when you have it, you will definitely be receiving from God.
Now, of course, you must also have the attitude of one that believes that God answers prayers. Jesus says whatsoever you ask for when you pray, believe that you have received it, and you will have it. It may not look like anything has happened or is happening when you pray. But if you know that God answers prayers, then, you will believe that what you have prayed for is yours. This will surely aid you in being thankful to God. It will also help you in facing life as a victor.
There are many today who pray and who are still depressed. Why? Why should you return from a prayer meeting and still be depressed? Sometimes, people will come to me and say, “Pastor, please pray for me.” And when I am done praying for them, the words that will come out of their mouths are words of depression, frustration or anxiety. What, then, is the point of praying for them? They don’t have the right attitude towards prayer. They don’t believe that they receive when they pray. What is the point of praying them? But we must keep praying for them because it is our duty to pray for them.
Look at Hannah, however. After she had prayed to God about her barrenness and had also received a word of consolation from the man of God, Eli, she went home and was never sad again. From that moment on, she was never sorrowful again. She never allowed the taunts of her mate to bother her again. Why? She knew that the matter had been settled. You too must not be praying and still be depressed. That will show that you do not have the right attitude towards prayer. (Cf. 1Samuel 1:9-18)
In like manner, when you pray, you get excited, knowing that God has taken charge. You may not see what He is doing or know how He will handle the matter. But you are excited because you know He has answered you. This is what Paul is referring to, when he says to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing. But by prayer and supplications, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Cf. Philippians 4:6-7) When we pray with a heart that receives from God, His peace will fill our hearts and we will be at rest. We may not know how He is going to handle our matter. But we know that He has everything under control.
What have I been talking about? It is about having the right attitude towards prayer. When you have the right attitude towards prayer, you will never be depressed or down cast again. Instead, you will see your life going in the direction it ought to go. So, take these things very seriously. And may the Spirit of God strengthen you to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Attitude towards God’s word
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: July 30, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Attitude’. I began to talk to you about attitude and how important it is for us to have the right sets of attitudes towards God and towards life. Our attitude towards Him and life has a lot to say about whether we belong to Him at all or not. If we do not have the right attitude towards Him and life, it may be that we have been hypocritical all along about our salvation. Our attitude also has a lot to say about the degree to which God will use us, that is, if He will use us at all. Then it has a lot to say about how much of God’s provisions we are going to enjoy in becoming what He wants us to become. If we do not have the right attitude, we may not enjoy all that God wants us to enjoy or become all that He wants us to become.
As we are shown in Scriptures, it is not enough for us to be born again; our attitude also must change, having been born again. We cannot have the same attitude we used to have when we were not saved now that we have become born again. Our attitude must reflect our relationship with God. It must show that we are in fellowship with Him and that we have actually become new creations in Christ Jesus.
Now this has to start from our inside. What we do is a product of what is happening on our inside. Jesus says, “The good man brings forth good things out of the good stored up in his heart. And the evil man as well brings forth evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. That is because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So, it is what we have inside us that we will bring forth and that will determine our attitude towards God and life in general. You can see why we must deal with what is happening inside us, in our minds. (Cf. Luke 6:45)
Remember that when we became born again, it was not our mind that become born again. The human man cannot be born again. It is the human spirit that can be born again. The human mind, however, can be renewed to conform to the image of the Son of God that is on our inside. This is why we are told in Scriptures to be renewed in the attitude of our minds. It is why we are told not to conform to the standards of this world but to be changed by the renewing of our minds. (Cf. Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24)
What, then, will renew our minds? It is the word of God that will renew them. So, we must give the right kind of attention to His word. However, we will not treat the word of God the way we should treat it, if our attitude towards it is wrong. So, the place to begin is that of defining or determining the right kind of attitude we ought to have towards the word of God. Yes, there are a whole of things that we need to relate to with the right attitude. But there are some basic things that we need to focus on. That is because once our attitude towards those things is right, then, our attitude towards a number of others things will also become right.
Well then, the word of God is one of those basic things that our attitude towards them must be right. And what should our attitude towards His word be? First, we must desire His word. Peter says this to us in his first epistle: “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1Peter 2:1-2NIV) Evidently, he is addressing those who have become born again here. And he is showing them the right kind of attitude to have towards the word of God.
Now, earlier in this same letter, he has shown us that we had been born again by the word of God. His words are, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” That being the case, if we are going to grow up and become the persons God wants us to be, we must continually give ourselves to His word. (Cf. 1Peter 1:23)
So, Peter says we must crave the word of God the way babies crave milk. Babies crave milk. Babies desire milk. They are always hungry and thirsty for it. You need to see how some babies act when they want to be breastfed by their mothers. They will do all they can to get those mothers to feed them and not ignore them. Why? They are hungry and want to be fed. And Peter says that is how it must be for every child of God that wants to grow spiritually and become strong and mighty in faith. He must crave the word of God. He must be hungry for it. He must be thirsty for it.
If you are not hungry and thirsty for God’s word, you are not going to grow up in your faith. This is what many believers do not understand. They keep wondering why their faith is not strong, why they are often falling into diverse temptations or why any form of trial that comes to them ends up putting them down. The reason this is so that they do not have the right attitude towards the word of God. They don’t crave His word. They don’t feed enough on His word. And that is because they do not understand that they have no life apart from His word.
When you feed yourself adequately with the word of God, your faith will be built up. Paul, while speaking on one occasion to the elders of the church in Ephesus, said to them, “I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those who are sanctified.” The word of God is able to build us up. His word is able to set us right. It is able to lead us to enjoy our inheritance in Christ Jesus. It is able to thoroughly furnish us with everything we need to do all that God wants us to do. (Cf. Acts 20:32; 2Timothy 3:16-17)
But all these things will not be done to us by the word of God automatically. God will not feed us with His word, if we are not hungry for it. It is those who are hungry for His word that will be fed by Him. Our Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” So, again, it is those who are hungry for His word that are going to be fed to satisfaction. If you, then, want to be fed by Him in order that you may grow up in your salvation, crave His word. Love His word. Desire His word. Go for His word. Be passionate about His word. (Cf. Matthew 5:6)
Unfortunately, many so-called Christians do not crave the word of God. And you can see this in their attitude towards it, when it is being taught in their church meetings. If they are not sleeping when the word is coming to them, they will be absent-minded or find some irrelevant things for themselves to do. They are not hungry for His word. How, then, will they grow up in the faith? You are not feeding on His word in your church meetings. You are not feeding on it when you are alone. You are not studying the Scriptures on your own or listening to sermons that are sound. How are you going to grow up in your faith?
Yes, you may say that you want your faith to become strong and great like the faith of certain people you know. But are you feeding your faith with God’s word? If you are not feeding your faith with His word, how do you expect it to grow? A baby that is not adequately fed will be malnourished. And if care is not taken, that baby will die in its infancy. I mean that if a child continues to demonstrate unwillingness to eat or be well fed, that child will die at some point.
In like manner, if you do not want your faith to die, if you want your faith to grow, then, you need to feed it with the word of God. In fact, you need to feast on His word. God Himself must see that you are thirsty and hungry for Him. Otherwise, He is not going to feed you to satisfaction. Look at what Job, for instance, says in his book about his attitude to the word of God: “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12NIV) Did you see that? He treasured the word of God more than his daily bread, more than his necessary food. He wanted the word of God more than the food that was meant to sustain him in life. He wanted His word more than silver, more than gold.
That is the kind of attitude we too must have towards God’s word, if it will make us the kinds of persons God wants us to be. God cannot do anything for us outside His word. He cannot lift us up outside His word. He cannot build us up outside His word. He cannot train us outside His word. He cannot make our faith strong outside His word. Therefore, we must have the right attitude towards His word. And what sort of attitude are we talking about? It is the attitude of one who is hungry and thirsty for His word.
Apart from craving the word of God, we must also pay attention to it. In other words, our attitude towards God’s word must be that of one that is attentive to hear it or receive it. It is one thing to desire to be fed with God’s word; it is another thing to pay attention when you are being fed with His word. Someone may present himself to hear the word and still be distracted. Someone may open his bible to study the word of God and still not make much of what he is doing. Why? He is distracted. Also, someone may choose to listen to a sermon for edification and still not be edified through it. Why? He is distracted. His attention to the word coming to him is not full or adequate.
So, if you want to make the most of the word of God coming to you, if you want His word to take root in your heart and bring forth the kind of fruit it is meant to bring forth, you must give it adequate attention. In Ezekiel 40, he shares a vision he saw with us about a temple of God that was to be built. But before God showed him all that he needed to see, he was given some very clear instructions about what his attitude must be, if he would able to utilise what he would be shown appropriately. Look at how he puts that: “The man said to me, son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.” (Ezekiel 40:4NIV)
Did you see what Ezekiel must do in order to be able to make the most of what God was going to show him? He must look carefully, listen closely and pay attention to all that would be shown to him. In like manner, as the word of God is coming to us, we must look at it carefully, listen closely to it and also pay attention to it. God will be showing His mind and His will through His word. But these things will not settle in our spirits and produce results, if we will not pay attention, listen closely and look carefully at what He is showing us.
What I am saying is that if we are not attentive to the word of God, it will not settle in our hearts. And if it does not settle in our hearts, Satan will come and snatch it from us, as our Lord makes clear (Matthew 13:18-19). Where that is the case, His word will not accomplish in our lives the results it is meant to accomplish. So, if you want His word to accomplish His will in your life, learn to listen and pay attention to His word coming to you or that you are studying closely. Also, learn to examine it carefully, so that you see how it is applicable to you. You cannot afford to approach His word with a lazy attitude. Otherwise, you won’t know or understand it well or be able to apply it. Also, He won’t be able to accomplish in your life all that He wants to accomplish.
Another thing that constitutes the right kind of attitude to have towards the word of God is to accept it with humility. Yes, you must desire the word of God and pay close attention to it. But it does not stop at doing those. It also involves accepting with humility what you have heard from him. See, hearing the word of God is important. But there is something that is even more important than hearing His word. And that has to do with doing it.
Of course, there are blessings that accompany hearing the word of God, as we are shown in Scriptures. But until we act on His word that we have heard or studied, we cannot receive the full benefit of it. Look at what James says about this: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22NIV) Listening to the word is not enough; we also need to do it. In other words, we must have the attitude of one that acts on what he hears, not that of one who merely listens.
But we are not going to act on the word of God that we are hearing, if we do not first embrace it. So, before telling us to act on the word that we are receiving, the first thing James tells us is, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word that is planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21NIV) James says the word of God is able to save us. And he is not talking about the initial salvation we had from our sins and from the devil; rather, he is talking about the ongoing salvation that we are now experiencing.
As we see in Scriptures, when we came to the Lord Jesus, we were redeemed and saved from our sins and from the devil. We were saved the penalty and power of sin. We were also saved and delivered from the dominion of the devil and brought into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. This is what makes our eternal salvation secure. But the salvation James is talking about in that text is the daily or moment by moment salvation that we experience from the works of the devil and from temptations to sin. And he is saying that our attitude towards the word of God is what will make us experience this salvation. Our attitude towards His word is what will save us from all the evil things Satan is doing in this world and from the corruption of sin.
Now what sort of attitude must we have towards the word of God, so that it will be able to save us every moment from the assaults of the devil and of sin? It is that of humility. James says we must humbly accept His word that has been planted in our hearts. So, as the word of God is coming to you, whether in your church meetings or as you read and study your bible, you must humbly accept it. If you do not humbly accept it, you will not act on it.
Can you now see how these things are connected? When James says do not merely listen to the word but also do what it says, he also wants us to know that we will not do what His word says until we have humbly accepted it as the final word. So, even if his word runs contrary to what you feel, you still have to humble yourself before it. Unfortunately, there are many people who will not humble themselves before God’s word because they think they know better than Him or are smarter than Him. These ones keep arguing with Him. Therefore, their lives, homes, relationships, businesses and so forth cannot be what they ought to be.
Now the word of God tells us that the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom (1Corinthians 1:25). So, when He is talking to you, you must understand that it is your creator that is talking to you. What He is saying to you may not make sense. But that is the final word. His way is the only way. There is no other way. You can create your own way of doing things. But it is guaranteed to land you in trouble.
It is not every time what God says to us will make sense. But whatever He says to us is the final. For instance, what He says to us about our marriage is the final word on it. And what He says about our salvation is the final word on it. Then whatever He says about our jobs or businesses or relationships with those in our lives is the final word on them. And we must humbly accept it, regardless of how we feel or what we see or what we hear. Until we accept His word in humility about every matter of our lives, it will not result in salvation for us.
How were we first saved from the devil and from our sins? It was by humbly accepting the word of God. We were told that we were lost and dead to God and needed to be brought back to life. We were also told that the only way to be brought back to life is to embrace what God says about His Son Jesus Christ. And it was when we embraced what we were told, in spite of what we felt or thought, that we were saved it, if we were indeed saved.
Now, having been saved in that manner, we must continue to accept the word of God with humility. Otherwise, it will not work for us. We have all kinds of examples and illustrations in Scriptures of people who humbled themselves before God’s word and so experienced salvation, exaltation and so forth. For instance, we are told about Peter in Luke 5 and about how he and his colleagues toiled all through a particular night as fishermen and yet could not catch a fish. Then, in the morning, while they were trying to tidy up things and go home, Jesus came and asked if He could preach from their boat. And they agreed.
Well, when Jesus was done preaching, He called Peter and told him to launch out into the deep for a catch. But Peter said, “We worked all through the night and did not catch a thing. So, as a trained and experienced fisherman, I am going to say the fishes are not just there. However, because you said so, I will launch out into the deep.” And when he did, they caught such a great number of fish that their nets began to break. So, they had to call their companions to join them. Even at that, both boats were so filled with fishes that they began to sink.
What is the point of all this? It is that Peter experienced that miracle of provision because he humbled himself before the word of God. If you too want to experience miracles in your life, miracles of provisions, promotion, advancement and so forth, you must humble yourself before the word of God. Your attitude towards His word must be right. If your attitude towards His word is not right, there are things that will never happen in your life.
In any case, I have mentioned three things about the kind of attitude we should have towards the word of God in order for it to produce the results God wants in our lives. First, I said we must desire His word. Second, we must pay attention to His word. Third, we must humbly accept it. As we relate to the word of God in this manner, we will find ourselves doing it. And when we do His word, it will surely produce in our lives the results God wants and make us the people we are meant to be.
Let us pray.
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Title: Why have the right attitude?
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: July 16, 2023
Series: Attitude
I want to begin to talk to you about the need for us to have the right kind of attitude in our walk with God. As we see in Scriptures, God is not just concerned about our becoming born again; He is also concerned about what our becoming born again does to us. Yes, He wants us to become born again because that is where to start. Unless a man becomes born again, he has not place in the kingdom of God (John 3:5-8). Unless a man is recreated, He has no life with God. He is on his own. When we are talking about someone being on his own, we are actually referring to one that is not born again. He is someone without God in this world and without hope (Ephesians 2:12).
In any case, being born again is a means to an end. In other words, it is not everything God requires of us. Of course, it is the basis for walking with God. It is like the foundation upon which God is going to build our lives. So, we must not stop at being born again, for that is not where it ends. Our being born again ought to do something to us. That is why we are talking about having the right kind of attitude. It is why we are talking about a change of our attitude towards God and towards life.
Unfortunately, many of God’s people do not know that attitude means a lot to God. They don’t know that He wants us to be renewed in the attitude of our minds. He wants us to have the same kind of attitude our Lord Jesus had when He walked the face of this earth. So, Paul says this to the Philippians: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5NIV) In other words, we are to have the same attitude our Lord Jesus had when He lived here on earth. See, there was a way our Lord Jesus reasoned when He was here. And the way He reasoned determined the attitude that He had towards God, man, work, sin and so forth.
In like manner, the way we reason will determine our attitude towards God and life. Look at what Paul says to the Ephesians along this line:
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must go longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full greed.” (Ephesians 4:17-19NIV)
This apostle says we must no longer live as the unbelievers live. Unbelievers have their own way of life. And this is based on the way they think. People live on the basis of how they think. People handle life on the basis of how they reason. If someone is difficult to live it with or hard to work with, it is because of the way he thinks. If someone is misbehaving and messing up in life, it is because of the way he thinks. And if someone is good natured and kind, he is also because of how he thinks.
So, when Paul says we must know longer live as the gentiles do, he is implying that we must no longer reason or think as they do. The reasoning of the unbeliever is futile – it tends towards futility. That is why they live careless, wayward, meaningless and useless lives. Their reasoning has been darkened. So, they find it convenient to give themselves to all kinds of impurity and greed. But the believer must not live like that. You may have been living like that before. But now that you have become a child of God, you must no longer live like them.
However, if you will no longer live the way unbelievers live or approach life the way they do, you must change in the way you think. Your mindset must change. Your attitude towards God and life must change. And as we progress in this, I will begin to show you from Scriptures the kinds of attitude God wants us to have towards various matters of life.
Well, Paul goes on to say this from verse 20 of Ephesians 4:
“That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24NIV)
The point Paul is making here is that when you come to Christ, you learn to live differently. And if you are not being taught in your Christian assembly to live differently, something is definitely wrong with those teaching you. You are supposed to be taught how to live differently. As Paul shows us here, we are taught to put off our old self, having come to the Lord Jesus. That is a reference to our old way of life that is corrupt.
Yes, in Christ Jesus, our old self or nature has already been put off and a new one has been given to us. That is what it means to be born again or to be recreated. But what Paul is speaking about in this text has to do with our old way of reasoning, that is, our mentality. This has to do with who we are in our minds. And he is saying we have to put that off, for it has been corrupted, and put on a new self. Being made new in the attitude of our minds is what he refers to as putting on a new self, a new personality. This means we must take on a new attitude, a new attitude towards God, towards man, towards our work, towards money, towards our marriage and so forth.
Why is this important? Why is it important that we are made new in the attitude of our minds? First, it is important for it shows how well we understand the will of God for us. What I am saying is that our attitude towards, God, man and life in general shows how well we know and understand the will of God for us. If you have a wrong attitude towards God, it means that you do not understand His will for you as you should or at all. If you have a wrong attitude towards your job, it means that you don’t understand God’s will for you about your job. If your attitude, then, will be right towards God, man and life as a whole, you must understand the will of God for you about all the matters of your life.
Now this is not something anyone will do for you. You are the one that will take it upon yourself to know His will for you. Already, God has given us all that it takes for us to know His will. For example, He has given us His Holy Spirit. The word of God says we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God that we may know what God has freely given to us (1Corinthians 2:12). We are also told by the Lord Jesus that the Spirit of God, when He comes to live in us, will guide us into all truth and show us things to come (John 16:13). Then we are told that He will teach us all things (John 14:26).
So, one of the reasons we are given the Holy Spirit is that He may guide or lead us fully into the will of God for us. But He is not going to force us to know the will of God. We must be willing to know His will for ourselves. And how is He going to make God’s will known through us? It is basically through the Scriptures. Yes, He can also make His will known to us through visions, dreams, prophetic utterances or angelic visitations. But His major way of making God’s will known to man is through the Scriptures. Paul in his second letter to Timothy tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished for every good work (2Timothy 3:16-17). That means the Scripture is given to reveal the whole will of God to us and build us up.
Well, the point I am making is that it is on us to know the will of God for ourselves. Paul says this to the Ephesians about that: “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:17NIV) Can you see that? It is foolish of us not to understand God’s will for our lives. And it is on us to understand His will for us. When we understand His will, we will be able to live on its basis. Our understanding of His will is what will change our attitude. If you, then, want your attitude to be right, you need to understanding the will of God for you.
Then our attitude has a lot to say about whether we really belong to God or not. Here is what Paul says in Romans, chapter 6, about this: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2NIV) This man is asking whether, having become born again, we could go on living as we used to live? In other words, shall we go on sinning and living the way we used to live before? He says, “By no means!” That means if we have truly been born again, if we have truly been recreated, if we have truly been saved, then, we cannot go on living the way we used to live – we cannot go on having the same attitude we had towards God or towards life.
The point we are making is that, having become born again, we cannot continue to live as though we were not saved, recreated or born again. We cannot go on functioning with the same attitude we used to have towards God and life. Yes, we may have certain right attitudes before becoming born again. And we are not saying that such right attitudes should be altogether discarded, simply because we are now born again. What we are dealing with here are the wrong attitudes we had. And those who are not saved are usually loaded with all kinds of wrong attitudes. But having become born again those attitudes must change. What will change them? It is your understanding of the will of God that will change them, as I pointed out before.
Going forward, of course, I will show you from Scriptures the right kinds of attitude we are to have towards God and different matters of life. But I am saying at the moment that our attitude has a lot to say about whether we actually belong to God or not. If you do belong to God indeed, it will show in your attitude towards Him and towards a lot of things.
See, by merely looking at someone and how he conducts himself, you may be able to tell whether he fears God or not. I am saying that just by looking at the way someone relates to his family members, job, neighbours, things that concern God and so forth, you can tell whether he takes God seriously or not. Without interacting with people and asking them questions, you can tell where they actually belong, with God or with the devil, just by observing their attitude.
What I am saying here has nothing to do with religion. We indeed do have many Christians who are religious and who can easily be located because of their religion. For instance, we have those who wear certain religious attires, use certain religious slangs or who religiously attend church programs. And there are really things that we do religiously in the church. So, being religious is not altogether bad. Religion has its own place in our walk with God. There are things we must do religiously, if we are going to grow and advance in our walk with God.
Nevertheless, even though you are religious, your attitude towards God and life can show whether your religion is meaningful or worthless; it can show whether your claims of belonging to God are true or false. Look at what John says in his first letter, chapter two, about this:
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and 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.” (1John 2:18-19NIV)
John is telling us here that it is possible to eventually leave the Lord Jesus and His church after being with them for a while. That ‘a while’ may be ten years, twenty years or even more. But those who really do not belong in the kingdom of God are going to leave us at some point. They may not stop attending church meetings. But their attitude will show that they have already left. And by leaving they are showing that they have never really belonged. So, if you are lying to yourself or others about your relationship with God, a time is coming when what you are will come out in the open. Yes, a time is coming when you will not be able to take it anymore and show yourself for what you really are. You will know at that time that it is useless to continue to attempt to deceive or fool anyone about where you stand. So, you will come out in the open to show who you really are.
But then, just by looking at your attitude, we can tell whether you really belong to God or not. Yes, we may not say anything about what we see in you. It does not mean we don’t know you. Pastors usually know more things about people than they often say. And that is because they don’t want to be misrepresented or be taken as the reason certain people who never really belong to God are leaving Him.
It is just like Jesus Christ. He kept quiet about all that He knew about Judas Iscariot. Why? It was so that it would not look like He was the one that aided the man in falling or becoming what he eventually became. So, He gave him equal privileges, opportunities and even authority as He gave others. He made sure he had no reason, no excuse whatsoever for becoming what he became. And we do the same thing in the church. We give people equal opportunities, privileges and space to learn and operate. This is so that no one will use our assumed partiality as their excuse for expressing the evil that has always been in them or for going in the wrong direction and ruining their faith. Well, the point I am making is that your attitude can tell us a lot about whether you really belong to God or not.
Another thing we need to know about attitudes is that they can determine the degree to which God will use us or whether He will even use us at all. God, of course, wants to use all of His children. God has a place for every one of His children in His scheme of things. He has roles for all of us to play in His kingdom. That is why He is the one that determines the places we all occupy in His kingdom. So, whether He uses us as He wants to is not up to Him alone but also up to us. Our attitude towards Him and towards life will determine whether He will be able to use us as He wants to or not.
For instance, and I will still dwell on this later, when God sent Gideon to deliver Israel for the Midianites, He told him that the people he had with him were too many for the job. So, He gave him some tests to give to them. First, He told him to tell those who were afraid among them to go back. And twenty-two thousand out of thirty-two thousand of them went back when they heard that. Think about that. But these people came out to fight along with Gideon when he asked them to come out against the Midianites. But deep within them, they were afraid. They did not come out win but to lose. It is an attitude, the attitude of a failure. They had lost the battle before it even started. So, God told Gideon to send them home. And he did. (Cf. Judges 7:1-3)
Then the remaining ten thousand men were taken by Gideon to the water for the second test. What was it about? It was also about attitude. God told Gideon to watch the way they drank water. Some drank with caution, knowing that they were at the warfront and needed to be vigilant. But many of them forgot totally that they were at the warfront and knelt down to drink from the stream. And God told Gideon to send them home for they were not vigilant. Interestingly, nine thousand, seven hundred men were sent on home on this basis, leaving Gideon with just three hundred men. (Cf. Judges 7:5-8)
What is the point I am making? It is that your attitude has a lot to say about whether God will be able to use you at all or not and to what extent He will use you. Yes, you want God to use you. But do you have the right kind of attitude, the attitude of the man or woman that He can use?
Finally, your attitude will determine whether you will ultimately enjoy all that God has provided for you to possess and enjoy in this life or not. God has already provided for all His children all that we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3). Also, we have an inheritance in God that never perishes, spoils or fades. That, of course, does not belong in this realm. Everything in this world will surely fade, spoil and perish. But our inheritance in Christ will not experience any of those. That is telling us that it does not belong in this realm but in the life after this.
However, there are things God has already provided for us to enjoy or use in this realm to accomplish His will. And whether we will take hold of these things and utilise or enjoy them or not depends on our attitude. There are people that will never possess and enjoy or utilise the things God has given to them in this life. That is because their attitude is wrong. There are people that will never become all that God wants them to be in this life because their attitude is wrong.
For instance, many attend church meetings week after week and hear the word of God. Yet the word of God, which is meant to change them, has not succeeded in changing their lives. Why? Their attitude is wrong. They are not receiving it with the right attitude. So, they have remained as they are, not progressing or moving forward in the things of God. They are not possessing the things God wants them utilise and enjoy in this life. All this is because their attitude is wrong.
So, I am saying that whether you eventually become all that God wants you to be, do all that He wants you to do and also enjoy all that He wants you to enjoy in this life or not depends on your attitude. You can see why it is important for us to understand the kind of attitude God wants us to have towards Him, towards life, towards men, towards our job and so forth and adopt it. We need to change in the attitude of our minds. Then we can become all that He wants us to be and do all that He wants us to do and then move on to living with Him throughout eternity. These are the things we are going to be looking at in the next couple of weeks. And I pray that the Spirit of God will fill our hearts with understanding, as we do so, and also strengthen us to act according to the truths He will be teaching us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Increase in His work
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: July 09, 2023
Series: Single messages
This morning, I want to share with you on the need for you to continually abound in working with the Lord. As our Lord Jesus tells us, we do not have all the time in the world to do the work of God. There is a time allotted to each of us to do His work. Jesus, as John tells us in chapter 9 of his gospel, once met a man that was born blind. And while He was discussing the man’s matter with His disciples, He said this: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4NIV) In other words, while we still have the opportunity and while the time and the energy are still there for us to do the work of God, we must get busy doing it. We must not get tired or weary or discouraged or allow fear to set in. Instead, we must give ourselves to increasing in our devotion to doing His works. And when all has been said and done, we should be able to say that we have finished His work.
Our Lord Jesus finished His work before He left this world (John 19:30). Paul also finished the work God gave him before he left the world (2Timothy 4:7). We too must labour to finish the works He has given to us. And this is why Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, says this to them: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” (1Corinthians 15:58NIV) What is his main admonition to the brethren here? It is that they should always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord. That means they must continually increase or abound in doing His work. They must continually consider how much they can do for him, looking for the maximum, not the minimum.
Many today are looking for the minimum they can do for the Lord. And that is not the attitude of one that is fully devoted to the work of the Lord. The one that is fully devoted to the work of the Lord will not be considering the minimum he can do for him but the maximum he can do for him. That is what Paul is saying to the Corinthians here. He says they are to always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord. Why? It is because their labour in the Lord is not in vain.
Now this is a powerful incentive to be devoted to serving the Lord – our labour for Him is not in vain. That means there is nothing we do for the Lord that He will not reward us for. In fact, in Galatians 6 we are told not to become tired or weary of doing the good things God wants us to do. Why? It is because God is going to reward us at the appropriate time, if we do not faint. And He is not going to reward us only here on earth but also when we eventually come into His eternal kingdom. How is going to reward us? We are not given details of this in Scriptures. So, no one can say exactly what forms our rewards from Him will take. But we do have assurances that He is going to reward us, that our labour for Him will not be in vain.
Therefore, we must abound in His work. God is not going to reward us for works we have not done for Him. He is an impartial God and not a partial God. He does not play favourites. So, He is not going to reward you for services you have not rendered to His kingdom. He is only going to reward you for what you do and what you do wholeheartedly. So, if you want His reward, keep working till the very end. I said that because I want you to realise that the time for receiving the Lord’s reward is not yet here. Of course, there are things He rewards us with here on earth. But those are merely temporary rewards, things He does for us to let us know that He is paying attention to what we are doing. His real rewards, however, are coming later, that is, when we come into His eternal rest. So, we have to keep working.
Now what places Paul in a position to admonish us like this? What gives him the moral right to tell the brethren in Corinth to always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord? It is the fact that he himself is fully given to the work of the Lord. It is only the one that is fully given to the work of the Lord that has the moral right to instruct or admonish others to follow suit. If you are not fully given to the work of the Lord, you do not have that moral right to tell others to do so. That is because they are going to be looking at you and asking, “What is this person doing for the Lord? How devoted is he to His work? Is he giving his maximum to the Lord? We know that he is not fully devoted to God’s work. Instead, he is always looking for the minimum he can do for him. What right, then, does he have to ask us to be fully devoted to the work of the Lord?”
Paul, in his own case, told the brethren to be fully devoted to the work of the Lord because he himself was fully devoted to His work. In this same 1Corinthians 15, he tells them this from verse 9: “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1Corinthians 15:9-10NIV) Paul is speaking here of his own estimation of his devotion to the work of the Lord. And according to him, even though he did not deserve to be an apostle, for he persecuted the church, God still made him one.
Now this man did not take the fact that God chose him to be an apostle lightly at all. And that is the point he is making in this passage. Truly, he did not deserve to be an apostle. Yet God made him one. How did he respond to that? He responded by working hard. He responded by making sure the grace that he had received did not amount to nothing.
In like manner, none of us deserved whatever God has given to us. We did not receive anything from Him because we deserved it. He made us deserving. He chose to save us by His grace. He chose to bless us with spiritual gifts by His grace. He chose to put us in ministry by His grace and mercy. But then, we need to prove ourselves worthy of what we have received from Him. We must not waste the opportunity. We must not waste the privilege. We must not waste His grace.
Paul says, “The grace of God to me was not without effect.” That means he utilised it. In fact, he said that he worked harder than all the other apostles. Whether this is true or false, we will find out someday when we stand before the Lord. But in his own estimation of things, he believed that he worked harder than all the other apostles. And how was he able to work harder than them? He said that it was by the grace of God.
Therefore, Paul did not say that he worked harder than all the other apostles to put himself ahead of them or to make the brethren think more highly of him than all the other apostles. Rather, he said that to show them that he did not waste the grace of God. When he looked at all that he had done, he could tell from his own perspective that he had worked harder than all the other apostles. And the reason this was so was the grace of God in his life. So, in a sense, he believed that he had received more than them from God in order to be able to do more.
When you are given more abilities, you should expect more responsibilities and, of course, more resources to carry out those responsibilities. God gives people responsibilities and opportunities on the basis of what He has gifted them to do. That is what Paul is talking about in this text. So, the idea is not to put himself ahead of all the other apostles and make them look inferior to him; rather, it is to give us the reason he worked harder than them. That, of course, does not mean that he got better results than anybody. It only means that he was able to obviously do more than others because of the grace given to him.
Paul could have ignored the grace of God in his life. Or he could have wasted it. But he would not do that. He knew much grace was given to him to serve the Lord. And all he could to show himself appreciative of what he had received was to utilise it. That is what God is expecting of us as well. He wants us to utilise what He has given to us. He has given everything to us by His grace and mercy. And He is not asking us to pay Him back. Conversely, all is asking is for us to utilise what He has given to us. He is asking us to make the most of His grace and gifts in our lives to work harder and do more for Him.
So, you need to keep looking out for what more you can do for the Lord than you have already done. Keep looking out for what more you can give to Him than you have already given. What are the opportunities around you that you can utilise to bless more lives, reach more souls, educate more people in God’s will and establish more people in His will? You have to keep looking out for opportunities around you to increase in your service for God. That is the attitude of one who understands the value of the grace of God that has been given to him.
In writing to the Romans, Paul says, “I make much of my ministry.” That means he did not joke with his ministry. Instead, he wanted to get done all the work God gave to him. It is this kind of attitude we too must have. We must keep considering what opportunities we have to utilise His grace to do His will, to do His work. (Cf. Romans 11:13)
Look again at what Paul says of his passion for the work of the Lord in Romans, chapter 1, from verse 11:
“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:11-15NIV)
You can see him here expressing His passion to preach the word of God to the brethren in Rome. According to him, he had always longed to be with them but had been prevented from doing so because he had been ministering in other places. He just kept on looking for opportunities to proclaim his word. Why? He was eager to increase in God’s work. And when he eventually had the opportunity to go to Rome and preach, look at how he expressed it in his letter to the brethren there from verse 23 of chapter 15:
“But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.” (Romans 15:23-24NIV)
Look at that. He says there is no more place for me to work in these regions. Why? He has done all that he could possibly do there. In his own estimation, he believed that he had taken advantage of all the opportunities he had to do the work of God where he was. And that is the attitude of one that wants to continually increase in his work for God. It must be your attitude too. You must continually look out for opportunities to do more for the Lord, to give more to Him, to touch more lives for Him. It must be your ambition to always make yourself available for Him to use in blessing as many He may want to bless through you.
Then don’t forget that you are not doing this in vain. The Lord is going to reward you for everything you do for Him. Men may not reward you. But He is going to reward you. So, you must be ready to abound in His work. It should not be that others will have to be pressuring you, begging you or manipulating you to do God’s work. That does not show that you see His work as your work. It does not show that you see yourself as a vital part of what He is doing. It does not show that you appreciate the gifts of God in your life.
God has blessed you with at least one spiritual gift. Are you considering how to better use this gift to serve His purpose? I once read an article of a man of God in which he said that he was always considering how to make his sermons of multiple usefulness. So, when he was preaching, he would have his sermon recorded. Then he would transcribe the sermon afterwards. That way, people could have access to both his audio sermons and their transcripts. It is the same motivation that is behind our putting our sermons and other publications online for people to listen to or read. It is also why we are on the radio. We want to abound in the work of God. we want to reach more and more people with the grace of God that has reached us. What are you too doing to abound in the work of the Lord? What are you doing in using the grace of God on your life to see the will of God done in the lives of those around you?
Now another reason Paul is telling us to abound in the work of the Lord is that it is possible to diminish in His work. It is possible for us to take His work lightly instead of seriously. But why will someone who has received God’s grace take it lightly? Why will someone who has received diverse abilities from God to do His work abandon this work or begin to diminish in his devotion to it? Discouragement is one the reasons people diminish in God’s work instead of abounding in it. And there are different forms this may take. For example, it may come in form of persecution. In Ezra 4 we are told how the people around the Jews frustrated their efforts to rebuild the Lord’s temple. Counsellors were actually hired to frustrate them. So, at some point, they became discouraged and abandoned the work.
But that was not an acceptable excuse to give to God. I mean that God did not see the fact that they were being persecuted, harassed and frustrated while attempting to build His temple as a sufficient reason for them to abandon His work. So, He began to send His prophets to them. He sent Haggai and Zechariah to encourage them. He sent them to let them know that the persecutions they were facing ought not to stop them from doing His work. In fact, He told them through Haggai that the main reason they were no longer prosperous in their different endeavours was that they abandoned His work. (Cf. Ezra 5:1-2; Haggai 1)
In the same vein, there are many today that are not prosperous in their lives because they have abandoned the work of God. They are working really hard to make money or to attain certain positions in life. But their efforts have been in futility. Why? They are not given to the work of the Lord because they allowed discouragement to set in.
Perhaps you too have allowed discouragement to keep you from doing the work of God. That may be because you were not getting the kinds of results you had hoped you would get. Or it may be because people did not and still do not appreciate what you are doing for the Lord. Or it may be because people are insulting you. But none of these will be an acceptable excuse before God for not doing what He wants you to do.
Mind you, as I pointed out before, God is not going to reward you for works you have not done for Him. So, if you allow discouragement to keep you from doing the will of God for your life, you will have only yourself to blame. In 2Timothy, chapter 1, Paul shares with Timothy what he thought of the attitudes of the brethren around him while he was in prison awaiting trial and judgment from the Ceasar that was on the throne at the time. Look at it what he says in verse 15: “You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” (NIV)
Think about that. Paul needed God’s people around him at that time. He needed them to pray with him, talk with him and encourage him not to lose heart because of his trials. At least, they all knew that he was not in the prison for any sin he had committed but for the gospel. But none of them was available. Maybe they were afraid of his chains and did not want to be arrested and imprisoned as well. We would not know. But we do know that they were not there at all for this man of God, even though God had used him greatly to bless all of them.
In chapter 4 of this same letter, verse 16, he says about the same thing. Look at it: “At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it be not be held against them.” (2Timothy 4:16NIV) Imagine that. No one was there for him to cheer him up or support him. So, he had to rely solely on God for victory and vindication. Yet he did not hold it against them. He did not become bitter because of it. He did not allow that to discourage him. Instead, he kept on encouraging himself in the Lord and also continued to minister from the prison. He continued to send letters to the brethren to establish them in the will of God.
For example, in his letter to the Philippians, he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:4-7NIV) He actually had experienced these things in his life. So, he could write to those outside the prison to practise what he was practising that they may have the same experiences.
Now if someone in the prison was writing to those outside to function like this, it could only mean that he would not allow his chains to keep him from abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? He knew that God was going to reward him for his labour. So, he always wanted to do more. And that is the right mentality. So, don’t allow any form of discouragement to keep you from increasing in doing the work of the Lord.
Another thing that often keeps people from increasing in the work of the Lord is distraction. And there are many distracted children of God today. But those who are distracted cannot abound in the work of the Lord. The things they are occupied with will continually keep them from seeing and utilising the opportunities God is providing for them to do His work.
And what are those things that can distract us? Our jobs can distract us. Our marriages can distract us. Our devotion to our children may distract us. Our desire to become rich, influential or powerful in the society can distract us. Even our passion for pleasure can distract us. Remember the parable of the farmer that sowed his seed that the Lord told. Remember the seed that fell among thorns and what the Lord said about it. He said the seed that fell among thorns refers to those who, having received the word of God, could not be fruitful with it because of the cares and worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches. (Cf. Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15)
We are looking here at people who want to become rich or great in life or who want to attain certain career heights in life. And all those things have their proper places in life. So, the Lord is not against them. However, He does not want any of those things to take His place in our lives or to hinder us from living the life He wants us to live or doing the things He wants us to do. There are things God wants us to do. And we need to identify them. We need to know the duties of our ministries and be devoted to fully doing them. Otherwise, we are not going to get any reward from Him for not getting His work done.
More so, if the people God wants us to minister eventually get lost or destroyed because of our slackness in doing His work, He is going to hold us responsible for it, to one degree or another. So, we need to rid our lives of anything distracting us and keeping us from abounding in the work of the Lord. And this is applicable to every one of us. Look at what Paul says to Timothy about one of his ministry companions: “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica…” (2Timothy 4:9-10NIV) Demas got distracted. But he used to always move around with Paul in doing the work of God. Yet he had become distracted at the time this letter was being written to Timothy and deserted Paul.
We are not told what got Demas distracted. We are simply told that he fell in love with this world. Maybe he felt that his life was not moving forward enough because of his devotion to the gospel. Maybe he felt that he was not getting enough money to do the things he wanted to do. Or maybe he felt that he needed to settle down and have a family of his own. Whatever his reason may be, the fact remains unchanged that he got distracted and probably held his devotion to the work of God as the reason for his backwardness in life and abandoned the work.
Many have also deserted their ministry because of distraction. Perhaps you to are already distracted. Well, the Spirit of God is calling out to you now and saying, “Do not diminish in my work but abound in it.” So, deal with the distraction in your life. Pray that God will rid your life of everything distracting and preventing you from doing His work. And He will do so.
Then we also have those who want things to be convenient for them before they can do anything tangible for the Lord. Such people can never abound in the work of the Lord; they can never increase in doing it. That is because they are not ready to work, if things are not convenient for them. I am not against doing God’s work in convenience. It is a good thing to be able to work in an atmosphere of convenience. But it is not every time it will be convenient for us to do God’s work. There are times that doing His work will not be convenient.
For instance, getting up early to pray for God’s people or to lead them in a meeting may not be convenient. Visiting God’s people to counsel them or pray with them may not be convenient. Giving for His work may not be convenient. There are times that you may be required to give out of your poverty or lack. One cannot say that is convenient. Yet the Lord is telling you that you ought to give to get His job done. Now it is not every time that God tells us to give out of our poverty or lack. But there are times that He requires to do so. Is that going to be convenient? No! And if you are looking for what is convenient, you will not do His will.
It is unfortunate that many of God’s people are often waiting for things to be convenient before they do anything for the Lord. Even when it comes to the matter of their own growth, they want it to happen at their convenience. But did our parents allow us to grow at our convenience when we were small? No! Why did they not allow that? They knew that if they allowed us to grow at our convenience, eating, drinking and taking care of our bodies and minds when we liked, we would most likely die before our time.
But God is not going to force us to grow, if we do not want to grow. That is tricky, right? So, you will remain a spiritual babe for life, if you do not want to grow, for God will not force spiritual growth on you. You are the one that wants to grow spiritually at your convenience. That is why you choose when you attend bible study meetings and prayer meetings. You come for these meetings only when it is convenient for you. You pray only when it is convenient for you and also study your bible only when it is convenient for you. And you give only when it is convenient for you. You are simply subjecting your spiritual growth to your own convenience. You will not grow much but will remain a babe for as long as you keep doing this. And you will be giving Satan an upper hand in your life.
In like manner, which is the point I really want to make, you can subject God’s work to your convenience. But how much can you do for Him at your convenience? I want things to be convenient for me too. But I have a job to do. And I know I must get it done, whether it is convenient or not. Was it convenient for Paul to be writing letters to God’s people from his prison room? I don’t think so. Yet he did it. That was because he had a huge sense of responsibility. Do you too have that? Do you see yourself as a vital part of God’s family and consider His work to be your work as well? If you see His work as your work, then, your heart and mind will be on doing it. And you will want to see your own part of it finished.
Well, I want you to know that God really wants to use you more than He has ever used you. He wants to reach more lives through you than He has done before. But will He able to do this? If He will be able to do so, you will need to adjust your mindset to embrace what He is saying to you. You will need to make up your mind that you are going to increase in doing His work and not diminish in it. And I pray that the Spirit of God will strengthen you to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Fraudulent reputation
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: July 02, 2023
Series: Single messages
I want to read to you from the book of Revelation, chapter 3, from verse 1. And it says: “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:1-2NIV) This is one of the Lord’s letters to the seven churches in the province of Asia, sent by the hand of John the apostle. And in the letter the Lord is showing us something about His church in Sardis. First, He says, “I know your deeds.” In other words, He knows what they are doing with their lives. There is nothing they are doing that He is not aware of.
In like manner, there is nothing we are doing that He does not know. He does not need anybody reporting to Him about us before He knows what is going on in our lives or what we are up to. He does not even need us confessing anything to Him about our lives because He knows even the hidden thoughts of our hearts. So, when He is telling us that He knows our deeds, we should know there is no room for argument.
Well, first, He tells the church in Sardis that He knows their deeds. Then He goes on to say, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” This, of course, is a terrible thing to say of a church of God or of a believer. Don’t forget that this is a letter written to believers. And the Lord is saying that they have a reputation of being alive, when they are actually dead.
Now when the Lord is speaking about death here, He is not referring to physical death but to spiritual death. He is speaking of a situation in which man is separated from the life of God. But these are believers, people that have been brought out of death into life. As the Scripture tells us, everyone that believes has been brought out of death into life (John 5:24). God made us alive in Christ Jesus because of our faith in Him. So, at some point, the brethren in Sardis were made alive by God through faith in Christ Jesus. But at the time the Lord was writing through John to them, they had become dead again, separate from God again in their hearts. They were no longer in touch with Him. They were no longer alive to Him. God could no longer reach them.
You know that when someone is dead, you cannot reach the person or communicate with him. That does not mean the person is not available for you to reach. In fact, the person may be right where you are. You may be able to touch, feel and see the person. But you cannot communicate anything to the person that he will be able to relate to. And it does not matter how loud you shout or cry out to the person, he cannot respond to you. That is because he cannot hear you. Even if you kick him, he is not going to respond. Why? He is dead and cannot relate to you anymore.
In like manner, when someone is spiritually dead to God, He cannot reach the person. There is nothing He says to him that He will hear. There is nothing He does to the person or for him that he can relate to. Even if God decides to punish him, the punishment will still not lead him back to God. See, it is only those who are alive to God that punishment that can bring back to Him. The one that does not belong to Him, the one that is dead to Him, cannot relate to any punishment He gives to him. It does not matter what measure of punishment or suffering He inflicts on him, it will not result in repentance. That is because he is dead to Him.
In any case, that is the situation of every natural man, everyone that is not born again. He is dead to God. But those who are born again have been made alive to God. As the bible shows us, before someone can become born again, God has to first make the person alive to Himself (Ephesians 2:1-5). That is when the person can hear Him and respond to His love. It is when He has made you alive to Him that your heart can begin to hunger for Him and to thirst for Him and His salvation. That is how people become born again – God makes them alive to Himself.
But then, having been born again, having been made alive to God, is it possible for one to become dead to Him again? If it were not possible, the Lord Jesus would not say to the church in Sardis, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Now I do not want to miss something here, which is that people’s position may be different from their reputation. For instance, we have the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. This man was his father’s son. That was his position in his father’s heart and in his house. He was a son and would always be a son. Yet he was known as a prodigal son. Why? It was because he left home with the inheritance he got from his father and squandered everything. He came back home only with his life. There was nothing he could show for all his year of sojourning in a foreign land. He came back home empty. Yet he was received. Why was he received? He was received because he was a son – his position in that house was that of a son, not that of a servant, slave or stranger.
Remember, then, that when he was coming home, he had rehearsed what he was going to tell his father, how he would tell him not to accept him as a son again but as a servant. And when he got to his father, he indeed began to say those things to him. But the man did not pay attention at all to what he was saying. That was because regardless of what he said, his position in the house remained the same, the position of a son.
In like manner, a Christian’s reputation may be different from his position in the kingdom of God. We are God’s children. That is what we are. That is what we will always be. But we may not have a reputation as children of God before the world and even before God Himself. We may not have a reputation that is contrary to our position in the kingdom of God. So, we can speak of an immoral child of God. That sounds strange. But it is possible to have that kind of reputation before the world and before God our Father.
We can also talk about a greedy Christian, a selfish Christian, a wicked Christian, a stubborn Christian or an arrogant Christian. These terms, of course, will be speaking of the reputation of that Christian and not his position. His position is that of a son in the house of God. But his reputation does not match his position. And that is a problem. It is a problem because his reputation is not bringing glory to God.
Also, his reputation will make people misrepresent him as a child of the devil. And of course, he may actually be a child of the devil that is masquerading as a child of God. Time will surely tell. If he continues building a reputation that is contrary to the position he claims to possess in the family of God, he may end up losing his place. And that will show that he has never really belonged in the family of God. All his claims of belonging in this family have been false all along. (Cf. 1John 2:18-19)
Look at the prodigal son, for instance. Even though he went astray and messed up his life, he still came back home to his father. Why? He was a true son – he was not a bastard. But what if he had stayed away? What if he had refused to go back to his father? He would have perished in that strange land. And that would make one wonder if he ever considered himself to be a son to his father in the first place.
Well, I said all of that to show you that a Christian’s reputation can be different from his position before God. But that should not be. Our reputation should be in agreement with our position in the family of God. What we are before God is what our lives should also express before Him and before the world.
But then, it is also possible to have a reputation before the world that seems to agree with our position before God, when, in the actual sense of things, our reputation before God is different. In the letter to the church in Sardis, the Lord says, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” So, people see these brethren as true children of God. They see them as loving, kind, faithful, holy and righteous. That is the reputation they have before those around them.
However, God does not see these brethren to be alive to Him. He does not see them to be fervent and faithful in living holy, righteous and blameless lives. It is only those in their world that see them in this manner. God does not see them in the same manner. That, again, is a terrible thing. It is a terrible thing to have before the world a good reputation that you do not have before God. It is shows that something is wrong somewhere.
How do people succeed in gaining a reputation that they do not have before God among men? How do Christians succeed in gaining a reputation of being holy, righteous, kind, gentle or generous before men, when, in fact, they do not have the same reputation before God? It shows that a measure of deceit is involved. It shows that hypocrisy is involved. It is shows that someone is fraudulent here and is misleading others to believe he is what he is not.
Sadly, there are many of us Christians today who are misleading the children of God around us and also the unbelievers in our world to think that we are what we are not. Among our family members, friends, colleagues at work, neighbours and church members we have a reputation of being kind, generous and faithful to God. But we do not have the same reputation before God. Then we also do not have the same reputation before certain people that know us well.
For instance, there are Christians that are immoral and who have succeeded in covering it up. We also have Christians that are greedy and who have succeeded in covering it up. We even have preachers that are involved in idolatry with witchcraft and sorcery and have succeeded in covering it up. They are using the name of Jesus, religious activities, religious attires and so forth to cover these things up. But the truth is that it is only men that can be deceived and fooled like that – God cannot be fooled. And you will be deceiving yourself, if you think God can be fooled.
Yes, you may have a reputation as a child of God before the world. But God does not see you as one living like His child? And because He does not see you as one living for Him, there will not be any praise from Him for what you are doing. By the way, a day may come when God will expose you to the world, so that they will see you for what you really are. And that could be very discouraging to the people of God and even to others who have been considering turning to Jesus. We really have had those who totally turned away from the Lord because they were disappointed in some people that they thought they were true children of God, when they found out that they were actually not what they thought they were.
These ones were misled to see those people as children of God. But they ended up messing them up. Some were trusted with money because they were Christians but ended up abusing that privilege. Some others were trusted with other people’s daughters but ended up defiling them. Why? They misled those who trusted them. They gave them a fraudulent representation of themselves.
Now if you are living like that, the word of God is coming to you at this moment and saying, “Wake up! Strengthen what is about to die in you, for I have found your works unfinished in the sight of my God.” That is the Lord’s message to the church in Sardis. He says you are dead – you are spiritually dead. Yes, you have a reputation for being alive before men. But before God you are dead. The life you are living does not show you as being connected to God at all.
It is true that those around you see you as being connected to God. They think you are in fellowship with Him and that He is the one leading you. But the truth is that God cannot reach you. He cannot talk to you or make you live as He wants you to live. That is because you cannot hear Him or see Him or feel Him. You are dead to Him. And if you are dead to God, who are you alive to? Evidently, it is the devil you are alive to. There is no middle ground here. If you are not alive to God, you are dead to Him. And if you are dead to Him, you are alive to the devil. That is how it is.
Well, the word of God is coming you now. And you should act on it before it is too late and you lose your soul to destruction. He is telling you to wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for God has not found your works complete before Him.
Now the point we are making is that the reputation of goodness we have before the world is what we also ought to have before God. Why? God is the one that will judge us and not men. We may do all that we can to have a great reputation before men. But ultimately, they are not the ones that will judge us. I am not saying that man’s judgment does not matter at all. It matters to the degree that it conforms with what God says about us. And of course, it can determine how people will relate to us or how well they will receive us and the message of Jesus.
However, it is not what men think about us that counts; it is what God thinks about us. That is why Paul, in 1Corinthians 4, tells the brethren that he does not care how they or any human court judges him. What he cares about mostly is God’s judgment. He says, “It is the Lord who judges me.” So, what God thinks about us, the reputation we have before Him is what is really important.
God has called us to be His own. He has saved us and washed us and justified us. But then, we need to gain a reputation before Him of those who have truly been saved, washed, justified and glorified. We need to gain before Him a reputation of holy, righteous and blameless living. This is different from our position before Him. We are holy before Him. We are righteous before Him. We are blameless before Him. That is our position and nothing can change it.
But what about our reputation before Him? The kind of reputation we gain before Him has a lot to say about whether we really belong to Him or not. If we truly belong to Him, then, we will be committed to living up to the position we have before Him. Look at what is said about Daniel, for example. He had a reputation among those he was working with as a true worshipper of God. They could tell that he was a righteous and holy man, one utterly given to serving God. But did he have the same reputation before God? If he did not have it before God, then, whatever reputation he had before men meant nothing to God. God would not reward him on the basis of his reputation before men but on the basis of his reputation before Him.
Thankfully, we see that the same reputation he had before men was what he had before God. In Daniel, chapter 9, from verse 20, we are told this:
“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill – while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision…” (Daniel 9:20-23NIV)
Look at that. Daniel is referred to here by angel Gabriel as one that was highly esteemed before God. That means his reputation before men was not different from his reputation before God. Interestingly, on another occasion, another angel was sent to him and he said about the same thing concerning his reputation before God. This is in Daniel, chapter 10, from verse 10, which reads, “A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.” (Daniel 10:10-11NIV)
Two different angels were sent to Daniel at two different times, and they both said the same thing about him. They both said that the reputation he had before men was the same as what he had before God. As he was highly esteemed among men, he was also highly esteemed before God. Look at Job and his reputation before God. God saw him as a true worshipper, not as a fraudulent one. And does He see me as a true believer, as one that is truly living for Him or as a liar, a deceiver or an immoral person?
If you are truly God’s child, you are going to labour before Him to have a reputation that matches your position in His family. Otherwise, when all has been said and done, it may just be that you have actually not been born again. If you are truly a child of God, you will labour to live a life that is consistent with your position in His heart. And isn’t this the way we function as children in our homes? We want to live to attain the positions we have in our homes. We want our parents to see as their children indeed, that is, through the way we function. We do not want them referring to us as bastards. And there are times that we find parents referring to their children as bastards. Why? They are looking at how those children are behaving and wondering if they are truly their children.
If you too are truly a child of God, what is your reputation before Him? Look at what Paul says about his reputation before God and before the Thessalonian brethren: “You are witnesses, and so is God of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” (1Thessalonians 2:10NIV) That means the Thessalonians were not the only witnesses that could testify that Paul and his companions lived holy, righteous and blameless lives among them; God was also a witness to the same fact. So, their reputation of holy, righteous and blameless living was not fraudulent.
Let me take back to verse 6 of the same chapter. There Paul says, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness.” (1Thessalonians 2:6NIV) Note here that Paul and his companions did not put on a mask to cover up greed when they were with the Thessalonians. And that was quite significant and instructive. If you have a reputation among men that you are living for God, when you are not, it must mean that you are using a mask to cover up the evil in your life.
Now it may be pride, lust, bitterness, envy, jealousy or unwillingness to forgive others that you are covering up. And perhaps it is preaching, evangelism, crusades, religious attires, giving or devotion to church meetings that you are using to cover these things up. Whatever it is you are using to cover it up, God can see through it. He can see through all your lies, hypocrisies and deceit. It is important, therefore, that you humble yourself before God and let Him cleanse you of these things instead of covering them up.
Is it greed that is in your life? Then face the reality about it and let God deal with it. If it is immorality that is in your life, face it and let God deal with it. If you need the help of the brethren in dealing any wrong thing in your life, if you need their prayers and counsel, go for it instead of finding ways to cover it up. Otherwise, as I said before, a day may come when God is going to expose all your lies, deceit and hypocrisy. And you may not be the only one that will be affected if that happens. Others also who have trusted you may have their faith messed up because of you. Then God will hold you responsible for the role you play in their fall.
Not only that, you may end up being destroyed in your hypocrisy or deceit. And that may just suggest, as I said before, that you have never really belonged to God. I pray that you will not be destroyed in any way, in Jesus’ name. But make sure you begin to live up to the position you claim to be occupying in family of God.
Let us pray.
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Title: Watch your life
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: June 25, 2023
Series: Single messages
I want to draw your attention to some of Paul’s admonitions to Timothy. We have this in his first letter to him, the fourth chapter and the last verse. And it says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1Tim 4:16NIV) What are the two things Paul asks Timothy to watch closely here? The first is his life. He is to watch his life.
Now we know that people are always watching our lives, whether we are conscious of it or not. They may be doing so consciously or unconsciously. But they watch us. We too also always watch others in our lives, consciously or unconsciously. We watch the way they conduct themselves and live their lives. But then, our focus should not be on what is happening in the lives of others alone but also on what is happening in our lives.
I am not saying that we should not watch or pay attention to what is happening in the lives of others around us. It is right to do so, based on the kind of relationship we have with them. The husband, for instance, ought to pay attention to what is happening in the life of his wife. And the wife too ought to pay attention to what is happening in the life of her husband. Parents should pay attention to what his happening in the lives of their children. Children also should pay attention to what is happening in the lives of their parents.
It is, in fact, important that we pay attention to the lives of all the people in our lives that we have one form of relationship or the other with. This, for instance, can aid us in protecting them, if they are in danger. It can aid us to support them where they are weak. It can also help us in knowing when and where to warn them, if they are doing things that can lead them into trouble.
However, we must not get so caught up with paying attention to what is happening in the lives of others that we neglect the need to pay attention to what is happening in our lives. We need to also learn to pay close attention to what is happening in our own lives. This is why Paul tells Timothy to watch his life closely. And what is he to watch about his life. He is to watch the consistency of his life with the will of God.
Timothy is a child of God. He is also a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now because he is a child of God, the will of God has been made known to him – the way God wants us to live has been made known to him. He is, then, required to watch whether his life is in agreement with what has been revealed to him to be the will of God or not. And this is not a one-off thing. This is something Timothy is expected to continually do. He is expected to continually watch the consistency of his life with the will of God.
Yes, Timothy was a preacher when this letter was written to him. In fact, the letter was written to edify him as a preacher. Nonetheless, what is said to him in the letter is not applicable to him alone but also to every child of God. All of us owe it to ourselves to see that our lives are consistent with the will of God. We are not permitted to live our lives anyhow. A child of God should not live anyhow, as he pleases. He ought to be interested in the quality of life that he is living. He ought to ascertain that the life he is living is pleasing God.
God said this about our Lord Jesus: “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well-pleased.” And Jesus said of Himself, “I always do what pleases my Father.” (Cf. Matthew 3:17; John 8:29) How did He know that He always did what pleased the Father? He knew because He was watching His life. He knew because He was paying close attention to His life. He could tell that His life was in agreement with the will of God. He was not living anyhow. He was not living absent-mindedly. He was conscious of the need for Him to live to please the Father.
When you are doing something that has a standard that it must measure up to, you will be careful to do it in such a way that it will be in agreement with the set standard. Or let us suppose you are a student and has some examination to write. You will surely be careful to answer the questions you are asked in agreement with what the one that will grade you expects. You will not want to just write what you feel like writing or what comes to your mind. On the contrary, you want to write to meet the expectations of the examiner.
In like manner, we as children of God must watch our lives and see that they are in agreement with the will of the one who has called us. And have you been watching your life? Have I been watching my life? Paul gives a similar instruction to the Ephesians in his letter to them. He says from verse 15 of chapter 5: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17NIV) Did you see that? We are to be careful how we live, not as unwise but as wise people. That means we need to watch how we live. We need to watch what is happening in our lives and what we are doing with them. We are not to live anyhow, recklessly or carelessly but thoughtfully.
Now what will make it possible for me to do that? It is my understanding of the will of God. That is why Paul says do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. If I do not understand what the will of God is for my life, there is no way I can live my life to agree with it. So, I need to first understand what God wants of me. I need to constantly make effort to know what He requires of me, how He expects me to live and function. Then I can begin to watch the consistency of my life with what He wants.
So, if you have been living your life anyhow, you are not doing the right thing as a child of God. If you have not been watching what you are doing with your life to see that it agrees with the will of God, you are not living right as a child of God. You need to pay attention to what you are doing with your life as a child of God. I also need to do so. And my desire is to get to that point where I am able to say, as Jesus did, that I always do what pleases God. That means if I am not at the moment doing all that pleases Him, I should know. If my life is not in agreement with His will, I should know. And if I know that my life is not in agreement with His will, what am I doing about it.
God wants my life to conform to His will. Paul says in his letter to the Romans that God predestined us to conform to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). So, we have a standard that our lives are meant to conform to. That is why we cannot live our lives carelessly or recklessly but in conformity with the will of God.
There is another thing Paul tells Timothy to watch in our main text. And that is his doctrine. That means he is to watch what he believes. What, then, is he to watch closely about his doctrine? He is to watch the agreement of his doctrine with the will of God. What do we believe? What do we believe about God? What do we believe about man? What do we believe about this life? What do we believe about the life to come?
As we see in Scriptures, what we believe is important. That is because it is one of the major things that determine how we live. This is why we are not left by God to believe anything we like. He has told us what to believe and how to work with it. For instance, we find many in the world today who claim to believe in Jesus Christ. But what do they believe about Him?
Jesus Himself once asked His disciples, “Who do men say the Son of man is?” And they said, “Well, some are saying that you are one of the prophets of old. Others are saying that you are Jeremiah. And some others are saying that you are Elijah.” Then He proceeded to ask them, “Who do you say that I am?” And they all kept quiet until Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Cf. Matthew 16:13-16)
So, it is not enough for us to say, “I believe in Jesus,” what we believe about Him is important. We are told what to believe about Jesus. Yes, as it was in the days of those apostles, there are today people who believe that Jesus is one of the prophets of God. There are also those that see Him as one of the greatest philosophers that ever lived. But what these ones believe about Him is not what God tells us to believe about Him. And because what they believe about Him isn’t what we are told by God to believe about Him, their belief cannot result in their salvation. For your belief or faith in Christ Jesus to result in salvation, you have to believe that He is the Son of God and that He died for your sins. Yes, you have to accept Him as your Lord. That is what will result in your salvation. You can see, then, that is not enough to believe in Jesus Christ; what you believe about Him is equally important.
Furthermore, we have things we are taught in Scriptures about the future, about the resurrection of the dead, about eternal judgment and so forth. And what we believe about these things is important. For instance, there are people who believe in reincarnation. That means they believe that when a man dies, he does not stop existing. And that is true. When people die, they don’t stop existing. Instead, they continue to live on. However, these ones equally believe that when a man dies, he is going to come back to live again in the world, perhaps in another or similar form or body and perhaps in another place. In fact, some believe that people can come back in this manner as many times as possible and that many have come back several times into this world to live new lives.
So, truly these people believe that if people die, they don’t cease to live but continue to live on. But where do they continue to live? What do they continue to live to do? That is where they miss it and go in the wrong direction. The word of God tells us that it is appointed for a man to die once and, after that, he is to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). In other words, a man can only live in this world once. After that, he is faced with judgment. Of course, he is not going to stop existing. But it is either he continues to exist with God throughout eternity or with the devil in the Lake of fire. That is what we are told to believe in the bible. And that is what we must believe.
But if you do not believe that, your life will be terribly affected. People who believe in this nonsense that when someone dies, he can come back again, are often tempted to live their lives anyhow. Some have, in fact, taken their lives on this basis. They believed that they would come back into the world in a different way and into a different atmosphere, so that they can live better lives.
And think about it. When someone’s life is ruined, and he is made to believe that if he dies he can come back to live differently, he may begin to think of taking his life instead of turning to God to set him right. That is wrong believing. That is what will send some people hell, as it has already sent some others to hell.
Then we also have those who believe that the sun is the god to be worshipped or that the moon or the stars are the gods to worship. We even have those who worship stones, trees and so forth. Sometimes, one wonders what the rationale behind these things is. One wonders why people can be so foolish, stupid and gullible to take or accept these things as gods for them to worship. And they are acting like this because they think they are free to worship whatever they like.
But man is not free to worship what he likes. He is not permitted by God to believe what he wants. Yes, sometimes, we hear people say, “You can believe whatever you want to believe.” But God has not permitted us to believe whatever we want to believe. He tells us what to believe. He tells us what to accept.
Well then, Paul tells Timothy to watch his doctrine closely. This goes beyond what he is teaching people. It is, of course, important that he should watch what he is teaching people. But whatever he is going to teach is going to be a function of what he believes. So, he is essentially talking about what he believes. And he is telling him that he needs to watch it closely. Otherwise, what he teaches will be wrong.
We too must watch what we believe closely. We need to be certain that what we believe is what God wants us to believe. What we believe about God, about ourselves, about life, about how to relate to people and so forth – we need to be certain that it is consistent with the will of God. And that takes us back to what Paul says again to the Ephesians. He says do not be foolish but understand the Lord’s will. We need to be certain of the will of God for us. We need to be certain that what we call light is actually light and not darkness.
Jesus once said to the Jews, “See to it that the light within you is not darkness.” (Cf. Luke 11:35) That means a lot to me. It means I am to see to it that what I accept as right is actually right and not wrong. That is because ultimately there won’t be any excuse for believing the wrong thing. There is not going to be any excuse for accepting darkness as light, error as truth. So, we need to be sure of what we believe.
I wouldn’t know if you have been working on this in your life. But it is what God wants us to be devoted to be doing. This is our responsibility. It is not what anyone is going to do for us. It is what we are going to do for ourselves. We are going to watch our lives. We are going to watch our doctrines. We are going to see to it that these things are in agreement with the will of God.
Now once we are certain that our lives and our doctrines are in agreement with the will of God, we must persevere in them. The first thing is to be certain that your life is in agreement with the will of God. Then you need to be certain that the principles that your life is founded on and upon which you are building your life are right and in agreement with the will of God. If these things are not in agreement in His will, then, you need to change your ways. Don’t perpetuate errors. Don’t multiply your errors or sins. Instead, find out what God wants from you and change your ways.
Well, once these things are taken care of, you need to persevere in doing them. That is the next thing Paul tells Timothy to do. He tells him to be consistent in living right. You already know what it means to live right. You already know how to live right. And you already know the right principles upon which to build your life. Then continue to practise the things you know to be true and right. It is not that you will live on the basis of the truth for a year or so and then turn away to begin to live in error and then turn around again to live in the truth. That is inconsistent living. And it is dangerous, not just for you but, as we will soon see, also for those that your life has influence over theirs.
So, once you are certain that you are doing the will of God and that you believe right, persevere in doing so. Keep walking in the right path upon which God has planted your feet. Don’t turn away from it. And as Paul goes on to tell Timothy, if you do this, you will save both yourself and your hearers. This, of course, is addressed to Timothy as a teacher of God’s people. If he is consistent in living the right life, it is not only himself that he will save but also those who are listening to his sermons.
Now we do know that the one that will ultimately save us from this world of corruption is God. He is the one that paid the price for our eternal salvation. But for us to experience that salvation, we have to take it. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Does that mean we are to work for our salvation? No! We cannot work for our salvation. Only God can do that. So, what Paul says is that we are to work out our salvation. In other words, we are to take advantage of what God has provided for our salvation to save ourselves. (Cf. Philippians 2:12-13)
That exactly is what Paul is telling Timothy, when he says, “If you persevere in living right and believing right, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” What this means is that it is the one that is consistent in doing the will of God that will ultimately experience His eternal salvation. Jesus says, “He who endures to the end will be saved.” That means it is not the one that lives right for a while that will be saved. Rather, it is the one that lives right from start to finish that will be saved. So, consistency matters a lot in God’s kingdom. Being consistent in doing what He wants from start to finish matters a lot. It will make us experience God’s eternal salvation and rest.
Mind you, as Paul will have us understand, we are not doing this for ourselves alone but for others. In other words, how we live is important in determining how those around you and that you have influence over will also live. If you take Paul’s instruction to Timothy here seriously, you won’t be doing so for yourself alone but also for everyone in your life that is consciously or unconsciously looking up to you. This, then, will affect your wife, your husband, your children, your friends, your neighbours, your employees, your church members or anyone else that you have influence of their life.
Now those who preach the word of God need to take this very seriously. You have tremendous influence over the lives of those that you feed with His word. So, how you live and the things you believe have great roles to play in their lives. They are watching you. And somehow, consciously or unconsciously, they follow you. People that we have influence over their lives often emulate us or follow us consciously or unconsciously. So, if you are living wrong, they also may begin to live wrong. If you are living right, there is every tendency that they too will live right.
Remember Peter and how, after the resurrection of Jesus, he told the other disciples that were with him that he was going to fish. And they all went with him. Why? He had some measure of influence over their lives. Also, as Paul reports in Galatia 2, there was a time that Peter’s error became the error of many — his mistake became the mistake of many. And that was because he had influence over them. So, as long as you have influence over people’s lives, you need to watch how you live. That is because once you miss it, they also will most likely miss it.
All of this is why you have to be consistent in doing what is right. There are people watching you, consciously or unconsciously. You may not even know that these ones are watching and emulating you. But they are doing so. So, when you miss it, they may also miss it. That is because it may be not everyone that you have influence over that is intelligent enough to know if you miss it. Some people just follow others blindly. And if you are a blind or foolish guide, then, you and those following you will get into trouble.
You can see why taking these instructions seriously is important. You are not doing so for yourself alone but also for everyone that you have some measure of influence over. And the instructions are clear. First, watch your life and doctrine closely. Second, persevere in watching your life and doctrine closely and ensuring that you are on the right track. That way, you will be able to save yourself and those who are consciously or unconsciously watching and emulating you. I pray that the Spirit of God will strengthen you to take these words seriously and to also act on them. Amen.
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Title: Boundaries of submission
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: June 11, 2023
Series: Submission
I want us to round off what we have been looking at on Submission. We have looked at the various dimensions of submission mentioned in the bible. We have also looked at the gains of being submissive. Then we went on to look at the consequences of not being submissive to the people God wants us to submit to. And now we want to look at the boundaries of submission.
See, when we are talking about submission, we must know that there are boundaries that must not be crossed. As I pointed out when we started this series, every authority emanates from God. There is no authority except that which God has established, as Paul shows us in Romans 13 where we have our main text for the series. This being the case, God is the highest authority in the whole universe. Of course, He has given His authority to our Lord Jesus Christ, for Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” So, everyone and everything is subject to the Lord Jesus and will be subject to Him throughout eternity. (Cf. Matthew 28:18; 1Peter 3:22)
Well, since Jesus has authority over us all, everyone in a position of authority has to exercise his authority in line with His will. What I mean is that anyone who is using his authority contrary to His will is out of line. Anyone that is asking those under him to do things that are contrary to the will of our Lord Jesus is out of line. And when a leader is out of line in this sense, those who are under him are not under any obligation to listen to what he is asking them to do.
I am saying this because people often misrepresent submission for enslavement. But it is not. That you are submissive to someone does not mean that you should allow them to turn you to their slave or that you should# allow them to use you to do just anything. That is not consistent with the will of God for us.
In any case, what I want you to realise is that everyone in a position of authority has boundaries. The only who possesses absolute authority is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one whose authority is limitless, whose authority has no boundaries. The authority of others has boundaries. It does not matter how highly exalted a man may be, his authority has boundaries. Also, though every angel has a measure of authority given to him by God, his authority has boundaries. Even Satan’s authority has boundaries. That is why he can be resisted (James 4:7). If his authority had no boundaries, then he would be able to do as he pleases and no one would be able to resist him. But he can be resisted. And because he can be resisted, it is clear that his authority has boundaries.
Well then, anyone who is a position of authority needs to know that his authority has boundaries. That being case, the measure of submission he is to expect from those under him also has boundaries. The point I am making, all along, is that we are to submit to people to the degree that they lead us in the will of God, to the degree that their leadership is in line with the will of God. We are not to submit to anyone whose leadership is out of line with the will of God or who is asking us to do things that are contrary to the will of God.
Mind you, this does not mean we are not going to be faced with hostility or persecutions for saying ‘No’ to a leader that is asking us to go contrary to the will of God for our lives. We may, to one degree or the other, be faced with persecutions for disobeying a leader who is asking us to do something contrary to God’s will. For instance, we have the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their disobedience to King Nebuchadnezzar. As the account goes, Nebuchadnezzar had set up a gold image and had given a command that everyone must bow before it. But these men paid no attention to the command. Why? It was contrary to the will of God. Idol worship is contrary to the will of God. And if your leader wants you to get involved in it, you are not to submit to him in that situation. (Cf. Daniel 3)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not submit to King Nebuchadnezzar on that occasion, just on that occasion. So, there must be a clear basis for saying ‘No’ to a leader’s command or instruction. Your disobedience must not be based on your feelings. That you don’t feel good about what your leader is asking you to do does not mean that leader is wrong. And if he is not wrong, if he is not instructing you to do something that is contrary to the will of God and to the laws of the place you are, you have to obey him.
So, it must not be because you have some wrong feelings about your leader’s instructions that you will disobey them. Rather, you must have a clear and biblical basis for saying ‘No’ to their instructions. These men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, had a clear and biblical basis for disobeying Nebuchadnezzar. He wanted them to worship his idol. But they would not listen. And he took that as rebellion. So, he ordered that they be thrown into the furnace that he had prepared. But God came to their aid and rescued them, for they were walking in His will. We, therefore, have this assurance that if we are walking in the will of God and if doing so sets us against our leaders, He is able to protect us from their anger, hostility and persecutions.
Then we have the case of Daniel as well in chapter 6 of his book. King Darius had given an edict that no one should pray to any god but him for a certain period of thirty days. And this edict was put into writing and sealed according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, which could not be repealed. But the edict was contrary to the will of God. King Darius was not God. So, to ask people to be praying to him or to try to take the place of God was out of line for him. Yes, he was tricked into doing that. But he was out of line.
Well, that decree put Daniel in a dire situation, for it was actually targeted at him by his enemies to make him sin against God or against the king and get into trouble. Yet he was not going to obey the decree. That was because it went contrary to the will of God. And because of that, he was apprehended and thrown into the den of lions. But God sent His angel to rescue him from the power of the lions. Why? He was walking in the will of God.
Therefore, when we are walking in the will of God and, as a result, are found to be contrary to our leaders, God is able to protect us from whatever they may want to do against us. God actually expects us to stay in His will, even if our leaders are asking us to go contrary to it. And this must be the way we approach things in all our relationships where we have leaders over us. Even in the church, this is the way we must approach things. Yes, we are told to be submissive to our leaders in the church. But if a church leader is asking us to do things that are contrary to the will of God, we must not obey him.
I know there are times some church leaders will try to curse brethren or threaten them with sicknesses, death or accidents, just because they will not follow them in their path of unrighteousness. But you do not need to be afraid of such things, as long as you are walking in the will of God. As I said before, there must be a clear and biblical basis for disobeying any leader. So, it must not be about how you feel but about how the word of God judges issues.
Our Lord Jesus shares some things with us along this line from Saint Matthew’s gospel, chapter 23, from verse 1, which says, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:1-3NIV) Our Lord is showing the Jews here how to relate to their spiritual leaders – the teachers of the law, the Pharisees and so forth. And the first thing He says to them is that these religious leaders have legitimate authority over them. That is what He means when He says, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.”
Well, the point the Lord is making that these Jewish religious leaders are authorised to lead them and to teach them. Therefore, they ought to be careful to do everything they tell them to do. As long as they are standing within the boundaries of their authority, the people must be careful to do everything they tell them to do. This, again, can be widely applied. In other words, it is not only applicable to religious relationships but also to every other relationship in which there are leaders and followers or subordinates. As long as people have authority over us and are functioning within the boundaries of their authority, we are to be careful to do everything they tell us to do.
But then, the Lord goes on to say to the Jews that they must not do what their leaders are doing, for their practice is not in agreement with their doctrine. So, even if a leader is not living right, you must follow his instructions carefully, as long as those instructions are not contrary to the will of God. The only thing is that you must not imitate him in practice. You cannot use his own wrong way of life as an excuse for disobeying him or for acting in rebellion against his authority. Otherwise, you will be setting yourself against God and exposing yourself to judgment.
It is almost natural for us to be irritated and to want to act in rebellion against leaders that are not living in the will of God. But that is wrong. Relating to our leaders must not be about how we feel but about what the word of God says. So, as long as a leader is not asking us to act contrary to the will of God, we must obey him. It is only when he is asking us to act contrary to His will that we are not to obey. Yes, he may not be living right. But you are not in a position to judge him. Yours is to follow him and not to judge him. The one that will judge him is God, who has made him a leader over you (1Corinthians 4:3-5).
Paul says to the Corinthians, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” So, if a leader is not following Christ, you don’t follow him. You don’t follow him in his error or wickedness. But as long as you are under his leadership, you must obey his instructions that are not contrary to the will of God. If you are not comfortable with his leadership, you can get out of his space of authority. For example, if you are not comfortable with the leadership of your boss and cannot submit to him, resign. Also, if you cannot submit to the laws of your country, you can leave for another country. I am saying this because God is never going to take sides with a rebel.
Mind you, there are relationships in which it is not easy to just leave our leaders because they are not living right or because we are not comfortable with their leadership. For instance, you cannot easily change your parents. Yes, you may disown your parents by words of mouth. But that is not going to change the fact that they gave birth to you and are your blood. So, you are stuck with them forever. And you will have to learn to deal with them, if they are often asking you to do things that are contrary to the will of God.
What about the relationship between the husband and his wife? Can that easily be changed? No! You cannot change your husband at will. So, you have to learn to live with him and cope with his errors or excesses. Am I saying it is compulsory you remain in a marriage with anybody? No! That is not what I am saying. But you must understand that God hates divorce, even though it cannot be avoided in some situations (Malachi 2:16). And as long as your husband is not asking you to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, you have to obey him. He may not be living right. But that won’t be an excuse that is acceptable in the sight of God for disobeying him.
Then we also have the relationship between soldiers and their commanders as one of those relationships in which you cannot easily disengage yourself. In fact, Solomon tells us that no soldier, if not injured or incapacitated, is discharged in time of war (Ecclesiastes 8:8). So, leaving the army or leaving a leader in the army that is not walking in the will of God may not be an easy thing for a soldier. That being the case, it is on him to learn how to relate to him and not allow his feelings to rob him of his responsibility to carefully obey his commands, as long as they are not contrary to the will of God.
Mind you, even if the command of your leader in the army is contrary to the will of God and the principles of engagement in the military, you may not be able to easily walk away from it without being punished severely. So, you have to be sure that your disobedience to a direct order from your military leader is because that order is contrary to the will of God. Otherwise, and unless you are shown mercy, you will not have God’s protection.
For example, there was a time that King Saul commanded his guards to execute the all the priests of God in a place called Nob. And he did that because of his hot jealousy for David and his determination to destroy him. But his guards, as the bible points out, were not willing to raise their hands against the Lord’s anointed priests, especially when they had not done anything wrong. Yes, he eventually got a foolish man to do his dirty job that day. But the men with him would not obey his order. (Cf. 1Samuel 22:6-23)
Now what did Saul do to those men who refused to obey his order to kill God’s priests? Nothing! He just allowed them to be. Why? I guess that was a miracle. A cruel and demonised king like Saul would naturally treat such disobedience as treason. But as far as the information we have in the bible is concerned, he did not do anything to those men. And as I said, that must have been because God was protecting them.
What about the midwives of the Hebrew women when they were still in Egypt, Shiphrah and Puah? Did they obey Pharoah when he ordered them to kill at birth every male child of the Hebrew women? No! Why? The bible says that it was because they feared God. And did Pharoah touch them for disobeying him in this manner? No! Why? God was protecting them! In fact, God went on to reward those women by giving them families of their own. So, as I have severally said, God is able to protect us from any leader, however cruel the leader may be, even if it is in the army, as long as we are walking in His will. (Cf. Exodus 1:15-22)
Another thing I want you to know is that submission is not the same thing as enslavement. So, do not allow yourself to be enslaved by anybody in the name of being submissive. Look, again, at what Paul says about submission in Ephesians, chapter 5, from verse 21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:21-22) Why am I drawing your attention to this? It is to show you that in a marriage relationship, for example, the submission of the wife to her husband must be as unto the Lord.
Now there are two ways to explain that. The first is that it means that the same way a woman is submissive to the Lord Jesus is the way she is to be submissive to her husband. That means she is to see her husband as representing Jesus in her life. So, the kind of honour she is to give to the Lord is what she should give to her husband. And the second thing this means is that a woman’s submission to her husband must be guided by her submission to the Lord Jesus. That being the case, if her husband is asking her to do whatever our Lord Jesus will not ask her to do, she is not to obey him.
So, though the word of God says you are to submit to your husband, you must not do whatever he is asking you to do that is contrary to the will of God. Don’t misrepresent being submissive for enslavement. A wife is not her husband’s slave. Therefore, though she is expected to submit to him, she must not allow herself to be treated like his slave. She must not allow herself to be molested or harassed. And there are husbands that molest and harass their wives. Such wives must not allow that to continue. They need to defend or protect themselves in whatever legitimate or righteous way they can from the harassment or molestation of such men. If they have to bring in people to help them handle the matter, they should do so. And if staying away from such husbands is what will keep them safe, then, they should do so. But no wife should allow herself to be molested or abused by her husband. That is not submission; that is enslavement. And you are not a slave.
Now back in the days in which men held slaves, slaves could be harassed and molested at will by their masters. That was because there were not much laws protecting the rights of the slaves then. Yes, in the law of Moses, we have laws given by God to protect slaves from their masters, for these slaves were humans too. But in most parts of the world at that time, there were no serious laws to protect slaves from their masters. So, they had to entrust themselves to God for their protection and well-being. (Cf. Exodus 21:20-21&26-27)
But the relationship between the husband and the wife is not like that of a slave and his master. That is why she must not allow herself to be treated by her husband as a slave. Yes, she should be submissive to him and follow him as long as her husband is not asking her to do anything contrary to the will of God. But she is a person too and has a voice. If she is not in agreement with something, she should talk about it. The man may not accept her counsel or suggestion. But she ought to know that she is free to express herself in her home. And if you are not married, you should be wise to take note of this: don’t marry a man in whose home you will not be free to express your opinions and thoughts.
In any case, since the man is the head of the wife, the woman must follow his decision, as long as it is not contrary to the will of God. Sarah, as we see in Scriptures, was submissive to her husband. In fact, she is used to illustrate how godly women are to submit to their husbands. But when Hagar began to misbehave, she spoke up and told him that she was not happy with the situation, even though she was the cause of the whole thing. Then her husband told her, “Look, your maid is in your hands. Do with her as you please.” And she dealt with her, so much so that she ran away. Interestingly, when God would judge that matter, it was in her favour. (Cf. Genesis 16; 1Peter 3:1-6)
Also, when Hagar’s son, Ishmael, began to make fun of Isaac, it was Sarah that spoke up and told Abraham that the boy and her mother had to go, for they could not share in Isaac’s inheritance. And though Abraham was not happy about this, God was on her side. Hagar was a slave. Her son, Ishmael, was also a slave. So, it was not right for them to share in Isaac’s inheritance. (Cf. Genesis 21)
Well, my point is that the fact that you are under someone’s authority does not mean that you are their slave or that you should allow yourself to be used like a slave. So, as long as your relationship with someone is not that of a slave and his master, don’t turn yourself into their slave or allow them to turn you into their slave. Don’t become a slave of your boss or employer. This may be hard for people to swallow or embrace. And there are even people that may be upset because of this. But it is the reality.
See, you need to fully understand and appreciate the basis of your relationship with everyone in your life, especially anyone who has authority over you. This will aid you in knowing when you are being submissive and when you are being used as a slave. I am not saying you should not support or assist your leaders in doing things that are not part of your responsibilities to them. You may help your leader in any manner that you feel you can, helping them to do house chores or buy things in the market. It all has to do with the kind of fellowship you share. And it should be because you want to do so, not because the person is pressuring or threatening you to do so.
But you don’t have to do whatever you don’t want to do for any leader, as long as your relationship with them does not require it. And you should be bold to express yourself in instances in which a leader is going beyond the boundaries of their authority over you. Don’t give any leader any right that they do not have over you. Otherwise, they may abuse it and turn themselves into slave masters over you.
Now acting in the manner I just described may, of course, come with consequences. And you have to be ready for that. For example, we are told in the bible of how drunk King Xerxes asked Queen Vashti to come and parade her beauty before his drunk guests. But the woman did not show up. Unfortunately, we have been thought that it was pride that kept her from obeying her drunk husband and king. But if you read the account well, you will see that it was not pride that made Vashti disobey her husband; rather, it was a sense of dignity. (Cf. Esther 1)
Think about it. She was asked to come and her parade herself before a drunk king and his drunk officials. Who knows how bad things could get, if she went? She would be dancing before these drunkards and they would be making sport of her, her majesty. Does that even make sense? No! So, she chose to protect her dignity. That, of course, made the king mad. He was so mad at her that he deposed her. This, of course, was what gave Esther the opportunity to take her place.
But is all that to say that Vashti was wrong? No! Or is that to say that she went on to live a sad and miserable life afterwards? No! I know people used to draw prayer lines from this situation and asking others to misbehave, so that they would take their place. But that is nonsense. Vashti protected her dignity on that occasion and did not misbehave. Yes, that cost her something – it cost her the throne. But she maintained her dignity.
In like manner, maintaining your dignity and refusing to be enslaved may sometimes cost you things, positions, privileges and so forth. But it is better to be a slave of God possessing nothing than to be a slave of man possessing the whole world. That is because in the long run, you are going to find out that a slave never really possesses anything. These are the things I want you to pay attention to about the boundaries of submission. And may the Spirit of God deepen your understanding about these things and cause you to always live to please God in all your relationships, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Series: Submission-10 | Title: Consequences of rebellion | By: Johnson O. Lawal | Date: June 04, 2023
I want to further share with you on submission. We have looked at what submission entails as stated in Scriptures and those we are expected to submit ourselves to. We have also looked at the gains of submitting ourselves to those God wants us to submit to. Now we want to look at the consequences of not obeying the Lord’s instructions along these lines. As I told you before, rebellion always comes with consequences. Yes, not submitting ourselves to those that are over us always comes with consequences. And I want us to look at the major consequences of this as we have them illustrated in Scriptures.
To do that, let us look again at the main text we have been using for this study, which is in Romans, chapter 13. And from verse 1 it says:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:1-4NIV)
Observe here that the first thing we are told is that rebellion against any form of authority is rebellion against God Himself. And those who rebel in this way will bring judgment on themselves. As we can see, there is no authority that exists except that which God has established. However flawed, then, the process that brings someone into a position of authority may be, as long as the person is there, God recognises them. No one can be in a position of authority if God has not permitted him to be there or put him there. So, we have to recognise that person, since God recognises him. And to stand against him is to stand against what God has instituted.
What this means is that if you, as a wife, are rebelling against your husband’s authority, you are rebelling against what God has instituted. As a child, if you will not submit to your parents, your rebellion is not just against them but also against God. Also, if you rebel against the authority in your workplace, your rebellion there is against God Himself. And if you rebel against the government of your land, you are equally rebelling against God.
What about those who are over you in the church? If you rebel against them, your rebellion is also against God. You are not the leader there. So, your role is to be submit to those who are over you there. You may not like what your leaders are doing, their styles of leadership or way of life. But as long as you are in that assembly, you have to submit to them. If you think you cannot submit to their authority because of their way of life or because of the styles of leadership they adopt, you should get out of there. Go to an assembly in which you can submit yourself. But to constitute yourself into a rebel in your assembly for any reason is to stand against what God has instituted.
Now we are told by Paul that anyone who is rebellious against God’s established authorities will bring judgment on themselves. In other words, there is judgment on every rebel. God’s judgment is on everyone that is rebellious. That is serious. It means that if you are rebellious in your home, there is judgment on you. If you are rebellious in your office, there is judgment on you. If you are rebellious against the leaders of your society or government, there is judgment on you. And if you are rebellious against the leaders of your Christian assembly, there is judgment on you.
This is what the word of God tells us and not my own making. God’s judgment is on every rebel. How this will affect you or the extent this will affect you, if you are rebellious, is not what I can say. If you, then, do not want God’s judgment to be on you, you need to be submissive to everyone that has authority over you.
Furthermore, Paul tells us in our main text that rulers bear the sword for no reason. That means every leader is carrying the sword of punishment in his hand. It does not matter whether we are talking about a husband, a parent, an employer or boss, a government official or a church leader, they carry in their hands the sword of punishment. In fact, we are told by Paul that they are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on evildoers. So, just as your leader has been appointed by God to do you good, he has also been appointed by Him to punish you, if you will not do what is right or if you are rebellious.
What I am saying is that anyone in a position of authority is not just God’s servant to do you good, he is also His servant to punish you, if you err or are rebellious. So, you need to understand that those who have authority over you possess the right to punish you. What sort of punishment they give to you, how they punish you or the degree to which they punish you is a different thing entirely. But everyone in a position of authority bears in his hand the sword of punishment. He is God’s servant, His agent of wrath to bring punishment on wrongdoers. Therefore, just as he can be your friend, he can also be your enemy. This is why you need to be careful of how you relate to those who have authority over you.
When you are rebellious against those who know God, their knowledge of God may affect the kind of punishment they give you or how they punish you. I am saying that the knowledge that some people possess of God may not allow them to go beyond what is proper in punishing you, if you rebel against their authority. They will not want to allow their sentiments or emotions to keep them from being objective in punishing wrongdoers. But those who do not know God will most likely not act like that in handling rebellion. They may go to any extent to punish them.
Yes, in most of our workplaces, there are usually laid-down rules for handling rebellion or disobedience to authority. In like manner, in our society, we have laws that state how rebels or those who disobey authorities should be treated. Yet you cannot trust those who do not know God to follow these rules in handling rebellion. They may go beyond what the laws state in punishing wickedness or rebellion. But the truth of the matter is that they are in a position to judge rebellion, when they go overboard in doing so or not.
So, you need to be careful. Don’t give room for any form of rebellion in your life. That is because you cannot always tell how the one in authority will judge. If the one you have as your leader is not weak, he will definitely punish your rebellion. Even if he is a child of God, he will punish your rebellion. And you need to understand that God will never take sides with rebels. Instead, if you are rebellious, He will expect your leader to judge your rebellion.
The word of God tells us how God views rebellion in 1Samuel, chapter 15. Look at it from verse 22:
“But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.’” (1Samuel 15:22-23NIV)
Did you see what Samuel said about God’s view of rebellion? He said rebellion is like the sin of divination and arrogance like idolatry. As far as God is concerned, rebellion is like divination – it is like practising sorcery or witchcraft. That means He sees you as one who is seeking to manipulate those who have authority over you. And that is exactly what you are doing. You are trying to force them to abandon what they know to be right and follow your ways. That is why you are giving them attitudes and disobeying them. So, God says you are a witch and an idolater. How, then, will He take sides with you? It is not going to happen. Instead, He will expect those who have authority over you to deal with you.
Yes, as I said before, there are times that those in authority may go beyond the laws or what is reasonable in judging rebellion or disobedience to authority. And if that happens to you, you should know that you are the cause. Even when you are in the will of God, those who have authority over will still judge your rebellion. No, God will not see your stand against their order or instructions as rebellion. But they will see it that way and so will judge it.
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow for the idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, they were standing in the will of God. Yet their king did not see it that way. So, he punished them with death. He commanded that they be thrown into the fiery furnace he had prepared for rebels. And the only reason God protected them was that they were in His will. Daniel experienced something similar. King Darius issued an edict that no one should pray to anyone else but himself. Now Daniel knew that this edict was contrary to the righteousness of God. So, he disregarded it and continued to pray to God. That, of course, resulted in his being thrown into the den of lions. And the only reason God came to his rescue was that he was standing in His will. If he had not been standing in His will, he would have perished in that situation.
I want you to understand, then, that it is only those standing in the will of God that He is under the obligation to protect from their leaders. Those who are not standing in His will should not expect Him to protect them from their leaders. And it is only if they are shown mercy that they will be protected.
Now in Genesis chapter 16 we are told of how Sarah got Abraham involved with Hagar, her slave, so that they could have a child by her. And their plan worked. I mean that even though what they did was wrong, it worked. I love telling people this: the fact that you are doing something contrary to the will of God does not mean that it will not work for you. It may work for you. Your involvement in adultery in order to solve your barrenness problems may work. But that does not mean that it will not come with consequences. So, watch yourself. Every time Satan is pulling you to act outside the will of God and giving you the impression that what you want to do will work, you must remember that God is not just after the results we get but also after the process involved.
Well, from verse 4 of Genesis 16, we are told this:
“He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarah said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.” (Genesis 16:4-6NIV)
Hagar was favoured. That was why she ended up being the one Sarah picked for her husband. Sarah must have thought to herself, “This is my girl. She has been with me for long. So, she should be perfect for this job.” Unfortunately, Hagar was not smart at all. She was brought in as a concubine to Abraham. But she started seeing herself as the madam of the house the moment she got pregnant. So, she began to despise her mistress. That, of course, was foolish of her.
Sadly, we still have people like Hagar who, when they are given a little opportunity to shine or lead, they start misbehaving towards those who brought them up. And they do this, forgetting that those responsible for their elevation can also bring them down. That was the case with Hagar. She thought that she had become the apple of the eyes of Abraham, seeing that she had become pregnant, and that he would do everything to protect her. But the man was not ready to destroy his home because of her. So, he told his wife to deal with her as she deemed fit. And when she began to deal with her, she took to her heels – she ran away.
Think about that. Sarah so dealt with Hagar that she ran away. She fixed her. Remember that she was her mistress and had authority over her. And because she had become rebellious, she used that authority over her. To what extent she maltreated her or what sort of treatment she gave her, we would not know. But it was so serious that she fled.
Now when God was going to step into the situation, what did He say to her? Look at it from verse 7 of Genesis 16:
“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spiring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (Genesis 16:7-10)
See, God had plans for this young lady. God wanted to multiply the descendants of the baby she was carrying for Abraham at that time. But for those plans to come to pass, she had to be submissive to her mistress. And observe that the angel of the Lord did not say to her, “Your mistress is just too cruel. You have done the right thing by running away from her. How could someone be as wicked as that?” Instead, He said, “Go and submit to your mistress.” Why? She was the cause of her own misfortune. And the only way out was submissiveness.
You can see, then, that God is never going to take sides with rebels. So, if any of your leaders is maltreating you, you need to be certain that your rebellion is not the reason. Sadly, people often misrepresent punishment for rebellion for persecution. When you are rebellious, you will be punished, if your leader is not weak. And you really cannot tell how far that leader will go in punishing your or in squashing your rebellion.
As I told you before, children of God, who are living by His Spirit, may be lenient in handling your rebellion against them. That is because they do not want to sin against God while judging wickedness. So, they will want to stay within the confines of the laws and what is acceptable in the word of God in handling any form of rebellion. But those who do not know God may not act like that. They may go to any extent in judging rebellion. That is why I said if you are rebellious, you cannot tell how far your leader will go in judging it.
For instance, as a wife, you may not be able to tell how far your husband will go in judging your rebellion, if you are rebellious against him. Unfortunately, many Christian women often operate in ignorance of this. Because they have godly husbands, they keep misbehaving towards them and disregarding their authority. As far as they are concerned, their husbands will not do anything to hurt them. But you may just be pushing your luck, if you are acting like that. If you pressure this so-called godly husband of yours beyond measure, at some point, he may decide to deal with the nonsense you have been doing. And you may not be able to tell how far he will go in judging or punishing your rebellion.
I, for instance, have seen pastors beat their wives before because those women did not know when to shut their mouths and keep quiet. Is it right for a pastor or any husband to beat their wife? No! It is unacceptable. But a rebellious woman can push her gentle husband to do that, to do something that he will forever regret. And while God will hold him responsible for going too far in handling the rebellion of his wife, He will also not hold the wife guiltless for the roles she played in her own suffering or punishment. So, wives, watch yourself.
The same thing is applicable to children. If you are rebellious against your parents, you cannot tell how far they will go in judging it. Even though David loved Absalom, for example, he still had to squash his rebellion with maximum force. So, you may not be able to tell when your parents will turn their backs on you because of your rebellion and not want to have anything to do with you again.
Now as I pointed out before, God is never going to be on your side, if you are rebellious. If He has to address you at all because He wants to show you mercy, He will simply tell you to go and be submissive to your leaders. That was what He told Hagar. He said, “Go and submit yourself to your mistress.” In like manner, if your boss has become hostile to you, you should check if you are not the cause of your own suffering. And if you are, you should go and submit yourself.
Then, if your husband has been hostile or unfriendly to you, you need to check if you are not the reason for your suffering and for the tense atmosphere that now characterises your home. And if you are, repent and be submissive. Stop crying to God to do something to your husband, for He is not going to hear you. What you need, first, is to be submissive. Let your own obedience be complete, first. Then God will judge your husband’s disobedience.
Also, if you are not submissive in your Christian assembly, the leaders there have the right to punish you. Yes, the right they have over you is to build you up and not to destroy you (2Corinthians 10:8&13:10). But if you are rebellious, they have authority to fix you, to draw the brethren’s attention to what you are doing and to ask them to stay out of fellowship with you. (Cf. Romans 16:17-18; 2Thessalonians 3:14-15; 3John 9-10)
Moreso, God Himself judges rebellion, especially in His church. In our homes, offices, schools and society, there are people that He has appointed to handle rebellion. And it is when they refuse to judge it that He steps in to judge it Himself. But besides that, God Himself is always interested in handling rebellion. As we see in Romans 13, judgment is on everyone that is rebellious. That is God’s judgment. And He can use people to judge you. Or He can use circumstances to judge you. For instance, people can die for violating traffic rules or for ignoring safety rules in their workplaces. What is judging them there? It is life’s circumstances.
But there are times that God may judge the rebel Himself. This is often the case in the church. In the church, though your leaders have authority over you, their authority does not permit them to slap you, beat you up or molest you in any way. The highest level of punishment they can give you is to tell the brethren to stay out of fellowship with you. And that may not even work. Some rebels have in the past split their Christian assemblies and drawn a following after themselves, when brethren were told to have nothing to do with them again. And there have been those who maligned their leaders and did things that diminished their respect and influence among the brethren. Yet those leaders could not really handle them. They simply entrusted everything to God who judges justly.
Now we have all kinds of illustrations in Scriptures of how God dealt with rebellion among His people in the past. For instance, in Numbers 12, we see how He dealt with Miriam for insulting Moses. She was leprous for seven days. We also have in Numbers 16 how He judged Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On for their rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The ground swallowed them, their families and their possessions up.
So, God does not overlook rebellion. He can, in His mercy, come to you and warn you to be submissive. And if you will not listen, He will have to step in and do the needful, even if those who have authority over you will not judge you. You have to keep this in mind. How God will judge your rebellion is not what I can say. It can result in death. It can result in illness. It can also result in stagnation or demotion. The bible tells us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, He may not allow you to move forward in life. I am not saying Satan will not allow you to move forward. Rather, I am saying God will not allow you to move forward. He will resist you because you are proud and rebellious. So, watch yourself.
Another consequence of rebellion is inability to resist the devil. Look at what James says about this: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7NIV) What is the first thing you need to do in order to be able to resist the devil? You need to submit to God. And how do you show that you are submissive to God? One way to do that is to be submissive to those that have authority over you. If you are not submissive to those who have authority over you, then, you are not submissive to God, irrespective of what you think of yourself.
Now that will make it impossible for you to resist the devil in certain areas or all the areas of your life. This, of course, explains why some believers have prayed severally about some matters of their lives and those matters have not been handled. It explains why some have prayed, fasted, confessed the word of God or even gone for deliverance and their problems have not been solved. They are rebellious. It is those who are submissive to God that can successfully resist the devil in every situation of their lives. Those who are not submissive to Him cannot do so.
Some have been sick and have had several people pray for them. Yet their sicknesses would not go. Why? Rebellion may just be the reason. Perhaps you too have been praying for promotion for some years now and it will not come. Ask yourself, “Have I not been rebellious?” Or you have been praying or speaking against poverty or stagnation in your life and it will not go. Ask yourself, “Am I totally submissive to God and to those He has placed over me?” If you have been rebellious and not submissive, you cannot successfully resist the devil in your life.
So, check yourself. Where have you been rebellious? And once you know it, you need to go and be submissive there. When you do what is right, then, God is going to step in and fulfil His good purpose for your life. Remember what we earlier read about Hagar. God told her that He had plans for her and her kid, great plans. However, for those plans to come to fruition, she was told that she had to go and submit to her mistress. And she obeyed. I pray that you too will be strengthened to be submissive in every relationship in which you are supposed to do so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Title: Gains of Submission-2
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: May 28, 2023
Series: Submission-9
Recently we began to look at the gains of submission, that is, the gains of submitting ourselves to those who have authority over us. And one of the gains of submitting ourselves in this manner is an experience of the fulfilment of God’s purpose in our lives. When we yield ourselves to those who have authority over us, God is able to use them to accomplish His good purpose in our lives. In Romans, chapter 13, Paul tells us that the one in authority is God’s servant for our good. That means everyone in a position of authority over us is God’s messenger for our good.
Now, as I told you before, it is possible for those who have authority over us not to be fulfilling this purpose. This is why we must learn to pray, as we instructed in Scriptures, to pray for them. When we pray for them, God is able to take hold of their hearts to accomplish His good purpose for us through them. Also, when we pray for them, God is able to keep us from becoming victims of their errors. More so, if we see that the ones in positions of authority over us are not fulfilling His purpose of setting them over us, we can talk to God about dealing with them. That is because God is able to rebuke them for us.
Well, the point we are making is that everyone God has placed in a position of authority over us is God’s servant for our good. The only way they, then, will be able to accomplish His good purpose in our lives is for us to yield to them and not make their work difficult for them. Yes, they may give us instructions that we don’t like or tasks that we consider to be too much for us. But as long as they are not asking us to do things that are contrary to the will of God for us, it is on us to submit to them.
So, as a wife, submit to your husband. As a child, submit to your parents. As an employee, submit to your boss or employer. As a citizen of your country, submit to the leaders of your government, the leaders of your society. Also, in your Christian assembly, submit to those who have authority over you there. Then God is going to honour you and use these people to accomplish His good purpose in your life. And if they will not fulfil His good purpose in your life, as long as you are living in His will by being submissive, He will surely find ways to accomplish His good purpose in your life, with or without them.
This is something those who have harsh leaders over them ought to keep in mind. Your husband may be harsh or cruel. But as long as he is not asking you to do anything outside the will of God, you have to submit to him. Your boss or employer may be cruel. As long as he is not asking you to do anything contrary to the will of God, you must submit to him. Also, leaders of your government may be missing it and messing up in various ways. As long as their laws are not contrary to the will of God for you, you have got to submit to them. This is for your good. This is so that God can use them to accomplish His good purpose in your life.
Apart from that, by being submissive to those with authority over you, God is able to elevate you. See, God always wants to elevate His people. He does not want us to be stagnant or redundant. But we have to submit ourselves in order for Him to be able to accomplish this. As I told you before, it is pride that will not allow you to submit to those who have authority over you. God is commanding you to submit to them. If you, then, will not submit to them, you are disobeying Him. That is pride. And your pride is not being displayed to those over you alone but also to God. That, of course, will affect your progress in life.
In James’ epistle, chapter 4, from verse 6, he says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7) Before I comment on this, let me also show you what Peter says along the same line. He says, “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Humble, yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1Peter 5:5-7NIV)
Did you see that? Peter is saying about the same things as James here. He says submit yourselves to your elders. So, his focus here is on submission in the church. But it is not only our elders in the church God has commanded to submit to. There are other categories of people, as we have already seen, that He has commanded us to submit to as well. And when we submit ourselves to these groups of people, we are going to reap the benefits, the gains of doing so.
But then, both Peter and James go on to show us that it takes humility to submit to those who have authority over us. And you should manifest humility because you are a child of God. So, don’t say, “I can’t.” You are a child of God. And everything you need to be humble is in you, for you are in Christ Jesus. You only need to manifest it. So, we are told to clothe ourselves with humility towards one another and towards all the people in our lives.
Now we are further warned that God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble. That means it is those who humble themselves that will experience the favour of God. They are the ones He will lift up. Those who are proud, disobedient to authority or rebellious against authority will be opposed by Him. I will share more with you on this, when we begin to consider the consequences of not submitting to established authorities. But I am saying this in advance: God opposes those who are proud. God will not allow them to move forward.
It is one thing to have Satan oppose you; it is another to have God oppose you. If Satan opposes you, and you are in the will of God, you will be able to resist him and frustrate his works. But if you are not yielded to God and to those He wants you to yield yourself to, He will be the one opposing you. And if God should oppose you, who will rescue you? Nobody! He will just keep you in one place. He will prevent you from advancing or experiencing exaltation. And you need to keep this in mind.
Well, we are told to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand so that He may lift us up in due season. And we see this illustrated in Joseph’s story. First, because he submitted himself in Potiphar’s house, he was shown favour by God. And because he found favour in the eyes of his master, he was made the manager of the man’s household. Also, when he found himself in the prison, he humbled himself and was submissive to the man in charge of the prison. So, again, he was shown favour by God. And he was exalted in the prison. Yes, he was still a prisoner like others that he had met there. But he was their manager.
Now it was while he was in the prison that he met the man that God used in bringing him out of there to stand before the Pharoah of his time. That was how he ended up becoming second-in-command to the ruler of Egypt at the time. God exalted him. God elevated him. And I want you to know that He is the only one that can elevate or exalt you.
But you need to understand that it is not every time that God will perform a miracle or send His angels to do things that will result in your exaltation. On the contrary, most of the time, it is people that He will use to exalt you. And those who have authority over you are among those that He will be using. God used people to exalt Joseph, as we see in the bible. God used Potiphar to exalt him. He used the warden of the prison he was sent to for exalting him. He also used Pharaoh’s official that he met there to exalt him. All these happened because he humbled and submitted himself.
If you too will humble and submit yourself to those who have authority over you, He will use them to exalt you. He will use your husband to exalt you. He will use your parents to exalt you, if you submit yourself to them. No, you may not be able to tell how God is going to do this. But as the one that exalts men, God knows how to exalt you. Your job is to humble and submit yourself to Him and to the people He has commanded you to submit to.
Do you know that the recommendation of your boss can mean a lot to you in life? And what will make him or her give or write a good report about you? Submissiveness is one of them. There are people that often go from place to place anytime they need a letter of recommendation, even though they have bosses or employers over them that could easily write such a letter for them. But because they do not have a reputation for being submissive, they cannot even approach those bosses or employers of theirs for a letter of recommendation. So, often, they will have to find people that will find it hard to come up with what to write about them for such letters. It is a shame.
The same thing is applicable in the church. Humble yourself there. If you humble yourself before the leaders of your church, God is able to use them to exalt or promote you. And I am not talking about promotion as we now know it in many of our Christian assemblies. What people call promotion in the church isn’t promotion most times. Well, through the prayers of your leaders, God is able to use them to promote you or exalt you in life. Also, as you submit to them, God is able to use them to do things for you that will make you increase in usefulness and profitableness in God’s kingdom.
But if you are always trying to prove that you are smarter than those over you and will not submit to them, then, they may just be the tools Satan will use to oppose and hinder you in life. Today, we talk about Jesus being the highest authority in the whole universe. But how did He become that? Remember that He actually said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Who gave it to Him? Evidently, it was God that gave it to Him. So, right now, He has all authority in heaven and on earth. No one has a greater authority. No one can ever have a greater authority.
However, how did He end up obtaining the highest authority in the whole universe of God? Paul shares some things with us along this line in Philippians, chapter 2, from verse 3, which says,
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
It is clear from what we have here that it is through submissiveness that Jesus Christ attained the highest place of authority in all the creation of God. He humbled Himself before God. He submitted Himself to God. In fact, we are told in the Hebrews 5 that He learnt obedience and submission as God’s Son. Yes, He is one with God. He severally said this to people, “My Father and I are one.” So, He is one with the Father in nature and everything the Father has belongs to Him.
Yet He did not see that as something to be used to His advantage. Instead, when He came into this world, He humbled Himself and obeyed God, even to the point of death. He did not come into the world, doing His own things or following His own plans and purposes. He said the Son can do nothing by Himself but what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19). So, it was what He saw the Father do that He did. He even went on to say that the words He spoke were not His; rather, it was the Father that is living in Him that was doing the works.
So, Jesus yielded Himself fully to God. There was nothing He did that was His own idea. Everything He did was what God wanted Him to do. He was faithful to God. He was submissive to Him, even to the point of death. Think about that. God wanted Him to die for the sins of the whole world. And He did. He bore our sins. He bore our sorrows. He took on Himself all the punishment that should have fallen on us. Why? He was being submissive. That was why He did not defend Himself against those who came to arrest and kill Him. That was why He did not use His rights and divine privileges to rescue Himself from death.
Well, because Jesus humbled Himself in this manner, God exalted Him to the highest position in His whole creation. And if you want Him to exalt you too, you need to humble yourself. Yes, you need to submit yourself. This may just be the reason you have been stagnant. It may just be the reason you are not experiencing promotion. You are rebellious. You will not submit to those who have authority over you. You are the one limiting yourself in life. And you should repent before it is too late.
Now let me move on to talk about another gain of submission, which is protection. God often uses those He has appointed as leaders over us to protect us, to keep us safe. So, as I said before, as long as the instructions of those who are over you are not contrary to Scriptures, you must obey them. What about when their instructions are contrary to reason? Well, you are not the one in charge – your leader is the one in charge. So, if the one with authority over you is making decisions that are contrary to reason, as long as those decisions are not contrary to the will of God or the laws of the land or of your workplace and will not result in harm or death for you, you have to obey them.
See, even if your leader is making a mistake and will not listen to you, you will have to submit to him and let him face the consequences of his mistakes. That is because you are not the leader. When someone is in charge somewhere, you need to let the person feel that he is in charge. You may be smarter, wiser or more educated or experience than the person. But you are not the leader. And if your opinions will count, you need to be submissive to the person.
Joseph was smarter than his master, Potiphar. Yet his master did not drive him away. Why? He was wise. He knew how to communicate his thoughts and opinions. Also, he was smarter than the prison administrator. Yet the man handed over the whole prison to him. Why? He was wise in relating to him. So, even if you are better in many ways than your boss or anyone over you, you have to be wise in relating to him. And one way to show that you are wise is to be submissive to them (James 3:13).
Look, your leaders wherever you are must have no doubt about your loyalty to them. That way, you will be able to impart or help them with the knowledge you have. But if you are always carrying this air of one who knows better than them, they will most likely not listen to you, even if you are making sense.
Well, the point I am making is that God often uses the people He has set over us to protect us. But we have to be submissive to them and follow their instructions and laws. That is because our safety or salvation in certain situations of life may just depend on doing so. For example, most of the automobile accidents that occur today are as a result of rebellion against authority. People deliberately violate known driving laws. So, accidents happen. Similar things happen in many of our workplaces. People will ignore or violate the safety rules or guidelines given in their workplaces. Then accidents will happen and lives will be lost or rendered useless permanently. And these things can be avoided, if people will submit to their leaders and obey their instructions.
What I am saying is that the people over us are often used by God to protect us. So, we need to submit to them. Look at our parents, for example. When we were growing up, they were the ones God used mostly in protecting us. How? They would give us rules and instructions – don’t go there; don’t use that; don’t make friends with such and such and so forth. Why? They wanted to keep us safe. There were rules and instructions we were given then that we did not understand. But they were for our safety. And having become parents, many of us can now understand why we were given certain instructions by our parents when we were young.
So, it is not every time you will understand why your leaders will give you certain instructions or make certain rules. And it is not every time they will sit you down to explain to you why they have to do certain things or make certain decisions. But they are in a position to lead you and command you. And as long as their instructions are not contrary to the will of God or what is generally accepted as right where you are, you need to follow them. These instructions may just be for your safety.
I am saying those instructions in your workplace about relating to customers, handling money and so forth may just be for your safety or job security. And you should take them seriously. Don’t always assume that when instructions are given to you at work, at home or anywhere else, your leaders must be trying to limit you or are simply jealous of you. Eliminate such things from your mind.
Yes, there are jealous leaders. We have jealous bosses and employers. We have jealous husbands. We have jealous church leaders. And we even have jealous parents. We are not eliminating the possibilities of these things. But when instructions are given to you by any of these people over you, you need to take them seriously, as long as they do no run contrary to the will of God.
Mind you, God is watching over you. And if you are submissive, He is able to protect you. There were instructions, for instance, that King Saul gave to David to harm him, to get rid of him. But God protect him from becoming a victim of those orders. And He can protect you too, even if those who are over you are giving you instructions that can endanger your life. (Cf. 1Samuel 18:20-30)
Now do you know that God can even use some of our so-called wicked leaders to protect us? He can. For instance, God once used a government official that was not even a Christian to protect Paul. He was in Ephesus at that time. And because of the effectiveness of his ministry, many who were in the business of making idols and household gods began to go out of business. People just stopped patronising them. So, at some point, one of them, a man called Demetrius, gathered many from the city together for a riot. And the riot was so massive and intense that people warned Paul not to show up at all at the theatre. (Cf. Acts 19:21-34)
In any case, when the city clerk became aware of what was going on, he stepped forward to handle the matter. Look at Luke’s account of what he did:
“The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.” (Acts 19:35-41NIV)
Think about that. There was a riot calling for Paul’s head. But when the city clerk would address the matter, he made the people see that there was no reason at all for their agitation or rioting. He told them that the people who started the riot were out of line. According to him, the people they were accusing were law-abiding citizens of Rome. They were not temple robbers or blasphemers. So, there was no reason to be calling for their heads. And if anyone did have issues with them, the courts were always open for them to approach and press charges. That was how God used that man to rescue Paul.
Also, in chapter 18 of the same book of Acts, God rescued Paul in a similar fashion. He was in Corinth then. And Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia. The Jews at the time made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the court. But Gallio would not even allow them to say a word before telling them that he would not be a judge of matters concerning the Jewish laws or religion. Therefore, they were ejected from his court. And that was the end of the story — God had protected Paul from his enemies, using an unbelieving government official.
If you, then, are law-abiding, God can use the leaders of your government to protect you. You may not be able to say exactly how He will do that. But He is able to use them. And that is why you have to be submissive to those over you wherever you are, to the laws of your land. There are people who pray all the time for God’s protection. They want Him to keep them safe when travelling and in their workplaces. But they would not obey traffic rules and regulations. Also, they would not take seriously the safety rules given in their workplaces. How on earth is God going to protect them?
God has given you leaders who are giving you instructions on how to be safe at work, on the road and so forth. But you will not listen to them. Instead, you are praying and doing vigils to have God’s protection. How is that going to happen? You are your own enemy.
We see similar things happening in our various Christian assemblies. Many get into trouble because they will not submit to their church leaders. We are told in the bible of how God protected a king of Israel from the king of Aram. And how did He do it? It was through the submissiveness of the man to Prophet Elisha. Any time Elisha gave him instructions about where to go and not to go, he obeyed. So, God was able to protect him and his kingdom. (Cf. 2Kings 6:8-12)
Now I am not saying you should turn your church leader to God in your life or allow any leader to take the place of the Holy Spirit in your life. No! But if you believe that they have the Spirit of God in them and that the counsel they are giving you is not contrary to Scriptures, you should submit to them. That may just be what will save your life, your home, your business or your job.
Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Gains of submission
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: May 07, 2023
Series: Submission
I want to further share with you on ‘Submission’. Already, we have looked at the various dimensions of submission that are mentioned in the bible. I mean that we have looked at the various categories of people we are to submit to, as stated in the bible. Now we want to begin to look at the gains of submitting ourselves to these different categories of people that we are commanded in Scriptures to submit to. But before we go on, I want to bring to you again the Scripture we have been using as our main text since we started these studies. And it is in Romans, chapter 13, from verse 1, which says:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good…” (Romans 13:1-4NIV)
As you can see, there is no authority except that which God has established. Anyone that is in a position of authority is there because God wants him to be there or because God has permitted him to be there. As I pointed out before, in many situations, the processes that bring some people into positions of authority may be flawed. That, however, is not going to change what the word of God says about how we are to relate to such people. So, whether we are dealing with those in government, our employers or bosses, our parents, our husbands or our religious leaders, God wants us to be submissive to them. As long as someone is in a position of authority over you, God wants you to submit to the person, even though you do not like the process that has placed the person over you. That is because that person cannot be over you, if God has not permitted it.
Now let us begin to consider the gains of being submissive to those who have authority over us by looking at a part of the bible text we just read, which says, “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.” (Romans 13:4NIV) That is a very remarkable statement and you should lay it to heart. The one in authority is God’s servant for your good. That means even if the process that has placed him in the position he is occupying is flawed, God has placed him where he is for your good.
Yes, there are times that people may not accomplish God’s purpose for putting them in certain positions. And He is going to be the judge of their performance. As we see in King Belshazzar’s case, God had to remove him from office at some point because he did not live up to His expectations. We also see in the bible how God struck Herod dead. What about King Nebuchadnezzar? God once removed him from office because of his pride. (Cf. Daniel 4 &5; Acts 12:19-23)
So, God has ways of dealing with those in positions of authority who are not serving His purpose. The problem, however, is that we often don’t trust Him to do this. In Genesis chapter 12 and 20 we are told of Abraham’s encounters with Pharoh of Egypt and King Abimelech of Gerah respectively. These kings, at different times, took his wife, Sarah, to be their wife. And that was because of his lies. Why did he lie to them? He lied to them because he was afraid of them and of what they might do to him, if they knew that Sarah was his wife.
Nevertheless, God dealt with these two kings. We are told in one of the Psalms that God rebuked kings for His people (Psalm 105:14). So, God can rebuke rulers for us. He can rebuke government leaders for us. He can rebuke your husband for you. He can rebuke your parents for you. There is, in short, no one in a position of authority that God cannot rebuke. And in fact, when He begins to deal with those in positions of authority, even those of us who are under them or who have been oppressed by them may feel sorry for them.
But we don’t often trust God to do this, as I pointed out before. That is why instead of submitting to them, we may begin to rebel against them or to abuse them. But that will not end well for us. Rebellion is never for anyone’s good, especially if you are not standing in the will of God. If you are taken as a rebel because you are standing in the will of God, He knows how to vindicate and rescue you. But if it is not because of God that you are acting contrary to what your leader is asking you to do, you will have yourself to blame when you begin to face the consequences of your rebellion.
In any case, the word of God is telling us that everyone in a position of authority is God’s servant for our good. Your husband is God’s servant for your good. Your parents are God’s servants for you good. They may not be Christians. As I told you before, submission does not look at people’s religions but their positions. And when Paul wrote these words to the church, most of the people in positions of authority that he wanted God’s people to submit to were not Christians. Then, as Paul shows us in our main text, it is not only preachers of the word of God that are God’s servants. Everyone in a position of authority is God’s servant. He is God’s servant to do good to those under him, to realise God’s purpose in their lives.
Now a leader may not serve God’s purpose for putting him where he is. That may be because he is ignorant or because he just chooses to do his own thing. But he is where he is to serve God’s purpose. And God’s purpose if for him to do good to those who are under him. His purpose for putting him where he is is to do things that will accomplish His will in the lives of those under him. And each of us must see our leaders in our different relationships in this way.
Therefore, again, you must see your husband as God’s servant for your good. You must see your parents as God’s servants for your good. Your boss or employer is God’s servant for your good. Our governors, president, traditional leaders and so forth are God’s servants for our good. And of course, our leaders in our churches are God’s servants for our good.
Since God, then, has placed these people over us to do us good, we must continually talk to God to see to it that they accomplish His purpose for placing them over us. You know that it is possible for those who have authority over you to take steps that will hurt your life. That may be because they are ignorant or stubborn. So, it is important that you learn to pray for them. That way, it is God’s purpose and not Satan’s purpose that will be accomplished in your life.
See, just as God can use those who have authority over you to do you good, Satan can also use them to harm you, if they yield themselves to him. For example, Satan once succeeded in using David to number Israel against the will of God. And because of that about seventy thousand men died. So, those who have authority over you, those who are in a position to make decisions that will affect you can be used by the devil to do things that will hurt you badly or even send you to an early grave. That is why you must learn to pray that any step they take will be in your favour and to accomplish God’s good purpose for your life. You should also learn to continually pray that you will not be a victim of their errors or bad decisions. And I want you to keep these things in mind.
In any case, since those who have authority over you are God’s servants for you good, it means God’s intention is to do you good through them. But this is not going to happen, if you are not submissive to them. God will not be able to accomplish His good purpose in your life through them, if you are not submissive to them. For example, there is a prophecy in Scriptures that says that Jesus Christ will be born in Bethlehem. Look at it:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2NIV)
This, as I said before, is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ and how He would be born in Bethlehem. And we see Matthew quoting this prophecy when talking in his gospel about the birth of Jesus Christ. He says this from verse 1 of chapter 2 of his gospel:
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.””” (Matthew 2:2NIV)
You can see that even the religious leaders of the Jews were expecting their Messiah to be born in Bethlehem. They believed Micah’s prophecy and even quoted it to Herod. Now Matthew, in this account, does not share with us the circumstances that led to Jesus’ being born in Bethlehem. But Luke does so in his own gospel. Look at how he puts it from verse 1 of chapter 2:
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:1-7NIV)
You can see here that Luke is showing us how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem. There was a decree issued by Caesar Augustus at that time directing everyone in his empire to go their places and be numbered. And Joseph and Mary both obeyed that decree, even though they were living in Nazareth at the time. Now their minds were not on the prophecy that said that the baby Mary was carrying would be born in Bethlehem. But when the decree was issued, they too, in submission to the emperor, went to Bethlehem. And it was while they were there that Jesus was born.
So, even though it does not look like God is working in the affairs of men, He is actually working in our affairs. God moved that emperor at the time to issue that edict for everybody to go to their places to be numbered. And it would require Joseph and Mary to be submissive to the governing authorities to obey that decree. If they had not been submissive, then, the will of God would not have been accomplished in their lives and through their lives.
God wanted His Son Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. And He needed a man and a woman that He would use to accomplish that. That man and that woman, however, had to be submissive to the governing authorities. Otherwise, what God wanted would not happen. Choosing Joseph and Mary, then, was not a mistake on God’s part. He chose individuals who were submissive to governing authorities as parents for Jesus. If He had chosen people who had no respect for the leaders of their government, His purpose may have been thwarted through their rebellion.
Well, here is a point we must hold on to: when rules or laws are made by our leaders, don’t stand against them, as long as they are not contrary to the righteousness of God. That is because through those laws God can accomplish His good purpose in your life. We know that God is at work in us to will and to act according to His good purpose. We also know that He is working to turn things around for our good. But it is not every time that He will step out of heaven to do things for us or that He will send His angels to do things for us. Most of the time, it is people that He will use. And among the people that He often uses to accomplish His good purpose in our lives are those who have authority over us. He often uses them to guide us, lead us and sometimes drive us to do things, even things that we don’t like to do, that will cause His good purpose to happen in our lives. But if we are not submissive to them, this will not happen.
For example, when Joseph was in the house of Potiphar, he was submissive to him, even though he was there as a slave and against his will. And because he was submissive to his master, God was able to build him up. This young man did not start giving his master attitudes when he got there, just because he was there against his will. Of course, he did not want to be there. He did not bargain to be there. He was forcefully brought there. And he could have used all his time there weeping and feeling sorry for himself. But he did not that. He could also have been rebellious and provoking everyone around him, so that they would lose no time in killing him. But he did not act like that. He could even have spent all his time planning his escape. But he did not do that.
Instead, Joseph humbled himself before his master and got busy with whatever work he was given. And eventually, he was elevated. But don’t think it was the very day that he got to Potiphar’s house that he was elevated to the position of the manager of his household. He had to first prove himself. Yes, we are told in his Scriptures that the man handed the management of everything he had over to him. And that is promotion, something we will later address as one of the gains of being submissive. But why did the man hand over everything he had to him? It was because he proved himself worthy of being treated in that manner.
Look at the account from verse 1 of Genesis, chapter 39:
“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Genesis 39:2-4NIV)
Potiphar saw something in Joseph, which he did not see in other slaves he had. He saw that he was successful in all that he did. That means the man proved himself. How? It was by taking the instructions and responsibilities he was given seriously. When he was sent on an errand, he handled it with diligence and seriousness. And when his master saw that he was getting results, he promoted him. But why was he getting results? It was because he was submissive. His heart was fully in what he was doing. He would not do his tasks anyhow because he was a slave and did not like to be where he was. He did everything he was asked to do well.
You too may not like the office in which you work. But you have to be submissive there and do whatever task you are given there well. Also, at home, do whatever you are told to do by your parents or your husband well, as long as it is not contrary to the will of God. In like manner, whatever task you are given in your Christian assembly should also be handled well, in a spirit of submissiveness. That way, God can accomplish His good purpose in your life through those He has placed over you.
As Joseph submitted himself to his master, he was being built up. All the responsibilities he was given gave him an opportunity to build himself up to become a great manager of people and resources. So, his master eventually entrusted everything he had into his care. And when he was imprisoned, he was still submissive there. Because he had a different attitude, the prison administrator put him in charge of the prison. It was while he was in the prison, serving the prison administrator, that he met the man that God used in bringing him out of the prison and introducing him to Pharaoh.
Now look at how God turned everything around for the good of Joseph. Even the ugly incident between him and his master’s wife was turned around for his good. Why? It was because he was submissive. When he was in Potiphar’s house, he did not disrespect the man. Instead, he was submissive. Also, when he was in the prison, he submitted himself to the prison warden. He did not think that he was too smart to submit to the man. Of course, he was smarter than most of these people. In fact, it was later revealed that he was smarter than everyone in Egypt. But until he rose to become the second-in-command in Egypt, he submitted himself in every situation in which he found himself. That was how God was able to accomplish His good purpose in his life.
So, if you want God’s good purpose to be accomplished in your life, you need to submit yourself. As a wife, if you want God’s purpose to be accomplished in your life through your husband, you need to submit to him. As a child, if you want God’s purpose to be accomplished in your life through your parents, you need to submit to them. Jesus, as we are told in Scriptures, submitted Himself to His parents. How was He able to know the word of God the way He did? One of the reasons was that His parents diligently taught Him. They did a good job of feeding Him with the word of God. They gave Him sound education, allowing Him to learn the things He was supposed to learn. Yes, the Spirit of God was involved in all that happened to Him. And His parents also did their own bit. But if He had not been submissive to them, He would not have become the kind of adult He became.
In like manner, you too must submit yourself to whatever form of authority that is over you. In your Christian assembly, for example, you need to submit yourself to the leaders there. Otherwise, God will not be able to accomplish His good purpose in your life through them. God wants to use them to build you up to become mature in Christ. There are all kinds of wonderful things He wants to do in your life through your church leaders. But you will need to embrace them and submit to their leadership. Otherwise, God will not be able to accomplish His good purpose for your life through them.
There is something instructive that Jesus says along this line to His disciples in Luke’s gospel, chapter 10, which I want to draw your attention to. Look at it from verse 5: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:5-6NIV) The Lord, here, is telling His disciples that He is sending out that if they proclaim a word of blessing on anyone they go to, and the person accepts them, their blessing will rest on the person. But if the person does not accept them, their word of blessing will return to them.
So, if you are not submissive to your church leaders, it does not matter how hard they pray for you, their prayers may not just work for you. If you are not submissive to them, it does not matter how hard they labour over you, their labour will not accomplish God’s good purpose in your life. And it is important that you take this seriously. I have been telling you that all the people that have authority over you are God’s servants to do you good. All of them have different roles to play in your life. But they are all ordained by God to do you good. And they will be able to do you the good God wants done in your life only to the degree that you submit to them.
Now another gain of being submissive to those who have authority over you is promotion. As we already saw in Joseph’s case, he experienced promotion because he was submissive to those over him. If he had, for instance, been rebellious in the house of Potiphar, he would not have been elevated to the position he was. And if he had not been elevated to that position, there was every tendency that Potiphar’s wife may not have noticed him, not to talk of trying to seduce him. Yes, what the woman did was terrible. But in all that happened, God was working.
Also, when Joseph found himself in the prison, he submitted himself to those over that prison. Because he submitted himself, he was elevated there by the prison administrator. And that was why he was able to meet those important officials of Pharoah that he met there. Eventually, it was one of these men that God used in setting him free from the prison.
Therefore, when you submit yourself to those who have authority over you, you will reap the gains of doing so. Those gains may not be obvious right away. But at some point, you will reap them, if you do not faint. One of these gains is elevation, promotion. Why will God elevate you? It is because you are humble. It takes humility to submit. Those who are submissive are humble. Those who are not submissive are proud. It is pride that will keep you from submitting yourself to your husband, parents, employer, government leader or church leader. And your pride is not only towards those that are over you; it is also towards God.
Now the word of God tells us what God does to proud people. He brings them down, something that we will look at later. But I want you to keep in mind that if you submit yourself to those over you, God will able to accomplish His good purpose in your life through them and to also lift you up. Let us pray.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Church members to leaders
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: May 30, 2023
Series: Submission 7
I want to further share with you on Submission and how God wants His children to handle it in their various relationships. As we see in Scriptures, there is no authority that exists except that which God has established. This is why we must submit to every authority that is established by Him. Our submission to these authorities is submission to God Himself, just as our rebellion against any form of authority is rebellion against God Himself. And rebellion against any form of authority will come with consequences. This is why we must take the things God is saying to us about submission very seriously.
Now we want to look at submission to our church leaders and how important it is for us to take what God says to us about it very seriously. Remember that the reason we are to submit to any form of authority is God Himself. In Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 21, Paul says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) So, the reason we are to submit to any authority is Christ. I mean that when we submit to anyone God has placed over us, it is Christ we are showing reverence for. And those placed over us don’t have to be Christians for us to submit to them. As long as God has placed them over us, we are expected to submit to them.
See, we must not forget the Scripture that says there is no authority except that which God has established (Romans 13:1). If anyone, then, is in a position of authority over you, that person is there because God wants him there or because God has permitted him to be there. And how he gets there is not important. What is important is that he is recognised by God as an authority over you. I am not to go over this again. You can get and listen to the tapes in which I already shared about how God expects you to deal with different people that have authority over you.
Well, we are now talking about how to relate to those who have authority over us in the church. And the first Scripture we will consider about this is in 1Peter, chapter 5. From verse 5 it says:
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”” (1Peter 5:5-6NIV) When Peter speaks of elders here, he is referring essentially to the spiritual leaders in the church and not the old members of the church. To make this clear, look at what he says from verse 1 of the same chapter:
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1Peter 5:1-4NIV)
You can see here that when he is referring to elders, he is referring to the leaders in the church, the shepherds of God’s people. And he says that when we submit to them, we are showing humility. Of course, he also tells us the implication of this, which we will be looking at later. But I want you to keep in mind for now that one of the things God requires of us in dealing with our leaders is submissiveness. God wants us to be submissive to them.
Yes, of course, Peter says those who are younger in the church are to be submissive to the elders in the church. And he says that because back in those days the typical thing was for the leaders in the church to be older than most of the brethren. But there were situations at that time also in which the leaders were not older than most of the brethren or all the brethren. And how were those they were leading supposed to relate to them? They were also supposed to relate to them in the spirit of submissiveness.
Remember that Timothy was a young man when he was saddled with the responsibility of leading the people of God. Yet the brethren were expected to be submissive to him. Why? He was doing the Lord’s work. Look at what Paul says to the Corinthian brethren about this from 1Corinthians, chapter 16, verse 10: “When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.” (1Coriinthians 16:10-11NIV) Can you see here that Paul is giving the brethren express instructions on how to relate to Timothy? He says no one should treat him with contempt.
Then, in his first letter to him, chapter 4, he tells him not to allow anyone to treat him with contempt. And is that to say he is to go around with an air of ‘no one should be rude to be me?’ No! Rather, it means he is to conduct himself in such a way that no one will have any reason or excuse to despise him or to treat him with contempt or not to take him seriously. Well, the point I am driving at is that whether the elders or leaders in our church are older than us or not, God wants us to be submissive to them. And as I said before, it is a sign that we have deliberately humbled ourselves before God.
Also, in Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 17, we are told this: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” (NIV) We are told to have confidence in our elders, in their ability to lead us. If you do not have confidence in someone’s ability to lead you in the church, you should get away from his leadership. As long as you do not have confidence in his ability to guide you in the will of God, you have no business being under his leadership and so should get away from him. That is because you will most likely not submit to him.
It will really take great grace to submit yourself to someone that you have no confidence in their leadership. Yes, it will take great grace and great humility to deliberately submit yourself to someone that you have no confidence in their ability to lead you. But then, you know that in our workplaces, we often submit to our bosses and employers, even though we lack confidence in their ability to lead us. We know we are supposed to submit to them. The word of God commands us to submit to them. Then we know there will be consequences, if we do not submit to them. So, whether we like them or not, whether we believe in their ability to lead us not, we submit to them.
Now we can function in like manner in the church. So, even if you do not have confidence in a church leader and you want to remain in his assembly, you have to submit to him. In any case, the word of God tells us to have confidence in our leaders, to trust them to lead us in the right direction. If we trust them, then, it will be easy for us to submit to them.
Why are we to submit to them? It is because they keep watch over us as those who must give account. Remember that the reason Paul tells the brethren in Corinth not to despise Timothy is that he is doing the Lord’s work. That means he has not sent himself to them; he is representing the Lord. And because he is representing the Lord, they are supposed to submit to him. In like manner, your leaders in church are not representing themselves but the Lord. And because they are representing the Lord, you must submit to them – you are commanded not to treat them with contempt.
Again, here in this text in Hebrews 13, we are told to submit to our leaders because they are watching over us and will give account for our souls. That means our church leaders will be held responsible for our lives. Yes, there are things that God will not hold them responsible for in our lives. But based on the work God has given to them, based on the ministry He has given them because of us, He will take them to task. I mean that there are things that God will hold our leaders responsible for about our faith and how it turns out, based on the work He has given them for us. He wants them to watch over us through prayers. He wants them to watch over us through counselling. He wants them to watch over us, so that they will know where we need correction and rebuke.
To say the fact, there is a lot to say about the work God has given our church leaders concerning us. But it is sufficient to say here that these people are not serving themselves but God. They are not representing themselves but the Lord. Therefore, we must submit to them. And what does this even mean? It means we must yield to their leadership. Here in Hebrews 13, we are told not to make their work difficult for them. That means we must not make it difficult for our church leaders to lead us. So, when they give us instructions, we must obey. That is how to show you are submissive to someone. When the person gives you instructions, you take those instructions seriously and act accordingly.
Well, I am saying don’t make the work of your church leader difficult for him. Don’t make it hard for him to lead you. Nobody will be a leader in the church, if he has not been appointed by God or by those God has placed over us in the church. Yes, those placed over us in the church have a duty to be careful in appointing or ordaining leaders to be over us. This is why Paul tells Timothy not to be in a hurry to lay hands on anyone and make them a leader in the church. Why? He does not want a situation in which some wrong persons will be made leaders over God’s people and ruin the work of God. (Cf. 1Timothy 5:22)
In any case, you must understand that before your church leader will appoint someone to lead you in any capacity, he must have had some degree of confidence in the person. So, it is not in your place to doubt him. Don’t forget that you are not the only one who has the Spirit of God in him. Your leader also has the Spirit of God in him. And if he has placed someone over you to lead you, you have to have confidence in the person that they will do the right thing. Yes, along the line, the person may not do the right thing. But that will be an obvious thing. So, you will not be the only one that will know. Others around will also know that the person is not doing the will of God. But unless something like that happens, you have to continue to trust that the person will do the will of God. That is the way of the Scriptures.
So, don’t make it difficult for anyone God has placed over you in the church to lead you. It does not matter whether you are in the choir, ushering unit or church management unit, don’t make it difficult for whoever is set over you as leader to lead you. That is because the person is going to give God an account for your soul. You may not believe or accept this. But it is the reality. So, if you make the work of your church leader hard for him, it will not be to your advantage. You will not enjoy the person’s ministry as you should – the blessings of their ministry will not settle over your life as they ought to. And the word of God is very clear about this.
This is really not the time for me to be talking to you about the consequences of being rebellious to your church leader. So, I am only saying in advance that it is not to your benefit to make the work of your church leader hard for him. And there are people in the church today that are making it hard for their leaders to lead them. They are making it very difficult for their leaders to lead them. When they are given instructions, they don’t obey them. When they are told to come for meetings, they will not come or come when they like. And when they are given responsibilities to handle for the church, they will not handle them diligently. Sometimes, their leaders may have to give the same responsibilities to others to handle. They are not submissive.
If such people are submissive, once they are given instructions by their church leaders, they will take them very seriously and handle them diligently, as though they had come from the Lord Himself. And the truth is that whatever instruction that has come to you from your church leader has come from the Lord, as long as it is not contrary to His will. Any instruction from your leader to you that is geared towards bringing glory to God, that is geared towards helping the people of God become what He wants them to become or that is geared towards establishing them in the will of God must be taken seriously. Not taking that instruction seriously shows you are not taking your leader seriously. And if you are not taking your leader seriously, then, you are not taking the one who has sent him seriously.
Now I want to show you something else Paul says along these lines in 2Corinthians. He says in chapter 10, verse 8, “So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.” (NIV) Here Paul wants us to know that God actually gave him authority over the people of God. Authority to do what? Authority to build them up and not to tear them down! So, your church leader possesses the authority to build you up in the will of God, to establish you in His will. That is why when he prays for you, his prayers are answered. That is why when he pronounces words of blessing on you, they come to pass. And that is also why he is able to open doors for you and also shut doors for you.
Of course, every church leader must learn to use the authority God has given him in this regard right. But the people of God under him also must know that he is authorised to lead them. Do you get that? Your church leader is authorised to lead you. He is authorised to build you up.
Paul says about the same thing in chapter 13 of 2Corinthians. He says in verse 10, “This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not tearing you down.” (2Corinthians 13:10NIV) Is this clear to you now? Every leader of God’s people has the authority to establish them in the will of God. As a pastor, I have the authority to build up the people of God under me. I am not doing what I am doing because I just feel like doing them. I am doing them because I am authorised by God to do them. I am authorised by Him to feed you with His word. I am authorised by Him to pray for you. I am authorised by Him to correct, exhort and rebuke you. Every leader of God’s people is authorised by Him to do these things.
Therefore, when your leader is feeding you with God’s word, you need to take him seriously, for he is authorised by God to do so. When he is correcting or rebuking you, you need to take what he is saying seriously, for he is authorised by God to do so. I am saying that if you are out of line, your leader is authorised by God to set you right. And you have to understand that He is authorised by God to do so. If you do not see him as one that is authorised to lead you and do these things to you, you will not submit to him. If you, then, will not submit to him, as I told you before, you should get away from his leadership. You don’t have to be under his leadership, when you can be somewhere else where you will submit yourself. Otherwise, you will not flourish or be built up or established in the will of God under leadership.
See, it is when you fully embrace and submit to your leader in the church that you will reap the full benefit of his leadership or ministry. Unfortunately, many of God’s people do not understand this. So, they are not doing well under their leaders. They do not understand that these leaders are authorised to lead them and do things that will make them flourish. So, they do not receive them well and embrace their ministries. Instead of embracing those000 appointed over them wholeheartedly and submitting to them, they will keep going from prayer mountain to prayer mountain or from prophet to prophet.
Yes, some of the prophets or other pastors God’s people visit apart from their church leaders may be gifted by God to bless men. But these ones are not authorised by God to lead you the way your church leaders have been authorised by Him to do so. So, when you meet them, they will only minister to you based on the working of the gift of God in their lives. That being the case, there are things in your life that their ministries will never take care of unless you fully place yourself under them. But the ones that are placed directly over you by God are authorised by Him to minister to you in His whole will. And they are expected by Him to be devoted to doing this as long as you are yielded to them. So, how you relate to them will go a long way in determining what becomes of your faith and what becomes of your spiritual growth.
Well then, how do you submit to your church leaders? I have already mentioned some things along the line. But to make my point clearer, first, you submit to your church leaders by obeying their instructions. Second, you are to show them respect. In other words, you do not despise them. Look at what Paul says to the Thessalonians about this:
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” (1Thessalonians 5:12-13NIV)
Again, these are express instructions to us on how to relate to our leaders. And the first thing we are told here is to acknowledge them. That means you need to know them. I love saying this to God’s people: when you join any assembly of God, the first thing for you to do is to know your leaders – know the people that will be leading you in that assembly. Then you are to hold them in the highest regard. That means you are to relate to them with utmost respect.
Remember that Paul told the Corinthians not to treat Timothy with contempt when he came among them. That means they must not disregard him. In like manner, we too are being told to hold our leaders in the highest regard. What does that even mean? Well, among other things, it means we are to obey them. You cannot say that you respect or regard someone, when you will not obey them. If you truly hold someone in the highest regard, then, when they give you instructions, you will take them seriously, as long as those instructions are not contrary to the will of God.
In any case, we are told to here to hold our church leaders in the highest regard. Now, of course, showing respect or regard for people can sometimes be relative. I mean that what is taken as respect in some place may not be regarded as respect in some other culture. Among the Europeans and the Americans, for example, it may be okay to call your father-in-law or mother-in-law by her first name. But in our own culture, you cannot do that and not be seen as highly disrespectful. This is why, here, we do not refer to our church leaders by their first names. Instead, we use titles like pastor, evangelist, prophet and so forth to address them.
Now I know those titles don’t mean a thing before God. In fact, there are people that are addressed with big titles in the church that do not know anything or are not doing anything God recognises. But since, it is a cultural thing here not to address people that we respect by their first names, you should pay attention to the use of these titles in relating to your church leaders. It is a sign of respect.
In the old covenant, the Israelites were told to rise before aged people, as a sign of respect for their old age (Leviticus 19:32). And there are many cultures of the world in which similar things are taught their young ones. My point, at any rate, is that it important you know what it means to highly regard people in your culture and to employ it in dealing with your leaders in church. I mean that whatever is considered to be giving someone highest regard in your culture is what you should employ in relating to your church leaders.
So, if in your culture, to kneel for someone is what is taken to mean giving the person highest regard, that is what you should give to your leader in church. And if bowing for someone is what is considered to be giving the person highest regard in your culture, then, that is what you should employ in relating to your church leaders. Leaders, especially young leaders, however, must be careful too in accepting the reverence of those older than them. Otherwise, they may just fall into the sin of pride, the sin of the devil.
Furthermore, you do not insult your church leaders or talk anyhow to them. That is out of line. Unfortunately, there are people that insult their church leaders at any given chance and may even want to beat them up. Such people are out of line and will face the consequences of their actions. I have been telling you that there are consequences for not taking submission seriously. And these consequences are even more grave when you are disrespecting those representing God to you in the church.
Mind you, it is not because of the ages of your church leaders or because of their education or because of their wealth that you are to hold them in the highest regard. Rather, it is because of their work. That means it is because they are working for the Lord – they are representing Him. So, they should be highly regarded. Paul says in 2Corinthians 7:15 that the Corinthians received Titus with fear and trembling, when He came to them. That is how it must be. You receive them with fear and trembling. When talking to them, do so with utmost regard. When they give you instructions, accept them with utmost regard. When they show up in your house or in a church meeting, receive them with utmost regard.
This, of course, does not mean you are to turn them to God in your life. This is one extreme God’s people often go to. Some leaders have been idolised in the church. And this not right. This is not about turning our leaders to demigods in our lives. Rather, it is about following Scriptures in relating to your church leaders. And when you do so, God will reward you for your obedience to His instructions.
Let us pray.
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Series: Submission | Title: Citizens to governing authorities
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: April 16, 2023
This morning, I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Submission’. We have looked at some of the people we are expected to submit ourselves to, based on our relationships with them. We started with the relationship between the husband and the wife. The wife is expected by God to submit to her husband. That is because the husband is the one appointed by God to be the head of that union. We also looked at the relationship between parents and children. Children are to submit to their parents, for it is the will of God for them and the right thing for them to do. Then we went on to look at how slaves are to submit to their masters, employees to their employers and students to their teachers. This is also the will of God for those in these relationships. And we will do well to take seriously what the Lord is saying to us about submission along these lines, so that His will may be fully realised in our lives.
As I pointed out before, there is no authority except that which God has established. So, anyone rebelling against any form of authority is rebelling against what God has established. And there will definitely be consequences. We will be looking at some of these consequences as we progress in these studies.
Now we want to begin to look at how we are to relate to the leaders of our various governments and societies. That will take us back to the main text we have been using for these studies, which is in Romans, chapter 13, from verse 1. And it says:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honor.” (Romans 13:1-7NIV)
Here we are told how we are to relate to governing authorities. We are told to be subject to them. We are told to be subject to them because they have been established by God. This may be hard for us to take in or swallow. But it is the reality. Yes, we may have gone through the process of electing those who are now leaders over us. That does not change anything. The right to elect our leaders has been given to us by God. So, whoever we choose is the person God will accept. The system we have created may be throwing up terrible leaders for us. The system we have created or twisted may throw up as our leaders people that are undependable or morally bankrupt. But we have to live the consequences of twisting our own system.
If we choose darkness, God is going to ratify it. If we choose light, so be it. But if we choose darkness as our leader, that is how it will be. The word of God says men love darkness rather than light because their works are evil. And this, unfortunately, has been playing out in many places when elections are held. People often choose darkness instead of light. When you choose darkness instead of light, you have to live with it. God has given us the privilege to choose leaders for ourselves today. There were days in which people did not have this kind of privilege. The powerful ruled in those days. The powerful took leadership positions for themselves in those days. Yet their people were expected by God to be subject to them.
At least, we know that when Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, there were not elected leaders in most part of the world. Most of the people that were leaders then became leaders either by inheritance or by force. If you became a leader through inheritance and were not strong enough to hold your position, someone stronger than you could take it from you. So, the powerful were the leaders of the world then. And these leaders also would appoint others that would represent their interests in different places. Whatever the case was, God expected the subjects of these leaders to be submissive to them.
Now since back in those days, when the powerful imposed themselves as leaders on their people, God expected the people to be subject to their leaders, will He expect anything less from us now? No! Since God expected those who were under autocratic rule to be subject to their leaders, will He expect those of us under democratic rule to do less? No! In fact, we must take His instructions along these lines more seriously now.
Furthermore, in Titus, chapter 3, verse 1, Paul says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus 3:1-2NIV) You can see that the same thing is being said here about how citizens of every country are to relate to the leaders of their government, communities and so forth. They are to be subject to them. They are to be obedient to them.
Those of the world may think we are silly, stupid or morons to act like this. They may think we are cowards to be subject to our leaders. But it is the will of God for us to be like this. And it does not matter whether we are dealing with an autocratic rule or a democratic rule, we must obey the word of God. The system of government we are dealing with cannot invalidate the word of God. So, we must accept His word and live by it.
Peter also says about the same things in his first epistle, the second chapter. He says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” (1Peter 2:13-15NIV) There is anticipation here that people are going to be against us for acting on the word of God that tells us to be submissive to our government leaders, even when they are cruel or irresponsible. But it is the will of God for us. And by doing the will of God, we are going to ultimately silence them. That means, at some point, they are going to see that it pays to do the will of God.
Well, in Romans, chapter 13, Paul tells to be subject to our governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. And Peter says we are to be subject to them for the Lord’s sake. That means it is because of God that we are to be submissive to our government leaders. And it is because of Him that we are to submit to those whom these leaders have appointed over us. That means our submissiveness to them is to God as well. That is because there is no authority except that which God has established.
The process through which someone has become a government leader or a traditional leader may be flawed or twisted. It does not change anything. As long as the person is in charge, the word of God tells us to be subject to the person, to be submissive to the person. I told you that we will later be looking at the consequences of disobeying the Lord in this respect. But I want you to keep in mind for now the fact that it is the will of God for you to submit to those who are in charge of our governments and society.
Moreover, we are told in our main text from Romans 13 that these people are God’s servants. In verse 4, we are told that they are God’s servant for our good. So, it does not matter how cruel a government or communal leader may be, he is God’s servant for your good. Yes, leaders may function contrary to God’s purpose for them. They may give themselves to cruelty and all kinds of atrocities. That is not to say God put them in the positions they are occupying to do evil. God put them in the positions they are occupying to do those under them good. And you too should keep this in mind: you are placed in whatever position of leadership you are occupying to do those under you good. If you are not doing them good, the one who has placed you over them reserves the right to remove you anytime.
Remember how God dealt with Belshazzar. He dealt with him because he was not living up to the purpose for which he was placed in the office he was occupying. God said I have weighed you and found you wanting. So, He removed him from office. And if God could remove Belshazzar from office, there is no one that He cannot remove from office. So, keep it in mind that every leader is a servant of God. (Cf. Daniel 5)
Usually, we believers think that it is only our church leaders that are servants of God. But that is not so. The leaders of our government are also servants of God. The leaders of our various towns, cities and villages are also servants of God. Then those who have been appointed by these leaders to serve in various capacities are also servants of God, for they are not representing themselves but the ones who appointed them. And those who have appointed them have been placed or permitted to be in the offices they are occupying by God.
Also, in the same verse 4 of Romans 13, Paul says our government and community leaders are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on those who do wrong. So, just as they are God’s servants to do good to those who do good, they are also His servants to punish those who do wrong. There is a lot to be said about this. But it is sufficient to say at this moment that leaders are God’s servants to punish wickedness. So, if you are a leader anywhere, you need to see yourself as God’s servant to restrain wickedness and to also judge it. And it is when leaders fail to take this seriously that God, at some point, will step in to judge wickedness Himself.
What I am saying is that if leaders of our various governments, states, cities, towns and communities are taking these things seriously and punishing wickedness adequately, God won’t have to step in to do so. They are His servants to judge wickedness. And as I said before, if you are aiming for any leadership position, you have to be ready for this. You are not only going to be in that office to do good to those who do good; you are also going to be there to punish those who do evil. You have to be ready for both, for both are your responsibilities.
In any case, the point I want us to get here is that government leaders, community leaders and so forth are also servants of God. It is not only ministers of the gospel that are servants of God – these ones also are His servants. They may be serving Him in different ways. But they are His servants.
Again, if you skip to verse 6 of Romans 13, you will find that the authorities are said to be God’s servants who give their full time to governing. So, three times in this small passage of his letter, Paul tells us that the leaders of our government and society are God’s servants. Now we may not like them. We may not appreciate the way they are functioning. They may be morally bankrupt. They may be wicked and cruel in many ways. But this is what they are: servants of God. And because they are servants of God, we must submit to them. We must submit to them, as long as they are not asking us to do anything that is contrary to the will of God. It is only when they are telling us to do things that are contrary to the will of God that we must not submit to them. Instead, at such times, it is God we must obey.
We see how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar in order to honour God. That, of course, came with consequences. And I have been telling you that rebellion against established authorities always comes with consequences. Even when you are standing in the will of God against the authority of a leader, there will still be consequences. And God is able to save you from those consequences. But if you are not standing in the will of God and are just being rebellious, God is not under obligation to save you. So, you may just be crushed, if you are not shown mercy. (Cf. Daniel 3)
Daniel, at some point, also had to disobey the edict of King Darius, for that edict was contrary to the will of God. The edict says that no one should pray to anyone but the king. But this king wasn’t God. Therefore, Daniel was not going to obey the edict. That, as should be expected, came with a consequence. He was thrown into a den of lions. But God saved him. So, rebellion against leadership will always come with consequences. The consequences may not be grave. But consequences are consequences. (Cf. Daniel 6)
Now how do we submit to our leaders? First, we submit to them by obeying the laws of the land. Leaders rule by laws. They lead by laws. It does not matter whether we are dealing with autocratic rule or democratic rule, leaders lead and rule by laws. And you are to obey those laws, as long as they are not contrary to the will of God.
So, know the laws of your land. Do not be ignorant of them. You know there is this saying that ignorance is not an excuse under the law. And it is true. So, as much as it lies with each of us, we must do our best to be acquainted with the laws of our land, our country, our states and our various communities. We must be acquainted with all the laws that are given to guide our conduct and obey them, even where they have to do with defending our country in a time of war.
Now traffic laws are part of these laws. And we are meant to obey them. In Nigeria, most of us do not obey traffic laws. That is because there is not adequate punishment for our disobedience. We have really not been getting sufficient leadership in this country. Yes, people are praying for good leadership. But when God eventually give us the good leadership we have been praying for, many of us will cry. That is because we have been lawless in many ways. We have been lawless because we are not getting sufficient leadership. Good leadership will certainly give us sufficient leadership. And sufficient leadership will punish all our lawlessness adequately. So, you who have been violating traffic rules need to get ready for the day the good leadership you have been praying for will happen. That is when you will understand what you are up against.
Apart from obeying the laws of the land, we also need to respect our leaders. How do we show respect to them? First, we are to give them the honour they deserve each time we are dealing with them. Second, we must watch the kinds of things we say about them. We need to go online today to see the way people talk about leaders of government and our societies in general. Nasty things are often said about them. They are insulted and abused in many ways. And these things are contrary to the will of God for us.
A lot times, people don’t even verify the news they hear about their leaders before judging them and insulting them. But the word of God warns us against all such things. Look, again, at what Paul says to Titus in his letter: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus 3:1-2NIV) Our instruction is to slander no one. We have no right to insult our leaders or say things that are untrue about them. These people are representing God. So, even if they misbehave, the whip for dealing with them has not been given to us by God. He is the one to punish or deal with them, if they misbehave.
We read in Scriptures that God rebuked kings for His people during bible days (Psalm 105:14-15). Some of us have totally forgotten these Scriptures. Many don’t even know that they exist. But we can actually appeal to God against our leaders, if they are not fulfilling His purpose for putting them in positions of authority over us. And He is going to rebuke them for us. Look at how He rebuked Pharoah for Abraham, when the former took the latter’s wife (Genesis 12:10-20). We also see in Scriptures how He rebuked King Abimelech for Abraham for taking his wife (Genesis 20). Then we see how He rebuked Laban for Jacob, so that he would not harm him (Genesis 31).
Now do you think God has changed? Or do you think His power has diminished? No! We are the ones not relating to Him in faith. We are the ones not talking to Him enough about our leaders. So, they act and behave as they please. Instead of talking to God about them, we insult and slander them. But as I told you before, even as wicked as Satan is, the word of God does not permit us to insult him or slander him. And since this is the case with the devil, do you think God will permit us to say horrible things about our leaders? No! I have been telling you that acting in this manner will surely come with consequences. And there are many whose lives are being terribly affected because of these things, because of their inoperative and unproductive words against their leaders. So, watch what you say about your leaders, for God is listening.
Again, in verse 7 of Romans 13, Paul says, “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honor.” (Romans 13:7NIV) So, based on the positions our leaders are hold, we must show them adequate respect and honour. When Paul was giving his defence before King Agrippa and Governor Festus, he referred to this governor as ‘Most excellent Festus’ (Acts 26:35). That is as good as addressing him as ‘Your excellency’. And when he began to address King Agrippa, he motioned with his hands as a sign of respect.
That was a man of God, showing proper respect to the leaders of the land. But there are many so-called men of God today that have no iota of respect for the leaders of our government and societies. Yes, these leaders may be coming to you for prayers and counselling. That does not mean you should not honour and respect them. They are showing you respect because you are a servant of God. And as a fair exchange, you too should recognise them as servants of God and honour them.
See, God is watching you and the pride in your heart as you relate to the leaders of our land. And this pride that you are refusing to deal with will limit you in various. In fact, it is already limiting you. You are just not paying attention. Paul was a man of God. Yet he related with respect and honour to King Agrippa and Governor Festus. We all should learn from him and begin to function accordingly.
What about our attitude towards taxes? The laws of the land command us to pay our taxes and revenues. So, we should pay them and not seek to evade them. Today, we have the privilege of finding out what our leaders are doing to our taxes. We even have the privilege of taking them to task in the court about how they are using our taxes. But in bible days, the people did not have such privileges. Who was going to challenge the Ceasars on how they were using their taxes? Who was going to challenge the Herods on they were using the taxes they were collecting from the people? Yet these people were commanded by God to pay their taxes.
In like manner, we too are commanded by Him to pay our taxes. And we do know there are stringent laws in many countries against tax evasion. So, don’t try to evade tax payment. The word of God says that if you owe taxes, pay them, and if you owe revenue, pay it. Yes, you can go to the tax offices to get some reduction on what you pay. That is alright. But don’t evade the payment of your taxes. You will be walking contrary to the will of God by doing that. And there will be consequences.
In Saint Mark’s gospel, chapter 12, some people came to Jesus to ask him, if it was alright for them to pay taxes or not. And He told them to bring Him a coin. When they had brought it, He asked them, “Whose inscription is this on the coin and whose image is this on it?” They said, “Ceasars!” Then He went to tell them this: “Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s and to God what is God’s.” By that, the Lord was telling them that it was right for them to pay taxes. And that is the final word on that matter. We too must pay taxes. There is nothing to debate about it.
In addition to that, when the Lord said to those people, “Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s and to God what is God’s,” He wanted them to also know that they must respect national symbols. So, whatever respect that is due to our national symbols should be given to them. Show respect to our National Flag. Show respect to our National Anthem and National Pledge, when they are being recited. Show respect to our National Currency. And show respect to our uniform men, all the officers (police men and women, soldiers and so forth) that are representing the nation. They may misbehave. And many of them often misbehave. But the word of God does not permit us to insult them.
We read in Scriptures how a man called Simon, who was from Cyrene, was forced to carry the cross of Jesus by the Roman soldiers. So, it is not a new thing for uniform men misbehave, especially when they are in uniform. Yet we are told to respect them. That does not mean we cannot take them to task in a court of law for misbehaving. But we are not permitted by God to molest, harass or insult them. Others may feel free to do such things. But we are not permitted to do so. Also, others may see us as weak for acting like this. But the word of God does not say so. Instead, it tells us that the weapons of our warfare are effective and mighty through God. (Cf. Mark 15:21; 2Corinthians 10:4)
So, praying to God about our leaders is effective. Practising righteousness in our land is effective. Submissiveness to established authorities is effective. Therefore, don’t stop doing these things because people are persecuting you or insulting you. And the Lord will reward you for being true to Him, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Employees to employers
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: April 09, 2023
Series: Submission
I want us to continue from where we left off on ‘Submission’. I told you before that when we are talking about submission, we are talking about how we relate to authority. Now the word of God tells us that there is no authority except that which God has established. That means every form of authority has its roots in God. Not to submit to anyone God has placed over us, then, is not to submit to God Himself. If we rebel against any form of authority, our rebellion will be against God. And that will be followed by punishment. We will, of course, be looking at dangers of rebellion of against authority later in the course of this teaching. But I want you to keep in mind the fact that there is no authority except that which God has established. And as children of God, one main way to show we are submissive to Him is to be submissive to those He has placed over us. That is what the Scripture tells us. (Cf. Romans 13:1-5)
Now we have been looking at the people God has placed over us in Scriptures and how we are to submit to them. We have looked at what God says about how wives are to relate to their husbands and how children are to relate to their parents. We are going to progress now on how slaves are to relate to their masters and employees to their bosses or employers.
By the way, I told you before that even though God wants us to submit to all those who have authority over us, any time they are asking us to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, they are stepping outside the limits or scope of their authority. And we are not to listen to them at such times. What that means, in any case, is that every form of authority has its own boundaries. So, our submission to it must be according to its boundaries. And we will say some things later about the boundaries of the authorities over us and how we are to relate to them.
Well, our focus now is on how slaves are to relate to their masters. Back in the days when the bible was written, we had slaves and masters. That is no longer a popular thing today. Yes, we still have people that serve as maids or house helps in some homes. But that relationship is not like that of a slave and his master. House helps and maids are free to go from the homes in which they are serving when their services are over or when they feel that they can no longer cope with those they are serving or when those they are serving get tired of them. That is because they are not the properties or possessions of those they are serving.
But in bible days things were not so. Slaves were among the properties of their masters then. They were bought by those masters and must serve them for life, unless they were able to buy their freedom. Paul speaks about this in 1Corinthians 7. There he says if any Christian slave has the opportunity to buy his freedom, he should do so. That is because God has bought us for Himself and does not want us to be slaves of men. That means, originally, it is not part of God’s plan for this kind of relationship – slave-master relationship – to exist.
In any case, this relationship existed then. And we should thank God for the liberty we are now enjoying in the world because of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into it and what He has done for us. So, this relationship has been eliminated from the world to a great degree. I do not mean there are no places in the world in which people still owned people. But it is no longer something that the government of any country would sanction. Most countries, have very stringent punishments for those who engage in such things.
Well, what does the word of God say about how slaves are to relate to their masters? We are going to look at that in a moment. But let me first say that whatever the word of God says about how slaves are to relate to their masters is also what it is saying about how employees are to relate to their bosses or employers. The only difference is that employees are not properties of their employers or bosses. So, they can disengage themselves from the service of their employers whenever they please and based on their work terms and conditions.
Now, from verse 5 of Ephesians, chapter 6, Paul says this about how slaves are to relate to their masters:
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if your were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:5-8NIV)
It is clear from what Paul says here that God wants slaves to relate to their masters with utmost respect. He says they are to obey their masters with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart, as they would obey Christ. That means they are to look beyond their masters and see the Lord Jesus as over them. This is also the view that employees must have of their employers or bosses. They are to obey them the way they would obey the Lord Jesus Christ and not make it difficult for them to lead or guide them. Why must this be so? It must be so because the Lord Jesus is actively present in the employee-employer relationship as well. And He is actively present to reward everyone according to what they have done.
There is a parallel passage in Colossians, chapter 3, which reads from verse 22:
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3:22-23NIV)
I want you to pay attention to the part that says, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” That means the Lord Jesus Christ is actively present in your relationship with your boss or employer. So, He is overseeing what you are doing. That means the one you are really serving is not your employer or boss; the one you are really serving is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Christian thinking and is contrary to the thinking of the world.
Those of this world go to work believing they are working for some human masters or employers. So, all they look forward to is the reward those human masters are willing to give to them. And when they are no longer satisfied with the conditions or terms of their work with those masters, they get out. Again, we should thank God for the privilege of being able to do such things, the privilege of being able to change our jobs or workplaces as we please. But the slaves of bible days to whom these instructions originally came did not have the luxury of changing their jobs or workplaces or masters as they pleased. Those slaves could not go on strike, if their masters were not treating them well. They could not abscond from work as they pleased, if their masters were not good to them. They were properties of their masters and had slave drivers over them.
Remember what we are told in the bible about the time the children of Israel did as slaves in Egypt. They had slave drivers over them that ensured that they did whatever they were supposed to do. So, whether slaves back in those days loved their work or not, they had to do it. And their masters only fed them to keep them alive. They were not obligated to do anything else for them. Yes, some may have kind masters that treated them like human beings. But most of them had ruthless and godless masters who did not take any special care of them. (Cf. Exodus 1:8-14)
Nevertheless, the word of God says slaves must be submissive to their masters – they must obey them. And how are they to obey them? They are to obey them as they would obey the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to see beyond their masters to the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to keep in mind the fact that the one they are actually serving is the Lord Jesus Christ and not their human masters. If you see things this way where you work, if you see the Lord as your true employer and boss, you will work harder and with sincerity of heart.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with many people. And it is not the case with them because they have not fully comprehended the lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives. It is not the case with them because they are not taking the lordship of Jesus seriously in their personal lives. If you are not taking the lordship of Jesus seriously in your live, there is no way you are going to take Him seriously in your workplace.
As we see in our bible texts, slaves and employees are told to obey their masters as they would obey the Lord Jesus Christ. But it only those who have learnt to obey the Lord Jesus Christ that would act accordingly. The ones who have not learnt to obey Him will not act accordingly. You see why it is important for us to first learn to yield ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and live as He wants us to live. It will help us in handling all our relationships. If you have learnt to obey the Lord Jesus, you will have no problem submitting yourself to anyone that He places over you, regardless of how cruel the person may be. That is because you are going to be looking beyond that person to the Lord Jesus. You are going to understand that the one you are actually serving is the Lord Jesus Christ and not that person. You will also understand that the one that is actually going to reward you is not that person but the Lord Jesus Christ.
See, whatever the person you are working for is paying you is nothing to compare to what the Lord Jesus will pay you. Then the person you are working with may pay you well, when the Lord actually thinks you are being overpaid. That is because He is also looking at what you are doing. So, keep it in mind that the one you are serving is the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever you do, then, it is He you are doing it for. If you serve well and faithfully where you are, it is the Lord you are serving well and faithfully. If you do not serve well and faithfully, it is the Lord you are despising.
As I said before, those you are working with may reward your laziness or slothfulness for any reason acceptable to them. But the Lord Jesus will not reward you for these things. In like manner, people may not reward your uprightness, diligence and faithfulness at work. But the Lord Jesus, whom you are really serving, is going to reward you. This is what God wants those who have masters and employers over them to consider and act appropriately on.
Then I want us to look more closely at some other things that are said in the texts we are considering on how slaves and employees are to relate to those over them. These things, by the way, are applicable to students as well. They are also applicable to apprentices who have skilled masters over them.
Now we have already said that their obedience to their masters must be with respect and sincerity of heart. That means you are to work with sincerity of heart wherever you are working. Furthermore, we are told to work not because we want to win the favour of men but of God. That means we are not to do eye service. Instead, we are to do what we know to be right where we are working. That is what will show that we understand that the one we are really working for is the Lord Jesus Christ. There are people who work hard or well only when the eye of their masters or employers is on them. The moment their eye is no longer on them, they start doing what they like. This is also true of many who render services to others.
So, if you are an artisan, what is said here is also applicable to you, for you are rendering services to others. And these people are going to pay you. They may not have over you the kind of authority a boss at work will have over his subordinate. But since they are going to pay you, you have to render your services to them as though you were rendering them to the Lord Jesus. If you are building a house for someone, then, keep it in mind that the one you are building it for is the Lord. And when He comes around to test what you built, will He want you to be paid for what you have done or will it discard it as nothing? The person you have worked for may pay you for the house you have built. But if the Lord does not think you deserve to be paid what you have been paid, that money is not going to do you good.
Well, we are saying that you should do whatever you do in your workplace with sincerity of heart and not with eye service. Don’t give people the impression that you are working hard when you are actually not doing much. That is eye service and it is not the will of God for you. What God wants is for you to do whatever you do wholeheartedly. People around you may think your own is too much or you are going too far. But you know that the one that is going to reward you is the Lord Jesus and His reward will be beyond what your employer or client will give you.
Paul equally speaks along this line in his letter to Titus. He says from verse 9 of chapter 2, “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show them that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” (Titus 2:9-10NIV) These are further instructions to us about submission in our workplaces. Slaves and employees are to be subject to their masters in everything. As long as they are not asking you to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, you must be submissive to them. It is if they are asking you to do things that are contrary to the will of God that you must not submit to them.
Now, of course, there is no way you will despise the authority of your boss or employer that there won’t be consequences. Even if you disobey them because you want to obey God, there will be persecutions. And if you have to be prepared for that. But if your employer should punish you, it should not be because you are doing the wrong thing; rather, it should be because you are doing the will of God. (Cf. 1Peter 2:18-21)
The command of the Lord, at any rate, is that you are to be subject to your master in all things and try to please them. So, do you best to please your master, boss or employer. And the word of God does not say it is only if you are dealing with employers or masters that are Christians that you should function like this. Rather, it says you are to relate to your masters in this manner, whether they are Christians or not.
Back in the days that Paul wrote these things, most of the slave masters were not Christians but wicked, lawless and ruthless people. Yet the word of God commanded their slaves to be subject to them and not to talk back to them. That means they were not to disrespect them. Sometimes, your employer may do things you are not happy with. Yet you are not permitted to disrespect them or to insult them. These people have authority over you that is established and recognised by the Lord. If you disrespect them, then, it is the Lord Jesus you disrespect.
As I taught you before, we are not permitted to insult the devil, even though he is wicked and ruthless. Why? It is because of the authority he carries as the prince of this world. Since we are not permitted to insult the devil, do you think we are going to have God’s permission to insult or abuse our employers or bosses at work because of their atrocities? No! So, watch your tongue, even if your boss offends you. Instead, commit that master into the hands of the one that is the master of both of you, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He will vindicate you.
Now I am not saying that if your employer or boss at work does something that is wrong, you are not to say anything or draw their attention to their error. When we are talking about submission, we are not talking about servitude. And as I said before, every authority has its boundaries. Some of these boundaries are even recognised by the laws of various places. And where an employer is doing things to his employees that he is not permitted by the laws of the land to do, those employees can use their rights under the law to stop him or set him right. Nothing is wrong with that. But we must not make the mistake of disrespecting or assaulting our bosses or employers, just because they are out of line. We must not become a part of the evil we are fighting. It is contrary to the will of God for us.
Moreover, we are told not to steal from our employers but to show ourselves as those that can be fully trusted. In many places today, employees steal from their employers and ruin their businesses. And the Lord is watching them. Remember He is the one we all, including our employers, are working for and He will reward every one of us according to what we do, whether good or evil. If He, then, will reward even our employers, will you, who are stealing from your employers, be spared? It is the Lord you are stealing from. And by stealing from Him, you are not showing yourself as someone that can be fully trusted. This, I can guarantee you, is going to affect you.
So, wherever you are working, don’t steal from your employer. If they are not paying you well, you can get out of there if the opportunity to do so arises, instead of constituting yourself into a nuisance there, instead of turning yourself into a thief there, instead of ruining the business. Many employees cannot be trusted today. And the Lord says if you are not faithful in handling what belongs to others, who will give you your own? This shows why many have been working for years and nothing good has come out of doing so. The Lord has not elevated them. And He has not elevated them because they have not shown themselves as worthy of His elevation.
See, they may not pay you well where you are. You may be working under hostile conditions or very hostile bosses. But if you are doing the will of God from your heart, God is going to elevate you at the right time. He elevated Joseph in the house of Potiphar, even though he was a slave there. Why? It was because Joseph did not use his situation as an excuse to be misbehaving. Instead, he handled everything that was entrusted to his care diligently. So, God elevated him. The same thing happened to him in the prison. And he went on to become the prime minister of the land of Egypt afterwards.
You too cannot tell where God wants to take you. You may be nothing where you are working now. But if you are doing the will of God from your heart there, He is going to elevate you at the right time. These are the things you must keep in mind, as you relate to your employers, bosses, teachers, trainers or clients. And I pray that the truths I have shared with you here will live in your heart and produce in you the results God wants to see.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Children to parents
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: April 02, 2023
Series: Submission
I want to further share with you on the subject we have been considering for a while now, which is ‘Submission.’ As I told you before, when we are dealing with submission, we are dealing with our relationship with authority. And the first form of authority that is over our lives that we must recognise is God’s authority. His authority is the highest everywhere. And He has given it to our Lord Jesus Christ, for we are told that God gave Him the name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9-11). Then He Himself has said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Who gave it to Him? God gave it to Him. (Cf. Matthew 28:18)
So, every authority has its roots in God. Even Satan’s authority was received by him. He did not create for himself the authority he now has as the prince of this world, the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Yes, it was through deceit that he received. But he did not establish himself as an authority by his own power – he received his authority. That is because he is a created being.
Well, the point I am making is that if we are going to understand authority and how to relate to it, we must first understand that every authority has its roots in God. So, we must yield ourselves to Him. And it is as we yield ourselves to him that we will be able to yield ourselves to other forms of authority over us.
Now we began by looking at the authorities in our homes and how we are to relate to them. And in the home, the first authority we have is that of the husband over his wife. So, the wife is commanded to submit to her own husband. Why? Her husband is her head. God has made him her head. Therefore, she must submit to him as she submits to the Lord Jesus Christ. If she is submissive to the Lord Jesus at all, then, she will be submissive to her husband.
No woman can claim to be submissive to God, if she is not submissive to her husband. As long as her husband is within his rights, as long as her husband is not asking her to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, she is expected to submit to him. That is what she has been commanded by God to do. If she despises her husband, it is God she is despising. And this is not for believers alone; it is for everyone. So, you need to understand this: as long as your man is not asking you to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, you must submit to him. If you will not submit to him, it is the Lord Jesus you will not submit to. It does not matter what name or title you bear – mother-in-Israel, evangelist or anything else – as long as you will not submit to your husband, it is the Lord Jesus you will not submit to. And this will have implications, as we will later see.
Now let us move on to another form of authority we are to submit to in our homes. That is the authority of the parents over the children. Here is what Paul says about this from verse 1 of Ephesians, chapter 6:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3NIV)
This is God’s word to the children. And He is addressing believing children here, children that are raised in the church. They must be taught to obey their parents’ authority; they must be taught to yield to it. The instruction is ‘Obey your parents in the Lord’. Unfortunately, some have taken this to mean ‘spiritual parents’. But this is not addressing spiritual authority at all. There are, of course, places in Scriptures where we are told to obey our spiritual leaders. But this is not one of them.
We have a very clear instruction here, which says, “Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” So, the instruction is to Christian children who have Christians parents. And it is saying since your parents are Christians, the right thing for you to do is to obey them. That is because you can trust them not to mislead you. As I told you before, every form of authority has boundaries. So, even though you are a parent and have authority over your children, your authority over them has boundaries. Anything that takes you outside the will of God takes you outside the boundaries of your authority. Therefore, if you are asking your children to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, you are functioning outside the boundaries of your authority. If they will not obey you, then, they will be doing the right thing. See, we are not talking about blind obedience here. Rather, we are talking about obedience that is in conformity with righteousness.
Well, in Colossians, chapter 3, from verse 18, Paul says this to us along the same line: “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18-20NIV) Can you see that? Paul, here, is not saying, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” Rather, he is saying, “Children, obey your parents in everything.” Why? It pleases the Lord to do so. And in Ephesians 6 he says it is the right thing to do.
Then he goes on to remind us that the very first commandment of Moses that was given with a promise has to do with children obeying their parents. It says honour your parents, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life here on earth. That means there are rewards that go along with acting on the word of God that tells us to be submissive to established authorities, some of which we will mention as we go on studying the subject. It is, therefore, important that we know those that God wants us to submit to and submit to them.
At any rate, we are saying children are to submit to their parents. And we must keep in mind the fact that God is talking about children here and not adults. I am saying this because parents sometimes don’t know when to stop issuing out commands to their children. Yes, children will always be children. Your children will always be children in your eyes. But they will not forever be children. At some point, they will become adults. And that is even your own desire.
But then, it is important that you recognise this and act accordingly. In other words, know that there is a period of time for your children to be under you and for you to train them in the way they should go. But they will not always be under you and you won’t always be in the right position to make decisions for them. At that time, it is the training that you have given to them and the prayers you have prayed for them, entrusting them to God, that you will have to count on, as far as their decision making is concerned. It will not be right for you, then, to think you will always be able to order your children around to do whatever you wish, whether it is right or wrong. That is because when they become adults, they will have to be responsible for making their own decisions.
However, while they are still children, begin to teach and show them that they must be submissive to your authority. In Luke, chapter 2, we are told of how Jesus went with His parents to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover when he was age twelve. Now when the feast was over, he stayed behind in the temple and his parents were unaware of it. Look at how this is set forth from verse 43 of the chapter:
“After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:43-45NIV)
Here we are told that the parents of Jesus assumed that he was with them. There is a lot to say about that, as it concerns parenting. But it goes without saying that the assumption of Jesus’ parents on that occasion was a terrible one. It was terrible for them to assume that their boy was with them when they were going back home after that Passover feast. In fact, as the account shows, they travelled for a whole day under the assumption that he was with some of their people.
He had stayed back after the feast, probably believing they were still around and that they would look for Him whenever they were ready to leave. And when they did not show up, he stayed within the temple (instead of loitering around) for three days, interacting with the teachers of the law and having a beautiful time with them. The teachers too were enjoying Him, for they were amazed at His understanding of the Scriptures, even though he was a boy of twelve.
Well, when His parents eventually found Him, they reprimanded Him for allowing them to search for Him in that manner. Look at how this is put from verse 48 of Luke 2:
“When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:48-50NIV)
I do not want to comment much on the rebuke of Jesus’ mother here and the fact that she did not understand why He had to be in His Father’s house. But it is clear that it was the fault of His parents that He stayed behind for so long in Jerusalem. They should not have assumed that their child was with them. They travelled for a whole day under the assumption that He was with their group, when He was not with them. That was wrong.
So, as a parent, don’t ever assume anything about your children. Don’t assume that they are fine or safe where they are. You must always make sure you know how things are with them. Put them in a school where you are sure they will be safe. When they are at home, be sure they are not involved in things that may jeopardise their safety. If you are sending them on an errand, be se sure you are sending them to places where their safety will not be compromised. Don’t assume anything. If you are not clear about where your children are or what they might be doing, take the necessary steps on time.
In any case, when Jesus eventually went home to be with His parents, we are told that He was obedient to them. And that is an example for all Christian children. They must be taught to be obedient to their parents. And a good way to teach them is for us to be submissive to established authorities ourselves. Children learn by imitation. So, if we are submissive to those who have authority over us, our children will follow suit. You are demanding obedience from your children. But you yourself are not submissive to authority. What you are teaching your children is not to take authority seriously.
There are all kinds of authority over us and our children will be watching how we respond to them. If we are not taking these authorities over us seriously, then, we are teaching our children not to take authority seriously. And sooner or later, they will use that against us. So, the best way to teach children obedience to parents is for parents themselves to stand as examples to them of how to relate to authority.
That being the case, as a mother, make sure your children see that you are obedient to your husband. And as a father, make sure your children see that you submit to the people who have authority over you, that is, your boss at work, government officials and so forth. How you relate to these people is important and will be the standard your children will follow.
If you are continually insulting those who have authority over you, then, at some point, your children may also begin to do the same to you. And that will be because they have seen that you yourself have no regard for authority. It is important, then, as I have been saying, that we teach our children to have regard for authority, not just by words of mouth but also by our actions.
All of this is why we must teach our children to respect the authorities in their schools, the elders in the neighbourhood and the leaders in our churches. They must know that as long as they are not being asked to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, they must submit to those who have authority over them. In fact, we must let them know those who have authority over them and the measure of authority they have over them.
So, parents who go to school to abuse the teachers of their children are missing it. Even if a teacher has gone wrong and you need to address their matter, you must do so in ways that will not dimmish the authority of that teacher. Otherwise, you will be laying a bad precedence for your children to follow. And at some point, they are going to use it against you. Therefore, children, obey your parents, for this is right in the sight of the Lord. Jesus was obedient to His parents as a child, leaving us an example to follow. You too should do likewise. These are the things God wants us to pay attention.
But then, we see that when Jesus became an adult, things changed. His parents could no longer order Him around as they pleased. For example, his mother and his brothers once went to take charge of him because they felt that he was going crazy. But did He allow that to happen? Did He just abandon what He was doing to follow them? No! Look at how this is reported for us:
“When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”” (Mark 3:21NIV)
“Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”” (Mark 3:31-33NIV)
Can you see that Jesus’ parents could not just order Him around as they pleased when He became an adult? Why? He was already in a position to make decisions for Himself. As I told you before, parents need to know that their kids will not forever remain kids. So, whatever training they want to give them in order for them to be able to make the right decisions in life, they ought to start giving it to them early. That is because once they become adults, they will need to back off in many cases.
This, of course, does not mean that parents have no right to counsel their children once they become adults. And it does not mean that they cannot at all command them again to do anything. They still can command them to do things. But there are things they cannot command them to do. And they must know this. Your children, of course, will also know when they become adults things you can order them to do and things you cannot order them to do, if you have trained them well.
But you need to come to terms with the fact that when children become adults, they are now responsible for themselves to a very great degree. Even the Laws of our land recognise this. So, if you want your children to always take your instructions seriously, even when they come of age, train them now. Then, even they grow old, they will continue to walk in the path in which their feet have been firmly planted.
When Jesus was at the wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother came to tell Him that the wine was finished, what did He say? He said, “Why do you involve me in this?” That is because He had become an adult and could not just be ordered around by her mother as she pleased again. So, you must understand that when we are talking about submission to parents, there are boundaries. When parents are telling their children to do things that are contrary to the will of God, they must not obey them. That, of course, may come with consequences or persecutions. But anyone that wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be faced with persecutions. So, believing children must know that if they have to stand in the will of God and disobey their parents, there may be consequences. (Cf. 2Timothy 3:12)
Also, when children have come of age, when they have become adults, it is not everything their parents are telling them to do that they are under an obligation to listen to. They have come of age and should be wise enough to make certain decisions for themselves. However, this does not mean that you are not to listen to your parents again since you are now an adult. That is not what I am saying.
For example, we read about Esau in the bible. We read that he did not consult or involve his parents at all when he was going to get married. So, he eventually ended up with three wives. His first two wives tormented his parents. And in his attempt to handle that, he went for another woman. All this was because he was not someone that was given to taking his parents’ instructions seriously. So, he missed the privilege he had to be the inheritor of the Abrahamic blessing. (Cf. Genesis 26-28)
But Jacob, his brother, was different. When it was time for him to get married, he listened to the command of his parents. Though he was about forty years of age or so at the time, he still listened to them. Why? They were not asking him or commanding him to do anything that was contrary to the will of God. So, don’t disobey your parents’ counsel or command just because you want to prove that you are now an adult. Yes, when you come of age, you are in a position to make decisions for yourself. That, however, does not mean you are no longer to yield to their authority. You are to submit to them, as long as what they are telling you is not contrary to the will of God or to reason or to wisdom.
Look at what is said about Esther: “But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.” (Esther 2:19-20NIV) Did you see that? Even as an adult, Esther continued to follow her uncle’s instructions. Why? She had grown up to trust him. She had grown up to know that he would not counsel her against the word of God or against wisdom. And that was why she ended up becoming the queen of a very powerful monarch. It was also why she was able to save her people when they needed her.
So, don’t despise your parents’ authority simply to prove that you have come of age. Don’t say, “I must do this my own way,” just to prove that you are now of age. That is silly. And it may soon land you in trouble. So, even though you are now an adult, keep listening your parents’ instructions and commands, as long as they are not out of line with the word of God or what is appropriate. That may just be a safeguard for you.
Finally, parents also must understand that they are not to provoke their children. Paul says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4NIV) So, don’t provoke your children, as a parent. Don’t push them into rebellion through your wickedness or hostility. Your brutality may become a seed in them that will produce a worse kind of brutality in them. And this may be something they will use against you someday to ruin you. So, mind yourself. Relate to them in love and in kindness. Discipline them. Rebuke them. Correct them. But all this should be done in line with the word of God. And then, when they come of age, they will not turn away from the righteous path from which their feet have been firmly established.
That will be all for now. I pray that these words I have brought to you will be firmly rooted in your heart and produce in your life the results God wants to see, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Wives to husbands
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: March 26, 2023
Series: Submission 3
I have been sharing with you about submission and how important it is for God’s children to handle it according to the will of God. As I told you before, when we are talking about submission, we are talking about our relationship with authority. That being the case, the first person we are to submit to is God. That is because there is no authority anywhere except that which God has established. Look at what Paul says in the main text we have been using for this:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-2NIV)
From what this apostle says, you can see that there is no authority that exists anywhere except that which God has established. So, if someone is in a position of authority, it is because God has allowed it. Even those who have forced their way or manipulated their way into the positions they are now occupying are there because God permitted it to be so. If God does not permit someone to be in a position of authority, it does not matter what the person does, it will not work.
Now the one with the highest form of authority in all the creation is the Lord Jesus Christ. That is because God has given His own authority to Him. It is God that has elevated Him to the position where He is now above all. Even Satan, as I pointed out before, had to receive his authority as the prince of this world. Yes, it was through deceit that he received it. Yet his authority was given to him.
All of this is pointing to the fact that no one can be in any position of authority if God has not permitted it. So, Paul says we must submit to any authority that is over us because of God. It is because God is the root of all forms of authority that we must submit to those who have authority over us. And to rebel against any form of authority is to rebel against God who has instituted it.
What we are saying is that if we will not submit to any form of authority that is duly established God, then, we are not submissive to God. It is about God. Yes, there are boundaries for every form of authority that exists. So, the degree to which we must submit to any kind of authority is the degree to which that authority stays within its boundaries. But as long as it is within its boundaries, we must submit to it.
Furthermore, in Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 21, Paul says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21NIV) You can again see that our submission to others is out of reverence for Christ. It is because of Him that we submit to those who have authority over us. It is not because people are smarter than us, richer than us, more influential than us or more educated than us that we are told to submit to them. Rather, it is because the one who has given them the authority they possess or permitted them to occupy the position they are occupying is God. So, when you submit to those who have authority over you, it is the Lord Jesus you are honouring. It does not matter who these people who have authority over us are, it does not matter whether they are our leaders in the church, authorities in our workplaces or in our towns, the one we are honouring by submitting to them is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now let us begin to look at the various authorities God has placed over our lives that we must submit to. From verse 22 of Ephesians, chapter 5, Paul says:
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24NIV)
Here we begin with how we are to respond to authorities in our homes. And Paul says wives are to be submissive to their own husbands. This is where to start from. This, of course, is so because the first form of institution to be established on the face of the earth is the marriage institution. I am saying that the first institution God established here on earth is the home. And if we are going to get things right in our society, we must first get them right in our homes. If we do not get it right in our homes, it is unlikely we will get it right in our society.
Well then, in our homes, the first form of authority is that of the husband over his wife. Who gave the man the authority he has over his wife? It is God. In that text, Paul says the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. So, as a married woman, your husband is your head. Is that because he is smarter? No! Is it because he is stronger than you? No! Is it because he is more educated than you? No! Or is it because he is more influential than you? No! He is your head because God has made him your head.
God has appointed the man to be the head of the marriage union. That being the case, you, as his wife, must submit to him. And you are equally told how to submit to him. You are told to submit to him as you do to the Lord Jesus Christ. That means if you have learnt to submit to the Lord Jesus, you will have no problem submitting to your husband. Remember I said until we learn to submit to God, we will not be perfect in our submission to men. God has established every form of authority that exists. Therefore, our submission to Him will reflect in our submission to other forms of authority over us. If we do not take submission to Him seriously, then, we will not take submission to other forms of authority seriously. And that will not work for our good.
I told you before that one of the reasons many have problems resisting the devil is that they will not submit to God. James says submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). If you will not submit yourself to God, there is no way you will be able to resist the devil in your life. And submission to God goes beyond not stealing, killing, lying and so forth, though it does not exclude them. Submission to go also involves submitting to the people He has commanded us to submit to.
If we will not submit to the people God has commanded us to submit to, then, we are not submissive to Him. It is as plain and as simple as that. So, if as a wife, you will not submit to your husband, you are not submissive to God. People may call you ‘mother in Israel’ or give you any religious title they please. As long as you are not submissive to your husband, you are not submissive to God.
See, it does not matter how important you are as a woman in the society, it does not matter what position you are occupying. As long as you are not submissive to your husband, you are not submissive to God. And that will affect you. You expect others to submit to your authority wherever you are in a position of authority. But you are diminishing the strength of your own authority by refusing to submit to those that have authority over you.
In any case, we are told here that just as you submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, you have to submit to your husband. That is the Lord’s command to you. And that means as long as what your husband is asking you to do is not contrary to the will of the Lord, you must submit to him. It must be obvious that you are submissive to him.
Now I want you to understand that Paul wrote these instructions for us by the Spirit of God when most women were married off to their respective husbands by their parents or guardians. Only prostitutes or harlots chose their own men at that time. If you were not a prostitute, then, you would have someone over you that would determine who you married. That person could be your father or mother, an uncle or a brother. Or the person could be the leader of your clan or your king, if you were living or working under him directly. So, well brought up ladies at that time could not just wake up one morning and bring some men to their homes as the husbands they would marry. In most cases, they did not have the liberty of choosing their own husbands. Yet the word of God commands them to submit to those husbands.
If the word of God commanded such women, then, women whose husbands were chosen for them, to submit to their husbands, will God expect women that have the advantage of choosing their husbands to act differently? No! We know that in most part of the word today women have the liberty of choosing who become their husbands. Yes, there are still places where young girls are married off by their parents to whoever they want, even before these girls come of age. But that is not the case in most of part of the world. And if you have or have had the liberty of choosing who is now your husband, do you think God will expect you to be disobedient to him?
If He expects those who are married off to their husbands to submit to such men, do you think He will expect anything less from you who have the advantage of choosing your husband? He is not going to expect anything less from you. Rather, He will expect you to submit to your husband. So, you cannot be saying, “This man is irresponsible and foolish. He is a drunkard and knows nothing. So, I cannot submit to him.” There is nothing like ‘I cannot submit to him’ in relating to your husband.
See, as long as your husband is within his rights, as long as he is not asking you to do anything that is contrary to the will of God, you have to submit to him. You chose a foolish man as your husband, as your head. You opened your eyes and chose a wicked, stupid and stubborn man as your head. So, you have to live with that. If those who did not choose their husbands themselves are commanded to submit to them, then, you who have chosen your husband yourself have no excuse not to submit to him. You must submit to him. Your husband may have his flaws and errors. Yet you are commanded by God to submit to him. The word of God does not say you should submit to your husband, only if he is a good man. Rather, it commands you to submit to your husband, regardless of who he is.
We have a passage that is parallel to the one I gave you in Ephesians in 1Peter. From verse 1 of chapter 3 Peter says, “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” (1Peter 3:1-2NIV) Peter is showing us here that is possible for one to be in a marriage with someone that is not a believer. So, it is not a new thing to have in the church people whose husbands or wives are not Christians. Yet the word expects women who are in such marriages to submit to their husbands. It says, “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”
So, those who are married to unbelievers are equally expected to submit to their husbands. See, the marriage institution has been in existence before Christianity, from the beginning of the world. It is not Christianity that introduced the marriage institution into the world. It is not Judaism that introduced the marriage institution into the world. There is no religion of the world that introduced the marriage institution into the world. It is God that established it. So, this is not about religion.
Someone may not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. But as long as he is in a marriage relationship, his wife must submit to him, even if she is a Christian, especially if she is a Christian. That is because he is the one that God has established as the authority in that house; he is the one that God has established as the head of that house. What I am saying is that it is not only in Christian homes that women are to submit to their husbands. Women must also submit in homes where Christianity is not practiced. That is because it is not only in Christian homes that the men are the head; they are also the head in homes where Christianity is not practised.
Our women, then, must respect this rule of life and live accordingly. They must submit to their husbands. They must follow their leadership. If you want the blessings of God to operate in your life, you must do this. Of course, if your man is misbehaving, the word of God says he may be won over through your good behaviour. Will this surely happen? There is no guarantee that it will happen. The word of God says that it may happen. But whether it happens or not, you still have to submit to your own husband.
Now if your husband is telling you to do something that is contrary to the will of God, you must not follow him. The word of God is clear about that. That is why it says you are to submit to your husband as to the Lord. Therefore, you are not at liberty to do anything that is contrary to the will of God. But you must also bear in that if you go against your husband’s wish because you want to honour the Lord Jesus Christ, you have to prepare for the persecution that will or may follow.
As I have abundantly made clear, every authority has boundaries. And one of the things that reveal the boundaries of each authority is the regard that authority has for God and His word. If anyone in a position of authority is asking you to do something that is contrary to the will of God, he is operating outside the boundaries of his authority. Therefore, you do not have to submit to him. That, however, does not mean the person will overlook your disobedience. He may not. And if he does possess the power to punish you, he may surely punish you.
The word of God tells us that those in authority carry swords of punishment. Paul shares with the Romans along this line. Look at what he says to them from verse 3 of chapter 13 of his letter to them:
“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.” (Romans 13:3-5NIV)
From what the apostle says here, it is clear that everyone in a position of authority has the right to punish those who will not submit to them. In fact, he tells us that they are carrying swords of punishment in their hands. So, they can be God’s agents of wrath. If you, then, disobey them, they can punish you. The punishment they give you may, of course, be unjust. But anyone in a position of authority can also punish.
Now God expects everyone in a position of authority to use his authority well, to use it do good and to punish and restrain wickedness. But it is not every time or in every situation that they act accordingly. Truly, as Paul points out to us, they are God’s servants for our good. That means everyone in a position of authority is expected to do those under him good. If you are a husband, then, God expects you to do your wife good. The reason He has made you a head over her is for her good. It is wrong, therefore, for you to misuse or abuse your authority over her. It is wrong for you to use that authority to oppress her or destroy her. God has not made you her head because of you but because of her. So, your authority is to do her good and not to bring her to ruins.
But then, as I pointed out before, it is not everyone that understands this. And if you go against your husband’s authority because he is operating outside the will of God, he can decide to use his power to hurt you. You, then, have to prepare for the persecution that will follow your refusal to yield to your husband’s authority where he is out of line. All of this is why it is important that if you are not yet married you should marry someone that respects God’s authority. I mean that when we are telling you to marry someone that takes God seriously, it is for your good. That is because if you marry one that is not yielded to God and he begins to misbehave, you will have to submit to him. Whether he is wicked or not, you have to submit to him. It is only when he is acting against the will of God that you are permitted to disobey him.
But as long as he is not asking you to do anything contrary to the will of God, you have to submit to him, regardless of his bad behaviour. You just have to follow him. He may be leading you into a life of distress, financial poverty or shame. You still have to submit to him. You chose him as your head, even though he is a foolish, reckless, financially unintelligent or irresponsible man. And you have to live with that choice. Yes, God can turn things around for you in your home as you yield to His authority. But yielding to God’s authority is also yielding to your man’s authority. Otherwise, there will be no end to chaos or war in your home.
In Daniel 3 we are told how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the image King Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to bow to. And we are also told that they were punished for that. The king commanded that they be thrown into a fiery furnace. That was because he had authority over them. They disobeyed his authority because he was asking them to do something contrary to the will of God. But if God had not come to their rescue, they would have perished on that occasion.
Similarly, we see in Daniel 6 how he disobeyed the king’s edict. And was he left to himself? No! He was thrown into a den of lions. So, if you disobey your husband’s authority, even if you are acting on the word of God, you must prepare for the consequences. What I am saying is that there is no way you will despise your husband’s authority because of God or because you just want to be stubborn that you will not face the consequences. This is what women who are not enjoying their homes need to pay attention to. There is no way you will despise your husband’s authority and not face the consequences.
Yes, if you are married to a man that knows God and is living in His will, the consequences you may face for disobeying him may be minimal. He may not use force or threat or manipulation to make you submit to him. He may not use any worldly philosophy to handle you. But if you are dealing with one that does not know God or that does not take Him seriously, then, you have to be prepared for war, if you will not submit to his authority.
Therefore, know, as a married woman, that the Lord has commanded you to submit to your husband as you do to Him. That is why you should not make it difficult for him to lead you. It is also why you must not insult or abuse him for any reason. He may not be living in the will of God. He may be doing things that are making you unhappy or angry. But you have not right to insult him.
As I taught you before, the word of God tells us that as wicked as the devil is, we have no right to insult him or to heap abuse on him. Since God does not permit you to heap abuse on the devil, as wicked as he is and even though he is your eternal enemy, do you think He will permit you to insult your husband, the one whom you refer to as your love? No! It does not matter how wicked your husband is, he cannot be as wicked as the devil. So, even if he is making you unhappy, you should turn to God for help.
See, the Lord can rebuke your husband for you. When someone is in a position of authority and he is misbehaving, the best person to hand him over to is God. He is the one that has made him your head. And He knows how to fix him. So, He is the one you are to talk to about him. I am saying this because if you want the blessings of God to freely run in your life, then, you must yield to your husband’s authority. And if you want to be able to resist the devil in your affairs, you must yield to his authority.
We will end it here for now. I pray that the few words I have brought to you will dwell richly in your hearts richly and produce the results they are meant to produce in your life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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: 07025105978)
Title: Understanding submssion
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: March 12, 2023
Series: Submission 2
SUNDAY 12TH MARCH 2023 – SUMBISSION (2)
UNDERSTANDING SUBMISSION
I want to further share with you on ‘Submission’. As I said before when we are talking about submission, we are talking about our relationship with authority. I also said all forms of true authority have their roots in God. So, until we are truly submissive to God, we cannot relate appropriately or adequately to any form of authority that is over us. That is because there is no authority that exists that has not been established by God. Every form of authority has its roots in God. So, if we want to be relating appropriately to established authorities, we must first of all be yielded to God. In the same vein, if we are going to handle authority the way it should be handled, we must first of all be fully yielded to God.
As we see in Scripture, Jesus possesses the highest authority in the whole creation of God. He says this Himself. He says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18). So, the Lord did not seize the authority He has. Rather, it was given to Him. Who gave it to Him? God gave it to Him. God is the giver of all forms of authority. He is the one that establishes people in positions of authority. That is why our Lord Jesus also has to receive His authority from God.
Interestingly, the devil also did not seize the authority he has and that he is using to mess up the world. In Luke’s gospel, chapter four, verse 5, he says concerning one of Jesus’ temptations, “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.’” (Luke 4:5-7NIV) The part I want to draw your attention to is where Satan says all the authority and splendour of this world has been given to him. Who gave it to him? Was it God? No, it wasn’t. It was man that gave it to him.
See, the authority to rule over the world was originally given to man. This is abundantly made clear in the book of Genesis. When God made man He placed all things under him. And in placing all things under him, there was nothing that He left that He did not place under him. But we do not at the moment see all things under man. Why? Man lost his authority to the devil. How did he lose it to him? It was by rejecting God’s authority and obeying the devil. On the day that man disobeyed God by obeying the devil, he lost his authority. The devil was once under man, for God had placed all things, including the angels, under man. Unfortunately, when man disobeyed God by obeying the devil, he became his subject, his slave. You are a slave of the one that is controlling you. That is a spiritual rule. And man broke it. (Cf. Hebrews 2:5-8; 2Peter 2:19)
In any case, the point I am making is that the authority that Satan has was given to him. In like manner, no one can have any form of authority if it is not given to him. Yes, someone may force himself into a place God has not ordained him for. I mean that it is possible for you take for yourself what God has not chosen for you. And the only reason that will happen is that God has permitted it. If God does not permit it, it does not matter what you do to get something for yourself, it will not work. If God does not permit it, it does not matter what you do to put yourself in any position in life, it will not work. You may steal, kill or practise witchcraft or sorcery to get to a position in life. But if God does not permit it, it will not work. If you are there, it is because God has permitted it.
This explains why wicked people are often found in positions of authority. We may wonder why this is so, since we are saying that no one can be in any position of authority, if God has not placed them there. Why will He allow wicked people to occupy positions of authority? We have explanations for such things in the Scriptures and I will touch that in a moment. But I just want you to know that even if a wicked person gets to a position of authority, it is because God has permitted it. However, anyone who gets for himself something God does not want him to have will surely suffer for it at some point. It is only the blessing of God that makes rich and does not add trouble to it (Proverbs 10:22). So, when you take for yourself something you are not supposed to have, you will surely have challenges you are not supposed to have in life.
Well, the point we are making is that it is important that we are yielded to any form of authority God has placed over us, regardless of what we think of the one that is involved. Look at what Paul says about this in Romans, chapter 13, from verse 1:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-2NIV)
What is said here, of course, is not applicable to our relationship with governing authorities alone; it is also applicable to our relationships with other forms of authorities among men. There is a general rule here that we need to pay attention to, which is that there is no authority except that which God has established. Even if the one in a position of authority is wicked or ruthless, as I said before, we must understand that God has permitted the person to be there.
Yes, as I equally pointed out before, we may wonder why God will permit a wicked person to rule or lead. One of the reasons for that is that men love darkness instead of light (John 3:19). For example, when we have an opportunity to elect people as our leaders, who do we elect? When we are given the privilege of electing leaders for ourselves, do we elect righteous and godly people? If we will not elect righteous people as our leaders, do you think God will prevent us from electing wicked people as our leaders? No! When He gives us the freedom to choose our own leaders, He is not going to stop us from electing wicked people as our leaders. Instead, He is going to let it be.
Why? It is our choice to choose the wicked and we cannot blame Him or hold Him responsible for that. If we have created a failed system, a system that is throwing up bad and irresponsible leaders, we have to take responsibility for it and not blame God. That is what we want. And unless He decides to show us mercy, perhaps because of the prayers of certain people, what we want is what we are going to get.
That being the case, we have to be subject to any form of authority that is over us. We have to recognise it and relate to it appropriately. Yes, all forms of authority have boundaries, something that we are going to be looking at as well. In other words, there is no one who possesses absolute authority except Jesus Christ. And He possesses absolute authority because God has given it to Him. God gave His authority to Him because He is His Son. All other forms of authority that exists have boundaries because they are all derived from Christ’s authority.
For example, even though Jesus refers to the devil as the prince of this world and Paul calls him the god of this age, his authority is still not absolute or limitless (John 14:30; 2Corinthians 4:4). That means his authority has boundaries and limitations. Remember that the first time this evil being showed up before God and had a conversation with Him about Job, God told him that he could touch everything Job had but him. And he went out from the presence of God and killed the man’s children and also took away all his possessions. But he did not touch him. Why did he not touch him? It was because God had instructed him not to touch him. (Cf. Job 1)
That means Satan is submissive to God’s authority. And the people who think he and God are fighting are missing it. Satan is under God’s authority, and he knows it. Yes, he may lie to people about his relationship with God. He may give people the impression that he and God are fighting or that he is higher than God. But he knows that he cannot go beyond where God tells him to go.
The second time Job showed up before God, He told him that he could touch Job but must not take his life. And he went out from God’s presence and afflicted Job’s body. But he did not take his life. This is showing us that Satan can kill people, if he is permitted by God to do so. That is because he is the prince of this world. But as I have been saying, even though he has authority in this world to do things and is using this authority to destroy, his authority has boundaries and is not absolute. (Cf. Job 2)
However, even though we are dealing with people and beings whose authorities have boundaries, we must still submit to them. This is why we have to relate to the devil and his demons with understanding. There are people who insult the devil and his demons and say all kinds of things about them. And these are Christians. Unbelievers who believe in the existence of the devil are usually afraid of him. So, it is rare for them to insult or heap abuse on him. That is because they do not want him to come and attack or afflict them.
But the truth is that whether you abuse the devil or not, he is going to come for you. It’s only a matter of time. He is always moving around and seeking whom he may devour. So, he is going to use whatever opportunity he has to attack you to do so, whether you abuse or not. And it is only those who are in Christ Jesus and who are submissive to God that can resist him.
Remember we are told to submit ourselves to God and then resist the devil and that he will flee from us (James 4:7). That, again, is showing us that Satan’s authority is not absolute. If we can resist him, and we can resist him, then, his authority is not absolute. If his authority were absolute, then, we would not be able to resist him. But the fact that we can resist him shows that his authority is not absolute.
However, because Satan still has some measure of authority to function as the prince of this world, we must relate to him with understanding. We are not permitted to insult him or call him names or abuse him. That will show that we do not understand authority. Yes, we can resist the devil in the name of Jesus. We can drive him out or expel him in the name of Jesus. But we are not allowed to permitted to insult or heap abuse on him. That is not who we are.
When Satan came to tempt Jesus when He was fasting and praying, as we are shown in Matthew’s gospel, the Lord did not abuse or insult him. He only told him, “Away from me, Satan!” And when He commanded him to leave like this, he left. He did not insult him or abuse him. (Cf. Matthew 4:8-11)
Unfortunately, as I pointed out already, there are believers who do not understand this. So, they heap abuse on the devil and his demons and do other similar things as well. The word of God tells us that such people, if they are Christians at all, are ignorant of the will of God. Look at what Peter says about this in his second epistle, the second chapter, and from verse 9:
“If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.” (2Peter 2:9-12NIV)
Peter is referring to certain individuals in the church here. He says they are arrogant. And in their arrogance, they heap abuse on celestial beings. Who is he referring to as celestial beings here? He is referring to Satan and his angels. Observe that he speaks about God’s angels bringing judgment from God on these beings. And by saying that he is making a distinction between God’s holy angels and Satan and the angels that have fallen with him.
In any case, Peter is saying that even when God’s angels are bringing judgement on the devil and the beings with him, they don’t insult them. That is because they understand that these beings possess some measure of authority within their own space of operation and are to be related to with respect. The bible actually refers to some of these beings as the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world (Ephesians 6:12). These, then, are powerful beings and possess their own measure of authority. That is why when God’s angels are dealing with them, they do so with understanding.
Jude, in his epistle, makes this even clearer with an illustration. Look at what he says from verse eight of it:
“In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’ Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct – as irrational animals do – will destroy them.” (Jude 8-10NIV)
Now we don’t have this account that speaks of an encounter of Michael, the archangel, with Satan, in any other part of the bible. So, there is not much we can say in explaining it. But the point Jude intends to use it for is enlightening us about how to relate to authority. As he points out, on this occasion, when Michael had to dispute with Satan about the body of Moses, he did not dare to condemn him for slander. He did not abuse or insult him in any way. He only said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
We have another interesting account in the book of Zechariah. It was a vision this man saw about how Satan was accusing Joshua, the high priest of his time, before the Lord. Look at what he says about this vision and how the Lord handled the devil:
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’” (Zechariah 3:1-2NIV)
First, you need to understand that the one being referred to as the angel of the Lord here is the Spirit of God Himself. That is seen even in the context of the passage, especially in the part where He says to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin.” Only the Spirit of God could do that (Zechariah 3:3-4). In any case, observe that in dealing with the devil, the Lord did not have to insult him or abuse him. He just told him to back off.
In like manner, when we are relating to authority, any form of it, we need to do so with understanding. In dealing with Satan and his demons, for instance, we only need to command them to leave where we are or to stop their activities there, in the name of Jesus. We don’t have to call them names. We don’t have to say that they are foolish, stupid or silly. These are some of the things some so-called believers call the devil and his demons. And the word of God says that people who do such things are showing that they are ignorant.
This equally shows us how we are to relate to human authorities. When we are upset at our leaders and find what they are doing unacceptable, we are often tempted to insult them. All of us are guilty of this. But we are not permitted to talk anyhow about or to those in authority. And we need to learn this. Even in dealing with those who are under us, as long as they are handling one form of authority or the other, we need to watch how we talk to them. Yes, we may have been instrumental to their being in the position they are now occupying. Yet we must watch how we relate to them and not despise them. Otherwise, we may give those under them reasons to despise them as well.
Having said all this, let us begin to look at what God says about how to relate to authority in our homes. And we will start by looking at what Paul says in Ephesians, chapter 5. First, in verse 22, he says, “Submit to one another out of reverence of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:22NIV) Why are we to submit to one another? It is to show reverence for Christ. That means when we submit to those who have authority over us, we are showing that we recognise that they could not have been over us, if God had not placed them over us. Therefore, it is because of God that we submit to those who have authority over us.
The person we are dealing with may be younger than us, not as rich as we are or not as influential as we are. But because God has placed him in a position of authority over us, we have to submit to him. And we have to do that out of reverence for Christ. So, it is not because people are older than us, wiser than us or richer than us that we have to submit to them. Rather, it is because it is God who has placed them where they are.
Now Paul goes on to begin to apply this to our various relationships, starting with our marriage relationships. And concerning that he says, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husband as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24NIV) Observe here that wives are to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord Jesus Christ. That means it is not about these men but about the Lord who has placed them over their wives in their marriages. Paul tells us that the husband is the head of the wife. Who has made the husband the head of his wife? God! Who has given the husband the authority he has to control his home? God! So, when you yield to your man as a wife, you are yielding to God.
We will continue from here next week. And I pray that the few words I have shared with you on this subject will dwell in your hearts and produce in your lives the results God wants to see in them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Submission to God
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: March 05, 2023
Series: Submission
I want to begin to talk to you about submission. When we are talking about submission, we are talking about something that has to do with our relationship with authority. It has to do with how we relate to authority. In other words, we don’t talk about submission without talking about authority.
Now all forms of true authority have their roots in submission to God. What I mean is that unless we know what it means to submit to God, we cannot be perfect or complete in our submission to other forms of authority. God is the only true authority in the universe and every other form of authority is given by Him. Remember that Jesus, just after He has been raised from the dead, said something to His disciples about the kind of authority He has been given. Matthew gives us this in verse 18 of chapter 28 of his gospel, which reads, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18NIV) Who gave this authority to Jesus? Evidently, it was the one who had it that gave it to Him. You need to have something in order to give it to another.
So, it was God that gave the authority that Jesus has now to Him. And He is telling us that right now all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Therefore, He possesses the highest authority in all the universe. He has authority over all God’s creation. That means every other form of authority that exists is under His authority. And there are a number of Scriptures that point to this. For instance, in Ephesians, chapter 1, from verse 17, Paul says this:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:17-23NIV)
Here Paul draws our attention to something, which is that at the moment Jesus Christ has been made to sit with God in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. So, he is talking about Christ’s authority here. He is saying that His authority is above all forms of authority, whether in heaven or on earth or under the earth and whether now or in the future. There is no form of authority that will ever be higher than His authority. He possesses all authority.
So, whatever form of authority anyone has is derived from Christ’s authority. In fact, no one can have any form of authority, if God does not give it to him. In Romans 13 we are told there is no authority that exists except that which God has established. Therefore, no one can occupy any position of authority, if God has not placed the person there. And no one can speak of having authority to do something, if God has not given it to Him.
Well, the point we are making is that Jesus is above everyone and His authority is above all other forms of authority. As Paul tells us in that text, God has placed everything under Him. That means everything must submit to Him. This is further amplified in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It says in chapter 2 of the letter, from verse 9, “Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11NIV) You can see from what he says here that Jesus has been given the name that is above all names and exalted to the highest place in all the creation of God. The highest place anyone can attain in God’s creation is now occupied by the Lord Jesus Christ. And He will never be displaced from there.
Now who placed Him in this position? God! Who gave Him the name that is above all names? God! Jesus did not come to the place He is now, the place of standing above all, by Himself. God put Him there. God placed Him there. God gave Him the authority He now possesses. So, if you have any form of authority here on earth, you need to realise that the one that gave it to you is God. You may think that you have taken it. You may think that it is because of your smartness or education that you have it. But you are wrong. No man can have anything unless God gives it to him. And if you take something God has not given to you, you are going to wound yourself; you are going to injure yourself.
Yes, God may want you to have something. But how you go about having it is also important to Him. You can take what God wants you to have through force, manipulation or treachery. You can use any means to take what God wants you to have or what He does not want you to have. And the only reason you are going to have it in that manner is that God has permitted you to have it. The problem with doing that, however, is that you will at some point suffer for what you have done. Remember Scripture says it is only what God blesses people with it that does not come with trouble (Proverbs 10:22). So, mind yourself.
Apart from Paul, Peter also speaks about Christ’s authority. In his first epistle, the third chapter, he says this from verse 19:
“After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” (1Peter 3:19-22NIV)
Here again, we are shown that Christ’s authority is the highest in the whole creation of God. He is seated at the right hand of God and all angels, authorities and powers are in submission to Him. And remember that Paul says in that letter to the Philippians that every tongue must confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That means everyone must obey Him; everyone must submit to Him.
Now, of course, some people may choose not to submit here on earth to the authority of Jesus Christ. But a time is coming when they will realise that they cannot afford not to submit to Him. There is no place for rebellion in the kingdom of God. So, if you are not going to submit yourself to the Lord willingly, you will be made to submit yourself. And that is why people are going to end up in hell. You are going to be shown that there is no way you can refuse to submit to God, for He has power over you. It is in your interest, then, that you willingly submit to Him. He has the right to command us. He has the right to instruct us. And this is something we must come to terms with.
So, when the Lord is speaking to us, we must understand that He has the right to speak to us. And when He is giving any command to us, we must understand that He has the right to command us. He is above us. We are His subjects. And we must learn to submit ourselves to Him.
See, the world is chaotic today because of man’s refusal to submit to God’s authority. In Genesis we are shown how God made the man and the woman and put them in the Garden of Eden, the garden He had prepared for them. And when He first brought the man into this garden, He told him that he could eat the fruit of any of the trees in the garden except one. There was a tree in the middle of the garden, which God referred to as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. According to the Lord, Adam must not eat from the fruit of this tree. Otherwise, he would surely die. (Cf. Genesis 2:8-17)
Now there was no other commandment given to man to prevent him from doing anything other than that. God had already made him the ruler over everything He had made. He had given him authority over everything He made. As we are told in Scriptures, there was nothing that God did not put under him. In fact, what we are told in Genesis 1 is that God deliberately made man to rule over everything He had made. (Cf. Genesis 1:26; Hebrews 2:6-8)
So, man’s authority to rule the world was not one that he laboured to have or worked for or took for himself; it was something that was given to him. He was able to receive that authority because it was given to him. Since the authority to rule the world was given to him, he would only be able to succeed in using it by submitting to the one that gave it to him.
Unfortunately, in Genesis 3 we are given the account of man’s rejection of God’s authority. Man, instead of continuing to submit to God, chose to submit to the devil. The devil told the woman that God was lying, and she believed him. And though the man was there with her, he did nothing to stop her from having that conversation with the devil. Because he did nothing, the devil succeeded in deceiving his wife. So, right before his eyes, his wife disobeyed God. Not only did she disobey God, she also invited him to disobey God. And though he knew the truth, he went on to reject God’s authority and to disobey Him.
But don’t forget that I said man’s authority to rule the world and replenish the earth was given to him by God. So, the moment he despised God’s authority, he fell from grace to grass. That is the reason we have all the confusion we see in the world today. That is the reason we have not been able to make this earth what God wanted us to make it. It is the reason everything is messed up for man. And it does not matter how advanced we are in education or exposed we are to life or talented we are, we don’t have everything under our control anymore.
This is something we are made to see in the book of Hebrews, chapter 2. We are made to see that though initially there was nothing God did not place under man, right now, we do not see everything under him. Why? It is because man despised God’s authority in the beginning; man did not submit himself to the authority of his maker.
I am saying this to let us understand that the moment we begin to despise God’s authority, we will also lose our authority to function here on earth. We cannot despise God’s authority and expect our own authority here on earth to work as it ought to work. It is by respecting God’s authority, it is by submitting to God’s authority that we will be able to use whatever form of authority He has given us here on earth to accomplish His will, to be the persons He wants us to be and to do the things He wants us to do.
So, everything begins with submission to God’s authority. And if you are in any position of authority, you must understand that unless you submit yourself to God’s authority, there is no way you will be able to use that position of authority you are occupying to accomplish God’s purpose of putting you there. As long as you are not submissive to God’s authority, there is no way you will be able to handle authority well or right. Authority is never good in the hands of a man that is not submissive. Even in matters of this life, leaders often keep this in mind. And it is only a foolish leader that will make one that is not submissive to his authority a leader under him.
This is even truer in our dealings with God. If we will not submit to God’s authority, there is no way we will be able to use whatever form of authority given to us the right way. Instead, we will use it to injure ourselves or use it to injure others. And we see this often in our world. Leaders that are not submissive to God are often a problem to those under them. If they are community leaders, as long as they are not submissive to God, there is every tendency that they will abuse their authority. If they are government leaders, as long as they are not submissive to God, there is every tendency that they will abuse or misuse their authority. Or if they are parents or husbands, there is no guarantee that they will not abuse or misuse their authority, as long as they are not submissive to God. The only guarantee we have is that they will most likely abuse or misuse their authority. And the same thing is applicable to church leaders that are not yielded to God’s authority – they will most likely abuse or misuse their authority.
All this is why James, in his epistle, says this to us in verse 7 of the fourth chapter: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) He is talking to all of us here. And he is saying we are to submit ourselves to God, if we want to walk in victory in this life. As he further points out, we have an enemy here that does not want our lives to go smoothly. That is the devil. He is our common enemy. And Peter says that he is continually moving around and seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). The only chance we have, then, to walk in victory over him is to submit ourselves to God, as James shows us in this letter.
According to him, if we submit ourselves to God, then, we have put ourselves in a position where we can resist the devil and get him to flee from us. If we will submit ourselves to God, then, we will be in a position to frustrate the devil and his works. The one causing the world to be messed up is the devil. The one deceiving people and causing them to misbehave is the devil. The one that is killing people and driving them crazy and causing them to do terrible things to themselves and others is the devil. And if we will be able to frustrate him wherever we are, then, we must learn to yield ourselves to God – we must be devoted to submitting ourselves to God.
Therefore, anyone that will handle authority well must know this and be willing to yield himself to God. If you will not yield yourself to Him, as I pointed out before, there is no way you will be able to handle authority well. Second, if you will not submit to God, there is no way you will be able to relate to any other kind of authority God has given appropriately. There is a spirit of rebellion in the world. It is the spirit of disobedience, the spirit of the devil. And this spirit, according to the bible, is at work in among men, causing them to be rebellious to authority, causing them to reject authority. (Cf. Ephesians 2:1-2)
This is why we see, in many homes, children rejecting their parents’ authority and wives rejecting their husbands’ authority. We also see employees rejecting the authority of their employers in their work places. And in the church we see members rejecting the authority of their leaders. Then in our various communities we see people rejecting the authority of their community leaders and government leaders. Why? They are not submissive to God. And they are not submissive to Him because the spirit of disobedience is at work in them.
See, there is no way you will say that you are submissive to God and not be submissive to every form of authority He has established over you. So, if you are not submissive to any form of authority that He has duly established over you, you are not submissive to Him. If you are submissive to Him, you will submit yourself to any kind of authority He has placed over you.
In closing, there are two things I have pointed out while sharing with you about submission. The first is that if we will be able to handle authority well and use it to accomplish the purpose for which it is given to us, we must first of all submit to the one who has given it to us, that is, God. The second thing is that if we will be able to relate to any kind of authority well, we must submit ourselves to God. God has already spoken to us about how we are to relate to every form of authority and these things are in the Scriptures. Ours, then, is to get into the Scriptures to learn what He has said about how we are to relate to authority and begin to act on them.
Now these are the things I will be sharing with you in the next few weeks. My prayer is that God will cause your heart to be open to receive the truths I will be bringing you and also strengthen you to act on them. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 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
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Title: Becoming Judas (2)
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: February 26, 2023
Series: What is in your heart?
I began to share with you last week on becoming Judas Iscariot. And I brought some things to your notice on how Judas ended up becoming what he became, a betrayer. As I told you before, Judas was chosen by the Lord Himself – he was not forced on Him. He was the one that chose him to be His apostle and later His treasurer. Nevertheless, Judas ended up becoming a betrayer.
Now, as I equally pointed out before, even though the Lord had always known that Judas was going to betray Him, He still chose him. Why, then, did He choose a betrayer? My answer then was that the Lord did not choose Judas on the basis of the revelation He had about him that he was going to betray Him; rather, He chose him on the basis of his response to His call. When the Lord made that call for people to come to Him and have rest and life, Judas also came with those who came. It is on that basis that the Lord chose him. Yet he went on to betrayer.
How did he become a betrayer? First, he became a betrayer because he allowed greed to gain entrance into his heart. This is why I have been saying there is a need for us to protect our hearts. Solomon says we are to guard our hearts with all diligence, for from them everything we do proceeds. Judas, evidently, did not protect his heart. So, greed found its way into his heart and took root in it.
But then, it is one thing for some form of evil to take root in our hearts; it is another thing for us to deal with it. James tells us that if we harbour bitter envy or jealousy in our hearts, we should not boast about it or deny it. Judas, of course, was not going around boasting about the greed in his heart. But he didn’t also deal with it. He did not admit that greed was in his heart. Or it may be that he decided to suppress it.
In Romans, chapter 1, Paul says the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the lawlessness and wickedness of men who are suppressing the truth. So, it is possible for people to supress the truth, when they are confronted with it. And I want to believe that was the case with Judas Iscariot. He was supressing the truth.
Jesus, on several occasions, taught his disciples and the people coming to Him about greed and other things. He taught them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and that every other thing will be given to them in addition. He taught them to be careful of all kinds of greed. He taught them that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. He taught them all these things.
If Judas, then, had had ears for listening, he would have heard all that the Lord was saying about greed. But he did not have ears to listen. He, of course, had his physical ears with him. But he did not have those spiritual and inner ears needed to hear the Lord. That was why greed was able to take root in his heart.
As I said before, the Lord did not call him aside privately to talk to him about the greed in his heart. And I said one of the reasons He did not do that was that Judas had several opportunities to hear the truth. If he, then, had wanted to act on the truth he had heard, he would have acted on it and be saved. We are told by James to get rid of all moral filthiness and embrace the word of God planted in our hearts which is able to save our souls (James 1:21). But Judas did not embrace the word of God that was coming to him. He did not allow the word of God to settle in his heart. Otherwise, the word would have cleansed his heart of the greed in it.
But he did not allow that. Instead, he kept on turning deaf ears to the truth that was coming to him. And there are still people today that turn their ears away from the truth coming to them. The truth is coming to you about the things you need to drop in your life. But you keep turning from it and acting as though the word coming to you were not for you. I often see this in church meetings when I am ministering to people. I know people that have certain wrong things in their lives that they need to drop. Yet when the word the truth is coming to them about those wrong things in their lives, they will begin to act as though it were not for them.
That is one sure way to becoming a Judas Iscariot. When the word of God is coming to you and you are acting as though it were not for you or you are trying to suppress the truth it is bringing to you or trying to push the truth it is bringing to you away from you, you are preparing yourself to become a Judas or something worse than him. see, when the truth is coming to you like this and you are suppressing or rejecting it, God may not send anyone to talk to you privately about it again. Yes, we have situations in Scriptures in which God sent people to warn people about certain things they were doing or about certain paths in which they were walking, so that they could dissuade them from walking in those paths. But as we also see in Scriptures, it is not every time that God sends people to warn others privately about the wrong things in their lives.
When you have several or diverse opportunities to be warned by the Lord about certain wrong things you are doing and you will not repent, the Lord is going to let you be. Paul, again in his letter to the Romans, says God gave some people over to ruin themselves because they would not acknowledge Him. Is that to say that God hates sinners and is pleased with their destruction? No! He does not hate sinners. Instead, He loves them and wants them saved. Remember the bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Cf. John 3:16; Romans 1:21-32)
However, when God keeps coming to you, bringing you the truth, and you will not embrace it, at some point, He will let you be or have your way. Do you want to get destroyed? Well, I want you to know that God may just permit you to do so. You don’t want to listen to Him or the truth He is bringing to you. Then He may just permit you to do to yourself whatever you intend to do to yourself. That is why Paul says God gave certain people over to ruin themselves, to destroy themselves. The same thing was applicable to Judas Iscariot. He had to be left by the Lord to have His way. He had several opportunities to hear the truth but kept on ignoring and suppressing it. So, the Lord was not going to call him aside to privately warn him again. Instead, He let him be.
Another reason the Lord would not call Judas privately to warn him about the greed in his heart was that it would not change anything. This man had already made his choice. He had already chosen the path of destruction. Don’t forget that the Lord knew that he was going to betray Him. Nevertheless, He did not relate to him on the basis of that revelation. Instead, He related to him on the basis of his response to him and gave him the same opportunities that He gave to others to learn and the same opportunities He gave others to serve. Also, He entrusted authority to him as well as He did with others.
Thus, Judas had no excuse for not becoming the person God would have loved him to be. It was his choice, then, to become a betrayer. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. For example, just before he went on to betray the Lord, he was confronted with the truth about what he was doing right before the other apostles. Though these apostles did not understand what the Lord was saying, they knew He was clear about the fact that one of them was going to betray Him. Look at what John says from verse 18 of chapter 13 of his gospel:
““I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfil this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accept anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” His disciples starred at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread he went out. And it was night.” (John 13:18-30NIV)
In this dark passage we see how Jesus revealed to His men that one of them was going to betray Him. He had always known this. But at that hour, He was troubled in His Spirit because of what this man with whom He had shared his life and many beautiful moments together was going to do to Him. That was why He testified openly that one of them was going to betray Him. And these men wanted to know who it was. So, John asked Him who it was going to be. And the Lord said that it was the one to whom He would give the piece of bread in His hand after He had dipped it in the soup that would betray Him.
Then, as the account further shows, the moment Judas collected that bread from the Lord Satan entered into him. What does that mean? Well, it means that Satan took charge of him. If you look at verse 2 of this same chapter, we are told this: “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.” (John 13:2NIV) So, what Judas had before was a prompting from the devil to betray Jesus. That means he had for a while being meditating on the thought of betraying Jesus. And that was because he had become greedy.
As I pointed out to you before, Judas had already begun to steal from the Lord’s purse before this time. Why? The money coming in to him was not enough for him. Don’t forget that he too had been going out with the other disciples of the Lord to preach and minister to people in various ways. And it must have been one of those times that they went out that greed found its way into his heart. You know that people were taking care of them and giving them things, even though the Lord did not give them any money when they went out to preach. What Judas was receiving, then, must not have been sufficient for him and for whatever he wanted to do.
We are not told in clear terms what this man wanted to do with money. But it is clear that he was after something apart from the kingdom of God. There was something he wanted and which he considered to be of greater worth than the kingdom of God. And it was because of that thing that he began to steal from the Lord, when he could see that what was coming to him through his ministry was not enough.
But was the Lord not taking good care of all of them? He was. None of them ever complained that the Lord did not care enough for him. Some of these people had their own families. Peter for example has a wife and perhaps kids too. And since he never complained, it must mean that what he was getting from the Lord was enough to take care of himself, his wife and his children, if he already had kids at the time. Also, none of the other disciples complained of not being adequately cared for by the Lord. Only Judas was different. Only he was not satisfied with the Lord’s care. Only he was not satisfied with the support the people he ministered to gave him.
By the way, we are not told in the bible that the Lord ever asked any of them to bring to him what he was given by those that he went to minister to. What we are told, instead, is that the Lord once asked them if they lacked anything when He sent them out to preach, without giving them money to take along. And their answer was that they did not lack anything. What, then, was the problem with Judas? Why was the care he was receiving from the Lord not sufficient for him? What was he really after? We can’t really be sure.
Well, when he heard that the religious leaders of the Jews had placed a prize on Jesus’ head, he got interested and felt that he should go for it and get more money for what he wanted to accomplish. Now, all this while, he was still meditating on the greedy thought that had taken root in his heart and considering how he might accomplish it. But the moment the Lord began to talk about and it became clear to him that what he was up to was not hidden to Him, he became angry and bitter. His greed turned into bitterness and he longer gave a damn what happened to the Lord. That means it no longer bothered him whether Jesus was arrested and killed or not. He just wanted what he wanted. His greed had turned into bitterness.
So, you can see that if Judas had wanted to repent of his evil, it was at the point that the Lord openly exposed what he was up to that he would have done so. That why I said if the Lord had called him privately to warn him about the greed in his heart, it would not have changed anything. When He made it clear in public that He knew what he was up to, what did he do? He left the gathering of the disciples and went ahead to collect the money he had been promised for delivering the Lord into the hand of His enemies.
That, of course, is terrible. And it is what happens when you permit evil in your heart and refuse to deal with it. It will possess you and drive you to do things you will later regret doing. Judas later regretted selling Jesus. But it was too late for him to change or undo what he had done. So, we need to watch the things we permit in our hearts. That is because if we permit evil in our hearts and refuse to deal with it, it will end up ruining us, if we are not shown mercy.
Now we know that Judas became what he became because he permitted greed in his heart and also refused to deal with it. But that was not all. There was another reason he became what he became, which was that he was living a secretive life. Was he always like that? I don’t think so. I want to believe that when he first came to the Lord with others, his life was open to everyone. But at some point, his life became a mystery to them and no one knew what he was up to or after.
For instance, when he began to steal from the Lord, nobody knew. Only the Lord knew that He was stealing from Him. And He did not know because He had caught him stealing; rather, He knew by revelation. That means Judas had found ways to cover up the evil in his life. He was giving everyone around him an impression that he was for the Lord. But he was not for Him. There are also many in the church today that are giving the people around them the impression that they are for the Lord. But they are not for Him. These ones have found ways to cover up the wickedness in their lives, so that no one will see it. It may be a devotion to church activities, giving, preaching or other religious matters that they are using to cover up their evil. But they are covering it up.
What such people don’t know, however, is that nothing is hidden before God and before His word. People may not know what you are doing, but God knows. People may not see what you are doing that is evil, but the word of God sees it. Therefore, it will address it. The bible says, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from Him. But all things are uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we have to reckon.” (Cf. Hebrew 4:12) So, what Judas was doing was not hidden from the Lord and His word. It may be hidden from men but not from the Lord.
In any case, because this man was living a life that was not open to other believers, no one could help him. He was stealing and no one knew about it. So, no one could help him stop stealing. In fact, no one thought he could be stealing. Instead, they all saw him the way they saw themselves, as simple and straightforward. But he was different from them. His desires were different from theirs. What he was after was different from what they were after. He was after wealth, but they were after the kingdom of God, gaining it and possessing it.
Maybe what you too are after is different from what the people of God in your life are after. Maybe it is money you are after. Or it may be the girls that you are after. Or perhaps it is fame you are after. You know it. Those in your life may not know it, unless they are given a revelation about it. And even if they know it by revelation, they may not say a thing about it. They may just keep on bringing you the word of God. And His word will surely convict you and show that what you are up to is not hidden. It will, then, be up to you to deal with the truth coming to you or to ignore or suppress it.
No one knew that Judas was stealing or what he was up to. And even when the Lord plainly said that it was he who would betray Him, none of the disciples there that night took His words seriously. None of them believed that he was going to betray Him until he did so. Remember that when he got up from the meal table that night and went out, everybody thought he was doing some errands for the Lord. And that was because his life was not open. If his life had been open, maybe one person might have been able to help him.
You, then, who are living a secretive life, hiding yourself from other believers, may end up becoming a Judas or something worse someday. What are you up to that you don’t want anybody to be aware of? If I am living an upright life, there should be nothing to hide from the people of God in my life. If I am living the righteous life He has called me to live, what is there to hide from the people of God? Why should I have to hide something that is right? Why should I not want people to know what I am doing, if it is in line with the will of God?
So, if those things you are hiding from the people of God in your life, the relationships you are hiding from them, the friendships you are hiding from them, the activities you are involved in that you are hiding from them, are right, why are you hiding them? You may say, “There are people who don’t love me and are busybodies in my church. That is why I am keeping everything about me away from them.” That may be true. There are indeed assemblies in which they have become so divided that their members no longer trust one another or want what is best for one another. And the truth is that such assemblies are sick and need to be healed.
But what we are dealing with here has nothing to do with that. What we are dealing with here has to do with hiding the wickedness in your heart from the people of God that can help you deal with it. When people, trusted people of God, don’t know what is going on in your life, they cannot help you. In 2Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 2, Paul says this: “Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.” (2Corinthians 7:2NIV) These are the rules to follow in relating to our brethren in our various assemblies. We are to make room for them in our hearts, as long as they have no reputation of corrupting, injuring or exploiting others. It is only those who have a reputation for doing these things that you may not open your life to.
But if the people of God in your life do not have a reputation of corrupting people, injuring people or exploiting people, it is in your interest to open your life to them. That way, they can help you, if you are missing it. What I am saying is that if your life is open before the people of God, they can easily help you deal with whatever is wrong in it. If your life is not open to them, there is no way they can help you unless they receive a revelation about you that can guide them to do so.
Now I am sharing these things with you because I do not want you to become a Judas, a betrayer, or even something worse and ruin your faith and life. But you must be careful not to supress or ignore the truth coming to you. Second, I said you must live an open life. Let the people of God know what is going on in your life, regardless of where you live and what you do. Then they can fulfil the word of God that tells us to keep watch over one another.
In Hebrews, chapter 3, from verse 12, we are told this: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:12-13NIV) Can you see that it is our duty to watch over one another in our journey as Christians. But we cannot do this effectively, if we do not know what is going on in our individual lives. So, let us know what is going on in your life.
We have similar instructions in chapter 12 of this same book. Look at them from verse 15: “See to it that no one falls short of 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.” (Hebrews 12:15-16NIV) You can again see that it is our duty to see to it that none of us falls short of the grace of God. But how can we do that, if you are behaving like Judas Iscariot and hiding your activities. It is the duty of your brethren to watch over you. It is their duty to help you in your faith journey. But if you don’t allow them, how will they be able to fulfil this duty to you? So be open to the brethren in your life. And God will continue to keep you safe.
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Title: Becoming Judas (1)
By: Johnson O. Lawal
Date: February 12, 2023
Series: What is in your heart?
I want to begin to talk to you about becoming Judas Iscariot. Now I know that may be strange to your ears. But it is actually possible for one who started in the faith like Judas Iscariot to end up becoming a Judas or even something worse than him. But how did he end up the way he ended up? As we are told in the bible, this man ended up killing himself. Having betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ, he went on to hang himself. But what led him to betray the Lord, his own Lord? What led him to betray the author of life who loved him and cared for him all through those three and a half years or so that he spent with Him? That is what I want us to consider. And I want us to consider it because the word of God tells us that the things that are written down in Scriptures are written to teach us, so that we will not set our hearts on evil. They are written to teach us, so that we may learn wisdom from them and set our lives right. (Cf. Romans 15:4; 1Corinthians 10:6&11)
Now, as we are told in Scriptures, Judas Iscariot was chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. No one imposed him on Him; He chose him Himself. Why did He choose him? Did He not know that this man was someday going to betray Him? He knew. From what we see in Scriptures, it is clear that the Lord knew that Judas was going to betray Him. I know there are people who do not agree with this. I remember that a young man once told me that Jesus did not know who was going to betray Him and that he could have been any one among those apostles that were closest to Him instead of Judas Iscariot. But I told him that he was wrong. He was wrong because Scriptures are clear about this matter.
In Saint John’s gospel, chapter 6, he tells us how the Lord, one day, began to tell the people something of the need for them to see Him as the bread of life and to feast on His flesh and His blood. This, of course, got many of them upset, including His disciples. And they decided to leave Him. Well, from verse 63 of the chapter, John reports the Lord as saying this:
““The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.” (John 6:63-64NIV)
Can you see that this matter could not be any clearer than what we have in this bible text? The Lord had known from the beginning of His ministry who among those coming to Him truly believed and who did not believe. He had also known from the beginning who would betray Him. So, from the outset, Jesus had known who was going to betray Him. How did He know this? It was by revelation. God revealed it to Him that Judas was the one that would betray Him. Why, then, would He choose a betrayer as one of His closest companions, as one of His apostles?
As we are told in this same gospel of John, Judas Iscariot was the one with the money bag (John 12:6). In other words, he was the Lord’s treasurer. So, the Lord chose one that was going to betray Him as His apostle. He chose one that was going to betray Him as His treasurer. Also, as He did with others, He entrusted authority to this man that was going to betray Him. He entrusted to him the authority to heal the sick and drive out demons. Don’t you think that is food for thought? I believe it is.
So, it is clear that just because someone is working miracles in the name of Jesus today, it does not mean that he will not someday betray the Lord. That someone is a singer in the church today does not mean he is not going to betray the Lord someday. I know a man who used to be a gospel singer and whose songs blessed many believers back then when he was still doing gospel songs. I also have been personally blessed by a number of his songs and am still being blessed by them. His name is Ray Boltz – he is still alive. But there came a time when this man came forward to publicly say that he was gay, a homosexual. So, he is no longer doing gospel songs. He has retried from all that to a life of homosexuality. But he used to be a blessing to the church.
You can see, then, that the fact that someone has been a blessing to the church of God as pastor, prophet, evangelist, psalmist or anything else does not mean he cannot end up betraying the Lord. That someone is any of these things does not mean that he will not someday turn his back on the Lord Jesus. In 1John 2 we are told that there are so-called believers that will definitely leave the church at some point. And they will definitely leave us because they have never belonged in the church. Yes, today, they are with us, singing with us, praying with us, travelling from place to place for evangelistic works with us, giving with us and doing all kinds of things with us. But a day is coming when they are going to definitely leave. That is because they have never belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, as I pointed out already, Judas Iscariot was chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was given the same kind of opportunities other apostles of the Lord were given to learn and to serve God. When they went out to preach the good news, heal the sick and drive out demons, he was with them. He too drove out demons and healed the sick at those times. Yet the Lord had always known that he was going to betray him someday. And I am asking, “Why did He choose a betrayer?”
See, the Lord did not choose Judas Iscariot on the basis of the revelation that He had about him. Rather, He chose him on the basis of his response to His call. In Mark’s gospel, chapter 3, from verse 13, we are told the following:
“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Mark 3:13-19NIV)
As Mark points out here, the Lord once went up on a mountainside and called to Himself those that He wanted, and they came to Him. So, He chose Judas on the basis of his response to His call. When those that He had called came to Him, He decided to choose twelve among them as His apostles. So, Judas was not chosen to be an apostle of the Lord on the basis of the revelation that He had about him that he would be a betrayer. If the Lord was going to choose His apostles on the basis of the revelation He already had about each of them, He would not choose Judas Iscariot to be His apostle. But He did not make His choice on that basis but on the basis of the fact that the man came to when He called out to everyone.
Remember that the Lord is still calling out to people today, saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy ladened, and I will give you rest.” That is a general call. It is a call to everyone to come to God and fellowship with Him and with His Son Jesus Christ. And anyone that responds to that call will be accepted Him. That is how some have ended up becoming Christians today, even though they will still leave us at some point. But we must keep in mind the fact that when people come to the Lord in this manner, He will not reject them.
Again, in John’s gospel, chapter 6, verse 37, the Lord is reported to have said this: “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37NIV) He is making out a call to all men, saying, “Come to me, and I will give you rest. Come to me, if you are thirsty, and rivers of living water will start gushing out from within you, if you believe.” This is a general call to everyone, to anyone. Is it everyone that will respond to this call? No! But whoever responds to it will not be driven away by the Lord.
Judas Iscariot responded to that call. And the Lord would not drive him away. Instead, He embraced him as He did others and gave the same opportunities to learn and to serve as He gave to others. You can see why He gave him authority to heal people and do miracles. It is also why He made him His treasurer. He was relating to this man on the basis of his response to His call and not on the basis of the revelation He had about him.
That, of course, is huge to swallow. But then, it is showing us that we need to be careful when we are relating to spiritually minded people. They may know things about you and not say anything to you about them. They may know things about you and not relate to you on the basis of those things they know about you. Jesus knew these things about Judas Iscariot and yet never related to him on their basis. Instead, He related to him on the basis of his own response to Him. When Jesus called him, he came. When He sent him out, he went out. When He was teaching others, he too was there to listen and learn. So, you see that, besides the revelation the Lord had about his betrayal, He had no reason at the time not to treat this man with love and care, as He was doing with the other apostles with Him.
But we may still ask, “Why did the Lord not relate to Judas on the basis of the revelation He already had about him?” The reason was that He wanted the world to see that even though this man had every opportunity to be good, to be the very person God would want him to be instead of a betrayer, he would definitely mess up in the end because he belonged to the devil, the evil one. See, the Lord has always known those that belong to Him and those who don’t. That is why the bible says God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: the Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord depart from wickedness. (Cf. 2Timothy 2:19)
Now even though the Lord knows those who belong to Him and those who don’t, even though He knows that who will end up with Him in heaven and those who will end up with the devil in hell, He still daily gives everybody the same opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. What I am saying is that God is still calling everybody to Him through Jesus Christ everyday and not looking at the fact that some will ultimately reject Him. He is not relating to us on the basis of what He already knows about us and how our lives will end but on the basis of our response to His call.
Ultimately, what everyone stands for will be revealed. Ultimately, those who are going to deny or reject Him will be revealed. Yet the Lord is going to give everyone the opportunity, sufficient opportunity, to do what is right. This is so that when He begins to judge us, He will be a just God and judge. You can see why the bible says no one will have any excuse for not being saved before Him. No one will be able say, “Oh, it is because you rejected me outright, God, that I did not make it,” or say, “It is because you, God, did not show me enough love that I did not make it.”
As we know from Scriptures, there are many ways in which God is treating all of us, including those who hate Him, alike in showing us kindness. That, of course, does not mean that He doesn’t make distinctions at all between those who serve Him and those don’t serve Him. He does in some situations, as we are told in the bible. So, we should not think it is every time that He treats His people and those who do not belong to Him alike. There are times that He makes obvious distinctions in the way He treats them. (Cf. Malachi 3:18)
However, in many ways, He treats all of us equally. For instance, He causes His sun to shine on all of us and His rain to fall on all of us. Also, He satisfies all of us with good things, allowing us to enjoy the fruit of our labour, even where we do not acknowledge Him. Then He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all of us, even though He knew that not all of us would accept His offer of salvation. That is the bigness or largeness of God’s heart. It is unbeatable.
Well, I am saying we need to learn from this as we relate to even spiritual people. They may know things about you by revelation and not relate to you on that basis. And this is so that no one will be able to accuse them of being responsible for your fall. No one could blame Jesus Christ for the fall of Judas. No one could say that it was because Jesus treated him differently that he betrayed Him. No one could say that it was because He did not show him enough love that he betrayed Him. And no one could say that it was because the Lord denied him access to authority that he betrayed Him.
The Lord loved Judas and related to him in love. Therefore, He gave him the same opportunities that He gave others in order for him to be the kind of person he could have been before God and before men. Jesus did all of these so that no one would be able to blame Him for the fall of Judas.
Now this should teach us how to relate appropriately to God. He knows everything about us. So when He begins to show us the bad things about us that we need to repent of, we should take Him seriously. That is because He may choose not to show us these things. He may choose not to point out our faults or errors that are hidden away in our hearts to us. He could act as though He did not see these things in our lives, even though He sees them. If He, then, draws our attention to them, we should not take what He is saying to us lightly.
The writer of the book of Hebrews addresses us about this, when he says from verse 5 of chapter 12 of his book:
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” (Hebrews 12:5-8NIV)
You can see that the reason God disciplines us, the reason He rebukes and corrects us is that He accepts us as His own. That is why He will be pointing our errors and mistakes to us, so that we can repent of them. He can decide to keep quiet about our matter, as Jesus did in the case of Judas Iscariot. The Lord had always known him as a son of perdition. So, He did not challenge him personally about any of the wrong things he was doing in secret.
As John shows us in his gospel, Judas was a thief. He used to steal from the purse of the Lord Jesus that he was managing. And the Lord knew this but did not say anything personally to him about it. He did not even say anything to anybody about this except John. He never addressed him matter openly or privately among the apostles. He simply kept quiet about it. Why did He keep quiet about it?
Well, the Lord did not keep quiet about it because He did not like him and simply wanted him to perish. First, He kept quiet about it because Judas had had several opportunities to learn and know the truth like others. He was present in all the meetings in which the Lord Jesus taught people about various things, including greed. So, he did not need the Lord to call him privately to warn him about the greed that had come to settle in his heart. He had been privileged to hear several teachings from the Lord about this.
Remember that he was even there when a young man came to beg Jesus to tell his brother to give him his own share of their inheritance and heard how the Lord responded. He heard Him say, “Beware of all kinds of greed.” He was also there when the Lord was saying that it would hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven and that it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Judas heard all these teachings. But what did he do with them? So, if the Lord did not call him privately to address him about the wrong things in his life, he already had enough opportunities to hear teachings that could help him in dealing with them. (Cf. Matthew 19:23-24; Luke 12:13-21)
By the way, the Lord was in the habit of teaching all His apostles privately on different matters of the kingdom of God and how to live to please God and go after those things that were truly important. And Judas Iscariot was with them while all these things were happening. So, if the Lord did not privately address him about the greed in his life, he had listened to enough sermons of His to do what was right for himself. Mind you, Judas also went out severally with the other apostles to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and to tell people to turn away from their wickedness. So, we cannot blame the Lord for not calling him privately to tell him to deal with the greed in his life.
Here is my point, in any case: if the Lord is personally addressing you about any wrong thing you are doing, you need to take Him seriously. Or if He is sending people to address you about your wrong way of life, you need to take Him seriously. Otherwise, you may end up becoming a Judas Iscariot.
See, the fact that you are called by the Lord Jesus does not mean that you are not going to be a Judas Iscariot. The fact that you joined others at some point in your life to confess Jesus as Lord does not mean you are not going to end up becoming a Judas Iscariot. If you are ignoring the truths of Jesus or refusing to deal with them, you may end up becoming one.
How did Judas become what he became, a betrayer? First, he became that by not dealing with the evil in your heart. Recently, I was talking to you about the need to protect your heart with all diligence, so that no form of evil will take root in it. And as I pointed out to you during that series, if you permit any form of evil in your heart or refuse to deal with it, a time will come when circumstances of life will bring it out in the open. Then it may just be too late for you to rescue yourself from the consequences of what