Wednesday, November 25, 2015
CHRIST AND THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW
We often
hear born again Christians or the so-called born again Christians say, “I am
not under the law, I am under grace”, and this is often said in response to
people trying to question their sinful lifestyles or character flaws. However,
it is important to for us not just use clichés anyhow without ensuring that we
are sticking to Biblical truth, because, you just end up like that fool who
built his house on sand.
Let us look
at what Jesus said about the wise man and the fool in Mathew chapter 7, and
verses 24-27:
24Therefore whosoever heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built
his house upon a rock:
25And the rain descended and the
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for
it was founded upon a rock.
26 And everyone that heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which
built his house upon sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and
great was the fall of it.
This simply
means, that when we decide to choose our own way, or our own interpretations of
the scripture, outside of the truth from God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we
will suffer for the consequences of our actions. This simply means that God
cannot be held responsible for our wrong interpretations that are based on our
fleshly conveniences.
It is
important for us to know that if there is a day when the danger of us making
these foolish choices is high, it is today, in line with the prophecies
concerning the last days. Let us see the instructions Paul speaking by the Holy
Ghost, gave to Timothy, in 1Timothy chapter 4, and 2 Timothy chapter 3.
In 1 Timothy
chapter, we are warned that in the last days, some shall depart from the faith,
and give heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. These people the
Bible says, may not the actual truth of God’s word, but may never accept it,
rather they will prefer to speak lies in hypocrisy. The Bible tells us that
conscience of such men and women has been seared by the devil!
In 2 Timothy
chapter 3, the Bible tells us that in the last days, it shall be very difficult
to be a Christian, because perilous times shall come. It tells that men shall
love themselves, and their flesh so much that they will be willing to say, ‘To hell with God”.
If truly we
are in the last days before Jesus returns, as so many Biblical prophecies and
signs are showing us, then these things are inevitable. However, the good thing about it, is that you and I can
make a choice, to be that wise guy, so that in the end, the Lord will not say
to us, ‘Away from me, ye that work
iniquity, I never knew you’.
During last
year’s Word and Glory Conference, I tried to correct a very erroneous teaching
that has been destroying so many people in the body of Christ for ages-false
teachings and beliefs about the true meaning of the grace of God. I tried to
explain, that nowhere in the Bible, was the grace given as an excuse to live a
loose, careless, or sinful lifestyle. However, if you live close to or get
close to so many of today’s weak, hypocritical, and fleshly preachers, you will
not only find out that they dwell in iniquity, but also encourage others to do
the same. These fake preachers have only one explanation for the fake
Christianity-the false teachings about grace!
Let us look
at Romans chapter where it was clearly said by Paul that no one is justified in
Christ Jesus through his or her own works:
UNDERSTANDING
THE CONCEPT OF NOT BEING UNDER THE LAW
It is
important to understand what Apostle Paul meant when he said, that you are not
under the law but under grace. You need to understand that the Book of Romans
has two faces, and was addressing the attitudes of both the Jews and the
non-Jews in Christ Jesus towards each other.
In the first
part, he was addressing the attitude of the Jews towards the Romans and other
Gentiles. They felt that since they were given the laws of Moses, they were
superior and actually were the only ones who were qualified to inherit the
kingdom. They put the person of Christ Jesus and the grace of God which he
brought, lower, and depended so much on the works of the law.
Paul
therefore went on to explain, that the coming of Christ has brought to us
something higher than the laws of Moses. Under the law of Moses, there was no
power given to enable you keep the instructions that you were given, however,
Christ has brought with him-grace, which is power to keep the commandments. I will
look at this scripturally shortly. You will notice that Paul with this saying,
at no time, diminished the power of sin, and never encouraged sin. Paul rather
emphasized that because you are now under grace, you have a greater power to
overcome sin (sin shall not have dominion over you).
In the
second part where Paul addressed those Gentiles who despised the Jews, thinking
that God has abandoned them because of their disobedience, and chosen the
Gentiles, he emphasized that the Gentiles could not have been grafted in
without the Jews. This is because the law and the covenants and the Patriarchs,
all came from the Jews. Let us see from the scriptures in Romans chapter 6,
verses 12-15:
12 Let not sin therefore reign in
your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof
13 Neither yield your members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin: because
we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
This is
amazing indeed, many people think that what it means not to be under the law,
is that they are free to sin and to receive forgiveness under grace, but it is
not what it means. It simply means that you now have power over sin, therefore
you don’t have to sin at all! Amazing indeed!
UNDERSTANDING
THE CONCEPT OF THE NEW COMMANDMENT
Jesus was
once asked a very important question by one of the Pharisees, who wanted to
know which of the commandments, is the greatest. We can find this in the Book
of Mathew chapter 22 verses 35-40:
35 Then one of them which was a
lawyer, asked him a question, and tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all
thy mind.
38 This is the first and great
commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets.
This saying
of Jesus is similar to what he said earlier on in the same Book of Mathew
chapter 7 and verse 12:
12 Therefore whatsoever ye would that
men do to you, do even so them: for this is the law and the prophets.
In these two
set of scriptures, Jesus made a very important statement, which we should never
forget. He said that all the Old Covenant Laws and the teachings of the Old
Covenants Prophets, hang upon-love for your fellow human being. This is
amazing, it simply means that we should we find evidence, that this same thing
that was required from the Old covenants saints, is what is required of the New
Covenant saints, then the law was never abolished.
This simply
means, that just as Christ said, he never came to abolish the law of Moses, but
to implement or enforce it. In Mathew chapter 5:17, we read as follows:
17 Think not that I am come to
destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
This is in
agreement with Mark chapter 12, verse 31.
CHRIST’S NEW
COMMANDMENT OF LOVE AND THE NEW TESTAMENT!
In line with
the teachings of Christ above, when he was about to leave, he left his
disciples with one new law or commandment, and we can see this in the Book of
John chapter 13 verse 34, and 2 John 1:5, as follows:
34 A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
This may
sound like it is new, but is it actually new? If it is the same thing on which
hangs all the law and the prophets, is it really new? Well Jesus again, that it
is not really new, but because he is giving it to them now in clear terms, it
may be called new. In 2 John chapter 1 verses 5, we read as follows:
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not
as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the
beginning, that we love one another.
Here Jesus
clearly merges the Old and the New, saying that there is no new commandment,
but that which has been-the moral law of Moses.
THE
AGREEMENT OF THE APOSTLES’ TEACHINGS WITH THE MORAL LAW OF MOSES-LOVE!
Paul the
Apostle, who is actually, the apostle of grace, is equally the apostle of love,
as we can see in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter. Here, he makes it
clear that you are wasting your time, playing church, if don’t have love!
In the Book
of Romans chapter 13 verses 8-10, we read as follows:
8 Owe no man anything, but love one
another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this. Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false
witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his
neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Here again,
Paul shows us that the law of Moses, was never abolished!
Again in
Galatians chapter 5 verses 11-14, we see Paul the Apostle repeating this same
statement in another fashion:
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision,
why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off
which trouble you.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called
unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love,
serve one another
14 For all the law is fulfilled in
one word, even in this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Finally,
James equally agrees with the Lord and the commandment of love, insisting that
the law of Moses, was never abolished, and we can see this in James chapter 2
verse 8;
8 If ye fulfill the royal law
according to the scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself: ye do well.
In
conclusion, when you a Pastor, a Prophet, a Teacher, an Apostle, an Evangelist,
or a Christian, who says that he is not under the law, and thinks that the way
to show it, that he is not accountable to any one, is by putting HIV, into his
neighbor-you have right there-a false apostle, reject the fake fellow!
Above is the teaching, on the 21st, Day 1 of the 2015 Word and Glory Conference by Dr Chidi Peters, at the Umuahia North L.G.A. Headquaters, Abia State!Sunday, November 15, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
BECOMING A MAN THAT IS APPROVED OF GOD-PART 3
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