The Gospel of Self or Gospel of Christ

There is a compelling thread running through John 15 that we\’ve read over the past few weeks. \”I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.\” John 15:1 KJV. In this edition, I\’m trusting the LORD to help us see so that we can say \”IT IS NOT ABOUT ME; IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM.\” We must be careful not to change Scripture\’s basis. The Word of God or God Himself is not a means to an end of your choice. The Word of God is the means by which we are restored to God\’s Original Intention for mankind.

\”For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.\”

Romans 8:29 KJV (Emphasis mine)

You are saved (if you are) to become like Jesus. In becoming like Jesus, we are restored to the image and likeness of God which was the basis of creation at the beginning. The ONLY WAY to achieve this is to allow God\’s WORD to perform His purpose of transformation in you. Whether you know it or not, there is a default mindset we all come into the Kingdom of God with. This mindset is dealt with as we present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, not conforming to the world but being transformed (changed from the inside out) by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). This is the mindset of ME, MYSELF, AND I.

This is a challenge for us regardless of where we are in the world. What makes witchcraft possible is the desire to advance SELF regardless of the means. Even the atheistic intellectual, the high-performing professional and every other type of person is mobilized by the quest for dominance, subtly or outrightly. The desire to be perceived as successful proves our commitment to SELF. If you are not bothered by what people think, will you do what you are doing today? And even those who claim they don\’t care what anybody thinks, you will see that it is another way this SELF manifests. The point is to do ONLY what advances SELF – and this is different for different people.

Now, if you stick with that agenda when you get saved, we need to ask you a simple question: \”What, then, were you saved from?\” You may say, \”…from hell\”. Well, the salvation package includes:

1. Deliverance from sin (the nature/producer of sins).
2. Forgiveness, cleansing and removing the power of your (habitual) sins.
3. Cancelling sin\’s consequences*, penalty and power over you.
4. Being saved from God\’s wrath (against sin and sinners).
5. And the ultimate salvation from eternal damnation in hell. John 3:16

You can listen to a further exposition of authentic salvation here:

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This makes it clear that salvation is not merely an escape from hell to heaven while you continue to advance SELF through the remaining days of your life. If you do, I must tell you the truth that nothing has changed and you will still face the consequences of hell since you are in active service of satan. Let me unpack further. All the devil needs to benefit from your life and take you to hell with him is to entice you out of the discipline of living the NEW LIFE into continuing the OLD LIFE in the guise of a new label (of Christianity).

This is why we have many in the church, even leaders in the church, who have no testimony (of character) in the workplace, community and perhaps even yet in the same church.

How can we explain continuing in sin as if salvation never occurred? Many are still in fornication, adultery, drunkenness, fraudulence practices, record falsification, lying etc. How can you be saved and still be a sinner? (Romans 6). For some, it is shamelessly public and they make an effective advert for the devil with which he promotes the idea that \”nobody can be free from sin\” and \”the church is a hoax\”. Others demonstrate their true colours in secret, defiling other people\’s wives/husbands or unmarried people, destroying homes, and holding sincere people hostage to reckless lifestyles.

Now, this is the point I am trying to convey: as long as the gospel is preached in churches in a man-centred way, only emphasizing a God that can solve our problems, we will keep maintaining hypocrisy because, although people have become religious, they are still not saved from sin. Jesus warned us against those who travel far and wide to make a single convert only to make him twice a child of hell (Matthew 23:15). As long as you make it all about yourself, you cannot avoid the trap of hypocrisy. You will see that you will never have victory over sin.

The few who have not fallen into this quagmire are the remnant who have paid the basic price that salvation requires. The price of RENOUNCING THEIR LIVES TO HAVE THE HEAVENLY LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST WORK IN AND THROUGH THEM.

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST. If you have, you don\’t have that old life anymore. YOU NOW HAVE HIM LIVING IN YOU. Therefore, it is no longer about you; it is about Him. YOU HAVE DIED and JESUS IS NOW ALIVE IN YOU.

\”And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.\”

2 Corinthians 5:15 KJV

The True Gospel is CHRIST-CENTRED. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU; IT IS ABOUT HIM. IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, OLD THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY (all your plans, habits, ambitions etc), ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW. You now live to fulfil the plan God made for your life before the world began. Your habits and ambitions will now come from CHRIST. Since He is the VINE and you are the BRANCH, you understand now why YOU CANNOT BE IN CHRIST AND STRUGGLE INDEFINITELY WITH SIN, ADDICTIONS ETC.

THIS IS BECAUSE CHRIST IS NOW THE SUPPLY OF EVERYTHING WORKING IN YOUR LIFE. It is time for you to experience the power of God, not just to receive a miracle baby, a miracle job, a miracle VISA, a miracle house etc but a MIRACLE LIFE – the life that is ABOVE CONDEMNATION and FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN and DEATH (Romans 8:1-4).

Please check which gospel you believe in. IS IT \”Jesus died for you so that you can be all YOU want to be, do all YOU want to do and have all YOU want to have.\” OR \”Jesus died for you so that you can be what GOD created you to be, do what GOD saved you to do, and have what GOD prepared for you before the foundation of the world.\” The trinity of YOU will lead to inescapable destruction while the trinity of GOD will lead to a certain, comprehensive and conclusive salvation. Ephesians 1:3-5, 2:10, 2 Peter 1:9. Let us pray!

Father God, I thank You for not leaving me ignorant. Thank you for showing me that I am not saved to serve myself. LORD Jesus, I present myself unto You. Please deliver me from myself so that Your Original Purpose for my life can begin, which is, to become like You. I yield to the Holy Spirit so that I can walk in the Way of righteousness in order to inherit all that was prepared for me before the foundation of the world. Thank you, LORD. In Jesus\’ name.

AMEN.

*Some consequences are irreversible because of the principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8). For instance, becoming pregnant out of wedlock, going to jail for a culpable offence etc. There are other consequences that simply persist until you fight the good fight of faith. This requires you to know what God has done in salvation and rest in His finished work (Your POSITION in Christ). Also, it demands that you walk in line with His Will (Your PROFESSION in Christ) and stand your ground in the position of victory (to possess your POSSESSION). Please read Ephesians 6:10-18.