Taking the world for Jesus (1)
There is nothing natural about the Christian. The inception of the new birth is a journey in the Spirit. The fruit of being born again is not more money but the holy Ghost in the heart of the believer. The new creation is by the Spirit. Thus, everything about the Christian is supernatural. Our walk of faith is supernatural.
Gal. 5:25;
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The Christian journey is in the Spirit.
That said, oftentimes, the Apostles compared the Christian journey to warfare.
2Tim. 2:2-4;
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Paul says we are at war. In Eph. 6:10, Paul makes us know that we ought to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Paul would instruct us to be strong because there are oppositions – as you work towards the prospering of the gospel, there are oppositions at the other end working against it. Hence, it’s warfare.
See how Paul describes the state of a man before believing the Gospel in Eph. 2:2;
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
He says the unbeliever is controlled by the prince of the power of the air. The minister of the gospel must not be ignorant of this, he must understand that there really are no neutral influences. It is either a man is governed by the Spirit of God or by the devil.
The unbelieving man therefore needs deliverance;
Col. 1:12-14;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
This happens via the Gospel. We are delivered. That is, when a man believes, he is delivered from the power of darkness. Thus, what we do in the preaching of the Gospel is delivering men from the power of darkness.
Preaching the Gospel is therefore warfare – you are plundering the kingdom of darkness and turning men away from the power of Satan.
Because It’s warfare, it is important to know what the weapons of our warfare are.
Before establishing what they are, let’s see what they are not:
2 Cor. 10:3-4;
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. The word carnal is the Greek word ‘Sarkikos’ in the Greek meaning that which pertains to the flesh or is temporal.
Very clearly, Paul makes us see that as we go about delivering men from the power of darkness, we must never resort to carnal weapons. The flesh can not be used to achieve the work of the Spirit. You don’t lure people to Christ with carnal things or a feel-good message. No! The gospel must be preached in its entirety, and strongly so.
Therefore, preaching the Gospel is the primary weapon of our warfare. As a matter of fact, a proper church ought to inspire and ensure its members are passionately reaching out with the gospel.
The church has not been called to raise millionaires or billionaires or invade any industry. Never has. Never will. We are called to make disciples of Christ from all nations (Mat. 28:18-20); Disciples of the Christ-life – this means that every true disciple will be found doing what he did.
What did he do?
Matt. 4:23;
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
See Peter’s testimony of what Jesus did:
Acts 10:38;
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
That’s the primary job of the church. To preach the Gospel and make disciples. The church isn’t for social connection, it’s not where one comes to expand his business or show off one’s talent. Every church ought to exist for preaching, for pulling down strongholds.
Soul-winning ought to be what the Christian wakes up thinking about. As he lays his head to rest too.
In preaching the Gospel, stay with the message and boldly so. You are sent from God with the message. It’s the message, not a message. That means it’s specific – there are no two sides to a truth. Do not feel any pressure to tailor the Gospel to men’s needs in the natural. What the sinner needs to hear is God’s salvation plan in Christ Jesus, preach that with boldness. In the Gospel lies God’s power to save.
Rom. 1:16;
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
That’s God’s power. Stick with that. Preach it. Don’t resort to worldly strategies in reaching the world. Don’t be too wise in your own eyes. God’s wisdom is wise enough for you.
Read 1Cor. 1:17-24;
It’s God’s wisdom. Today, make sure you reach out with the Gospel with boldness irrespective of all.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Deut. 1 – 2
TEACHING OF THE DAY
Making a practice of the Spirit (1)