Faith and glory of the faith. part 1
SERMON TITLE: FAITH AND THE GLORY OF THE FAITH
Part 1
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SYNOPSIS
The law which should have been the basis of Salvation became the tool for
human condemnation and therefore Jesus had to come and establish a better
system of redemption through the sacrifice of his own blood. Being born again
offers us a new life and we rise in glory and perfection having knowledge of the
full stature of who Christ is.
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TRANSCRIPTS
Praise, ye the Lord. Beloved, glory to God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, our
God and King and the Holy Spirit, the Friend and Companion, Supervisor and
fellow worker in the worship and service of God, life and conduct and social order
in the world.
Yesterday, we had a landmark experience discussing the topic, the meaning and
significance of salvation. We were led to understand the nature, purpose and
works of salvation as initiated and set in motion, or in place by God the Creator
for all who believe in Him and would want to worship Him and conduct their
affairs in the knowledge of Him, His will and eternal plans for the human race
and the rest of creation, even His creation. We noted in this regard that the gospel
message in John 3:16, that is, for God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have
everlasting life. This basic gospel message is central to what we describe as the
divine salvation package. We observe that the hope of salvation, which is of God
the Creator is faith in Jesus Christ, His teachings and His works. That without
faith in Jesus Christ, acceptance, respect and observance of His teachings and
works, there can be no basis and hope of salvation and redemption of man and an
acceptable and meaningful worship of the Creator.
We demonstrated yesterday that forms of worship are not important, but the
central issue is who is the spirit being honored. Is it Jesus Christ? Is it an angel?
Is it the spirit of a human being? Is it a demon? Who is the spirit that is being
honored? Shall we say even in the name, so-called name of God? There are many
churches, there are many religions, there are many gatherings and yesterday we
made the announcement and declared that any such gathering, any religious
activity, any worship system that does not recognize Jesus Christ has no basis of
calling itself a faith of God because God has appointed only one man by which
the human race shall be saved and there is only one way by which that salvation
shall come. That faith in that one man, whose name is Jesus Christ. That any other
proposition, any other arrangement and any other spirit that shows itself as if it
were a mediator or in a way a representative or a prophet or an apostle or whatever
of God is a liar.
Jesus said those who came before him, there were many that were liars. Therefore,
the people did not follow them, but he had come that people might have life and
have it more abundantly. Today there are followers of those who were of the lying
nature, those that the people did not receive, those that did not have opportunity
before the presence of God and those that God himself has identified as idols,
demons, rebellious and disobedient spirits and have been cast out of heaven, and
in the case of man have been cast out of the Garden of Eden. People that are of
spirits and powers that have nothing to do with God the creator.
God has appointed only one man to be the mediator between man and God and
that one man is not a human being, but God himself has taken himself as a human
being to be the mediator to himself. The Bible says God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself. And the Bible therefore declares even by the mouth of
the son himself that he is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes unto
the father, but by him. He told the disciple if you have found me, you have found
the father. If you want to know the father, here I am. It is enough to know me. I
am sufficient for you myself. It’s not a false claim because the father himself said
this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.
Therefore, there is an agreement between the father and the son. John the Baptist
declared that except it was given to him, he could not have made such
declarations, and the Holy Spirit was given to him without measure. Hallelujah.
In any case, before he John came, Jesus was. And Jesus said before Abraham was,
he is, or he was. Therefore, there is no question that somebody can take allegiance
from Abraham or any other spirit of power that can claim….
I say whether it’s a spirit from heaven or a spirit from the sea, a spirit from the
forest, a spirit that spits fire or makes fire come from heaven, it is a liar. And I
declare on this grounds that the mouth of the liars will cease tonight in the name
of Jehovah. The flatterers, the deceivers, the trotro and taxi pastors and apostles
and religious leaders who today take anybody, anyhow, anywhere is ceased.
Whether you agree or not, I say it is decreed it is ceased.
Yesterday I told you that it is not just one man or a group of people accepting
God, but Christ can be accepted on behalf of the whole nation, and this is what
Ghana Evangelical Society and the church in Ghana has done. We have stood on
behalf of the Almighty and we have stood on behalf of all men in Ghana, the
church and government of Ghana, and we have reconciled Ghana. Therefore,
Ghana is the purchased possession by the blood of the Lamb, by the working
power of the Holy Spirit before God and therefore, there is no spirit that can
succeed in this nation. There is no power that can take over the nation anymore.
We declare and decree. Today you are not decreeing. Jesus Christ has decreed it
already. Hallelujah but we affirm the declaration and decree that nothing of any
other spirit, power, system, religious power or system can succeed. We decree
and stop their mouths.
Ghana has accepted only Jesus Christ as mediator. When I was coming this
evening, I saw a book written by one Dr. Professor Yaw Owusu, a Baptist pastor,
that was saying that Ghana and Africa should adopt Nkrumah’s philosophy of a
religious paradigm for the reconstruction of Africa and I said, this Baptist pastor
has gone missing. He’s got missing in the wilderness. He’s lost.
How can Nkrumah teach us a religious system? There’s only one religious system
that is accurate.
Salvation is by grace, in whom? And what? The sacrifice that was made on the
cross. Jesus said, it’s not of works but by grace. God has appointed that man
should live according to the purpose of God, which he ordained before the
foundations of the world. The system of salvation, the system of human
redemption, the system of restoration of man, the system of reconstruction and
reorganization of human society has already been arranged in heaven. When man
sinned in the Garden of Eden, God set things in motion and Jesus appeared and
brought order. There cannot be any alternative.
This is why the learned theologians are confused because they don’t even know
Jesus Christ. They don’t know the message of Christ. Jesus Christ is not a
religious proposition and therefore you cannot present another religious
proposition vis-a-vis the Christian faith. Christ does not come to present religion.
Christ comes to offer himself as the mediator, as the salvation, as the redemption,
as the righteousness, as the eternal life and as the eternal glory for man. Period.
And there’s no other preposition. Amen.
I want to suggest that if you are believing in Jesus Christ, then you have found
the real life. He said, “I am the way, I am truth and I am life. Amen
And social reconstruction shall be according to the works ordained by God. The
Bible says the steps of the righteous are ordered by God. So, you cannot tell me
that the theory of socialism from African humanism is sufficient for
reconstruction. A pastor with a degree, a professor of theology or whatever he
calls himself, tells the whole world and tells Africa that Africa shall abandon the
salvation that is the true faith in Jesus Christ and attempt salvation or social
reconstruction according to some theory of Nkrumah and traditional religion and
humanistic socialist theories mixed back. What a Confucianist These are the false
prophets and the false redeemers. Jesus said, these are false Christs that shall
come up. They will tell you another way. And if you see them there, don’t follow
them. That professor or Doctor Yaw Owusu is a Confucianist.
Any pastor that is preaching another gospel is a Confucianist. Every pastor that
does not think that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator and the only one by whom
men shall be saved is a Confucianist. I’m not talking about religion. I’m talking
about life. I’m talking about the soul of man and finding rest.
Jesus said I am the way. Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden and I’ll
give you rest. Rest unto your souls. Who can make such a claim? I am not angry
but when people want to fool you by their learnings, the Bible says it doesn’t take
the wisdom of the world to find Christ. The preaching of the gospel is foolishness
to them to that Perish. That’s why I’m saying if you have found a church where
theologians, pastors, ministers, archbishop or bishops are running around, they
are just deceiving you and they are sending you to hell so get out of such places
in the name of Jesus and don’t follow any religious guru. I declare and decree on
these grounds in the name of Jesus.
We noted in this respect that the salvation that is of God is essentially a spiritual
proposition that hinges on three things. Number one, trust in God through faith
in Jesus Christ If you want that salvation that is of God. there can be salvation
that is of man. There can be a salvation that is of Satan. There can be a salvation
that is of God. There can be a salvation of a man or a spirit that drinks blood but
the salvation that is of God, the creator, is essentially trust in Him through faith
in Jesus Christ.
Number two, it requires the acceptance of the proposition of the blood of
Christ for remission of sins. You must accept the central issue of the blood that
was shed for remission of sins. Without the shedding of the blood, not the blood
of a goat, not the blood of animals, not the blood of a ram, not the blood of a
snake, not the blood of another human being, but the blood that was shed once
and for all, for all generations before, during, and after Jesus Christ, that one blood
is sufficient for all generations and all times.
He said he’s omnipresent. Therefore, he was there when sin started in the Garden
of Eden, when he made provision in that, and when the fullness of time came, he
provided that proposition, that blood, for the remission of sins in himself, by
himself and that is the only way that there can be remission of sins. That’s the
only way that can be re-entry or bring a new fellowship with the almighty God.
Hallelujah. Without the shedding of blood, and not any blood, but the blood of
Jesus Christ. That is the basis of the new covenant that the church teaches. Amen.
Number three, it hinges on the acceptance and receiving of the spirit of
Christ into the inner being of the believer.
Number one, you must believe that you are a sinner, and you need God, and you
want to worship God. And the Bible says if you want to worship God, there’s a
mediator who can stand in for you. His name is Jesus.
Number two, this mediator, what did he do? He shed his blood on Calvary cross
for you, accept it. If you do that, you have followed step number two. Step number
three, that then you must be born again. You must receive who into yourself?
Christ. So that your life will be based not upon yourself or your spirit, which is a
sinful spirit, but now your life shall be based on the Christ spirit that you have
received. This serves as a basis of reconnection with God, or better still,
reconnection with the spirit of God the Father and this is the basis of the eternal
life promise.
If the Bible says, for God’s whole of the world, and the promise eternal life, the
eternal life is the spirit of Christ that you have received. That is the basis, because
he is the light and life and he’s the tree of life. He’s the one that can grant you
dispensation to receive eternal life. A spirit that is sinless, because flesh and blood
cannot enter the kingdom. His spirit is sinless, and his spirit can make entrance.
So, his spirit is the key to the kingdom of heaven. It is not Peter having a key to
open the gates of heaven. It is the faith in Christ and receiving of Christ. That is
the key to the kingdom of heaven.
The significance of the remission of sins, the cancellation of condemnation and
regeneration of the new birth of the believer, is that the believer is born anew, or
afresh spiritually, and brought into the divine nature, a spirit power system as son
or daughter of God. This is the basis. In this regard, entry into the inheritance of
the riches of God, which is in Christ Jesus. If you are born again afresh by the
spirit of Christ, the heavenly door is open to you. You have fellowship with God,
because there’s reconnection with God and then, since you have received Christ
in you, then you have gained an entrance into the inheritance of the riches of God,
which are found and are available in Jesus Christ. Freely you receive. It’s freely
given. You don’t have to work for it. Just believe.
So, beloved, I’m saying that the riches in Christ, or the riches of God in Christ, is
this entrance that you make into the divine nature. We learnT yesterday that the
inheritance of the riches in Christ includes not only the authority, power, and
glory as child of God, but also a standing in Christ. Yesterday, we discussed this
standing in Christ. He said he has been highly exalted on the right-hand side of
heaven, and we are in him. He’s been given a name above every name. He’s now
standing above every principality and power. Ephesians 2 tells us that this is in
the church. He transmitted that position into the church and by talking of that, the
church is also exalted to stand in higher places. In the name of Jesus, you can
speak.
As I said just now that we are crossing a river, and though the Red Sea will
swallow the false chariots that are chasing the true children of Israel into the
promised land, God has brought salvation through faith. The church is prospering
and false teachers, and false prophets, and liars, and pretenders, and hypocrites
have entered the church, and they are now wanting to take advantage and divert
the glory of God for themselves or for their gods that they worship behind the
scenes. Today, we cast out those powers, in the name of Jehovah. We are
assuming the position of Christ, and we are standing in Christ to declare that these
people will be swallowed in the Red Sea. If you agree with me, say Amen.
I’m talking about your standing in Christ as a child of God. So, you are not a son
of God, but you are also now standing where Christ stood, where angels fear to
tread. Because angels are not given the authority to be children of the Most High.
They are ministering spirits. But we are children of the Most High, and we have
taken on Christ and Christ is the one that created the angels. So, I don’t go to
church and ask for angels to minister to me. If the angels are ministering to me,
okay. But I don’t worship angels and angels are only there at my bidding. I
declare, and the angels will follow. So, I don’t go and worship an angel. If you go
to a church where they are worshipping angels, they say, oh, today the angels are
not coming.” Then they are fallen angels who are coming to deceive you. Don’t
go to a place where fallen angels have been worshipped because fallen angels
have been rejected, and they have no entrance in the mercy side or the righteous
side of the kingdom of God. They are on the judgment side of the kingdom.
Therefore, don’t follow them anymore in the name of Jesus.
In and with Christ, in the riches and glory of sonship, as well as His exalted
position as Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King, and the restorer of the human lost
glory and Lord of creation, including angels, all things, principalities and powers,
and all men, and His reign and rule of the universe is where we are standing with
Him, and we are instruments and vessels of hope for the establishment of His
righteousness and His reign and rule on earth. That is why I was telling the pastor
that it is not Nkrumah religious construct, but it’s Jesus Christ who reigns and
rules in the affairs of men, and who alone can rule all the human affairs that is
pleasing to heaven and acceptable on earth.
All other systems are rebellious and unacceptable. They may please the foolish
human blind passions, but they do not lead to eternal life and light.
Brethren, don’t follow such false prophets and wicked liars. The position of Jesus
Christ gives eloquent and powerful credence to the study of the believer as child
of God, and servant of the Most High, and joint heir with Jesus Christ, the King
of glory, who reigns and rules the earth. The exalted position of Jesus Christ and
the entrance made into Christ through faith in Christ gives credence to our
position as son of God and servant of the Most High. Agents and vessels of hope
of Jesus Christ in the affairs of creation, not just affairs of man, but in the affairs
of creation, and that gives us authority to reorder things, and they shall be
established according to the will and purposes of God.
Any other system is rebellious, is disobedient, and cannot last, and will never last
but permanency is only in Christ. He said, “all things shall pass away, but what
shall abide? The word of God.” and the word of God is Christ, in written form.
So, all the propositions of men and speech and powers have no hope.
I have always attempted to say the life of a man lasts only 70 years, because you
believe on man as God, and that is the end of it. So, beloved, don’t believe these
lies and wicked people that want to destroy your faith in Jesus Christ or try to
take you out of the salvation. We have learned of the meaning and significance
of your salvation, the remission of sins, your rise into sonship and become joint
heir with Christ, assuming a position of authority to reign and rule with Christ.
This is the new thing, and you have authority upon that basis to transform human
society and reconstruct society to the praise and glory of God. Let the church say,
Amen.
What is the faith we are talking about? In today’s discussion, we want to define
more clearly the nature and structure of the Christian faith under the topic, “the
faith and glory of the faith.” We may remember that apart from the divine
salvation package, the Christian faith embodies all the teachings and practices of
the apostles and prophets of old, in addition to the teachings and works of Jesus
Christ, the Lord. The prophets and the apostles speak by the unction of Jesus
Christ through the Holy Spirit and therefore, Jesus, from the beginning to the end,
has been the spirit that has been in control of the affairs of Christians.
He said there is not anything that was made without him So, anything that has
stood and is standing, Christ was there and is there. Therefore, you cannot say he
was not there when Abraham was, or he was not there when Elijah was, or he was
not there when Isaiah was. 400 years before, Isaiah prophesied about who would
be coming but Jesus was the one who gave Isaiah the vision that he would be
coming and he described how he was going to suffer in Isaiah chapter 53. It was
Isaiah who said his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It was Isaiah who gave his name Emmanuel.
You would see that Isaiah wrote 400 years before Jesus came. Jesus was at the
beginning, at creation. In the beginning, the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord
hovered over the things and God said, let there be light, but the Bible says that
there was not anything that was made without Christ. He is the author of creation
and the spirit behind creation and creation is his glory. Therefore, Jesus has stood
and ever will stand.
Beloved, in this regard, we can amount the Christian faith as one. The spiritual
background of sin. The Christian faith has come in the context of a spiritual
background of the sin of man or disobedience of man and the wicked works of
Satan against God and therefore, the need for repentance towards God through
faith in Jesus Christ. If there is no acceptance of sin, or disobedience against God,
or rebellion against God, or disregard against God, or living a life as if God does
not exist or thinking that man can do without God and is complete in himself, this
is sin and if there is this state of affairs and there is sin, for even the faith to start
at all, this is a premise, that man is in darkness and is sin. And from the garden of
Eden, sin has taken over and man has been separated from God and the only way
that man can regain himself or reconnection with God is repentance. Except you
are settled there is sin, then the Christian faith does not apply to you but the
background to every proposition is that sin is present with man and all men are
sinners and there is no escape to that. There is no religious system that is effectual
in dealing with the sin factor. Judaism is only a temporary measure. The law was
not sufficient. Romans 7 and 8, the whole of Galatians tell you that the law has
no power within itself to bring good conduct. The law only condemns. The law
which would have been the basis of Salvation became the mechanism for
condemnation and therefore Jesus had to come and establish a better system of
redemption through the sacrifice of his own blood. He has power to forgive sins,
so you come to God knowing you are a sinner.
Amen