Slaves of Righteousness

The crux of the matter is, one is either a slave to sin which is tantamount to being a slave of the devil because, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Or being a slave of righteousness which is tantamount to being a slave of God, for having been set free from sin, we became slaves of righteousness and having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God we have our fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (1John 3:8; Romans 6: 18,22).

 Now, the manifestation of enslavement to sin or to the devil is three folds and for which we have been duly admonished saying; “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life --- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1John 2:15-17).

In short, giving first priority to fulfilling the lust and desires of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes which is materialism and the pride of life which is to seek honor and prestige instead of submitting to the laws and obedience to God is to be slaves of the devil, and so, the admonition is, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which are idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience” (Colossians 3:5-6).

Similarly, being enslaved to righteousness or to God is also three folds for; “This is He who came by water and blood --- Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. And, there are three that bears witness on earth, the Spirit, the water [flesh] and the blood and these three agrees as one:”  (1John 5:6,8).

So here is the threefold aspect of righteousness which produces holiness and ultimately everlasting life or immortality: I will deal with each one individually.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Why are we slaves of righteousness?

 

 Why are we slaves of righteousness?

We have been duly admonished saying; “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Romans 6: 16-18).

As clearly shown man is not an independent being; he is either a slave to sin, or a slave to obedience which leads to righteousness. Therefore man has to denounce one master and be loyal to the other, as Jesus clearly says; "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).

So why have we become slaves of righteousness? The answer is clear, it is to practice or be obedient to what leads to righteousness, for we have been instructed saying; ‘Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” It is further stated; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1John 3:7, 10).

The children of God who have denounced their former slave master of sin, and have become loyal and obedient to Righteousness their new master, have been admonished saying; “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:28-29).

To understand why we are to become slaves of righteousness, it is imperative that we first understand righteousness in its true perspective. The righteousness to which we are enslaved is not man’s righteousness because according to the prophet Isaiah; “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

Neither is it according to the law because; “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in the sight of God, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. And the conclusion is that, “a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 8:20, 28).

It is therefore imperative that we have a good and thorough understanding of the act of righteousness, to which we are enslaved because it is definitely not of works lest anyone should boast, neither is it of the law because the law is there only to reveal to us what sin is and the way or principle by which one should live.

There are three aspects of righteousness just as there are three aspects of sin, which are, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and similarly to the three that bears witness on earth, which are the Spirit, the water [flesh] and the blood and these three agrees as one.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The choice of slavery

 

1.      Choice of slavery

Despite the fact that man is equated to be as God knowing good and evil he is nevertheless not an independent creature because, he/she is either a slave of sin which means to be a slave of the devil because, he/she who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning, or he/she is a slave of obedience to righteousness, which means to be a slave to the obedience of the law of the Lord who is our righteousness because it is clearly stated that, all of the Lord’s commandments and the Lord Himself are righteousness, and so we have been forewarned saying; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1John 3:7-8; Psalms 119:172; Jeremiah 23: 6; 33:16).

And so, we have been duly admonished saying; “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18-18).

Please not carefully that we all were originally and naturally slaves of sin with a carnal mind which is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. We must also be conscious of the fact that, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (Romans 8:7-8; 1Corinthins 2:14)..

Therefore, it is imperative that a complete transformation of the mind be made which is from being carnal and disobedient to becoming spiritual and obedient to the laws of God as we have been duly admonished saying; “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

And so the admonition according to the apostle Paul is, “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness… But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:19, 20, 22)

And so as slaves of God or slaves of righteousness what should be occupying our minds first and foremost should be righteousness which leads to holiness and ultimately resulting in everlasting life. This is a clear distinction between the slaves of God and the slaves of the devil as clearly stated by the apostle John who wrote; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1John 3:10).

It is imperative therefore; that we have a good knowledge and understanding of what constitutes righteousness which leads to holiness and ultimately to everlasting life because, these are in addition to the gift of eternal life which we received by grace. These are for those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The lesser of two evils

 

The lesser of two evils

The sad reality is that, the majority of us who profess to have accepted Jesus Christ as our King and supposed to be citizens of the kingdom of light are unable to grasp the reality and practicality of being in the world but not of the world as stated by Jesus Christ in His prayer to the Father stating; “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).

Yes, to be in the world and not be of the world is something many people have not been able to fathom and incidentally are repeating the same mistake made by the children of Israel when they rejected God as their King when they said to Samuel; “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:5-7).

But the irony of truth is, the Lord has never relinquished His power and authority as Sovereign King and Lord over His subjects it is the people that are rejecting Him for this is what Samuel said to the people; “But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, 'No, set a king over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans” (1Samuel 10:19).

Rejecting God as our King is not pleasing to Him, although He allows it, but it is not what He requires of us. This action is termed the lesser of two evils meaning that, instead of destroying us in His anger He allows us to choose our own king and pay the consequences of our actions as the Lord explained to the children of Israel saying; “O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. I will be your King; where is any other that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, to whom you said, ' Give me a king and princes'? I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath” (Hosea 13:-11).

Rejecting the Lord as our King and electing others to rule over us is as evil as when the children of Israel made that first mistake and our response should be exactly as that of the children of Israel who after realizing their error said to Samuel; “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves."

Then Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people” (1 Samuel 12:1-22).

It is not because the Lord allows us to choose our leaders because of our rejection of Him as our Sovereign King and reap the consequences of our own actions that one should assumed that it is not evil. Israel admitted their error, let us hope that we also can see and admit that we are erring.

But despite our rejection of God as our Sovereign King He still has sovereignty over the earth as exemplified and demonstrated to king Nebuchadnezzar in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32, 5; 21).

Therefore, consider this for a second, if indeed the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses why should professing believers involve themselves in politics even to the point of fighting to put in power someone whom the Lord does not want to appoint? Is this not going contrary to the will of God?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077M5T68T

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The choice of citizenship

 

1.      Choice of citizenship

Another critical choice we all have to make especially as believers is the choice between being a citizen of the kingdom light and being a citizen in the kingdom of darkness. Now since it is the kingdom of darkness that governs this world and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light as clearly stated by the apostle Paul who wrote; “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14),

Therefore, since we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light and our citizenship is no longer on earth but it is now in heaven we are to continually make the choice as to where our loyalty is because, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

So although we are duly admonished saying; “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not terrors to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same:’

“For he is God's minister to you for good, but if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:1-7).

Nevertheless, this is applicable only as long as the laws and the living principles of God are not violated or compromised, if under any circumstances the laws and principles of God are compromised or violated we ought to take a similar stand like Peter and the other apostles by saying; “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

As citizens of the kingdom of light although we are in the world but at the same time we are not of the world as confirmed by Jesus Christ in His prayer to the Father saying; “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).

Our role therefore as citizens of the kingdom of light is to fulfill the role of Ambassadors as we have been duly admonished saying; “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)..

And so like all ambassadors our official duty is to represent the kingdom of God here on earth but not to be involved in the political affairs of the country where we reside as ambassadors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATINGS6

To be continued 

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The choice between God and mammon

 

1.      The Choice of God or mammon as our master

Jesus unequivocally said; “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mathew 6:24).

Mammon in biblical terms refers to riches, the acquisition of material wealth or the idolatry of material riches. This takes effect when one places material things before God and by not being faithful with the unrighteous mammon as explained by Jesus Christ when He said; “For the sons of this world are shrewder in their generation than the sons of light.

"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much: Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:9-13).

The admonition therefore is, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:17-19).

And so in short, we are not to place riches before God and if we manage to be rich our duty is to be ready to give, willing to share with the less fortunate among us. So the question is, are we placing wealth and riches before obedience to the law of God?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Man's critical choices in life

Some of the critical choices we as human beings are required to make are as follows:

1.      Choose God as Father instead of Satan

Contrary to the common belief that all human beings are children of God the crux of the matter is we are not all children of God. Man originally and initially is the child of the devil, the nature we received at birth is the nature of Satan due to Adam’s disobedience by partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And hence the call to be baptized and be born again is so vitally important to comply with because, it is as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Here we see clearly that, as a natural flesh and blood human being we are not children of God, we become children of God only when we repent and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and be born again through water baptism just as Jesus Christ did and received the Holy Spirit that we then receive the right to become a child of God.

Before this point we are children of the devil. The sad reality is that, the majority of people are duplicating the error of the Jews who thought that God was their father when they said to Jesus; “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father --- God." Then, Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:41-44).

The crux of the matter is, until one is born of the Spirit he/she is not a child of God as alluded to by Jesus Christ who said; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again” (John 3:5-7).

And there are clear distinctions between the child of God and the child of the devil as clearly illustrated by the apostle John who wrote; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother: For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1John 3:10-11).

And so, a child of God is one who has been converted from being carnal and becoming spiritual through the new birth in the spirit and is adhering to the principles of the great commandment which according to Jesus Christ is, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

And the way one fulfills the first and great commandment is by keeping the commandments of God.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Life in real perspective (part two)

What is imperative for us as human beings to know, understand and believe is the fact that the source of our natural carnal mind did not originate from God, remember, from the beginning out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then He commanded the man saying; “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:9, 16-17).

And so when Satan tempted Eve and said to her, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." And it is after both Eve and Adam partook of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that the Lord said; “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" ---therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken” (Genesis 3:5, 22-23).

Therefore, man as a natural physical human being has several critical choices to make because he is naturally not want God intended him to be and so when Jesus came He said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." He said to him again; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again' (John 3:3, 5-7).

Jesus Christ set the example by being Himself baptized when He came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. And when Jesus had been baptized, He came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:12-17).

And so in order for man to fulfill God’s ordained purpose he has to make some critical choices because the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that we do not do the things that we wish.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

,

1.      

 

Life in real perspective

The majority of us grew up having a false perception of what life truly entails, even the perception of what is right and what is wrong is based principally on man’s own perception of right and wrong a status the first Adam attained after partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil which he was commanded by the Creator not to partake of, but ended up partaking of it through his wife Eve who was tempted by the devil who said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5).

This power or prerogative which man naturally has to know good and evil was further endorsed by the Lord Himself who said; "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil, and now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (Genesis 3:22).

Therefore, man’s propensity of determining for himself what is right and what is wrong does not always collaborate with what the Lord considers to be right or wrong as alluded to by the wise king Solomon who wrote; “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” And the prophet Isaiah echoed a similar sentiment which he received from the Lord saying “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; Isaiah 55:8-9).

One should also take into consideration the fact that; man’s wisdom and Godly wisdom are not compatible to each other for it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God,” Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1Corinthianss 1:19-21, 25).

We have also been instructed saying; “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

Therefore, even though it is in our nature to know good and evil one has to conclude that our goodness is nothing to compare with the goodness of God and unfortunately, most if not all of us grew up with the perception that man’s goodness is acceptable to God when it is clearly stated that; “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

Therefore, because of the huge disparity that exist between God’s goodness and man’s goodness it is imperative that we learn how not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, and for this reason, there are many critical changes that we all need to do in order to fulfill or God given purpose here on earth.

How often do we hear people say, “I have only one life to live” true as this may be but does it means simply "Let us eat and drink, travel, for tomorrow we die!" Well according to the apostle Paul; “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

 Life is not simply a matter of let us eat, drink, travel, build beautiful mansions, drive luxurious vehicles  and enjoy ourselves for tomorrow we die because, having been saved by the grace of God we became His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them and finally, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

And so in order to perform the good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them it is imperative that we effect some critical changes in the way we think, believe and live because, the natural man with his own discernment of what is right and what is wrong, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Bear in mind also that, the carnal mind, the natural mind of man with the power and capability of deciding on his own what is right and what is wrong is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God and so it is imperative that we become aware of the critical choices that we all are required to make if we are to fulfill God eternal plan for us.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph