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A brother recently recounted an experience he had when he visited his former church in one African country. Having been a part of a healthy gospel-centered church in Dubai, he had come to understand the doctrine of God’s sovereignty – how God controls everything in the whole world for his own glory. As he attempted to explain this doctrine to his former church members, their response was unanimous, “it is easy for you to talk about God’s sovereignty when you live in an affluent city like Dubai.”

In their minds the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a concept that makes sense within an affluent society, where all the basic necessities of life are in place. For these church members, God could not possibly be in control of the endemic poverty and disease that plague the African continent. The devil should be blamed for their plight and that could only be changed through incessant fasting, prayer and binding of the devil.

In my experience as an African, this is not the view of only the church in question, there are many Christians in Africa for whom the doctrine of God’s sovereignty does not hold true. Although no Christian will outrightly deny that God is in control over their lives, there is a sense in which our lives can affirm this idea. The objection usually is, if God is in control, how do we explain the slave trade, the poverty, disease and discrimination that the African goes through in life?

The question being raised is, is God sovereign over the black man’s life? If he is, how could he allow the slave trade to happen for example? It’s been said that on top of the dungeon where the slaves were kept in the Cape Coast castle prior to being shipped to North America, was the church of the colonial master. How could God allow one race to undergo such pain and discrimination in human history? These are genuine questions that could only be answered well from the Bible. Any other way of answering it will be unfaithful.

Is God sovereign in Africa? The answer is an emphatic “Yes!” In the book of Acts chapter 17 verse 26, Paul tells us that, “… he [God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” According to the Bible, God created every human being, and not only did he create every person in his image and likeness (Gen. 1:26 & 27), he also allotted the periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.

The fact that I was born in Africa was not the decision of my parents, God made that decision and it wasn’t because he didn’t like me. He chose that I would be born in Africa in accordance with his purpose and foreknowledge. We are told in Genesis 1:31 that, “… God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

The testimony we receive from the Bible is that everything God made was good, and that should be the starting point of our discourse about the poverty, disease and discrimination the people of the African continent face in the world. The right approach to understanding the predicament of Africa is to ask, how did things move from being good to the pain and evil that we see all around us?

Genesis 3 provides an answer to how everything moved from being good to where they are now. Ever since man disobeyed God, nothing has been the same. The first evil act after the fall of man was the killing of Abel by Cain (Genesis 4:1-8), therefore when I think about slavery, discrimination against the black race which continues till today and the extortion that took place during the colonial era against the African, I am not confused whether God is sovereign in Africa. Just as he was sovereign over Abel’s life when he was killed by Cain, he is sovereign over the African’s life.

The Bible teaches that God is in control even over the evil that men do, to bring about his purposes and plans. Many of us know about the story of Joseph and how his brothers sold him into Egypt as a slave accompanied by hardships and pain. At the time it looked as though God was blindsided, but the testimony of Joseph in Genesis 50:20 sums it up so well, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

The greatest example of how God is in control over everything including evil was in the death of his own Son. In the book of Acts 2:22-24, Peter declared, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it”

Evil men killed Jesus and yet God was not blindsided, everything that happened to Jesus was according to his definite plan and foreknowledge. God was working through the evil acts of men to bring about the greatest good. Make no mistake about it, God will bring every evil deed to judgement. His working in evil to bring about his purpose does not excuse evildoers of their evil deeds. Every slave trader who did not repent will be called before the judge of all flesh to give an account on the last day, so will every racist or extortionist.

I have lived outside Africa during the last eleven years, I constantly face discrimination, racism and rejection just because of my skin color and where I come from, but as a follower of Christ I am not depressed. I am under no illusion that this situation will change completely, even though I continue to work for justice and equality of all peoples. My real hope is in the Bible, the promise that God will make all things new. I’m looking forward to the new heaven and the new earth, where I will not be judged based on the color of my skin or where I was born (Revelations 21 & 22), but the just God will acquit me because of my faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

On that day it wouldn’t matter whether you are an African or European or Asian or Arab or American or Australian. It wouldn’t matter whether you were discriminated against or not, whether you were rich or poor. The only thing that would matter would be whether you are in right standing with God through Jesus Christ.

Yes, God is sovereign over all creation including the people of Africa and he has not been blindsided about the predicament of the black race. But there is a worse predicament awaiting all those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is that fate I will warn you to flee from.

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The age of accountability

It is not as if children don’t sin. Much as we would love to deny it, we see quite early in the behaviour of infants and little children, patterns that affirm a heart of sin—be it in the unkind words they speak to one another, in their self-centeredness and crave to have their way at all costs, in their bent to disobey the instruction of their parents, anger, tantrums, etc. These acts, though not well thought out by the child, are clearly sinful, going by the Biblical definition of sin.

Augustine notes in his Confessions¹, “Who is there to remind me of the sin of my infancy? (for sin there was: no one is free from sin in your sight, not even an infant whose span of earthly life is but a single day); who can remind me of it? Some little mite who is a tiny child now, in whom I might observe conduct I do not remember in myself? What then was my sin at that age? Was it perhaps that I cried so greedily for those breasts? Certainly if I behaved like that now, greedy not for breasts, of course, but for food suitable to my age, I should provoke derision and be very properly rebuked. My behaviour then was equally deserving of rebuke, but since I would not have been able to understand anyone who scolded me, neither custom nor common sense allowed any rebuke be given. After all, we eradicate these habits, and throw them off as we grow up. Yes, but I have never seen any sensible person throw away good things when clearing out, so can we suppose that even in an infant such actions were good—the actions of a child who begs tearfully for objects that will harm him if given, gets into a tantrum when free persons, older persons and his parents, will not comply with his whims, tries to hurt many people who know better by hitting out at them as hard as his strength allows, simply because they will not immediately fall in with his wishes  obey his commands, commands which will damage him if they were carried out?” 

We see from certain portions of Scripture, however, that before a certain age, which we will call the age of accountability, God does not hold us accountable for sin. The Bible does not put a number to this age—only God knows—and it will be futile to speculate with regards to the exact age of accountability. However, somewhere in the mystery of God’s grace, we see that children who cannot repent for themselves will not have their sins charged to them. If that is true, then it is true of all children who fit this description regardless of ancestral heritage (whether born to Christian parents, Muslim parents, Hindu parents or not). Jesus said let the little children come to me, for the kingdom belongs to such as these; and he did not differentiate between the children of those who believed in him and those who did not.

Some relevant passages are:

Numbers 14:28-31:

Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.

(The ‘little ones’ were not punished along with the adults for the sin of grumbling against God and complaining, although we are told that the whole congregation grumbled and complained (Numbers 14:1-12)).

Isaiah 7:15-16:

He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.

(The Bible here makes reference to the age at which one is able to tell evil apart from good and to refuse evil and choose the good. Before then, although one may commit sins (deviate from the appointed pathway), they are not held accountable).

Re: The people of Nineveh and those who haven’t heard the Gospel

Does the argument that infants are not held accountable for sins they commit because they do not know ‘how to reject the evil and choose the good’ justify the people of Nineveh whom God Himself said did not know “their left from their right hands”? (Jonah 4:11). And by extension, does this apply to those who have never heared the gospel?

The answer for that is found in Romans 1:19-20 where Paul argues that there is no excuse for all those who can discern God’s attributes in nature (namely His glory) and the written law of God on their hearts (Romans 2:14-15):

For what can be known about God is plain to them [that is, to mankind] because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. Therefore, they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)

 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. (Romans 2:14-15).

Infants are clearly not in the position to understand nor perceive God’s glory as revealed in nature, nor do they have the mental capacity to understand it—certainly not in the same way as an adult would. (Please see also John 9:41). In all this, we can trust that that the Judge of all the earth will always do that which is right (Gen. 18:25).

Conclusions and Application 

In summary, this article captures the belief that,

1. Infants, like all mankind, are directly affected by the sin of Adam and therefore suffer the consequences that were brought upon all of Adam’s posterity, namely death and a nature of sin.
2. Despite being born with a nature of sin, the Bible teaches that we are held accountable for our own actions, not that of Adam or any of our forbearers.
3. We can infer from Scripture that until a certain age, which we call the age of accountability, we are not held accountable for our sins, but absolved by the mercy and grace of God.
4. This applies to all those who die before they reach the age of accountability—and this applies to all infants regardless of race, colour or parental heritage.

For anyone who has lost a loved one in infancy, you can be comforted in the knowledge that they are with the Lord. By extension, this exposition challenges the worldview of a heaven that will be sparsely populated. On the contrary, heaven will be very colourful. The heavenly choir will be filled with the joyous refrain of infants of all race, colour, and tongue—all who died in infancy and by the grace and mercies of our Lord were saved and granted a place in his presence where there is joy forevermore! (Whether they will remain infants forever, or grow up in heaven? Only God knows!)

One parent who lost a seven-month old son remarked instructively,

My son’s death is a great motivation for me to live right for God. God and heaven are ultimately my greatest reasons for living as a Christian, but I am also convinced that my son died as an innocent infant and is with our Father. In that case, I want to be where he is too when the time is up.

This is a great example of  how we ought to apply this teaching to our lives as Christians.

What this teaching is not seeking to encourage is a neglect of bringing up our children in the fear of the Lord.

I have heard of parents who neglect to teach their children about God under the pretext that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them anyway, so why bother? The irony is that every parent’s wish, like mine, is to see their children grow to outlive them and not to die as an infant—even though it is far better than living. Thus, it behooves us to bring up our children in the fear of the Lord. As noted earlier, only God knows the actual age of accountability for each of our children. A seven or nine-year-old may be able to come to grips with their sinfulness and their need of a saviour—it may be at an earlier or later age, it doesn’t matter—ours is to introduce them to the rescuing love of our Saviour and pray he opens their hearts unto salvation.

The Bible is clear on the fact that there is no remission of sins except by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:22). If infants who pass to glory are to be saved, we can be sure that it will be based solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross. For you  dear reader, who has yet to place your faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation, the invitation is extended to you. Why don’t you put trust in Him now?

Notes :

1. The Confessions, Revised (The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Vol. 1) (Kindle Edition). New City Press.

The post On Infants, Heaven and Original Sin Part III appeared first on TGN.

In the previous article, we considered some oppositions to infants who die in their infancy going to heaven, proposed the contrary view, and set out to resolve the bottlenecks from the Biblical standpoint. We begin part II of this series by considering Adam’s sin and its effect on his posterity.

Adam’s sin

The relevant passage is Genesis 3:1-19.

We see from the passage some immediate consequences of the sin of our first parents:

1. The curse on the serpent (3:14)
2. The curse of painful childbirth (3:16). This has been so since then.
3. The curse on the ground (3:17-18). This is the reason the earth reverts to a wilderness condition whenever it is left unattended.
4. All of creation was affected. Creation has never been the same after the fall, nor will it be when sin is removed. Romans 8 teaches that the whole of creation groans in expectation of the time when it will be redeemed (vv20-22).

Adam’s posterity and the universality of sin 

All people invariably agree that there is something universally lacking in man. Not all are prepared to call it sin, but by our own actions and inactions, we prove the Bible’s assertion that we are what we are because of the problem of sin.

Recently in Ghana where I come from, there was a scandal in the football federation involving some officials who were accused of bribery and corruption. For a while, this was the main subject of discussion on various social media platforms. In one group that I belong, nearly everybody was of the mind that what the officials did was wrong and contrary to the code of ethics of their job. However, almost all of us admitted we were equally guilty of similar offenses; howbeit of varying degrees of gravity. It was a unanimous consensus that none of us could cast the first stone, as we weren’t without fault. What this inadvertently means is that we each admitted our sinfulness and lack of perfection. Some were more outspoken and admitted quite frankly they would not act any differently if they were presented with a reward (a bribe) that was tempting enough.

Opponents of the concepts of sin have tried fruitlessly to explain it away. One popular explanation appeals to the scientific theory of evolution. They argue that having come out of the backwoods just a few millennia ago, all we need is time to slough off the remains of our bestial past.

Another school of thought holds that what man needs is enlightenment. If we attained to a higher level of ‘awareness’, through the reading of books or by other pursuits of knowledge, we would achieve the level of goodness that will make our world a better place. These all sound wonderful in their respective rights; however, history is there to prove that time and enlightenment are not enough to deal with the problem of sin.

Verses like Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:23 and many others teach that all (the whole world) have sinned. We see from the Scriptures that all humans are affected, and our whole being is affected. James says in many things we offend all (James. 3:2). John corroborates all this when he says that if we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8-9). The Bible teaches that our sinful state is as a consequence of the sin of Adam. The definitive proof for this is in the fact that we all age and die. None of us can escape death, including even infants (Romans 5:14).

The nagging question, however, is how did Adam’s sin affect the whole of humanity?

The Bible puts forward two explanations. Firstly, the whole of human nature was in Adam’s loins when he sinned, and we fell with him (or in him) when he sinned in the garden of Eden; what is termed as ‘seminal identity’. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews teaches this when he asserts that Levi paid tithes in Abraham to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:9-10). This fits perfectly with the parallel which Paul provides in the passage in Romans 5 when he teaches that by our union with Christ through faith, we are made righteous. Not by our deeds, but purely based on the merit of Christ (grace).

The second explanation is one we are familiar with; the fact that as our federal head, when Adam sinned, all his posterity suffered the consequences. We see examples of this in our governments. If a parliamentarian who represents an area passes a law–whether good or bad, we all suffer the consequences. This is why the Bible doesn’t teach that our sinful state is on account of the sins of all our ancestors, but only that of Adam.

Thus, the phrase “we all sinned in Adam” (Romans 5:12). The term “original sin” therefore means sin originates from the original root of the human race. We are all born in this condition. As David put it, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51: 5).

With regards to infants

We have already established that infants, as well as adults, are born with the pollution and guilt of sin as a result of original sin.

My children are born Ghanaians based on the relationship they have with me as their father. They don’t get to choose to be Ghanaian at birth—they simply are born Ghanaians. Because they were in me, they are born as black Africans by default, and there’s nothing they can do to change their skin complexion at birth. As Ghanaians, certain privileges are due them because of their nationality; for example, they are entitled to a Ghanaian passport, and they qualify to vie for the highest office of the land or for any political position they desire.

However, if they want a Ghanaian passport, they will need to apply for it, and if any of them wishes to be president someday, they will need to contest for it and be voted in. So, despite their status at birth, they need to act in a certain way or other to accrue certain benefits or not.

This analogy, though limited, attempts to convey the truth of the scriptures with regards to the application of the sin of Adam. Although we are all born sinners, the Bible doesn’t call us to repent for the sins of Adam as it were. Having received through Adam the knowledge of good and evil, we at least once in our lifetime or mostly choose evil instead of right when faced with good and evil choices. The evil choices we make instead of the good ones is what the Bible calls us to repent from.

We are each held accountable for our own sins (Eccl. 12:14). In the Old Testament, we are taught that the son shall not die for the sins of the father, nor the father for the sins of the son (Ezekiel 18:20). Acting upon the good and evil we know is what affirms our guilt of sin, just as my children will have to work upon their citizenship to apply for a passport or stand for presidential election.

qTo be continued…

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Deception is as old as the human race. Right from the Garden of Eden to the present time deception has been a part of the human experience. Sometimes we are deceived, other times we deceive others and sometimes we deceive ourselves. To deceive means to mislead by a false appearance or statement, and the goal is to mislead others to take an action they would otherwise not take if they had true knowledge. In order words, deception is the opposite of truth.

We are first introduced to the concept in Genesis 3:1, where we read “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

That was a false statement made with the intention to mislead, because the original command from God read, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16 & 17)

God had given man everything, yet the devil made it seem as though God was stingy and had withheld everything. That was the first deception, and it was orchestrated by the devil.  Hence, the reason why Jesus calls him the father of lies in John 8:44.

As you read the account in Genesis, there is the tendency to have sympathy for Eve, she was naïve and unsuspecting. She blamed the devil for her disobedience and that is clear in her response to God, “…”The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” However, as much as Eve would want us to believe that it wasn’t her fault, God did not let her off the hook. Throughout the Bible God lays the responsibility of making sure that we are not deceived on the deceived. This is emphasized by the many commands of “do not be deceived” (1 Cor. 6:9; 15:33, Eph. 5:6, Gal. 6:7, Jas. 1:16, 1 Jn. 3:7), which means we can only be deceived if we allow it. As Christians we need to guard ourselves against deception. We must examine ourselves constantly, to see whether we are living in deception. In this article I outline six areas where we must constantly evaluate ourselves.

Living in Sin

In Ephesians 5:6 &7, Paul warned his readers, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things [sexual immorality, impurity & covetousness] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partners with them” (emphasis added). It is very possible to live in sin and still think that you are a Christian. The Bible says you are deluding yourself. God is holy and anyone who claims to be a part of God must be holy (Lev. 19:1)

There are many today in the Church who presume on the grace of God and go on living in sin, but the Bible teaches that “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and the truth is not in us” (1 John1:5&6). Again we are taught that without holiness no one can see God. You will not enjoy heaven if you are not striving to live a holy life now because heaven will only be filled with holy people.

Discipline in Christian Living

Paul tell us in Galatians 6:7&8 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life”

Natural experience itself teaches us that you reap what you sow, it is therefore strange that we don’t apply the same principle in our walk with the Lord. Some Christians mock God with the way they live their lives. There are many who claim they want to know the will of God for their lives, yet never read their Bibles nor spend time in prayer. There are others who claim they desire to live holy lives, yet spend their days indulging in worldly pursuit which predisposes them to sin. You cannot indulge your flesh and expect to live a holy life.

For some people, it will mean putting a stop to that relationship with the guy who keeps pressurizing you to have sex before marriage. Or if you are married, it will mean putting a stop to that flirtatious behaviour which can lead you into adultery.

The Company We Keep  

One of the greatest weaknesses of the human species is our inability to judge ourselves rightly. We often overestimate our strength and underestimate our vulnerabilities. This has been the cause of many a Christian fall. One of the areas we can be complicit is in the area of the friendship we keep. We can be deceived into thinking that we can throw our lot with evil people and somehow remain unstained. Paul writes to the saints in Corinth “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

We also read in Psalm 1, that “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” We need to be careful of the company we keep, because they have more influence on our lives than we are prepared to admit. Do not be deceived!

Doubting God’s Goodness

This form of deception seems so unlikely but when it comes to deception, nothing is off limits. Yes, it is possible for a Christian to charge God with evil. There are Christians who blame God for their “difficult lives”. They haven’t denied God, yet deep down in their hearts they harbour bitterness toward God. They blame him for the death of their loved ones, their singleness, joblessness, etc. That is the greatest deception of all. The devil would want us to believe that God is not good, that he is somehow responsible for the evil that happens in our lives. When he is able to sow doubt in our minds about God, it becomes easy for him to lead us into sin. He has been using this plot since the beginning.

But James tells us “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:16 & 17). God is good, and we must never be deceived into thinking otherwise.

Living in Pride

We are proud because we are deceived. No human being who knows his true condition can be proud. In 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul asks, “…What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” In other words, our very lives give evidence against the attitude of pride. We therefore must be very deceived to be filled with pride.

The scary part is that there are Christians who think they are infallible and beyond fall. Ì have met Christians who are of the view that once they become saved, they are beyond sin and do not think it appropriate to even confess their sin to God. John says “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  The Christian life is a repenting walk, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he falls.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Living in Light of Jesus’ Return

There are those who mock and scoff at the idea that Jesus will return (2 Pet. 3:9-12), in most cases these are non-Christians and so it is easy to disregard them. What is frightening is when a Christian lives as though Jesus will never return. Living a life that prioritizes material and earthly wealth above spiritual priorities is a sign of bad spiritual health. The over-emphasis on material prosperity and physical healing in some Christian circles today is anti-Christian. Contrary to what many pastors would have us believe, health and wealth are not necessarily signs of faithfulness.

Before leaving this earth Jesus told his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).

Therefore the call to Christians to live their best life now, is anti-Christ. If I can live my best life now, why would I long for heaven? Don’t be deceived, for our citizenship is not in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is one exuding with great joy, praise and adoration. In this epistle, you encounter words like “rejoice in the Lord” (3:1); “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4). What is most fascinating is that Paul wrote these words while in prison. The epistle to the Philippians, therefore, is one of Paul’s prison epistles. Now it is fascinating because, in our normal human reasoning, a man in prison shouldn’t be exuding with such admonishments to be joyful. John MacArthur notes that “In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, the dominant tone of the letter is joyful (1: 4, 18, 25, 26; 2: 2, 16– 18, 28; 3: 1, 3; 4: 1, 4, 10)”¹. Philippians without doubts contains great themes not only of joy, but also of the humiliation of Christ and the great exchange that took place:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is a Christological statement telling us of the humility, humiliation, and exaltation of Christ. Albeit, despite these great themes, there is one text in Philippians which is often widely quoted, and often widely misinterpreted. That text is Chapter 4:13. It reads,

I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.

Paul’s words here have been interpreted to basically mean the ability to achieve great feats in whatever endeavour a believer sets their minds to. A believer has exams to write, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A believer is attending a job interview, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A Christian businessman is chasing a contract, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” A believer competes in a sports event, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. An online article aptly describes how this text has been used in the sports arena by some athletes.

Tim Tebow put Phil 4:13 under his eye before football games. Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, has it tattooed on his chest.

What we must not do is pluck biblical texts out of context to say what we want them to say. Unfortunately, that is what many believers have done with Philippians 4:13. In hermeneutics, that is, the science of biblical interpretation, this is called eisegesis—reading into a text a meaning that is not there. On the contrary, we must be doing exegesis—reading meaning out of the text. Now, it doesn’t matter how sincere we may be with a text; once it is taken out of context we are being unfaithful to God’s word.

So, you may ask, how must we view Philippians 4:13? In dealing with any biblical text, the immediate context and the larger context of the bible is to be taken into consideration. We shouldn’t, for example, interpret a text in such a way that other passages of Scripture are contradicted. Thus, in the immediate context of Philippians 3, what do we learn?

Not A Booster for Great Achievements

Firstly, Paul’s words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” should not be taken to mean the believer can do any great thing they set their minds to. In fact, with a correct understanding of the text, I dare say “you cannot do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” Eyebrows raised? Of course, the text says exactly that so why am I saying otherwise?
Please hear me out. The fact is, Christ doesn’t empower you to be able to do ‘everything’ you want to do. If you are not a trained surgeon, for example, you cannot perform a surgery simply because you believe “you can do all things through Christ”. This may sound an extreme example but that is a perfect picture you paint if you believe you can do all things. You cannot pilot a plane if you have not been trained to do so, simply because you can do all things. In fact, you cannot fly because you believe you can fly. You are not a bird.

It has been noted earlier that Philippians is a prison epistle. Think of this: what greater feats is a man in prison attempting to achieve when he writes “I can do all things…?” No, Paul cannot do all things in the sense of achieving whatever great feat he can set his mind to. This is someone in prison, who is probably bound in shackles and couldn’t even move about freely. Achieving arbitrary great feats will not be his focus at that time. A man in prison will perhaps be making good use of the limited time he has. He wouldn’t be having “conquering the world in great achievements” on his plate at all.

Contentment

In Philippians 4:13, what Paul is speaking about condenses simply into contentment. You see, Paul is in prison and the Philippians church have finally had an opportunity to show their concern for his upkeep: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity” (v.10). It could be that perhaps hitherto, they had not had the opportunity to show their concern to Paul in prison, yet, through divine providence, it had become possible and Paul shows gratitude for their concern. However, perhaps for them not to feel compelled under duress to further provide for him, Paul quickly explains he is not appreciating them out of need. He tells them: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be a content” (v.11).

Paul here makes it clear he has learnt contentment in whatever situation he finds himself. And this is the crux of the whole text: contentment. Building up to v.13 Paul will again speak of how he has learnt contentment in every situation:

” know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (v.12). This is very instructive to us today in a world that constantly calls us to crave for more. A consumerist spirit has gripped many and they are never content with what they have. But not so with Paul. He tells us he has learnt to endure both plenty and lack. Where did he learn this from? He learnt it by emulating Christ. Remember, earlier he had advised the Philippians to “have this mind among [themselves], which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Learn from Christ, he is saying. Set your mind upon him. Let his humiliation be an example to endure whatever situation you find yourself. Be content with whatever you have and learn to trust in God in the bad and good situations.

Logically, if you have read v.12, the meaning in v.13 must now begin to stand out when Paul says “I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.” The ‘all things’ refers in the first place to coping with need or plenty. The apostle’s words are better translated ‘I can do all things in him…’. It is ‘in Christ’ that he has learned to do this.² If you have never seen contentment in Philippians 4:13; begin looking at the text in its context. I will conclude with the words of Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book ‘Let’s Study Philippians’:

Christians today live in a society which is permeated by a spirit of discontentment. Greed has destroyed gratitude, getting has replaced giving. But in the pursuit of self-sufficiency, we have lost our way. We have developed spirits driven forwards to gain more, incapable of slowing, stopping and remembering that those who sow the wind reap the whirlwind…It is time to pause and to ask: ‘Am I content, in Christ?’ If not, it is the first thing I need to begin to relearn³.

Notes:

1. Note on Philippians 4:13 from The MacArthur Study Bible, 2006, Thomas Nelson.

2. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians (Edinburgh:Banner of Truth, 2005), 108

3. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians, 109

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Recently, I read an online article on a Facebook contact’s wall with a captivating title, “How to Preach the Gospel: The ‘Blessing’ Outreach.” I was exhilarated as I opened to read. But was disappointed.  In the article, the author sought to provide some tips for effective evangelism. In summary, the article suggested that for effective evangelism (evidenced by large numbers of people trooping to our churches),

1. We must not tell sinners they are destined for hell because of their sins, as they are already in hell (probably on the assumption that they are poor or sick) and don’t need a reminder.
2. We must entice our audience with promises of material blessings and business and career ‘breakthroughs’—as this is what Jesus came to offer the world.

This approach to evangelism and Christian teaching at large is fast gaining popularity in many mainstream denominations, particularly in our parts of the globe. However, it is a false “gospel”. And I believe it is a kick in the face of God. Here’s why.

It Spurns Biblical Orthodoxy

The very first preacher we encounter in the New Testament is John the Baptist. This is what he preached:

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2).

Shortly after this, we read of our Lord’s own evangelistic ministry. Matthew tells us he preached the exact same thing as John—repentance from sin (5:17). What about the Apostles? The first message Peter preached on the day of Pentecost similarly called people to repent and be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of [their] sins, so that they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37).

Throughout the New Testament, we see that the apostles and other evangelists remained faithful to this message. Paul went so far as to say that “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:18). It is only today that we purport to know better than our Lord, the Apostles and the Holy Spirit. The old gospel message is not effective enough by our standards, hence we must “spice it up”. But alas, to sugar-coat the truth is in fact, to present a lie.

It Withholds the Truth in Order to Gain Access

There are those who hold that an undiluted gospel will drive people away from God instead of drawing them. The solution, to them, is therefore to hold off telling people about sin and hell till they are safely in the realm of the church. What such false teachers fail to understand is that the Gospel is good news because first there is bad news. Without the bad news, the good news is of no use. The Bible teaches that we have all sinned and fallen from the glory of God. The wages (consequence) of sin is death—eternal separation from God.  Because of our sins, we are all by nature rightly deserving of God’s wrath and eternal punishment in hell. This is the bad news. Years ago, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon which he titled, “Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God”. Jonathan aptly sums up the truth about all of us before coming to Christ—we are creatures of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3), deserving of eternal punishment in hell. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— “(Ephesians 2:4-5).

The Bible always tells us the bad news about ourselves, before the good news of God’s grace in salvation through Christ. Any so-called gospel message that presents only the love of God without adequate emphasis on the wrath of God falls short of the true Gospel message as we find in the Bible.

It Presents a Message Which is Not Universal

If the dominant call of the gospel is for people to come to Christ in order to experience material prosperity, what will we tell those who are already well to do materially? This approach to evangelism is opportunistic–targeted at the poor and vulnerable. It is discriminatory—nothing like the free offer of grace that the gospel in Christ offers to all regardless of age, gender or social status. “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:22b-24). There are many examples of wealthy people who don’t care a hoot about God. Truth is, you don’t need God to be rich materially.

Further, preachers of this false “gospel” and their followers greatly misunderstands why Christ came. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10); and “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 28:20). This is why He came—to reconcile us to God. The message of the gospel is that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself…” (2Cor. 5:17).

It is Worldly Instead of Heavenly

Ernst Neubach’s song, “In Heaven There is No Beer” was very popular on the air-waves growing up. In it, he describes the existential pleasures of drinking beer, by bemoaning the fact that when he gets to heaven, his friends will be drinking all the beer—as there’ll be none in heaven! Sadly, the contemporary preacher who believes that a life of poverty is equivalent to an eternity spent away from God’s presence and therefore he needs to have the best of the world has to offer is only singing to the tune of Ernst. On the contrary, Scripture affirms that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us in heaven (Rom. 8:18). The flip side is that the temporary hardships of this world can never be compared to an eternity of gloom that awaits all who reject God’s offer of salvation in Christ Jesus. What is more, the Bible does not promise that once we come to Christ, we will live happily ever after. On the contrary, to the believer, suffering is a sharp reminder that we live in a fallen world (Rom. 8:23, John 16:33, Acts 14:21-22). It is in the new heaven and the new earth that God has promised there will be no more sin, and all our tears and sorrow will be a thing of the past (2Pet. 3:13).

A “gospel” of “blessings” may bring in throngs to warm our church pews, but it may not guarantee true disciples who have turned to the Lord because they have truly repented of their sins. Calvin’s words are fit for the moment.

“The excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude, but in purity.”

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But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

First, a key observation from this verse. Do you realise Jesus never said “all other things” shall be added unto you? If you didn’t notice; read the text again. If you are still not convinced; cross- check another translation. Most people I have encountered often quote Matt 6:33 as “all other things shall be added unto you” leading to a wrong interpretation and a wrong application.

Of course, if it is “all other things“, then we have the liberty to slot in all we desire eg good health, material wealth, marriage, visa to travel, a fat bank account etc. And that’s what those who quote “all other things” often do. But that is wrong.

What Jesus did say is “all these things shall be added unto you.” This is specific and has a context. It is not left open for us to put in everything we so desire. Vv. 25-31 of Matthew 6 reveals the context of “these things” and what Jesus was speaking about:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear

Firstly, “food, drink and clothing” are the ‘these things’ Jesus was talking about. In other words, God is able to take care of us and provide for us the very basic things all human beings (believer and unbeliever) need. Secondly, because God is able to take care of our basic needs; so we don’t need to be anxious over these things. Christ draws a strong analogy from the birds of the air and flower of the fields to drive home his command against anxiety: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?(v.26)

“Are you not of more value than they?” This should shatter our every proclivity towards worrying about life. God has guaranteed to take care of us. Unfortunately, if you worry and live in anxiety over the basics of life; you are just behaving like an unbeliever. They worry and chase these things as if “these things” are their very life and existence. But for the believer, God knows we need these basic things and we ought not worry and be anxious over them: “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all (v.32). Christ then point us away from a lesser good–food, drink, clothing– to a greater good; seeking the Kingdom of God first. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (v.33). First things first. Take care of my kingdom and I will take care of you: “all these things shall be added unto you”. Our basic needs for life is guaranteed by God and we need not worry and be anxious in life.

Matthew 6:33 therefore is a command against anxiety and not a promise for us to seek God’s kingdom for material gains (c.f. 1Tim 6:5).

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It has become common phenomenon recently. Pictures of preachers or handkerchiefs from them or better still ‘holy water’ or anointing oil they have “blessed” are sold at exorbitant prices to congregants with the assertion that purchasing such items constitutes an act of faith.  The believers in these “anointed” items consequently keep them close to their person at all time, or in their cars and homes. In turn, these ‘anointed items’ are purported to be able to accomplish all manner of unimaginable results; including the ability to recover debts overnight; ward off evil spirits; cause a sudden overflow of business income; render one’s enemies impotent and in some cases take the lives of such supposed enemies; upon application in certain ways as directed by the ‘men of God’ from whom they were procured.

One ‘believer’ reportedly said by carrying a special handkerchief from his ‘man of God’, anyone with whom he shook hands was bound to favour them no matter what. He had countless testimonies to prove this, he asserted. But the question that begs answering is, is this Christianity or superstition?

What these preachers and their followers do is what Paul calls using the word of God deceitfully (2Corinthians 4:2). The superstitious practices of these false teachers and their followers are no different from that of users of charms procured from the local fetish priest or traditional native doctor. Whether the end goals of their ritualistic practices and the motives backing these are in line with the Scriptural teaching are secondary to these superstitious Christians. One can be living in sin, and still expect to get miraculous results simply by applying “anointed items” from a “special man of God”; clearly, a contradiction of the biblical teaching as we find in the pages of Scripture.

In Matthew 21: 12-13 Jesus enters the temple and is greeted by all these people engaging in merchandise in the temple. The temple authorities and priests at the time condoned a great market that sold animals used in the temple sacrifice to the worshippers; and served as a hub for money changers. Jesus in indignation chased them out of the temple, citing the Old Testament Scripture ‘’my house shall be called the house of prayer’’ instead of a den of thieves! (Isaiah 56:7; paraphrase).

How different is the Church of today from the scenery Jesus encountered in this passage? Is there any authority in the New Testament to support the selling and buying of so called anointed relics from servants of God, in order to derive miraculous results from these?

Further, what is to be said of the manner in which these so called men of God are idolised? Is God’s grace, which the Bible teaches is a gift, to be purchased with money? I shudder at Peter’s response in Acts 8: 20-22 ‘’thy money perish with thee for thinking that God’s gift can be purchased with money!’’ God’s gift is not to be sold nor bought with money. Faith is not magic. And Christianity is certainly not a quick fix, magic wand that can yield results to whoever wields it, no matter how they live their lives in relation to God’s word; or whatever their motives may be.

Sadly, the Protestant Church of today seems to have quickly sold the past. Johan Tetzel, the 15th century German friar, was reported to have said “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs”; meaning that one can give a coin to change the eternal destiny of an already departed one.

Tetzel further extorted money from his followers in exchange for the forgiveness of their sins, even those they were yet to commit in the future. These were the sort of practices that infuriated Luther and the reformers, whose battle cry was sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – with emphasis on salvation through faith alone, and through Christ alone!

Sadly, today we place more faith in preachers than in God and His Word, which alone is exalted above all things! Strangely, the word of men is exalted above the word of God, even when it is in plain contradiction with the Scriptural teaching. Whole congregations have in recent times been reported to do all manner of despicable things in blind obedience to so-called prophetic directions. In the pursuit of temporal breakthroughs and earthly comfort, we have denied the Lord we profess to love and have diverted our faith from Him to men and things.

Superstition is idolatry, because it ascribes the power of God to His creation instead of to Him. God commands that we worship Him alone (Exodus 20:3). He forbids the fashioning of images in any shape or form, and bowing to these (Exodus 20:3-4; Deuteronomy 5: 7-9). Angels refused worship countless times in the Scriptures and instead remonstrated that we worship God alone. Needless to say, the worship of men is clearly contrary to the Scriptural teaching. Peter refused worship from Cornelius (Acts 10:25-26). The apostles consciously pointed the believers to Christ, who alone saves, and were careful to divert all attention to Him and the Gospel – and nothing else. Any worship of a preacher (including bowing down to them instead of to God; kissing their feet in supposed honour, or regarding their words as equal to Scripture and infallible) is nothing short of idolatry in blunt terms, and must not be condoned.

Superstition is not Christianity. Christianity is faith in a person; the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His Word – which alone is our authority for living.

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