Led by the Spirit!

Led by the Spirit!

Galatians 5:25 TPT

[25] If the Spirit is the source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives.

The church in Galatia was going through a few challenges at time Paul wrote this letter.  Of course, the Jews at the time thought that any other person not circumcised was not worthy of salvation. It became a bit of a burden and a distraction, because we see Pau at some point in this letter, challenge the church in Galatia about its desire to align with Jewish laws, at the expense of the rules of engagement of salvation laid down by God. As it was then, so is it today. We start off with total trust in the work of the cross, but as some point, we begin to think that we can bring in human effort and labour to complement what Christ has done. 

This is the error that has to be addressed. At no point could I contribute or add to what Christ has already secured. His death and resurrection are complete packages for all of humanity; He did not need my consent to offer His life for me; in fact, I was not even alive at the time He died, so my view would not have counted. All I can do right is to trust in that finished work of Jesus, rest in His love and live in the daily consciousness of what He needs from me. Human rules have a place indeed, but they cannot replace the rules of engagement laid down by Jesus. As Jesus Himself said, He had not come to abolish the law, but to fulfil it. 

The gift that Jesus secured for us is valid for all time, as long as this earthly phase remains in place. Jesus is called the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Source of all things, and in Him, all things hold together. He is also the Son, the only One to whom God has committed all judgment to. In light of all the above, I will do well to align with the gift and make sure that it is mine. It is not enough to know the gift by head knowledge alone. It is not enough to know Him for a while and then discard Him when problems arise. It is not enough to hold Him as one of the many available options; He has to be the only One who holds my heart and pulls its strings. 

This is what being led by His Spirit looks like. Being led means being totally surrendered. I do not have a superior argument to anything God asks me to do. I do not claim to know it all; that is God's exclusive preserve, and He will not share His glory with anyone. I cannot open up some areas of my life to Him, and then seek to keep other parts under my sole control. I either give God all, or nothing at all. I am reminded that willing surrender is the way to go. God will not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my own freewill. My knowledge and encounter of God will definitely show up in my daily actions and decisions. Am I truly led of and by God? God's time of favour is here. 

The New!

The New!

Ezekiel 36:26 AMP

[26] Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

It has to be clear to all that sin has adverse consequences. It does not matter how long it has gone on undetected by man, or not openly punished by God. As long as God has said He hates and will punish sin, sin is not something to be treated with levity. God warned His own people about sin, and though they were His treasured possession, He punished them for their sin. With Him, there was no favouritism or partiality. He applied the punishment for sin in line with His command. This should make me both joyous and cautious. If He makes a promise, be sure that He has the power, capacity and capability to fulfil His promises.

Thank God that punishment was not the final word. Thank God that in the midst of the full application of judgment, God said He had concern for His Holy name, and would have mercy on His people. Even though the people had brought shame and disrepute to the name of the Lord through their many acts of disobedience and rebellion, it is a thing of joy and profound gratitude that you read words like the verse above. It has to be clear that man is not able to confront and defeat sin by any human scheme or method; it is only that which God provides and promotes that man is able to defeat sin, which is older than all of us who are alive today. 

One thing God is able to do to help us have and retain victory over sin is a new heart. The reason why a new heart is fundamental to what God wants to do is that the old heart, no matter how hard you try to shape and tool it, can never totally surrender to God. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the heart of the natural man is unable to grasp the danger of sin, and seek the right kind of help. That is why a new heart is needed; the type that only God gives, and is able to keep working on, shaping and guiding it to align with His own perfect will. It is not a version you can buy in the open market for a lot of money; God alone gives it, and He will gladly do so, because He wants me to be all He has created me to be.

The fact that God promises to remove the heart of stone from my flesh tells me that a heart of stone was not part of God's original design. My flesh was not made to resist God, because I am made in His image and likeness and it is sin that messes up and disrupts the original template. God wants to restore me to the original position before sin came, and as we have always said, God will not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. This is a voluntary surrender, but presented as compulsory conscription. You come in willingly, but there are rules to live by. Are you open to the new? God's time of favour is here. 

Power!

Power!

Romans 1:16 AMP

[16] I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Both the writer and audience of this letter are equally important. Paul the writer had his own interesting past. He came from harassment and conspiracy to murder, to a place of total and absolute trust in God. He was a Jew who was given grace to minister the gospel of Jesus to those who were not Jews, but were also targets of the plan of salvation laid out by God. As we read in the introductory part of this letter, all of us, Jews and Gentiles alike, have all received grace and have been called into the obedience that comes from faith. The plan of salvation, as laid down by God, was not for only the Jews; it is for everyone. No one is exempt from grace.

It is in this light that the verse above can best be understood. Paul had seen firsthand what it means to be saved. He had experienced the mercy of God; how else can you explain this man's experiences? He had supported the murder of Stephen, and was on his way to do more harm, yet the mercy of God found and saved him. His past was wiped clean, and he was given a mandate to bring the gospel to those who he would normally not focus on. This is part of the message about Christ; He was put to death for the sin of the world; Jew or not, and He was brought back to life for the eternal redemption of the world, Jew or not. There is no favouritism with God. 

Paul understood this, and his earthly ministry reflected this understanding. He was the ideal personal reflection of the assignment He was given by God. He wrote to both Jews and non-Jews with the same message: Jesus Christ is the power of God. Jesus is the author of salvation for all men. He has sealed life for all who will come and surrender their lives to Him. As always, this is a free gift that had been made available to all men. Anyone can come, no matter the weight of the past, or the depth of the stain. It is a gift that does not expire until it actually does expire. That is the sobering message in today's verse too: we all have access to this gift. 

It must however be noted that this gift will not always be there. Response time is of the essence. The gospel of Jesus has power, but it does not force itself on you. It has power to change men and situations, but it will not go against the exercise of your freewill. Jesus is the Wisdom and the Power of God, yet He seeks willing surrender and total submission to Him. I am a beneficiary of the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. I have come to know God; I have seen Him at work in my life and in those close to me. I have seen men with horrible pasts become vessels of honour in God's hands. It is for everyone who believes in the finished work on the cross. Have you submitted to that power? God's time of favour is here. 

Light

Light!

Matthew 5:14 AMP

[14] “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

This chapter is the first recorded sermon of Jesus, after He had been revealed to the world through the ministry of John the Baptist, as well as the public declaration from heaven that He is God's Son. He had also been tempted by the devil, and had overcome, and He had chosen the twelve disciples who would go on to be with Him during His earthly ministry. Talk about a very busy time for Jesus as He sought to impact the world im which He had been placed. It is hard to argue for anything different for anyone who wants to walk with Jesus. If the Son of God had to go through these processes, how much more would we who seek to walk in His steps? 

The One who God backs up will always command an audience. At the time of this first sermon, there was a crowd following Him everywhere. However, at this time, the message was for His disciples, not the crowd. The demands He was laying down were not for the uncommitted majority, but the distinct few that would choose to follow Him. This is testament to the fact that though the commands and instructions of Jesus are for everyone He has made, they do not place a demand for obedience on everyone at the same time. This is why the passage from where the verse above is taken was careful to note that Jesus took His disciples to the top of the mountain, and taught them. 

Am I one of the distinct few, or part of the uncommitted majority? If I know who I am, and I am clear about my allegiance, then the verse above speaks directly to me. Jesus spoke directly to the disciples, referring to them as His Light to the world. This is clear ownership: I do not represent myself at any level. I do not speak of myself at any level. I am simply the representative of the One who calls me His own, and also sends me out to impact the world in which I have been placed. A little bit of Light is enough to deal with the deepest darkness. Even the light from a phone will make a difference. That is the power and impact of light. 

As light, I cannot be ignored. I cannot be put away in a box, and only opened when the need arises. At all times, I am relevant; at all times, I am in the public eye. Whenever I act or speak, I am putting out indications of who I am, whose I am, and what my allegiances are. The verse above likens me to a city that is set on a hill and cannot be hidden. That city is a beacon that draws men to it. It is a place of refuge for those coming in from darkness and need help. It is a place of comfort for all who have been oppressed and seeking deliverance and safety. Does the above describe me at the moment? Am I truly representing Christ? God's time of favour is here.

The Unque Gift!

The Unique Gift!

1 John 4:9 AMP

[9] By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.

This is a letter written by one of the disciples, who called himself John the Beloved. He was one of the members of the inner caucus of the disciples, having a front-row seat to some of the amazing events of Jesus' earthly ministry, such as the transfiguratiion of Jesus, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the heartbreaking events at the cross, where Jesus entrusted him with the care of  His earthly mother. He was a disciple who truly had an understanding of what love from God's perspective looks like, as we can see clearly from this first letter. He knew that this love is best understood in action, not merely in word as we see today.

How do we know that what we see is true love and not pretence? It will take a lot of pain and a little bit of 'stupidity' for a mortal man to give up his life for someone who hates him. It is not the way of the world to sacrifice itself for another person to walk all over him. We are by nature, proud and self-conscious; we need structure and predictability to our lives so we can take appropriate action to defend ourselves if and when the need arises. This is why what Jesus did is extraordinary; He did not wait for us to model good behaviour, or to earn the salvation He secured; in fact, at the time the sacrifice was made, I was not even born, so there was no way to determine how I would react. 

This is love: freely given, without conditions or limitations, so that the targets would make up their minds on how to react. There were no guarantees that I would accept the gift; in fact, the Omniscient God who knows the end from the beginning knew that some people would reject the gift to the end of their lives, yet He went ahead to offer the gift. Even if it was for just me, that one person who would come and take hold of what Jesus offered, God considered it worth the pain and sacrifice. Oh, what love!. A love that did not wait for me to earn, deserve or merit it, but He gave it all the same. Love from an eternal and limitless God to a mortal and limited man. 

In that conclusion above lies yet another eternal truth: God would not do all these and there would be no consequence to rejection of His gift. If He has secured eternal life with Him through this sacrifice, who can turn around and blame Him for missing eternity with Him if I reject His gift to the end? God will not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. There has to be a willingness to submit; a desire to personally experience this God. We live in and by Him; God has provided no other way. I must remember: eternity hangs on my response to what God has done and given. How do you plead? God's time of favour is here. 

Made Well!

Made Well!

Psalms 139:14 AMP

[14] I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

This is one of the songs of David, the man God Himself referred to as a man after His own heart. That is a special relationship God had with a mortal man, and it showed in the favour and blessings that David received from God. God is not man, but He seeks to do mighty things in the lives of His creation. He will not force Himself on anyone, neither will He go against the exercise of my freewill, but be sure that He will show up in mighty ways in the life of anyone who is totally surrendered to Him. David knew the beauty of this special relationship, as he started the song with these immortal words: 'O Lord, you have searched me thoroughly and have known me'. 

Those words can only come from the lips of someone who has seen, felt and knows who God is, what He can do and what He has done. Reflect on your own life today, and ask yourself how far you have come in the journey of life. Reflect on all that you have received from Him, and the many times you did not fully understand what was going on, but you can look back today, and come to the precise conclusion that only God could have come through for you in those times. Yes, things that were not palatable would have happened, but there is a grand scheme at work, the full details of which are not clear to me now, but are perfectly curated by the Omniscient God to work out for His glory and my blessing. 

This is why the verse above is the best place to start, in order to fully understand the rest of the journey. How can there be awesome and special considerations for a man's journey of life, and there will be no consideration for His person? How would I think that God can have all these awesome plans in place for me, but have no thoughts to my person, and how I will arrive at the place He has prepared for me? It is clear that God is interested and invested in all of the person, the plan, the purpose and the product. The plan and the purpose predates the person, and the person who will live out the plan and purpose has to be properly equipped and gifted for the assignment. 

This is why the verse above speaks directly to the One who has made it all possible. David invites us to join him to give thanks and sing praises to the One who made us. He chose the family through which we would be made known to the world; Hs planted us in the society where our peculiar gifts would be best used, and He continues to find avenues and platforms where these gifts can be fully used and maximised. What else could be bigger or better than to know that I am not an accident? Like David, I give thanks to God for who He is and what He has made me. What of you? God's time of favour is here.

Grace!

Grace!

Romans 3:23-24 AMP

[23] since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

There is a conclusion that is not subject to any debate or contention, and that is the fact that all of us have sinned. It has nothing to do with race, culture, language, or inheritance,  but from our shared human connection to the first man created by God. As all men are born of woman through the process of conception as well as gestation, we all inherit whatever it was that Adam and Eve inherited when they fell into sin in the Garden of Eden. As they could not find their way back to God without His help, so also can we not find our way back to God without His help today too. This is an understanding we all must have and start from, if we would take hold of all that God has made available for us. 

The same place where man first sinned was also the same place were God's divine plan of redemption, sanctification, and justification  was laid out. I note that all the three benefits listed here are all part of the same package. You do not get one without the others. We were the ones who sinned, and the ones who should have been punished, but it would have meant certain death and eternal separation from God. This is why God’s principle of substitution paid the price that was demanded by the same God for sin. Reflect on the fact that even though His Son was involved, God still did not waive the price; it had to be paid. 

This ought to make me fear God the right way. If He had not stepped in, I would not be here. By the sacrifice of Jesus, I am declared free of the guilt, burden and weight of sin. I am made acceptable to God, because it is no longer I who comes to claim righteousness, but I come in the name, and under the banner of the One who stood in my place. When God sees me, He sees the Son who took my place and now, I have access to the full riches of God's grace. There is eternal life for me now, and I know that though I do not yet have it in its fullness and reality, it has been sealed by blood, and it will be delivered when Jesus returns in His glory, or He calls me home. 

This is the reality of who I am now. The price was paid, the deal was signed, sealed and delivered to me. This is where I need to step into the place that had been prepared for me, step up into the assignment that has been given to me, and step out as His light into the world in which I have been placed. All that God did for me has an earthly and eternal purpose: show off the benefits of God's grace on earth and attract men to His light, and also take hold of the inheritance that Jesus has sealed for me by His death and resurrection. I stand to gain both here on earth as well as in heaven. That is the full package on offer: God has done His bit; how do I respond? Eternity hangs on my response. God's time of favour is here.