MAKING GODS FOR MEN (Part 2)

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“So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (Acts 3:12 NKJV)

 

When Moses delayed in returning from Mount Sinai, where he had gone to receive from God the tables of the law, the children of Israel became perplexed and agitated and therefore said to Aaron, the next in command to Moses, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exo. 32:1).

But rather than restraining and rebuking them, Aaron fashioned a molded calf. Who should be blamed for the people’s carnality, immaturity, or idolatry?

In the first part of this piece, we began to draw out great lessons and cautions from this unfortunate incident.

First, we examined that Moses’ leadership style contributed mainly to the spiritual immaturity and carnality of the children of Israel. How?

The one-person leadership of Moses, which elevated him significantly above the people, drew attention only to him, and made all the people look up to him and depend upon him for everything, was what resulted in the people making a god out of Moses and seeking for another god to replace him in his temporary absence.

Let us now consider more lessons.

Second, when God came down upon Mount Sinai to speak directly with the children of Israel, the Scripture records that when the people witnessed the thundering, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they trembled and stood afar off, and they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” (Exo. 20:18-19 NKJV).

We Moses accepted!

That attitude or mindset resulted in the people not getting to know God intimately because they rejected communion with God. Only Moses knew God intimately because of his deep and constant communion with God.

While the children of Israel continued to experience, witness, and enjoy supernatural acts of God along their journey to the Promised Land, they became utterly ignorant of the ways of God. It takes deep and constant communion with God to know Him intimately and understand His ways.

The Psalmist testifies, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” (Psalms 103:7 NKJV).

Therefore, it is no wonder that when Moses left them for a short while, they became fearful, perplexed, and agitated and thus sought new gods to be with them and lead them on their journey.

The children of Israel’s unwillingness to draw near to God in deep communion resulted in their ignorance, unbelief, confusion, spiritual immaturity, carnality, and idolatry. That is still the primary cause of spiritual immaturity, carnality, and idolatry in the Church today.

Like Moses, some servants of God today are proud and pleased to stand between God and His people as prayer contractors or mediators. They pride themselves on having a special anointing or favor with God to get speedy answers to prayers and enjoy good patronage from spiritually immature and undiscerning people.

While a good pastor or leader is expected to constantly pray or intercede for God’s people under his care, it is wrong for any pastor to offer himself as a mediator or a go-between between God and His children.

Friend, there is no good substitute for you praying, communicating, speaking directly with God, reading, studying, and meditating in God’s Word.

Under the New Covenant, every believer has equal access and rights to God. God wants His children to grow in intimacy through regular and personal communion. No pastor is called to be a mediator or a go-between between God and His children!

Paul clearly states this truth.1 Timothy 2:5-6 – NKJV

 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

As a born-again believer, you don’t need to go through any prophet or pastor to relate or commune with God and receive answers to your prayers.

Lastly, when the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Zin, they became very thirsty and had no water to drink, so they contended with Moses and Aaron (Num. 20:1-8). Although Moses became very angry, God was not. God spoke to Moses about His divine provision of water in the rock for His people.

Moses striking the rock twice rather than speaking to the rock as God had instructed him confused the people and suggested that Moses and Aaron were the persons doing the miracle.

Consider what Moses said to the children of Israel, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10 NKJV).

Therefore, the people had the right to make a god out of Moses and seek another god to replace him in his absence. Here is a caution for all God’s servants!

Beloved, you need to be extremely careful with your words while ministering to God’s people. You must never fail to make it very clear to people that you are not the healer, the deliverer, the Saviour, or the miracle worker, but Jesus Christ is.

Unlike Moses, your words must never suggest that you are the one doing the supernatural works, but rather, it is God working in you and through you.

After the miraculous healing of the man who was lame from his mother’s womb at the temple gate, consider Peter’s attitude and declaration when the people were incredibly amazed, looking at him and John as gods.

Acts 3:12-16 – NKJV

 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

 13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

 14 “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

 15 “and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

 16 “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Friend, this should always be your mindset, attitude, and declaration after any miraculous act performed by God through you if you don’t want the spiritually immature people to make a god out of you or seek another god to replace your absence.

When your words or actions after any miracle suggest to the people that you did it, you have subtly made a god for the people to worship. That is the undoing of some ministers of God today!

Therefore, beware of presenting yourself as a god to God’s people by your egocentric leadership, by offering yourself as a mediator between God and His people, or by subtly suggesting by your words or attitudes that you are the one performing the miracles for God’s people.

 

Prayer:

I refuse to make myself a god to Your People or make any god for people to worship. Help me, Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our mandate: Is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

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MAKING GODS FOR MEN (Part 1)

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“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for  as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1 NKJV)

The Scripture records how God humbled, humiliated, and confounded the arrogant and stubborn Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and brought His people out of Egypt with great signs and wonders.

God descended mightily upon the Egyptians in an indisputable manner. The sorcerers and magicians of Pharaoh recognized that God and not Moses were dealing with them. They rightly pointed out to Pharaoh, saying, “This is the finger of God.” (Exo. 8:19 NKJV).

Ironically, many of the children of Israel didn’t recognize that. How sad! Many of the children of Israel wrongly assumed or concluded that Moses delivered them from the bondage of Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt. The temporary absence of Moses exposed their ignorance, unbelief, or confusion.

When Moses delayed returning from the mountain, where he had gone to receive from God the tablets of the law, the children of Israel became fearful and perplexed, and they, therefore, asked Aaron to make for them gods that would go before them to the Promised Land.

Exodus 32:1 – NKJV

 1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Unfortunately, Aaron granted them their evil request to their shame and destruction. They sought new gods because they didn’t know what had happened to Moses on the mountain.

They said, “for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exo. 32:1 NKJV).

They were not fully aware, convinced, or persuaded that God, not Moses, redeemed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. How sad!

Moses was undoubtedly one of the greatest servants of God that ever lived. He was said to be the meekest man in his generation (Num. 12:3). God testified concerning Moses, saying, “He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the LORD.” (Num. 12:7-8 NKJV).

God mightily used Moses in his generation. Writing about Israel’s history without speaking about Moses’s unique role is impossible.

Although God used Moses as an instrument of deliverance for Israel’s children, Moses never claimed to be the one who saved, delivered, or redeemed the people from slavery. Moses repeatedly presented God as the deliverer of His people (Exo. 6:6, Deut. 4:34, 5:15, 11:2, 26:8).

How did the people mistake Moses for the God who delivered and brought them out of Egypt?

It is undoubtedly wisdom for us to find out!

The ignorant, carnal, and undiscerning children of Israel wanted some gods to go before them in their journey as a replacement for Moses, whom they claimed brought them out of Egypt (Exo. 32:1).

If the children of Israel had personally known God as their faithful Saviour, Deliverer, or Redeemer, they would have remained calm in the absence of Moses, knowing that their God is ever-living and present with them and would continue to lead them even in the absence of Moses.

But who should be blamed for their carnality or spiritual immaturity?

We cannot blame Moses entirely for Israel’s congregation’s sensuality, idolatry, or spiritual immaturity. However, Moses cannot be completely absolved from all the blame either.

The thrust of this piece is not to apportion blame but to discover their blunders to avoid them and learn from them. The Scripture writes, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Cor. 10:11).

What are the lessons we can learn from this account or incident?

First, Moses’ leadership style contributed to the spiritual immaturity or lack of discernment of his congregation, Israel’s children.

How did Moses’ leadership style contribute to the people’s spiritual immaturity?

Moses’ leadership was “a one-man show leadership.”

It was a kind of leadership that elevated one man above the rest and drew much attention to only one man. It was a kind of leadership that did it all by himself and thus caused all the people to look up to him and depend only upon him.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, recognized that early and rebuked Moses, saying , “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.” (Exo. 18:14-15 NKJV).

Besides the ineffectiveness and weariness that go with “one-man show leadership,” it will eventually lead to idolatry—making a god out of the man or seeking another god to replace the man in his absence. That was what happened to the children of Israel.

It is regrettable to observe many of God’s servants in our generation still patterning or modeling their leadership after Moses. “One man-show leadership” is not the New Testament kind of leadership. It will not produce spiritually mature and discerning people.

In Moses’ case, one-person show leadership only produces spiritually immature, undiscerning, carnal, and idolatrous babies, no matter a leader’s good intention, charisma, humility, or spirituality.

Beloved, when you adopt one-person-show leadership—doing it all by yourself, drawing attention only to yourself, making people look up to you and depend only upon you; you are simply making a god for your followers or congregation.

No matter what you say or do, you cannot stop the undiscerning and immature ones among your congregation from worshipping you or treating you as a god.

Likewise, in your absence, as in the case of Moses, you cannot stop them from seeking another god as a replacement for you. Therefore, avoiding or rejecting this kind of leadership and its inherent pitfalls or traps is wise.

Paul admonishes us, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philip. 2:3 NKJV).

Discover more lessons from this incident in the second part of this piece.

 

Prayer:

I refuse to set myself above Your people or draw the attention and affection of Your people to myself. So, help me, Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Our mandate is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

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WHAT IS THE STAKE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL SERVICE

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“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV

The Lord Jesus Christ does not expect anyone to love, obey, worship, and serve Him grudgingly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly as a religious obligation or to earn God’s love, acceptance, favor, or blessing.

Instead, your service to Christ is expected to be a loving, grateful, or thankful response to Him for His pure, selfless, and unconditional love towards you. That is what the Bible called “your spiritual or reasonable service” in Romans. 12:1 ASV and NKJV.

Romans 12:1 – ASV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Romans 12:1 – NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (NKJV).

In Parts 1 and 2, we began to examine the essential nature of a spiritual or reasonable service.

First, spiritual or reasonable service to God is voluntary.

Having become saved, you legally belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, who bought you with His precious blood (1 Cor. 6:19-20, 7:23). However, Christ will not compel you to love, obey, worship, or serve Him against your wish or will. Christ expects you to love, honor, obey, and serve Him voluntarily, joyfully, and wholeheartedly.

Paul admonishes, “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7 RSV).

Second, spiritual or reasonable service to God is personal.

Just as salvation is a personal decision, devotion to Christ is also personal (Romans. 10:10). Nobody can love, obey, worship, or serve God on your behalf. It is something you must do personally, willingly, and deliberately.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

Let us consider one more essential element of a reasonable or spiritual service.

Third, spiritual or reasonable service to God is presenting your body as a living sacrifice to God.

Under the Old Covenant, when a worshipper brings a sacrifice to God, he relinquishes his claim and abandons it on the altar to be consumed by the burning fire (Lev. 1:1-9).

In the same way, God expects the New Covenant believers to present, yield, or surrender their bodies unreservedly to Him.

Paul admonishes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans. 12:1 NKJV).

“I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” (Romans. 6:19 NKJV).

Presenting yourself to God as a living sacrifice implies renouncing or releasing your claim or right to your life and to all you possess. It also speaks of surrendering yourself and all you have willingly, voluntarily, gladly, and entirely to God to do with your life and all you have as He pleases.

Unlike the dead animals offered as sacrifices to God under the Old Covenant, the New Covenant believers are dead only to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Paul admonishes, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans. 6:11 NKJV).

Presenting yourself as a living sacrifice is reckoning, estimating, counting, or considering yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. It is you presenting your members (all your faculties) as instruments or vessels of righteousness to God.

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans. 6:13 NKJV).

Beloved, God is calling you today to relinquish your claim and right to your life, your time, your money, your skills, your talents, and other resources and to consecrate, devote, or surrender them willingly, cheerfully, entirely, and unreservedly to the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed you with His precious blood from the bondage of Sin and Satan.

That is your spiritual or reasonable service!

Paul writes, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:20 NKJV).

 

Prayer:

Today, I renounce my claim or right to my life, achievements, and possessions. I present myself and all I have to the Lord Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our mandates is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

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YOUR SPIRITUAL SERVICE (Part 2)

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“Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 RSV.

 

Salvation is not the reward or wages of our good works. It is purely the gift of God. No one can be justified or saved by faith in their self-righteousness, good performance, or religious works. Salvation is purely by grace alone through faith alone in the person and finished work of Jesus on the cross (Romans. 3:20-22, 4:1-5, Gal. 2:16, Ephesians. 2:8-9).

However, saving faith without good works is dead, useless, and unprofitable to anyone.

James 2:14-17 – NKJV

 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Having become saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is expected of you to gladly love, obey, worship, and serve the Lord, not merely as a religious obligation or as a means of earning God’s love, acceptance, favor, or blessing, but as a loving, grateful or thankful response to Him for His pure, selfless, and unconditional love towards you.

That is what the Bible called “your spiritual or reasonable service” in Romans. 12:1 ASV and NKJV.

Romans 12:1 – ASV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Romans 12:1 – NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (NKJV).

What are the essential elements of a spiritual or reasonable service?

Consider what the Bible teaches about spiritual or reasonable service, which is holy and acceptable to God (Romans. 12:1).

First, spiritual or reasonable service to God is voluntary.

Having been bought with a great price, the precious blood of Christ, you don’t legally belong anymore to yourself, but to Jesus Christ alone, who bought you with His precious blood.

Paul queries, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 NKJV).

He also states, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” (1 Cor. 7:23 NKJV).

Although you legally belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, who bought you with His precious blood, Christ will not compel you to love, obey, worship, or serve Him against your wish or will. What a gentle Lord and Saviour!

After many of the followers of Jesus had departed from Him, the Lord turned to the twelve disciples with Him, asking, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67 NKJV). The Lord Jesus does not want anyone to love, follow, or serve Him forcefully, grudgingly, or reluctantly.

Any service or good work you are forced, coaxed, or manipulated by anyone to render in the Lord’s name is a carnal, unreasonable, and unprofitable service. Whatever you give to the Lord or give in the name of the Lord grudgingly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly is unacceptable to the Lord.

Therefore, Paul admonishes, “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7 RSV).

Second, spiritual or reasonable service to God is personal.

The Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for your sins so that you may have a personal, loving, and intimate relationship with God.

Salvation is a personal decision to receive God’s gift of eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus. Nobody can do this for you, and you cannot do it for anybody!

Paul states, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans. 10:10 NKJV).

Likewise, consecration or devotion to God is a personal decision. Nobody can love, obey, worship, or serve God on your behalf. It is something you have to do personally and deliberately. You must personally decide to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow the Lord Jesus daily.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

Friend, it is unreasonable to expect someone to deny yourself for you, take up your cross daily for you, and follow Jesus closely and every day for you. Therefore, in this New Year, you must personally, willingly, cheerfully, and wholeheartedly consecrate or devote your life, time, strength, talents, and resources to God and His Kingdom.

 

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, help me to present my whole being willingly, gladly, wholeheartedly, and continually to the Lord Jesus Christ this New Year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our mandates is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

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YOUR SPIRITUAL SERVICE (Part 1)

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“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.” Romans 12:1 ASV

 

Though God is a Sovereign or Supreme Ruler, under this present dispensation of grace, God is not compelling anyone to love, obey, worship, or serve Him or surrender and submit to His authority.

However, at the end of this dispensation of grace, God will completely crush and subdue every rebellion against His authority, and every knee will bow to God (Romans. 14:11, 1 Cor. 15:24).

As a Loving Father, God does not want any of His children to love, obey, worship, or serve Him impulsively, forcefully, or grudgingly. (Deut. 28:47-48). 

    Under the Old Covenant, serving God grudgingly or half-heartedly always attracts a curse. Jeremiah proclaims, “Let him be cursed who does the Lord’s work half-heartedly…” (Jeremiah. 48:10 BBE).

When God commanded Moses to build Him a Sanctuary in the wilderness so that He may dwell among the children of Israel, God expressly instructed Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.” (Exo. 25:2 NKJV).

God’s emphasis is on bringing your offering willingly with a cheerful heart. Unfortunately, the focus of greedy and carnal servants of God today is mainly on bringing your rich, fat, or robust offerings to them regardless of your disposition.

Salvation is purely the gift of God. It is not the wages of your good works. You can never love, obey, worship, or serve God well enough to earn, merit, or deserve God’s love, acceptance, favor, or blessing.

Paul clearly states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians. 2:8-9 NKJV).

You can never be justified before God by your good works or performance. Faith in your self-righteousness, good performance, or religious works cannot secure a loving, intimate, and eternal relationship with God. You can be justified and saved only by faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.

Paul testifies, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Gal. 2:16 NKJV).

While it is true that salvation is God’s gift, good works are good evidence or fruit of salvation. We are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ and His finished work, not by faith in ourselves or our works; however, saving faith is never alone.

The Scripture testifies that faith without good works is dead, useless, or unprofitable. “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jam. 2:17 NKJV). “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Jam. 2:26 NKJV).

Therefore, it is contradictory to claim to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ, with no desire for good works or bearing the fruit of good works. The new creation in Christ is created for good works. It is the nature of the new creation to do good works—to love, obey, worship, and serve God.

It is contradictory to say you are a new creation and not be zealous for good works! Paul reveals that Jesus Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14 NKJV).

The born-again believers are created in Christ for good works. Paul writes, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians. 2:10 NKJV).  

Paul also writes, “(Titus. 3:8 NKJV).“And this is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.

 These things are good and profitable to men.” t our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” (Tit. 3:14 NKJV).

Beloved, having become justified and regenerated by faith in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ, you are expected to gladly seek to love, obey, worship, and serve the Lord Jesus and become zealous for good works. The Scripture refers to that as your “spiritual or reasonable service.”

Paul writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.” (Romans. 12:1 ASV).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans. 12:1 NKJV).

Having been redeemed from the slavery of Sin and Satan by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, it is your spiritual and reasonable service to present, devote, or offer yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice.

Any believer in Christ who continues to live for himself is a carnal, unreasonable, insensible, or unintelligent person. The early Disciples of Christ cheerfully and wholeheartedly devoted themselves and their resources to Christ and His Kingdom because they could reason well (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

Friend, your love, obedience, worship, or service to the Lord Jesus should no longer be a mere religious obligation or duty but rather a loving, grateful, or thankful response to the Lord Jesus for His pure, selfless, and unconditional love demonstrated towards you by willingly offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice for your sins on the cross (John 10:17-18, 1 John 4:9-10).

Discover the fundamental nature of spiritual or reasonable service in the second part of this piece!

 

Prayer:

Today, I consecrate my whole life willingly, cheerfully, wholeheartedly, and continually to my Lord Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our mandates is to Preserving the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

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