Recommended Citation
Lawal, J. O. (2025, March 30). Your life and your message. See to It series.
I want of further share with you on ‘See to it’. As you now know, we are told in Scriptures to see to it that none of us falls away from the grace of God. We are also told to see to it that none of us develops a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. We have these instructions given to us in Hebrews, chapters 3 and 12. And we have been looking at those things that will aid us in taking them seriously.
Now, based on that, I said we must be involved in one another’s life. If we are not involved in our lives, there is no way we will be able to help one another from falling away from the grace of God. Remember that if any of us should fall away from God’s grace, as we are told in the Scriptures, we will have to dissociate ourselves from the person. That does not mean we are not to pray for the person’s restoration. But while that person remains fallen away from the grace of God, while that person has chosen to be living in sin, we will have to dissociate ourselves from him. For that not to happen, we have to be involved in one another’s life. We have to know what is going on in one another’s life. That way, we will be able to protect ourselves from the schemes of the devil.
But then, as I equally pointed out before, if we will be involved in one another’s life, then, we must be open with our lives. If we are not open with our lives, there is no way we can adequately know what is going on in one another’s life and be helpful to one another. And the leaders must take the lead in doing this. Our leaders must first be open with their lives. It is only then that they can encourage their brethren to also be open with their lives. And once we are open with our lives in this manner, we will be in a position to help one another.
However, it is not enough for us to be open with our lives; what is seen in our lives also has to be what God wants to see in them. Our lives have to be showing that we actually know what we are doing. Our lives have to be showing that we are walking in the light of the truth and that we are not a part of the problems we are trying to solve. And I remember giving us some Scriptures to show the main qualities we must have to be able to help one another stay in the truth of Jesus. And what are these qualities? First, we must be full of goodness. Second, we must be filled with knowledge. Third, we must have the wisdom of the Spirit to help one another.
Now I want to dwell a little on this point, which is that we cannot help one another, if we ourselves have fallen away from the grace of God, if we ourselves have developed a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. We may try to help others. But it will be hypocritical of us to try to do so. That is because we ourselves need help.
Then let me say this: Falling away from the grace of God is not always evidenced by staying away from church meetings. It may happen. It may not happen. Where it happens, it is usually what happens last. It is usually the last evidence of the fact that someone has fallen away from the grace of God.
What I mean is that many who have fallen away from the grace of God have not stopped attending church meetings. There are many who have turned away from God who still attend church meetings. And we have pastors, evangelists, prophets and so forth among them. They still preach. They still own personal bibles. But they are living in sin. And because they attend church meetings, pray, own personal bibles and preach we are not paying attention to the fact that they are living in sin and in need of help. Yet they are always out there trying to help others live right, when they themselves are not living right. This, of course, is wrong.
Look at some of the things Paul has to say about this in Romans, chapter 2, from verse 17:
“Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”” (Romans 2:17-24NIV)
What is Paul driving at here? Well, he is simply showing us the possibility of a living a life that is contrary to the message we live. It is possible for our lives to be completely contrary to what we teach. It is possible for us to be telling others not to steal, when we ourselves are stealing. It is possible for us to be telling people not to be involved in adultery, when we ourselves are involved in adultery. It is possible for us to be telling lies, while preaching to others not to tell lies. And where this is the case, we are just being hypocritical and cannot help anybody.
Our Lord Jesus mentions something very similar while sharing with the Jews on an occasion. He said this, from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 23, verse 1:
“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 23:1NIV)
First, here, the Lord says that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. In other words, they are representing Moses. So, they are authorized to teach the people. This being the case, Jesus tells the people to be careful to do everything they tell them to do.
However, the Lord goes on to say that the people must not do what these men are doing. Why? The reason is that they do not practise what they preach. That means their lives are contrary to their teachings. So, while people can follow their teachings, they cannot emulate their way of life. And this is the situation in many Christian assemblies. We have people who are trying to guide others but who themselves need guidance. We have people who are trying to help others but who themselves need help. We have people whose lives are not right but who are trying to help others get their lives right. Can they, in all honesty, help anybody? No!
Yes, people may say the correct things. But if their lives do not agree with what they say, and this is open to people, will they take them seriously? This is one of the reasons our witness in the world has been weak. What we are preaching is contrary to what people see in our lives. We claim to be preaching righteousness but are not walking in righteousness. We claim to be preaching truth but are not living in the truth. We claim to be preaching peace but many of us are difficult to relate to – we are quite uncooperative. It is only when we hold our bibles that we appear cooperative. But when people interact with us outside that scope, they find us to be very uncooperative and difficult to deal with. So, they are not drawn to the truth or the light we claim to be shining.
Well, the point I am making is that if we will be able to help one another, it is important that we ourselves have not fallen away the grace. Yes, if we want to help our brethren to stay in the truth and daily live lives pleasing to God, then, we must show through our own lives that we are in the truth and established in righteousness.
Paul says this to the Corinthians:
“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1Corinthians 4:7NIV)
Here Paul is saying that his way of life agrees with what he teaches everywhere in every church. So, it is not that he teaches one thing and then does something else. No! His life is in agreement with what he teaches. And it has to be like that for every one of us too, if we will be able to help one another. Our lives must be in agreement with the message we preach. There, then, must be nothing like my message is different from my life. My message must not be different from my way of life. My life is actually my message. Otherwise, no one will take what I say seriously.
So, if you are teaching people to be full of joy but your own life is not full of joy, why should they take you seriously? If you are teaching people to be gentle, humble and peaceable but your life is not a revelation of these things, who is going to take you seriously? This is why Paul goes on to say this to Timothy:
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1Timothy 4:16NIV)
How do we help others? We start by first watching our own lives and doctrine. Our lives and our doctrine must be in agreement. So, we have to watch them closely. That way, we can tell whether they are in agreement with the will of God or not. And once we see that they are in agreement with His will, we persevere in them. That means we are to keep on living that life that is in agreement with God’s will. Then and only then are going to be able to save both ourselves and our hearers.
What I have been saying all along is that if we will be able to help one another stay right in the will of God, then, our lives must be obviously right – they must be obviously in agreement with the will of God. Otherwise, no one will take us seriously. You can see why we have many in our various Christian assemblies who are rebellious and do not take instructions seriously. These ones live as they please. And one main reason is that most of their leaders, most of those who are in a position to set them right are not living right. They are hypocritical themselves. My prayer is that God will rid our lives and our various churches of everything that has to do with hypocrisy. Amen.
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