THE REWARDS OF HOLINESS 4

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalm 37:25. “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”.

We continue with our study on the rewards of Holiness.

18. The righteous shall not be forsaken, neither will his children go around to beg for food. Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”. The Lord declares he would never forsake the righteous or holy man. The children of the righteous shall also never go around begging for food. Poverty is never the portion of the seed of the upright. The following is what God says about the seed of the holy man. Psalm 112:2&3

“His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed; Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.”. Dear brother or sister do not trivialize your holy walk, for it is a financial security for your children after you. It says your children shall be mighty in the land. How will they be mighty? Through financial dominion, your children shall be mighty on the earth. It also applies naturally that those who cheat, rob in any form would destroy the financial security of their children.

   This piece of advice goes to all persons, whether you are a pastor who extorts money from your congregation, you are a politician who takes kickbacks and inflate prices so you could get big margins, a doctor who aborts for money or charge excessively for profit at the expense of poor patients and what have you? Your unrighteous ways will fight the prosperity of your children, no matter how much you be quit to them. Those who are defrauding to get rich must also know they are sacrificing the financial blessings of their children. May we fear God and His word to humble ourselves and live uprightly. The Lord therefore admonishes all of us as follows, “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore” (Psalm 37:27).

19. God loves judgement or justice. This is talking about fairness to all. Psalm 37:28

“For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off”. When we defined Holiness. We said it is, purity, absence of evil, perfect light, perfect love and perfect justice or righteousness. God is a God of justice. He is fair to all, at all times, and under all conditions. To be a person of justice or to judge rightly is the delight of the Lord. The unjust man is described as a wicked man. The lord declares once again that the seed or children of an unjust person shall be cut off. They would not be established in the Land.

20. The righteous shall inherit the land. Psalm 37:29

“The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever”. According to the bible, at the end of the ages, when God has finally judged all persons including satan and his demons, there would be a new heaven and a new earth. The righteous would inherit this new earth. Revelations 21:1. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea”. Would you be counted worthy to inherit this new earth?

CONFESSION

I am the righteous of the Lord. I walk in the path of righteousness. I forsake the evil way. My children are blessed and are mighty in the land. Their prosperity is forever more.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalm 37:31—33. “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

THE REWARDS OF HOLINESS 3

KEY SCRIPTUIRE: Psalm 1:6. “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish”.

Holiness is God’s demand for every child of His and He rewards all who accept to be holy. We continue with our discussion on the rewards of living a holy life.

13. God knows or stands by the Holy man, but the way of the ungodly shall die. The word know is a covenant word. It does not only mean to be made aware of something, but to be united with one in a more intimate way. God is one with His children who walk in holiness. The scriptures said the way of the sinner or the man who disobeys God’s word shall perish.

14. The Holy man would be blessed with favour. Psalm 5:12

“For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield”. The scripture says favor would compass the righteous as a shield ‘Favor would be the defense of the righteous. Favor is God’s special appointment or honor, He gives to anyone whom God chooses to give to, although that individual may not deserve it. It may come as a promotion, provision or protection to the righteous.

15. The generation of the righteous shall experience the presence of the Lord. Ps 14:5“There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous”. This statement implies the sons and daughters in subsequent generation of an upright man or woman, shall have the presence of the Lord helping them through. There are certain individuals from a particular family line who keep experiencing blessing upon blessing. There are people of high social standing in that family line. Tracing the family tree through would reveal men or women who honored the Lord with their lives. There are other families where there are so many social misfits. These may be traced to certain ancestors who were very wicked and did many abominable things. Mind what you are doing today for your generation may either be blessed or have curses because of your actions.

16. God answers the prayers of the upright: Psalm 34:15

“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry”. The ears of the Lord are always attentive to the cry of the upright.

17. The righteous is better in every way than the wicked. Psalm 37:16

“A little that a righteous man hath is better than many riches of the wicked’. The riches of the wicked is lorded over by the devil, who is forever a hash task master. Satan can never give peace to anyone who will serve him. The supposed little of the upright is with peace, because the Lord is his portion. Please note dear upright in heart that so long as the LORD is on your side you have more than enough of the supposed riches of the wicked. Never choose riches at the expense of pleasing GOD.

CONFESSION

I am surrendered totally to the Lord. I always do whatever he tells me promptly. The Lord likewise responds to me very promptly. I am very privileged and the generations after me are also very blessed.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalm 37:17. “For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous”.

Psalm 37:25. “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”.

THE REWARDS OF HOLINESS 2

KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 22:21. “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me”.

The opening scripture reveals God our father as the one who rewards holiness and by the cleanness of a man’s hands he would be recompensed. We continue with the rewards of Holiness.

8.The heart of the righteous shall never reproach him or her. Job 27:6.

 “My righteousness, I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live”. Job says he would maintain his holiness and his heart will never accuse him. The heart which is the seat of your conscience would not accuse you so long as iniquity is not found in you. The man with a clean heart has nothing to hide and has no fears of any future accusations.

9.The righteous God loves righteousness. Psalms 11:7

“For the righteous LORD loves righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright”. This statement means God has a special affection towards the righteous man. This man has a special audience with the Lord. It may seem, certain men are favorites of God because of the way He responds to them. . He attends to them with outstanding passion. . The bases of this is the heart that seeks to always please the father. The father testified about the Son that, my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. It was his uprightness that endeared the Father towards Him that way.

10.The holy man shall dwell with the Lord on His holy hill. Psalms 15:1 & 2

“A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. The upright in heart with clean hands shall abide in the holy hill of the Lord. The holy hill of the Lord is a symbol of authority and power. It is a place of God’s glory. You would surely walk in power, authority and manifest God’s glory as lead a life of holiness. Remember that one of the symbols of holiness is beauty which is synonymous to glory.

11.The holy man shall receive the blessings from the Lord. Psalms 24:4&25

“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” It is a great blessing to keep yourself clean from all wrong ways and keep a clean heart’. Every child of God is blessed with all blessings in the heavenly places, yet the man with clean hands and an upright heart experiences the manifestation of God’s blessings in his life

12.Your holiness will cause you to shine and God shall judge all the enemies that fight against you. Psalms 37:6

“And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday”. Your righteousness is your glory. Nothing can keep you in the dark so long as you lead an upright life of holiness. The scripture also said your enemies shall be judged by the Lord. Certain hindrances must be dealt with for your light to break forth

Dear child of God, choose the way of holiness, it is the path to reigning in this life. You can be sure of this fact Satan may find opportunity to dwell around a man under so many conditions, but can never live in the life of a holy man.

CONFESSION

I walk the path of the upright. My hands are always clean from all wrong. My heart is filled with light. I have power and authority. I have true dominion in this life in Jesus name

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 37:7—9.  “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

THE REWARDS OF HOLINESS

KEY SCRIPTURE; 2 Samuel 22:21. “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me”.

Holiness that is living in purity, abstaining from evil and walking in the light, in love and in righteousness has great and immense rewards from the Lord. It has a very high honor before the Lord. Some of the rewards are as follows

1.Holiness gives us an audience with the Lord. Hebrews 12:14“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”. Holiness is the pass that takes a man into God’s presence. Every Christian lives in God’s presence by virtue of The Lord’s eternal declaration in Matthew 28:20, yet a man who walks in holiness receives the manifested presence of the Lord.

2.King Saul pursued David to every corner possible yet the Lord delivered Him because of his righteousness or holiness. Your holiness would reward you in the day of satanic attack. Balaam could not curse the Israelites because there was no iniquity in their midst. Numbers 23:21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. Your enemies can not harm you because of your holiness.

3.Holiness makes one very bold. Proverbs 28:1. “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion”. Fear has so much inhibitions. Many dreams have been killed because of fear. Holiness or uprightness establishes a sense rightness with God that put a certainty of His approval and makes the child of God move forward with a knowing that victory is assured.

4.Demons always tremble in the presence of a Holy man. Matt 8:29 “And, behold, they cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? “Those devils in the man trembled because of the Lord’s holiness.

5.Holiness will exempt you from the wrath of God that will come on all the unrighteous. Genesis 7:1 “And the LORD said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation”

6. The Lord grants victory to the upright as he strengthens him in battle. Job 17:9. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. God is always disposed towards the righteous or Holy man and will strengthen him against his enemies. No matter the strength of the enemy that comes against us the upright in heart would be strengthened to overcome.

7.The eyes of the Lord is constantly upon the holy man. Job 36:7a “He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous”: The angels of the Lord actually encamp around the righteous or Holy man and delivers them. Holiness is a sure security.

PRAYER

Father I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus for all Christians to commit ourselves to loving you and waking in holiness. May every deception of sin be overcome.

FURTHER STUDIES

Proverbs 14:34 ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’

1 Samuel 26:23′ The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.”

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 7

KEY SCRIPTURE: Col 3:18 &19. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them”.

In our previous discussions we have looked at the first two hindrances to a committed love to one’s spouse. They are External influences and bitterness due to unforgiveness. We now consider the third one. This is DIFFERENCES between the couples.

 There are no two humans who are the same. We have temperamental differences. Women are more relationally inclined, whiles a man seeks to conquer. Women are more emotional about issues, yet men are more analytical. As couples we come from different upbringings and have different outlook about a lot of things. The bible admonishes a man to live with his wife in knowledge since she is the weaker vessel, so his prayers would not be hindered. (1st Peter 3:7)

It is on the bases of these differences that the word of God gives different instructions to both the man and the woman. This is God’s instruction to the man. Colossians 3:19

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them”. And to the wife He said, Colossians 3:18 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord”. Decisions and choices among couples often draw a bad blood between them. Some men, because they are the head of the home, on many occasions takes decisions without consulting with the wife. This is not in the Spirit of love. There may be certain decisions that may be unilaterally taken, but not every decision. Some of the women also do not care about the views of their husbands, and therefore act in ways that gives no honor to the husband. This also breaks God’s instruction to submit to the man.

There would be much peace and harmony if both parties would adhere to what God says. True love for each other would easily sort out any differences between the two of you. Couples normally relate to each other as a response to their partners actions. If the husband is loving, then the wife would also submit. If he is not caring and loving, then the wife would not submit. The Christian marriage is God’s assignment given to each of you with His terms of reference labelled out in His word. He says love your wife irrespective of whether she is submissive or not. The wife must also submit to her husband irrespective of whether he is loving or not. You are in the marriage not to do what you want but God’s instructions. Please listen to what God says about honoring his word or not. Colossians 3:24 &25 “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” Doing what God says is a victory for you.

PRAYER

I declare the peace of God to all marriages especially Christian homes. May the fear of God come upon all couples, bringing about obedience to the word of GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ephesians 5:23. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body”.

Ephesians 5:33. “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband”.

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 6

KEY SCRIPTURE: Genesis 2:24. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”.

God the initiator of the marriage institution established laws and principles for the smooth running of the home. When couples adhere to God’s instructions, they would have a happy life and God would also be pleased with them. Secondly, failure to honor God’s word in the home can lead a man into hell. In one of our studies on this topic we said when couples totally commit their love to each other, they experience a kind of joy in life which is inexplicable. The sad truth is that many couples don’t know of this kind of joy. They are only bearing with each other in the home. Many couples deeply wished they had divorced, yet because of the demands of God’s word, they are bearing under it. Their message is YOU CAN’T COMPLAIN. Dear one this ought not to be so.

We listed three main things or areas that prevent couples from having that committed love, they are as follows:

1.External Influences

2.Bitterness resulting from unforgiveness.

3.Other differences

We looked at forgiving one another in our previous study. That next is EXTERNAL INFLUENCES. Note this, although they are external influences, they are mostly permitted by either one or both of the couples.. Some of these external influences are

1. Parental and the extended family roles that prevent either the man or the woman to totally love each other fully as required.

2. Friends who become like third parties to the marriage. These are friends who have become so influential to either the man or woman such that their views and attention compete seriously with that of the spouse.

3. Extra marital relationship like girlfriends or in some occasion’s boyfriends. This is a very serious interference of the home.

4. Children: Some fathers place a very high value and recognition for their children more than their wives. Some mothers also do so.

5.Mobile Phone Attention. This is a blow below the belt yet it happens. Some husbands or wives are so glued to their phones either chatting with somebody, or watching some videos. The worst of it are those who watch pornographic materials on their phones;

6.Some games or T V programs. Some men give all their evenings to watching football. Others would join their friends to watch these things. The women may also be captured by soap operas.

7.There are those who are addicted to certain substances like drugs; smoking Indian hemp, drinking alcohol, with some almost always boozed. (These things should not be mentioned among the saints.).

Dear husband or wife, all that have been mentioned above are within your power to put aside. LET YOUR SPOUSE BE NUMBER ONE and every other person or thing be secondary. If you allow any other thing to be first to your spouse, it will rob you of true joy which God Himself planned for every married couple to have. Remember your spouse is the ONLY person on earth with whom you are one flesh, not your father, mother, sister, brother, friend, boy or girl friend. Go for committed love to your spouse, for that is your joy in marriage.

PRAYER

I pray for myself and all couples. That the Lord would open their eyes to see where they are faltering. I pray they would be able to take away from their marriage every external influence in their marriage.

FURTHER STUDIES

Genesis 2:24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall become united and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [Matt. 19:5; I Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31-33.]

Hebrews 3:13. But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 5

KEY SCRPTURE: Ephesians 4:32. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”.

In our previous study we considered the need for every couple to have a committed love for their fellow partner. This is what brings the joy of marriage and takes a lot of stress out of the marriage life. The bible said, one will put a thousand to flight whiles two will put ten thousand to flight. (Deut 32:30). How will this happen? It will take the power of unity to do this. This is what a committed love for each other will do for them. We realized that there are a number of hindrances to many couples experiencing this unity for exploits. One of such hindrances is bitterness resulting from unforgiveness oh how unfortunate, many couples are very bitter against each other because of some unforgiven wrong.

Once again, I wish to iterate this point, if you call yourself a Christian then you have ceased to be in the flesh. Romans 8:9. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. We are one with the Spirit of Jesus. WE are one with him in every way. The root cause of unforgiveness is pride. Stop living and relating with your spouse as Mr. K or Madam Y. You are Jesus in the body of Mr. K, and sister, you are Jesus in the body of Madam Y. AS Jesus what offence can’t you forgive. Please don’t think of these things I am talking about as anything strange. Jesus came not to raise followers but to raise a family who were just like Him. Holiness in simple definition is living like Jesus. This is humanly impossible, yet through our Lord Jesus it is very possible. We are not trying to become like Him, we are like Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17, But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. Say it, I and Christ are one.

Accept from now that you are like Jesus. Accept you can love like Him. You can forgive like Him. Dear Christian couple everything about the Christian is supernatural and you have to accept your supernatural state to be able to live that life. Stop relating to your spouse on the plain of a human.  Many Christians have not had victory over various challenges because they see themselves as flesh and blood dealing with hurts and offences that has come to them as humans. Our flesh no longer is the master; it is our Spirit. Rom 8:10 “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness”. Your flesh which should feel offended and hurt, is dead, meaning it does not lead or rule you. It is the Spirit of Christ, active through you. He is forgiving, so you are forgiving. He is loving, so you are loving. Say this, from today I forgive every hurt and love my spouse totally.

CONFESSION

I am one with Jesus. He is living in me. I can forgive, bless and love all men like Jesus loved. I can love my spouse like Him. From this moment, I forgive every offense of my spouse I do not keep bitterness in me. I have a committed love. Glory be to God.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 John 4:17. “In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world”.

Deuteronomy 32:30. “How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?”

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 4

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:9. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good”.

When God brought Eve to Adam, he said in Genesis 2:23, “And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”. The strength of marriage from God’s point of view is the binding power between the man and his wife. This binding power is sustained by love. The scripture says the two has become one. This is a mystery that defiles mathematical laws. Our key scripture says we must let love be without hypocrisy. This is a requirement that depends on each of you. You must decide to do it. True love establishes that oneness of bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh.

In our definition of holiness, we said holiness is a comprehensive virtue which is, purity, absence of evil, perfect light, perfect love and perfect Justice. The best institution for the manifestation of these qualities is the marriage setting. There is a life of bliss and fulfilment that many couples have not known. This is the joy of committed love to your partner. When couples truly love each other with no external influences, bitterness towards each other because of unforgiveness, and other differences, they really enjoy their togetherness. The barrier to a committed love as labeled above are as follows

1.External Influences

2.Bitterness because of unforgiveness

3.Other differences.

Dear reader the two of you were on cloud nine, that is you were captured by the first love, when you first met and you seemed to be on the moon. Decide you would ones again commit your love to each other in obedience to the word of God. This implies taking away those external influences, forgiving each other and accepting one another as they are. In obedience to God commit your love to your spouse alone. No man can have true joy of life when he has a divided love. There is always a force or a voice appealing, especially to men to love other women. When a man falls into this deception, he loses that joy in life that comes from a committed love to his wife alone. This thing is so subtle yet many men are missing it. Women normally don’t have that challenge yet in response to the attitude of the man or through other causes, carelessly open up themselves to other things which also rub them of this joy of committed love. LET THE PAIN IN THE HOMES CEASE AND BE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF COMMITTED LOVE.

PRAYER

Father, I pray for myself and for all married couples that they would decide to obey God’s word to truly love each other. May they experience the joy of committed love in Jesus name I have prayed.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Corinthians 13:4,5,6,7.  Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 3

KEY SCRIPTURE: MATT 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”.

The Lord Jesus made a very profound statement in our key scripture. The simple meaning of this statement is if you would come after me, you must lose your independence. To lead a very holy life in your marriage that would please the master, you must adhere to this same principle. You must lose your independence. God set forth His principles for marriage. When you obey these principles, you are pleasing the Lord and therefore you are walking in holiness. Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”. The Lord said you must leave every past association, beginning from your mother and father who have become your closest association from birth.

You must leave your individual longings and persuasions that oppose the common good of the two of you. Any thought, action, desire or decision that would not project the common good and interest of the two of you must be left. The major cause of pain in many homes is the unwillingness of partners to leave their individual attachments. Any man or woman who has not come to this understanding and committed to it is not pleasing the master. He or she is acting in an unholy manner.

There is a higher form of separation that makes you live a holier life unto God and brings joy and satisfaction to your home. This is to admit that you are indeed dead to self and the person alive in you is Christ Himself who expresses Himself through you. A man or woman with such an understanding is a really matured man for marriage. In this level of separation you would not have extra marital affairs, you would not keep hurts because the Jesus in you would not keep hurts, you would not be selfish , neither will you tell lies to cover up wrong actions ,since you would not commit those actions in the first place. A life of Christ, living through you would make you put the interest of your spouse first. Col 3:18 & 9 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them”.

PRAYER

Father, I pray for myself and for all couple, that they would be truly separated from all old relationships and associations to be perfectly united to the partners. May all couples release themselves from the flesh to let Christ live fully through them.

FURTHER STUDIES

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Philippians 2:2 (Amp). Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention

HOLINESS AND THE FAMILY 2

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 3:9. “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing”

In our previous study we painted a rather gloomy picture about most families, of which many are Christian homes. Why is this the case? Why are a number of Christian homes on ‘fire’, whiles it should have been a place of peace, love and brotherliness. Many Christian couples do not have personal relationship with GOD.A great number of Christians know their pastors and their prophets, yet they do not know God or they do not have any personal relationship with him. They would quickly run to the prophet or pastor, for prayers, and when things go well, they resort to their old lives A great number of them are also very lazy and do not make time to pray, study the bible or even meditate on the word. In addition to all the above, most Christian couples have not made up their minds to obey the word under any condition.

Dear child of God, the home of every Christian can be a peaceful glorious place. Please throw away the familiarity that couples have about each other and respect one another dearly on the bases of the word of God. God is the third party and the main witness to the marriage covenant. Malachi 2:14 “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant”. Please note this, God is the main witness to your marriage, and is the one to whom the marriage vows were made. Every act of unfaithfulness goes against God. Every act of violence we do to our partner goes against him. You put yourself in great danger before God as a child of God to maltreat your spouse.

Dear Christian couples, you are saints, the separated ones, or the holy ones. You are one with Christ and must reveal the Christlikeness to each other and the world. Stop keeping hurts and getting bitter about each other. So long as you live together there may be offences. Make up your mind to quickly forgive your partner whenever he or she falters. Relate to each other on the bases of the word. Be mindful of the fact that every wicked act towards each other would attract God’s judgement. Don’t allow your marriage to send you to hell, because you failed to honor God’s word in your marriage. You are lovers and must be very moderate towards each other.

PRAYER

I pray for all families to experience the power of conversion and also the working of the Holy Spirit creating harmony and fellow feeling among couple. Let the Spirit of disunity be absolutely destroyed from all these homes in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ephesians 5:33. “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverences her husband”.

Malachi 2:16. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore, take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

sharing simple truths