‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth IN YOU?’ 1 Corinthians 3:16
‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is IN YOU, than he that is in the world’. 1 John 4:4
In all of His might. In all of His Ability. In all of His Omnipotence.
Jehovah God lives in you.
Are you burdened by a list of needs and wants? The One Who fed more than 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes dwells in you. The One Who sustained more than 2 million people in the wilderness for 40 years lives in you.
Are you afflicted by a sickness or a disease? The One Whose garment the woman with an issue of blood touched dwells in you. The One Who told Naaman the Syrian to wash in the River Jordan dwells in you.
Are struggling under the weight of guilt from your sins? The One Whom the Baptist identified as the Lamb of God dwells in you. The One Who made an appointment with a thief on a cross dwells in you.
He is at work in you, both to will and to do of His own good pleasure!
– jide lawal
I conclude this periodical on the third enemy – the devil. This heading of course largely includes demons, evil spirits, etc commonly referred together as spiritual wickedness in high places.
Unbelief in the existence of demonic influence is largely unscriptural since the Word – our basis of standard, is replete with descriptions of various contacts with demons and their influence. The New Testament gives us the glorious understanding of the works of these beings of old. In the Old Testament all that happened to men was viewed as coming directly from God but in the New Testament this is better clarified as we are made to understand that every good and perfect gift comes from the father of light with whom is neither variableness nor shadow of turning.
For you that is born again, your relationship with the devil has been clearly defined from the word. Once you were held tightly by his grip and were led wherever he suggested. Scripture says once we were as sheep gone astray. Again we are reminded that we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air – the spirit now at work in the children of disobedience among whom we all had our conversation in times past fulfilling the desires of our flesh and our mind and were children of wrath just as the others Eph 2:1 – 3.We were weak to save ourselves from this enemy for we were held in bondage by Him.
But now in Christ Jesus we have been delivered from the powers of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of his dear Son – Col 1:13. Notice the wordtranslated signifying that there is now a change of position. You and I have crossed enemy lines. No longer are we in the place where we can be influenced directly wherein we were held.
Hebrews 2 and verse 14 describes this wonderfully: Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by His death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Now that the victory has been obtained for us in Christ Jesus, the only way to bask in the reality of this victory is by maintaining our ground of conviction. Ephesians chapter 6 defines this using a word – “stand”. This word ‘stand’ largely means to make this your place of abode, your dwelling place. The battle is not by fist fighting the devil or jostling for corrupted things He stole. The battle now is simply by maintaining your ground of conviction in all that Christ Has done for us. 1st Peter 5: 9 – Resist him (i.e. the devil), standing firm in the faith…
In conclusion, walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time for the days are truly evil. Don’t waste energy. There is a format and a predetermined way. Walk in this now and always.
A common strategy to walking in the victory Christ has obtained for us is simply maintaining our ground of conviction. The deed on the cross cannot be changed. You are a victor. Walk in this reality now and always
– Dr bolaji akanni
Saying the world is the enemy of the Christian is sometimes hard to believe. Do you mean this beautiful world? But then again the world and its system of operation are under the control of the devil. Eph 2:1 -3 aptly describes him as the prince of the power of the air. Compare John 12:31
The Christian however has been delivered from this world and the wrath which is to come – Gal 1:4. He is no longer conditioned to walk according to the course of this world because he has been set free – 1st John 5:4. It is in this glorious state of freedom that we are able like John to identify the true state of this world.
What do we mean by the world? I John 2:15-16 (MSG) – “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world–wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important–has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him”.
You cannot live meaningfully as a Christian when you seek to use the world order as a guiding light -Rom 12:2, Gal 6:14. This is because all that is in the world is enmity to God.
These values of the world have been woven into every fibre of its system. It may sound farfetched: and I assure you it is not, when you fail to realise that there is no zone of comfort. God’s perspective of science, education, finance, health, politics, entertainment, etc is different. Let’s use love as an example. Besides being built on a sensual foundation, love in the world does an assessment of the object that would be benefited using various measures e.g. wealth, fame, profitability, beauty, etc But the love of God is the volition of God expressed irrespective of the object that would benefit nor it’s attribute. This is also how the Christian has been called to love. This however is stupidity to any person in this world.
But you are not of this world anymore – 1st John 2:6. Finance sees constant giving as leakages but God thinks differently. Health says it is impossible but God thinks differently. Education determines wisdom, God thinks differently. Till you realise the standards of this world are not the standards of God, you would live short of who God has called you.
Realise that in all this we have not talked about the people in this world because it is not primarily people or what they have done as much as the thinking that has influenced him/her to do what he has done. This is only identified and done away with in Christ Jesus. 2nd Cor 10:4 – 6
Only a believer conscious of his heavenly citizenship upholding the values of the country that He belongs to would shine in this crooked and perverse generation – Phil 2:15 – 16. I leave you with this advice from Paul under inspiration of the Holy Ghost….those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For the world in its present form is passing away.1st Cor. 7:31
Dr. bolaji akanni
Who do you consider your enemy? Do these make the list?
That lady
That guy
That man
The devil
My boss
My neighbour, etc
Remarkably, from the bible, only 3 entities make the list. The man born again has not been called to wage war against his fellow man for any thing. Hear scripture:-
Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Matt 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.
2nd Cor. 10:3 – 4 For though we may be living in the flesh, we are not fighting after the way of the flesh. For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh,
Eph 6:12a For our fight is not against flesh and blood…
It is misplaced priority and a vain task for any Christian to hold any person he sees as his enemy even if the person has been pronounced a witch or wizard. Our fight is not against flesh and blood!!!
But worthy of note are these three entities in order of importance:
The flesh
The world
The devil
We would be dealing with the first and most important today – Your flesh. Your body had long been the instrument through which sin achieved its deadly purpose and like a zombie, your body had been habituated to this. Ephesians 1:1 – 3
When you became born again however, you were identified in the death of Jesus i.e you died in Christ Jesus and rose with him unto newness of life. Now you have power in your inner man. Your spirit has been renewed, made in the very image of God. Your body however is very much the same. With the same cravings. This would not be changed till the day of redemption.
The cravings and desire of your body had been that which had been worked up by the old sinful nature. Because of this we are called to bring our body under subjection. The outlet through which we get to view the desires of the body is through the mind. The body cannot be handled directly through whatever means, however, the passions of the body can be put in check through a renewal of the mind. Romans 12:1 – 2
No wonder scriptures say as a man thinketh in his heart so is he. The issue is not about the body “corpus” so no amount of harsh treatment would help the body rather it is about what the mind is built upon which is a direct reflection of the issues of the ongoing passions in the body.
Realise that walking by the proceeds of your flesh is tantamount to an opposing walk in the spirit. Gal 5:17 – 18
Your flesh is always with you. You could resist the devil and he would flee from you. But your flesh is always there. The way to walking in victory over the flesh is by acknowledging who you are in Christ Jesus and walking in the light of the same. No wonder scripture says we should reckon ourselves dead to sin and dead indeed. i.e. consider yourself truly dead to sin. Rom 6:12. You are not under bondage to the motions of the flesh now because your existence is not in the flesh but in the spirit. Rom 8:9 This is your new plane; your identity. Because of this Galatians 5 and verse 25 says that if you and I live in the spirit, let us walk also in the spirit. A walk in the spirit does not allow the contradictory desires of the flesh to be satisfied. Gal 5:16
A walk in the spirit is a walk giving heed to God’s word which is spiritual. John 6:63
A walk in the spirit is walk giving heed to the spirit man within who does not go at variance to God’s word since he is birthed by the author of the word.
Learn dear friends to walk in the spirit now and always. This is the way to fight the war of the flesh.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2nd Tim 2:22
– bolaji akanni
For we have quoted the scripture, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after. He was circumcised later, and his circumcision was a sign to show that because of his faith God had accepted him as righteous before he had been circumcised. And so Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe in God and are accepted as righteous by him, even though they are not circumcised. He is also the father of those who are circumcised, that is, of those who, in addition to being circumcised, also live the same life of faith that our father Abraham lived before he was circumcised”. (Rom 4:9b – 12)
Let us consider importantly how Abraham received his righteousness. We cannot but be amazed on the fact that Abraham was called before he was circumcised. ‘Un-circumcision’ represented the filthiest form of man before God.
Circumcision thus served as a sign of what has been received. It was nothing anyone could take personal glory/praise for. Without God calling the person, circumcision was useless.
Many people have placed the cart before the horse. The issue that matters most is not so much what you are doing or will do. It is – ‘have you believed?’ When the jailor asked Paul “Sirs what must we do?” We do not see Paul giving a 10 point memorandum on church etiquettes rather he said simply “believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved.” Also, when Jesus was asked what work must we do? He did not fail to let those inquiring realize that the work was to believe on the one sent. This is first and above all.
Of practical note is this again that salvation is open to all in whatever state they might be in. God as echoed above is not expecting anything of you but simply calls all men in all nation in whatever state they are to trust him for salvation.
No matter how far gone you may be. It is not about what you have as much as if you’re willing to believe. What happened to Abraham typifies what would happen to as many as would simply believe not minding their state. I leave you with these lovely reminders as to what we have received in Christ Jesus.
But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:8 – 10
Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. Eph 1:13
bolaji akanni
Let’s talk a little today on condemnation. Do you feel condemned even as you read this? Is a walk into church a constant reminder that you’ve got issues with God?
On the contrary, are you on the high side praying, fasting and you are saying to me right now. Condemnation, far be the thought of it. I am doing just fine.
Well, let’s look at God’s thought towards us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten so that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his so into the world to condemn the world but that the world though Him might be saved” – John 3:16-17
A peep at verse 17 of that scripture lets us realize that God is not in the business of condemning us. Popular opinion suggests God is watching for your downfall to reduce the traffic of men making it to heaven but the Word says that God is not out to condemn you.
This glorious spot of walking without guilt has nothing to do with what you have done but has everything to do with who you now are.
Romans 8 verse 1 says that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Now that is you and I. Romans 4 verse 2 says that if Abraham had a reason to boast he could but definitely not before God. He was declared righteous not because of his track record but because of his faith in God. This same state applies to us who put our faith in Christ Jesus.
It is not a transient feeling you enjoy while saying the prayer of salvation rather it is about who you now are in Christ Jesus. 1 John 3:20 says even if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart. Romans 8 verse 33&34 says who is the person that would stand to condemn you, it is God that justifieth i.e. has declared you innocent. This is who you are.
This piece is not suggesting in any way that God suddenly considers all your wrong actions to be right. Rather that he is not condemning you on it. He is urging you instead to walk in the reality of who you have been made. To manifest the real seed within you.
Consider again this reasoning by brother Paul – If while we were yet sinners God died for us now that we are justified what does this mean but that we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5: 10
Understand dear brothers and sisters that Jesus met the penalty for our sins in Christ Jesus once and for all time. Through him you and I have obtained peace with God.
Never be tempted to throw in the towel. You may have missed the mark but God is not condemning you for it. Awake to righteousness and sin not, walking as a child of light for this is who you are.
God has made you qualified to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light – Col 1:12. Walk in the reality of this – now and always.
– bolaji akanni
God is not in the business of measuring out his gifts to us. The spiritual birth bears some semblance to the natural. When you became born again, re-birthed by God, He gave you all that you would need for life and godliness (I Pet 1:3). Just the same way you don’t hear a mother give birth to a baby and request for hands or feet. All the baby needs for life has been wrapped up within him/her.
Remarkably, science acknowledges that the child’s brain only develops stating that all the child needs is within that little head. No wonder diseases that affect the child’s brain have far reaching consequences even into adult life.
Beyond science however, God’s word says ‘you are complete in Him who is the head over all principality and power’ – Col.2: 8 – 9. Again we are told that God has ‘blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’-Eph 1:3. So much the more that scriptures say ‘as God is, so are we here on this earth’ (I John 4:17).
I know that having a sense of lack is customary here on earth. Modern day Christianity even considers it a sign of humility. But God thinks differently, sending his Son that you and I would have life and have it more abundantly.
Let’s follow the reasoning of Brother Paul in Romans 8:32. He says under inspiration of the Holy Ghost that if God was so kind as not to have spared his Son but gave him up for us all freely, what makes us think that he would not have along with him freely given us all things.
Let’s always learn to acknowledge every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus-Philemon 1:6. Scriptures is replete with descriptions of all that God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Listen to this one – “Eye has not see, Ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of man the things that God has prepared for them that love him. So much the more that we have his spirit to reveal unto us what these free riches are – I Cor. 2:9 – 12.
Realize God has emptied his all. You are his masterpiece (Eph 2:10). Nothing else can be added to you.
Till we meet again, I leave you with this SMS a friend sent to me saying. We are not helpless; we are not destitute; we are not beggars, we are Christians. Purpose defined us in Christ Jesus.
He has finished the work; let’s learn to walk in the reality of this.
-bolaji akanni
Let’s talk about you and your salvation? What do I mean by salvation? Well, primarily it speaks of how you got saved, rescued from the slavery you were held in. A vital question along these lines is ‘Who is Jesus to you’?
Too often we fail to realise that Jesus is not just an open door leading to all of God’s riches. He is actually the blessing of God personified. No wonder we are called to look only to Jesus and no other. All starts and ends in him.
Again we fail to realise that Jesus didn’t come to give us a second chance at life again. What is the meaning of this you say? Have you ever watched a repeat game of football? The players are very much the same, with the same obstacles as before. Their weaknesses have not changed either. They try so hard perhaps the victory may just come around this time. Only difference is they have another opportunity to right the wrongs they made.
But thank God for His grace, God delivered us once and for all time. He has changed our destiny eternally. Our history has been completely re-written. No wonder our existence now is described in a form of newness which has not existed before. The totality of our being now bears the stamp of God. Our strengths are gone; the weaknesses are gone too. There is a new man now altogether whose strength and weakness can only be defined in God.
Permit me to re-emphasize the first point. Jesus – the way, the truth and the life. Fullness, wholeness, completeness lies in Him. He told Philip “A look at me should suffice you. Don’t ask me to show you who God is or where he is”. John 14:9 (Paraphrased). Christ fills you through and through; He is not pointing you to another. He is life itself; He is not pointing you to another. He is all and besides him there is none other. Take time to thank God again for all he has done in Christ Jesus. I tell you friends God has emptied his all in Christ. Now consider what it means when the bible says your life is now hid with Christ in God. Are you looking for another……?
– bolaji akanni
| Are you righteous? Do you stand right with God. Let us consider God’s viewpoint and how he addresses you on this issue.
A summary of the best deeds of man is given by Isaiah in chapter 64 and verse 6 where he graphically illustrates the best works of man as filthy rags. I wouldn’t have minded rags. BUT FILTHY RAGS? Paul somewhat re-echoes this when he considered all HE HAD DONE stating that he counted all but dung. Job showed our utter hopelessness when he said how can a man be cleansed of his ways. He equates man’s tendency to sin to a fish taking in water. Again reminding us that the issue of sin went beyond the proceeds of your hands rather it was about who you were. I once had a dog, got clothes to put on it. Washed it, trained it to shake and sit. But did it change the fact that it was a dog. No way!! A dog would always be a dog. It could lick my feet and bring back my lost ball but a dog would always be a dog. It might even be able to save me from drowning but a dog would always be a dog. The best of its actions could not excuse who it was – A dog. What does the scripture say? We were no better. Sin was our very identity. Read Rom 3:9 – 18
But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places with Christ… Eph 2: 4 – 6
But God did something and that is why I am not wearing ashes and sack clothes even as I send this.
And that is what some of you were. But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. 1st Cor. 6:11 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Rom 6:6 – 7
God identified us in the death of Jesus nailing all we were to the cross and the same way Christ rose up never to be nailed again so also we have been given newness of life. This new life is God’s life in Christ. It characterises the very core of our being.
I can’t wait to tell you that righteousness is not something we try to attain to anymore, it is who we have become. Consider the following: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.2nd Cor. 5:21 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous. Rom. 5:19
This is new. So new Romans chapter 4 and verse 6 says that David could only but describe how blessed this person is to whom God would impute righteousness without considering the works of his hands But doesn’t it matter what I do? Of course it does but realise that an understanding of who God has made me leads me to carry out actions in line with this truth. How do I achieve this? Consider Rom 3:20 – 22 This righteousness which is of God comes entirely by believing in Christ Jesus. It is not given in parts rather it came with the package of salvation. He (Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Rom 4: 25 It is no wonder that Paul didn’t wait for people to die before declaring them as saints (Rom 1:7, Eph 1:1, 2nd Cor. 1:1). He was not shy to do so either. He knew what “stuff” they were now made off. Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…..Rom 5:1 Consider this till we meet again.
– bolaji akanni |
Have you ever noticed that God currently says blessed and not bless1. He says washed and not will wash2. He calls you cleansed, and he says you are sanctified2. He says forgiven3 and not that you should be looking for forgiveness. He says you are called.
It’s such an endless list – justified4 and even delivered5.
The issue is not so much about what God should do to you; rather it is about what God did. No wonder scripture says you have received the spirit of God so that you should know what God has freely given you already6.
The word of God is not revealing what God is about to do. Neither is it a blank cheque to fill in what God should do. It is an accomplished deed revealing all that God has done for you. Ephesians 2:10 aptly describes you as God’s masterpiece. A master piece does not need any touch again by the maker. It is complete already.
Let’s face the facts and accept who God says we are. You may not feel like it. People around you might not suggest it. You may even have been acting contrary to it all the while. But this does not deny the fact that God has made you whole. For in Christ all the fullness of the God head dwells in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ – Col 2:10
Ever seen anyone deny the humanity of a baby because it fails to speak?
If only you had a glimpse of the man within. You would wonder why you had been fooled all the while.
Again, remember these are not issues you neither pray into reality nor carry out any form of work for it to manifest. The same way you would not tell a 3 year old baby born without any defect whatsoever to pray to walk.
This is simply what we should affirm or rather acknowledge. We should allow it rule our mentality and take over our very walk. There is something about you. Time is not called to tell it. It is who you are and have been made in Christ Jesus.
One alarming thing I noticed in the letter of James was in the description of the mirror – like quality of God’s word. God’s word is not out to show who you should be; rather it tells you who you are. That is who you are now. Learn to agree with the word. Renewing my mind in accordance with this truth and the true image of who I have been made makes me align my walk accordingly.
1 Eph 1:3 2 1st Cor. 6:11 3 Eph 1:7, Col 1:14 4 Rom 8:30 5 Col 1:13
– bolaji akanni