by Pedro Anosike | Nov 4, 2010 | Faith
Justification by faith in Christ is an elementary doctrine (Heb 6:1, 11:6).
Having a participatory understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ Jesus is a basic requirement for anyone who claims to be a minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6). Not getting this doctrine right can be likened to a workman given a gift box of tools necessary for accomplishing a job but, refuses to acknowledge the key tool (justification) within the box.
There is no deliverance from legalism and guilt without a participatory understanding of justification by faith in Christ just as there is no justification by faith in Christ that is not accompanied by an overcoming grace. For sin shall not have dominion over the saints (Ps 19:13, Rom 6:14)
Dave Jenkins has rightly divided God’s truth on his recent article on the subject. The time you spend reading through this teaching will be well worth it even if you already have a good grasp of it. It renews the heart’s love for Jesus and ignites fresh praise to God. Read it Justification
Maranatha!
by Pedro Anosike | Nov 4, 2010 | God's purpose
Often times God intends to get our attention by asking us a particular question repeatedly as was the case with Peter (John 21:15-17). The temptation is to be grieved because we believe God knows our heart pertaining to the matter for which He is questioning us.
We also saw God repeatedly bringing a vision to Peter’s attention but this time, Peter had matured in the ways of the Lord. And as such, though He was perplexed as God’s ways will always be to us, he was not grieved thereby opening a window for his obedience to God. And his obedience led to the blessing of salvation and baptism in the Holy Spirit to others (Acts 10:9-48).
As we enjoy the Lord’s presence in fellowship and prayer, and hear His voice in a repeated questioning way deep in our hearts, may we be wise to pause and give attention to Him. That waiting (meditating) to understand what He is really saying can save us from a lot of trappings of the devil and bless us in a huge way and profit others immensely.
The Lord’s probing questions is not meant to grieve us. He knows us better than we will ever know ourselves and His love and care for us knows no bounds.
May the Lord help us to KNOW His boundless love towards us that we serve Him gladly with all patience (Romans 8:28).
Maranatha!
by Pedro Anosike | Nov 3, 2010 | Featured
In these days, there is so much strife and division among people that there has been the need to cry out, “Lord, how can these things be?”
The natural, physical body functions beautifully and perfectly, without any single part being against the other. This physical body is a type of the Spiritual Body, therefore, there must be a perfect function of the Body of Christ.
God divides and separates through the working of the Spirit – good from evil, light from darknesss, righteousness from unrighteousness – so that His people can be free from all the works of the enemy, and be separated unto Him in Holiness and Righteousness – PRAISE GOD.
God, the giver of understanding, has been unveiling the mystery.
Deliverance from every situation is in HIS NAME – not name as label on someone or something, but HIS NAME which is HIS NATURE. That nature is love, peace, submission, etc. Whatsoever we ask in His Name.
So many times, believers come together and leave undelivered and unblessed – frustrated and discouraged, not having received from the Lord that which has been promised. The reason is that something is wrong with the gathering or the gathered; it was not in HIS NATURE. There may be unforgiveness, hatred, bitterness, malice, strife, guile, cunning craftiness, and such things that are contrary to the NATURE of Christ. It is like having flies in the ointment. Clean hands and a pure heart is that acceptable offering before God. Remember, God looks at the inner being. He sees light or darkness. Forgiveness and cleansing through the atonement sanctifies the vessel, making way for the greatest blessings.
God cannot bless while the contrary nature is encouraged in the soul. All the sacrifices and necessary preparations were made in the Outer Court so the services of the tabernacle would not be hindered in any way, hence the needs of the people were met. When Israel made the perfect sacrifice, God was pleased and they were blessed to the fullest. Their enemies could not stand before them; they had complete victory in all areas. When they transgressed, they fell prey to their enemies, even to the bondage of slavery.
The fruits of the flesh (anger, wrath, malice, strife, envy, bitterness, etc.) are all works of the evil one, works of darkness – where Satan presides as lord. When we therefore entertain these, we fall into the realm of darkness where Satan has power over us. We only have power in Christ; we have no power in darkness.
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with ALL malice: And be ye Kind one to another, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath FORGIVEN YOU.” Ephesians 4:31-32.
There should be no place given to the devil, or he will take advantage of every opportunity to rob and destroy.
PRAISE GOD. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, because God made available to us, His People, every necessary piece of armament to insure us the victory.
His active presence can be experienced in the fullness of His revealed character. His NAME is linked with His righteousness, faithfulness, holiness, goodness, mercy, love, truth, etc. – that is His NAME. Since the assembling of believers forms the basis for spiritual unity with Christ, for participation of His bounties and viewing of His Sovereignty, believers must, through the divine power, rise from the lower realm (which is the opposite and contrary nature) to partake of that DIVINE NATURE.
God will not share His Glory. There must be a rejecting of one nature in order to receive the other nature. Self takes the place of Christ in the soul – the more self is rejected and cast out, the more of Christ we can have.
Times without number in the scriptures, this principle is seen in operation of someone calling on the name of the Lord:
“I WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” 1st Kings 18:24.
Elijah had faith in God; he knew God’s divine purpose. It was a time when Israel should halt no longer between two opinions: they had to make a decision between God and Baal. Though there were four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, Elijah knew His God whom he served. Baal was stilled before the Almighty. God answered not only by consuming Elijah’s sacrifice with fire, but licked up all the water that was poured onto the sacrifice and the very stones also. PRAISE GOD.
There is record of priests going to offer sacrifice in disobedience and rebellion – they were consumed.
Some went to cast out devils – instead the devils turned on them and tore them.
The spirits of darkness will only recognize the power and authority (which is the nature) that accompanies the NAME OF JESUS. This NAME is not enshrined in a system, doctrine, external influences, church organization or men’s ideas, but in righteousness, truth and holiness, because He is Saviour – the giver of inspiration. This living stone rejected of men, but to God’s elect, precious. See 1st Peter 2:4-5. All who are enjoined to this LIFE become lively stones, building up the spiritual house, each stone maintaining its proper relationship to the other, permanently connected with Christ, furnishing a habitation for God. Great and wonderful mystery – Praise God. A branch connected to the vine will bring forth fruit of its kind (of the vine).
Where two or three are gathered together in His name (NATURE), He is there in the MIDST to bless and to do THEM GOOD. Praise God it is TWO OR THREE – it does not have to be a large congregation with all the trappings of organization, just two and three gathered IN HIS NATURE. The grounds for the blessing therefore is basically:
“GATHERING IN HIS NAME (NATURE).”
Christ is identified with the Church – HE IS HEAD, and must be recognized as such. He is the vine; we are the branches. See John 15:1.
This dynamic power, working through submitted vessels, produces the impossible: revealing to us and renewing in us the lost image and likeness of God, being in us that all-sufficient source of PURITY AND POWER.
Christ is not content to be represented by His people in words; He wants to reign in and be Himself in His people. God has given man the capacity to rise far beyond the limits of his own individuality.
When we gather together in HIS NATURE, He is in the midst to BLESS AND DO US GOOD. He expresses Himself when there is submission to His Nature.
by Pedro Anosike | Oct 29, 2010 | Deception
In contrast, those who come under the law of the spirit of life IN Christ Jesus by believing, accepting and relying on His finished sacrifice on the cross and His subsequent resurrection from the dead are forgiven their “sin” and sins. They are brought into and are being taken from one degree of glory to another IN Christ Jesus as they meditate on God’s law taught by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures that Christs’ stature (life) might abound more abundantly in them and through them .
Those who enjoy verse 1 primarily must set their mind on the spirit because they are empowered to do so now unlike when they were under a different law. Setting the mind on the things (laws of God- which Jesus has become for us -(Rom 10:4), we then follow after Jesus who is the fulfillment of the law for those IN Him (Heb 5:9). This whole blessing culminates to life (righteousness), peace and resurrection. (Rom 8:3-11)
Romans 12:1 is predicated on the FACT that those being exhorted have been called into the privilege of Rom 8:1 and as such have been “given” the GRACE i.e, POWER (John 1:12) to enable them obey verse 1 of Romans 12. And this is the way God intends for us to let His word to become flesh in us for the praise and glory of His Holy name. The sacrifice associated with the new law is not like the old law that needed repeated sacrifices that neither cleaned the spirit of the worshipers nor sanctified them (Heb 7:27 and 10:1).
The premise of this big claim of not being under the old law is that one is lead by the spirit not an Apostle, Teacher, Pastor, Prophet, Evangelist or small group leader (Gal 5:18, Rom 8:9 “If in fact” and 2 Cor 13:5). This emphases is not to diminish the five-fold ministry and other spiritual gifts that God has blessed the Church with for her instruction and edification. I am a product of the benefit of those invaluable ministries having been in the Church for close to three decades only (only because I’m privileged to have those who have been in Christ far longer and God keeping me alive, the journey has only just began).
So grace and truth that God gives to us His sons is to enable us glorify Him while we are yet clothed with mortal bodies and waiting for our resurrection bodies with which we (His sons- male and female) will worship and praise Him forever.
The beginning and the journeying through to the end of our salvation and redemption is by the grace of the one who foreknew us and predestined us to be CONFORMED to the image of His first begotten Son by whom He is bringing many other sons to glory. The Grace of God makes the believer this or that and work IN the believer who then serve or work as a conduit for the out flowing of the work grace is accomplishing within him or her (1 Cor 15:10)
May the grace of God upon you and I not be in vain. For grace is given to us that we might labour (serve fervently) the course of Christ to whom be praise forever. Amen
Let NO ONE deceive you with empty philosophy- use not the freedom of the grace as license for laziness, lasciviousness and sin. Has the type of grace you received helped mortification of your carnal instinct? If not, forget what your theological camp is saying and reach out to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16 and Phil 4:13)
Take Delight in Honouring Each Other (Rom 12:10)
Respect must be given to those who it is due, but undue respect is an evil that must also be avoided at all costs. Those who have won the trust of the people of God based on their fear, love and devotion to scripture (God’s infallible word) must persevere in the preservation of God or they will rightfully lose the respect and love they had from God’s household (body of Christ). Some wouldn’t mind given that their denominational firms and associates in theological camps will still support them to their own shame and destruction.
The happenings in present day Christendom are really disturbing to those who are truly alive in the Spirit and keeping in step with its leading (Gal 5:25-26). I know some will say it is the sign of the end time but as true as that is, God wants to save many (though few in comparison to those who will reject Christ) we must preach and teach the undiluted word of God which is able to save our souls to the utmost and that of our hearers (Jude 1:3 and 2 Tim 2:15).
Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here – Maranathan! (Phil 4:4-5).
by Pedro Anosike | Oct 29, 2010 | Deception
The catch-up with antinomianism mentality is fast sweeping MANY across all facets of Christendom. Refusing the “in-crowd” mentality which is more often than not remotely driven by narcissism is readily seen as pride.
The fact remains that we are NOW paying a huge price for the error of some decades back when false teachers and prophets were empathized with in direct disobedience to scriptures that “command” that they should be REBUKED SHARPLY AND PUT OUT OF FELLOWSHIP OF SAINTS. Also, WARN brethren to avoid their materials and give them no funding or support of any sort (Titus 1:10-16, 1 Tim 1:20 and 2 Tim 4:15). The intention of this is to encourage and push them to reconsider their ways and repent.
Those most respected today in Christendom are the very ones that are selling out so fast that I’m honest to say it is frightening. Their subtle arrogance and impetus beats the imagination. May the Lord show mercy on us and help us!
Well when men have enough follower-ship to sustain their invented godly (actually ungodly) ambition to reach the whole world for Christ (for themselves) they cannot but be insistent in their error and misleading the people for whom Christ suffered, died and resurrected to save.
“We’re justified by grace so that we’re able to do good works. The works don’t save us; they’re the result of our salvation!”- Shane Raynor. This statement is so simple the unschooled can understand it and love, fear, praise and worship God joyfully. Why those who claim to be “big” ministers that love and fear God would want to complicate it and intimidate people with high sounding academic philosophies which at best destroys people’s pure faith is hard to understand. But it is actually not hard to understand, it’s the work of deceiving spirits as predicted by scriptures (1 Tim 4:1).
Things that can be seen came out from things that cannot be seen. So also, activities took place in the unseen and have been proven by what we can see -creation- (Heb 11:3). The things we can see testify to the things that we cannot see. Those who are saved keep their mind on the things of the Spirit and bear visible fruit (Christ’s stature) that gives light to the world pointing her to Jesus Christ the only saviour of all men (Acts 4:12)
In the same manner, the workings of the Holy Spirit within a believer is exhibited by visible proof of goodness (Eph 5:9, Gal 5:22) and not (Gal 5:19-22) which are visible fruit of a mind set on the flesh and subject to the old law.
Romans 8:1-2 KJV states a heartwarming and indisputable truth. Verse 2 clarifies how verse 1 came to be- the “LAW” of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus accomplished it in those who are gifted with the privilege of verse 1. The people who are now enjoying the privilege of verse 1 were under the “LAW” of sin and death before. On one hand, this law teaches those under it right from wrong but does not empower them to fulfill its demands because their minds are carnal but the law is spiritual ( Rom 7:14, Gal 5:25).
On the other hand, the second law (law of the spirit of life IN Christ Jesus) empowers those under it to fulfill the law. So those enjoying verse 1, are under the second law. And that law is being written in their mind. God has not permitted that any soul should be without law for that will lead to lawlessness and acrimony which describes the devil and his activities.
The greatest evidence that points to those under the law of sin and death is their practice of much effort to clean the outside of the cup (outward actions) while the inside of the cup (inward actions) are unclean. They do this because they are aware that salt cannot make itself salty. Sinners cannot by themselves save themselves period!
