Dearly Beloved,
It may interest
you to know that the journey of truth (light), from the mind (where we
start by believing) to the heart (where we thoroughly believe,
understand, know as we ought, repent, acquire righteousness, then have
some known/unknown sins remitted and finally change our ways) can take
minutes, hours, days and unfortunately for some, decades!
The greatest drama and a rude shock
awaits companies of believers in heaven, who would realize that their hearts
never truly acquired spiritual understanding of various biblical truths, though
they believed in it, came so close to it, while some actually PREACHED IT!
WHILE MANY WOULD HAVE USED THEIR
SOULS TO ACQUIRE THINGS THAT LATER PERISHED WITH THE USE, others would have
used theirs for the primary purpose for which the soul was mysteriously made
i.e. TO ACQUIRE GOD LIKE THE SON LATER DID and ETERNALLY BECOME HIS FELLOWS!
But thanks be to God for the
spiritual order that is gradually revisiting the church, whereby believers
would be taught, warned and preached unto IN ALL WISDOM, SO THAT SOME WOULD
ULTIMATELY BE PRESENTED PERFECT IN CHRIST, I.E. PERFECT IN LOVE - Col.
1:23
I perceive that the following religiously
unfriendly and intellectually unappealing transcribed message is:
1. A
timely purgative for the church; for those with contrite hearts and a broken
spirit, whose spiritual ears has been pierced and awoken, who are gradually GENERATING
A RESOLVE TO LOVE LIKE GOD LOVES
2. An appetizer for those inching
closer into becoming an abode for the father and son in fulfillment of Isa.
66:1-2
3. Perhaps a companion for those who
through their daily heavenly conversation on earth, look forward to summoning
the world to come wherein dwells righteousness. (Ps. 40:6/1Cor. 15:34/Heb.
2:5b/2Pet. 3:11/13-14)
Graceful Reading!
LOVE, THE COMMANDMENT OF THE
BEGINNING - Part 3
Scriptural Text: 1 John 3:10-16
- What would unveil the Children of God is LOVE.
- 1 Jh 3:10 "In this the children of God are MANIFEST, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God (i.e. not born of God – Vs 9), neither he that loveth not his brother."
- "Made manifest" means the thing is no longer hidden; it's been shown so that all might see. For something to be made manifest means it was hidden previously but has not been made manifest for the purpose of witness. It has come to light; it's no longer veiled.
- Vs 15 "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" is not referring to an unbeliever. As much as this letter of John was meant for admonishing and instruction, John the writer was seeing more of manifestation. It's like being on the verge of seeing the true colors of someone, such that we'll know the constitution of what makes up that person.
- John the beloved here was addressing those with a regenerated spirit, those born again. It means such a person is already a brother partaking of the brethren life. BUT such a one is still in death. Why? Vs 14- Because "He loveth not his brother…” and therefore abideth in death."
- The world generally is a domain of death. It fosters death in everything it does. It encourages and fosters competition, taking advantage of others, ambition, pride, lustful achievements, etc. And all these things the world promotes are carriers of death. Many learn how to use death before thriving in the world!
- Death here is not sickness or disease, but rather an operation of darkness. If I can still answer darkness when it calls, it means I'm still in death. Death and life are two different domains.
- Once upon a time, I was dead spiritually and had death in my soul operating strongly with every part of me answering to death. However upon believing/confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior, my spirit was quickened and raised, but the rest of me needs to move over and pass on to another domain.
- Our soul is meant to move from death to life. How? By loving the brethren (1 John 3:14). Thus far, only our human spirit has passed over from death to life. The movement the soul and body is to make is that of LOVE. As you love your brother, you're moving from death to life. There's no way you'll show you're alive without Love.
- Do you know you can still perform miracles while dead in your spirit? The Old Testament miracles were wrought by men who weren't regenerated in their spirits. The Lord didn't choose miracles as a way of manifestation of Who He is. He chose LOVE, therefore the saying "By this all men will KNOW that you're My disciples, if you have LOVE one for the other" (John 13:35). IF YOU'RE A DISCIPLE OF THE LORD, YOU'RE A DISCIPLE OF LOVE.
- Our loving is our passage from death to life, our passage into being seen as children of light and not of darkness; as sons of God and not of the devil. He that hateth his brother abides in death – 1Jn. 3:14
- Indeed, you can be born again and still love darkness (Jn. 3:19). Not a few born-again folks dwell in the realm where death can reach them! It's a bitter truth to say especially in the light of new creation realities.
- This doesn't mean you have death in your spirit, but it does means your abode/place of habitation is still death. It's about where you operate; where you can be found, therefore the saying in Lk. 24:5 "Why seek ye the living among the dead?"
- If Lazarus had remained in the grave when he was raised, there will be no manifestation. That which had been wrought (i.e. life) won't have been seen. The tomb is where the dead is laid; if you have been raised, you need to come forth to be seen. You need to manifest light/life/love!
- "Lazarus come forth!" When he came forth, Jesus said, "Loose him and let him go". Even though he had been raised, he was still bound; he was still within the parameters of death. Imagine him going about with grave clothes! But that's how many believers are. Their rapport with darkness is evident.
- "Come forth" was actually the Lord talking to us, saying "I have raised you in your spirit but you need to pass from death to life”. How? "By loving your brother and thereby making movement from darkness to light. The passage, the movement you're to make is walk in love towards one another- WALK
1Jn. 3:14
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
- As we love, we're passing and disobeying a law that governs those who are living in death; we're passing over from death to LIFE. Soon we'll get to a place where the evil one can't get us - 1 John 5:18.
1 Jn. 5:18 We know that whosoever is
born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and
that WICKED ONE TOUCHETH HIM NOT
(i.e. with corruption/death/darkness
because such is out of his reach and now abides in the abode called love)
- There's a place you are that some things can reach you; but there's another place you can be and some things won't be able to reach you. God wants us to go beyond where death can touch us
- The evil one is the one governing the air (the air/realm of authority over the earth which Adam sold to the devil –Eph. 2:2), from whence he is able to touch everyone at the same time. But when a man has passed from death to life, the enemy's touch will not be felt by such a one. It'll be like touching wind.
- The devil is not too troubled that you're born-again, as long as he can reach you. But when you're taking steps beyond where he can reach you by walking in love, he'll get troubled. His confidence is that as long as we're in this world, we'll always dwell with him. But we'll all escape him -2Pet. 1:4b, amen!
- I've seen how to desert the evil one; how to get to where he can't reach me and it’s by LOVING MY BROTHER.
- PRAY that you'll escape the evil one by your love walk; that you'll pass on from death to life even while in this mortal body.
- CRY: "I don't want to be where he can reach me. Help me keep passing Lord!" Open my eyes more to what Love is: deal with my heart on the issue of Love. As we hear this, we would change our dwelling; we'll have nothing to do with death any more, amen!
- Pastor Emeka Egwuchukwu
(Day 1, Sept. ’13 Monthly Writing The Vision Preparation Prayer Meeting)
