I WRITE UNTO YOU........ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14 KJV). Growth in the kingdom of God is inevitable. Our walk in Christ must always be better by the day. When God gravitated towards us and saved us according to his good pleasure, we were transferred into his kingdom. It is pertinent that we learn the ways of this kingdom that God took us into. God brought us into the banqueting house and his banner over us was love. Songs. 2:4. You cant get into the kingdom un-invited; it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. God knows his sheep and the very hairs on their head are all numbered. Matt. 10:30. Now that we have been taken into his kingdom, growth is inevitable. When we became saved, we became sons of God. Rom 8:14. It says .....as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the SONS of God. There are two major ways of fulfilling the laws of God. Laws of God can be fulfilled either by personal effort or by the leading of the Holy Sprit. It is those fulfilling the laws of God by the LEADING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD that are declaring their sonship and walking in true grace. Those who, by their efforts live in righteousness have placed themselves under the law. Gal. 3:10-11. Once that law is broken by a failure of their effort, they put themselves under the curse of the law! As many as are led by the spirit of God......these are the sons of God! It is very important to learn to be led by the Spirit of God according to the word of God because only then are we declaring our sonship. These are those on the way to maturity in Christ. The Greek word used as sons in Rom. 8:14 means full sonship. This is how God sees all his elect though they are on a journey to achieve it. In Eph. 4:14, the word translated children means infants. Just like natural infants grab anything into their mouths, infants believe just anything yet they seem to find it difficult to believe the simplicity of the gospel. They have to grow to a point where they are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine..... Fake doctrines are like wind in nature. They easily catch the excitement of babes in Christ. They come like a wave and fade out as infants grow out of it. Infants are easily carried away by the SLEIGHT of men. The word translated sleight means dice playing. These are doctrines thrown out to get innocent people by some luck! Infants are caught in cunning craftiness..... Doctrines of men are cunningly devised as traps whereby they lie in wait to deceive. These are the common problems encountered by infants in Christ. They are to grow out of these doctrines of men. You will be surprised that those doctrine of men have always been there right from the beginning of Christianity. The secret of ridding them out of your life is to grow out of those doctrines! You need to go back to the word of God and study. John says My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2 KJV). Infants seem to struggle with sins. They have not been entrenched in the doctrine of atonement for sins. They find it difficult to live a righteous life by the power of atonement and the substitutionary death of Christ. They do not understand the Law of Divine Exchange that took place on the cross. 1Pet. 3:18. They do not understand the remedy of the death of Christ if they fall into sin. Infants, usually find it difficult to break sins out of their lives. They lack understanding that Jesus is the ONLY propitiation for their sins. There is no other propitiation anywhere. It is clear that the fundamental problem of little children is lack of understanding of the entire doctrine of salvation. Heb.6:1-2. They always want to do something extra. 1 Jn. 2:12. Young men are strong. 1Jn. 2:13,14. ......I have written unto you YOUNG MEN.......ye are STRONG....the WORD OF GOD abideth in you......ye have overcome the WICKED ONE.... Young men have the word of God abiding in them up to a level. Young men settle down with the little they know. They have certain spiritual understanding but they must be taught to know that they have overcome the evil one? They seem to be so devil conscious! They spend time studying the devil and demons. They seem to me as those who read the devil into every issue of life. They are always trying to overcome the devil! They are strong but this strength is spent over the evil one. Thus, John had to teach then to understand that young men have overcome the evil one. They must direct their strength towards something more fruitful. The devil is not worth the attention! Fathers in the faith are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine nether do they live in sin. Fathers have KNOWN HIM that is from the beginning. 1 Jn. 2:13,14. There communion with God is regular and consistent. They are not moved into worship by some musical instruments decked with special microphones. They are in constant communion with God continually. Fathers do not live outside the scriptures! They can rightly divide the word of God with dexterity. They can spot any little deviation from the word of God. They teach soundly and remain steadfast in The Lord. They do not seek after new teachings! They are not interested in some new revelations. They have come to settle down with the Gods word once and for all. These are people who practise fidelity with God. When Paul had that divine encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, the bible made it clear that he spent three years studying the bible all over again, this time from a saved mans point of view. Have you ever sat down to study that bible from Genesis to Revelation? I know someone who reads the New Testament up till Jude not less than 20 times in a year! This is outside three-hours-a-night study at least twice a week! I write this to challenge you! But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mothers womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. (Galatians 1:15-18 KJV) He said ....IMMEDIATELY, I conferred not with flesh and blood.....but I went into ARABIA, and returned to DAMASCUS..... Then after THREE YEARS...... Can you see the secret of his growth? He was not running after God of men looking for deliverance and prosperity, he went to Arabia and did an intense study for three years! This is why most scholars agree that the time gab between his encounter in Act. 9:19a and Act. 9:19b was a space not less than three years! Paul was not looking for miracles! He wanted to know The Lord head-on. A remarkable thing is that as soon as he had that encounter, he denounced everything Jewish! He said it himself by saying Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (Philippians 3:5-8 KJV). Look at all he dropped AT ONCE: 1. Paul dropped his Jewish circumcision. Have you dropped your family tradition? Are you making a widespread consultation before denouncing them? Are you compromising with them? Tolerance can be dangerous! If this is what you are doing, Im sorry to say that you may never grow in The Lord! 2. Paul denounced his nationality! He took up that of Gods kingdom. Are you influenced by your nationality syndrome? Are you more proud of your natural nationality than that of the kingdom of God? If you are culture controlled, you will never grow in grace! You cant serve two masters! 3. Paul dropped his tribe as a Benjamite. Those who are still attached to their tribal culture are still in bondage. There are a lot of things in your culture that are harmless yet they are the things that hinder your progress in God. Are you still proud of being British, Yoruba, Igbo, Indian, etc.? You are in serious entanglement. Paul denounced his tribe that faithful day! 4. Paul denounced his breed! He used to call himself a Hebrew of the Hebrews. On that day on the road to Damascus, it was denounced. It was not a process. He said in verse 7, what THINGS were GAIN to me, those I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST! In verse 8 he went on saying .....DOUBTLESS, and I count ALL THINGS but LOSS for the excellency....... He went on and said .....I have SUFFERED the LOSS of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ.... They became DUNG! Are you are proud Yoruba man or Igbo or British man, you may not have had genuine salvation after all! 5. He denounced his religion. He rejected his pharisaicalness! Are you still into your family tradition and believes at the expense of Christ? You may likely not be saved. Am I hard on you? Im just being honest because I did this at my encounter. Freedom comes with a price, there is no such thing as free freedom! Paul went as far as speaking against his people and religion! He said Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (Philippians 3:2 KJV) he called his own religious people DOGS! He called them EVIL WORKERS! He called them CONCISION. He knew why one must be careful not to have been made a compromised Christian! He knew the dangers of compromise! Compromise pollutes and shifts one to the middle. You are neither hot nor cold in the realm of compromise! Paul told the Philippian church to run away from all these Jewish religiosity. He was once like them now in Christ he saw the danger in them! May God open your eyes to see the dangers inherent in those things you have compromised in! Ah! You are trying to play safe! Mar. 8:35. Now, where do you belong! For how long have you been there? What has kept you there? You only can honestly answer that question and ask God to help you walk your way up to where he has planned for you. you cant play Christianity! By their fruits you shall know them. The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13 KJV)
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:05:43 +0000
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