The Regimented Christian Life.

The Regimented Christian Life.

When we got saved, we didn’t sign up for a freelance way of living.  The Christian life is one that is strictly organized or controlled.

Everything God created, He gave boundaries, it is only when things are within the confines of their boundaries that they can produce their required result, which is why not until the waters were within the boundaries of the firmament, God never asked them to bring forth anything.

The proof that something has boundaries is the presence of a hedge around about it.  This hedge is a physical wall or barricade clearly demarcating both sides of the divide and until that middle wall of partition was tempered with, either broken or a gate (that is an access point) created and opened, people or things could not move freely between both sides.

These boundaries by implication to a believer, represents the laws and commandments of God.  Within those boundaries are located everything we need to prosper and do well because God has supplied them 2 Peter 1:3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

But herein lies the challenge, the tempter, which is the devil; who has been prevented from enjoying the goodies on this side of the divide; tries to lure us over to his own side with a proposition that things are a lot much better over there.  He begins by appealing to our sense of reasoning on issues that God has given a clear cut directive over. Did God actually say you should not eat this fruit? Did He actually say you should not take that money to pay your child’s school fees? After all, it is the same God that said that a man who cannot provide for his household has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. Did He really say you should not expose your body, the very same body He blessed you with? Did He honestly mean it when He said you should not do this or that or go here or there? Suddenly, you begin to re-examine the fruit and for the first time ever, you notice it looks ripe and greener than the others you have been eating all this while. You see, there is something focus does to our perception.  When you pay attention to something, it has a way of altering our paradigm about that thing.  It is most likely you won’t see the downsides to it.  It takes an external observer to give you an independent opinion. It is to this end that you keep hearing emphasis on spiritual fatherhood and guidance.  There are things you may never get to see, because you are in the middle of a situation. Suddenly you realize how you have been missing out on the pleasures and goodies of life, by staying confined to your boundaries. 

Always remember that the devil is a master of the sense realm and he can outsmart you without preparation; remember he was here before Adam arrived and has been here since then.  So through the years, ages and dispensations, he has perfected his plans and corrected his flaws.  Be careful when something begins to happen to you suddenly.  Samson rose up suddenly out of his sleep to the waiting arms of his enemies, who eventually plucked out his eyes and made him a slave, which led to his death and the untimely end of his assignment.  Samuel; but for the mercies of God; would have anointed a wrong man as king, just because he rose up suddenly. Was it not impatience that made Abraham see reasons with Sarah and leveraged on Hagar? What about Isaac, if he had been patient some more, Esau would have returned and foiled the plot of Jacob and the mother.  Remember, he had his doubts about this guy.  The voice was not the same, even when he tried feeling his skin and smelling his cloths, he could have postponed the blessing till he was doubly sure, but the same food that made his son sell his birthright was the same food the father ate and blessed the wrong child.

Be careful when things appear to be happening all of a sudden.  Can’t God bring speed again? Of course, He can, but if you have a covering over your head and you are truly submitted, you will always cross-check that decision before taking it. 

So you suddenly realize and you either break the hedge; allowing the serpent to slide in thorough the broken openings and as usual, bite your career, business, marriage, family, etc. Ecclesiastes 10:8; Or you cross over the fence to the other side, out of your boundaries of mercy, out of your defensed city, out of the will of God for your life and destiny, out of His protection etc. God tells you not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, but you allow the devil downplay the seriousness of the consequences, as though the God that instructed you earlier was old-school and as such, that instruction was not fit for this technological driven dispensation. There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end of it is that of death.

 It is true that God is the originator of prosperity but the boundaries of your soul is the circumference, as we see in 3 John 2 “…even as your soul prospers”. Prosperity of the soul is the prosperity of the mind. You don’t pray your way out of poverty alone, there is something you must know to live above a certain mindset and create a conducive atmosphere for prosperity to recognize you when next it sees you. There are laws to any result you seek to produce in the kingdom.

Let me show us something in Genesis 3, where boundaries were adjusted and how the disobedient are still paying for it, till tomorrow.

Two tress were mentioned in Genesis 2:9, first was the tree of life, then the bible mentions another tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Notice the arrangement is intentional and this order was to guide our consumption of the fruits of the trees.  First we have to get saved, before eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That shows that there were something God didn’t want us to know until we were saved. This second tree had embedded in its fruits, knowledge and so, whoever eats of its fruits is on the path to wisdom.  There are certain things we must not have access to until we fulfill certain prerequisite criteria.  Salvation was, is and will always remain the basis for accessing the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This kingdom runs on set principles and organized patterns, you can’t do what you want to do, the way you want to do it and achieve God’s result. Never!!!

The devil plays three roles in every attack.  The tempter, the deceiver and the accuser; and he deployed all three in Genesis 3.

·     First as a tempter, he tries to validate your convictions; “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden”. He had a general to specific approach.  Matthew 4:3; “…if you are the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Many of us would have rushed to prove a point and redeem our image and God’s reputation that is coming under pressure. But it was not about the stones and Jesus knew it, and you should know it.

·    As a deceiver, he rearranges the order in Genesis 3:4-5, Remember, Matthew 24:24. The false prophets did not arise to impress, entertain or inform, but to deceive many.  He left the tree of life and headed for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The tree of life was to set boundaries for the knowledge, he knew this and sought to boycott it.  He rearranged the organogram and served the main dish before the appetizer.  It was for own good that God took man out, so that we don’t eat of the tree of life in that sinful state and have eternal life in our fallen or depraved state, and end up with the devil in hell. The restoration of that organogram is hidden in the mystery of the flaming sword that guides the garden, Jesus.

In tempting them, he challenged their conviction and brought a new knowledge. “Thou shalt not surely die…” in Genesis 3:4-5”. Devil replaced the truth of God’s word with a lie.  Although the information he was giving was correct, but the motive was wrong and shrouded in deception, to mislead man, the object and recipient of that instruction. Notice when satan challenged what God said, he did not confront the speaker, he went for the receiver of the information.   The speaker can keep on speaking, as long as the receiver is not in alignment, communication is not complete.  That has always been the goal.

The death in 2:17, was talking about death to sin and alive to God, not physical death, but the devil took advantage of their knowledge gap and manipulated it.  God reveals Himself in bits, so that you always come back to know more and in knowing more, you understand Him better which builds intimacy and births wisdom. But when you begin to run on half-truth, the results are disastrous.  So the tree of life was to get us saved while the tree of knowledge of good and evil was to teach us how to stay saved. What to do and what not to do.  Notice, it was after the children of Israel left Egypt (deliverance, a form of salvation) that God began to teach them the rules of engagement in the Ten Commandments.  That is the order of proceedings.

In Genesis 3:6 she saw three things;

1.      That the tree was good for food. Question, was she hungry? Were other trees not good for food?

2.      It was pleasant; be careful when something becomes pleasant. Check what is sponsoring that revelation.

3.      It was desirable, it was appealing; it was enticing.

Next she took of the fruit, now bible says it’s the tree of the knowledge of two things; good and evil.  Hence, the tree had two kinds of fruits. Fruits of the knowledge of good and fruits of the knowledge of evil, (which is actually the balance). But the bible is silent on which of the fruits she took, it just says she took of the fruit, and trust me, since devil was the dominant spirit in this scene, it is safe to assume that the fruits that seemed more good, pleasant and desirable would be the fruit of the knowledge of evil, again changing the order from good and evil to evil and good.  Once you’re outside your boundary, you’re vulnerable.

And with this evidence in 3:7, he had enough proof to accuse them before God. That we didn’t see it recorded does not mean it never happened. Remember Job was not aware he was being boasted of by God or accused by the devil, all he noticed was a sudden turn of events. So God, who is a judge, had to be fair and drive them out of the garden, not out of wickedness but out of justice, fulfilling Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But in John 3:16^b we see mercy (a function of the father’s love) prevailing, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”; access to the tree of life was granted by the second Adam.  The first Adam fell and humanity as well as all of creation was sent out.

Notice, both Adams were tempted by the same tempter, trying to deceive them, so that he could have proofs with which to accuse them. The difference between both outcomes was that the second Adam quoted what was written the exact way it was written, whereas the first Adam tried to argue and see reasons on what was written. Now you understand God’s instruction in Joshua 1:8.  It is the word that you know that you will quote.  When the storm arises, study to show yourself approved.  There is a vetting system; supervised by the systems of God’s justice and truth.  That you are not aware of it doesn’t mean it does not exist.

 

In closing:
What defines our boundaries?

1.      Your consecration: Your consecration comes with rules and regulations you must abide by to stay consecrated and within boundary.  We see this in the life of Samson. The moment he broke the code of conduct, he exposed himself to the very harm his consecration was designed to shield him from and it was this same harm that eventually killed him prematurely. 

2.      Your assignment: Many times, the things we were born to do is what determines how we live our lives. An electrical engineering student has no business studying literature, the same way a farmer has no need for a syringe. This is why the matter of discovering your purpose is paramount in fulfillment of your destiny. Your purpose will always choose and decide your friends, spouse, location, career, etc for you.

3.      Your spiritual tribe/lineage: Every tribe has possibilities in them, which are unlocked through obedience to set principles.  Your spiritual tribe has rules of engagement.  For the Nazarene it was the consecration of not allowing a razor come near their head. For some it was abstinence.  For some, it was the trials of faith which worketh patience, like we see in Joseph. These rules were the requirement for unlocking the possibilities in those tribes.  These rules became the boundaries.  Break them and you pay for it.

Grace and Mercy!!!

Amb. Emmanuel Etukudo

Kingdom Wealth Ambassador