GROW UP INTO HIM - Pt. 2

ABIDING IN CHRIST

What does this mean? The exhortation of Apostle Jude best deals with this. In Jude 1:21, he says Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When one of the teachers of the law, a Pharisee, asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

When Jesus gave the new commandment in John 13:34, it was still the same, the caveat was that the love must now be the love of God. Not emotional, not conditional but the love of God which only the Holy Spirit produces.

Now, God will not require of us what we are incapable of. That is why when we got born again, the tools we need to obey Him were given to us. He gave us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) with which we received His love into our recreated human spirits (Romans 5:5).

Understand something about this love however, it is first towards God and then towards man. Love for God is what makes the believer ALWAYS put God first in all things. That is how come the believer seeks to do what God wants, not what is convenient or what the flesh wants (which is easy). 

If you do not put God first, you will not love the other person except it is convenient but God expects you to do it at all times. Emotional love cannot do this; God’s love does it because it always puts God first, to please Him.

Abiding in Christ is abiding in this love, living and walking in it. Don’t forget, God is love (1 John 4: 8) and Christ is the embodiment of who God is. If you put God first in all things notwithstanding the cost of doing so, it is because you are allowing the love He has put in you to find expression. When you do this, you will never be a law breaker. You will do everything the word says to do because you put God first.

Afterall, how did Jesus say we will express our love for Him? Very clearly in John 14:15 Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandment. We abide in Christ when we obey His word, when we live our lives in line with what it teaches. Our love for God is shown to Him and to all when we live according to His word.

GOD’S WORD ABIDING IN YOU

What does it mean for God’s word to abide in you? A whole book can be written on this but we do not have the luxury of that in this piece. Best and simply put, the instruction of God to Joshua in Joshua 1:8 explains this: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success. This was said before the bible was compiled, if it was after, it would have read 'this entire bible shall not depart....'.

Most times, we reference this text when we are desirous of material gain and financial success alone, but God gave Joshua this instruction regarding kingdom purpose in entirety.  

In living by this verse, we should keep in mind that it is what we have come to know that we can meditate on. And to know, we must study and to study, our attention is required. If we will love God the way He expects us to (that is, abide in Christ), daily study and continuous meditation on God’s word are pre-requisites for us and not options. The same goes for prayer and every other thing that is good and godly as laid out in God’s word.

Now, what does the word of God do when it abides in us? It helps us to build our faith, the measure that God gave us at salvation. Romans 10:17 says so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Abiding in Christ gives us the opportunity to grow our faith and both are interdependent, not mutually exclusive. Growing our faith gives us the opportunity to walk like Jesus walked here on earth, the opportunity to ask the Father always and have Him do what you ask.

Think about it, what is it that we can achieve for God without having to have asked for something? Developing this ability to ask and have Him do is what determines our success in life, it is what determines if we will fulfill God’s purpose for us in His kingdom. We must work at it; taking a cue from what Christ said.

Abide in Him and let His word abide in you. The more this works for you, the more you reflect who Jesus is in whatever and wherever God has placed you.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. These three are required for us to conform to Jesus’ image here on earth. Love (charity) is called the greatest because it is the only one that will exist into eternity.

Faith is not needed in heaven as well as hope, for then we would have seen heaven and we would have seen God. You only believe for what is not in your reality and you only hope for what you have not seen (Romans 8:24).

We can say generally that walking in love gets our needs met and we will be correct because when we walk in the God kind of love, we will put Him first. When we put Him first, we will seek Him and we seek Him by studying His word, praying and doing as He says. When we seek Him because we put Him first we will obey the word and this builds our faith with which we receive everything we ask of God.

But more specifically, faith (the God kind of faith) is what gets our needs met. Without it, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6), without it, we cannot receive anything from God (James 1:7), without it we cannot even walk in the love that has been shed abroad in our hearts. The bottom line is, without growing and walking in the God kind of faith, becoming more like Jesus is not possible.

The God kind of faith is beyond positive confession. The God kind of faith has nothing to do with believing in yourself. The God kind of faith has nothing to do with the force of the universe (whatever that may mean), the constellations or elements, all of which are the works of God’s hands. The God kind of faith is produced in us only by God and this He does through His word.

Other kinds of faith would be limited in what they can do. Faith in yourself is limited to what you can do, faith in the universe is limited to whatever nature permits. Faith in the elements only gets you help from the kingdom of darkness which is not help indeed but idolatrous traps to position you for Satan’s destruction.

The God kind of faith is your access to God’s possibility which is ALL possibilities. Only what God cannot do is what it will not achieve and God can do all things.

We must fulfill our destinies in God, we must grow up into Christ in this very thing. Folks, let’s get to work!

Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.

GROW UP INTO HIM

One thing that marked out the life of the Lord Jesus when He was on earth was that whatever He asked God in prayer, God did. There was no way He would have fulfilled the purpose for which God sent Him into the world if this was removed from Jesus’ life.

How would He have ministered healing to the sick and deliverance to the oppressed? How would He have protected the twelve and adequately prepare them for the task God had for them? How would he have provided for the physical needs of the needy (and He did this for many)? How would He have believed God to help Him stay faithful to die for our salvation?

Though we assume that the reason why God always did what Jesus asked for in prayer was because of Jesus’ deity, scriptures teach otherwise.

Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3), meaning He was as much a human being as you and me are human beings. We learn this more from what Philippians 2:7 says about Jesus that: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

Though Jesus was God (deity), He dropped all the glory of deity when He came to the earth. The purpose for which He came could not be fulfilled if He came with all the glory of His deity. How would Deity in His glory die by the hands of His creature?

In Hebrews 5:13, we learn that though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. If He walked on earth in His deity, He would not have needed to learn obedience; obedience to who?

We also learn from Hebrews 4:15 that we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He was tempted at every point as we human beings are because He was a human being just like us. The only difference is that He never yielded to the temptations, He never sinned.

Additionally, if Jesus lived as deity here on earth, it would not have been possible for Him to be tempted because the bible says in James 1:13B that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. Only man can be tempted with evil, deity cannot be tempted with evil.

There seem to be only two things Jesus Christ did that belonged to deity while He was on earth, first, He received the worship of men and secondly, He had the power to forgive sins and these two He did because He was permitted by God. In John 5:30 Jesus said, I can of mine own self do nothing. Jesus was as much man as you and me are today.

So sacrosanct is this fact that God said in 1 John 4:2-3 that Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

We must embrace this truth and hold on to it, otherwise Satan would succeed in limiting us in our quest to fulfill the purpose of God for our lives on earth. 

It is the spirit of the antichrist that claims that Jesus did not walk on earth as man because it still hurts Satan till date that man (the second man or the last Adam - 1 Cor 15:45-47) defeated him and gave authority to all those who would believe in Him to continue enforcing that defeat.

THE PURPOSE OF GOD FOR YOU

God has a purpose in His kingdom for every human being born into this world. Note my words, not just those who are born again but everyone born into the world.

However, we cannot fulfill kingdom purpose except we are first born into the kingdom. The kingdom of God as expressed in the New Testament is the same as the Church and the body of Christ.

Jesus said in John 3:3 that Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Further in the 7^th verse Jesus emphasized that Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. Watch His choice of words, ye must be, not you may be or you should be. 

And what does being born again do? It brings you into the kingdom of God, the Church, the body of Christ. Why so? Because fulfilling God’s purpose is predicated on you being in His kingdom.

Every human being is eligible to be born again but it is up to them to take the opportunity up.

Romans 8:26 says for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

Who did God foreknow? Those who will be born into the world and believe on Jesus for salvation to enter into God’s kingdom. What purpose does God have for these people? That they be conformed into the image of Jesus. 

Ephesians 4:15 teaches us that But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. God’s purpose is for the believer to grow up into Christ in all things. This is what is called spiritual growth in bible parlance, becoming more like Jesus in all things.

BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST

There are so many remarkable things about Jesus, but one that marks Him out and without which He would not have fulfilled His purpose was that whatever He asked God, God gave Him. In simple, everyday term, Jesus always got answers to His prayers.

Now, how does this cut into us believers? To fulfill God’s purpose for our lives we must become more like Jesus in this area. Jesus Himself taught extensively about this when He was on earth.

In John 15:16 Jesus says to us that Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 

What fruit is Jesus talking about here? The fruit of answered prayers. Reading the verse in context of the whole chapter makes this more obvious. And He was not just talking to the twelve, but to everyone of us.

Earlier in the 7^th verse, Jesus mentioned how we will bear this fruit, just as He did. He said, if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Abide in me and let my words abide in you, He said. When you do that, whatever you ask in prayer shall be granted by the Father.

Martha gave a testimony of this regarding Jesus in John 11:22, that whatever Jesus asked the Father was done for Him. God wants to do the same for you and me also.

How do we abide in Christ? How does His word abide in us? Click on the next post (‘Grow Up Into Him – Pt 2’) for the conclusion.

Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).  

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.

SPEAKING IN UNKNOWN TONGUE: FURTHER ON 1 CORINTHIANS 14

I have heard it said that unknown tongue is a prayer language. This cannot be more true, it is meant strictly for communicating with God in prayers.

We must understand the difference between ‘speaking’ in unknown tongue and praying in unknown tongue.

In actual fact, in the strictest sense of it, there should be nothing called ‘speaking’ in unknown tongue and I will explain exactly what I mean (for there is such a thing as giving a message from God to people in diverse kinds of tongues, with accompanying interpretation to a language they understand).

SPEAKING TO GOD = PRAYER

As human beings, we speak to various things, others and ourselves in order to get things done. We also speak to God. The speaking directed to God is called prayer.

1 Corinthians 14:2 says he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto man, but unto God. By definition we know that prayer is speaking to God, whether it be worship, thanksgiving, petition, intercession or supplication. If speaking in unknown tongue is to God, then it means praying to God in unknown tongue. 

The unknown tongue, which the Holy Spirit gives us utterance to speak, is reserved exclusively for speaking to God (except you are speaking into the air – which many unfortunately do). 

Why would God give us this additional means of communicating with Him? The answer is simple, He knows that communicating with Him in known tongue (our understanding) is limited because our understanding is limited also.

SPEAKING IN UNKNOWN TONGUE TO GOD, NOT TO DEMONS OR SATAN

Unknown tongue inspired by the Holy Spirit cannot be directed at demons or Satan because they do not understand them, they are mysteries even to them as they are to our understanding (vs 2b).

What demons and Satan know and understand however is the power of God released against them as God answers/ responds to our prayer to Him in unknown tongue.

The power released in answer to prayer in unknown tongue is so precise, sufficient and effective against Satan and demons because the unknown tongue spoken to God in faith is inspired by God Himself through the Holy Spirit who gives us utterance, and they are exactly what need to be prayed to God at that instance for that situation or circumstance. 

This is why demons and Satan hate it when believers pray to God in unknown tongue and will do everything to discourage/stop believers from doing so.

The efficacy of praying to God in unknown tongue is one thing that is lacking today in many Christians' lives and this robs them of victory they ought to have over Satan and his demons cheaply.

UNKNOWN TONGUE: THE CUTTING EDGE         

Now, notice the 4^th verse to further underscore the importance of unknown tongue in the life of the believer. There is something additional that praying in unknown tongue does that praying in understanding does not do.

It says here that he that speaks (prays) in an unknown tongue edifies himself.  When we pray in an unknown tongue, in addition to every other thing that prayer does, we edify (charge up) ourselves as at that time we are praying. This is note-worthy.

This must be why apostle Paul said in the 18^th verse that I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. He does it because beside the answer he gets to his prayers eventually, he also gets instant edification. 

Praying to God in unknown tongue charges up the believer, taking us from low or no spiritual energy to high spiritual energy.

Notice also that in the 14^th verse it says if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful. It is clear from this verse that there is a difference between the spirit and the understanding (mind).

I am drawn to conclude that the ‘me’ that is edified when I pray in unknown tongue is my spirit. My understanding being unfruitful means it is not ‘helped’ at that instance. It will be helped later though, because it is my spirit that helps my understanding, driving it in the right direction with the illumination I get from God (Proverbs 20:27). 

God deals directly with my spirit and I am supposed to deal with my understanding with the hand dealt me by God in my spirit.

We can see the reason here why we may still have little understanding of the truth. We hardly ever go beyond our understanding (our mind). Our spirits, though born of God, are weak mostly because we do not take advantage of God given avenues to build up ourselves strong. Praying to God in unknown tongues is one of them.

James 1:20 says but ye beloved building up yourself in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit does not dwell in our mind, if He does, we will not need to renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2). He dwells in our spirit and deals with our spirit. We should get acquainted with our spirit and one of the easiest ways you do that is to edify it (charge it up) by praying to God in the spirit (unknown tongue).

ALWAYS IN AN ATTITUDE OF PRAYER

Speaking in unknown tongue must always be in the attitude of prayer to God, otherwise you will just be speaking into the air (which means nothing and makes no difference). You cannot speak in unknown tongue and expect it to count for much except you do it in an attitude of prayer.

Also, we should know that speaking in unknown tongue and praying in the spirit are one and the same. The 2^nd verse says he that speaks in an unknown tongue …… in the spirit … speaks mysteries.

When you speak in an unknown tongue, you speak to God through a supernatural means given to you by the Holy Spirit. The good part is that this is one work of the Holy Spirit you have control over, you have as much control over it as you have over speaking to God in your understanding.

Notice vs 15, apostle Paul said I will pray with the spirit (praying in unknown tongue) and I will pray with the understanding (praying in known tongue) also. Both are absolutely under his control, and yours too. When you decide to pray in the spirit, the Holy Spirit will always give you utterance.

KNOW AND MARK THE DIFFERENCE

The reason why apostle Paul used the word speak and pray interchangeably in this chapter is because he talked about praying in unknown tongue and also about two gifts of the Spirit (manifestations of the Holy Spirit) by which a person who is in the spirit gives an inspired message from God (prophecy) to man in unknown tongues (diverse kinds of tongues), and this must be accompanied by the interpretation of that message to a known tongue either by the giver or someone else in the gathering.

1 Corinthians 12:10 calls these gifts (manifestations) diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues, among others listed in the chapter.

The difference between the praying in an unknown tongue to God and giving a divinely inspired message (prophecy) from God to man in unknown tongues is obvious. The former is prayer (which is to God) and the latter is God talking to man through prophecy.

I refer to divinely inspired message from God to man in unknown tongues as ‘half prophecy’ because without the interpretation of the message to known tongues, no one understands it and so it cannot edify, exhort and comfort anyone as prophecy would (vs 3).

A message from God to man in unknown tongues will always be accompanied by its interpretation. Prayer to God in unknown tongue need no interpretation, God knows exactly what is being said to Him. 

People most often confuse the two when they are sincerely ignorant or would rather deliberately continue in unbelief because it satisfies their ego and pride (which cause them to despise whatever they have not experienced due to being out of fellowship with God) or willingly decide to yield themselves to devils pushing false doctrines.

THE INFIRMITY AND THE ‘CURE’: ROMANS 8:26

The infirmity mentioned in this verse is explained in the verse. It is the limitation of our understanding. It makes so that we do not know what we should pray for as we ought to know them. We know what to pray for (we know some ‘prayer points’) but we never ever know all the fine details. But the Holy Spirit knows everything (all the fine details), even the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). 

How does He help this infirmity, short-coming or weakness? By giving us utterance to pray in unknown tongue the things He knows (those things He has sought out from the deep things of God).

Where does this leave the believer who does not pray in unknown tongue? I leave that to your imagination. If you are one, ask God to fill you with His Spirit to give you utterance to speak in unknown tongues to Him and He would, then speak. 

If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in unknown tongue but have not just been doing it right, make the necessary adjustments and watch out for the results. There is no limit to the things God will accomplish in and through you.

Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15).

Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.

HOW TO AVOID SHIPWRECK IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD

Something remarkable happened in the book of Genesis. Cain murdered his brother Abel, the first time murder occurred on the earth. Besides the gruesome and malicious nature of the act, what makes it remarkable was the reason why he did it.

In Genesis Chapter 4:5-7, God said to Cain “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” This was before Cain committed the murder.

Cain and Abel had to do service to God. We do not have on record when they received instructions for this service but they must have received instructions to do so, otherwise God would not tell Cain that his service would have been accepted if he did the right thing. Cain must have had knowledge of what was right just as Abel who did the right thing.

Notice in the record of events in this chapter that at no time did Cain deny or protest what God told him. If he had no knowledge of the right thing to do as God said, he would have denied or protested.  Another thing was that despite Cain being rebuked by God for his wrong doing, he did not see it fit to repent. There was nothing stopping him from asking for forgiveness and an opportunity to do the right thing, but he did not.

Why would Cain willfully do the wrong thing despite knowing what was right?

This is a question we’ll do well to ask ourselves daily in our generation.

In the 7^th verse, God said to Cain that ‘if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it’. God is all knowing, He knows the end from the beginning. He warned Cain and admonished him to do the right thing or else he would get into worse trouble.

What Cain did with the warning and admonition hints about why he did not do the right thing in the first instance. He ignored the warning and just like God said, he fell into the trap which sin brings.

Cain simply never took God or His word serious and this led to his eventual shipwreck. He knew the right thing to do in service to God but he did not do it, he was warned of what this could lead to but he never heeded the warning.

THE BELIEVER'S SERVICE TO GOD

As believers, we are saved to serve God. Hebrews 9:13-14 says if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,  so that we may serve the living God! The ultimate purpose of salvation is service to God.

Service to God starts and ends with obedience to His will which is His word. The cleansing of our consciences from acts that lead to death (KJV - purging of our conscience from dead works) gave us divine ability to obey God. Our conscience (consciousness) is our soul distinguishing between what is morally good or bad, prompting to do good and shun bad, commending good and condemning bad.

For anyone who is born again, you will recall what happened when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior. Notice the choice of words here, being born again is beyond receiving Salvation from Jesus and going your way. Accepting Jesus as Lord is what prompts His coming with the salvation He brings. He comes as Lord, not just ‘salvation giver’. There is no salvation without Jesus’ Lordship.

Coming with the joy of salvation and peace in your spirit was the purging of your conscience from dead works and immediately you realized that you start getting drawn to the things of God while becoming uncomfortable with acts that lead to death or dead works, though they may be desirous because of the pleasure they give the flesh. This happened to everyone into whose life Jesus had come as Lord and savior.

By the way, 'acts that lead to death' or 'dead works' mean 'sins' (Romans 6:23). They are also referred to as works of (living after) the flesh (Romans 8:13), transgression of the law, disobedience to God (Hebrews 2:2) and unrighteousness (1 John 5:17). All these refer to not obeying or serving God. 

   

God’s expectation is that after salvation, we fill our consciousness with His word (will) and live by it. This does not happen automatically but by what we choose to do and eventually do. What makes it possible for us is the divine ability (grace) we received at salvation. Unbelievers cannot do this because the divine ability is not there, their conscience is still ruled by acts that lead to death.

Disregarding the word of God and the nudging of the believer’s purged conscience lead believers into trouble more than anything else and boy! Do we have this as common place in this generation?!

Our conscience is a priceless faculty in our service to God. This is why it’s the first port of call when the adversary comes because our resistance to temptations starts from there. If it is filled with dead works, it will excuse away all what God says are wrong (calling them right) and hinder our service to God just like it did for Cain. Romans 12:2 says we are to renew our minds with God’s word. James 1:21 admonishes the same. Filling our conscience with the will (word) of God is the only way we keep it purged and working right.

We are expected to build the word of God into our consciousness and always yield to His Spirit as He leads us mostly through our conscience. The more purged our consciences are of dead works, the easier it is for us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The good thing is, whatever the Spirit of God leads us to do will always agree with the word of God.

1 Timothy 1:19 says holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. The way to hold on to faith and a good conscience is to take God serious and not be like Cain.

Come to think of it, why would someone murder his brother because the brother was righteous (1 John 3:12)? It is simple, Abel being righteous made Cain look bad but Cain could have also been righteous if he wanted to. We should not be caught on the side of those fighting the truth and those committed to it, the end is always disastrous. As believers, we should embrace the truth and live it.

Having a good conscience does not amount to being weak, having a good conscience is not the same as not being smart. Having a good conscience is strength to the believer and ensures success in our service to God. It is the only way the believer does right.

Let us keep our conscience purged of dead works, filling it with God’s word so that it can work for us in distinguishing between what is morally good or bad, prompting us to do good and shun bad, commending good and condemning bad.

We are saved to serve God and salvation is meaningless if its purpose is not achieved.

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15). 


Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.

TAKE HEED HOW AND WHAT YOU HEAR!!

Fact is, the ‘faith’ taught by many over the years seems to have worked mainly for them alone because in their Churches and Ministries, they are almost always the ‘richest’, ‘healthiest’ and ‘most accomplished’ etc. For their audience (mostly struggling to make ends meet), they always have something ‘new’ to tell them to do in addition to what they have been taught before to make their faith work. This keeps the audience coming for more, because as we will see, the continued working of the preachers’ ‘faith’ seems to depend on the audience’s continued patronage.

Don’t get me wrong, revelation is progressive and every spiritually matured and maturing believer should know this. The statement however holds true on the basis that the foundation (what was first learnt) is correct.

What makes it appear as though these preachers’ ‘faith’ is working (while their audience’s hardly ever work well) is the collection they’ve had from their audience over the years and are still having, in addition to the merchandise they have made and are still making of them (1 Peter 2:3a). The audience receives the short end of the stick because they ultimately get denied the opportunity to learn the real truth that will cause them to walk in God’s best (John 8:32).

Those among the audience who have a show of ‘faith’ that seem to be working like the preachers’ are usually few and hardly have sound Christian character the bible teaches. More often than not, they are as compromised as the preachers themselves or more.

If collections from and the merchandise they make out of God’s people are removed from these preachers, you will see that their faith will stop working or at least won’t ‘work’ an eighth as good as it has, just like their audience who unfortunately have no access to collections or people to make cheap merchandise of.

Think about it, if the ‘new revelations’ being taught on faith now is what would finally make the audience’s faith work, why did the preachers’ faith work prior to now without the new revelation? They usually admit they had not seen faith in the new light of what they are now preaching but their own faith had worked for them hadn’t it? Why did their own faith work without the new revelation but did not work for the generality of the audience who strive to live honest lives?

Folks, the God kind of faith works for any and everyone because God honors His word. Whatever has been taught had not worked for their audience because it largely was not correct. We all are the audience, let us start taking heed how and what we hear!

WATCH THOSE ‘NEW REVELATIONS’

There is more to learn of God from His word than ‘faith’ as being presented to us today. There is obedience (to God’s word), sacrifice (without which a believer cannot live a sanctified life), the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, enduring hardship as a believer (perseverance), putting the kingdom of God first, understanding the will and purpose of God and living it etc. It is when we live by God’s word holistically that we experience His power and divine intervention in every area of our lives.

Zero in on this teaching: that because the bible says God rested from is works (Hebrews 4:4,10) then God is not going to do anything for the believer anymore as He has done all He would ever do. This is supposed to be another truth you must believe to get your faith to work. But it is no truth; a similar verse of scripture that throws more light on this type of statement is Rev 13:8 where it refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God that was slain from the foundations of the world. This did not stop Jesus from coming to die when the time came, the expression was for emphasis and to make us see that once something is God’s plan or promise, it is as good as done for those who will believe.

Jesus said in John 5:17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work. When Jesus’ time came, He said lo, I come (in the volume of the books it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. He still came and did what God had as His plan despite it being recorded that He was slain from the foundations of the world. The lesson is that for all who believe, God’s promises would come to pass as sure as what has already happened has happened. This should make it easier for us to believe God and hold on to His promises.

We cannot therefore conclude that our faith does not move God to do anything simply because God has finished all His works and done all that He will ever do. We cannot conclude that because of this we do not need to ask God to forgive us when we sin because He has already forgiven us all the sins we could ever commit, that what we do is say ‘thank you God for forgiveness that has already been provided for me, I receive it now, I therefore do not feel any guilt’ etc

The path of faith is broad enough to walk in by the simple; we need not fall into the ditch of error on either side. Faith that does not ask when it is supposed to ask is not scriptural faith neither is faith that does not depend on God to do. It is what I call spiritual rascality and pride garnished with thinking of yourself more highly than you are supposed to (Romans 12:13). James 4:3 says you have not because you ask not. A significant part of prayer is asking God and when you ask, you are asking Him to do or give something and He does because you ask according to His promise that ‘if you ask anything in Jesus name He will give it to you’ (John 16:23).

Any preaching that tend towards the believer becoming more independent of or less accountable to God in the name of faith, grace, humility, being ‘gods’ or whatever coinage it is given is wrong and if followed will only lead to carnality and eventual servitude to Satan through self worship and aggrandizement of the flesh. The God kind of faith is faith towards God (Hebrews 6:1b) not faith towards (in) self or any other!

Apostle Paul asked that the Church to pray for Him that he be delivered from wicked and evil men (2 Thessalonians 3:2). He did not ask the Church to say on His behalf that God has already delivered him from wicked and evil men since God is supposed to have already done the work and will not just do it.

Apostle Paul prayed that God would grant to the Church the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17), he did not just thank God for already having granted the Church the spirit of wisdom and revelation in His knowledge. There would not be any reason to ask God to do this if truly He is resting and wouldn’t do any more than He has already done.

Jesus prayed for God to sanctify the saints with His word (John 17:17). He wouldn’t have if it holds true that God already done that work and is not doing anything anymore

John 1:9 says if we confess our sins (when we sin) God is faithful and just to forgive us. If He had done the forgiving already, He wouldn’t need to do it now would He? He would not have said for us to confess so He could forgive us if we sin.

LEARN OF GOD

There are things we do not ask God for because provisions have been made already for them when we got born again. These are things that we are expected to do by God. You should not ask God for example to make you obedient or make you holy. This is subject to your own will and additionally, God has put His spirit in you to help you obey Him and be holy, so go ahead and obey Him and live a holy life. If however you have difficulties in these areas, you may ask Him to remove these difficulties from you so that you can do what He requires, that would be praying correctly. But you must be obedient, you must live holy, God will not do these for you, you do them.

You don’t ask God to make you love others, His Spirit has already shed His love abroad in your spirit (Romans 5:5b), you now have the capacity to love. You go ahead and love as God said to. If you have difficulties with walking in love towards others, you ask God to remove them by His power and you will not be praying wrong. But you must walk in love, God will not do this for you, you do it. Not doing it translates to working outside God’s will and no grace covers willful disobedience.

You don’t ask God to renew your mind. You have already been given that ability by His Spirit that indwells you. But you can only renew your mind with the revelation knowledge of God’s word so it is right to ask God for the revelation knowledge of His word (which is what apostle Paul prayed for in Ephesians 1:17-23) so that you can use the revealed knowledge to renew your mind. You however are to do the renewing, God will not do it for you.

The revelation of God’s word comes only when you approach God and His word with enough respect and full intent of obedience, otherwise God who sees your thoughts and intentions cannot help you. James 4:6 says He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Without revelation, faith does not come and without faith nothing else comes from God.

Preachers may preach the wrong things because it benefits them. You must be smart enough to seek and accept ONLY what is right. Note also that wrong preachings are easy on the flesh hence their appeal but don’t be fooled! Only the word of God rightly divided will bring you closer to God, build you up spiritually and ensure you walk in your inheritance in Christ (Acts 20:32). Only this will benefit you.

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15). 


Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.