Battle instruction No 2: the Helmet of Salvation

Helmet of Salvation

You will soon discover—if you don’t already—as you study the scriptures that salvation is in three folds. There is the salvation of the Spirit, the salvation of the soul and salvation of the body. The first one we get as soon as we give our lives to Jesus. Once you believe in the sonship, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and appropriate them for yourself, the Holy Spirit comes into your spirit and saves it from the power of sin and death. Thereafter, you are supposed to conduct yourself as is becoming of Christian. To be able to do this, you will need to know the will of God and getting configured to be able to do them. You know the will of God and get the right configuration to be able to carry them by getting transformed in your mind (Rom 12:2). This transformation is achieved by learning of Jesus and knowing Him (Col 3:10). Now this whole process of Knowing Jesus and  becoming transformed thereby which helps us to know and do God’s will is called the salvation of our souls because it is the process of redeeming our souls gradually from the decadence that it acquired in its long walk in the old nature. This is a process which is our responsibility. We are to do this with reverend fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).

There is however a third stage of salvation called the  hope of salvation. This is the salvation of our bodies. It is the moment in which our bodies shall be transformed within a twinkling of the eye at the time of Rapture. (1Cor 15:51-57). We have not yet attained it. Attaining it is not a process. However, if we are faithful in making our election sure; if we are faithful in working out the salvation of our souls, Jesus will come and suddenly grant us the salvation of our bodies. This we earnestly wait for as a blessed hope. Now this is what we are to wear as an helmet. The Holy Spirit through the same Apostle Paul clarifies it in 1Thes 5:8 that this hope of salvation out of the three stages of salvation is what our text referred to. The question is why is this our helmet needed?

NEED FOR THE HELMET

There are many times in which the devil will send his darts against our heads—the centre of intellectualism and reasoning. He will ask you why you are not enjoying the things of this world like others. You’d see yourself as though you are denied of the good of the earth. You must be prepared for this dearly beloved. In fact you will see yourself being denied of justice and God says you should simply commit yourself to God. You shall be slapped on the one cheek and Jesus says you are to turn the other—no more revenge. Someone who is not as powerful as you will sometimes make you remember those days when you were in the world. In fact here’s what Jesus says;

"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer,

(Mat 5:38-44 MSG)

In fact to an ordinary man, the expectation of Jesus from us seems unreasonable. You might even be called a fool by the worldly wise man if you are to fulfill these conditions. Some pastors even seem to indicate that Jesus did not mean exactly what He says in the passage we just read. But that scripture is as true as John 3:16. If you must meet these conditions, you definitely need an amour so the devil doesn’t shoot at your head and make your head rule over you. That armor is called the HELMET OF SALVATION. It actually is the hope of salvation. The efficacy of this armor is seen in the lives of the heroes of faith who have gone ahead of us and are now the thick cloud of witness who are watching us as we run our race.

In this great hall of fame we see Abraham, who left his comfort zone and went through the rigors of a sojourner all his life because “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”  (Heb 11:10)

 We also see Moses who “chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

(Heb 11:25-26 KJV)

 What about Paul? He says;

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (2Co 4:8-17 KJV)

Lastly, even our Lord Jesus Christ had a need for this great helmet. The bible says;“They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.” (1Pe 2:23 MSG). the writer of Hebrews—and I firmly believe its Paul—says;

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Heb 12:2-3 MSG)

 

All these preferred to put on the helmet of faith than the hat of worldly wisdom. They allowed themselves to suffer. They could go through all of that because they had a hope. They knew that the world was not worthy of them. “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Heb. 11:16 KJV)

The hope of salvation is the only means by which we can put up with all that the world throw at us. No wonder we are told to comfort ourselves with the second coming of Jesus (1Thes 4:16-17). Brethren it is our Joy that our salvation is closer than when we first believe. Jesus is coming back again and that is our joy. It is the reason why we can face tomorrow. He says “because I live, ye shall live also.” It is the reason why we can put up with all wrongs done to us for we know that this world is not our home. Though we are in the world we are not of the world. We know that it is the time of the devil and his agents and so men can do whatever they want against us. But our own time is coming when we shall reign as kings forever. What a blessed hope! It gives us grace to put up with so much and still smile. No wonder Jerome could sing Psalms while he was set ablaze for his faith. Record has it that even after his voice could no longer be heard because his vocal cords had gone up in flames, his lips were still moving in prayers. Friend, put on this great armor and you will not yield to the taunts of the world. Join me as we sing and pray:

Thou my everlasting Portion,more than friend or life to me,
All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee.

 

Refrain
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,
All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee.

 

Not for ease or worldly pleasure, nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.

 

Refrain

Lead me through the vale of shadows, bear me over life’s fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.

Refrain

 

Beloved, Thanks for reading. Please make sure you check back every Wednesday when new posts come out.

xox,
Pst Sam

Our Battle Instructions: Lesson 1

Hey friends!

Its been quite a long while. I sincerely apologise for the absence. We had to put a lot of things in perspective to make sure that we are not running another man's race find at the last that we have ran in vain. All the same, Yours sincerely is back again. as usual, our posts shall be weekly.

In the Next Couple of Posts

For the next couple of weeks, our focus shall be towards helping people who have just recieved Jesus as their Lord and Saviour to get prepared for the best experience in this wonderful Kingdom of God. We also hope that this series of lectures would be useful for the matured or old timers--if you please--to use in reevaluating themselves. It will also prove useful for disciplers, pastors, teachers and preachers as guideline for instructing their proteges, church members, students, disciples, etc in sound doctrine till they grow up into Christ in all things.

Introduction:

In 2Tim 2:4, the Apostle unto us--Paul--by the Holy Spirit gave us 3 metaphors to meditate on. One of such is the life of a soldier. I have come to understand, and i thing you too should, that every man born into this world is born into battle. when you give your life to Jesus, the battle is not taken away, rather, you only changed sides. You changed from the wicked and lossing side to the Loving and victoriouse side. Now, if you must reap the victory that is associated with the kingdom of God, it is very necessary that you get the proper instruction. Thus, the Holy Spirit our instructor, has spoken through the Apostle sent to us in Eph 6:10-18 on how we should get prepared and be sure of a continuouse victoriouse life in Christ. He tells us what armour to put on, what ground to stand on and how best to harness the benefits of these. Today, we want to start by identifying the ground on which we are to stand if we experience the victory already wone by Jesus

The Best Ground to Stand (The Ground of Love):

In every battle, every soldier knows the power of the right location. Choosing the right place to stand may be the first and major determinant of victory. Ground matters for buildings; it for plant as well as for winning a battle. Now the best ground on which you can stand to win the battle of life; grow, and build your house is the ground of love. The bible says that we should be grounded and rooted in Love. What love now? The Love of God. By this we mean that we should come to understand the love God has for us and for us to reciprocate that love in the way that He has spelt out. Now how do we build on, grow on and stand on love

1. Be assured of God’s unconditional love for you: Even before you were born, God has known you and loved you (Read Ephesians 1:4-5). God’s love for you is unconditional. It is not based on what you did. After all, before you even came to life he has loved you. Now that you are in Christ Jesus, He wants you to be conscious of that love. The devil will do his best to take you away from this solid ground. He will make you doubt God’s love. When he succeeded in doing that to Eve, that was the beginning of winning humanity to the side of the devil—a situation that I think was better imagined than we now experience

2. Realize That You Have a Great Friend in Jesus and Get To Know Him: Jesus the only begotten Son of God actually is God put into focus for the human eyes. Jesus came in order to show us God and then to take the punishment for our sins please read Colossians 1:19-20. Jesus is your friend who will not let you down. He died for you when you were yet sinners (Rom 8:5). He is willing to do much more for you. Eternal life is actually in knowing Him (John 17:17)

3. You Also Show Your Love For Jesus By Doing As He SaysFriends, you have a new life style: you must also show your love for Jesus and for God in the way He has said. Jesus shows us how to reciprocate our love for him. He says that it is by obeying Him. Please read John 14:15, Phil 2:13. Now this is where we get a lot of things messed up. Obeying God may look a difficult task but it is actually not. (1 John 5:1-3) because God will be there to help you to do what He asks you to do (Phil 2:12-13; Heb 13:20-21). God does not expect you to do it all by yourself. What he expects first of all, is a willing heart. The Bible says, that it is your duty to prepare your heart and God will give his answers (Prov 16:1). Once your heart is fixed to obeying God, you are now qualified to ask for His help and He promises to help you.

Conclusion: God wants you to appreciate His love and to love Him back he wants there to be a circle of love between him and you. Now that is relationship. Please value it and you shall not be a victim of the tricks of the devil

Beloved, Thanks for reading. Please make sure you check back every Wednesday when new posts come out.

xox,
Pst Sam
Beloved, Thanks for reading. Please make sure you check back every Wednesday when new posts come out.

xox,
Pst Sam

What is God's position about a DIVORCE?

Broken Vows

Hello friends,

another day and I’m here with you again answering another question as I promised. Today, the question is: “What is the biblical perspective of Divorce?” I remember telling the brother that asked this question on facebook that God condemns divorce in the strongest terms. He clearly states without mincing words “I hate divorce!” (Mal 2:16 NIV). But everywhere divorce continues unabated. I was in the High Court of Lagos yesterday. It was an unusually long session. The court room was full so  I had to wait outside the court room. The Honourable judge painstakingly went through the list with two Senior Advocates of Nigeria coming in at variouse times to call their cases out of course and out of turn. My only solace was the comportment and the gentleness of the presiding judge, Justice Williams Daudu. Otherwise every thing including the only business of the day was a source of heartbreak. We had the whole yesterday conducting divorce proceedings. It was a pathetic sight. But this is a reality. It happens every day. So what does God say about divorce?

 God clearly says in Mark 10:7-9

For this course shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh so then they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder

Divorce which is the dissolution of a marriage therefore, is wrong on the face of it. The General rule therefore is that one should not procure or be involved in divorce. There are various reasons why we should avoid it if really we want to be in God’s good book

·         It is an affront against God. God says that the That He by His authority has made the husband and wife one. (Mal 2:15). Thus He says let no one put asunder—not even the parties to the marriage (ibid, Mark 10:9). What an insult for any man to try to overrule God’s pronouncement!

·         It defeat God’s Orriginal plan. God never planned divorce with the original plan. It was totally out of it. Thus Jesus Christ says that “from the beginning it was not so”(Matt 19:8). The plan was that a man would leave his parents and be cleaved to his wife and the two of them shall become one for from the very beginning, He made them male and female. No one was to lack her mate. So divorce runs counter to God’s orriginal plans

·         It interrupts God’s plans for the next generation. Marriage is not only physical. There is a spiritual undertone for the next generation. To reach that spiritual and moral plan, God intend children to be born into a complete home of a father and mother. (Mal 2:15). The massive breach of this provision of the Lord evidently accounts for the prevalence of so many deviant youths today. Trace their history; most times they are from broken homes. Children with both godly parents in marital bliss hardly go astray--at least not for too long.

·         The very nature and construction of the marriage phenomenon makes divorce totally out of place. This may become clear to us if what it really means to be one and how God makes them one is understood.

o   In the beginning, when God made man, He made him in His image and he made them Male and female and called them Adam—not Adam and Eve for Eve had no separate expression or manifestation than Adam. The male and the female were in Adam (Gen 5:2). This is not to say that Adam was hermaphrodite. The Scriptures did not tell us that and we are not permitted to infer that. However, it is clear that he had the image of God. However, the need for help in the fulfillment of His God given assignment which include procreation made God to bring the female element bound in him out. The only help mete or suitable was that which was gotten from him. Notice that God did not name Eve. Adam did. Adam alone was Adam but when Eve came, God still saw them as one Man.

o   It is only for the earthly purpose that they are allowed to manifest as physically two. The King James Version of the Scriptures refer to the born again child of God as a son irrespective of gender. Jesus made us kings not kings and queens. Before God there is no gender difference (Gal 3:28, 1Pet 3:7 The Message Version). Now for the earthly purpose of procreation, God expounded his physical manifestation. Though the X and Y chromosome is in the Man, He allowed the X to multiply into an entity. And in fulfillment of the idea of God, He made a way by which this entity can regain his wholeness so as to form the next generation.

o   It must be noted that God says they become one flesh not one spirit. Marriage does not make us one in the spirit. It is the rebirth into Christ that joins us together with Jesus and other brethren (1Cor 6:17, Eph 2:12-16). That is why God does not expect you to get married to an unbeliever.

o   The bond that unifies a woman and a man in the flesh is sex—whether in or outside marriage (1Cor 6:16). This is why we must take a seriouse stance at sex. It is more than just that 5 minutes moment of extacy. Great covenants are being established and a lot of metaphysical vibrations are released. One of the greatest spiritual phenomenon is what is involved in sex. The twain become one then and woe betide the person no matter how annointed that becomes one with an agent of darkness and outside the institution of marriage. He immediately enters into the net of the fowler and his soul is reduced to a piece of bread (Prov ).

 However, the sex in marriage has God’s approval. That is what God has joined together. The other one is what man or satan has joined together and should be broken immediately by the authority of Jesus’ Name.So sex is the means by which the remaining part of the tripartite being called man is fully united. The unity starts from the unity of the regenerated spirit in the oneness in Christ. Next, they are unified in the mind and purpose to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives together. Hence they become one in the soul. Lastly, if they get the approval of God in the institution called marriage, they legally are made one by sex to fulfill the procreation decree. This is how God intends to raise godly childrend and pure continuouse generation of children who will grow up to accept Christ easily and be effective arrows in the quiver of God and their earthly parents. So simply saying “I am no longer interested in this man does not erase all these spiritual phenomena. It does not undo the bond made through sex—especially as God’s decree seals it up.  This is the reason why God says that even if you purport to divorce, remarrying someone else is adultery. It goes to show that in the spiritual and eternal perspective, you are still one with the person you initially got married and the other man or woman you now cohabit with is not your husband or wife as the case may. Sexual relationship with the later is adultery against the former.

 

Now the rule of non sepreation is not absolute. The God who set the rule also set the exception to the rule. The said exception include

·         Death (Rom 7:1-2 1Tim 5:11-14)when a party to the marriage covenant dies, the other is free from the law of marriage and the law of the partner. Hence, it is the first exception to the rule of non separation of the marriage couples. I believe that the legal provision for divorce on the ground of presumption of  death rest on this provision. It only appeals to reason that if it is reasonably presumable that the other partner is dead, then the one is free from it. This presumption is raised if a partner to the marriage is not seen or heard from for about 7 years (Section 15 (2)(h) and section 16 (2) of the Nigerian Matrrimonial Causes Act 1970). I believe that if the partner who procured the divorce by the reasonable presumption of death has not gotten married and the supposedly dead partner reappears, they should simply continue from where they stopped.

·         Religious Grounds: (Rom 7:12-17) in instances where a spouse is an unbeliever, and because of your belief, he or she does not want to continue with the marriage, then the believer is freed from such a union and therefore can divorce and be remarried. I believe, That our beloved Apostle Paul gave this wise counsel as one that has the mind of Christ though he was not reiterating what Christ said since Christ did not discuss this. However, the wisdom in this provision is corroborated by the principle of interpretation of legal provision which states that where a an inferior provision is inconsistent with a superior one, the inferior shall to the extent of its inconsistency be void. The law of marriage is definitely inferior to the law of the spirit and life which binds us to Jesus. If the law of marriage then wants to make us violate the law of the spirit which binds us  to Christ, then the law of marriage must give way. Afterall, the physical marriage to a man ends in this dispensation. However, our marriage to the Lamb is forever.

·         The notorious Ground of Adultery: This is the one that Jesus Christ discussed in the gospels. From perousing the gospels, it is clear that Jesus gave anwers to two classes of people—the general populace and his disciples.

o   To the general populace: Jesus allows them to divorce their wives if on the sole ground of adultery (Matt 19:9). This is also one of the main grounds for poving obtaining divorce in the circular courts (Section 15 Matrimonial Causes Act)

 

o   To His Disciples (Mark 10:10-12)— The church of Christ has a different standard. Jesus simply rules out divorce evidently for obvious reasons. Jesus did not expect that his disciples would be fornicators and adulterers hence the ground for divorce should not arise in the first place. These things are forbidden and should not as much as be mentioned among us (Eph 5:3). But you know too well that it happens. So when it happens what is the position?

§  Firstly the act of adultery gives the other spouse the right to a divorce for the following reasons

·         Sexual sin is a sin against the body (1Cor 6:18). And remember that your body is not just yours when you are married. It is also for your spouse for you are now one flesh. Thus the said sexual sin is a sin against your spouse

·         It makes another union with another flesh. This new agreement your spouse definitely does not consent to and as such has a right to renege from it.

·         It damns the soul and as such makes the sinner unrighteous and devoid of the life of Christ. Such a person needs to be born again again. (This is a hard saying, the explanation of which is reserved for some other time. That does not stop me from explaining it personally to persons that ask). If in that state, the sinner could get reprobate if his soul is not redeemed either by his own repentance and seeking the Lord with confidence in the Name of Jesus or with someone praying for life for his soul which will translate into repentance in the heart of such one and make him seek God for reconsecration. If however, he is reprobate, he could stand against the devotion of his spouse and make the continuance of that marriage subject to his spouse becoming like him. At that point, divorce would not be out of place.

Now, if the act of adultery gives makes the right to divorce to accrue, the question is should you exercise the right as a child of God? The clear answer is NO for the following reasons

·         If the erring party repents and asks for your forgiveness, then you are duty bound to forgive. Not only because he or she asked but because you have a debt to always forgive because of the forgiveness that God gave you. Furthermore, if you wish that God should look upon you with mercy and overlook your shortcomings, forgiving others is a duty. Mark 11:26; Mat 5:23-24, 6:14-15). Therefore, as a child of God, forgiveness is not an option it is a command. It is a duty. You owe it not only to your spouse but to God and to yourself. You will be setting a deadly trap for yourself when you do not forgive becaue, you have just told God that you are sure you will not make any other mistake before Him and as such do not need any further forgiveness. If you are sure of that, you may safely keep the wrong of your spouse and refuse to forgive. But woe betide you the next time you feel like asking God to forgive you. Be sure you will not get it for you did not forgive. If you want God to forgive you, again I repeat, forgiveness is not an option. It is a must.

·         When any one repents, God forgives him and sees him as though he never sinned. That is how we are to see our repentant spouses and not to keep records of wrong (2Cor 5:15-18). In verse 16, it says, “we have stopped evaluating others from human point of view (NLT). So see the repentant spouse as a new creature and drop the idea of divorce.

·         If however, you talked to him and the person refuses to repent and is now reprobate, Jesus shows how to go about it in Matt 18:15-18. He  says that you are to try to restore him. If he refuses, the now can now call a mature believer not simply to restore your husband or wife but to restore the child of God back to faith. If the spouse is still reprobate, then call the church. If after this the spouse is bent on the way of death, then Jesus says to treat him as an unbeliever. Now what does that mean? Many have thought that it means that you can now get rid of such person. No. how do you treat an unbeliever? We are supposed to travail for such person till Christ be formed in him or her (Gal 4:19, 1 John 5:16). The Message bible renders Matt 18:16-17 thus:

If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from the scratch, confront him with the need for repentance and offer again God’s forgiving love.

          The right to remarry

            The right to divorce goes with the right to remarry. Thus when the marriage is truly dissolved on the grounds set by God which include instances of death of partner and religiouse intolerance, the other party is at liberty to remarry if he or she so desires. The said party may remain single only if he or she can control his or her passion. If however, one procures divorce outside these conditions, such a person is to remain unmarried otherwise be remarried to the former spouse for God still sees them as one. Other such grounds for which a man may procure divorce include grounds on which our secular courts grant divorce include inordinate behavior, cruelty, refusal to consummate the marriage desertation of spouse for a given period of time, behavior which spouse cannot reasonably be expected to put up with, etc. these may grant divorce in the secular court but with God, you are only separated not divorced. While that separation may be condoned by God, He will not allow you to remarry.

The above is my humble submission. I do not claim to be perfect in my interpretation of scriptural provisions on these. I therefore will welcome contribution, further explanations, questions and constructive criticism.

Brethren, let us pray for our marriages whether we are married now or yet to be married. God hates divorce and so should we.

Beloved, Thanks for reading. Please make sure you check back Next Friday when new posts will be out.

Till then, Stay connected to God

Pst Sam

Jewelries and Weavons--Should I or Should I not (a Scriptrual Perspective)

 The question whether to use jewelry or not has been a nagging one for generations now.  In fact the devil has used it to build an age long feud that we are still fueling till date. In an attempt to answer this dicey question, I wish to state that I take for granted that my audience is prepared to accept the truth of the scripture and take its authority as a final one even when it opposes what they used to know. That not withstanding, my joy is that KNOWLEDGE SHALL INCREASE--whether now or in the future, the truth shall catch up with the lie no matter how fast the lie may run.

In this long existing feud, there are two main factions. They live poles apart. One is in the North pole and the other is in the South pole. The one says that Christianity is in the heart and it does not matter what you put on. So you can actually go to town and deck yourself like a Chinese masquerade, God would not even give a wink. The other in the south pole on the other  hand says you should not as much as touch it. Jewelries to them are unclean things and they that use them are on the broad road to hell. Well, let us examine these positions one after the other.

The “North Pole Inhabitants”—the pro-Jewelry Christians

Their main idea

1.     God does not care what you put on. They claim that though man look at the outward appearance, God looks at the inside (1Samuel 16:7).

Answer:

·         But this position seem to undermine the fact that even though God worked in salvation into our heart, we are suppose to work it out with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)

·         The Message Bible renders Proverbs 27:19 thus: Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart”. if actually your heart is pure and is such as is worthy to stand the scrutiny of God’s eyes as you claim, then your appearance will mirror it. Assuming God does not look at the outward appearance, the outward appearance will at least tell men what the inward appearance is like.

2.     We are the King’s kids so we should be flamboyant

Answer:

·      It is true that we are the King’s kids. But we must remember that our kingdom is not of this world and as such the beauty of the King that should be seen on us should not be that of this world but with the jewelries of heaven and not of the earth which fades away. So instead of gold etc why not deck yourself with humility, meekness and all the fruits of the spirit and see how nice you’d look.

3.     Silver an Gold are God’s so we’re entitled to use them

Answer:

·      Quit true. Only remember that the Scriptures says they are the Lord’s and not that you are theirs. Therefore, remember you shall give account whether you used jewelries or or they used you.

Now the South Pole Christians—the Anti-Jewelry folks:

These are more prevalent among those of us with the “holiness” bias—or at least so they think. The argument of this group is very serious and often vocalized that you’d almost think that that’s all Christianity stands for. With reasons spanning from bible portions to testimonies of ex-demon possessed person, they seek to show how sinful it is for you to use jewelries. However, it is sometimes difficult to know if they are against jewelries in their totality  or they are only against earrings which is their major target of criticism because many times, you’d see their male members and even preachers freely put on gold wrist watches and cufflinks while raining woes on ladies that dare to put on gold earrings  or necklaces. Or is it the gender inequality thing which is woven into the fabric of the African culture, ethics and ideals that have found its way into the church? Well, lets be more objective here and look at their arguments to see if there is much validity. The main arguments against jewelries that I am aware of are majorly from two or three portions of the Scriptures and we shall consider them briefly (please you can draw my attention to others if any).

1.   The Use of Jewelries is or leads to idolatry  and the Removal of it was necessary for consecration

The proponents of this position hinge their argument the incidents of Genesis 35:1-5 and Exodus 32 and Exodus 33:5. In Genesis, The Lord directed Jacob to go up to Bethel. It was necessary for the people to consecrate themselves hence Jacob told his family to get rid of the idols with them. In response, they handed Jacob all the idols and the jewelries with them which he disposed. In Exodus on the other hand, The children of Israel had used their jewelries to make a golden calf. The Lord then asked them to get rid of them before he made his pronouncement on them. This is the major basis of the argument that Jewelries are either idols in themselves or lead to idolatry and as such no consecration is truly complete without getting rid of them.

Answer:

·      Jewelries are not in themselves idols neither do they pollute people because they are worn. Israel had jewelries with them all along. In fact they got their jewelries from Egypt as directed by God. God had been visiting them in various manifestations and had no problem with the Jewelries until they were polluted by idolatry. Furthermore, if jewelry was altogether an idol or definitely causes idolatry, Abraham would not have presented earrings and nose rings and bracelets of gold to her daughter-in-law to be through whom the Messiahnic covenant was to be fulfilled as it would be sowing the seed of corruption from such an early start (Genesis 24:22,30,33-56)

·      With respect to Jacob and his family, remember that Jacob’s wives were from homes that had family idols and were given to idolatry. Their idols were made of gold etc and were consulted with jewelries. This is likely the reason why Rachael stole some of them—either because of its momentary worth or because of desire to consult with them (Gen31:19). It must have been so precious so much so that  Laban pursued them for seven days (verse 23) and were it not for God’s intervention would have killed them (verse 24,29-30). What a precious god it was. Rachael would not let it go and had to tell a lie to hide it (verse 35). These were the gods that were still with Jacob’s family as at the time God wanted them to go to Bethel (Gen 35). So when Jacob asked that his family got rid of them, they understood that it included the jewelries with which they worshiped the idols (verse 4), for whatever is with a man who is unclean becomes unclean (Haggai 2:11-14). That was why their jewelries were unclean and needed to be removed as sign of consecration to God. Thereafter, they acquired holy jewelries.

·         God has no problem with jewelries. Rather He says Silver and gold are mine (Haggai 2:8). He blesses His children with it. In fact one of the Abrahamic covenant that we now claim include riches. That is why He made Abraham rich in gold and silver (Genesis 24:1 and 35). It is based on this covenant that God empowers His people to get rich (Deut 8:8). So God doesn't really mind your having jewelries if they do not have you.

·         Jewelries can either be holy or unholy. It is the user, the use to which it is put and the person to which it is dedicated that matters. In Exodus 32 it was used for idolatory. In 35:4-30 it was used for making the temple. These things were gotten directly form the bodies. of the children of Israel and were used to make some of the most holy vessels to be put in the holiest of hollies and for that matter the major part of the entire tabernacle (please read the passage). Definitely God would not have asked for an idol or unclean thing to be used to make His tabernacle 2Cor 6:16).

·         It is true that Jewelries can be idols and can lead to idolatry because whatever draws one’s attention from God has become his own god and such an idolatry. Israel’s jewelries at a point in time metamorphosed into a golden calf which they worshiped.  If your attention is drawn from God because of jewelry obsession, or you become covetous because of jewelry, you need to get consecrated for every form of greed or covetousness is idolatry (Eph 5:5)

·         It is commonly argued that from the incident of the golden calf, the children of Israel removed the Jewelries with them and never used jewelries again. This is because of the way some version of the scriptures like the NLT puts verse 5 of Ex 33. But that was not what was intended. The Children of Israel actually put away the jewelries that led them to idolatry and the remaining ones in their bodies with which they served the idol. This was because they were then unclean. That does not mean that they could not acquire jewelries again. Furthermore, those that did not participate in the idolatry still had clean jewelries. Though they too might have put away their own temporarily as a sign of humility in the time of repentance. Otherwise, the bible would be contradicting itself when it records that they Children of Israel had jewelries to give for the construction of the tabernacle—an event which took place much latter after the issue recorded in Chapter 32 and 33 (see Ex 35)

·         Though Jewelry can be idols and can lead to idolatry, it is not necessarily an idol neither does it necessarily lead to idolatry. Until Israel converted their jewelries into golden calf, God never had an issue with it. In fact, God asked them to take these things from Egypt (Exodus 12:35&36)

2.   Apostle Peter Expressly Condemns it

The next major argument against jewelries is that Apostle Peter expressly forbade it in 1Pet 3:3. This also the main argument against fixing of weavon and relaxation of the hair

Answer:

·            Here, the Beloved Apostle actually said that women should not let their source of beauty to be in or rest in or depend on the jewelries they wore, the hair that they plaited or the clothes that they put on rather it should be in their behavior. This is simply a matter of grammatical understanding. If the archaic English of KJV is a challenge, brethren should get bibles that are easier to read. For example, NIV renders it thus; “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelries and fine clothes”.

     This admonition is like the one that says lean not on your own understanding. It does not therefore say you should get rid of understanding. Neither does God says the army should not prepare horses for war. He only says we should not depend on them for strength. Also, God does not say we should get rid of men but he does not want us to depend on them for help. So this passage does not place a barn on these things, it only changes your perspective about them.

·            Furthermore, if brethren would be sincere, they would be less economical with the truth in interpreting this beautiful passage. Otherwise, three items were listed—hair, jewelries, and clothes. Why is the attention on only the hair and jewelries. Why don’t we also get rid of clothes so we can be absolutely consecrated? We need to be balance in our bible interpretation. As a rule, if you find yourself in a tight corner with scriptures looking like they are conflicting or you have to avoid next verse or next phrase to look make sense in your analysis of the scriptures, you are definitely missing something and have to wait to check so the Holy Spirit can illuminate your heart. He will definitely do if we are ready to learn with simplicity and are ready to remove the veil of denominational dogma and the idol of preconceived ideology

·            As for weavons, I think the answer above also applies. Furthermore, those that kick against weavon would not mind our ladies platting their hair with rubber threads and fixing of wools—which anyway is a form of weavon—albeit in the same manner that the other weavons would have been used. It seems the idea is simply “don’t look flash”y. That’s ok. But let’s not criminalize it altogether. Just let us encourage modesty and not cause a rift in the house of God

3.   It is demonic and used by demons

The next major argument in support of these “South Pole” Anti Jewelry crusaders is that the jewelries are carriers of demons or enforcers of same. To be sincere, I do not know what is their biblical back up for this claim. I believe it is ferreted from the claims of ex-demon possessed persons (that is if they were really delivered). It is unfortunate that these claims are taken in hook line and sinker. This is a manifestation of lack of the spirit of discernment in the church. That is why we say yes lord to demons we should cast out and listen persons who still want to enjoy the same honour they had in the dark world even though they claim to have come to the light. These persons should rather hold their heads in shame for the atrocities they have perpetuated. But now they take the place of teachers in the house of the Lord. Brethren every spirit should be tested.

Of a truth, from my little experience with deliverance ministry, I have found out that some jewelries—especially crystals are very useful for demonic manipulation, astral projection, soul travel, transcendental meditations and as guide in teleportation to name a few. But this is also true of other materials especially mirrors, some other metals, plants, etc. Even the chime of a church bell could trigger a soul travel or even astral projection if that is the person’s cue.

The right thing should be that we are supposed to wait on the Holy Spirit to tell us what to do during deliverance ministration. I have seen instances where all a persons bedding harbored devils. God really have to direct you.

CONCLUSION

It is clear that staying at the North or South Pole will not be conducive as the Sun of Righteousness will not shine with all His power over you. Why not move to the equator of the balanced Christian? A balanced view as a Christian is quite necessary so we can live together in love and harmony—a necessary prerequisite for a healthy church of Christ. My conclusion therefore is as follows

·         There are a lot of things to which when we adhere, we think we are doing very well because the flesh loves them and they make us appear to the natural man as serious zealous or very spiritual but in the real sense of it they do nothing help curb the indulgences of the flesh and neither do they help to improve our walk in the Spirit.

Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances(Touch not , taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using) after the rudiments of men which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in the will worship, and humility and neglecting of the body, but not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh” (Col 2:20-23)

·         Jewelries are not in themselves bad.

·         You can make them either good or bad. In fact you can defile them or get defiled by them Just as you can use them to glorify God

·         If you are in a denomination where jewelries are not allowed, Obey the authorities and wholeheartedly avoid the use of them  following the principle of obedience (Romans 13:1; Titus 3:1)and God will bless your obedience (see the example of the Racchabites in Jerr 35:2-10)

·         Do not leave your church where Christ met you simply because you are becoming disobedient concerning the issue of earrings. Let the Holy Spirit be the one to lead you as to when and where to move. (1Cor 7:17 applies here also). However, if it is causing a serious rift, rather than becoming the trouble maker, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right place where you can worship Him

·         Be modest in all you do. Even unbelievers know what modesty is if we are sincere.

·         Never castigate others on these points. The Holy Ghost is our teacher and so if we differ in these issues, He will lead each denomination aright  as He wills  (Phil 3:15-16)

·         There is also the issue of the Lord speaking with some persons to remove these things. I do not deny such instances. But these are personal conviction which you should allow the Holy Spirit to make clear to others if they must follow suit. Paul did not impose celibacy on us even though he would have wished we were all like him.

·         In all let us pursue after those things that unite us rather than our points of differences.

·         No matter what you believe after now, be confident that knowledge shall increase and the Holy Spirit shall definitely teach us. Be confident in the teaching of the Holy Spirit if really we are in tune

Now “let us therefore, as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing” (Phil 3:15-16). Until Christ comes,

STAY CONNECTED TO GOD.

I Love you all.

Yours in Christ

Pastor Cymper-Omeiza Samuel Akpologun

Beloved, Thanks for reading. Please make sure you check back every Wednesday when new posts come out.

xoxo,
Pst Sam