Ambrose.J. Chakre
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Titus 3:3
The moment the law came into being, the power of judgment was enforced to convict the unforgiven and to condemn the transgressors. Every sin we commit will impact our spiritual future and the acts of our sinful nature will only connect the hearts of the sinners to the heart of satan. In the past we had lived defeated and wayward lives but in this age of the new, new paths had been paved for us to trod that we may set foot in the place where God wants to be in. The act of the new life has not only impacted the righteous towards righteousness but it has also influenced sinners to embrace the holy cultures of righteousness. No man is born a saint and neither is every woman a saint but the anointing of the new has made it possible for sinners to become saints.The holy promises of the Word will be realized in the lives of every sinner when their iniquities are forgiven and their sins remembered no more. In contrast to this, the more we embrace sin, the more our sins will be remembered and the more our sins are numbered, the lesser our chances of survival will be. The ultimate truth is that if our sins remains unforgiven, we will be a step closer to hell. The sins of the sinners was the cause of Christ’ s death on the cross but the acts of the sinners will only bring about death,miseries and destructions to themselves. Whatever is written here will bring forth life to those who seek it but whatever is condemned will bring forth death to those who are slaves to it.
It is only when we confess, we begin to experience the new life which comes through Christ. In his letter to Titus, Paul confessed of what he was and yet he rejoiced at the thought of what he could be. The given scripture are the account of his testimony. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our savior, so that,having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone ( Titus 3:3-8 ). This act of confession of Paul can also become ours because that is what some of us are and it is what we can become. In the preceding verses he goes on to state on how he was transformed and given a new lease of life by God.
The fate of our being would have been “sealed in death” but God in His love canceled all the written laws which would have worked against us that we may also partake in His holiness through His Holy Spirit. The acts of our old should be condemned so that the righteous requirement of the law be met in us through Christ. The dictates of God would have destroyed us but when love came into being the power of mercy triumped over judgment ( James 2:13 ). The act of the spiritual cleansing on us by the Holy Spirit is a sign of God’s love for us. The continual spiritual renewal of our spiritiuality strengthens the cause of our struggles against all the evil forces in the heavenly realms. As God continually keeps on reminding us of His love, we should embrace all that He offers by living in complete obedience to His will. It should be our desire to desire His will and it should be our yearning to imitate His ways. The truth is that the feelings of our hearts are evidenced in our talks,attitudes and actions and when our feelings reflects His thoughts our actions will reflect His ways. And if we do what is good, the blessings of the godly virtues will not only resurrect us in this life but it will also exalt us in the next life. Just as we were transformed to the new life, we are also called to initiate the movement of repentance and reformation to a dying and unrepentant world.
The hour has come for us to wake up from our slumber and God has not only called us to divorce sin but we had been commissioned to annihilate it that the evils of it may be wiped out from the flesh and spirit of every lover of Christ. Every snake which is caught should be cut into pieces and thrown into the fire that the remains of it are as dark as the evils are. Let the evils in sinners die that every sinner may be made holy as the saints are. The age of the new has started and the life of the new should begin. The God who called us is faithful and being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus ( Philippians 1:6 ). Jesus is the hope of our generation and we are the light of this generation. This sermon which is being read now will be remembered even in the future and it is God’s desire that all of His lovers makes it to the next life. This is the life which God wants and God wants us to be holy as He is. Think of this and return to Christ. The doors will not always be open. This may be our last chance in these last days.
