THEME: THE DIVINE CALL TO FAITHFULNESS, THE TRANSFORMATION OF NATURE, AND THE SUPREME LIGHT OF CHRIST 

When the Lord Jesus Christ called me unto Him and the service—of the Triune God, His Church, our country, Africa, the nations of the world, humanity and creation as a whole—He impressed upon me the need for faithfulness in His service and life. 

In the course of our engagements, Jesus and His servant you know, Revelation 2:8-10, 1st Corinthians 4: 1-9, and John 4: 34-36, became three important scriptures from which we have drawn strength and guidance for service, whether it be service in the church, service in the public services, or service in society and life in general. 

The truth is that there are many challenges—not least of which is the betrayal by men and women, and the works and darts of spirits and powers reigning, ruling, and running the world systems. In the human spirit, body, and mind—within marriage, in the family, and in church, in the workplace, market, and society—man is set to meet and contend with challenges. Yet, according to the Lord, the challenges, difficulties, indignities, reproach, and life-threatening situations we face when we seek after righteousness and pursue holiness and faithfulness to God, His Kingdom and His Righteousness on earth—all give sweet fragrance to life story. (Romans 8: 16-18)  

It is critical, in this direction therefore, for Christians—particularly Christian leaders and ministers called to ‘build and plant, overthrow and establish’—to seek not merely to be focused, but to be faithful unto the end. The call is a heavenly call. Unless one keeps deep and steady contact with Jesus Christ, unless one walks consistently in holiness, righteousness, and obedience with the Holy Spirit in consistent prayer, fasting—and waiting with patience and endurance for direction from Christ the Master and sometimes the Father, one will not but slip away in darkness, in self-delusion, and fall into satanic deception and human passion in the pursuit of gain, happiness, and vain glory. And all that is Death. 

For this reason, the Old Testament sought to assist the chosen people of God, Israel, with the law and commandments to guide, keep, and help to maintain righteousness through obedience. This was further buttressed by four other constructs or pillars: the Love of God with all the heart, mind, and might, the Love of Neighbor as oneself, the Worship of God alone, and Observance of the Directives and Counsel of the Prophets.   

In Israel, the nation and people of God, the King, the Prophet and the High Priest were key figures granted direct access to the Almighty God to ensure that the people of God—not only maintain the purity, integrity, credibility, and distinctive character as people of God—but also do not stray away from the law, commandments, light, way, and the knowledge and worship of the True God alone. The leaders were specially equipped for the service of God and people. The Law and Statutes of Israel therefore, constituted the essential spiritual underpinning of the political and social order and culture of the Hebrew people. That is to say, the Hebrew cultural order and identity have a heavenly Divine root, stem, and guiding light upholding conduct, and social stability. 

The New Testament, on the other hand as Jesus put it has come to fulfill the heavenly Divine vision and mission intended for the human race as a whole, set in place via the Hebrew people. This has been done in three major ways. The Law as basis, measure, and hope for righteousness has been replaced by Faith in Christ, and not obedience of the law as such (Romans 3: 19-26; 10: 1-13; 2nd Corinthians 5: 21).  Hence, it is said salvation in the New Covenant is by grace through faith, not of works (Eph. 2: 8-10). The grace of God open to all men through faith in Christ (John 1; Romans 3; Ephesians 2) has simultaneously opened the door of eternal life, peace, liberty, and joy everlasting to all who believe. 

Now that the law has been replaced by grace and righteousness by faith in Christ.  Peace, Life, Liberty, and Joy everlasting is the harvest or abundant life. Not only is salvation affirmed in the remission of sins through the new blood covenant (1st Corinth. 11: 25), spiritual liberty, and joy are now a reality (Rom. 8: 1-4; John 8: 28-36).  This notwithstanding, the Lord has made provision for keeping the saints from abusing the new life of Peace, Righteousness, Love, Liberty, Joy, and Eternal Life by first Open Provision and Proclamation of the Word of God—the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. The provision of the Word of God—the Word of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as related, inspired, written, and delivered by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles, Prophets and Jesus Christ Himself (2nd Pet. 1: 19-21; 2nd Tim. 2: 16-17; John 6: 53-63; Eph. 2: 20) can be—treated as the spiritual framework, dimensions, boundaries, and landmarks of the Ark and Light of God—which is Christ the Lord for the world of darkness and death. 

Now the greatest and most critical phenomenon of the New Testament is that believers are born anew. By believing, accepting, and receiving the Spirit of Christ that follows, and is indeed released free and available in the Word of Truth, to believe and receive in the heart and confess Christ (Rom. 10:8-10; Eph. 1: 9-14) is the Way of Salvation, and New Birth the Spirit of Christ received is sealed in the heart by the Holy Spirit to guarantee the new standing and nature. 

The sealing of the heart into which Christ has come with the Holy Spirit is further consolidated with the baptism, filling, impartation of spiritual gifts, and unction of the Holy Spirit for the witness of Christ, for the work of the ministry and above all for living the holy, righteous and faithful life through the workings of the Christ indwelling the human heart, soul, and being. 

The New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are critical for advancement and establishment of the Born Again not into a ‘high moral life’ and personality but a totally new nature, life’ and personality—the life in and of divine nature, inheritance and glory (John 1: 16; 2nd Corinth. 3: 18; Rom. 8: 9-17, 28-33-; Eph. 4:13; Col. 1: 27). 

Perhaps it might be necessary to point out clearly here that the Christ dimension of the Creator’s love, concern, hope and interest in the affairs of men and the rest of creation (John 3: 16; Eph. 1: 4-10) is of a great significance to the Gentile nations. This includes one important group of people in the God-Man-Satan drama, the African. In Christ, the African and all men of the Arab world and the whole of the Gentile nations are brought into Divine Inheritance and Glory (Isa. 42: 1-13; Acts 26: 18).  

Those Africans who study not the Scripture, nor take a good account of history—Church history as well as world history—and have not tasted the love and reality of God—have condemned the Scriptures and treated the Christian Faith as a ‘white man’s religion.’ With all due respect to such learned people, great scholars included, and yet without mincing words, such positions and their concomitant spiritual, religious, philosophical, and political stances are the result of outright satanic deception, or, at best, they proceed from the blind, darkened, and disobedient hearts of men.  Of course, the Scriptures are clear about such developments.    

The Bible reveals that evil men hate light, or most particularly the Light from Heaven. They prefer darkness. This group of people includes many religious people; some are in the Church. They seem to believe that all light is— light, that charcoal light is equal to electric light, and that electric light is the same as sunlight.  Do moonlight and light from the stars perform the same function with the same and equal effect as sunlight?  The Bible teaches that the Light of John the Baptist (a prophet) cannot be compared to that Light which is Christ. That the light of the sun and moon are not indeed in the everlasting city of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem not built with hands. The Light of Christ shall be all sufficient. Indeed, there will be no need for religious arrangements or Temple worship in heaven where Christ is the Reigning Light (Rev. 21: 22-24). 

It may be appreciated in this connection, the critical importance of faithfulness in the Christian calling to Christ, the Truth, True Worship, and Church Mission and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the service of God and man, peoples, nations, and the world. 

In Part II, we shall attempt to show not the prostitution of the word, gifts, callings, ministry and church mission common to-day but actual departures from Christ, the Truth, the Faith, and Church Mission in the world.  

January 12, 2012