A woman became a Christian and was full of excitement, peace and joy. Not long after, she noticed she had an immense struggle with a particular sin. She fought to overcome this particular sin that had mastered her but to no avail. However, she did not change her theology concerning the sin she was struggling against. She didn’t want to be enslaved by this sin. But, how would she be free is the question she didn’t have an answer to. She had enjoyed reading and hearing that Christ has set her free, fair enough! Her thinking remained, “but I have not touched or handled it. I want its reality in my own life!”
On this particular day, she woke up in the morning not battling the sin but weeping bitterly over this sin that has defeated her to no end despite her fighting against it. Unknown to her was the fact that this day was going to be a remarkable day for her, because God came to her and said, “You’re forgiven, it shall not have dominion over you again”. Being overjoyed, the woman rushed out to fellowship with her Christian brothers and sisters whom she had always desired to please by living clean and well. Seconds after joining the ongoing meeting, the conversation and preaching topic changed to the sin she had been known for in an attempt to condemn her. No one had been her “brother in Christ” to notice that this sister was not enjoying the sin; the sin held her bound. Saleh!
This sister that God has forgiven and given grace or power over the sin exploded into prolonged laughter. As she laughed on, the “righteous brothers and sisters” busied themselves with thinking unrighteous thoughts about her— “God is unto her to kill her now for her persistent indulgence in the sin” but, she continued to laugh and before long, one after the other, everyone including the “righteous brothers and sisters” joined in the laughter.
The devil never gives up easily in his effort to derail saints and to keep those outside Christ from ever getting to receive Him. He will use any means possible. He is desperate if we care to know—that is, if we still believe that there is a Satan at all.
While in the past, he used the usual kind of hypocrites (those who are hard on others but soft on themselves); he has long included a special kind of hypocrites.
These special kinds of hypocrites are increasing by their numbers in this generation like never before. Special kinds of hypocrites! What is that?
Now, we have those who are in Christ (especially preachers) who will not touch or go near sin under any heading— they love Jesus, fear God and rely on the Holy Spirit to live their lives. They don’t kid with praying fervently, don’t just read the bible but study it deeply, pursue love with their hearts because they fear God and understand that everyone without exception will reap what he or she sows Galatians 6:7, Revelation 14:13. So, they are quite aware that God’s justice cannot be bribed by a cover up with “born again” façade Matt 7:21, John 4:34.
But, in spite of all the wonderful virtues they have as listed above, when it comes to their work (serving the church) and reaching the world with their ministry and spiritual gifts, they become smart with God because they want followership. They want to be reckoned with in the religious world. They want to be identified with a prestigious camp (theological niche). Therefore, they teach tactically the devil’s lies about Christ’s doctrines (watered down) in such a way that they themselves don’t secretly believe and live as they prescribe for others to. They live their lives better in accordance to Christ’s true doctrine for His honor and their safety but tell others to believe and live less by the watered down doctrines of devils. No Christian is above being tempted in this matter.
Example
Is, preachers who teach others that they should worship God based on their love for God, faith, His grace etc but cleverly exclude the fearof God in the list Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 16:6. They unlike the usual hypocrites are hard on themselves and soft on others mainly for the sake of followership. Meanwhile, these are preachers who are prepared to lose everything they own including their own lives and (actually have been tested as such), and in those times of their trials and temptation, the very thing that crystallized their love and faith in God and His grace they found is their fearof God’s wrath.
The Fear of God
While faithful and victorious Christians in every generation knew/knows that love for God is a main pillar for persevering by faith and the grace of God, none denies, none should deny the truth that their literal fearof God’s wrath was/is also, a crystallizer during the times of their severe trials and temptations Matthew 10:28.
This matter is not to be overemphasized. We just need to mediate over the subject and let the Holy Spirit converse and teach us what to believe and how to live.
To have faith and love towards God and grace is wonderful but, minus fear of God, we are prone to worship and persevere during our times of trials and temptations in our own ways and not His. This is why many times, we as Christians give blanket testimonies—we can’t state the nitty gritty of how God delivered us from our trials and temptations because we cut corners.
The words of R C Sproul hits the mark in this regards, “God absolutely requires that He be…worshipped in a way that He commands, not according to the way we prefer”.
Cajoling people into our churches with watered down doctrines and slick testimonies have hardly been helpful.
Our command is to tell of the gospel (testify of the person of Christ) to the lost, those enslaved by Satan and their own desires. If they believe as His Father draws them, they will be saved, cleansed, infused with incremental grace, and exposed increasingly to the depth, height, width and length of the visions of Christ as savior, Lord, prince of peace, provider and eternal Father. These activities of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart, overshadows his or her soul and bears out of their body the fruit of the Spirit not our own righteousness. This leading of His Spirit in and about the believer and the Church, is our safety against deceiving spirits in these last days as it has been from the start of the church of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Let those who have the Treasure in their earthen vessel indeed, look closely to themselves, examining their doctrine and walk carefully with all manners of prayers and in regular fellowship with other believers 2 Corinthians 4:7, 1 Timothy 4:16NLT, Hebrews 10:25, Colossians 3:16.
Conclusion
To fear God without loving, reverencing, praising, giving thanks and proclaiming His Son Jesus Christ unashamedly amounts to nothing 2 Kings 17:33, Exodus 1:17, 21.
As we hold faith towards God, love, reverence, serve and fearHim, May His grace, peace and joy abide with us all!
Truth created the world and all that is in it. Truth has a voice, its own pathway and a destination. Truth is so powerful—it is Almighty and He has made evolution theory childish thinking. In time, Truth makes the foolishness of all that oppose Him visible 1 Corinthians 1:20.
Babylon: Spiritual and Temporal
While Babylon (kingdom of darkness) that opposes God is invisible, it has visible manifestations. It is a system—Spiritual Babylon (SB) that operates in the soul of man and gives birth to recognizable structure—temporal Babylon (TB) on earth. And, it’s supported by many waters (people) who are directed by few bosses. It’s not random; it’s coordinated with a destination. Its destination is disaster and its core leader (Satan), a rebel against the Creator Proverbs 16:25, Matthew 7:13, Genesis 11:4.
Though, God started man afresh on the earth after the flood, He knew that man had not lost his free will to make choice—little wonder that He warned man not to kill his fellow man Genesis 9:6. Soon after, man became exceedingly evil again. The phrase “one language and one speech” in Genesis 11:1, is used to indicate that man’s heart and soul was once again seized and filled with evil. So, it is not that God doesn’t want man to enjoy unity among themselves rather, He forbids that evil should accentuate by unity Genesis 11:6-7.
Even when some walk in evil in the church, He permits disunity to arise in order to bring about repentance. Church, we need to examine the exceeding disunity we’re suffering today and examine ourselves 1 Corinthians 11:17-19.
The operation of SB in the soul eventually becomes visible as it births physical structure empowered by Satan. The things we support on the earth shows the Kingdom in operation in our lives. Selah!
Though the rebel (Satan) is supported by many, he supports none. The realization of his hatred for his supporters becomes apparent with time. Before God, he flees, abandons his supporters and the false city he is using them to build in order to challenge Christ. When God visits the peoples with confusion of faces, gloom, darkness and the stoppage of their ambitions to own their city that reaches heaven, the devil will be nowhere to be found by them. He will be waiting to receive them into eternal damnation (his destined home).
No one can escape Babylon and her awful end by any means other than through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11-12). No matter the degree all who are in the kingdom of darkness are at, whoever listens to the prompting of God (their Creator and a loving Father) in their heart John 6:44, and turn to believe in Christ and abide in Him will be rescued (John 3:16, Colossians 1:13, John 16:16). Through His love and grace—and by faith (believe), He rescues or regenerates the spirit or heart of man.
Kingdom of Truth
God is spirit, His Kingdom is spiritual and it also has visible manifestations. All whose hearts are regenerated are the visible channels by which God’s system and pattern are being birthed visibly on earth in preparation for the new earth and new heaven John 4:24, Matthew 6:10, 2 Peter 3:13.
The new thing God is doing in and with the soul of His new creation (church) in Christ is not an ideology. It is the birthing of truth within the new creations (believers) which lives forever 1 John 2:17, Galatians 4:19. It is a being and living that is glorious! Glorious to the new creation though perplexing!
To the old creation man, it is annoying and a pain. It fuels rebellion against Christ because He is overthrowing the things the devil uses to enslave man. Things man wants to live his life for; physical pleasure (a craving for everything we see), power and pride in our achievements and possessions.… 1 John 2:16NLT.
In the light of all these, are you a new creation man in the Kingdom of light? Are you walking in the light of eternity? John 8:12, Ephesians 5:8, 1 John 1:6, 2:11. How lovely that your answers should be yes. I rejoice with you! Are you exploding in righteousness, joy and peace which are an inheritance of all true believers in the Truth (Light or Christ)?
Among those walking in the light of eternity, bosses do not exist. Christ says to them, “You all are brothers”! The Holy Spirit is exhorting and admonishing, “I plead with you by the mercies of God, don’t be bosses among God’s people (Church) who gather to worship Him and serve (bless) one another”.
Bosses set up themselves for a snare. Babylon (spiritual and temporal) is always seeking to bring believers who have escaped her back to bondage. Therefore, she craftily solicits for help from those who will be bosses among those who escaped. Her aim is to bring them back to her slavery 2 Peter 2:20.
Babylon suffers from the disease of a double mind. She acts as if she likes God but hates Him. She talks about God but never submits to Him 2 Timothy 3:5, James 1:8. This is how complex she is. Babylon is religious but hates the truth.
She neither accepts the truth nor lives by it. Or, allow others to. She is unrepentant and feigns innocence while fast pursuing her clearly defined goal to make a name for herself, encage many and if possible, derail the faith of some saints Proverbs 2:16-19 NLT.
Committed, deliberate and active devil worshipers know their fate. They are wise, so to speak. They devote their lives totally to Satan and this present world. They don’t deceive themselves—they are aware that they can’t eat their cake and still have it. But sadly, according to the scriptures, the children of God’s kingdom in thinking they can eat their cake and have it become less wise than the children of the kingdom of darkness Luke 16:13, 8.
Verse 13 of Luke 16 hits its mark as we see in our generation, “fine preachers” telling us that we can talk about love, forgiving, repentance but never love, forgive or repent. We can kill, steal, be immoral, slanderous, occultist etc and still be God’s friend because we have once received Jesus. But, if those who have not received Jesus indulge in the same things, they go to hell. It doesn’t add up! 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, 11-12, 13.
God’s intention for his children is to be as wise as the serpent but, innocent Matthew 10:16. How? Psalm 119:98NLT shows how, “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide”. Proverbs 2:20-22.
Therefore, being made wise by God’s word, we are admonished in 1 Peter 3:16, Titus 2:7 and Matthew 5:16.
If God is helping you escape from Babylon (spiritual and temporal), then keep setting your eyes on Christ as He’s daily taking you on an exciting, glorious and straight journey. Don’t now listen to old prophets! 1 Kings 13:1-32.
No regenerated person has walked all the length of God’s street—no, not one! Christ does not have a wife yet. His bride is yet being adorned! Even those who have joined the cloud of witnesses above are still waiting for the cloud of witnesses below. Those who keep their eyes on Christ will overcome like Him and the cloud of witnesses above (brothers who have gone ahead to be with Him). Saleh!
Until the marriage supper, the Holy Spirit warns Christ’s bride (not house, institution, mega or emerging church, but just the Church) don’t be arrogant, remember your first love, abide and submit to Him. Resist the devil, resist him again, and resist him steadfastly! For us to remain in this “good success”, we are daily empowered to submit to God and resist the devil.
He is no match for the grace (power) that is in and with you. But, don’t be arrogant and unwise because the devil is a strong wooer who wants to feast on your soul. Therefore, look to Christ Jesus the High Priest who is the stronger man and the lover of your soul. He wants to save your soul to the utmost.
Let us look up His eternal promises which helps you participate daily in his divine activities happening in heaven that are happening also on the earth.
On one hand, Christ’s bride is using the scriptures to teach, reproof, correct, and trains herself in righteousness that she may be complete and equipped for every good work. On the other hand, Babylon is using the same scriptures both to bring people to herself and to help them rebel against Christ and live in and to their flesh! Matthew 23:15, Hosea 5:4. Babylon (the ignorant and unstable) is twisting scriptures to create room for the flesh 2 Peter 3:16.
We ought to be History students all our lives—read history! Babylon entraps and enslaves through allurement of momentary things. Let’s always take this truth to heart. Even the saints who God blessed with momentary things eventually left them behind to go and rest with Him. Therefore, we don’t let the blessings to be left behind blind us and prevent us from wholeheartedly taking hold of the blessing that will be with us for all eternity 1 Corinthians 13:13. Having loved this present world, Demas, a fellow worker in the gospel of Christ with Paul loosened His grip on destiny and took a walk on the opposite direction of eternal life Ephesians 5:15-21.
God is giving eternal life to man on earth—men and women are walking in eternal life today that is God’s will. A day comes and He will permit them to enter into its fuller reality through sleep. Though, some will be awake to see (enter) it like Simeon Luke 2:25-32.
The Holy Spirit bids the bride of Christ on earth, “Sow not to the flesh! Don’t build Babylon; cast her down by the power of God’s word in your heart and mouth”. You that fear and reverence the Lord stop to consider God’s plea!
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sow, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (things that last temporally), but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8).
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). This is the kingdom of God: righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). This is the Truth! God’s word is Truth and true.
Strong insight for humble walk with God is inevitable for us all. The exhortation below by T. Austine-Sparks is most timely for the season the Church is at. The excerpt is taken from “The shool of Christ”.
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. (Revelation 2:17)
God always keeps the revelation of Himself in Christ bound up with practical situations. You and I can never get revelation other than in connection with some necessity. We cannot get it simply as a matter of information. That is information, that is not revelation. We cannot get it by studying. When the Lord gave the manna in the wilderness (a type of Christ as the Bread from heaven), He stipulated very strongly that not one fragment more than the day’s need was to be gathered, and that if they went beyond the measure of immediate need, disease and death would break out and overtake them. The principle, the law, of the manna, is that God keeps revelation of Himself in Christ bound up with practical situations of necessity, and we are not going to have revelation as mere teaching, doctrine, interpretation, theory, or anything as a thing, which means that God is going to put you and me into situations where only the revelation of Christ can help us and save us….
Now then, that is why the Lord would keep us in situations which are acute, real. The Lord is against our getting out on theoretical lines with truth, out on technical lines. Oh, let us shun technique as a thing in itself and recognize this, that, although the New Testament has in it a technique, we cannot merely extract the technique and apply it. We have to come into New Testament situations to get a revelation of Christ to meet that situation. So that the Holy Spirit’s way with us is to bring us into living, actual conditions and situations, and needs, in which only some fresh knowledge of the Lord Jesus can be our deliverance, our salvation, our life, and then to give us, not a revelation of truth, but a revelation of the Person, new knowledge of the Person, that we come to see Christ in some way that just meets our need. We are not drawing upon an “it,” but upon a “Him.”
A true test of sound biblical understanding and practice of righteousness depends on whether we are enslaved by righteousness or servants to righteousness.
What does it mean to be enslaved by righteousness and what are the symptoms?
To be enslaved by righteousness is to make one’s perceived good conducts (works of righteousness) God. That is, the good conducts as listed in the bible or acceptable ethos within one’s immediate or remote cultural community. The motivation and goal becomes attaining the higher levels of good conduct which in turn becomes the source of happiness and yardstick for obtaining all good things of the present life and entering the life to come. For example, the laws God gave to Israel to help bring them to seek Him became God to them. They elevated His laws above Him and became enslaved by their good deeds. Matthew 12:10-12, Luke 14:2-6.
Symptoms of this doctrinal ailment
Believing righteousness comes by righteous deeds and not the opposite
Believing Salvation is by the works of righteous deeds and not the reverse
Immense fasting not as worship but as a means of overcoming and attaining higher levels of righteousness
Blaming others or things as reasons for looking away, unbelief or sinning
Judging oneself, others and things on the surface or only after the manner of the flesh as opposed to the Spirit
Exploring every available religion peradventure they may give clues for attaining the standard in the area one is falling short
Falling into sin leads to guilt, withdrawal from the bible and fellowship, loss of joy, depression and anger against whoever is assumed to have set the standard so high, be it God or man
The above symptoms are clear and an undeniable alarm that a person or a people are taken captive or enslaved by righteous deeds. That being the case, the deeds, are now forcing the adherers to serve them. The good deeds become a person who punishes the adherers that deviate with guilt, shame and hiding. The deeds or circumstances become their masters or god. The force or threat element is remarkable.
The presence of one or all of the above symptoms in our lives shows we lack sound understanding of the Christian faith, we’re yet to become Christian or we have been deceived or derailed. If this is the case with anyone or a group of people, it is serious and needs immediate redress.
Servants to Righteousness
The remedy to the lethal problem of being enslaved by righteousness is, to be servant(s) to Righteousness. The first important thing to mention is this; there is no force or subtle threat involved at all. In this case, the individual or group of people chooses to be a servant(s) to Righteousness. The choice to be a servant(s) to Righteousness gives good conducts or righteous deeds as part of Its rewards. This kind of relationship between the Master (Righteousness One) and the servant(s) has room to quickly develop into friendship John 15:15. The mutuality moves on guaranteeing even joint inheritance of the Master’s riches. Through this willingly loving relationship, the Master exhorts, corrects, admonishes and trains the servants in righteousness. He wants the servant(s) to be as Him by helping them. The Master expresses His will to the servant(s) without fear that they will reject Him. Also, the servant(s) express their needs, wants, feelings, weaknesses and fears to the Master without fear of rejection. They know their Master will help them overcome as He overcame. Therefore, they give themselves wholly to the Master’s course as soldiers even willing to die for Him as He died for them.
He helps the servant(s) or friend(s) by living in them and through them. This is a special kind of Master and servant(s) relationship. The Servant(s) lives in the same house as their Master not in servants’ quarters. The servant(s) are not in the field slaving out for the Master rather, He is with them all the way through. He even appoints for them the Teacher who teaches them directly and also, teaches them through each of them that they might reach competence in their assigned duties to worship God in spirit and truth as their Master did.
The greatest sign that this relationship is not forced lays in the possibility of the servant(s) or friend(s) to walk away or look away from the Master if they so choose without the Master putting guilt and depression on them. When they look away, obviously they start sinking into the miry clay. The memory of the loving relationship the friend(s) or servant(s) have had with their Master is what they miss so much if they ever walk away. His good deed in them, through them and most of all the feeling of being lonely without His companionship is what persuades them to look again to their Master the Righteous One.
Falling short of good deeds or into sin becomes a reminder to the servant(s) or friend(s) that they are looking away from the Master who is ever standing by and pleading to them to look to Him. His presence carries no condemnation, guilt or dejection nor does it chase away. However, despite His inviting and comforting presence, He empowering them and the privilege to look at Him again, they still retain the power to persistently look away from Him and give their attention to another who is competing with Him for their worship and service.
Who are those in competition with the Righteous One
It is the devil on one side and the self on the other side. Satan and self righteousness enslave—ever give them room and they seize you beyond your imagination. You suddenly will be in need to be rescued. Little wonder the human race is in need of deliverance from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light or from bondage to freedom.
We as the human race are individually being persuaded not forced by God to look at Christ Jesus His beloved Son. It is an invitation to be His servants, friends, brothers and sons—joint heirs! We have the choice to look or accept Christ and live in freedom now and for all eternity, or remain with Satan and self righteousness and live enslaved now and for all eternity. The Righteous One (Christ) gives humanity and His people the opportunity to choose. This open choice is what the devil and self never gives because they are tyrants.
Right from the beginning in the Garden of Eden, God’s call to man has been the same and it has never changed. It’s not “keep my laws”—it is, look to Me! Don’t look away!
Deuteronomy 30:19 captures God’s call to man, ‘Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh that you choose life, so that you and your descendants might live’!
Micah 6:8 echoes the same call, ‘ No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God’.
To walk with Him is all God requires from man. It gives humility, right conduct and love for mercy Jude 1:21.
God did not give Adam and Eve laws to keep, He gave them a law which is—look to Me or walk with Me. The alternative was to look away or walk away. They looked away and sank. Peter looked away from Christ, and sinking, he quickly looked to Him again with shouting. Judas looked away from Christ and didn’t care to look at Him again much less shout out to Him. He beckoned on Rehab, she looked, and therefore, her name continues to surface in the list of the godly. Saul looked at Him and became Paul, an envy of all who pursue the grace of God. Unfortunately, King Agrippa refused to look at Him Acts 26:28-29NKJV. No one who looks to the eternal Father will be put to shame.
Conclusion
Even Jesus as a man, survived by looking unto His Father who has appointed that the human race look unto—Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 3:18. From His glory in us His brothers, servants, friends or branches proceeds the fruit of the Spirit (righteous deeds).
