Pastor Bola Bello
We often encounter problems when we give certain words or concepts a wrong definition. The major reason why we have issues with interpretation, is culture or cultural interpretation. We give interpretation to scriptures based on our cultural and tribal cleverages. This is the reason why the church has problems in coming into alignment. We cannot continue to walk in false beliefs or practices that are not scriptural just because they have been working (yielding results) in the past.
Talking about the word “saint”, the interpretation we have given to it, has made many run away from being ascribed such a name. Jesus told us that we can firmly establish a truth and doctrine from two or three witnesses. This means, that a truth can be affirmed when it is confirmed by two or more scriptures.
Looking at the names mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, (the heroes of faith), we can agree that these people can be called saints. However, certain flaws in some of them, would refute our definition of a saint as someone who is flawless. Many of those people were people who had many faults (for example, Rahab, Abraham, Noah and Samson), yet they were described as heroes of faith. Be careful however, not to mix up the terms, “sin” and “flaws”.
Receiving the Lord Jesus in your life alone is not what makes you a saint. Although that in itself does not make you flawless, but it is the entrance to become a saint.
[biblegateway passage=”Hebrews 12:1″ display=”Hebrews 12:1″]
Faith is does not have the same meaning with belief. Faith is stronger than belief. A person can believe in a thing and not have faith. Also, a weight is not the same thing as a sin. A sin presents itself as a god. It can become lord over a man’s life. But we (who are saved) are no longer under the power of sin. However, we all have weights which we need to lay aside for this race. Weights can be defined as burdens, yokes, anxiety, things that have become a priority, things that hinder us from praying or serving God with all our hearts, coming to Church or giving our commitment to God etc.
This is what the Hebrew Church was admonished to do away with. We must all run this race. Running requires energy. An athlete wears specially designed clothes and shoes that are as light as possible. Weights will not allow you to run with patience. ([biblegateway passage=”Hebrews 12:3″ display=”Hebrews 12:3″]) Weights can make you become weary. We must stop holding on to certain things that deny us of giving our commitment to God.
([biblegateway passage=”Hebrews 11:15,40″ display=”Hebrews 11:15,40″]) Our definition of faith is such that we trust God for things and we receive them. But the people we read about in Hebrews 11 never saw what they were believing for. Yet they are heroes of faith. This is because of commitment to what they believed,. A saint in Christ is not necessarily one who is faultless, but one who is ready to lay aside every weight in order to attain what God has given him through commitment. You have not shown commitment to the point of shedding your blood. Many people are not committed to God’s work. There are sacrifices that are required of us at different points in time which will categorize us as saints.
([biblegateway passage=”Matthew 11:28″ display=”Matthew 11:28″], [biblegateway passage=”Numbers 12:1, 6″ display=”Numbers 12:1, 6″]) Weights are obstacles and barriers to test your commitment to God.
Why, was Moses a customised servant of God? Why was he called the meekest man on the earth? Again, your definition of meekness hitherto might not be accurate. We can look at the life of Moses to learn what meekness is. Moses was described as the meekest man on earth in that time. A meek person is one who has the ability to receive instructions and abide by them, and also, without questioning them. No wonder, Moses was a customised servant of God. For God to refer to you as “My servant” as He did for Moses, you must offer yourself through commitment unto God. You must understand that your commitment is to God, not to your Church leaders.
Ofcourse, commitment is both vertical and horizontal. You cannot claim commitments to God without showing it in the context of obedience to instructions from your leaders. Diorthosis 2018 will define our commitment and allegiance. It is possible to receive either yes or no from your parents for attendance, and this is largely depends on the level of commitment and seriousness they noticed in you.
The success of this program rests on our oars and we must show our determination to make sacrifice. [biblegateway passage=”Romans 12:1 ” display=”Romans 12:1″] admonished us to offer our lives as sacrifice. We are not to go to alter to kill ourselves or to slaughter ourselves. What it simply means is a commitment that sentenced our lives as sacrifice. As we do this our own weight and burden will drop in Jesus name. Amen.