Looking Inward & Outward (with the goggle of Faith) – Part 27

Dearly Beloved,

The following is another attempt to use the goggle of Christ’s Faith to weigh all conversation and filter all thoughts under the sun.

Graceful Reading!

1. Some people can never live or stay in America, London or Nigeria, but they can endure or delightfully pay a visit there. Somehow, it is not just a suitable abode for them for various reasons, and so it is with the Lord Jesus! He can endure or delight in visiting some believers, but He can’t dwell in them because what makes a soul a conducive abode for Him (i.e. the absence of the world or the presence of His Faith), remains missing. (Lk. 18:8b-c/Eph. 3:17).

2. If a believer doesn’t end up overcoming the system and wisdom of this world, it is a proof that he has been overcome by it, or that he has been robbed of the inheritance of faith needed to function gloriously in the world to come. (Acts 20:18)

3. My favourite tennis player, Rafael Nadal, while striving for his 18th grand slam title or for his 18thcorruptible crown, had to trade with the virtue called temperance by ignoring his body cramps and stomach pain for some 5hours of gruesome match! When asked what his secret was, he said “you have to love suffering and learn the spirit of separation”. That is a lesson for those striving for an incorruptible crown (1Cor. 9:25-27/2Pet. 1:6).

4. God is using our pilgrimage on earth, to reveal and determine who we really are, and what things we really treasure above Him, or who we truly love – and to what extent. The outcome of this test, would enable Him know which resources, treasure or riches to withhold from us, or to give to us. When He tried the angelic world, some of them fell, while others kept their estate (Jude 1:6). He has since been trying mankind in the last six millennia, to determine those He would share either His divine power with, and/or His divine nature. Selah (Heb. 2:10, Rom. 1:20, 2Pet. 1:3-4).

5. This world and the system driving it – carefully baptizes men into its ways and its righteousness. It uses various forms of communication to keep painting and embossing upon the hearts of men, a hope of reward, or of gain outside godliness, or of self-gratification, so that men would conform to it. So without a working knowledge of the faith in Christ, we are bound to gradually conform to, and flow with its dictates (Rom. 12:2)

6. Once upon a time, phones had no access or unlock feature, but as knowledge increased, there came the use of security pin, and then thumb print, and now facial recognition. Intellectual light has increased, and so has knowledge of how to please God increased. Knowledge of how the Lord Jesus pleased God is now being declassified, so men are without excuse not to end up pleasing God well. (Rom. 1:16-17/4:13/Phil. 3:9d-e).

7. While wrestling against a civilization that wasn’t founded by God, Father Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had to live like strangers and pilgrims, until they left a legacy of faith on earth. In like manner, we can’t address our indebtedness to posterity, or earn a testimonial of victory over this world, without being led by the Spirit of God, even contrary to our former life (Heb. 11:15-16).

8. A man who is deaf, dumb and numb to the touting and distractions of the devil, or to his desire to be given an audience like Adam and Eve did, is a man who has been empowered by, or separated by the gospel of Christ.

9. One of the first things that the gospel of Christ seeks to do in the life of a believer, is to help him take his eyes off things, off himself, and off men, so he can have the singleness of eyes and heart to truly place it on the Lord, and being to live perhaps 80% differently or supernaturally.

10. A believer who is not laboring for the meat that endures unto everlasting or eternal life, or who isn’t striving to hear, learn and walk by the power of Christ, can’t escape the arrangements or lusts of this world. So when we live a life designed for earthly men, we are using our human strength and would displease God in unknown ways; we would end up realizing the cost implication of this in heaven, like many other believers have (Jn. 6:24/3:16/10:27-28/2Cor. 2:15).

Blessings!

Pst. Tayo Fasan

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