RENDER TO GOD

“Jesus said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God's.”” (Luke 20:25)

The challenge for contemporary Christians in increasingly liberal societies and under the onslaught of materialism is not so much in the rendering to Caesar aspect of Jesus’ exhortation, but in maintaining the tension by keeping up the other aspect which is, and rather critically, rendering to God the things that are God’s.

Christian, are you aware that you have obligations to be loyal and devoted to God and committed to His ways? How well are you living up to these? Are you being held back by “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other thing?” These things challenge and test our devotion and loyalty to God and confidence in Him, but they can never overcome genuine faith. It is by faith that we overcome and maintain victory over the world!

Let us be very mindful of this very thing and ask God to reveal to us any way in which we may be falling Him and not even know it. Why don't you, in the sincerity of your heart, say to Him,“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24). This is the cry of the heart that is keen to render to God the things that are God's. Don't hold back on spending time alone with God in prayer, don't hold back on spending time with the Word, don't hold back your expressions of love and kindness, and so on. When you give full expression to your new nature as a new creation you do in truth render to God that which is God's.

May the Lord strengthen your faith today and fill you with courage to present your life to God daily as that holy and acceptable living sacrifice which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship, and to faithfully give back to Him everything that is His according to your obligations in Christ. Amen!

God bless you!

~ Pastor Victor Ubani

WHEN YOU ARE BEING WRONGED

“God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him.” (1 Peter 2:19, CEV)

Of greater concern to every Christian in all our dealings with others, whether within or outside the church, is not primarily the nature of their attitude toward us or how they chose to treat us because of who we are or what we believe. It is rather our own attitude toward them and how we respond to them because these alone are we accountable for and in direct control of. The pertinent question is: will your response and attitude be an expression of loyalty to God or not?

 The persecution and opposition we often encounter in life can make it difficult for us to stay loyal to God, because sometimes we want to take matters into our own hands and hit back in anger. But if we fail to make loyalty to God our utmost priority, then the “flesh”, that is, the sinful behaviour, character and attitude of the old nature, can easily gain the upper hand and interfere with our ability to live lives that God considers praiseworthy and blessed.

When you are being wronged for doing right, your top priority is to stay loyal to God and keep the flesh under no matter the facts of the situation. Our text says that God will bless you for staying loyal to Him – acting and behaving as He instructs you to act and behave.

In the verse that follows, the Bible remind its readers the obvious outcome for doing wrong – which is definitely not a beneficial outcome:

“You don’t gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. (1 Peter 2:20, CEV)

And then we are encouraged to follow Christ’s example:

“After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you. Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie. Although he was abused, he never tried to get even. And when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly. ” (1 Peter 2:21–23, CEV)

Jesus Christ our Lord must be our example in these very difficult scenarios. He could do anything and certainly had the power to accomplish anything He decided to do, but He never sought to repay evil with evil or retaliate in anyway - instead, He had faith in God, who judges fairly”.  He was focused on staying loyal to the Father. Nothing we do is more precious than having faith in God’s fairness, and continuing undaunted in our loyalty to Him. The just shall live by faith for without faith we can never be able to please God.

In following the footsteps of Jesus, you can be sure that the Father will be pleased with your loyalty to Him, just as He was pleased with Jesus’ and honoured Him.

No amount of unfairness from people can rob you of God's blessings for no one has the power to curse you when God has pronounced blessing. Only you can interfere with that blessing and your loyalty and faithfulness to Jehovah are being tried in order to prove them.

Though you constantly face unfairness from people and your faith is severely tested and buffeted, yet God will judge fairly and will not withhold or delay His reward if you persevere in your pursuit of Him. Have faith in God!

FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

"It means very little to me that you or any human court should cross-examine me. I don't even ask myself questions. I have a clear conscience..."! (1 Cor 4:3-4, GW).
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor 4:2, NKJV)

Apostle Paul reveals to us in this passage what his attitude is regarding the matter of him being judged by others or indeed judging his own self. But prior to this, Paul first revealed a fundamental spiritual principle that should guide all who follow Christ, namely: we are God's stewards and it is required of stewards that they be found faithful or trustworthy (1 Cor 4:2). It is this that informs his non-judgemental attitude, as should be the case with every believer too.

The teaching of our scripture passage leads us to the conclusion that people’s assessment of you or your own subjective evaluation of yourself does not influence God's opinion. Seek to impress God and not people or yourself. The real question is: Can God count you as one of His faithful, trustworthy and reliable servants; one who takes care to follow the Master’s teaching and directives and to do all that He appointed you to do? Do you live with a clear conscience that you are faithfully doing all that you know to do according to the revelation of God's word?

Do not get hung up on people's judgement of you because the only opinion that really matters is God's. If God does not rate your work highly, you may well have laboured in vain regardless of how highly you rate yourself. What is acceptable to God is clearly revealed by the word of God and judged by God alone. And we know that we live and serve God acceptably because we seek His will and His glory in all things.

We are all managers of God's resources in one form or another. Faithfulness in doing that which pleases God is the mark of the steward whom God will judge faithful. Nothing else is as important as rendering an acceptable service to God & later to hear His say to you, “well done, good and faithful servant”!