Consumed with Christ

Written by David Wilkerson 

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:26

The Greek word for hate means "to love less by comparison." Jesus is calling us to have a love for Him that is so all-inclusive, fervent and absolute that all our earthly affections cannot come close. If we had that red-hot, all-consuming, intense and joyous love for Christ, we would not need outlines, diagrams and instructions telling us how to pray; we would pray because our hearts would be on fire with love for Him. We would not grow bored trying to fill up an hour praying ambiguously for needs all over the world; Christ would be the object of our prayers, and our prayer time would be precious. We would spend hours behind closed doors, expressing the overflowing admiration and sweet love that flood our hearts for Him. Reading His Word would never be a burden; we wouldn't need formulas on how to finish the Bible in a year.

If we loved Jesus passionately, we would be drawn magnetically to His Word to learn more about Him. And we would not become bogged down with endless genealogies and end-time speculations. We would want only to know Him better-to see more of His beauty and glory so that we could become more like Him. Think about it: Do we know what it is like to come into His sweet presence and ask nothing? To reach out to Him only because we are grateful that He loves us so completely? We have become selfish and self-centered in our prayers: "GIVE US, MEET US, HELP US, BLESS US, USE US, PROTECT US" All this may be scriptural, but the focus remains on us. We go to His Word for answers to our problems, for guidance and comfort, and this also is right and commendable. But where is the love-motivated soul who searches the Scriptures diligently, who wants only to discover more and more about his beloved Lord?

CONTINUE

There are several things that the word of God clearly teaches Christians (all those who profess belief in Jesus Christ) to continue in and a persistent hesitation to continue in these things would be detrimental to our walk with the Lord. With no particular order of importance, these things include prayer, faith, the love of Christ, goodness, witnessing, grace, the word, the Apostles’ doctrine, and Christian fellowship.

1. Prayer

We are urged by the Apostle Paul, to CONTINUE STEADFASTLY IN PRAYER, being watchful in it with thanksgiving (Col 4:2), as was the practice of the early church as recorded in the book of Acts, “These ALL CONTINUED WITH ONE ACCORD IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). These resonate with the exact words of Jesus when He said, “Men always ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

2. Faith

Paul admonished the Colossians to cleave to their faith in Christ or else they would not be found blameless before Him on the day of Judgment. He said, “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, IF indeed you CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Col 1: 22-23). The same Apostle Paul and Barnabas exhorted the disciples at Antioch and Iconium to CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, saying that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14: 22).

3. The Love of Christ

Jesus said, “As the Father loved me, so have I loved you: CONTINUE IN MY LOVE” (John 15:9). Then He went on to say, “If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love” (John 15:10) after asserting earlier that “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6)

4. His Goodness

Again, the Apostle Paul said, “Note then the goodness and the severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but toward you God's goodness, IF you CONTINUE IN HIS GOODNESS. Otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom 11:22). 

5. Witnessing

We see a stark similarity in the lives of two great men of God, Paul and Nehemiah, as they continued the work of the Kingdom of God despite the opposition they faced. “Having therefore obtained help of God, I CONTINUE UNTO THIS DAY, WITNESSING both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come” (Act 26:22). “Indeed I also continued in the work of this wall” (Neh. 5:16).

6. The Grace of God

The bible records, “And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to CONTINUE IN THE GRACE OF GOD”(Acts 13:43). This is a very crucial point we must never let go of, because on this hinges our salvation: The grace of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal. 2:21). However, it is equally important to note that the grace of God isn’t simply pardon from sin, but it also gives us help and strength to flee from sin and obey God as evident from the scriptures “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1).

7. The words of Christ

Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you CONTINUE IN MY WORD, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31) and also said, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

8. The Apostles’ doctrine

Timothy was warned by the Apostle Paul against false teachers and seducers that will arise and wax worse in the last days. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4). This warning applies to us even much more, upon whom the end of the world has come, to turn away from such people who have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Tim. 3:5). “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. CONTINUE IN THEM, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). “But YOU MUST CONTINUE IN THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE LEARNED and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14).

9. Christian Fellowship

The early Christians didn’t take their gatherings and fellowship with one another lightly. “And THEY CONTINUED STEDFASTLY IN THE APOSTLES' DOCTRINE AND FELLOWSHIP, AND IN BREAKING OF BREAD, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). In fact, we should note that an isolated Christian is an easy prey for the devil who is as a roaring lion, an adversary looking for whom to devour.

On the other hand however, there is one thing that the living word of God unequivocally teaches us not to continue in. And that thing is called SIN. Jesus said to the woman who was caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you: go, and SIN NO MORE.” (John 8:11) and also after healing the man that had been bed ridden for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda, our Lord Jesus said the same thing again, “See, you have been made well: SIN NO MORE, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14). In addition, Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

At the end of it all, the choice still remains with us. God has never forced His will on any individual and He will never force His will on us. He has given us the free will to choose life (everlasting life) or death (eternal separation from Him). And He says, Rev 22:11-12, “Let the one who does what is evil continue to do evil, and let the filthy person continue to be filthy, and the righteous person CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, and the holy person CONTINUE TO BE HOLY." "See! I am coming soon! My reward is with me to repay everyone according to his work.”

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of God is saying. (Rev 3:22)

Choose wisely my friends!

There is more to be said on God’s behalf

"Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf”- Job 36:2

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon

We should never seek publicity for our own virtue or notoriety for our own zeal, but it is a sin to continually seek to hide what God has bestowed on us for the good of others. A Christian is not a village hidden in a valley, but “a city on a hill”; not “a lamp… put… under a bowl” but “put… on its stand” so “it gives light to everyone” (Matthew 5:14-15). Intentionally withdrawing has its place at times, and hiding one’s self is no doubt modest, but the hiding of Christ in us can never be justified, and holding back the truth that is precious to us is a sin against others and an offence against God.

If you tend toward shyness, be careful you don’t indulge your trembling tendency too much, lest you become useless to the church. Instead, in the name of Him who was not ashamed of you, seek to do some “violence” to your own feeling and be determined to tell others what Christ has taught you. You don’t have a booming voice? Then use “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). You don’t have a pulpit and are never quoted by the media? Then say with Peter, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you” (Acts 3:6). If you can’t preach a sermon on a mount, speak to the “Samaritan woman” (John 4:7) by the well; if not in the temple, declare the praise of Jesus in a house; if not in the marketplace, in a field; if not in the middle of masses, in your own household.

From the hidden spring within you, allow the sweetly flowing streams of testimony to flow, giving drink to every passerby. Never hide your talents, but “trade” them in the market place and you will bring good return to your Master. Speaking for God is refreshing ourselves, encouraging to His saints, useful to sinners and honouring to the Saviour. A mute child is an affliction to his parents.

Lord, unloose Your children’s tongues

WE ARE NOT DOING GOD A FAVOUR!

Written by Paul Agboola

Some church goers, Christians and religious folks often unconsciously tend to have a notion that they are doing God or their pastor or the church a favour by releasing their lives for God to handle. This is usually reflected in their attitudes to spiritual and sacred things. However, the truth is that, Christ actually did us the favour, we’re only accepting His mercy and unmerited favour by submitting to His authority.

Jesus being equal with God, made Himself of no reputation and was fashioned as a man (and is still standing as a man); humbling Himself through obedience unto the death on the cross (Phil 2: 6-8), so that all men may see and understand God’s Love. Despite this great sacrifice the Son made for man, He still continually intercedes on our behalf. This is clearly the Grace of God at work! Yet, the only thing required as an entrance for us is to simply accept Him as Lord and personal saviour but many of us often despise this as believers or postpone it as unbelievers.

My friends, we are not doing God a favour but rather doing ourselves a lot of harm if we continue to take His grace for granted. Therefore, for those of us already in the light (i.e. born again), let’s adjust our attitude to spiritual things and love God with all our hearts, soul, strength, and mind (Matt.22:37). There are still heights, depths, lengths and breadths of God to enter into that would remain oblivious to us if we have wrong attitudes to faith and God’s love for us. Let’s not take Jesus lightly, He didn't take us lightly; rather let us run with patience the race set before us and obtain the promise. And to the men, women and children who have not yet made a decision to be with Christ, I implore you to come and taste of the sweetness of God’s love. Do yourself a favour today and switch to the Lord’s side, it is the best decision you can ever make.