single message series – REALITIES MINISTRIES

Recommended Citation

Lawal, J. O. (2025, March 06). Based on the word only. See to It series.

We have been looking at the instructions given to us in Hebrews, chapters 3 and 12, on watching over one another so that none of us will develop a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God and so that we will not fall short of the grace of God. And this has led us to examining some of the things we must pay attention to in order to be able to fulfil these demands placed on us by God.

Now I want to give us another point that will aid us in helping one another to remain faithful to God to the very end. And it is that we are to relate to one another only on the basis of the word of God. What I am saying is that we must encourage, instruct, admonish, correct or rebuke one another only on the basis of the word of God. We must not relate to one another on the basis of feelings or experiences but on the basis of the word of God.

Don’t get me wrong here. Our feelings are important. Our experiences are important. But they are only important to the degree that they align with the word of God. We can use our feelings and experiences to illustrate the word of God to people. But we must not allow our feelings and experiences to take the place of the word of God in our lives or in the lives of others, especially the people of God in our lives. So, as we relate to one another, our relationship must be word-based. That is the only way our relationship with one another can be clean and also beneficial to all of us.

While addressing the leaders of the Ephesian church, Paul says this to them in his farewell message:

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32NIV)

There is something he says here about the word of God. And it is that it can build up God’s people and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. That means it is the word of God that we must rely on, if we want to be built up in our faith and if we want to receive and enjoy our own share of the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of God. Prayer is important too. But it cannot take the place of the word of God in our lives. Through prayer, of course, we can be built up in strength, spiritual strength. But it cannot take the place of the word of God in our being built up in our faith, just as the word of God cannot take its place.

Well, I am saying that in dealing with one another in the church, we must do so only on the basis of the word of God. Now there are things the word of God demands or encourages us to do. And we must be demanding and encouraging one another to do these things, if we want to remain in the truth of Jesus. In other words, we must command ourselves to do the things the word of God tells us to do. Also, we must encourage ourselves to do the things the word of God encourages us to do.

For instance, the word of God commands and encourages us to take our devotion to Scriptures, prayer and Christian fellowship very seriously. And we must take these things very seriously in our individual lives. Not only that, we must also demand that our brethren take these things very seriously in their lives as well. If your brother or sister, then, is calling your attention to the need to take the word of God, prayer and Christian fellowship seriously, you must not think that they are doing something wrong or out of place. What they are doing is not out of place. That is because the demands they are making on you are the demands the word of God makes on every one of us.

Now when we take our devotion to prayer, the word of God and Christian fellowship very seriously, other things that God wants us to take seriously will become clear to us as well. That way, we can also take them seriously. The point I am making, in any case, is that in order for us to fulfil the demands that God is making on us to keep our brethren safe, the demands we will be placing on them must the ones God is placing on them. Otherwise, we will be wrong.

Then there are things that God has told us not to do, things that He has already condemned. We also must condemn these things in our own lives and in the lives of our brethren. ‘Acts of the flesh’, for instance, are condemned everywhere in the Scriptures. We must condemn them as well in our lives and in the lives of our brethren. Also, slothfulness, laziness, waywardness and lukewarmness of every form are condemned in Scriptures. We too must condemn these in our lives and in the lives of our brethren. What about immodest living? It is condemned in Scriptures. So, we too must condemn it. We must condemn everything that is immodest among us.

Sadly, there are times that people, in their attempt to evade correction or rebuke, will say, “The word of God says, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’” They say this to scare their brethren away from addressing the wrong things in their lives. Now it is true that the word of God tells us not to judge others, so that we will not be judged. But on what basis does it say that? In what context does the word of God say this?

When you read the passage where this is said carefully, you will see that Jesus says what He says there in the context of ‘morality in judgment’. In other words, the Lord is speaking of situations in which we are not qualified to judge others. Look at the passage:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plan out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5NIV)

You can see here that we are dealing with morality in judgment, where you have no moral right to judge others. And when do you have no moral right to judge others? You have no moral right to judge them when you are doing what you condemn in them or when you are doing things that are worse than what you condemn in them. I mentioned some things along these lines in the last lesson. I said you cannot afford to be a part of the problem you are trying to solve, if you want to help God’s people. Therefore, if you have fallen short of the grace of God or have developed a sinful heart that turns away from God, how can you keep your brethren from doing something similar or help them out of something similar?

Well, the Lord in this passage is speaking of morality in judgment. And it must not be torn apart. Often people tear what He says here apart. They will quote only the first line of His words and leave the rest of what He says in the same context out. That is wrong. It is a wrong way to treat the word of God. The context of this passage is of morality in judgment, where you have no moral right to judge others. And you do have no moral right to judge anyone, if you are guilty of the same offence that you want to judge or of worse offences than the one you want to judge.

The second thing we need to keep in mind in dealing with this text is that if God has already judged something, then, anyone that has a moral and spiritual right to judge it can judge it. So, don’t say, “Don’t judge me, if you are doing what is wrong.” God has already judged what you are doing as wrong. You, then, had better accept it. God has judged immorality as wrong. He has judged greed as wrong. He has judged envy, sorcery and witchcraft as wrong. He has judged sexual immorality as wrong. And He has judged homosexuality as wrong.

Today people, especially those who practise homosexuality and lesbianism and other similar nonsense, get upset when we condemn these acts. They get upset that the church will not embrace or celebrate what they are doing. Their thought is that we hate them. But we don’t hate them. The thing is that God has already judged their lifestyle as wrong. We, then, are not trying to judge them. God has already judged them. And if God has already judged something, we also can judge it, as long as we have the moral right to judge it.

So, if you are being rebuked for something wrong, do not say, “Why are you judging me? The word of God says that you should not judge.” If God has already judged what you are doing as wrong, then, anyone with a moral right to judge it can judge it and should judge it. Of course, there is none of us that is perfect. Each of us must strive for perfection. But if you are doing something that is wrong, we will not ignore you because we also are not yet perfect in conduct. We have to call your attention to what you are doing that is wrong. That is because God has already condemned it. Also, it is because God has told us to see to it that none of us develops a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from Him.

Now since we have this instruction, we must fulfil it. And to make it easy for us to do so, we are told this by Paul in his letter to the Ephesian brethren; “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21NIV) What is our instruction here? It is that we should submit to one another in our relationship with one another as believers. Why? Out of reverence for Christ! So, the reason I submit to you is not that you are better than me. The reason I do so is Christ. What we are saying is that the reason we submit to one another in the church is not that some people are better than others. Rather, the reason is that we honour Christ when we do so. For instance, when we honour our leaders and submit to them, it is Christ we are honouring and submitting ourselves to.

Well, I am bringing this up to let you know that if we will make it easy for our brethren to help us stay in the truth, we must submit to them. When they are getting involved in your life and trying to place their fingers on things you may be missing, you must not be furious or angry. Instead, you must listen to what they have to say. They may be wrong. People may be wrong when they are trying to place their fingers on certain things that are wrong in our lives. They may even not use gracious words in addressing us, which, by the way, is a wrong way to relate to others. Nevertheless, we must be willing to look at what they are showing us and to listen to what they are telling us.

This is often the problem in the church: we get all furious when others are trying to rebuke or correct us. And that is because we don’t want to look at what they are showing us or to listen to what they are telling us. That is a wrong attitude. It is an attitude of an arrogant person. And if we do not deal with it in our lives, it will sooner or later get us into trouble.

As I already said, people may be wrong in their attempt to rebuke or correct us. But we will be more wrong, if we are not going to look at all at what they are showing us or listen at all to what they are saying to us. We will be showing ourselves as proud, if we are like that. And the bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (Cf. James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5)

Yes, in this case, you are not wrong but right. The problem, however, is that your attitude is wrong. And because your attitude towards correction is wrong where you are right, when you are actually wrong, there may be no one to set you right. Then, before you know that what you are doing is wrong, it may have destroyed you. You can now see why we are told to submit to one another. And these include leaders as well. They also must submit to one another and to their brethren. This does not mean that they are to yield themselves to be led by their brethren. Rather, it means they are to be open enough to welcome complaints or observations from their brethren.

There are leaders that don’t want to hear any complaint or observation from their brethren. They will ask them to shut up. And there are assemblies in which brethren cannot freely ask questions about the things they do not understand in Scriptures. Someone will ask them to shut up. And that is not helpful for the health or growth of the church. It is important, then, that if we will be able to help one another stay in the truth, we must submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This does not have to do with the age, experience academic qualification, social status or financial status of those we are relating to. Rather, it has to do with showing reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you truly revere Him, you will submit yourself to your brethren and not make it difficult for them to watch over you or to counsel, correct or rebuke you.

Let us pray.

Copyright © 2025 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: 08146472876)

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.