Mary Magdalene,the one whom Jesus had cast out demons from went to the sepulcher were Jesus was laid,with Joanna and Mary who was mother to James and Zebedee,to put spice of the body of Jesus ,getting to the sepulcher,they found that the stone had been rolled away and the body of Jesus was no longer there.
They were perplexed and worried not remembering what Jesus told them that on the third day he would rise,as they stood there,two men in shinning garments the bible says,stood there and asked “why seek ye the living amongst the dead;He is not here,he is risen” The grave could not hold him,death could not stop him,he defeated the grave and death and he is risen and alive.
This is not a fairy tale but a real story,it is not a parable,Jesus was dead,but now he is risen from the grave,this is the whole message of salvation;He was born,he was crucified,he died and he rose again for our redemption,without his ressurection then we would not have salvation and cannot have eternal life.
Well the angel asked the women “why are you looking for the living amongst the dead,he is not here any more,he is risen”.There is a hunger in the soul of man,a desire that needs to be satisfied,like the economist says “the wants of man are insatiable” it means it cannot be satisfied.There is a deep in man,that seeks for something that will bring satisfaction.
That deep pulls man into the world of searching,we are all searching for satisfaction that can bring us to the place of rest.When will this search stop,how long will feeling continue.
According to Abraham Maslow's theory,the needs of man can be satisfied from the outside in,starting from the Physiological needs - The basic needs,food and shelter,once this needs are satisfied,man goes on to satisfy the next level of needs; Safty needs – Physical safty,protective covering,from unemployment etc.,once that is taken care of,he moves on to take care of Social needs - sense of belonging and love,when that is taken care of he goes on to Esteem needs - self esteem,recognition and status and after that is taken care of he goes on finally to; Self actualization - how people think about themselves ;so Maslow did a good job with trying to analyze the needs of man according to importance.
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs starts from outside,taking care of the physical to the inside taking care of the spiritual,and sometimes most people never get to the place of self actualization because of death,because according to Maslow,he will have to go from stage to stage,taking care of each need after the other.
But I would like to show you a way where you can actually get satisfaction,without going through all theses stages showed by Maslow,Maslow teaches you how to go from bottom up but I would show you how to start from top to bottom;There are somethings you must know;
- GOD PUT THAT VACUUM IN MAN AND ONLY HE CAN FILL IT UP
That emptiness that you feel,that desire that tells you that there is something lacking in you that you need to get,was put in by God,and that emptiness is supposed to lead you to him and him alone,but in the search man ends up trying to figure it out,instead of going to God.Man starts to looking for the living amongst the dead.What do I mean,looking for the living amongst the dead? Its like looking for the right things in the wrong places and the wrong people.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be loved,we all need love and care from others,but because of the empties and man wanting to fix it,we are deceived to think that sex is love,but you realise even after you give yourself to a man,before marriage,you only get a temporal satisfaction and its just physical,will only last for a few minutes,then you are back to square one,the search continues.
Young people break all kinds of rules and values just to have that sense of belonging,with teenagers it is called peer pressure,just to belong to that click of friends you give yourself to all kinds of evil vices,so that you would be accepted by your peer group,its okay to want to be accepted,but you are looking for the living amongst the dead.
The one that gives himself to alcohol and drugs,to help with dealing with fear and boost your confidence,the pressure of been at the top,why do super stars with all the wealth and money,still take drugs,sportsmen use drugs to be able to stay at the top,what about those that have been killed because of an overdose,we cannot mention all the vises we get into just to be recognized by others,to make us look cool,but you are looking for the living amongst the dead.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL – JOHN 4.
Like the woman Jesus met at the well,the Samaritan woman in the book of John 4;The bible records that Jesus was by the well,wearied of his journey,and here comes this woman to draw water,and Jesus said to her “give me to drink” she replied him,”how is it that thou a Jew asked of me a drink”,at this time Jews and Samarians were not in agreement,so they had nothing in common.
But jesus said unto her “if thou knows the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee,give me to drink,thou wouldest have asked of him,and he would have given thee Living water” this was Jesus asking for water,but jesus knew this woman and her need,and his request was actually an offer to this woman,that would change her life forever,that is exactly the case with you reading this message now,Give me to drink? Jesus is asking you to let him into your life,so you can drink from him the water that will well up into eternal life.
Jesus speaking further,said unto her ”whomsoever drinketh of this water from the well,will thirst again” that is You and I trying to fix that hunger “but whosoever shall drink from the water that I give him shall never thirst again,but that water shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
In other words,that water will never run dry,it will be a well of water that will spring up into everlasting life,it will quench your thirst for ever,imagine you have a well in you; You will never need to drink water ever,because your thirst will constantly be taken care of.So she said “please give me to drink”,she wants that water so she would never come to draw from this well ever again,so Jesus asked her to go call her husband,she replied I have no husband and Jesus said “thou hast well said,because you are with now is not your husband and you have had five husbands”.
Gods purpose was to bring her back to the place of real worship,which was not on the mountain as they were taught but it was now to be inside of man,his spirit,that was why Jesus said “they that must worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth” spirit here speaks of the human spirit,that is the regenerated human spirit,and the truth here speaks of christ,the word of God; God was bringing her to the place of worship,that is the place of true satisfaction,she was satisfied,she drank from the water that Jesus gave and her thirst went away forever,she also got her city to come hear christ.
JESUS THE ONLY SOURCE OF OUR SATISFACTION
Jesus in John 6: 35 said,“I am the bread of life.Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus is the bread of life,and if any man be hungry and eats of that bread he will never be hungry again,is that not wonderful,that our hunger can be dealt with once and for all.How can we partake of this satisfaction,he further said “if any man believes in me,he will never be thirsty again” the woman at the well believed and her thirst went away,the search went away,that search for love and acceptance that made her to have been married to five other men and is now with the sixth,that search was done away with because she found “love satisfaction” in christ Jesus,because she believed in him.
There is only one way by which we can find all of those things we search for and end our search forever,that is through the lord jesus christ,once you find him your search in life will be done away with, you will never thirst again or be hungry again.He said “I am the way,the truth and the life,no man comes to the father except by me” this is a strong statement,he didn’t say he is one of the ways,or some of the ways he said,I am the way,this is why Christianity is not a religion;religion is one of the many ways that man created to get to God,but the bible says that there is only one way,by which we can be saved,one way and that is through Jesus,if we can confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that he is lord,all our thirst and hunger will disappear. Romans 10:10
You don’t have to go to the grave side to look for the living amongst the dead,you don’t have to give your bodies to men anymore for sex,you don’t have to drink yourself to stupor or take drugs to be able to face life anymore you don’t have to be like the woman at the well and keep breaking up relationships out of fear,but if you can just believe and give your all to him,by casting all your cares on him,he will give you water that will cause you never to thirst again and you will be the source of eternal life to others because that water will be a well,that will spring unto life everlasting..
I have met a lot of people who find it very difficult to study their bibles and get knowledge,they get so thrilled when they see others teach the word of God with so much clarity,but I would like share with you how you can build and develop a study life and grow in your knowledge of Jesus Christ.
MY EXPERIENCE
I remember a few years ago,I had been saved for just a short while and my knowledge of Christ was still small,but I was on fire for him,I met this young man who caused a revolution in my study life,I paid him a visit and discovered he had quite a number of bibles and he shared with me,how much he invests in the purchase of bibles,he has different translations,I was so challenged,he didn't look like someone who had that much and studied much,but that experience with him revolutionized my life.
I made up my mind to get a Dakes bible,which I did with the allowance my parents sent to me for feeding in school,then it cost much,I didn't know how I was going to live but I trusted God to take care of me and he did,two weeks later my father sent me extra money miraculously,but my life changed forever,.
I would like to share very simple ways how you can build a life of study of the word.
DESIRE IT
Your desire is like a fuel for your passion,when I got saved I realize my passion for God was fired up,I wanted to know him more and more,and that desire was put in me by the presence of the holy spirit,the desire for other things reduced and the desire for the word of God increased.This is a sign of a man that has truly received Jesus,his passion is for the word,you are drawn to the word of God,you just want to know him.
The bible says "as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word of God,so you can grow thereby",without the desire for the word,you will not search it and this will reduce your growth in God,the word is the food you need to grow spiritually.1 Peter 2:2
ASSOCIATION
Your association is so important,especially when you just got saved its important you stay around folks who are on fire for God,these kinds of associations will help develop and grow your desire.When I got save I was blessed to fellowship around brothers and sisters who were on fire for God and they helped me grow.
The bible says “.Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17.
Stay around folks that stir your passion for God,those who will stir your passion for the word and prayer.You cannot grow spiritually beyond those you spend time with.
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BRETHREN
I hear people say that you don't have to belong to a church and be a part of an activity group,that you can have church at home,I never recommend church on the web for a matured or a baby Christian,I believe that your physical presence in a bible believing church is important,your growth is dependent on the kind of church you attend.So its important you belong to a church were you are taught and you participate and not just are a bench warmer.
I remember when I and my elder brother got saved,we searched for a church and it took us sometime but we found one and became a part of it,and we grew quicker,we became friends with some folks that helped us to grow and I cannot forget that year,it was revolutionary,so attend a bible believing church.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25
GET A FULL BIBLE
The first book you want to get after the salvation experience is a bible,you cannot grow and know god without a bible,the bible contains the word of God that will cause you to grow.I would recommend that you get a king James bible,the original king James bible and for the purpose of study I also suggest that other translations like the new international version,the amplified version,the living bible version or translation and the new king James version are just okay for starters.
START READING IT
We sometimes hurry into trying to understand,the bible never said try to understand the word of God,it said that the holy spirit who is the spirit of truth will teach you,so its his job to teach.so I recommend that you start reading the bible,read the new testament,the gospels and the letters of Paul,just read and as you do that understanding will start to come,don't fight it,just let it flow,
John 14:26.
Also as you read,mark out those verses that strike you as important and take note of them or bookmark them if it's a computer bible,and go back to think on them again and again.
STUDY THE WORD
In studying, to aid you as a young Christian,get a devotional and there are loads of devotional out there,you can study with the aid of devotionals because they teach topic by topic and religiously use them in your quiet time to study.make a habit of studying the word daily and keep to your time and place,this would help you better.
PICK OUT A TIME TO STUDY DAILY
Most successful men today,became successful from a routine,you must make a routine of studying the word of God,take out a minimum of 30 minutes to meditate on the word of God,pick a place and time,where you can concentrate,in that you need a quiet place,with no distractions,phones off,TV off and anything that would distract you.
I remember that one of the times that changed my life was one holiday I had years ago,I had just my bible that had no reference and concordance and my oxford dictionary and a writing note ,I would spend hours studying the word,I was alone at home and no noise except good gospel music,that aided my study.
Most of the things I learned in that period,today stands as a foundation for my Christian life,I was from the orthodox background and most of what I know,the holy spirit taught me,but I had to create the place and the time.
GET A DICTIONARY AND A WRITING NOTE
Its so important that you get a dictionary,I mean a normal dictionary,because as you study you will find words that you don't understand,and your dictionary will help you find the literal meaning of each word,that would help you understand the text,you are reading.
Also get a writing note or diary,so you can make notes of important points for reference purposes and also like I had earlier said,book mark important verses,and make references on your bible so that it will be easy for you to remember other verses that relates.
ASK QUESTIONS
As you study you might find verses that you can't understand,mark it out and write a question in your note,talk to your pastor or your bible study leader or a friend who you can reason it out with,this is why you should have a click of friends who are on fire for God to always discourse issues as they border you.
Questions are vital for knowledge;At the age of twelve Jesus was found asking questions and listening, giving answers but he asked questions,a man who wants to learn asks questions.Luke 2:46-47
PRAY BEFORE YOU START TO STUDY
You cannot understand the word of God without prayer,prayer and worship puts you in the atmosphere for study of the word.so its important you spend sometime to just pray and and worship and allow his holy spirit to just flow in the atmosphere,this will put your mind in the right frame for the study of the word.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2Timothy 2:15.
It is our responsibility to create the place and time and it is Gods responsibility to teach you by his spirit,so do your part,he will be there in time.
“Be kindly affectioned,one to another..” Romans 12:10
THE SECRETE TO DEALING WITH LACK IS BROTHERLY LOVE – ACTS 4:34
The apostles were together in one accord when the spirit was revealed and they continued to be together afterwards,they were always together praying and declaring the word of God and there was so much love and bond between them and much grace was released on them,now christian brothers spend more time fighting than praying,they say “A family who prays together stays together” and that’s true because prayer binds.
They stayed together,prayed together and preached together,that their brotherly love for each other became stronger,we can not walk in unity if we don’t love one another,we make little impact now because we don’t walk in brotherly love,the bible says that they walked so much in love that no one absolutely no one in their midst lacked anything.
How was that possible? the bible records that “those that were possessors of land or houses,went and sold them and brought the money to the apostles feet” Peter didn’t have to raise some kind of fund,these guys were so moved by the love of God,this is how you know they have Gods love,they gave what they had,you can not say you love when you can not give,love expresses itself through giving,”God so loved that he gave” John 3:16,you cant separate giving from love,its part of love.
They brought the proceeds to the apostles feet and distribution was made to everyone,according as he had need,everyone's need was met,everyone because they walked in Philadelphia-brotherly love.
There are folks in church today who are so rich,but they care not about their brother,who has need,how can we say we love God when we see a brother in need and we have the resource to fix the need,but we say “oh brother,its going to be fine just keep praying” you certainly don’t have any love,the bible calls that attitude a sin.
LOVE IN ACTION – 1JOHN 3:17-18
This scripture is very direct and clear and it addresses what we see today in the church,were we close our bowels of mercy toward a brother in genuine need of help,so many people attend a church were there are quite a lot of financially okay folks but they still suffer,were is the love of God.
The writer of John quotes “whosoever hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shuteth his bowels of compassion,from him,how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
He concluded with a question,because he couldn't understand how you can be blessed with the riches of this world and see your brother or sister in need and not do something to help,such a person doesn't really have the love of God in him.
Its normal now,we select who we help,even in the church,but the word says we are brothers and sisters,how can we say we have the love Of God and still be comfortable,when someone else,a brother is in need and we just ignore it,you better check yourself,that’s is not the love of God.
Let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth,in other words let our love grow from the verbal “I love you” to actually acting it,doing it.you see a brother who is in need,don’t close your bowels of mercy and feel pity,actually do something about it,he is your brother,that’s how we love in action,when we actually act it,God so loved the word,that he gave” so it was not just verbal,action followed it.
IF YOU HATE YOUR BROTHER,YOU ARE A MURDERER – 1JOHN 3:15
“Whosoever hates his brother in christ is a murderer”- The word murderer in real life is “someone who kills a fellow man,with a motive”.
The scripture say “thou shalt not kill” the actual word there is thou shalt not murder.When you kill someone by a mistake or in self defense,it isnt murder even by natural law,but when you kill someone with an intent,a motive,maybe they did something bad to you or they even killed someone you love and you did it back as vengeance,you have committed murder because of the motive.
So the bible says he that hates his brother is a murderer,its interesting that when I checked the greek,I was amazed;
The greek for murder is anthropoktonos,which means a manslayer,murderer.
When you hate,you hate with a motive,you just don’t wakeup one morning and hate someone,if that’s your case then you got to have a demonic problem there,but when you hate a brother in christ,the bible says that its as committing murder,been charged with that crime called manslaughter,which is same as man slayer.
When you walk in hate,toward a brother in christ,you have committed manslaughter,you have actually killed someone in cold blood,there is no difference between you and someone who takes a gun and walks into a school of kids and shoots everybody to death,you are a murderer.
The bible goes further to say that such a person can not claim to have eternal life abiding in him,the word eternal life is Zoe life,the God kind of life we receive when we accept christ as lord and saviour,that means in actual fact what the scripture is saying is “you are not born-again” that’s the simplest way I can put it.
If you walk in hatred towards your christian brother,you don't have the life of God in you,you are a murderer.
LOVE LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS BROTHER/SISTER IN CHRIST – 1JOHN 3:16
Now this is getting even serious,its easy to talk about the love of God and I know what you are thinking now,yea he was God! and so it was easy for him to do that.If it was so easy why did Jesus cry out to the father in the garden of gethsemane,that he should take this cup away from him,if it was possible because it wasn’t easy but his love for you and I,the desire to free us from death was much more than the pain of the cross,he truly loved us and went all the way,it wasn’t easy,but it was worth it.
That’s what the scripture is saying to us as brothers that we ought to,its not a thing of struggle because we have the ability to,since God shared his love(agape) love in our hearts by the holy spirit,then we can and we ought to lay down our lives also for the brethren.
This doesn’t necessarily mean die for your brother,but the truth is,if the situation demands it,do it,actually lay down your own life for your brother.But when you read the next verse,the writer talked about helping to meet your brothers need,because the truth is,if you cannot help to solve a brothers material need,you sure can not actually die for them,so we start from the small things,how many times have you gone out of your ways to help another,sacrificed time and money to help some brother in need,that is laying down your life.
Brotherly love is so vital for faith,we serve one God and father,one faith that binds us together,one love which is agape that is the foundation of our faith,if we truly share all of these,then we ought to walk in brotherly love,you are my brother and you are my sister in christ.
watch out for the blog on charity..
“Be kindly affectioned,one to another..” Romans 12:10
WHAT IS BROTHERLY LOVE
The word Brotherly kindness in the greek is Philadelphia meaning “love shared between a biological brother and sister,but in the christian faith it is the love shared between one christian brother or sister to another christian brother or sister.”
As christians we are all members of one family,we have one father and one God and one faith and one spirit,so in christ we are blood brothers and sisters,the blood of Jesus is our connection and his love is our bond.If you are in Christ,then you are my brother or sister,no matter the physical location,tribe,country,family,we are a family in christ Jesus,the blood of christ is our bond of connection.
Here we are not talking about agape love,which is the love of God which is the foundation of the christian faith,but we must realise that we are actually spiritual brothers and sisters,we are not trying to be,you are actually my brother and sister,to tell you how serious this is,in the scriptures;
when Jesus was teaching,he was told that his mother and brothers want to see him,"But He answered and said to the one who told Him, 'Who is My mother and who are My brothers?' And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.' "Matthew 12:46-50.
Jesus said whosoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother,its that serious,we are not just colleagues in the lord but brothers and sisters in christ,for real.
To prove to you that it’s the same meaning,when Jesus spoke about his brothers he used the word Brethren and it shares the same greek word and translation when he referred to his disciples as well.The word brethren is the same thing as the word biological brothers in meaning and the greek is Adelphos which is brother or sister of the same parents or different father or mother.
WHAT SHOULD MY ATTITUDE BE TO MY BROTHER
The bible teaches us how we are to behave to our brother,what sort of attitude I should put up when dealing with my brother,the bible teaches us the following;
- BE KINDLY AFFECTIONED,ONE TO ANOTHER WITH BROTHERLY LOVE – Romans 12:10;1Thessalonians 4:9
To be kindly affectioned means to show affection with kindness to one another,we should be kind and affectionate to one another,with brotherly love,that is Philadelphia,which is love shared between blood brothers,don’t ignore your brother in time of need but show affection and Philadelphia when they are in trouble.
The word kind means to be considerate,generous and friendly.kindness is a fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22,the king James uses the word goodness,which means same thing as kindness.
The word affectionate means readily feeling or showing fondness and tenderness.
I wouldn’t want to see my younger brother hurt,I would give all to make sure he is okay,I love him that much and that is the same love I give to my family.The same love and affection that we show to our blood brothers and sisters that is the same kindness and affection that is demanded of us toward our christian brother.
The greek word for kindly affectioned is Philostorgos which means the mutual love of parents and children and wife's and husbands,God wants us to show that kind of affection to our brother and sister,that closeness that generosity and fondness.
How can we do this,the bible further says “in honor,preferring one another” ; the words in honor and preferring one another are very important words,so lets look at them.
For us to fully comprehend the words in honor we need to understand the greek word used is time,which in translation means,the following;
A valuing by which the price is fixed; the value of the price paid for a person or thing bought or sold.
That means that we place value according to the price fixed on the person,that takes us back to redemption,the bible say that we were redeemed by the blood of the lamb,the price paid for our lifes and salvation was the blood of christ,what can be more valuable than that,what can be more expensive than the blood.1Peter 1:18-20.
So I should value my brother according to the price paid to redeem him or her,the blood of christ was the price,that means he is priceless to God,I should treat him as such.
The word preferring in greek is proegeomai which means to go before and show the way;to go before as a leader.So in honor preferring one another would mean,be the first to show kindness and affection,brotherly love,don’t wait for it to come before you show it,show it according to the value on your brother.
I would think the bible is saying be proactive in helping others,don’t wait for them to ask you first,In honor preferring one another,be the leader in brotherly love,be the first to show it.
Sometimes we want to be at the receiving end,we want to receive first before we reciprocate,no the bible says be the leader,lead the way in showing affection and kindness,knowing that your brother is as valuable to God as you are.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH A PURE HEART FERVENTLY – 1PETER 1:22.
Firstly lets see what 1John says about loving one another,so important and profound this subject is,our faith walk is to please God and without faith its totally impossible to please God.
Our love for God is measured by our love for our brother whom we can see;
The bible says “if a man says he loves God and hates his brother,he is a liar” I am very curious and I checked the word liar in the greek,it is Pseustes - meaning a liar; one who breaks faith,a false and faithless man.
This is so serious,if you claim to love God and yet hate your brother,you are a liar,you are one who breaks faith,you are false and a faithless man,this is serious,cause without faith its impossible to please God,so you cant love God and hate your brother,there is no justification to hate your brother,when we live by the law of love and forgiveness,so when you walk outside of love with your brother,you are a false and faithless man,you have broken faith and God will not be pleased with you.
Your proof of Gods love or love for God is on the basis of love for your brother,you can’t fool God,so when you cry out “Lord I love you” and hate your brother,God is saying hey,you don’t love me stop lying,you are walking outside of faith and I am not happy with you,you are false and faithless.
God is a smart person,you have not seen me and you say you love me so much,but the brother,I sent my son to die for that has received me,the guy you live with,worship in the same church with,you hate him? common,God can not be deceived,you cannot outlove God,he has done much more than you can ever do,you can’t impress him,he already loved you even when you were totally bad and away from him,so start loving your brother,if you think you want to ever please God.
The commandment is “if you love God,you love your brother also”1John 4:21.
There is not an argument,it is something that just flows,I don’t have to struggle to love my brother,I just love him,I may not like his attitude but I just love him,if we love God,yes loving God is a choice,we must love our brother also,if we really love God,then loving our brother is not a choice,it is not an issue for contemplation,it’s a command,its an order and its meant to be obeyed,love ye one another.
This is the commandment we have received,that he who loves God shall love his brother also,no question about it,if you don’t like it you can quit,it’s a command,that implies,if you cannot love your brother,then you better quit at loving God,because your love certainly counts for nothing,this is deep,I must say.
I would then like to admonish conclusively,like Paul said in Hebrews 13:1 “let brotherly love continue”,let it abide,let it remain,lets stop hating one another and think we got excuses or reasons but we are making God sad,we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
“..But godliness is profitable,unto all
things” 1Timothy 4:8
The teaching of faith is so profound,the
more you study the more information you find out,faith is the foundation of the
christian life,its not just a teaching of principles but a lifestyle that the
blood of Jesus gave us entrance into.
Christianity is totally a life of faith,the whole
message of Christianity is a life of faith and the life of faith is the God kind
of life.
I have learnt so much as I make these posts and we
will be looking at another very essential quality or character that we should
add to our faith,the quality of godliness.
WHAT IS GODLINESS ?
Godliness according to the Webster's dictionary is
defined as having great reverence for God;Pious.
The greek for the word godliness in the greek is
eusebeia which means reverence,respect and piety towards
God,godliness.
Godliness is a life of reverence and
respect for God,it’s a lifestyle not just something you live today and forget
about it tomorrow,not just respect for the church building,some people only have
respect for God when they are in the church building,but a lifestyle that we
live,whether we are in the church building or outside.
Christianity actually begins when we are outside the
church,because now everyone knows how to act churchy,but godliness is reverence
for god.we will learn how we can add godliness to faith.
THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS – 1timothy
3:16
“And without controversy great is the
mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received
up into glory.”
Paul in the previous verses pleaded with the church
that they should be careful how they conduct themselves in the house of
God,which is the church.The house of God is not a building but the church and
the scriptures make it clearly that we are the church ,the ekklesia meaning the
assembly of Gods people,the chosen ones,the called out ones.
The church is not the building but the
people,Christ didn’t die for a building,he died for a people,he died for you and
I,he chose us before the foundation of the world to be his own.Ephesians
5:25
Be careful how you behave yourselves in the house of
God,the church of the living God,which is the pillar and ground of truth,the
church is embodiment of christ,we are the pillar and ground of truth ,that is
what we are,in other words we hold the truth of Gods word through which any one
can be saved.
The truth that can set free is with us,the very truth
of Gods word.The church is the base to find out about God.without the church the
truth of the gospel can not be taken out to the world.
There is no controversy,great is the mystery of
Godliness,a mystery that has been made open through the church;God was manifest
in the flesh,justified in the spirit,seen of angels,preached unto the
gentiles,believed in the world,received up into glory and revealed in us by the
precious holy spirit.
We are the embodiment of that revelation today,God
now revealed in us,Christ in us the hope of glory.but we must be careful how we
conduct ourselves here in the earth and the world.lets explain godliness in two
lights;
THE GOD LIFE
When we became born again,we received new
life,the Zoë life,the very life of God in us.We received that life,the minute we
accepted Jesus as lord and savior,the bible says that the life in Christ which
is eternal life is the life we received.
So you have the God kind of life,if you are born of
God then you have the life of God and you received the spirit of God,and if that
spirit that raised up christ from the dead lives in you,the spirit will also
vitalize your mortal bodies.
If we truly have the very life of God through christ
then godliness should not be a problem,because the bible says ye are gods and
sons of the most high,living to please God and living a life of reverential fear
before him shouldn’t be a problem,because we have the quality of life that God
has.Godliness should be like taking a cup of tea,easy.
We need to walk in this consciousness
that we have the life of God in us,the same quality of life,we are one with
christ,the very same spirit that lived in christ and brought him out of the
grave lives in us that is power in us,Praise God,godliness is nothing we are
gods,we should live what we truly are,imagine God finding it difficult to live
like himself,he is God,he lives and acts like God,he cannot be like anyone
else.
We ought to be careful how we carry ourselves in the
church because truly we are the pillar and ground of truth.
THE LIFE OF HOLINESS
Holiness is living a life of consecration unto God,it
means been set apart unto God,and holiness is a character of the godly
life.
Righteousness we become when we accept
christ and holiness is the life of purity and totally committed to God and him
alone.The bible says without Holiness no man,shall see God,if you want to see
the move of God in your life,live a consecrated life,a life free from anything
that contaminates your relationship with God.
The Levites lived a life of consecration because God
seperated them unto himself,that’s our case today,we are the temple of the holy
spirit so the word says,keep the temple holy,if any man destroys the temple of
God,him will God destroy.We are Gods temple,the spirit of God lives in us,we
must live the life of consecration that we have been called unto.
God has not called us into uncleanness
but unto a life of holiness,we are called to a life of consecration,not a life
of impurity,and ungodliness but a life of holiness,God demands of us to be holy
as he is holy.
The new man is created in righteousness and true
holiness,we should not struggle if we have put on the new man in christ
according to Colossians 3:10,we shouldn’t struggle to live a life of
holiness,holiness is the life style or character of the new man,if you are still
struggling then you need to put off the old man,the sin conscious life and put
on the new man.
We should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit,anything that pollutes our flesh,that is our body and the
spirit,as we do that we our holiness gets better and better in the fear of
God,reverence for God is the push toward living a holy life.The bible says the
fear of God causes us to eschew evil,lets keep ourselves free from all
filthiness of the flesh.
Abstaining from sin,not just sins that pollutes our
flesh,but when we miss the mark,go out of the will of God and living in sin is
one way we can do that,but abstaining from sin will produce in our lives
holiness and eternal life,that means sin can cause us to miss the eternal life
that we have in christ Jesus.Romans 6:22
GODLINESS PROFITS MORE
God’s divine power has given us what pertains to life
and godliness-the word life there is not the natural life but the Zoë life,so we
have all we need in the Zoë life,Gods kind of life,to live a godly life.Zoe life
contains the ability and empowerment we need to live the godly life.
His divine power,the very power of God has given unto
us that which pertains,unto life and godliness,we have the power in the very
life of God,what we have received is divine,stop struggling start living,you
have the ability to live the Zoë life,to express the God kind of life,the
ability to live above sin and to leave the very life of God,the godly
life.
Godliness profits more,the bible recognizes bodily
exercise profits little,but godliness profits unto all things.It profits for the
life that now is; here again the life is Zoë,its
amazing after salvation the life we now live is Zoë not ours anymore,no wonder
paul said that “the life I now live,its no longer I but christ that
liveth in me”,the God kind of life,the bible no longer recognizes
the natural life after salvation.
Thou man of God follow after righteousness,godliness
and faith,love,patience,meekness.We should seek to live a godly life,the very
life of God is within us and that is what we express when we walk in
godliness,put on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness,you have
the God given ability to live the life.
“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is "timing"
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.”
― Fulton J. Sheen
TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH : JAMES 1:3-4
Another way that patience can be developed is through the trial of our faith,you can not tell if you have patience until you have been tested and tried.Our faith is precious even more precious than gold.when gold is passed through fire it only comes out better and nothing less than that,so the trial of our faith is essential if we will get better and grow in the faith that we received through christ Jesus.
Trial is very important,James teaches us to “count it all joy,when you fall into divers temptations” we must realise temptation is not from God,the word here is Peirasmos in greek,which means an experiment,attempt,trial,proving.
So God can not prove you with evil,but for good,he may allow it but doesn’t mean its from him.
James said Rejoice when you fall into divers tests,or trials,because the trying of your faith worketh (accomplishes,produces,works out.) patience.Trials is very important in bringing out and developing patience in you.
The word trial is a tentative experimental action in order to ascertain results-that means that the result is already known but to confirm the result then you put up a test.
Nobody gives you a test in school on something you were never taught on,we receive tests on what you have been taught.So when God brings a trial he knows you should and will pass because you have been prepared for it.
Some says God knows you will fail,no he doesn’t,he knew you would pass,because he taught you all you should know before giving you the test,that’s why when satan came he boasted about Job,God wasn’t worried about Job he knew Job would hold on.1corinthians 10:13 explains it better,”there is no test,that has befallen you that is not common to man,but through the test God will make a way,so that you can stand up under it” this tells us that God wants us and he has created it in such a way that no matter what you will pass.
Trials works out the patience in us,it goes further to say, “But,let patience have her perfect work,so that you will be perfect and entire wanting nothing”It said But,because some times people give up in the waiting period and miss it.
When you are faced with a trial of your faith,know the result of patience,which is that you will come out perfect and entire wanting nothing,and let that keep you patient,waiting,like Job said “I will wait until my change comes”,because it will come but you must be resolved in your mind to wait.
There is a time for waiting and that’s the time that patience works in you and makes you,because trial is a process and in the process of been in the fire,you go through pain and hurts but you still hold on to the word of God,patience is working in you,in the pain as you worship and praise God patience is working in you,making you to become perfect and entire wanting nothing.
The word Perfect and entire are king James version words but lets look a bit into those words;
Perfect is Teleios in the greek which means ‘brought to its end,finished’ and ‘full grown,adult,of full age,matured’ and the word Entire – in the greek is Holokleros which means ‘complete in all its parts,in no part wanting or unsound,complete,entire,whole’.
In other words patience is working in you so that you will be full grown,be matured and whole.Complete in all parts,wanting nothing,to be full grown.Someone said you are growing but not developing but when patience has its perfect work in you,you will not only grow,you will develop in all sides and be entire lacking nothing,perfect.
The best way to stay updated and upgraded is to let patience have her perfect work in you,because you will come out wanting nothing,you will not be lagging behind,left behind and feel out dated or obsolete,but you will be complete and lacking nothing.In your health,in your finances,in your career,in your relationships let patience have her work in you,and you will be perfect and wanting nothing.
HOPE IN PATIENCE – ROMANS 5:3-5
We hope for what we desire to have that we don’t already have,our expectations,our desires.
Faith is the substance of the things we hope for, Hebrews 11:1; So faith is the substance ‘the word substance is hypostasis in the greek-which means, ‘a setting or placing under,substructure,foundation’.In other words faith gives our hope structure.Hope in itself has no substance,you can hope till you die,hoping without faith is nothing,but faith gives hope weight.
Faith is the substance of the things we hope for,so if we will see result on what we hope for we must add faith to it.
Now in the process of waiting we must know that patience is vital for faith to work,Paul begins with saying that we are justified(declared free and righteous) by faith and not works which produces peace with God through christ and because of christ we have access to grace through faith and also through faith we hope for Gods glory,its all through faith and through faith we also glory in tribulations.
Justified by faith,access grace in christ by faith,hope by faith and glory in tribulations by faith,knowing that tribulations worketh patience,but it does stop there and patience experience and experience hope,and hope maketh not ashamed(that is hope that is powered by faith) because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit.
Hope maketh not ashamed,because when we hope in faith we will certainly get the result of our hope,patiently wait in hope,and let patience work in you,so Gods intent is that through the trial of your faith you will produce patience and experience and hope that maketh not ashamed.Experience here is dokime in greek meaning tried character,when you are patient in trials you come out with a character that has been proven,which is called experience.
God is not just concerned about giving us our dreams and desires he uses your desires to bring you to a place of pursuit so he can make you a developed person,so that you can be perfect and mature wanting nothing,so while you are in that trial and waiting,God is busy working in you,working in you patience and character or experience,so that you can have hope that maketh not ashamed,that produces result.
Waiting in faith not wavering like father Abraham,who believed Gods promises and waited until he saw the result,he didn’t waver but he held on to his believe in God and he was credited unto him for righteousness,because he believed and waited patiently for the promise to come to pass,he hoped against hope the Bible says,but hope in faith brought the result.
If we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with patience..Romans 8:25,so patience is essential in the process of waiting for what we hope for but know that when we hope in faith we will not be put to shame.
The hope that brings results can only be produced through patience and comfort of the scriptures,in other words to keep hope alive,we need to keep the word of God before us and hold on to it patiently.
There are things written for our learning before time,so that we can also like the people of the past who held on to the word of God and got results we also can patiently hold on to the word,so we will see the desires of our hearts come to reality. Romans 15:4-5.
Our calling is proven through patience,as ministers of God we will go through persecution and trials but paul admonishes us to hold on patiently.Sometimes we will be tempted so we can react,but paul says patiently wait for what you hope for,don’t respond to people,you don’t have to prove anything,wait on God and he will prove himself strong in your behalf. 2Corinthians 6:4-10;2Corinthians 12:12
THROUGH PATIENCE INHERIT THE PROMISES – HEBREW 6:12
The promises of God over your life can only be inherited through patience,so does Hebrews 6:12 says.God promised Abraham a child,if he had not been patient he would not have received the promise.
The waiting only begins after you have done the word of God.Having done all to
stand,stand.You believe God that he will do it,you have sown all the seed of faith but the waiting actually starts after you have taken the step of faith,after you have done the will of God.The promise is sure and certain but you must patiently wait till you receive,the promise is for those who after doing the will of God still wait patiently.Hebrews 10:36.
There is a race set before us,but to receive the prize we must run with patience,not giving up in the process but running till we get the crown,without patience you can not receive the prize,just having faith and not with patience,you might fall.The cloud of witnesses are watching,the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11,have passed on the baton and watching to make sure we run to finish and get the prize,but we cannot give up if we must get the prize.Hebrews 12:1
For us to be able to run with patience and win we must put aside every sin and weight that so easily beset us.we must put aside anything thing in our life that will make us miss the mark,no matter what it is we know it,that will get us off track and out of Gods plan and purpose and everything that burdens us and makes us not to move faster.
Patience can be more effective when we put aside the weight and the sin,only the man that runs with patience can get the prize.
Add to your faith,virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience…?
watch out for the continuation.
“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is "timing"
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.”
― Fulton J. Sheen
Faith is the base of our christian walk,it holds together our relationship with God,if there is anything the devil will like to destroy is your faith.That’s why the Bible teaches us to hold on to our faith that is more precious than gold.
Jude tells us to “contend for the faith”.
The fight for the faith is the fight for life,without faith it is impossible to please God,and knowing that the just shall live by his faith,this shows us that the faith is most important,if we must have a successful life that would please God.
We have come to see,its important to grow the measure of faith we have received in salvation,so the Bible teaches us to “make every effort add to our faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience..” we will be looking the word patience today and how it affects our faith walk.
It is your responsibility to make effort to add these virtues to your faith,waiting for God to add them is a wait of a life time,we must make every effort to add them to our lives,as we study and apply the word of God.
WHAT IS PATIENCE
The word patience according to the free online dictionary is defined as :
Bearing or enduring pain,difficulty,provocation or annoyance with calmness. and Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or result:not hasty or impulsive.
The greek word translated patience in 2Peter 1:6 is Hypomone - which means steadfastness,constancy and endurance.In the new testament it is the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.
By these definitions we can see why we need to add patience to our faith,because the virtue of patience in our faith gives us the ability to hold on to what we believe even in the midst of pain and trial till we see the result,it gives us the ability to hold on while waiting for the outcome of our prayers and desires.
HOW IS PATIENCE DEVELOPED
You don’t receive patience by the laying on of hands,you make effort in developing patience.Knowing the following;
- Patience is one of the fruit of the Holy spirit: Galatians 5:22 – In the book of Galatians 5:22,the bible says “but the fruit of the Spirit” here it is talking about the regenerated spirit,the born again spirit – when you accept Jesus as your lord and saviour,the holy spirit does the work of recreation in you by the word of God that you received,then you become born again,a new man.
That’s why the bible says “any man in christ is a new creature,the old things are passed away and everything becomes new”,you are reborn,recreated.
To be recreated means to be reborn,to be born of God,scriptures says we have been born of God,not of the flesh but of the spirit,so the minute you accept Christ as your personal saviour your spirit is recreated,reborn,then you become another man entirely different from what you were.
Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again,he asked how can a man be born again,does he have to go back into his mothers womb?,that’s practically impossible.Jesus begins to explain to him what it means to be born again;
“ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus could not understand the idea because it doesn’t make sense physically,so Jesus explains to him that this is a spiritual event not physical.”that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit”,but you must be born of the water and the spirit,water speaks of the word of God and the Spirit there is the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:26. Two major agents for salvation,without the hearing of the word,salvation is not possible and the holy spirit uses that word to finish the process of recreation.
But Nicodemus in his curiosity asked Jesus how then can I be born again,Jesus in speaking to him finally said “whosoever believes in the son of man,shall not perish but receive eternal life” John 3:15; that’s the key,whosoever believes; so you become born again when you believe and accept Jesus.
So the fruit of the born again spirit is patience,in other words I have patience as a potential already in my new life,it shouldn’t be a struggle,all I need to do is exercise it and put it to work.
Some born again christians who still struggle in the area of patience are those who are still living in the old self,and not in the new self,that’s why Paul in Colossians say “put on the new man that is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him”Colossians 3:10; In other words your recreated spirit only gets better and not old like your natural self,as you get to know christ,as you walk in the word of God.
Also Ephesians 4:24 explains further by saying “put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and Holiness” the new man is created to be like God,his resemblance in every way,so if God is a God of patience,you also have the ability to walk in patience.So patience is already in you,stop praying and fasting for it,just start walking in it and exercising it.
TO BE CONTINUED..
