In this month of my birth, I ask for your prayers and blessings; re affirms my life and ministry in serving God through you. I do not take your readership and partnership for granted. I thank God for all your supports and encouragements. I appreciate that monthly you allow me to come into your space and life and leave some life-changing message. You may disagree with my opinions but we shall never be disagreeable since we talk about Jesus whom God has made Christ and Lord over all spheres of life. I am prompted in Sprit to go where my passion leads – God’s Kingdom. It’s possible to hear someone say, “I was born again” ten or twenty years ago, just to sound like a status symbol but no marks of changed life is found in him/her. In the same vein, you often hear people boast we have been married for twenty or thirty years and no evidence of marital life is seen in them. They are still living “lonely together” and no element of blended or glued life observed in their lives; that even those who are single could say if married life is like this, I shall postpone my engagement or better put think again!
In today’s typical gospel presentation, we hear preachers urge people “to accept Jesus as personal Savior” or ask Jesus into your heart or invite Christ into your life or better still, make a decision for Christ.” Surprisingly those phrases are neither found in the bible nor based on biblical terminology. Sometimes the message that preceded that entreatment was nothing but prosperity theology than the message of salvation. There are called diluted gospels or near-discipleship message. It’s far from Jesus’ gospel of submissive obedience or a call to discipleship. Jesus’ gospel liberated people from bondage of sin, confronted religion and condemned hypocrisy. It was a call to turn away from sin and embrace God’s righteousness. It offers eternal life and forgiveness for repentant sinners. Again, as you read through the bible, it will surprise you to note when God sent a prophet to His people, God had a specific message of redirection, restoration and reconciliation, not a call for monetary donation or sacrifice or sowing more ‘seed.” “Jesus is not against your having money but money having you.”
Jesus’ Gospel was not entertainment gospel. It did not make the message of salvation light. It taught that there was a great and high cost for following Him and the way was narrow. One must have to turn completely, no half- measures, and no serving of two masters. It involves self denial and deliberate uncompromising obedience. Today’s gospel devoid of warning, full of compromising and has become shallower. It will not be surprising to hear that not all who call Lord, Lord shall make it to heaven (Matt 7:13-23). Preachers are easily fooled to accept profession of faith as evidence of Christianity while ignoring evidence of changed life and following commitment to Christ. We’ve often heard those who claimed to be Christians on Sunday morning and charged to court next day for rapping a young girl or an old woman or for diverse frauds and lying under oath. Today’s gospel extols giving of money as evidence of commitment to Christ without concern on how the huge money is made. I am prompted to ask again, “If someone gives a huge sum of money to the Church and all the ministers in the house stand to herald him, pray in diverse tongues, does it mean God accepts such offering? Yet, Jesus preferred the widows mite (Mark 12: 43-44).
It is not then surprised that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is really one. Unbelievers often make false profession of faith and Christians who do not have discerning spirit can be deceived into thinking they are. The cheap grace and pseudo faith of distorted gospel are ruining the purity of the Church. Preachers must refuse to proclaim messages that could give anyone a false hope; warn of false faith or shallow commitment. Shallow Christianity could accept anything other utter rejection as authentic faith in Christ, even those whose doctrine is suspect or whose behavior runs counter to their beliefs. Some try to distinguish between the law and grace, between salvation and discipleship, between the Church and the kingdom, etc. The truth is that both law and grace are part of the program of God in every dispensation. Surprisingly, the grace demands more righteousness than the law. However, salvation has always been by grace through faith, not by works of the law (Gal 2:16). While the Old Testament saints who were under Mosaic law were saved by grace through faith (Rom 4:3, 6-8, 16), the New Testament saints have a law to fulfill (Gal 6:2; 1 Cor.7:19; 9:21). The most important thing is to obey God’s commands. This is basic biblical truth.
Some of these people impose a distinction between the ages of pure grace (or the Church age) and the ages of pure law (or the Mosaic era). They argue that Christ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount was intended for futuristic age (Millennial Kingdom). The jingle in that argument is that Jesus did not come to preach a massage that would be relevant until another age. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came to call sinners to repentant (Matt 9:13). He came so that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). He came and proclaims a saving gospel not a manifesto for future age. His gospel is the life changing message we preach; nothing short of it. They further teach that there is a difference between Jesus as a Savior and as Lord. Even though both represent two separate offices but Jesus is both Savior and the Lord (Luke 2:11) and it’s impossible to accept Jesus as a Savior without submitting to Him as Lord. There’s also a mistaken literature claiming that people “making Jesus Lord.” No, we do not make Christ, Lord. He’s Lord. Those who would not accept Him as Lord are guilty of rejecting Him. Faith that rejects His sovereign authority amounts to unbelief. Apostle Peter ended his outstanding sermon with this strong declaration, “Everyone in Israel should know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put Him to death on a cross” (Acts 2:36). He recalled the Psalmist quotation in vs. 34-35, “The Lord said to my Lord to sit at his right side, until he made my Lord’s enemies a footstool for Him”(CEV).Salvation means accepting Christ’s Lordship.
Again, it’s still surprising to know that Jesus’ gospel turns away more prospects than he wins, since the gospel refuses to give people false hope. You must decide to follow completely or accept totally his way and lordship or stand for nothing, or be a hypocrite. He did not proclaim an-all-inclusive but a hard message that one has to either accept totally or reject completely. For example: Jesus discerned the unbelief and self righteousness in Nicodemus’ heart when He approached Jesus. Jesus confronted and halted him, sternly and out-rightly, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus brought in the Pharisee’s hypocritical unbelief and disobedience, yet Jesus shocked and warned the Jewish leader, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God” (John 3: 5, 7). Jesus was frank, direct and straight to the point. He added, “Only God’s spirit gives life”(vs. 8). Let all comedian preacher and entertainers vacate the pulpits and return to the theaters. Jesus is Lord and His message must daze and confront today’s unbelieving believers and religious hypocrites. No more excuses!!!
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill @ weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272. Web: weefreeministries.org. Ph. 832.881.3929 c.