TOPIC: WE ARE JUSTIFIED TO LIVE AS OUR JUSTIFIER – OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

-WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THIS-
“Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.

Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause…..Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter: and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not: for I WILL NOT JUSTIFY THE WICKED”…EXODUS 23:1-3; 6-7.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say at this time His righteousness: that He might be just and the Justifier of him which believe in Jesus…

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law”…ROMANS 3:21-28.

-WHAT I RECEIVED OF THE LORD CONCERNING THIS MATTER-
As Apostle Paul concluded in the above scripture so I also conclude – that no Man or Woman is justified by the works of the law – that justification in Christ Jesus is entirely by the faith. This is the word of God and it is not a subject of further interpretation.

But the overriding questions here are these: does justification in Christ cover the sins of a believer even after salvation? Framed in another way: is the justification of a believer on a permanent basis? Does justification excuse a believer who continues in sin even after salvation?

Justification in Christ has over the years risen to become one of the most fundamental and critical issues in the redemption program of God. The topic has attracted series of theological thoughts over the years, and even intellectual expositions, and many are still busy searching for more insight into the matter. But they do not need to search further – for an answer has come, and that from He Who inspired those that wrote the Holy Scriptures – even the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, this faithful day, I stand on the authority of the word of God and by the express mandate of the Holy Ghost to announce to the Church of Jesus Christ world-wide, that justification DOES NOT COVER SINS COMMITTED BY A BELIEVER AFTER SALVATION. We are justified at the point of our salvation, and we can only remain justified as long as we walk in the ways of our Justifier – our Master and Savior Jesus Christ.

Brethren, I will not permit myself to join issues with folks that hold a different view – for one thing that is clear is this: that the word of God is not subject to two different interpretations. There is only one Truth and one Way to our God. That Way and that Truth is Jesus Christ. And there is only one doctrine upon which the Church of Jesus Christ is founded – and that doctrine is the doctrine of Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not subject to the opinions and emotions of men and women; neither is it a product of any form of intellectual prowess.

Simply put, justification in Christ is this: that when a sinner receives Christ as Lord and savior, his or her PAST sins are automatically washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ; and he or she is saved thereby. And having thus been saved, he or she now stands justified before God – as a just and righteous person. That is justification, no more no less.

Furthermore, we know that before the atonement of Christ, when folks were under the law, there was imputation of sin upon all flesh. And what is this imputation? Everyone born into this life was counted a sinner by God by reason of the original sin of Adam and Eve, who are the original parents of all human persons. That is what is called imputation of sin. But when Christ came, even as the second Adam, He gave His life as a sacrifice, to restore righteousness and to remove this imputation of sin upon all flesh. And thereafter all who would accept His sacrifice will no longer live with this imputation of sin. Therefore whosoever accepts Christ as Lord and Savior is automatically imputed with Christ’s righteousness and is then counted by heaven as a just person. This is what is called justification. And it is entirely of faith even as salvation is.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having been justified freely, because it is not merited; if we return again to sin, justification will no longer avail us. Our Holy Daddy in heaven will never justify any believer who continues in wickedness. Indeed, it is better that one is not saved than for one to be saved and then continues in sin. Whoever does that is simply declaring that he or she has no regard for the terrible ordeals our Lord faced in the hands of sinners in order to save us. The believer walking in sin is simply trying to crucify Christ all over again – God forbid!

Brethren, it is a slap on the face of Christ, God forbid, for a believer to continue to sin even after salvation. And for that sinning believer to take a step further to claim justification while walking in sin is direct challenge to the authority of the Holy Ghost; and the consequences are eternal. The Holy Ghost is here to help believers to live above sin, to help believers to continue to walk in justification before God, to help us to make heaven at last. The Holy Ghost is holy and will not condone sin. The primary duty of the Holy Ghost is to enforce the holiness and purity that are in Christ Jesus in God.

Therefore, if ye be a believer and still living in one sin or the other, as you read this message, stop whatever you are doing, go on your knees and repent in dust and ashes. The mercy of our heavenly Daddy is available to forgive you and the blood of Jesus Christ is readily available to wash you of all unrighteousness. Do not harden your hearts. The Bible is holy and it does encourage us to continue in ungodliness. Stop seeking for scriptures, for books and for preachers that will justify you even in your sins. That search is not of God, that search is sinful in itself, that search will end in eternal damnation.

Do not follow those who teach that sin after salvation will only deny a believer some rewards in heaven. Rewards in heaven have only to do with how we use our God-given talents here – it has nothing to do with sin and its consequences. Every unrepented sin will deny us heaven at last. And there is no small or big sin. All unrighteousness is sin. Sin stains our righteousness garments. And no man or woman with a stained garment will enter the gates of heaven. Our heavenly Daddy is holy and we can only meet Him in the same holiness. This is the word of the living God.

Till I am sent your way again, always have this at the back of your minds – that Jesus Christ is coming back sooner than we expect.

L

WE ARE ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN IF WE DO THE WORKS OF ABRAHAM.

-WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THIS MATTER-
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Be ye doers of the words and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed of his deed”…..JAMES 1: 21-25.

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him”…..ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10:34-35.

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believe in Him, if ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed”….JOHN 8:31.

“They answered and said unto Him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, if ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham”…JOHN 8:39

“Jesus answered them; verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”…JOHN 8:34.

-WHAT I RECEIVED OF THE LORD ON THIS MATTER-
Brethren, one of the most widely used phrases in the Church of Jesus Christ of today is this: that “Abraham’s blessings are mine”. This phrase has even been reduced into a very popular song – and everybody is happy to sing along, both young and old.

But one thing that is lost to many of those that are addicted to this phrase and to this song is this: that the phrase will only benefit those who also live the type of life that Abraham lived. Let us not quickly forget that it was the passion of Jesus Christ that qualified us as children of Abraham in the first place. And it was also the same Christ Who was quick to remind those who were trying to justify themselves by claiming that they were children of Abraham; that whosoever must lay claim to membership of Abraham’s family must also be a doer of the works of Abraham.

Many, especially those who preach grace without righteousness, will readily talk about the faith of Abraham. They are often passionate about faith - about the fact that we are saved by Abraham’s type of faith. And when they talk about faith they usually say it with an unusual passion – presenting faith as a sort of idea, as a sort of difficult subject, as a sort of something one must learn as a lifetime subject. These folks express faith as a sort of spiritual exercise that one can manifest even while living in sin.

Those that teach such things deliberately hide this truth from their hearers: that faith, as far as the Gospel of Christ is concerned, is simply the life of every true believer. That faith of God is to believe God and to diligently walk in the same belief. They pretend not to know that faith without accompanying works is dead and worthless. They subtly hide it from their hearers that Abraham was justified by faith only when he had put that faith to work. (Please read JAMES 2: 14-26, particularly verse 23.).

Be not deceived, fellow believers. It is not enough for one to believe that God exists, and even to believe the word of God. It is much more required that we that believe must also live out what we believe – otherwise we have believed in vain. Never pride yourselves in the fact that you know everything about our God and that you also know His word and believe same. Do you not know that even satan himself, the father of all liars, even knows much more than any believer can ever know about heaven, believes it, and even trembles at that very knowledge – but yet has dedicated his entire existence to resist and to pervert that very truth.

Brethren, If we must boast at all, we must only boast in the Lord, and in this very truth: that we are saved, and that we are living as those that are saved – and that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yet, it is not enough that our names are in the Book of Life as of today – we should also make sure that our names remain there until we go to be with the Lord. For names shall be blotted out.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there are no permanent names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The very One Who saved us said so in His own very words, clearly marked in red letters in some versions of the Bible: that “he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels” (see REVELATION 3:5).

Brethren, What Jesus says is what He means. Do not allow the simplicity that is in Him to cause you to neglect His words or to deliberately misinterpret His words. In Him and In Him alone is life – and life everlasting. Our names can only remain in the Book of Life till the end if we continue in Him and in His word till the end. And He confirmed this in several other verses of the scriptures that I need not cite in this message. Try to find them out on your own.

People of God, we must be wary of certain annotations in the Bible that interpret the above scripture, and scriptures like that, to mean another thing altogether. Indeed, every annotation in the Bible that suggests that once we are saved, we remain saved, irrespective of how we live afterwards: that annotation is not of God. Those annotations are the ideas of men – they are expressions of intellectual Christianity. The truth is that we can only remain saved if we continue in the Lord – if we continue in the same Truth that saved us – if continue to manifest the life of Christ in our daily lives.

Men and brethren, we must be doers of the word of God and not hearers only. The scripture describes those who hear but do not as hypocrites: and the same scriptures equally declare that such that do that shall have their end in the lake that burneth with fire that quencheth not. Every true believer is a disciple of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Himself continually warns that we can only remain His disciples indeed IF WE CONTINUE IN HIS WORD, if we continue to abide in Him.

Time is running out: the arrival of our Master is at hand. Therefore as we continue to chant that ‘Abraham’s blessings are ours”, let us also strive to do the very works of the same Abraham. Yes, Abraham believed God and it was counted for him as righteousness. Yet the same Abraham walked perfectly before the Lord. Heaven is not for those who cry Lord, Lord, Lord; but it is strictly reserved for those who love our Lord and who also do the will of our heavenly Daddy. It is well with the righteous.

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THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS NOT THE KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD

        -WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THIS MATTER-
“And Jesus answered; My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence…..JOHN 18:36.

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, behold the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world”…..JOHN 1:29

“ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”…MATTHEW 6:32-33.

“And one of the company said unto Jesus, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And He said unto him, man who made Me a judge or a divider over you? And He said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of his earthly possessions”….LUKE 12: 13-15.


        -WHAT I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD CONCERNING THIS MATTER-
People of God, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on His triumphant entry, one of the first things He did was drive away those that were trading in the house of God. He accused them of turning our Father’s house into a den of thieves. His anger was that those folks were doing business even in the very house of God. And those who were benefiting from that merchandise held it against Him.

Today, the traders have returned to the house of our God, and in larger numbers. And this time around, they are not dressed as traders but rather as men and women of God, who claim that our God has called them to teach His people how to make gain – how to excel in the affairs of this life – how to compete favorably with the people of the world.  And they call this the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Brethren, the very house of our heavenly Daddy has been taken over by sellers of all manners of wares all in the name of Church. And many believers are buying these wares all in the name of pursuing the will of God for their lives. The Church of Jesus Christ that is meant to prepare believers for heaven has been polluted by all manners of worldly oriented teachings. And instead of preparing believers for heaven, many are busy selling the souls of believers unto covetousness and lust for the things of this life. Suddenly, a believer’s life now consists in the abundance of his or her earthly possessions and attainments. A believer’s closeness with God is now measure by all that one can see and touch. And they call this the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those that teach the things of this life as the Gospel of Christ argue that, after all, Jesus came that believers in Him may have life and have it in abundance! To these folks, abundant life in Christ Jesus is the same as abundance of the things of this life. But they have deliberately forgotten that when Jesus talked of abundant life He was simply referring to life everlasting, even life without end – which is heaven at last.

Brethren, if the mind of our heavenly Daddy was occupied with how to bless His people with earthly riches and abundance, He would not have taken all the pain to send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die a shameful death on the Cross of Calvary. Before Christ came godly folks were living in earthly abundance. Yet they were not taught lessons about Abraham blessings – all they did was to walk in the commandments of our God. And as they did, the blessings of Abraham availed them.

Even Isaac, the very blood son of Abraham, was not taught  Abraham blessings. He lived in the fear of God and inherited the blessings. Jacob was not taught about the blessings of Abraham – he simply walked with God and inherited the blessings. Your case as a believer must not be different. You are of the seed of Abraham by faith in Christ Jesus. And all that is required of you is to walk in the righteousness of the same Christ and the blessings of Abraham will avail you. It is as simple as that.

Men and brethren, the gospel of Jesus Christ is this: that we seek first His kingdom, and then walk in the reality of our new kingdom – then all that we need in this life will be added unto us, and then heaven at last. Therefore, if you are a true believer, then reckon it in your heart that you have found the kingdom of our God. All that is now required of you is to begin to walk in the truth and reality of your new kingdom, and as you do so all that the folks of this life are struggling to grab will be yours for possession – and heaven at last.

The primary duty of the Church is to bring folks into the kingdom of our Father. After that to teach those who have come into the kingdom how to live the kingdom lifestyle – that is how to walk as true sons and daughters of our God. And the perfect will of our heavenly Father is that as His children are walking in His truth and in His holiness, He will make all things beautiful in their lives – each in his or her own time.

Brethren, the blessings of God are not by struggle – they are purely functions of our righteous walk in the Lord, pure and simple. Sowing material seeds in order to become rich in Christ without holiness and righteousness, amounts to sowing to the flesh – and whosoever is involved will reap corruption. Yes, that person may reap some money; because whatever a man soweth he will also reap. But know it this very day that sowing financial seed while living in sin is sowing condemnation unto one’s life – that person is only purchasing enough fire wood for his or her hell fire experience. Nobody can bribe our God. Stop wasting your money – just forsake your evil ways, walk in the righteousness of Christ, and the true riches of our God will come your way and you will also make heaven at last.

What shall it profit and man or a woman if he or she would gain the whole world and then end up in hell fire? The kingdom of our God is not in bread and butter but in righteousness and in true holiness. Our God has not sent anyone to preach anything other than righteousness and holiness in His Church. Every other thing is an addition. It is perversion for men and women to preach what the Bible calls additions even as the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even preaching miracles of any kind as the gospel of Jesus Christ is not the perfect will of God for His people. And all those involved in this will surely give account.

Jesus did not preach miracles or the the things of this life as His Gospel. The Apostles did not. Even the prophets did not. And no other foundation shall any man or woman lay than that which is already laid – which is Jesus Christ and Him glorified. There is nothing like modern Gospel – for Jesus Christ, the sole Author of His Gospel, is the same yesterday, today and will remain forever the same.

Brethren, believers must cease from chasing miracles and the things of this life, and begin to chase the truth. It must be the earnest desire of every true believer to seek out for men and women who preach and practice the truth of this Gospel. Every true believer is a walking miracle. Salvation is the greatest miracle ever wrought by God. And if you are saved, you have no need seeking for miracles. You may seek for healing if you are sick - there is nothing sinful about that. But it must also be from a place where the truth is preached and practiced. The principal thing is for us to continually seek for the truth. when we find the truth and practice it, that truth will set us free from any hindrances and challenges we may face even as believers.

We must all live ready: for Christ will come back when we least expect.

TOPIC: OUR GOD IS NOT A RESPECTER OF PERSONS!

-WHAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THIS MATTER-
“Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the words spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation: which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him”…HEBREWS 2:1-2.

“And I besought the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord God, Thou hast begun to shew Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy might?

I pray Thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the Lord was wrought with me for your sakes, and would not hear me; and the Lord said unto me, let it suffice thee: speak no more unto Me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westwards and northwards, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go this Jordan”…DEUTERONOMY 3:23-27.

“Yet Michael the archangel when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, dust not bring him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee”….JUDE 9.

-WHAT I RECEIVED OF THE LORD CONCERNING THIS MATTER-
People of God, the second scripture above concerns Moses, and his desperate plea to our merciful God, to allow him just to enter the Promised Land. This Moses, whom God used more than any living, and whose ministry was compared to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, knelt before God asking for the favor to enter the very land he spent all his life dreaming and toiling for.

Apart from Adam and Eve, before they fell, Moses is the only living to see God. Yes, he may not have seen the whole of God, but he saw a part of our God. And for the sake of the same Moses, God opened the earth to swallow some folks who challenged the authority of Moses. Moses was more than a priest to our God. And throughout his walk with God, Moses never for once failed to receive an answer to his prayers. Even when the Lord had made up His mind to destroy His erring and stiff-necked people in the wilderness, Moses was able to intercede successfully for God’s people. Moses was the only living to speak to our God mouth to mouth, even as a man speaks to his son! We cannot write enough about the unique ministry of Moses.

Brethren, in spite of all these greatness, and in spite of his yet unequaled relationship with our loving God, yet He vehemently refused to allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. And for what reason, one may dare to ask? Because Moses and Aaron disobeyed God at the waters of Meriba (See NUMBERS 20 ). The offence Moses committed was that he struck a rock twice to bring forth water for the people instead of speaking to the rock. And our loving God counted that very grievous – grievous enough to deny Moses the opportunity to enter a land he was born to lead his people into.

Brethren, if not for Daddy’s enduring mercies, Moses would not have made heaven at last! It was as serious as that! Can one ever imagine Moses of all people ending up in hell fire? But Moses was very close to that even after serving the Lord faithfully with all the better part of his life. Even satan had guts to contest the body of Moses at death on the ground of this singular act of disobedience! (See JUDE 9). What an end for such a glorious life!

Brethren, the story of Moses and how he ended his journey is a great lesson for all of us – both the clergy and the laymen - for both the pew and the pulpit. Most of us, because we did not pay any price at all to receive salvation, are daily toiling with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Riding on the back of grace, we have all gradually become too familiar with our heavenly Daddy. To some of us, heaven is guaranteed, sin or no sin! We are simply dancing where the angels trembled to even pip into. We have graduated into a generation of Christians where everybody does what pleases him or her – all in the name of liberty in Christ Jesus! And our God is watching – just as He did in the days of our people in the wilderness!

Men and brethren, the judgment of God upon this generation of believers will be like a flowing stream. The anger of the Lord is seating, and any moment from now He will pour down His wrath upon His wicked and perverse generation. And He will start from right inside His own Church – from His own people. And nothing that is filthy will be spared! The terror upon Sodom and Gomorrah will be a child’s play compared with the miserable end that waits this filthy and satanic generation.

Fellow workers in His vineyard, let me alert us that only a handful will make heaven if rapture takes place even as I write this message. And unless something dramatic is done, something that will persuade our merciful Daddy to send down revivals: not just a rival, but revivals, all over the world, and in a proportion not seen before, there will be terrible surprises when the curtain falls.

My daily prayer is that God will open the spiritual eyes of believers world-wide to behold the impending doom. Many in the Church of today are encumbered with many many things that do not matter to heaven at all at all. Many are chasing shadows all in the name of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much pump and pageantry, but little of godliness.

Many are in hot pursuit of the glories of this life – and counting that as pursuing the “purpose of God” for their lives. Some places of worship have been turned into a den of thieves, harlots, and traders and merchants of all manners of worldly wares. We are witnessing the worst, and by the grace of God, the last generation of believers, since the atonement of Christ – and this is world-wide.

This message, and thousands that will follow, if Christ tarries, are part of the last efforts of heaven to turn believers back to their first love. And they will be resisted by enemies of righteousness in our midst. Some will do everything possible to stop this work, including blackmail. But the word of God cannot be caged.

The assurance I have from heaven is this: that the grace of our Lord will be sufficient for all that are determined to preach the truth even in these strange and perilous times. Time has become of essence in the relationship between God and His creation. Our Master and Savior Jesus Christ is coming back sooner than we can ever expect.

Evangelist Azubuike Okafor

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