RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS BRING BLESSINGS
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN STAY LONGER AND ARE HEAVIER THAN THE PLEASURE IT GIVES
PRIDE IS A SPIRITUAL CANCER; IT DESTROYS GREAT DESTINIES
PRIDE MAKES ONE APPROPRIATE GOD’S GLORY TO SELF
ADDICTION IS THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE IT ENTRAPS AND KEEPS PEOPLE TIED DOWN!
-Pastor Faith Oyedepo at Mid-week Communion Service
1 Timothy 4:8
Ask the Lord to speak to you by His word today and to grant you understanding.
Lord, send us your word again. Change our story again in the name of Jesus.
You may be seated and put your hands together for the Lord. You can make it bigger it is for Jesus.
All through this month in our Mid-week Communion Service, we have been looking at the topic, “Putting up Fight Against the Forces of Ungodliness”
Tonight, we shall be continuing as we take another look at it.
Very very important as we began this month, God’s servant has hammered this statement over and again and I want to begin again tonight by making that statement. He said, “Godliness is the only spiritual virtue that transcends to heaven” How many of your remember hearing that statement? You will make heaven in Jesus’name. That must be your goal and my goal.
Sometimes, when some people do somethings, act some ways or behave some how, the question I usually ask is, “Do you have heaven in view?” Because if heaven is your goal, it will tame; it will discipline every aspect of your life. If heaven is your goal, it will affect your thinking, it will affect the way you speak, it will affect your actions and the way you relate with people. It will affect the way you handle money. It will affect every area of your life.
-From this day forward, you will never lose focus of your destination.
Where is your destination? Ask your neighbor, where is your destination? For me, my destination is clear. I must maintain focus because I must get there.
- You shall get there in the name of Jesus.
-Together, we shall get there.
Until the battle against sin is won, you have no place in heaven. This why the Bible makes it clear that the battle against sin is the most intense of all spiritual battles in a believer’s life. (Hebrews 12:4). You know it is a known fact that blood signifies life. For the life of the flesh is in its blood. When the Bible talks about resisting sin until the shedding of blood, that means it has a lot to do with your life and my life. It is the worst battle that we will ever face. Tonight I have good news for someone here, it is a winnable battle.
However to win this battle, we must put up a fight. You don’t win this battle by just sitting down. You cannot win it by just wishing it or by just confessing it. We can only win by putting up a fight and what kind of fight? It is the fight of faith. Ephesians 6:16. We can only quench sin by putting up the fight of faith.
We need to remind ourselves that we are in the last days and the operations of sin very very clearly is on a frequency of mysteries. Things that before were never heard of, these days have become so common. It is the age of the mystery of sin. Therefore, it will require a spiritual approach to have our desire victory. As we put on this approach, we shall begin to triumph over sin. Therefore, o welcome you as we go through this season to your season over triumph over sin.
-Beginning from this season, you will begin to rule over sin.
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF SIN?
Sin is pleasurable but only for a moment. The devil has perfected the illusion that makes people to think that sin is pleasurable and acceptable. That is why for instance, a man takes a pen in his office and in less than one minute he adds some figures to steal money from the organization. The money gets into his pocket and the devil tells him, *Don’t you see, nobody knows, now you have more money in your pocket to spend”
For that moment, it looks pleasurable but the devil will never let him remember the adage that says, ” Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner” So, he tried it many times and it looks like nobody will ever catch him. But suddenly the next time he tries it, he finds himself in the prison. Pleasurable but for a moment. At the twinkling of an eye, that is the nature of sin that the devil uses to catch many people and make them become his captives. I have got good news for you today, he will never succeed over your life again.
The consequences of sin always stay longer and it is heavier than the pleasure that devil might think you will be able to get t from it.
We have several examples of this I’m the scriptures. A good example is the story on the garden of Eden how the first humans where deceived into eating a fruit that was pleasant to the eyes. Eating just one of these fruits led humanity to destruction. Pleasurable but just for a moment.
Another story is in 2 Samuel about Amnon the brother of Absalom who became so obsessed with his sister, Tamar. What a shame! A whole prince became sick and lay in bed, thinking and calculating on how to sleep with his sister. At the end of the day, he got the job done and as soon as he finished, he sent her out. Pleasurable but for a season.
How about David with Bathsheba. David calculated by all means to sleep with her and enjoyed himself for a while but inherited a curse from God, and the sword did not depart his home.
DEALING WITH THE SPIRITUAL FORCES BEHIND SIN
One of those spiritual forces behind sin is the spirit of pride. Pride is a spirit. It is a spiritual cancer. When you hear the word cancer, the end is death. The same way cancer destroys the physical body is how pride destroys the believer. It has destroyed many people. We have several examples in the scripture. It is a deadly trap that produces a devastating effect of a man’s destiny. When you want to catch a rat, you set food with sweet aroma to lure the rat to the trap. Once the rat comes near it, it gets hooked. That is what pride does. It cuts down great destinies.
The spirit of pride is at the root of many sinful acts in our lives today. Pride makes one to appropriate God’s glory to self. This why the Bible says in James 4:6 that God resists the proud. This is because he won’t share his glory with any man.
-May God not resist you in Jesus name.
-Pride will never be able to catch up with you anymore.
The destruction of the rich fool in Luke 12 was his intentional neglect of God. He was concerned about “Me, myself and I” God said to him, that he was going to rest and all he had gathered would no longer be his. Rich but a fool. You will not be another rich fool.
Isaiah 14:12 tells us about Lucifer. He was cut down because of pride. He was not afraid of wanting to take the glory that belongs to God who created him. Many destinies are being cut down because of the spirit of pride.
How about King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26: The Bible says he was marvelously helped but he ended up a leper because of his pride. A renowned person ended up as a leper because of pride. It is possible to look so gentle and pious yet right within, it is full of pride. It is one thing to look gentle and it is another thing to be gentle. Pride is the carbon monoxide of sin.
Many people lose their job because of pride. Pride against their boss. Pride has destroyed many marriages and relationships. You look at your neighbor and think you are far far better than the fellow.
The cure for pride is humility. Humility is a personal responsibility you and I have to accept. I cannot humble for you, it is a personal responsibility.
- Receive the grace to live humble.
- The spirit of bondage. It is the same thing as the spirit of addiction. Romans 1:28. This spirit of bondage gets people tied down. It gets people locked up and chained in punishment. The spirit of bondage can tie down spritually, mentally, emotionally and other areas of life. Addiction ties people down.It is a spirit of captivity. For instance, a man is coughing but at the same time, smoking. He has been told that he has tuberculosis yet he the spirit of addiction pushes him to keep smoking. You understand that? He is already digging his own grace by himself smoking and coughing.
You go on the internet, you see strange pictures and before you know it, you end up on pornography The world wide web webs you in until you end at the other side. In case you wanted to check something on your phone and you see this strange adverts, just shut down your phone. Don’t let it trap you.
-Everything that might be binding you to what you don’t want today is your day of liberty.
-Your freedom and my freedom shall be total in Jesus’name.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GODLINESS?
Sin brings curses but at the same time righteousness and godliness bring blessings. What are the blessings?
- Supernatural prosperity. You will prosper in the name of Jesus. Psalms 112:1-3. Wealth and riches go hand in hand with righteousness. Supernatural prosperity has its root in godliness. God will only entrust his riches in the hands of the righteous. Job 1:3. Your greatness shall be greater than that of Job. Joseph also a slave man became so prosperous that he was used by God to feed an entire nation yet a righteous man.
- Many shall be fed through the blessings of God upon your life. The prodigal son went AWOL but eventually he arose from eating with pigs to having a great party with his household.
- Access to our inheritance. Colosians 1:12. Every believer has a glorious inheritance with Christ. Your inheritance will not be lost. It can only be accessed through godly living. Letting your Yes be Yes and your No be No. Remember one of the testimonies. the testifier was met at the point where he said he was. Some people will tell you lies over the phone. They are in a place but will claim they were in another. David was just a shepherd boy but through godliness he laid hold on his inheritance and became a king. Joseph was just a slave who through godly living became a Prime Minister. Moses was a fugitive but he went back as a god into Pharaoh. Father Abraham at the age of 75, he was a nobody but at the age of 100, God has blessed him in all things.
-As you embrace godliness and holiness, your destiny will not be destroyed.
Please remember, we must engage the sanctifying power of God’s word to overcome sin.
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