BIBLE STUDY AUDIO
TEACHIINGS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND BRINGING YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST
Our Bible Study audio messages can be accessed from here. These are teachings recorded in the course of our weekly serialised Bible Study meetings for your spiritual edification and development.
Besides the audio, the conclusion/summary of the message is also displayed. This notwithstanding, the full Bible Study outline can also be accessed from the link indicated at the end of the conclusion/summary.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you listen.
God’s Standard for Living With Others (1)
In this first installment on God’s standard for living with others, we are admonished not to retaliate or avenge ourselves; rather, we are to forgive those who offend us; and forbear with those who oppress us and cause us harm. The simple rule for believers is do not pay back those who hurt you evil for evil; and do not fight back those who oppress you.
The essence of ‘an eye for an eye’ is for us to avoid other people’s eye on one hand; and to leave the matter of justice with the judiciary, on the other hand. We are not to take matters into our own hands and engage in extra-judicial punishment on the offender. ‘An eye for an eye’ was also intended to help judges make righteous judgments such that the punishment fits the crime. The Christian should see God as his Judge, and not take matters before human courts. Where a matter needs to be resolved, the church is the best place to get that justice. We must seek peace in every situation, as much as is possible.
While forbearance is our disposition to those who cause us harm, we are nonetheless not to give room to the devil and his demons, not even for a moment. Rather, we are to totally resist them. Thus, the Christian engages in battle against the devil and his demons spiritually; but physically, he is meek and humble towards human beings (Matthew 10:16). Indeed, as we resist the devil, he flees from us, and we are better able to deal with hurt from people.
The anti-dote for retaliation, retribution and revenge is forgiveness and forbearance. We are to always remember that we are sinners who have received God’s forgiveness and so, we should dispense doses of forgiveness to those who offend us. God’s message is that Christians should reflect His own forbearance with man, and live peaceably with others, as much as lies within them.
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God’s Standard for Living With Others (2)
In this second installment of God’s standard for living with others, we see that God wants the Christian to be His representative in all ramifications here on earth. God’s desire for us is that we would be extensions of His heart and hands, not only toward our Christian brothers and sisters, but also, toward the world as a whole (John 3:16).
Everyone who believes in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ must of necessity be rid of selfishness and self-centeredness in his heart; and must rather imbibe compassion in his heart. Our acts of giving to those who ask of us must be without prejudice or feeling that they are just being lazy, rather, let us leave that judgment call to God. Spiritual acts like fasting and prayer are meaningless without a commensurate show of mercy. Our acts of mercy must also be in line with acceptable standards: cheerfully, and not grudgingly or by compulsion.
We need to ask God to give us hearts of compassion towards others, especially towards people we don’t know or people who cannot do us any favours in return for our kindness toward them.
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God’s Standard for Living With Others (3)
It is indeed a sobering truth that many who say that they are children of God, are anything but. It is sad that we have imbibed the principles of the world which are; to seek vendetta for wrong done to us, to repay evil for evil, and to hate our enemies.
Tonight, we have seen clearly from the word of God as told by the Lord Himself, that we are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. Nowhere did God institute a holy war to compel people to accept Him; rather, He insists that we do good to overcome evil.
The issue of “who is a neighbour?” is also something that we have seen to be contrary to our own understanding. A neighbour is in effect any human being. A neighbour is not just someone living next to your house, but someone who inhabits the earth with you. These are the people that God expects us to show His nature of love to, regardless of whether they show us kindness or not.
Love is not just the nature of God, but it is God personified. Love must not be interpreted in the myopic sense of romance, or brotherly love; but in the broad sense of ‘agape’ or charity. Agape is the love that does not respond on the basis of what others have done for you, but that does things for the benefit of all, regardless of their response. This kind of love is what truly makes us the children of God, for it is of God, and is shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit which is in us.
Only in this way can we truly manifest the personality of God here on earth; and be indeed, the children of the Most High God!
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Relating With The Enemy
The enemy of every one who believes in the Lord Jesus is the devil. In fact, he is the enemy of all human beings, as he does not mean well for anyone. His goal is always ultimately to destroy everything that God does (John 10:10). He seeks to get God’s people to rebel against God, by motivating them to act contrary to God’s will.
In many ways, and through the centuries, he has met with success, largely because of the cooperation he has enjoyed with the old human nature, which is sinful through and through. If the believer in Jesus Christ is going to be able to live as a child of God, and manifest the glory of God, he must of necessity mortify (not suppress, but crush) the old human nature, and manifest (not just say it, but really show and demonstrate) the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
It is important that every born again child of God recognizes that the devil is not his friend, and can never be; because he (the devil) is God’s sworn and eternal enemy. Hence, whilst we are to be kind to our human enemies, who really are influenced by the devil, we are to relentlessly resist the devil and his demonic horde.
If we are to be successful in our warfare against the devil, we must put off the old nature (the sinful nature), his long-time ally; put on the whole armour of God at all times for our protection; put on the new nature (the divine nature) which is soaked in holiness and power; use only divinely prescribed weapons which the carnal mind cannot comprehend; and, take orders from the Holy Spirit (and the word of God).
May the Lord help us not to live like children of the devil (John 8:42-47; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14), but as children of God (Ephesians 5:8-9)!
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Relating With The Enemy (2)
Indeed, Christians need to be sober and vigilant, because the devil, our enemy is on the prowl, looking for whom he may trip up. His goal is to cause a separation between God and the Christian, by getting the Christian to disobey or rebel against God and His word. His approach is to use any and every thing at his disposal: people, animals, the weather, their mind, etc.
Christians must therefore, ensure that they pay attention to the word of God, and keep it in their hearts at all times. They must be ready to strike back at the devil with the undiluted word of God! Christians must ensure that their love for God is unrivaled and unsurpassed: they are not to love anything more than God, and not to the extent of yielding to that thing which they love more than God.
Christians must also be aware that the devil is not going to stop trying to trip us, just because we went to church or can memorize scriptures, and so on. In fact he is not a respecter of persons, as far as temptation is concerned. Any and everybody is a target. He strikes when you least expect: just when you think you have overcome, he strikes; when you are rejoicing over a victory, he strikes; when you are confident that God is with you, he strikes; etc. Therefore, be sober, and be vigilant!
Our attitude must be to absolutely trust in God and His word; act wisely in every circumstance; be constant and prevailing in prayer; be mindful of counsel that you are receiving, even from pastors; don’t follow God afar off, let everyone know that you are for God no matter what; take heed to His every word (no retaliation, no hatred, forgive those who offend you, pray for those who hate you, etc.); keep still in the midst of turbulence; and so on.
Remember that many have been tempted, and have fallen at one time or another. So, “let him that thinketh he stand take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12; KJV).
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To Be or To Do
Our Father’s ultimate desire is that we be like Him. To be like God is something that happens in degrees, after a person has been born again and circumcised in his heart. Being born again, is not an end in itself, but a means to becoming like the Son of God; and circumcision is not the mere physical cutting off of the foreskin, but the preparation of the heart of the believer in Christ to be able to receive from God! Becoming like Jesus enables us to do like He did. ‘WWJD’ (What Would Jesus Do?) is not a question we ask, rather, it is something that we know because we have an ongoing relationship with Him.
To be perfect or complete, as God is, we must steadily grow from new born babes in Christ to maturity. The process of growing into maturity is helped through teachings from the word of God, which sets us apart for holy use, makes us distinct from people of the world, and enables us to be integrated into the fullness of the Body of Christ. The growth process must of necessity involve Christ being formed more and more in us, as we are more and more in Him!
We must therefore focus on building a solid ongoing relationship with God by yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and thus make Christ at home in our hearts and lives. Then our motives and deeds will be pure, and in accordance with God’s standard. By reason of use, or the application, of the word of God in our daily lives, we will indeed become more and more like God (Ephesians 3:8-19; Colossians 3:18-17).
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (1): Good Works (1)
Our study tonight is challenging us to show by good works or acts of righteousness, that the righteousness of God is in us. Just as children in a home must perform chores as duties and responsibilities in the home, so must believers in Christ perform good works as their duty and responsibility in the kingdom of God. Every responsible Christian will be involved in one form of good work or another.
Good works or righteous acts are acts of kindness, of charity, and deeds that God wants us to do toward His other and less privileged creation. Good works are numerous, and vary from helping the needy to preaching the gospel to those who need to hear it, and performing miracles in the lives of those who need them. Good works are not to be done to good people only; but most especially to those who are wicked and evil.
While good works or righteous acts do not necessarily qualify a person for heaven; they are nonetheless a duty for those who are born again and sanctified unto every good work. They also serve to bring people to God as these people see our good works and glorify Him.
Please note that works done by people who have not been saved by grace are dead works and do not count as a condition for entry into heaven.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (1): Good Works (2)
Every believer has a responsibility to perform acts of righteousness, also called ‘alms’ or ‘charity’. In performing these righteous acts acceptably however, there are certain things that are imperative:
(a) We must do them with simplicity: that is, in sincerity and purity of motive;
(b) We must not be hypocritical: let ‘charity begin at home’;
(c) We must not announce our deeds ourselves, nor encourage people to announce it for us;
(d) We must do them anonymously or in secret
(e) We must do them for the sake of Christ; and
(f) Our focus must be to glorify God.
There is a reward which God gives openly to those who perform their responsibility of righteous acts in the prescribed manner. Such rewards can never be given by any man, for they are with God in heaven, and can only be given by Him according to how He has judged our works. In other words, man can certainly not reward you for doing good works.
Finally, we must ‘take heed’ how we do our righteous acts, because it is a thin line between taking the glory for ourselves, and giving the glory to God. The consequence of the former can be devastating!
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (1)
Prayer is calling on the name of the Lord. This presupposes a recognition that God can, and will help. It is an indication of the caller’s acknowledgment and worship of God. Calling on the name of God is asking God for help and support; and seeking after God, and solution to life’s challenges, among others.
Prayer is also crying unto God. It is talking to God out of a heart in anguish, despair, desperation, or confusion. Crying unto God can be likened to importunity or knocking on the door of heaven persistently, until we get answers.
Prayer is communication between man and God. Communication is essentially two-way where the caller calls or cries to God; and God answers or responds to the caller. This is significant because, when we pray, it is not inappropriate to expect an answer or response from God. It is, however, inappropriate to expect only what we want to hear as an answer.
When we therefore do not get an answer or response to our prayers, we need to ensure that we are in right standing with God, and that we are not asking amiss.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (2)
When we pray, we are not to be like the hypocrites or the heathen. Rather, we are to pray out of an honest heart unto God.
Hypocrites are people who pretend to be who they really are not. Hence, their love for prayer is only for show. They want people to think that they are prayer warriors, so they love to pray in public places only and for the praise of people. They make lengthy prayers to mask their real motive (devouring the unsuspecting), and are prideful in their prayer. They are essentially performers.
The heathen are not religious people in that they do not pray to God: they are pagans. People who pray like the heathen are vain (purposeless) in their prayer; and repeat words, thinking that their many repetitions will bring the attention of God, and answers to their prayers. Usually, the prayer of the heathen is to appease his god so that he will not be angry and take away his livelihood, comfort, and pleasure. He stresses himself for his god and thinks that this will win him favour with his god. He is a lost soul.
The honest man, who may not even be a Christian, prays from his heart and is sincere. His is a prayer that is stripped of pretenses and pagan revelries. It is simply the heart in need calling on the God who can meet the need (Psalm 46:1); the heart in ignorance asking and seeking for the right answers from the only One who can give it (Jeremiah 33:3); the heart that is troubled bringing his concerns to the One who is concerned, and who can sort out those concerns (1 Peter 5:7); and so on. In so doing, even the heathen finds God, how much more those who are already His.
To enable us pray with character, God has given us His Holy Spirit, Who is ever present to help us pray as we ought to; and who knows how best to reach God’s heart.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (3)
Honest praying, which is a combination of sincere and secret prayer always produces effectual results. No matter how difficult the situation, when we confront it through honest praying, it is resolved. Men gather to celebrate God’s victory on our behalf, even though it was done in secret (away from public view).
Praying to God in secret, results in the demonstration and manifestation of the power of God in the life of one who truly trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. No child of God should utter of a word of prophecy or any word for that matter in public (be it preaching a sermon, sharing the word of God, or even talking to others), until he has first uttered words of prayer in secret to God! This is a good rule-of-thumb, which if we follow, will give power to our utterance and demonstration of that power for all to see and glorify God. And let our secret praying be in the Holy Spirit with very few but powerfully effective words being declared.
Those who have gone before us spent quality time in secret prayer to God, and received insight into things that they could never have known otherwise; stopped the course of nature; released divine blessings; received grace and power from on high; raised the dead; spoke forth and the impossible became possible; and so on. If the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly to be responsible, he must indeed dedicate himself to a life of prayer. And even though God knows what we want to ask before we do, He still wants us to come into His presence and have meaningful and useful conversation with Him. There are secrets God wants to share with us, which will bring tremendous blessings to the righteous, and salvation to the lost. However, we must make a practice of praying to God in secret and sincerely.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (4)
All prayer has its reward. However, the prayer that issues from a sincere heart and done in secret has not just physical rewards, but permanent and eternal rewards. Hypocritical praying has its rewards in the acknowledgement of men and even in human investiture of titles; but honest praying is rewarded not by men but by God; and it goes beyond the physical on to eternity.
The true rewards of honest praying include among others; divine presence and help; transformation in our lives, information that cannot be gotten any other way; revelation of deep secrets, as well as of future things; confidence in the midst of uncertainty and difficulty; divine deliverance; help against temptation; receiving what is asked for; finding what is being sought after; and open doors, where there seems to be no way.
May the Lord help us to always discharge our responsibility of praying honestly, so that we can have testimonies of the rewards of prayer in our lives!
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (5)
Prayer is not just personal, but must involve a personal and experiential knowledge of the One we pray to. It is not enough to pray “Our Father ...” we must also be able to pray, “My Father, my King, my God, my Maker, my Provider, my Shepherd …”
Prayer is always to be directed to God, not to men, no matter what. The people of the Old Testament related with God through the priests and prophets, and so spoke to Him through them. Many of them had no direct relationship with God; but in our time we have direct access through the finished work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us therefore go to God having our hearts purged from all evil, and make known to Him our petitions. We have a guarantee in the word of God that He will answer us whatever we ask from Him.
Our worship and reverence for God must, however, always precede our petitions. No matter how crucial; no matter how precarious; no matter how pressing; no matter how perturbed; our worship must come before our asking. And as our knowledge and experience of God deepens, so will our worship of Him in spirit and in truth.
Our honest prayer must not only be in secret and sincerity, it must also be personal, experiential, relational, and reverential. Let us begin today, to make our worship a daily and central part of our lives, then asking God for anything will be a breeze.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (6)
In these few words, “Our Father which art in heaven” we have seen many tremendous truth which hold several implications for us in our relationship with God. As a Father, God is our Source (our beginning), who loves, cares, and is compassionate toward us. He is however, also a Disciplinarian. All those God loves, He chastises, so that they will not miss being with Him in heaven ultimately.
This lets us know our own responsibilities toward our heavenly Father: we can trust Him absolutely; we can thrust our problems on Him, and rest assured that they will be taken care of; we can be sure that when we are disciplined by God, it is for our own good; and we must honour Him, so that it will go well with us in all that we do.
Not only is God our Father; He is an everlasting Father, which means that all the above is not seasonal, but life-long. In other words, His love, care, and compassion are forever (Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 Chronicles 16:34); therefore, our trust in/honour of and for God must be forever, not just when we have a need!
Our Father has His throne in heaven, and in His temple, all keep silent. But more than that, He is resident within us, which means that in our everyday walk, we should be careful what we say and do, for He is ever present. Let us honour God not only with our mouths, but let our hearts be united therewith also.
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The Believer’s Responsibilities (2): Prayer (7)
“Thy Kingdom come” is a prayer that requires the dethronement of every other kingdom before the establishment of the kingdom of God can take place in a person’s heart and life. It means the arrival, and enthronement, of God’s righteousness (standards), peace, and joy into our hearts, lives, and environment. This aspect of prayer enables us to appreciate the reign of God, along with His justice, fairness and equity. It is so important, that it is placed before our petitions in the Lord’s pattern for prayer.
The kingdom of God is more than the things that the people of the world, and sadly, many Christians are scrambling for today. It is a kingdom that keeps expanding once it is enthroned. It is far more precious than crude oil, Dollars and Pounds Sterling, silver, gold, rubies, diamonds, and all other precious metals and gems, put together! It is so precious that it requires giving up everything, great effort, forcefulness, zeal, and endurance, to enter in. There are many things that we would like to take along with us into the kingdom of God, but these same things will not allow us get in. The Devil and his agents (demons and humans), know how important the kingdom of God is, so they are working extra hard to prevent men from entering in; but those who appreciate the worth of the kingdom are pressing in, and refusing discouragement, disparaging remarks about Christianity, comfort, wealth, and other distractions from preventing them. For, the moment the kingdom of God comes into a person’s life and is enthroned, he will eternally be the beneficiary of God’s righteousness, peace and joy.
May the Lord establish His kingdom in our hearts and homes today, as we desire to know Him more, in Jesus’ name, Amen (John 17:3).
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