TODAY’S DEVOTION (Thursday 27TH January 2022)
“But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use].
So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:19-21 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 27TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE
Blessed be the name of the LORD who daily loads us with benefits! Blessed be His glorious name for bringing us into another day. He has kept us for 27 days already. I am persuaded He will keep us through the rest of the days.
Yesterday the word of the LORD came to us on a spiritual goal for next month. And that the goal should be developing the fitness and sensitivity to make use of the miracle of God’s grace that usually happen whenever our carnal desires moves us to sin.
The word of the LORD on how Cain would not have killed Abel if he had made use of the same miracle was enlightening. We also learned that if we want to develop that fitness and sensitivity, we must launch out into the deeper places of the Spirit and lower the nets of our spirits. Such spiritual developments do not take place in shallow places.
To help prepare us for that, we are going to refresh our minds with some Bible truths on carnality. The reason is, there are things to conquer if we must get into the deep; one of it is a carnal Christian life. A carnal Christian life will prevent any of us from getting to the deeper places of the Spirit. The Bible says,
“But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.” Galatians 5:16-17 AMPC
This scripture made it clear that if we walk habitually in the Spirit, we would not lack the fitness and sensitivity to make use of God’s grace in the day of temptation. We will be able to yield to God and not the flesh. It says we will certainly not gratify the desires of the flesh like Cain did; which led to him killing Abel.
BEING IN THE DEEP IS WALKING HABITUALLY IN THE SPIRIT.
That is not possible if we do not wage a daily war against the flesh, as it seeks to oppose the Holy Spirit within us, the ultimate seal of our Salvation. The Bible says the desires of the flesh are opposed to the desires of the Holy Spirit within us. It says the flesh and the Holy Spirit within us are antagonistic towards each other.
In other words, they continually withstand and fight each other so that we are not free to do what we desire. If we want to live habitually in the Spirit (live in the deeper places of GOD), this war must be recognized. And as saved and sanctified souls, we must always be on the LORD side by waging this war on the side of the Holy Spirit.
We are to be cultivating and sustaining the desires of the Holy Spirit and killing or eliminating the desires of the flesh or the godless human nature within us. When we say we are saved and live our lives according to the desires of our godless human nature, we are carnal. We are not saved.
Let me tell you this; genuine Salvation encounter is a child of a spiritual rebirth or regeneration that occurs within us. This miraculous event creates a divine nature within us. That nature lives in the presence of the godless nature we got at the fall all the days of our lives on this side of eternity. That is why you have heard me teach that sin is living in us but salvation helps us not to live in the sin that is living in us.
The godless nature is what I usually refer to as sin living in us.
That nature cannot be born again. It is of the soul realm not the spirit realm. It constantly attacks the divine nature that was created in us at salvation and make those who supports it live a life of sin, thereby jeopardizing their eternal life.
Sadly, many live there Christian lives according to the godless human nature within, not according to the divine nature that was created in the day of their salvation, thereby leading a Christian life that is hell bound. A Christian life that is lived according to the godless human nature within us can be described as a carnal Christian life. It will not take anyone to Heaven because to be carnally minded is death.
A REAL CHRISTIAN LIFE IS LIVED ACCORDING TO THE DIVINE NATURE THAT WAS CREATED WITHIN US AT SALVATION.
Living in the deep is living your Christian life according to the divine nature that was created in you at salvation. And that is only possible if you live habitually in the Spirit. Sadly, many believers are still controlled by the godless human nature because they are not truly saved. Their born-again experience was a psychological salvation hence lacking the divine nature.
Someone who is not truly saved cannot have the divine nature to lead a true Christian life within them; they could be preachers. If you do not have the divine nature within you, it will be impossible to live a holy and pure Christians life because holiness and purity are products of the Holy Spirit indwelling the divine nature, God created within us at Salvation.
It is when our salvation encounters lack the miracle of regeneration that we lack the foundation of the LORD in our lives. Our devotional text says;
“But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use].
So, whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:19-21 AMPC
This scripture makes it clear that the foundation of the LORD is what makes a man or woman depart from iniquity.
It is the very divine nature created in us at salvation that enables us to cleanse ourselves from the ignoble and unclean. It enables us to separate ourselves from contaminating and corrupting influences so that we become set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes. It consecrates us and makes use profitable to the Master’s use, fit and ready for any good work.
The foundation of the LORD is a very beautiful phrase when it comes to describing that divine nature that should be created by the Holy Spirit in us at salvation. If your salvation was not real, you will never have this foundation, hence lacking the capacity to depart from iniquity. You will just be leading a carnal Christian life; a Christian life governed by the godless human nature.
Actually, that form of life is described as a form of spiritual insanity. The reason is because of the deep assurance of salvation that still lies within us telling us we are saved while in spirit and truth we are still unsaved.
The Bible clearly states that;
“Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 AMPC
From this scripture it’s clear that no carnal Christian will make Heaven. It says, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk NOT after the dictates of the flesh, but according to the dictates of the Spirit.”
THE DICTATES OF THE SPIRIT ARE FOUND IN THE DIVINE NATURE. THE DICTATES OF THE FLESH ARE FOUND IN THE GODLESS HUMAN NATURE.
The dictates we follow are what tells Heaven if we are condemned or not. Believers who follow the dictates of the flesh in the godless human nature will have the characteristics of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God stated in Scriptures. The Bible says;
“Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality,
Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. I Corinthians 6:9-10 AMPC
The things stated in the scripture are practices of the flesh that we get involved in by following the dictates of the flesh in the godless human nature within. They make us Heaven unworthy because those who will not make Heaven are known to GOD by the practices.
The Bible went on to warn us, saying;
“Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 AMPC
Scriptures like this should make us to sit up! But sadly, they do not because of the lies many of us believe.
Many of us believe that we can be all that the Bible condemns and still make Heaven. We believe that once we have recited the sinner’s prayer, Heaven is sure even if we follow the dictates of the flesh in our godless human nature. That is a lie told by messengers of Satan who parades themselves as messengers of God in every Church generation. It started in the days of John the beloved.
But I believe the LORD has spoken to us today; the LORD who chose and appointed us unto salvation has spoken to us this day. Let all the lies give way to the truth of the gospel.
Genuine Christianity springs from the divine nature of God created in us at salvation not the godless human nature created in us at the fall. It gives you the grace to tame the godless human nature and crucify it by nailing it to the cross of a crucified Christian life, so that it no longer be the governor of your life.
That is why the Bible says those who belong to Christ are people who have Crucified the flesh, its affections and lust. They are people who have nailed the godless human nature in them to the cross, using the grace of God upon their lives.
But to many of us in church today, those who belong to Christ are those preaching the gospel, giving fat offerings, carrying heavy titles, singing in the choir, heading church departments, planting churches, holding crusades, paying their tithes faithfully, receiving holy communion or confirmed by their churches to be children of GOD.
For some others, those who are Christ are those who are in Bible schools, or baptized in water, or people who are very close to the prophet, apostle, or pastor. But to God it is not so!
Those who belong to Christ are not known by their spirituality, religiosity or churchianity; because you can be spiritual, religious and churchy and be very successful in all that without even belonging to Christ. Those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) are known by the crucifixion of the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.
That is the word of the LORD!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,
Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [ that can bring a charge].
And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.
If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:22-26 AMPC