By Ezra Ayokanmi Emmanuel
3rd November, 2024.
Christianity, as a religion, is predicated on the observance of certain ethos. Galatians 5:22 talks about the fruits of the spirit and mentions faith as one of them. A Christian must see these words of Galatians 5:22 as the guiding principles of his adherence to the tenets of his professed faith. Misconceptions abound about what a Christ like life ought to be. Many new day preachers view acquisition as the prime doctrinal orthodoxy of Christianity while some see it from the angle of piety and pious living scant of ephemeral encumbrances. Galatians 5 should, however, be the guide to living a life Christ endorses.
Every Christian, irrespective of denomination, must have as a guiding principle obedience to every tenet and command of God the Master because it is fundamental to Christianity. A scripture that aptly explains this but is sadly misconstrued is Deuteronomy 28. It is a chapter affirming God’s insistence on absolute obedience which gives rise to blessings when done and curses when not done. Most people read this chapter with emphasis on the first thirteen verses without adequately understanding the double edged nature of the words written or the centrality of obedience to receiving the blessings therein inscribed.
The fathers of the faith, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David all had one abiding similarity: obedience. None were perfect and none claimed to be better than the average person. The differentiating characteristic that set them apart is that they exhibited higher than normal levels of faith in their dealings with God and men. Scripture admonishes that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Going further, James also speaks about loving brethren in the faith which is consistent with obeying the Father (James 2:17). Faith is the work of obedience in all its ramifications. Without obedience faith cannot be at work. Invariably, claiming to be a person of the faith and not putting in the work to galvanise men to the faith is unhelpful.
The life of a child of God is one that is lived entirely in obedience. There are no half measures, no moments of compromising faith, strictly a life of working in the service of the master. Romans 10:15-17 shows us the depth to which God expects our relationship with him to go. Everything that the ambassadors of God do are done in beauty and are encapsulated in the preaching of the word of God as they were sent to deliver it. The word of God is spread through the preaching of it and faith is bolstered by the hearing of the word (Romans 10:15). The earth is filled to its ends with the message of salvation because of the obedience of the carriers of the word of God.
Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Hall of Fame of the faithful. From Abel to Abraham through to all the patriarchs and matriarchs of the faith, the trend is that they all obeyed even when physical evidence was not showing that what was promised is feasible. We often go with faith blind to reason. When we try to apply reason and logic we fall short of the requirements for the practical application of faith. Which is why Hebrews 11:1 states emphatically that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. It is a difficult thing to, like Abraham, leave your home and kindred on blind faith to go sojourn in a strange land. It is equally illogical to believe you and your spouse, ninety and eighty years old respectively, will still be capable of bearing children. That was what faith demanded of Abram and Sarai and obedience to every instruction renamed them Abraham and Sarah, unlikely parents of nations.
In verse 13 of Hebrews 11, we are told that all who were progenitors of the land of promise died without actualising the dream and hope but only saw the country their progenies would inherit. They died persuaded that the promise would be fulfilled. Ultimately, their desire was no longer on their persuasion of an earthly country but on a heavenly home that their faith enabled them to see from afar off.
The challenge to the Christian is to be able to face the vicissitudes that often accompany faith. This here is where unbalanced prosperity teachings miss it. We are not called to a faith that is based on principles alone but to one that is all encompassing. The debate on tithing comes to mind. Tithing is a principle of giving to the Levites who have no other means of survival since they are not allowed to do any menial labour. Tithe offering is compulsory where this type of situation arises. In effect, there is no controversy in so much as pastors perform the same role as Levites who are guardians of the Talmud. Where this is not the case, tithing should not be a compulsion.
Still on the issue of vicissitudes, it is not compulsory to engage in self flagellation which was a sort of penance for certain Christian sects. Scourging the body does not take away the root of sin. An acknowledgement of sinfulness and the power of salvation through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross combined with contriteness and repentance as well as living in obedience rather than self hurt is key to receiving forgiveness.The challenges of faith take the form of persecution and affliction such as Joseph the dreamer went through. What should be understood is that vicissitudes come as a test of faith and not as a temptation. The Joseph example sited depicts the two challenges to faith succinctly. He was tested by his antagonistic relationship with his brothers and his prison experience whereas his encounter with Portiphar’s wife was a temptation. The former is from God as a preparation for inheriting a promise whereas the latter is an attempt by the devil to derail the person of faith. For the person of faith to be able to distinguish between the two requires having the discerning spirit of God.
It is difficult to travel the journey of faith because of the wiles of the devil. In today’s world, being a person of faith is even more difficult given the moral decadence prevalent everywhere. Much like Sodom and Gomorrah, large swathes of the world have been taken over by lasciviousness. Depravity and corruption of all sorts have taken over the societies of the world. This malaise has even crept into the church as supposed men and women of God have now mostly given in to the love of filthy lucre. It is a tough and difficult time to be a Christian. Unfortunately, the scourge of ‘born-againism’ has lacerated the true faith, whittling down the potency and efficacy of the word of God spoken from the debauched altars. The devil has sown confusion in the body of Christ such that the proliferation of doctrines has left most church attendees bemused.
1 Timothy 4:3-4 says “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itchy ears; And they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”. The teaching of the word of God has turned this sad corner.
God requires men and women of strong faith who can be obedient and resilient in the most dire of circumstances. One example each of the obedient servant unto death and the disobedient servant leading to death are Stephen and the first Israelite king Saul. In Acts chapter six the story of the martyr of Stephen was told. He was stoned to death for his faith and obedience to propagate the word of God. On the other hand, Saul was in a unique position as the first king in Israel and the duty to carry out God’s commandment before the Israelites fell to him. But because he was afraid his army would desert him at Gilgal he offered an abominable offering to God instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel as he was instructed. His dynasty lost the kingship as a result and his subsequent actions led to the destruction of his family. Even his daughter, Michal who married king David, remained barren. And so his line ended because of disobedience.
Two contrasting tales of how obedience can be the difference between life and death, both instances leading to death. The question is ‘Why would God allow His faithful servant suffer the same fate as the unfaithful one?’ This is one of the mysteries of faith. Why do good and faithful Christians suffer affliction? We have seen cases as harrowing as Stephen’s where it appears as if God turned his back on the faithful. The thing to note is that in this world we will have trouble. Speaking to his disciples at Gethsemane just before His tribulations began, Jesus encouraged them saying “In the world ye shall have tribulatiins, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world “(John 16:33). Invariably, as Jesus’ example shows, the life of faith and obedience is not a promise of lack of pain and difficulties as some would have their followers believe. It is a life of acknowledgement of the place of God above whatever we have to enjoy or endure. Any sect that promises pure bliss on earth without needing to endure the occasional inconvenience is one to be avoided.
Obedience is what brings balance to faith. The rich man came to Jesus to seek a way to salvation but was unwilling to let go of the encumbering baggage he was carrying. Being rich is not a limitation to salvation in the same way that poverty could be the very ticket to damnation. In whatever sphere we find ourselves, on whatever side of the fence we may be, whether rich or poor, what guarantees salvation is true faith and continuous obedience. Those who live their Christian existence strictly on observance of principles of the faith may inadvertently live right but could conversely miss it. Coping with every law could be an exercise in futility which was why the Israelites in old testament times had to constantly make cleansing sacrifices using the blood of animals. The law is difficult to observe to the letter which was the reason for the atoning blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary.2 Peter 1:3 says “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence”. The grace of God is made available to help us navigate the difficult waters of faith. Being a person of faith requires divine power every step of the way. So much will try to derail us but having the indwelling spirit of God will get us through. Godliness is an attribute of God that speaks to our capacity to remain disciplined in a world filled with so much sin. This discipline, a consequence of obedience, is what will help us stay above the fray in our quest to continue in faith.
