- The Gospel
The
fifth integral part of the grace of God is the gospel, the good news of our
salvation which is the medium by which we can grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because, the new man whom we have
become through the grace of God is renewed in knowledge according to the image
of Him who created Him (2 Peter 3:18,
Colossians 3:10).
Having
knowledge of the good news of our salvation is of humongous importance and
paramount for the development of the new man, because the lack of knowledge is
very detrimental as we have been duly instructed saying; “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also
will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of
your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).
God’s
grace due to lack of knowledge can be received in vain especially if we act like
the servant who received the one talent and did not invest it, but hid it in a
napkin. By abandoning God’s grace, never invest it, not increasing in knowledge
not making maximum, effective use of it and by not using it properly. This also
refers to those who hold on to men’s traditions as alluded to in scriptures
saying, “This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. For
laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6-9).
No
matter what portion of grace one has received, it is grace that trains and
teaches us. Our teacher is the Holy Spirit whom the Father sends in the name of
Jesus Christ to teach us all things, and bring to remembrance all things spoken
by Jesus Christ. We have an anointing from the Holy One and know the truth (John 14:26; 1John 2:20).
When
we do not believe and understand the truth, we allow the wicked one to come and
snatch away what is sown in our heart. According to the scriptures, “When
anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the
wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19).
But
we have received the consolation saying, “The anointing which you have received
from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the
same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and not a lie,
and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1John 2:27).
As
the Spirit teaches, our duty is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ and not to be conformed to this world, following the
Status Quo, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we
may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God, and as we
behold the glory of the Lord from what is learnt from the scriptures, we are to
be transformed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another.
Christianity is one’s personal relationship with God. It is, “To him who knows
to do what is good, and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
”If
one says, “Surely we did not know this,” does not He who weighs the hearts
consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not
render to each man according to his deeds? Remember, each of us shall give
account of himself to God. For 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” (Proverbs 24:12; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
One
thing we should all bear in mind is that, “God repays man according to his
work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way; Each one will be
rewarded according to his own work, the righteous judgment of God is to render
to each one according to his deeds, each one will receive his own reward
according to his own labor (Job
34:11; Psalms 62:12; Romans 2:6; 1Corinthians 3:8; Matthew 16:27).
Now
when it comes to having faith it is also a matter between the individual and
God, for we have been duly admonished saying; “If anyone has faith, let him has
it to himself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he
approves” (Romans 14: 22).
Since
Christianity is one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, where does the
church fit in this dispensation, or the stewardship that has been entrusted to
it? Firstly, in this new dispensation we are all sufficient or competent
Ministers of the new covenant. “Not that we are sufficient or competent in
ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is
from God (2Cornthians 3:4-6).
So then, where does the church and its leaders fit in our New Testament dispensation, inasmuch as it is the anointing which we have received from Him abides in us, and we do not need that anyone teach us; but as the same anointing teaches us concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught us, we will abide in Him.
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With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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