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Friday, 7 December 2012
Foundations for Hope
Foundation for Things Hoped For
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is vitally important in the life of a Christian (Hebrews 10:38). In fact, generally, life would be very difficult without faith. You trust your spouse, doctor and lawyer. You sleep with hope that you will wake up. You drive your car by faith. You don't know if you are going to make it to your destination alive. You have faith that the food you buy from strangers is not harmful.
The specific definition of faith in the Bible is found in Hebrew 11:1. The verse says that faith is the 'hupostasis' of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The key word in the definition is 'hupostasis'. Different english bible versions use different words to carry the meaning of this word. Words used include 'the substance', 'the title deed', 'the guarantee', 'the firm foundation', 'a well grounded assurance' and 'the solid ground for' things hoped for. I would like to draw attention to three of them.
> Firm foundation. Taken literally, the Greek word, hupo-stasis, is made up of stasis “to stand,” and hupo “under,” meaning “that which stands under or a foundation.” So faith is that which supports things hoped for. It is therefore the ground on which one builds hope. Hope suggests there is an object on which the hope is based. Faith is as good as it's object/foundation. The believers' faith is based on the trustworthiness of God. The character of God makes the foundation of the believers faith as firm as God. Things we hope for in Christ are therefore as certain as God himself. Faith being a trusting response to Gods ability, faithfulness and intention grows with the knowledge of God. Without faith - things, blessings, health, life, prosperity, joy, the success, souls, etc you hope for are baseless, unfounded and will not stand. You therefore have no hope or you only have false hope. If faith is weak the things you hope for are at risk of not coming to pass. If faith is on and off and waivering hope cannot stand. If faith is abandoned hope is lost. The bigger the things you hope for the deeper your faith should be.
> Collection Voucher. Faith (trust in God) is the collection voucher for what Christ has already paid for by grace and is yours to claim. Faith is confidence in Gods promise to deliver what's already fully paid for by his grace. Grace is the currency of Gods kingdom. Since God does not lie, when you trust in Him, what you hope for is as good as done. The thing he has promised he will do. His character, his Son, his covenant and his Spirit are the unfailing guarantee. Faith begins as an attitude prompted by hearing Gods word (Romans 10:17) but is executed by corresponding action (James 2:26) and ends in a reward (Hebrew 11:6) or an expected outcome/effect/result. Favorable results are guaranteed in Jesus' name.
> Title Deed. Faith in God is the substance/evidence of entitlement which you must present in claiming ownership or a right to the things you hope for. Like the title deeds for a piece of property, having faith in God is having the thngs you hope for. Faith is entrusting a future you do not know to a God you know. Gods word in you (not just in Bible) is the source of faith. Jesus is the author of faith. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. So fall in love with Gods word, our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit a helper, teacher, comfort you live with yet ignore?
An example of what faith can do is in 1 Chronicle 4:9,10. We can show faith by confession of belief and deeds of obedience such as praying, caring, giving, witnessing, forgiving, helping, etc. Jabez showed his faith by praying. He was called Jabez by his mother because she bore him with sorrow. He was associated with pain and sorrow but called on the God of Israel, and God granted him that which he requested. You also pray like he did:
>>>Bless me indeed. To be blessed by God is to receive his benefits and favor. It is to be happy and have things go well for you.
>>>Enlarge my border. Enlargement of borders includes growth, increase and improvement. For whatever limitation you are facing in your studies, wisdom, resources, opportunites and physical space you can also pray in Jesus' name believing.
>>>Thy hand be on me. He desired to be used by God. God wants you to think beyond survival questions of where am I going to sleep. What will I eat. What shall I wear. Jabez wanted blessings that were more than enough for his personal needs. He wanted an overflow so that he could make a difference in other people's lives and be helpful. He cried for the supernatural on his life. He wanted to be equipped and resourced for to serve. God has the love, power, grace, tools, gifts, and skills you need.
>>>Keep me from evil and causing pain. He asked for total freedom - from sickness, bitterness, anger, revenge, sin, associating with evil influence, poverty, laziness, pride, irrational fear, negativism, etc He did not want to be a cause of pain. He did not want to be offensive or cause pain by what he did or did no do. Jesus taught us to pray 'deliver us from evil'.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is vitally important in the life of a Christian (Hebrews 10:38). In fact, generally, life would be very difficult without faith. You trust your spouse, doctor and lawyer. You sleep with hope that you will wake up. You drive your car by faith. You don't know if you are going to make it to your destination alive. You have faith that the food you buy from strangers is not harmful.
The specific definition of faith in the Bible is found in Hebrew 11:1. The verse says that faith is the 'hupostasis' of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The key word in the definition is 'hupostasis'. Different english bible versions use different words to carry the meaning of this word. Words used include 'the substance', 'the title deed', 'the guarantee', 'the firm foundation', 'a well grounded assurance' and 'the solid ground for' things hoped for. I would like to draw attention to three of them.
> Firm foundation. Taken literally, the Greek word, hupo-stasis, is made up of stasis “to stand,” and hupo “under,” meaning “that which stands under or a foundation.” So faith is that which supports things hoped for. It is therefore the ground on which one builds hope. Hope suggests there is an object on which the hope is based. Faith is as good as it's object/foundation. The believers' faith is based on the trustworthiness of God. The character of God makes the foundation of the believers faith as firm as God. Things we hope for in Christ are therefore as certain as God himself. Faith being a trusting response to Gods ability, faithfulness and intention grows with the knowledge of God. Without faith - things, blessings, health, life, prosperity, joy, the success, souls, etc you hope for are baseless, unfounded and will not stand. You therefore have no hope or you only have false hope. If faith is weak the things you hope for are at risk of not coming to pass. If faith is on and off and waivering hope cannot stand. If faith is abandoned hope is lost. The bigger the things you hope for the deeper your faith should be.
> Collection Voucher. Faith (trust in God) is the collection voucher for what Christ has already paid for by grace and is yours to claim. Faith is confidence in Gods promise to deliver what's already fully paid for by his grace. Grace is the currency of Gods kingdom. Since God does not lie, when you trust in Him, what you hope for is as good as done. The thing he has promised he will do. His character, his Son, his covenant and his Spirit are the unfailing guarantee. Faith begins as an attitude prompted by hearing Gods word (Romans 10:17) but is executed by corresponding action (James 2:26) and ends in a reward (Hebrew 11:6) or an expected outcome/effect/result. Favorable results are guaranteed in Jesus' name.
> Title Deed. Faith in God is the substance/evidence of entitlement which you must present in claiming ownership or a right to the things you hope for. Like the title deeds for a piece of property, having faith in God is having the thngs you hope for. Faith is entrusting a future you do not know to a God you know. Gods word in you (not just in Bible) is the source of faith. Jesus is the author of faith. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. So fall in love with Gods word, our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit a helper, teacher, comfort you live with yet ignore?
An example of what faith can do is in 1 Chronicle 4:9,10. We can show faith by confession of belief and deeds of obedience such as praying, caring, giving, witnessing, forgiving, helping, etc. Jabez showed his faith by praying. He was called Jabez by his mother because she bore him with sorrow. He was associated with pain and sorrow but called on the God of Israel, and God granted him that which he requested. You also pray like he did:
>>>Bless me indeed. To be blessed by God is to receive his benefits and favor. It is to be happy and have things go well for you.
>>>Enlarge my border. Enlargement of borders includes growth, increase and improvement. For whatever limitation you are facing in your studies, wisdom, resources, opportunites and physical space you can also pray in Jesus' name believing.
>>>Thy hand be on me. He desired to be used by God. God wants you to think beyond survival questions of where am I going to sleep. What will I eat. What shall I wear. Jabez wanted blessings that were more than enough for his personal needs. He wanted an overflow so that he could make a difference in other people's lives and be helpful. He cried for the supernatural on his life. He wanted to be equipped and resourced for to serve. God has the love, power, grace, tools, gifts, and skills you need.
>>>Keep me from evil and causing pain. He asked for total freedom - from sickness, bitterness, anger, revenge, sin, associating with evil influence, poverty, laziness, pride, irrational fear, negativism, etc He did not want to be a cause of pain. He did not want to be offensive or cause pain by what he did or did no do. Jesus taught us to pray 'deliver us from evil'.
Conditions for Multiplication III
CONDITIONS FOR MULTIPLICATION
5) Condition of Sowing
Luke 6:38; Deuteronomy 8:18
Everything you do involves money. You therefore want to make sure you
do what attracts God's blessing on your finances. How can you multiply your
resources. There can be no harvest where there has been no sowing (Galatians
6:9). In God's economy as sowing precedes reaping, giving precedes receiving
(Philippians 4:15). Giving breaks the power of Satan that stops your increase.
Sowing is part of a cultivation process. The process involves preparing
the ground, putting seed in the ground, and patiently watering, weeding, spraying, etc until the crop or
fruit is ready for harvest. Cultivation is a miracle happening over time
through prayer, obedience, faith,
investment, trade, work, relationships, etc. When you give therefore, be
prepared to be patient and hold fast to your profession of faith without
wavering, for he is faithful that promised (Hebrews 10:23). When you murmur and
complain about your past giving you dig out the seed and destroy the
harvest. Honor Yahweh with your
substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: So your barns will be
filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine (Proverbs
3:9,10).
Sowing is releasing something you have and allowing it to go from you
for the cause of the gospel. The abundance in heaven is waiting for something
to come from you to escort it to you. When you release your little God releases
his much. Sowing is exchanging one thing for something better. When God wants
to increase what you have, he talks to you about giving. Sowing is therefore
obeying God to part with something for God's purpose and for your provision.
All God's provision will come through a person. The church depends on God BUT
God but depends on the obedience of its members. If you pay God's bills he will
pay yours. If you take care of God's business he will take care of yours. Its
crucial to obey while the Spirit is prompting your heart. Disobedience shuts
heaven's windows of blessing (Malachi 3:10). God is watching your givng record
to see your love for him. Where you put your treasure is where your heart is.
Giving is a means to direct the location of your heart.
Sowing in God's work is acknowledging that he owns everything. There
was nothing in existence until he spoke it into being. God owes you nothing.
You owe him everything. God has invested in you and has a claim on you, your
time, possessions and gifts. He has a right to expect something from you and to
be disappointed when he gets nothing (Mathew 21:19; 25:28). He has a claim on
you by creation, by redemption, and by providence. He created you, saved you
and has provided all you have (1 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalms
24:1; Haggai 2:8; Deuteronomy 10:14; Ezekiel 18:4). We brought nothing into the
world, and we certainly can't carry anything out (1 Timothy 6:7).
[FOR MORE: Please refer to the Faith Dynamics notes on giving and
receiving that are posted on the church Facebook page]. Also on www.spform.blogspot.com
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
Conditions for Multiplication II
Fulfilling Conditions for
Multiplication
4) Condition of MANDATE
Mathew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:2
Christ’s Model
Every believer is called to learn of Christ and grow in Him to
maturity. In other words he/she is called to be a disciple of Christ and to make
disciples of Christ. Disciples are Christ's followers who let God use them to
multiply the number of disciples in communities. God is pleased with your love
for Him. He however would like to produce more people to love Him like you do. We have been given a go ahead (mandated)
through the great commission of our Lord Jesus to make disciples of all nations
(Mathew 28:18-20). The Lord Jesus is therefore the reason we reach out to
others and multiply the number of followers of Christ. As was originally commanded
in Genesis 1:28, He has commanded us to multiply and fill the earth with people
who obey God. As a church we want to be
obedient to this command. What God instructs he supervises and provides for. Obedience to God attracts His blessing
and favour. God will overtake us when he finds us
doing the right things (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Our Lord Jesus modeled the power of multiplication. Christ committed
himself to making 12 disciples whom he commissioned to also make disciples.
Through the disciple making movement process, despite wave upon wave of
resistance, the Christian faith has a strong presence and influence throughout
the world today. We are believers today because past generations of believers
multiplied themselves. Paul taught his disciples to pass on what they had
learnt from him to faithful people who would also pass it on to others (2
Timothy 2:2). That is a spiritual multiplication process - the only method God
is using to win the world and to grow churches. That is what has brought us
this far. Anything else can be enjoyable, exciting, beneficial, popular events
but will not win the world and generations for Christ. Spiritual multiplication
mobilises the whole church to reach the whole world with the whole gospel.
To demonstrate the power of multiplication of disciple makers.
Spiritual addition: 1 person evangelizing 1,000 people per day needs 16,500
years to evangelise the world. Spiritual multiplication: 1 person multiplying
himself once (reach at least 2 and equip and motivate them to reach at least 2)
per year needs 32.5 years to evangelise the world.
Multiplication tends to be slow at first but gathers momentum with
patient and consistent application of
right principles. It increasingly results in exponential growth from
sustainable acceleration. The scriptural
context of 2 Timothy 2:2 makes reference to a discipler maker requiring
the disciplines of an athlete, a soldier and a farmer (2 Timothy 2:1-10).
To be a multiplier you have to be very patient with imperfections of
others. Don't look for perfect people but for potential in people. It is the
multiplier/disciple makers task to nurture christlikeness and competency in the
disciple over time. We are not looking for stars but making stars. So we will
look for potential, faithfulness, availability, teachability, and spiritual
hunger.
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
Conditions for Multiplication I
Fulfilling Conditions for
Multiplication
Pressing On
Genesis 1:28
This year we have looked at the
importance of expectation, revelation,
manifestation, confirmation, demonstration, and gestation in determinng
progress in a believer's life. Today we begin a series on multiplication. God
has called us to be fruitful and multiply. Adam and Eve were assigned to
steward Gods creation on earth. Their responsibility involved subduing, taking
care of, replenishing and multiplying themselves and resources under their
care. God expected them utilise the plants, animals, land, water, minerals and
other creatures in sustainable ways (Genesis 1:28; 2:9) for His glory.
Humanity's mission is to multiply godly people and godliness. What God gave was
for food but also as seed and they multiplied so it lasted and increased. You
were created with the fertility or ability to grow, improve, and increase
whatever God entrusted to you. God has placed something in your hands. His
premise for solving your problem is your willingness, wisdom and faith to do
something with what you have (1 Kings 17:12; Exodus 14:16).
As a church, God is ready to multiply
our numbers, resources and influence (Acts 6:5). He wants to break every curse
and shortage that holds us back. Are we ready? We have to meet certain
conditions. I will highlight five.
1) Condition of LIFE
Before God said multiply he gave life.
Living things have natural ability to multiply. Dead things multiply worms and
termites not themselves. God gave life first and saw that it was good. He is
interested in multiplication of life not just statictics. He doesnt want to
multiply defeat, bondage, lack, hopelessness, fear and sorrow. He wants us to
find life in Christ and enjoy it. you
multiply whonyou are and what you have. The primary possession is life through
right standing with God and the fullness of his Holy Spirit. Paul's secret was
allowing Christ to live through him (Gal 2:20; Phil 1:21)
2) Condition of MATURITY
God is calling us to maturity (Heb 6:1;
2 Pet 1:5,6). Babies can not be expected to multiply. You grow through nurturing your relationship with God through
obedience based on spending quality time in His word and prayer. Like a branch
you can't produce apart from the vine (John 5:4). Paul demonstrated marks of maturity
in Phil 3:12-14.
- He looked around - he was honest
about is restricting and difficult prison chains (Phil 2:19-3:1a) but
maintained a positive attitude of faith and hope in God. He could have cursed
God and complained. What are your chains. Our God opens prison doors. Paul saw
the opportunity to share Christ in an unusual place and in unusual ways.
- He looked inward - He was honest
about his inadequacies and hopelessness apart from God. He wrote, 'I count not
myself to have apprehended:....either were already perfect'. He had nohing to
boast about save Christ his unfailing source of strength. His grace is
perfected in our weakness. He was not pretending to be super man. Do you humble
yourself in order for God to lift you up.
- He looked backward - He refused to allow the victories and set
backs in his past to hold him back in any way. He determined to use the past to
push him forward. He said, ' but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind'. He also said, 'But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ.' What in your past tends to pull and hold you to it.
Its time to le go of the past.
- He looked ahead/forward. He purposes
in his heart and directed all his strength to reaching forward to those things
which are before. The future has enough waiting to wipe out the sorrows of the
past and to make the victories in the past nothing in comparison.
- He looked upward/heavenward. Moving
to future completion of your God inspired assignment is also pressing towards
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Prize and
crown are waiting in heaven. Paul exhorts the Collossians to fix their hearts
not on earthly things but on things above where Christ is seated in heaven.
3) Condition of UNITY
Paul said, 'stand fast in
one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel' (Phil
1:27) 'endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace' (Eph
4:3). God commands his blessing in the place where brethren dwell together in
unity (Psalm 133, Phillipians 2; Ephesians 4; Genesis 11). Luke recorded in
Acts 2 that before the Holy Spirit came the disciples prayed in one accord.
Without cooperation and harmony Gods work is hindered. Christianity is about
how well we relate with one another and with God yet we talk increasingly less
about relationships in favor of titles and material things. Before God
commanded Adam to multiply he created a helper (Gen 2:18). To excel you need
the strengths of others (1 Cor 12).
Harmony among people
depends a lot on inner peace with oneself and with God. Inner conflicts breed
outer conflicts. A troubled soul creates trouble in relationships. Having peace
with God is a legal provision that dies not guarantee peace in your soul. The
later depends on how you respond to Gods provision.
Paul often prayed for
mercy, grace and peace. Peace includes absence fears, restlessness, anxiety,
worry, stress (spirit of sound mind), uncertainty, discontent, despair,
hopelessness, impatience, anger, disquiet, Guilt, regret, bitterness and other
stormy emotions no calmness (storm). Phillipians 4 outlines how to maintain
peace in ones life.
- Peace is shown by joy
(4:4,5)
Rejoice in the Lord always:
and again I say, Rejoice.
- Peace is produced by
prayer (4:6,7)
Blessed is the Person who
trusts in the Lord. 'Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.'
- Peace is nurtured by
meditation on God word (4:8,9)
Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these
things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and
seen in me, do: and the God of peace will be with you.
- Peace is preserved by
contentment (4:10-13)
If you compare unwisely you
will despair. 'Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatever state I am, with that to be content. I know both how to be abased, and
I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things
through Christ who strengtheneth me.'
Still to come:
4) Condition of MANDATE
5) Condition of SOWING
6) Condition of
THANKSGIVING
We will look at other conditions
for multiplication next week
Messages by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
Gospel Perspectives II
The Flames of the Gospel
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
We have talked about the
facts and the faces of the gospel. Let's now look at the flames of the gospel.
The books of the Bible called the gospels present the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The letters of Paul explain the gospel and its implications. Paul
encouraged his friends in Christ to persist and endure hardships. His argument
was that there was enough power in the gospel to see them through the rough and
tough. The gospel you received brought newness of life and ignited a fire in
you that produces light out of you. The gospel flames inside have
potential to grow and spread unstoppably. The fire however needs to be tended.
It needs to be oiled, fanned and cared for through submitting to the Holy Spirit
and reading the Bible and meditating on its teaching. Also through praise and
prayerfulness. As well as through shunning evil and fellowshiping with other
believers. It also needs to be exposed. In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul taught
about the effects of the precious gospel fire burning in you as a believer.
It exposes the location of
your treasure (2 Cor. 4:4-7).
Have you ever wanted to
discover a vast treasure? Before the recent discovery of the Marange diamonds
people who lived there for generations did not realize what treasure they lived
with. Believers have the greatest treasure of Christ in them and often do
not realize it. The gospel helps us to understand the value of this treasure.
It brings a revelation of the greatness and glory of Christ in a believer. If
only you can know the glory of God in the face of Christ which is far
more greater than that which was seen on Moses' face. Before believing your
eyes were veiled from all that Christ is (2 Cor 4:4). Now eyes have been opened
to see the glory (power and goodness) of Christ in you. Don't die without
knowing and enjoying the priceless treasure in you by Christ. The treasure of
His power working in you is big enough to enable you to do all things. It is
time for the power working in us to work for us. It is enough to fight your
battles, to pay all your bills, to carry you through difficulties, to cure all
your diseases, to cleanse from all sin, and to reverse all the gains of the
enemy over you.
It examines your heart.
It takes humility for the
Christ treasure in you to show outside for the glory of God? The weaker the
vessel the more the glory that arises to God. 'We have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and
not from ourselves (2 Cor 4:7). We who have been created from the dust of the
earth are such frail earthen vessels to have been trusted with the most valued
treasure ever known. Ordinarily treasure is secured in strongest vessels to be
kept safe. But God did not want the treasure kept away safe but shared through
the brokenness of the vessel. Our calling is to let the light shine freely by
gladly agreeing to be broken. When you are broken you are more trusting and the
treasure in you shines out brightest. God wants the earthen vessels conquered so
he can do great things. So that his light can shine outside and his aroma
poured out (Mark 14:3). He wants hearts of flesh not stone. He wants to
overcome our strong wills, our self dependence and self centeredness. In
breaking the lesser, the greater inside is released! God is able to accomplish
mighty works through broken vessels for which they cant take credit. No
person can take the glory. There is nothing you have that you have not received
(1 Cor 4:7). We are just like the donkey that carried Christ into Jerusalem
It expels your enemy.
The gospel light that shines
in our brokenness is not only for warming and lighting but for fighting. Light
drives away darkness. For darkness to reign you simply swith off the light.
Paul was facing untold resistance and suffered from natural causes,
persecutors, some who compared him less favorable to people like Apollos and
those who questioned his apostleship. But he wrote, 'we are afflicted in every
way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor 4:8, 9). Gideon (Judges 7) with
an army of 300 overcame thousands of Midianites by blowing trumpets (Numbers
10:9) and breaking jars with burning lamps inside to show forth the light
inside. The trumpet sound and the exposure of three hundred small flames
brought the victory. When we are humble, prayerful and trusting before God He
fights our battles (James 4:7).
It extends your
view/perspective.
Paul describes his
afflictions as light. But they really far from being light (2 Cor 1:8,9;
11:23-28). How could he call them light. several times he writes 'we do not
lose heart' and 'we faint not'. He was looking with a perspective enlightened
by Gods glory on Christ in him. He saw the afflictions he suffered achieving an
eternal weight of glory. He saw a crown awaiting him at the end of it all. He
saw his inward man being renewed day by day even though the outward was wasted.
God is more interested in our inner development than our outer comfort. Paul
found strength from knowing that the inside treasure has more lasting value
than the fading value of the outer vessel. 'While we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2
Cor 4:18). He later asserted that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor
5:7). There is a real unseen realm. Realm of seen is for manifestation.
Production happens in the unseen realm.
It exonerates your past.
We must all appear before the
judgement seat of God (2 Cor 5:10). But for us the old has passed away behold
all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17, 21). In Christ you receive a new nature
and a new assignment as Christ's ambassador (2 Cor 5:20).
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
Gospel Perspectives I
Four faces of the gospel
1 Cor 9:16
The gospel is Gods power unto salvation. It
is the provision God has made for lost humanity to regain right standing before
God. The Gospel is a message of salvation but also the power to bring about and
sustain salvation. During Pauls time there was confusion around issues such as
the role of Christ, works, and the law in the Christian faith. Paul's letters seek to help readers to understand
what the gospel is and its implications
to life. He makes it clear that the way you view the gospel reveals the
condition of your heart and how much it can benefit your life. The following
perspectives show four faces of the
gospel.
The face seen by the enemy.
The gospel is disguised from the enemy (1 Cor 2:7, 8; 2 Cor 4:2,3). It appears as a soft target.
'Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' The enemies of Christ can not see
it and those under satans influene will
be blind to it. That is why we must pray for God to open people's eyes. It is futile
to fight the gospel and those who have embraced it by receiving Jesus
Christ as their Saviour and Lord. The enemy however fights on to, in the end, only achieve self
destruction. Your trouble is a plot or pretext to show the invincible power you
have in Christ.
The face seen by the carnal mind.
The gospel is despised by the carnal mind. The carnal mind excludes God and the
supernatural. As a result the message and ways of the cross are foolishness (1
Cor 1:18; 2:14). When you walk by faith in God's word you are using the
spiritual mind. When you doubt God and see his ways as foolish you are using
the carnal mind. The things of God cannot be understood by a carnal mind
because they require spiritual discernment. You must grow in spiritual maturity
by praying, meditating and obeying Gods word to grow out of a carnal life (2
Cor 5:17). You can be a Christian and yet live a carnal defeated life. God
wants to conquer you before he conquers your challenges. The way you see
difficult situations, people, and the future will change when you use the eyes
of the gospel. The love of God never fails. If it could it would have failed to
provide the gospel. The gospel has all you need for your wilderness when you
are waiting, in transition and going through the process to your dream. The
gospel can not be good news if it gets you started and can not see you through.
The face seen by a pragmatic person.
The gospel is demonstrated by power. For most people what matters is whether the
gospel works to provide bread on the table, a roof over the head, health,
clothes, blankets, school fees, and transport. Bread and butter real life
issues. Can it help me through life? Is it useful? The gospel might not follow
logic but works all the time and for everyone (1 Cor 2:4; 2 Cor 10:4). Some
things do not make sense but make cents. They may lack logic and scientific
explanation but produce good results. The gospel may be despised but it works.
It has the ability to cause effect, influence and transformation. The prayer
and faith of the righteous availeth much.
The face seen by a spiritual person.
The gospel is disclosed to us who believe (1 Cor 2:10). But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them to us by
his Spirit. By the Spirit, we know the things God has prepared for those
who love Him. The testimony of Christ is confirmed in us (1 Cor 1:4-6; Acts
10:38).
For Paul, the disclosure of the gospel did
not only bring personal benefit but a cause to live for. 'For though I preach
the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; and woe
is to me, if I preach not the gospel!' He saw unbearable consequences to
himself if he negelcted the responsibility to preach to others. Is it easy and
comfortable for you not to share Christ?
When the gospel is disclosed and you are truly spiritually minded, you
cant afford not to share the gospel. Sharing is no longer an option you can
ignore. 'Woe' speaks of danger, calamity, affliction, misfortune, great sorrow,
or great loss. Preaching was a way to escape his woes. The holy fear of not
preaching the gospel pushed Paul to finishing his race and winning his fight.
Do you have a pushing force? Paul
also had a pulling force from the
mark of his calling (Phil 3:14). The great reward and crown awaiting him for
preaching the gospel. Another factor he had was a driving force motivating from inside. He said the love of Christ
constraints me (2 Cor 5:14). may God also disclose the gospel to you in a
similar way.
Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
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