BE FREE and REMAIN FREE!

What does it mean to be free? Freedom is the ability and power to do as one desires without restrictions or restraint. For instance, when a prisoner is let out because the necessary conditions for release have been met (as in term served or bail paid), that prisoner will be considered free.

But what is he free from? He’s free from the restrictions and demands of the prison; outside the prison, he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. He doesn’t have to answer to anyone.

Comparing the two ways of life, one can plainly see the advantages of being free. Unfortunately, some released prisoners don’t stay free for long; they become repeat offenders, ending up incarcerated multiple times. So, why do some people keep going back to doing the same thing that put them in prison in the first place?  Some have nothing to live for outside of the prison. Others have no willpower to not do wrong things.

The Bible tells us that every single one of us is a sinner (see Romans 3:23), slaves to sin and the devil. We often do the devil’s bidding because we don’t know any better. The devil is a slave master who will do anything to stop people from having a relationship with God or living godly lives. In fact, he wants to have as many people as possible go to hell with him. But thanks to God for His indescribable gift, Jesus Christ, His Son (see 2 Corinthians 9:15), who died in our stead. God laid the sins of mankind on Him; in other words, Jesus paid for the sins of mankind and made us acceptable to God. The sins that separated us from God were laid on Jesus, and so anyone who admits they’re a sinner and asks God for forgiveness is forgiven, and God’s Holy Spirit comes to indwell that individual (see 1 John 3:24).

The Holy Spirit's indwelling identifies the individual as a child of God. He also gives that person the power to live a transformed life: as the Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This power will enable the person to hate sin and strive to be Christ-like. The Bible says, “God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them” (1 John 5:18).

The Bible again tells us to not go back to living in sin like jailbirds. As God’s adopted children, we are freed from sin to fear God and live to please Him. It’s possible to return to one’s former ways because the devil, our enemy, is always trying to get us to rebel against God. For this reason, the Bible cautions us to be watchful because our enemy, the devil, is like a prowling lion seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). 

We are in an on-going war with the devil; he will not stop at anything until he gets us to do wrong. God has therefore provided armor for us to ensure our safety and victory in the spiritual war against the devil. However, if we fail to use it, we will remain vulnerable. The armor includes different pieces to protect different parts of the body. Since we don’t know which body part will be a target at any given time, all the pieces of armor should be worn at all times: “Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil” (Ephesians 6:13).

The god-designed protective gear consists of a belt of truth, body armor as God’s righteousness, shoes of peace; in addition to the armor, a shield of faith is provided to stop the enemy’s arrows thrown at us. For a helmet you have salvation, and the final piece is the sword with which to slay the enemy, and that is the Word of God. When we prove to the devil that we know and understand, when and how to use the Word of God, he goes away; Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted to turn a stone into a loaf of bread, worship the devil, and finally, jump from a building top, to prove His sonship (see Luke 4:3-12). We need to do the same. We also need to develop a habit of praying, sharing our hearts, concerns, and prayers for others with God through the Son (see Ephesians 6:18-19).

The Bible is the instruction book by which every child of God should live the life that is pleasing to God. We need to read it, meditate on it, and obey it with the help of the Holy Spirit. We have to constantly depend on the Holy Spirit for strength, courage, and guidance. In addition, we need the support of other believers, because we’re all on our way to the same place: heaven. The devil is after every one of us, in one way or another. One person's experience today could be another person’s in the future. So, staying in a community is a benefit to all, and God commands us to not neglect to assemble together. As the adage goes, “There is strength in numbers.” It’s encouraging to study and pray together, and to be able to pray for each other.

Unfortunately, there are people who claim to be Christians but live contrary to the Bible; they keep getting re-entangled with habits from which they supposedly have been saved. Is this your story? If it is, then you have to search your heart and ask yourself if you’ve ever been saved. If your Christian claim is untrue, then take this opportunity to repent! However, if you’ve done this in the past, then ask for forgiveness for the ungodly way you’ve been living, take the Bible seriously, and obey it.

Be free and continue to live in freedom, because “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36).

YOU ARE BEING TRUE TO YOUR NATURE!

What does it mean to be true to your nature? It means your way of life is very consistent with what you are—a sinner! Did you think you are a sinner because you sin? No! It’s the other way around; you sin because you are a sinner. You inherited a sinful nature from your first ancestors, Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying Him. In the middle of the garden, He placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He gave them instructions not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil but they were deceived into thinking they could become like God if they ate from it. The deceiver was Satan! What a tragedy! We all became sinners by inheriting Adam and Eve’s sinful nature (see Romans 3:23).

So, what is sin and why is it such a big deal? Sin is the transgressions (breaking) of God’s law. Any time we do things contrary to God’s law, we’ve sinned, making us slaves to sin (see John 8:34). The big deal is that God is holy and cannot co-exist with sin. Adam and Eve disobeying God and passing on that sin enable us to differentiate between good and evil. God could have stopped it but allows us to continue in knowing and choosing good from evil. However, we quite often choose to do evil because of our sinful nature, just like Adam and Eve.

The mystery is, as sinful as we are, God still loves us. He wants us to be His children forever, but that’s impossible as long as we continue to live in sin. The only way we can become part of His family is if we’re set free from the sin that has enslaved us.

Satan’s agenda is the exact opposite of God’s, so when we live contrary to what God wants, we are obeying Satan, which then makes him our father. Once, in a discourse with the Israelites about who their father really was, Jesus said to them, “If God Were Your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from him. … For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and a father of lies” (John 8:42-44).

Would you like to be free from your sinful nature and become a child of God? I hope you would because that’s the only way to stop being a child of the devil; the only way you can begin to happily obey God and enjoy a Father and child relationship with Him, and sibling relationship with the rest of the family of God. When you become a child of God, He moves you from the devil’s camp into His camp, from darkness into light. The change is amazing when you experience it! The joy and peace you’ll experience will be tremendous, and you’ll wonder why it took so long to know this truth. For instance, you will know that you are forgiven of your sins, no matter how big or small, and that they’ll never be held against you. And that’s just the beginning of great things to come.

So, are you ready? Would you like to call God your Father? If so, here’s what you need to do: admit to God that you are a sinner, repent of your sins (be sorry and denounce them), and ask for forgiveness in Jesus' name. He will forgive you and adopt you into His family, with no questions asked. That’s what He has been wanting to do for you all these years. The Scripture says, “There is joy in heaven in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Are you going to be the next penitent sinner heaven rejoices over? I hope so. Although it is your decision, I encourage you to do this today; tomorrow could be too late!

Did you do it? Congratulations and welcome to the family of God! You are going to love this new life in Jesus! For starters, you are now a new person: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because Christ has taken away your sins and clothed you with His righteousness, God sees you as someone who has never sinned; you are clothed with Jesus’ righteousness! Your allegiance has moved away from Satan to God.

Jesus' encouragement to you is, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). The only way to know His teaching is to become a diligent student of His Word, the Bible, and stay in fellowship with other believers. This will help you grow in your relationship with God. You also need to be prayerful, communicating with Him for guidance, strength, courage, and whatever else you need from Him. He is faithful and never goes back on His Word. Also know that Jesus prays for God’s children and therefore, He will be praying for you, too. And at the right time, He will bring you to heaven, where you will live with Him forever. There will be no more pain, fear, tears, or death.

If you didn’t take that step, I wonder what you are waiting for. If it’s because you’re not yet convinced, here’s something that might help. When you purchase something that doesn’t meet your expectations, you are allowed to return it for a refund, right? Well, you can do the same thing with God; He invites you to put Him to a test: “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). Also, the psalmist invites you to: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalms 34:8).

If you are still uninterested in life with God, that means that you are content with your sinful life and that you would have no problem facing God’s wrath and judgment for it. I hope you understand that God’s judgment will keep you separated from God after death, which will mean you’ve elected to go to hell after you die. Once you die you have run out of time; you cannot change your mind about your eternal destination. Sadly, it will be a done deal! If you are sure that’s what you really want, then there’s not a whole lot more to say. God will not force His love on you. But if you change your mind, which I hope you do, you know what to do! Until you accept God’s way, you will continue to be true to your nature. 

CHRISTIAN, HERE’S WHAT SHOULD REALLY MATTER TO YOU!

What really matters to you, Christian? You should evaluate your priorities and hopefully make changes as needed. But why? In our present world, we are so busy that we cannot always accomplish all that we have on our schedule on any given day. If we don’t set priorities, we could be spending time on the least important things, while overlooking the more important ones.

Having said all that, what should our priorities be as Christians? And what would be the benefits if we focus on the most important? According to the apostle Paul, the first and foremost is to be filled with the fruit of our salvation, which is the righteous character produced in our life by Jesus Christ. If we maintain the right focus, we will live a pure and blameless life, which will bring much glory and praise to God the Father (see Philippians 1:10-11). We need to make this our top priority because when we don’t, we discourage other Christians, and unbelievers see us as hypocrites: preaching one thing, and doing just the opposite. That of course drives them farther away from God.

So, in short, the fruit of our salvation is the demonstration of godliness in our lives as we imitate God as His dear children. Imitating parents is a  natural thing; children often do certain things only because they’ve seen their parents do them. May the Holy Spirit renew our minds and attitudes, and may we not grieve Him by continuing to live by the dictates of our sinful nature. Instead, may we imitate our Father!

Since Christ lives in us, one would expect that demonstrating Christ’s likeness would be easy, but it isn’t. That’s because our sinful nature is constantly at war with our spiritual nature, wanting to make us behave differently than we’d like to. Paul the apostle expresses it this way: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:18-20).

Paul’s understanding and lament over the situation are this: “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” (Romans 7:22-24). But thank God, Paul found the solution to his -- and our -- lament - in the very next verse! “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:25). This shows us that righteous living is not just going to happen; God is working in us to give us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. But we have to put in a conscious effort to resist sin. We read in Philippians 2:12, “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with reverence and fear.”    

We need to concentrate on the fruit of our salvation, produced in us by the Holy Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 6:22-23). The only way we, the branches, can bear fruit, is to abide in the vine, which is Jesus Christ. Bearing fruit does not just happen; we have to read and study the Word and obey it, allowing Him to transform our way of thinking and our behavior. 

Oh, may we be filled with the fruit of our salvation; it is critically important for all professing Christians! And let’s look forward to the heavenly prize that our Father will gladly give us at the end of this journey.

Pearl Nsiah-Kumi

06/03/2021

All references are from the New Living Translation (NLT)

KNOWLEDGE IS A POWERFUL TOOL

According to Wikipedia, knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of any information, such as facts, skills, or objects. Knowledge can be acquired in many different ways and from many sources, including but not limited to perception, reason, memory, testimony, scientific inquiry, education, and practice. 

What then is the importance of knowledge? Knowledge makes us aware of things we didn’t know before or confirms or challenges what we already know. Knowledge helps us make the best possible decision in different situations. If we care about making the right decision, we should also care about the source of the information on which we base our decisions. Not all information is true, and basing your decision on false information can be very costly and detrimental.

For example, if you knew it was unsafe to run when it is extremely hot outside, would you still run in the heat, or would you wait until it’s cooler and safer? And if you knew excess salt in one’s diet was unsafe for people with hypertension, which apparently you have, would you continue to add more salt to your food? The correct answer to both questions is ‘No!’ On the other hand, not knowing these facts could lead to you making wrong and harmful decisions. Knowledge, like they say, is power!

So, with these examples in mind, if you knew you would have to give God an account of how you’ve lived your life on earth, would you be careful how you lived? I hope so! But if you didn’t know you will be giving an account to God, now you know, because I’m sharing that knowledge with you now. According to the Bible, which is the Word of God, “Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28). The brief definition from Simply Bible is this: It is appointed for men once to die and after this the judgment. Death is appointed, and you are no exception. You only die once, and death is not the end; it is your destiny's door.

So, when your destiny door opens, where will it lead you? It will lead you to one of two places—heaven or hell. My hope and prayer for you are that it will lead you into God’s presence in heaven, where there will be joy forever. The assurance of going to heaven exists only for those who have repented of their sins and asked God for forgiveness through Jesus’ death. As quoted earlier: “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him”

If you don’t know for certain that your destiny door will lead you into God’s presence, then please stop everything you are doing and settle this issue right now; it is that important. Although it is appointed for you to die eventually, nobody knows when that will happen: only God does! If you don’t know when the bus will leave the station, you need to get there as early as possible, and if that means waiting for a few minutes for it to get there, at least you know you’ll be able to get on it. It’s better to know ahead of time that your sins are forgiven and your name written in the Book of Life, rather than leaving your future destination to chance. Once your destiny door opens, it’s too late to make any kind of decision; you just walk into whatever is behind the door—heaven or hell.

Please repent today: ask God for forgiveness, and you will be on your way to eternal life with God. I hope now that you are armed with this knowledge, you will make the right decision; nobody can make it for you—not family or friends. And likewise, you can’t make it for anyone else. Do it today!

 

C: Pearl Nsiah-Kumi

All references are from the New Living Translation (NLT).  

 

 

 

LIVE LIKE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

 

Where is heaven and what is it like? Heaven is God’s dwelling place, the city where He is enthroned as King and Lord and is continuously worshiped by angels and the saints who have gone on ahead. The walls of the city are made of jasper, the city is pure gold, as clear as glass. It is built on a foundation inlaid with precious stones, many of which are not familiar to us, including jasper, sapphire, agate, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The gates are made of pearls and the streets of pure gold. There’s not a single temple structure there because the Father and Son are the temple; the place is bright, never dark, but its light does not come from the sun or the moon: God’s glory lights it up (see Revelation 21:18-23).

Living like citizens of heaven is not a suggestion; it is a command for the church that needs to be obeyed. This command implies that we, the church, are already citizens of heaven, and should know how citizens should behave. It also implies we should live now as if we were already in heaven; how we live now on earth should be consistent with how we will live in heaven when the time comes. If you are a Christian, you already know that the world is nothing like heaven. The world is the devil’s domain, and he has much influence in it, leading to sin, evil, chaos, wars, and death. On the other hand, there’s order, peace, love, health, and unending life in heaven. Just imagine: we will see God face to face and be with Him forever; He will wipe all tears away from our eyes. Nothing evil will ever enter heaven; there will be no more crying, pain, fear, sorrow, or death (see Revelation 21:3-4). This is exciting, and a good reason to look forward to going there!

To be able to live like citizens of heaven, you should first become a citizen of heaven while here on earth. Dear reader, if you are not already a citizen of heaven, it’s not yet too late for you. But it will be soon if you don’t act quickly. Here’s what you have to do:

1) Admit you are a sinner deserving God’s judgment—you are a sinner because God says so, and it’s based on the fact that you inherited the sinful nature of your ancestors, and so you do sin (see Romans 3:23).

2) Repent of your sins and ask (pray to) God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, His Son, who took on the punishment all sinners deserve (see John 3:16). If you refuse to accept that Jesus paid for your sins by dying in your place, it means you’ve decided to bear the punishment for your own sins: spending life after death in Hell forever. In that case, you cannot live in this world like a citizen of heaven, because you won’t be going there. I encourage you to come to God today through Jesus; hell is not a joke!

3) If you do the above two sincerely, God will forgive you, and as confirmation of your new relationship with Him, He’ll send His Holy Spirit to come and live in your Heart to identify you as His child, and guarantee that you have become a citizen of heaven, entitled to the inheritance promised to His children. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit and following His instructions in the Bible, and with the support of the church, you’ll begin to think and live differently from your former life. You might even wonder how you were able to live the life you lived before. From this point on, you are ready to live here on earth as a citizen of heaven, looking forward to going home.

So, how should citizens of heaven live? The Bible tells us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ (see Philippians 1:27). We are to demonstrate our love for God through obedience to His Word, and loving each other. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). We need to “Stand together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News” (Philippians 1:27).

If we take this charge seriously, our lives, individually and collectively, would be so much more fulfilling, and we would be much happier and more content as we wait for our home-going. For instance, we would lovingly care for each other, and there would be no unmet needs in the body. Disagreements, in-fights, and Church-hopping could become things of the past. We would then understand that God’s plans for us are for good and not for disaster, to give us a future and hope (see Jeremiah 29:11). Also, Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). A rich and satisfying life will require some effort on our part: taking our charge seriously of obeying the Word and imitating God in how we live.

The apostle Paul again encourages us to have the attitude of Christ by being tender-hearted and compassionate, agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose (see Philippians 2:1-2). Wow! If we can honestly achieve this, we would accomplish so much more for God regardless of the denomination we belong to. Little differences that are not about salvation, Christian living, and our eternal home should not divide the church. Can you imagine the impact if local churches of different denominations loved each other, coming together to saturate their community with the gospel? But as it is right now, each church does its own thing; how sad! I would think it grieves God’s heart.

Lord Jesus, we the church need your help! We have not been living as citizens of heaven! We live like citizens of this world. We don’t obey you with the deep reverence and fear that displays the results of our salvation. Forgive us, and help us to cultivate your attitude of love and service. Although you are God, you gave up your divine privileges, left the glories of heaven, and came down to redeem us, your enemies. Please help the universal church love each other without feeling like one denomination is better than the other. May our love be not only for those we worship with or those of the same denomination. If we believe we are going to live as a community with each other in heaven, we should be able to do the same here as we prepare to go home. Thank you, Lord! I ask this in your holy name!