Recently I have been led to examine this concept that I find fascinating because it has intrigued me right from the time in the university when it was first brought to my notice. It is the concept that I call cheating.
Scenario 1: Judith has been faithfully following the Lord since her high school days; she has remained chaste, committed and holy as much as she could possibly muster. She was a pillar of support to the brethren everywhere, a counselor to many and a good example. In the twilight of her college days, she had begun to fancy a relationship would blossom between her and Sylvester another committed and faithful brother she had known for some time now in the fellowship. She had grown attached to him in fact and fancied that a relationship leading to marriage was in the offing. Then Jenny stepped into the scene! She was literarily from another planet, living an existence at the very opposite of Judith. She just got saved and wham! Took the whole fellowship by storm. To crown it, just 3months after she came in she was engaged to and in a very intimately strong relationship with Sylvester. Judith felt cheated! She had remained faithful and where was the result of her commitment, for now she was years afterwards still unmarried and not in any relationship.
This concept is seen in the elder brother of the prodigal in Luke 15: imagine him returning home from a hard days grueling work in the field and meeting that the very fatted calf on which he had invested so much time and expense, roasting in the fire for the very revolting junior brother who had brought ignominy and opprobrium to their family, whose tales of debauchery and lasciviousness was rife in the town! Wonders of wonders, this notable sinner that deserved the very worst of punishments was being celebrated as it where! It was too much to stomach and he promptly refused to come into the house!
When you see the unrighteous prosper, do you see it as God’s approval of their lifestyle? When you see the uncommitted and worldly minded Christian prospering, does it make you feel that there is no reward for faithfulness and commitment?
Really the story of the prodigal is not about the debauchery of the son but about the magnanimity of the Father! Truth be told the son repented! The father hugged him not in his place of sin but on his return to his home! The celebration was not about the life he had lived, nor a sanction of his actions, but a demonstration of the joy of the Father in gaining a son thought and nearly given up as lost! Yes tomorrow there would be time for remonstrations and admonitions, there would be consequences for losing the inheritance, but now the joy of his return was paramount!
When you see the unrighteous prosper, do you see it as God’s approval of their lifestyle? When you see the uncommitted and worldly minded Christian prospering, does it make you feel that there is no reward for faithfulness and commitment? David felt the same and in fact queried God about it. He complained and questioned why. Really, prosperity is not the stamp of God’s approval for He causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the sinners. There will be a time of judgment and now is not really it. Try as we might, Judgment is deferred till the end of days.
What we have now is the mercy of God at work. It is not that God is prospering the sinner but that He is preserving the righteous. Jesus said Luk 13:2-5 And he, in answer, said to them, Are you of the opinion that these Galileans were worse than all other Galileans, because these things were done to them? I say to you, It is not so: but if your hearts are not changed, you will all come to the same end. Or those eighteen men who were crushed by the fall of the tower of Siloam, were they worse than all the other men living in Jerusalem? I say to you, It is not so: but if your hearts are not changed, you will all come to an end in the same way.
Yes God did punish sin by destroying cities Sodom etc however in this dispensation judgment is reserved till the endtime. This is the time of grace and God is not in the business of destroying people for 2Co 5:19 That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace.
Psa 37:1 Of David. Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil Psa 37: 7-8 Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs. Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
Psa 73:2 But as for me, my feet had almost gone from under me; I was near to slipping; Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers. For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong. They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men. For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe. Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire. Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts. Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth. For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them.
Psa 92:7 When the sinners come up like the grass, and all the workers of evil do well for themselves, it is so that their end may be eternal destruction.
God is the best reward we can ever get. He is our very life and all that we could ever wish for. Our one desire should be for His presence within us.
Psa 119:35-36 Make me go in the way of your teachings; for they are my delight. Let my heart be turned to your unchanging word, and not to evil desire.
For our life on earth is just a fleeting breeze in the vast ocean of eternity. For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his soul or what can we give in exchange for our souls? How do we value ourselves, “for a man’s live does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. Knowing God is far more valuable than anything we can receive from Him.
Faithfulness has its reward, and the best reward is not in this clime, but in the invisible which is more lasting, for we look at the things which are not seen, for those are eternal.
By Dr Stanley Okugbo
When you see the unrighteous prosper, do you see it as God’s approval of their lifestyle? When you see the uncommitted and worldly minded Christian prospering, does it make you feel that there is no reward for faithfulness and commitment? David felt the same and in fact queried God about it. He complained and questioned why. Really, prosperity is not the stamp of God’s approval for He causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the sinners. There will be a time of judgment and now is not really it. Try as we might, Judgment is deferred till the end of days.
What we have now is the mercy of God at work. It is not that God is prospering the sinner but that He is preserving the righteous. Jesus said Luk 13:2-5 And he, in answer, said to them, Are you of the opinion that these Galileans were worse than all other Galileans, because these things were done to them? I say to you, It is not so: but if your hearts are not changed, you will all come to the same end. Or those eighteen men who were crushed by the fall of the tower of Siloam, were they worse than all the other men living in Jerusalem? I say to you, It is not so: but if your hearts are not changed, you will all come to an end in the same way.
Yes God did punish sin by destroying cities Sodom etc however in this dispensation judgment is reserved till the endtime. This is the time of grace and God is not in the business of destroying people for 2Co 5:19 That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace.
Psa 37:1 Of David. Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil Psa 37: 7-8 Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs. Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
Psa 73:2 But as for me, my feet had almost gone from under me; I was near to slipping; Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers. For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong. They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men. For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe. Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire. Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts. Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth. For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them.
Psa 92:7 When the sinners come up like the grass, and all the workers of evil do well for themselves, it is so that their end may be eternal destruction.
God is the best reward we can ever get. He is our very life and all that we could ever wish for. Our one desire should be for His presence within us.
Psa 119:35-36 Make me go in the way of your teachings; for they are my delight. Let my heart be turned to your unchanging word, and not to evil desire.
For our life on earth is just a fleeting breeze in the vast ocean of eternity. For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his soul or what can we give in exchange for our souls? How do we value ourselves, “for a man’s live does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. Knowing God is far more valuable than anything we can receive from Him.
Faithfulness has its reward, and the best reward is not in this clime, but in the invisible which is more lasting, for we look at the things which are not seen, for those are eternal.
By Dr Stanley Okugbo
No comments
Post a Comment