THE NATIONAL HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE
THEME: JESUS CHRIST: LORD OF THE NATIONS
THE KEYNOTE: CHRIST’S MISSION TO RE-ORDER THE WORLD
(KEYNOTE ADDRESS) 1991
Delivered by Bro. Enoch A. Agbozo

SYNOPSIS
This Keynote defines Christ’s mission as having spiritual and sociological significance for
re-ordering all human affairs according to God’s perfect will.

PREAMBLE
Blessed be the Most High God who in His rich mercies has given men everywhere life and
hope in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Lord and Saviour of the world.
Christ has been offered as God’s own sacrificial lamb for the remission of sins, for the
reconciliation of man with God and also as Spirit and Power for the re-ordering of human
affairs in accordance with the perfect will of God, so God’s will be done on earth as it is
in heaven. The coming of Jesus Christ on the human scene has therefore both of Spiritual
and Sociological significance.
Spiritually, God in or by Christ has not only established a new realm of peace and
fellowship with man, through the blood shed at Calvary, He has also offered man anew
spirit or new breath of life for the creation of man anew, and for the upliftment of man
from the image of God unto the very likeness of Himself, His own divine nature that is.
(Romans 8: 9-17, 29-30; John 1: 16; 1st John 3: 1-2). That is to say, Christ Jesus, divine
person and spirit has been presented by God as gift to man. He has come as divine spirit
to dwell with man – Emmanuel – so through Him man can establish a new basis of life.
This divine spirit or Christ is the basis, through faith, of righteousness and life, of
redemption and sanctification, of restoration and perfection. In Him, Christ Jesus, is the
wisdom and power of God revealed. Christ then is the open door into the divine to all who
believe. This is the hidden mystery which through worldly wisdom men could not and
cannot find.
In other words, the spiritual significance of Christ coming on the human scene, cannot
be confined to His sacrificial death on the Cross alone. It should also be viewed from His
very nature as divine person or spirit. In Him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead which
God manifested in human form. (Col. 1: 19; 1st Tim. 3: 16). The Bible further reveals that
as spirit, Christ is the spirit force behind and the very essence of creation (John 1: 1-3;
Col. 1: 16-17). He is Creator, Life-Spirit, Saviour, Redeemer and Perfector of man.
Sociologically, the new life spirit that Jesus Christ has introduced into the human scene
must by definition lead to a new life condition. For as in the first Adam, man’s
powerlessness, weakness, corruptibility, selfishness, and sin created a certain social
order so the Second Adam must introduce a new social order after its kind of peace,
righteousness, selflessness, sinlessness and joy. (Gal. 5: 16-23; Col. 3: 4-6). The
scriptures and experience have combined to prove that man’s encounter with Christ can
and does lead to tremendous and immense spiritual and social transformation. Indeed,
as we know, it is this spirit, the Christ Spirit that have propelled the mission and
consequential civilization enterprise.
INTRODUCTION
Thus, in four realms as divine person, as creator, as saviour and redeemer, and as spirit
and power for life, Jesus Christ can be described and honoured as God and Lord. His
Lordship can therefore be accepted and honoured by individuals, by families, by
communities, by nations and by peoples. For this was He manifested in the flesh, so
through Him as an open door, all mankind, nations and peoples, might enter into divine
rest – in peace, perfection, and prosperity. (John 10: 7-10; 2nd Cor. 5: 17).
As Saviour and Redeemer, He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world,
and the spirit and power of reconciliation and new and effective worship and fellowship
with God. In Hs redemptive spirit, man becomes regenerated and complete.
As spirit and power for life, Christ Jesus is the spirit and source of knowledge, wisdom
and power for life. It is He who won victory over sin, Satan and death. In His name,
therefore much can be wrought. Ask and do in my name. At His name, all knees bow. In
Him is life, love, peace and joy. In Him, we have victory in life circumstances. He is the
light and has appeared to liberated humanity from darkness and shadow of death.
Hallelujah! He has come to establish a Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness, of Love
and Justice.
This is the source of hope for all men, whether as individuals, corporate bodies, nations
or people. In other words, the blessings inherent in accepting and honouring Jesus Christ
as Lord can be enjoyed individually or corporately.
On the other hand, the scriptures reveal that the individual or peoples who reject Jesus
Christ, not only remain under the life-conditions of sin, death and powerlessness, not
only under the destructive power of Satan, but also under the wrath of God. They are a
people without hope. This is the sad state of affairs of all people and nations, who reject
God and His Christ, no matter that politico-economic, sociological, scientific and
technological advancement. They are characterized as we know by a life of darkness, i.e.
Ungodliness, evil, oppression, injustice and the shadow of death where violence, wars,
diseases, famine and calamities reign. The reason is simple, the combined working of
the weakness and wickedness of man, the wicked works of Satan and his demonic hosts
and human protégés, and the wrath of God. It is from this sad state of affairs that Christ
Jesus has appeared, to shed forth life and liberate, to send out His word and spirit to
renew and create things anew, to take dominion over the powers of darkness and evil and
bring total transformation of life, and usher in the abundant and kingdom life of peace,
righteousness and joy.
This He has done by His death on the cross and burial, His Resurrection and Ascension
and the pouring forth of His spirit on all flesh so through the Holy Spirit all who believe
can live in the newness of life, in knowledge and wisdom, in faith, love and hope, and the
power of the Holy Spirit.
By His act of obedience to the Father, God has also highly exalted Him and conferred or
delegated all authority to Him, so in His name alone is salvation, and redemption and
victory. Every authority is given Him in Heaven, on earth and under the earth. This seals
His position as Lord of all humanity and all nations. Of course, God has given man the
free-will of choice, to come under His domain or reject Him. Individuals as well as
nations are free to choose who their God should be. Thus, in Psalm 2, we are told that the
nations normally rage at the idea of Christ’s exalted position, kings and rulers reject
God’s rule. Accordingly, they take counsel against God and His Christ who holds the
secrets of God and the world in His hands. The truth of the matter is that God has given
the entire world, the nations of the world as inheritance unto His Son, Jesus Christ (Psalm
2: 7-9)
Accordingly, the powers that be, whether they like it or not, whether the acknowledge it
or not, hold their powers and position at the mercy of Jesus Christ. They are stewards of
Christ’s inheritance. They are His vessels.
“Now therefore, be wise, O kings
Be instructed, you judges of the earth
serve the Lord with fear….and rejoice with trembling,
kiss the Son, least he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his
wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2: 12-
12)
THE NEW ORDER
This clearly indicated that Christ’s coming or intervention in human affairs has divine
purpose – the establishment of a new order after God, in short, the Kingdom of God on
earth. It is a system of reconciliation and transformation of human relationship in
accordance with the will of God, or the law of God. It is a realm of the rejection and
unseating of the satanic powers and systems, and of the crowning of God and His Christ
as God, King and Lord of the world. God is Creator, Supreme Sovereign, but He rules the
world as of now in mercy and judgement. In the new order, He will rule in His Love and
Peace.
The critical factors in this respect are: (1) The Spirit of Christ as the God and spirit force
behind and justifier of all actions, and (2) The scriptures or the word of God as taught by
Himself, and through the apostles and prophets, as the only acceptable and ruling law
of the system. That is to say, encounter with Jesus Christ, believing and receiving Him
would and must automatically lead to the rejection of all gods hitherto, worshipped and
hence the rejection of all systems connected with the old deity (ies). It must also result
in the rejection of all prior-existing philosophies and value systems. Those will remain
which tally and are in perfect harmony with the revealed will of God, i.e. the scriptures.
This new system of human order of light and life, of victory and power, of love, and peace,
of righteousness and justice can generally be described as the Messianic Kingdom or the
Kingdom of Christ.
As stated earlier, the new order is for all peoples and nations, to accept or reject. Those
who do, acknowledge Jesus Christ as God, King and Lord. He becomes the reigning and
ruling spirit of reference point, the God, judge and justifier of all actions should be
confined only to spiritual, church, or ecclesiastical affairs. It is a transcendental concept
applicable in all human conduct. Therein is the significance of Jesus Christ as judge of
the whole world. The Father has given Him the authority and power to subject all things,
i.e. bring every thought into captivity and obedience to Him. Accordingly, we can
undertake a brief examination of three basic areas where the new order will affect: –
1. The Spiritual and Religious Order
2. The Politico-Economic Order
3. The Socio-Cultural Order
THE SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS ORDER
Under this regime, Christ Jesus is acknowledged, honoured and exalted as God and Lord,
The Way, Truth and Life under God. The people not only acknowledge and accept God
the Creator, as supreme being and worthy of worship and service, they accept the unique
position of Jesus Christ as Saviour, Mediator and Heir to God. Such acknowledgement is
to the total exclusion of all other spirits and powers, or gods outside the Trinity.
The overthrow of other deities, or abandonment of idolatry, on the one hand will bring
reconciliation and peace with God, Christ being the sent out one of God to reconcile the
world with Him. On the other hand, it will please God and cause Him to shower His
blessings upon the people concerned. “Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah, and
the people He has chosen as His inheritance.”
This will imply automatic changes in the religion, belief systems, culture generally of the
people. The Word of God or the scriptures will be adopted as the only basis of salvation,
faith and life. The Christian faith and the church will play a very significant role in the life
of the people. It is from this angle, therefore that we suggest African nations, like all
peoples everywhere that encounter Jesus Christ, need to examine the spiritual and
religious belief systems and practices. We must do so, not simply because the Christian
faith and practices present a better, civilized or modernized system of religious life, we
do so because Christ is God, and Lord. What He has taught is the Truth and Life. Besides,
the rejection of Him brings woe and damnation upon people.
In any case, whatever happens, judgement awaits all people who reject Jesus Christ and
the way of salvation He has established for all humanity. It is God’s wish therefore that
all nations and peoples should come to the knowledge of the Truth, so they can take full
advantage of the hidden mystery of God in Christ Jesus. (Isaiah 11: 9; 1st Cor. 1: 24, 30-
31).
Hence, the Great Commission of the church. The church mission is to preach the Good
News, open eyes, liberate people and transfer faith from the power of Satan to God, from
wisdom of men to God and bring all peoples under Jesus Christ as King and Lord.
THE POLITICO-ECONOMIC ORDER
The pre-eminence of Jesus Christ in spiritual and religious matters of the New Order can
and must also reflect in the political and economic spheres of life. Fundamental to it all
is that Jesus Christ is God and Sovereign. He is King of kings and Lord of Lords. As God,
and from the human perspective the Chief Heir of God, all owe allegiance to Him,
individually and corporately. Accordingly, every earthly sovereignty is subordinate to the
sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Every throne or dominion, every kingdom or rule is subject to
Him.
Second, all power belongs to God. He is the Creator, Supreme Authority in the universe.
He is the Father of all spirits. The Bible says in Psalm 24; The earth and its fullness belong
to Him. So also, all that dwell therein. That is to say, all the spiritual, elemental, human
and natural resources belong to Him. They are held and can only be held at the mercy of
God and in Trust for Jesus Christ to whom the Father has bestowed all authority and
power and a name above all. Everybody, therefore, in whatever status in life is
accountable to Jesus Christ for the power and wealth under their control.
Let me explain power and wealth here. The power of the human spirit, the creative ability
and capacity of the human mind, the brute physical force or strength, in man and beasts,
these are all powers. They are also riches and wealth as the riches and wealth in the
forests, rivers and seas, the earth’s crust and the elements. All these are the creative
resources base for man and his happy dwelling on the earth. Those powers are distinct
from the power of authority where men and spirits by virtue of divine or natural election,
divine grace in social evolution, exercise authority, control or influence over their fellow
creation. It is from this divine ordained power base that man exercise political, economic
and social influence over their neighbors and other creation.
Now what politics and economics are primarily about is the exercise or use of power and
wealth available for the welfare of the individual as well as general well-being of the
community, nation or society. Be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth was God’s
commandment to Adam and Eve. Whilst politics seeks to bring order and control in
political relations and government so there be orderly, lawful, righteous and just behavior
in the pursuit of personal happiness and the social good, economics is concerned with
how to create and harness wealth for the well-being, happiness and progress and
prosperity of all.
POLITICAL POWER
Basically, political authority and power are held in trust from God who is Creator,
Supreme Being, King and final authority and power commands obedience, respect, and
honour from His creation. Besides, He alone knows the ultimate good and interest,
purpose and end of His creation. Accordingly, it is He who must direct the exercise of
political authority and direction of the use of political power.
In short, political authority and power is delegated authority from Jesus Christ, the
Saviour and Redeemer, Prince of Peace. All political office holders, whether as prince, or
governor, military leader, judge or administrator, do so on behalf of Jesus Christ, God and
King. They are accountable to Him.
Accordingly, the exercise of political power can only be within the prescribed terms of
Jesus Christ, the ultimate authority and power. The governor makes laws, prescribes
rules and expects obedience within the context of the Divine Will and Law. The individual
citizen on the other hand pursues his interests, rights and well-being within the same
context, having in mind the overall well-being of his neighbour. In doing so, all will be
seeking the furtherance of the Divine Will which for our purposes is the promotion and
protection of the welfare of the people in the spirit of Peace, Righteousness and Justice.
It goes without saying therefore that the Revealed Will of God in the scriptures will in short
become the fundamental law of the land.
For, from the scriptures will the governor derive his authority and power, and upon it also
the citizens will base his rights and privileges and reason for obedience and general
political conduct. In other words, both the governor and citizen are subject to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ as the origin and ultimate authority behind the Law. God gave
Isaiah a vision of the ultimate emergence of the DIVINE LAW, and for that matter Christ
as the ultimate and presiding reference point in human conduct when he wrote:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall
be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all
nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will
walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem.”
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea”.
(Isaiah 2:1-5; 11:9)
In other words, to the extent that power is derived from God, Jesus Christ’s agenda
should be the primary and fundamental area and direction of political conduct and
activity. Jesus taught this, Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and
God who commands all power and wealth will make all other efforts flourish and prosper.
From the Christian perspective therefore, social and economic rights and material
prosperity are not crucial as Peace, Righteousness and Justice Society. The Kingdom of
God and His Christ is a Kingdom of Righteousness.
“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever;
The scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter”
(Psalm 45:6)
But these cannot prevail except in an atmosphere of the knowledge and fear of God,
respect for the preciousness of the human soul, and respect for law and order. We do
not intend to engage in any discussion of the political theory and agenda prevailing in the
world in this paper. But suffice to say that the Lordship of Jesus Christ in national affairs
implies the debunking of the modern theory of the state, which victuals God, not a God,
but God of the state. In present practice, even under so-called democratic regimes, the
state apparatus is run as though the state is the source of life, power, wealth and even
knowledge.
Life is held at the mercy of a dictator, usually a military officer or party functionary.
Citizens’ rights are privileges extended by the political party policy makers. As privileges,
they can be withdrawn at any time in a bogus and fraudulent translation or formulation
of the public interest, as if to say, the forests make the trees and not the trees the forest.
So, you can sacrifice the trees to shape the forest to taste.
It may be appreciated from the above brief consideration of political practice to-date, the
critical importance of the knowledge and fear of God for good, lawful, righteous and
beneficial government. For example, there is nothing inherently good in democracy or
monarchy, partyism or dictatorship that is in forms of government outside the spirit, mind
and heart of those who run the system. Politics has nothing inherently evil about it except
that the selfish and wicked pretensions of man nearly always are evil and evil rules the
day.
That is why, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the nations must of necessity make
adequate provision for the inculcation of the knowledge and fear of God, the love of God
which the Holy Spirit imparts into the believer, and the proper worship and service in
religious education and social conduct.
In saying this, we must caution against the academic or rote study of scriptures without
a corresponding meaningful development of true relationship with Jesus Christ. The
letter killeth but the Spirit gives life. Jesus Christ is the Spirit behind the scriptures. To
know the Word without Christ is fraught with much danger, indeed death.
Finally, let me say in our discussion of political action, that power without knowledge is
anarchy. Power without love is tyranny, and authority without compassion is death. The
truth is that knowledge, wisdom, love and compassion come from God, attributes which
the righteous or persons in good relationship with Jesus Christ exhibit by definition. On
the other hand, the ruler who rejects God or Jesus Christ in his mind, however wise,
benign or charitable cannot simply contend with the evil forces that inevitably rise up
against the good and well-being of man. A good man soon turns wicked because of fear,
the oppression of the evil one, or the pervading forces of self-preservation.
ECONOMIC POWER
This brings me to the active concern of economic power which generally speaking, is
more widespread in Society than the exercise of political power. Every citizen is a
labourer and worker exercising his economic power of work-effort to provide for his/her
livelihood and the general well-being of society. The human working power and the other
natural resources which constitute the wealth of a nation are the creation of God. No
one has created his own mind or faculties, so also the physical and material, including
mineral resources of the land. Everyone is therefore a STEWARD of the economic
resources – mental, physical and material – at his command and hence the products
derived there from.
The command of economic power is therefore a highly responsible task, considering not
so much the risks involved as the important issue of its direct impact on the day-to-day
lives and well-being of people whose welfare and happiness are the direct concern of
their Creator. The souls of fellow citizens are very precious in the sight of God. He is also
concerned about living conditions in society. Daily, the poor and needy, the sick and
afflicted, the rich and strong as well as the oppressed and deprived cry out to Him. Since
talents and gifts, financial and material resources, economic power in short is unevenly
distributed in society, God cannot but be highly interested in resource use and
distribution of the wealth of the nation, with special attention to the poor and needy in
society.
In this connection, government taxation policy and economic policy in general can be a
reflection of the Divine concern for the poor, needy and less fortunate as distinct from
military, security and other social objectives. However, primary responsibility for
righteousness and justice in the creation and distribution of wealth rests with the
individual citizenry since governments by definition can only deal with broad policies and
application. It is the citizenry spread around the various realms and sectors of the
economy who can respond to the personal and crying needs around them.
In other words, the full benefit of economic power for the individual as well as society is
possible only within the context of
i. individual or personal freedom and liberty in decision-making,
ii. in the love, knowledge and fear of God so the individual as well as society does
not provoke the wrath of God
iii. in the love of the neighbour and
iv. in the spirit of peace, righteousness and justice in society.
In this connection, the market economy or the system of free exchange of goods and
services has been created by man to meet the realities of uneven distribution of
endowments, human inadequacies and individual and household preferences. The
market system is also necessary in a growing population, if the expanding and complex
needs of society and the well-being of all citizens can be met.
Accordingly, the market system is a necessary institution for citizens to place their
natural endowments or economic power at the feet of society for the full benefit and wellbeing of all, for the glory of God who blessed them with the power in the first place. That
is to say, the market is an institutional opportunity for the individual citizen to use their
endowments for the benefit of all and also to play their full and meaningful part in
society’s co-operative effort to subdue nature, multiply and replenish the earth.
It may be appreciated in this context the dangers inherent in the capitalist market system
where profit and satisfaction maximization are the sole objective or rationale in engaging
in the market system. The basic problem with this system is the highly selfish and
individualistic approach to life. Exalting selfishness in sinful man as it is, promotes
serious abuse of power, cheating, fraud and exploitation, in short unrighteousness and
injustices.
It is not surprising therefore that the capitalist market system is so unstable, fraught with
disputes, human suffering and pain. I am personally convinced that the main cause of
the cyclical nature of the capitalist market systems Divine intervention with judgement
upon the wicked, hypocritical and oppressive pretensions of that system. It may be
appreciated why in the Old Testament, God gave directions on economic activities (Lev.
19:9-10, 13, 35-37). The prophets always came down in the fury of the Spirit of the Lord
to denounce any activities of dishonesty, exploitation and oppression (Micah 6:9-15).
Similarly, in the New Testament, both Jesus and the apostles denounced craftiness,
dishonesty, unjust gain, oppression and exploitation, in short unrighteousness in the
marketplace (James…
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as
it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the
labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth:
and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton; ye have nourished
your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he
doth not resist you.”
As Christians, we are guided by two basic laws in human relations:
• Love thy neighbor as thyself
• Do unto others as ye would like others do unto you.
We are aware that the present market system is a highly controlled system with a few
enjoying the bulk of the world’s wealth. There can be no peace and widespread
prosperity and progress until God by His judgement brings all to an end. Of course, we
can change the situation by accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which definition
means Death to Self, Righteous and Honest Life, and True love relations in society, with
the Holy Spirit as Law, guide and control.
Let us conclude with one basic principle
• Economic – individual affairs
• Individuals – (i) accepting Jesus as God and Lord.
ii) accepting Love, Honesty and Righteousness as basis of pursuit
of personal happiness and progress.
iii) willing to be neighbor’s keeper – the spirit of sharing concern.
The state or government role will be then minimal in economic affairs – regulatory mainly.
Watch out for unjust combination of Political and Economic Power of Rule.
SOCIAL ORDER
Under the social realm, we want to consider all aspects of human and societal life
outside spiritual and religion, political and economic human relations and conduct.
The fundamental issues again are:
• The Lordship of Jesus Christ.
• The position of the scriptures and personal and social philosophy.
• The Love of neighbour and co-operative spirit in the pursuit of personal happiness
and social good.
• The dependence upon and control of the Holy Spirit in determining and settling
issues of life – in the home, in the city and on the streets.
CHRIST MISSION RE: THE NEW ORDER
✓ The Mission Defined – Isaiah 9:6-7
✓ The Mission explained – Is. 61:1 – 6 (spirit for movement and
Emancipation)
✓ The Order unfolded – Isaiah 11
✓ The Goal of the New Order – John 10:10
✓ The human basis: THE NEW MAN – John 1:3-5
– John 1:12-13
– Romans 8:4
✓ The Power Base – Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8
✓ The New Order for all people and
nations – Acts 2
What must we do to be saved?
• Let us believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST
• Let us call upon Him
• Ask for direction, wisdom, power and strength
THERE IS HOPE