Dearly Beloved,
The following are inspired thoughts around how soon sin can be quarantined; musings on how the faith (that has been authorized for use in sinful flesh) can reign like fear presently does.
- The greatest blessing in disguise that we have around us, are men; imperfect men, especially believers with unique imperfections or some infirmities that are not easy to bear with (Ps. 103:3, Heb. 4:15). Our response to the counsels (of faith and love) surrounding such issues has determined our present level of spiritual growth, and would determine if we would ever become like Christ (Rom. 15:1, Eph. 4:1-3).
- True servants of Christ are hard to raise because service after His order entails the surrendering of our will (life) – to God (Exo. 21:5-6, Gal. 1:4). We can’t surrender our life if we haven’t surrendered the world within, neither can we claim to be servants of righteousness (Rom. 14:17-18/6:16-22). We can only gain access to the control room of our lives (will) – as we journey through the corridors of faith, hope and Charity; to a place where living by the faith of the Son would become as natural as sin once was (2Pet. 1:5-11, Gal. 2:20, Rev. 2:19). And then can we access seasons where we would serve God acceptably (Heb. 12:28).
- God is bringing every serious or sincere believer to a place where they primarily do one thing: seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness; and to a season where every other goal in life would queue behind that of seeking first the Kingdom (Matt. 6:33). How? Every other thing outside the dominion of righteousness – would fail or be shaken (Gen. 47:15, Heb. 12:27, Rev. 6:13-16)! And as we do, we would realize it was a veil (blindness) that actually limited us from previously doing so (Jn. 3:3, Eph. 1:18). A season of prolonged repentance that leads to godliness would then begin, and we would see the need to consistently go against the world within and without (2Cor. 7:9-11).
- One thing that limits believers from furthering their course deeper into Christ, is their inability to respond to the speakings of the devil concerning people around them – in love and mercy; especially those within our cycle of influence (Rom. 13:8, Heb. 12:14-15). This is what quietly closes our hearts to those we are meant to be open to, and this is what limits us from accessing more of God’s mercy (Jon. 2:8, Ps. 18:25). The Lord permits such temptations because they should expose and rid us off some darkness or harmful tendencies hidden within us; things that limits us from accessing and/or comprehending the very things of God (Isa. 11:6-9, 2Cor. 4:2, 1Cor. 2:11).
- God the Father, at some seasons in our walk with the Lord, would permit some prolonged distractions, trials, buffeting or tribulations – so we can add patience to our faith (Acts 14:22, Heb. 10:36). Pressures come from what the devil says around those things we are yet to overcome, or things we still have tendencies to love (1Tim. 6:6-10). And our response to the comfort of truth He brings would determine if such warfares (against our mind) would be won or lost; or if Kingdom entrance would be administered or not (2Pet. 1:5-11).
- The devil knows that the human mind must always ponder on one thing or another, so his temptations, distractions or enticements are around things he wants us to make a meditation out of, at the expense of meditating on things that would bring Christ into our soul (Ps. 73:1-end, Matt. 13:18-22). And so men find themselves – vainly – pondering on what others have or who they are outwardly (1Pet. 2:1). He magnifies things we quietly desire (position, influence, gain etc), so we can take our eyes off who we are meant to become (i.e Christ), and thereby limit us from ever growing into God (1Pet. 2:1-2).
- The devil knows what we are looking for outside divine life; and those are the things he uses to tempt us, get us anxious and/or cause us not to seek and pursue things that would make for our peace (Ps. 34:14, Rom. 14:19). He knows those legitimate things that we would rather savour because of the advantage or edge over others that they would give; things that pass away or that perish with the use; things we can ceaselessly pray about unlike we would concerning becoming like Christ – and those are what he uses to lure and bring us under His power – i.e sin (Col. 2:22, 1Cor. 6:12).
- The art of trusting the Lord while we are at our wits end or while hope seems glaringly lost or when most men can’t, is not only a tough call to our natural/human frame – but a proof of whether we have or haven’t profited from the revealed knowledge that has come our way (Ps. 9:10, 103:14). Like in Father Abraham and Job, it actually witnesses to how much we have been redeemed from known and unknown fears, and it attests to whether or not we are actually on course to becoming friends of God (Gen. 15:2, Job 3:25, Jam. 2:23).
Blessings!
Tayo Fasan
08172125670
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