NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH (VOLUME 1) - Edited by E. A. Adewale

NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH
VOLUME 1
Edited by
E. A. Adewale
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NIGERIA
Knowledge for Global Development

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Copyright 2016 SEDInst

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be
made without written permission.
This first edition published 2016 by

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NIGERIA (SEDInst)
2 Church Avenue, Oke Eri Quarters
Oba Ile
P.O.Box 214, Akure
Ondo State
Nigeria
+2348122469297
ISBN: 978-978-52231-9-4

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LIST OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
Francis Olawale Abulude
Science and Education Development Institute, Akure, Nigeria
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Balogun G. A. Sanni
Saag Chemical (Nig.) Ltd., Lagos State, Nigeria
Prof. Mohammad S. Mubarak

University of Jordan, Amman-11942, JORDAN
Prof. T. T. Adebolu
Federal University of Technology, Ondo State, Akure, Nigeria
Prof. Francisco Torrens

Universitat de Valncia, Edificid'Instituts de Paterna, Valncia, Spain
Hon. Niyi Jones Akinyugha

Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Prof. V. A. Aletor
Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria
Mr. Sola Akitimehin

Ondo State, Nigeria
Prof. E. A. Aderinola
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

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Table of Contents
Preface
vi
The Editor
viii
The Contributors
viii
The Essence of National Unity as a Sustainable Development:

Churchs Roles through The Bible Lense with Reference To
Psalm 133 - H. A. Ogunlowo
Promoting True Christian Fellowship - Odufuwa M. Adetola
11
The Roles of Christian Leaders in Attaining National

Sustainable Development - Oluwalana Stephen O
17
The Virtuous Woman: A Role Model in National Development

- Omolona S.O.
25
Grace of God - V. O. Odufuwa
58
The Role of Gods Anointing in Sustainable National Development

- Wilson E. Iteheri
64
Salvation: Its Interpretation in The Present Day Church

- James Olusola Adetona
76
Forgiveness Julius Sunday Omotilewa
89
Life of Holiness: Gods original intention and

design for humanity - Samuel .O. Banjo
101

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PREFACE
The subject of discussion in the following pages bespeaks the thoughtful consideration of
the Christian reader. Development is a natural desire of man in everywhere of human
existence, it is achievable, one only has to be truthful in the pursuit of it and do same with
required instruments. At the National and Local levels, everyone regardless of the
Religious affiliation, political concern and social or economic status has a duty to support
every morally positive move engendered toward the development of our Nation. The
church as well as other organized and cooperate bodies have their roles in making the
development of our Nation a reality.
Many things, too numerous to itemize are basically wrong in our Nation, if the church
want to sincerely become relevant in the scheme of National Redemption of this Nation,
it should do away with the coldness, unnecessary formality, worldliness and divisions.
It should be borne in mind that prayerless, unholy and trifling walk of the church
weakens her power, impedes her onward progress. Disjointed church is a danger to her
immediate and remote environments.
In the face of a complex web of problems and obstacles to the development of our Nation,
vital matters practical Christian virtue at all levels have become absolutely necessary.
Both from the scripture and secular literature the imperative of National development
cannot be overemphasized. The church being the salt of the earth and light of the world
should be the key to rapid progress towards transformation. The church must arise and
take up the responsibility of raising men of competence, courage and character. Our
church leaders must harness all resources and direct every energy toward spiritual,
political, and socio-economic capacity building and make the church holistic in her
evangelical drive.
The collection of these various write ups is highly motivational and challenging. I salute
the wisdom of the various contributors to the production of this work. Very practical and
relevant manifestation and display of required virtuous Christianity in our civil society.
Rev. E. A. Adewale,
St. Davids Cathedral,
Akure.

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THE CONTRIBUTORS
Ogunlowo, Hezekiah Adeloye, is a PhD holder who pastors a CAC church in Ilesa.
Presently, he is a lecturer at CAC Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists, Ilesa, State
of Osun, Nigeria a degree awarding institution. A lecturer of great repute who has over
10 years wealth of experience. Pastor Ogunlowo has published and delivered many
academic papers both in local, international journals and conferences. He is happily
married with children.
Odufuwa M. Adetola, happily married with children, working with The Church of the
Living Stone Int'l. Akure. Ondo State, Nigeria. Reverend Odufuwa is presently an Area
Pastor and the National Coordinator, Evangelism and Follow-up Department.
Oluwalana Stephen O, is a graduate of Agriculture. He is the founder of Christ Fountain
of Prayer Ministries (CFPM) located in Oba Ile, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. He is an
evangelist and a great deliverance minister. Pastor Oluwalana has planted many
churches in different states in Nigeria. Also he has authored many books.
V. O. Odufuwa, is a reverend with the Church of the Living Stone Int'l Akure, Ondo
State, Nigeria. Presently she is the National Coordinator of Warfare and Prayer
Department of the church. She is happily married with children.
Omolona S.O is the CEO of Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (NonGovernmental Organization), Oyemekun, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. A graduate of
repute. She has companion for less privileged children and women, with this NGO she
has put honey in their mouths through donations of monies, books, clothes, and so on.
Through her NGO too, she has taken part in political, religious and health enlightenment
campaigns in rural and urban areas of Ondo State. Apart from these, she is a reverend
and committed Christian in the Church of the Living Stone Int'l Akure, Ondo State,
Nigeria.
James Olusola Adetona, is a lecturer at CAC Babajide School of Prophets and
Evangelists. Ilesha, State of Osun, Nigeria which has been upgraded to a university
status. He majors in CHURCH HISTORY and teaches other courses in theology. Apart
from lecturing, he pastors churches under CAC Worldwide. He has published academic
articles in reputable international and local journals. He is happily married.
Wilson E. Iteheri, is a PhD holder. He is the General Overseer, Victory Christian
Missionary Centre, Ekiugbo-Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria. He has delivered series of
lectures at conferences, workshops and seminars.
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Julius Sunday Omotilewa is an accountant and a teacher by profession, he retired from

Ondo State Housing Corporation, Akure, Ondo State. He obtained a certificate of
Ministerial Studies and this qualified him to be a pastor at the Church of the Living Stone
Int'l Akure. Presently, Reverend Omotilewa is the personal assistance to the General
Overseer of the church. He is happily married and blessed with children.
Samuel Oyekanmi Banjo
He attended Christ Apostolic Church Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists, Ilesa,
where he obtained a certificate in Theology. He further attended UMCA Theological
College, Ilorin for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (University of Ibadan), Bachelor of
Theology and Masters of Arts in Theological Studies. He also obtained a Master of Arts
degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Samuel Oyekanmi has been standing
before people as a minister for over a decade. He is a writer and a researcher, he has
contributed articles published in theological journals such as International Council for
Higher Education (ICHE) West Africa. Babajide Journal (BAJOR), etc. He is currently a
lecturer at Christ Apostolic Church Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists
(CACBSPE) Ilesa. He is married to Mrs Grace Kehinde Banjo and they are blessed with
children.

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CHAPTER ONE
THE ESSENCE OF NATIONAL UNITY AS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

CHURCHS ROLES THROUGH THE BIBLE LENSE WITH REFERENCE TO PSALM
133
H. A. Ogunlowo
CAC Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists, P.O. Box 1151, Ilesa,
Osun State, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
The meaning of unity is as diverse as the word rainbow yet it is a rainbow. It depends
on the context to really know its meaning but the endeavour of this work bothers on the
Biblical meanings of unity and its essence in the building and sustainability of any
nation (especially Nigeria). Unity has been defined as:
the state, property, or product of being united, physically, socially or
morally.(Olusheye EHL 2011:10). 2. Oneness, as opposed to division or
plurality. 3. Unity means union, as of constituent parts or elements, such as
national unity. 4. It also refers to singleness of purpose or action. 5. It is a state of
general good feeling, mutual understanding and concord, such brethren
dwelling together in unity (Olusheye EHL, 2011:10).
Unity is an indispensable factor to the growth, development and wellbeing of anything.
If the ignition of a car is okay but the battery is not or the two are okay but there is no
fuel in the car or there is fuel but no good plugs, or there are good plugs but there is not
engine oil (well gauged) or there is engine oil but the accelerator is not in good
condition can such car perform maximally on the road? Such is the unity to the
building, growth and development of any nation. To this end this chapter has engaged
the importance of unity to any nation.

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HOW DOES BIBLE EXPLAIN UNITY?

Since Psalm 133 says, Behold, how good and how pleasant is it, that brethren should
dwell together in one, the word one means Monos . Not one in any manner, for a man
in a crowd is one, but though he can be called one along with others, he cannot be
Monos, that is, alone, for Monos means one alone. They then who thus live together as
to make one man, so that they really possess what is written, one mind and one heart,
many bodies, but not many minds; many bodies, but not many hearts; can rightly be
called Monos. Let the Psalm tell us what they are like. As the ointment on the head,
which descended to the beard, to Aarons beard, which descended to the fringe of his
garment (Psa. 133.2). Who was Aaron? A priest. Who is a priest, except that one Priest,
who entered into the Holy of Holies? Who is that priest, save Him, who was at once
Victim and Priest? Except the one who when he found nothing clean in the world to
offer, offered Himself? The ointment is on his head, because Christ is one whole with
the Church, but the ointment comes from the head. Our Head is Christ crucified and
buried; He rose again, and ascended into heaven; and the Holy Spirit came from the
head. Whither? To the beard. The beard signifies the courageous; the beard
distinguishes the grown men, the earnest, the active, the vigorous. So that when we
describe such, we say, he is a bearded man. Thus that ointment descended first upon
the Apostles, descended upon those who bore the first assaults of the world, and
therefore the Holy Spirit descended on them. For they who first began to dwell together
in unity, suffered persecution, but because the ointment descended to the beard, they
suffered, but were not conquered. Dine grace of unity can and will only come when the
church is able to be the livers of Christ own kind of life. Not their own kind of life a life
that is devoid of flesh. Not self-centered but Christ centered, who seeks the interest of
God first, others follow and his own after little or no wonder why the apostolic church
of the book of Acts lived up to this expectation.

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As the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hills of Zion (Psa. 133.3). But ye should
know what Hermon is. It is a mountain far distant from Jerusalem, that is, from Zion.
And so it is strange that he says thus: As the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the
mountains of Zion, since Mount Hermon is far distant from Jerusalem, for it is said to
be over Jordan. Let us then seek out some interpretation of Hermon. The word is
Hebrew, as we learn its meaning from them who know that language. Hermon is said
to mean, a light set on a high place. For from Christ comes the dew. No light is set on a
high place, save Christ. How is He set on high? He was first on the cross, afterwards in
heaven. Set on high on the cross when He was humbled; humbled, but His humiliation
could not but be high. And so the sort of life or lifestyle that will build and sustain a
nation will be that nation and those citizens who lift Jesus high from such height the
dew will come, flow to such Zion or Jerusalem (nation)
The ministry of man grew less and less, as was signified in John; the ministry of God in
our Lord Jesus Christ increased, as was shown at their birth. The former was born, as
the tradition of the church shows, on the 24th of June, when the days begin to shorten.
The Lord was born on the 25th of December, when the days begin to lengthen. Here,
John himself confessing, He must increase, but I must decrease. And the passion of
each shows this. The Lord was exalted on the cross; John was diminished by beheading.
Thus the light set on high is Christ, whence is the dew of Hermon.But if he have the
dew of Hermon, which fell on the hill of Zion, he is quiet, peaceable, humble,
submissive, pouring forth prayer in place of murmuring(bible works 8). So an enduring
and a sustained nation is that nation that has prayer in his agenda, which sets the
people of God in their godly and prestigious place, the nation, which has national
prayer day to call on God on high who gives unity, and sends His enabling power and
Grace through Holy Spirit.

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So unity is symbolically represented: Aaron represents Israel in the temple. So Aaron

represents the Nation. From this view point, Leader(s) represent the nationhood. Our
leaders must be united-one mind, one purpose and goal. Meaning having one thought
to build the nation, one reason for building it Gods own nation where His spirit
dwells and reigns and one goal, one aims and objectives of aiming a better future.
Things detrimental to unity are today shy away from (such as self-centeredness, love of
money, racism or tribalism, ethnocentrisms, domineering attitude and the expense of
other tribes of people group).
IN UNITY, IS ONENESS NOT DIVISION

From the above Psalm, unity is osmotic in nature (osmosis: movement of a solvent
through a semi-permeable membrane into a solution of higher concentration that tend
to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane google
dictionary). It flows from one person (leader) to all the nations. The unity of a nation is in
the hand of the leaders. When a leader or leaders from a people group think that they
are born to rule or they are better in leadership than the other people group, then such
mentality boils down on the led. If leaders of any given nation (like Nigeria) is having
unity of purpose and goals, with though different methodologies but with integrity of
character and transparency (by declaring assets) the led are brought up that way it
flows from them (up) to the citizenry (down)-oil in the head of Aaron down to his
bear, cloth and hem of his garment. So unity flows, spreads and it is contagious.
In unity there is peace, tranquility, serenity, progress and development. In unity, God is
happy with such nation. In unity people network, Whatever fails to work fails to network (Professor Ilori J.A. ICHE Ghana Conference, 2014). In unity people think for
common goal. In disunity people think of self-interest. Self has never pleased God not
to talk of pleasing man. In unity there is security safety and preservation. In the above
Psalm, Mount Hermon is far from Jerusalem. This mountain happens to be the tallest
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Mount in this area 9, 232 feet. It is covered with snow most of the years. From biblical
times until recently, the snow was carried to nearby villages in its foothills to cool foods
and drinks. Though now on the Syria-Lebanon border (Christian History, ISSUE 59
VOL XVII, No 3:26).
When one considers the simile about unity in relevance to Mount Hermon in Psalm 133,
it is evident therefore that unity brings togetherness, safety, preservation of national
heritage and good legacy, as people keep their foods and drink in the flow of Mount
Hermons snow ice (some call this mount refrigerating mount). If unity is embraced in
this nation Nigeria, no doubt the development will come by instead of national
wastages in terms of crude oil, which can be used for national development to maintain
the inherited legacy and continue to develop this nation to be able to favourably
compete with other nations.
Mount Hermon from above speaks of positive effects since dew on it produces snow or
ice, so much that it falls down round the mountain and those who may not climb due to
height (9000 feet more) below it they can reap or harvest it products down here, speaks
of effects, positive one. So is a nation where there is unity. Termite hill is a good
example whereby everyone of them is into their social units (soldiers, builders, water
fetcher and their king). Yet they are busy and always succeed to build their hill
anywhere they wanted it done. They do all these in unity. Rain will never destroy it
unless they have vacated the hill. Storm can never blow it off. Yet human beings are still
grappling with (the concept of) unity. All because;
a. Leaders, who are supposed Aaron, have left the place and duty God has given
them meaning the negligence of duty or loss of dignity of labour. Leaders who
are to be custodian of integrity, example of hard works have turned out to be
symbols and models of laziness, late coming to work and offices, of deceit by
signing 7.30am whereas he got to work place at 9.00am, rogues, thieves and
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winners of contract which they are supposed to give to masses that will benefit
from them. No wonder national unity is a mirage and sustainability of the good
name of the country is a glory of past.
b. Termite will continue work where they stop yesterday to ensure continuity.
Aaron as spiritual and physical head continues to watch himself and maintain
cordial relationship with God. Our national leaders appear to have allowed
sentiments (political, religious and ethnic) to shroud their visions and in
whatever they deliver to this nation or their respective nations lack continuity.
How can a nation be sustained in such a situation? When leaders of any nation
claim to know God but their deeds betray them as idolater in religious garb as
they embezzles national wealth by laundry and demonstrating lack of self-belief
- by investing the nations wealth in another country as cover-up, creating job
elsewhere but next generation are jobless in his home country, by making people
blaspheme God as they promise heaven and earth in their manifesto but unable
to dispense of their promises (with no sense of accountability and where there
is any, they are not tenable for lack of integrity in such accountability). Lack of
self-worth by making education of their home country dilapidated structurally
and substantially (stuff) and so send their own children abroad where the cost to
train a child elsewhere is enough to establish a standard secondary school at the
home country.
How can such a country develop? Who can sustain such a country? Would such
a
country not eventually collapse?
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITY FOR NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

This section of this chapter examines the essence of what Jesus taught in the Bible in
John 17:21. If unity is oneness as stated earlier, then, here, Jesus prayed that his
follower be one this introduces a purpose and the purpose for which Jesus was
praying in the context was that God should make Christians one. in Greek
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comes from without the article the it denote highest degree all. This means
Jesus prayer was that all believers or Christians (All in totality) be in oneness (unity).
What was the standard? As the father is in the son and the son is in the father. So
that Christian will be in such perfect wholeness. Purpose that the world may believe
that the father sent the Son.
In this wise, unity brings man into Gods realm of operation. When a nation is in
unity he can see things; people, resources (man and non- human) and discharge of
his or her position from Gods view point. Unity brings glory to God and benefits of
continuity, expansion, development and sustenance on Christians in the world.
Jesus knows that in unity we can stand and when divided fall is imminent. No
wonder He prayed for unity. There should be unity among Christians even beyond
the borders of CAN or Ecumenism so that if the world has no concept or group or
understanding of the word unity the church should be a beam of hope in this
direction. This be in true, Christians therefore, have a lot to do. Christian leaders,
political leaders who are Christians, are to be equipped by the church (praying for
them and organizing seminar for them). This is because God and Jesus is one. This
reason necessitates Jesus success on earth. Mans success on earth as well is made
possible by uniting with God (As father and I are one (). When man is in accord
with God, there shall be a flow of authority, vision, power, growth, grace from the
head (headquarters) in heaven manifesting or unfolding on earth in material things.
So, unity is paramount for any sustainable growth and development. A nation must
know God the true God. She must be in accord with that God as Jesus said apart
from me you can do nothing. If unity is never important for the growth of Christ
Kingdom He wouldnt have prayed for it. This being true, unity above all, must be
sought, prayed for and enshrined in all the heart of all citizens. Self will only sell

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away but unity will always bind together. To avoid such disintegration Jesus prayed
for the church.
Church unity refers to godly unity of the body of Christ, Philippian church to be of
one accord for consolation, for comfort of love, for fellowship of the spirit and for
affection and mercy. Church harmony and united Christian efforts in prayer,
evangelism and soul winning always lead to great revivals (Olusheye: Unity of CAC
A must, 2011:10-11).
Unity is important because:
1. It is strength (Gen 11:6), with unity Babel was built were it not for God who
thwarted their scheme because it was contrary to this divine purpose.
2. It makes the church a positive example to the world and helps draw others to us.
It also renews and revitalizes a nation for in tensions, energy is sapped and
destinies sagged. Where there is unity there will be no tension. So tensions in any
country is traceable to lack of unity and more often than not tension state sags
destiny and saps national strength.it soils national prestige and weakens
boldness, it leads to death untimely.
3. Where there is unity, no vulnerability (Acts 22:47). When there was unity in the
church of old. The Emperor and all his army were unable to defeat her. For her
unity produced unusual power of Holy Spirit by who they matchlessly operated
and Emperor Powers have to bow.
Yes, indeed, their unity led to rapid or geometric growth in the early believers even
in the face of formidable persecutions (Olusheye:14). Unity has proved faithful, trusted
and tested, it can offer the same even more growth, development and sustainability for
any country if the same gives room for unity.

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From the above, self-interest, infested goodness, self-centeredness, sentiment of

ethnicity, nepotism, favouritism are some of the factors that threaten our national unity.
Lack of fear of God in taking oath of office and attainable manifesto by ingenuine minds
by mere propaganda without standing by our words is another bane to national
sustenance.
Desertion of deviation from ones duty post is another problem where there is national
disunity. Aaron has left his place so when oil pours the head is not there. The leaders
have abandoned God, those who seem to still remain with God have left their duty
posts for another thing and so unity eludes the nation beginning from the leaders.
Mount Hermon does no longer release snow that cushions effects and preserves the leftover rather erosion has swept off men of repute, leaders of integrity even in the
religious circle alike in the politics. Hermon fails to produce ice because there is a lot of
heat and tensions orchestrated by lack of job, self-centeredness of the national leaders,
weakening of and weaklings the judiciary and misappropriation of national fund in the
country.
Deforestation of unity has opened the nation to wind erosion, character sweep off,
water being polluted and everyone is looking for safety. The church at this crossroad
has to come and deliver her mandate as salt and light, by taking over schools,
producing reputable leaders from home-front, church-front and educational front. Who
will be Aaron and people who will be shades of hope and comfort, to whom citizens
can run up to for preservation of national wealth and maximum utility of both man and
natural resources and endowment? If this nation, like any other nations of the world
will grow, the church cannot afford to fold her arms. She should be both beacon and
ambassador of unity, demonstrator of unity and performer of it in whatever nation,
especially Nigeria, where she finds herself. For Christ in her is the hope of glory.

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REFERENCES
Bible Works 8
Olusheye EHL: Unity of CAC: A must (Ibadan; Gideon Global Press), 2011.
Rudolph H. Wiebe & Co (ed) Essentials of Christian Religious Studies in Colleges of
Education, vol 3 ACTS Jos: 2008
Christian Ministry: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, issue 59 (vol xvii), No 3.

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CHAPTER TWO
PROMOTING TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Odufuwa M. Adetola
The Church of the Living Stone Int'l., Glorious Assembly,
Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
We shall be looking at the topic:fellowship, this according to English dictionary is
described as a company of people that shares the same interest or aim. That is, two or
three people with common interest is a fellowship and this spread across all sphere of
life. In this writing I am going to concentrate on the fellowship of not just any people
but special and peculiar people of God known as Christians. But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
1Peter 2: 9.
BIBLE TEXT - 1Peter 1: 1-7

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life;
[For the word was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and shew unto you
that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;] That which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ. And these
things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie, and do not the

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truth: But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin.
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

It is the friendly company of children of God who are regenerated and are washed in
the blood of Jesus Christ that make them heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
attested to with the presence of God the father and his son Jesus Christ. And if
children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8: 17. That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 1:: 3. But if we
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 Peter 1: 7.
True Christian fellowship is therefore the company of people who deliberately turn
their back to darkness and embrace the light of God so that they may learn how to be
like him as they continue at his feet daily all the days of their life. If true Christian
fellowship is practiced God is bound to manifest his power, thus his children will be
empowered to influence their world for Him. Therefore, this generation is challenged to
promote true Christian fellowship so that the generation which we are in may see the
difference between their fellowship and Christian fellowship.
DURABILITY OF CHRITIAN FELLOWSHIP

Christians must know that the fellowship God is calling them to practice is far different
from the one they practiced while still in the world [before salvation], hence it is a life
time fellowship deeper than marriage union because the members of the fellowship are
Christ representative for they are created in the image of God and God the father and
Jesus His son is always present in the fellowship. Christian fellowship is as old as the
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heaven and the earth for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit start it.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and
over all the earth, and over every creeping things that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis
1: 26
We are called to continue this fellowship God started in heaven here on earth, therefore,
members of the fellowship must be one in other to function for God to recognize them
and for them to function well. Can two walk together, except they agree? Amos 3: 3
Christian fellowship demand the agreement of the members and these are some of the
areas of agreement;
1
Agreement on the place of meeting:- There is need for members of the

fellowship to have a meeting point since they are not omniscient. Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10
; 25 It sad to say that today people who profess to be members of Christian
fellowship stay away from the place of meeting at will as if they are
omnipresent. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in
the midst of them. Mathew 18 : 20 The cross of Jesus is the meeting point for
Christian, thus individual member of the fellowship must attach importance to
honoring God in the fellowship with their presence at all time.
Agreement on time of meeting:- It is not enough to agree on the place of

meeting but more importantly the time of meeting, God honors time and it is
precious to him so, in Christian fellowship there must be discipline among
members on punctuality during fellowship. Redeeming the time, because the
days are evil. Ephesians 5 ;16 Lateness to the place of meeting in not one of the

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characteristics of the Christian fellowship, God is always happy to see his

children honoring him with their time, hence he also will respond to them.
3 Agreement on direction:- Enter ye in the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad
is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it. Mathew 7; 13 -14. The direction in which people who profess to be practicing
Christian fellowship are going today is that of the wide gate and broad way for they
gathered tor entertainment, to compete, to have connection, to make business partners,
to display wealth, to have more sin partner just to mention a few. In true Christian
fellowship the direction people go is that of the strait gate and the narrow way. It is the
hard path but everything done there leads to heaven. Hardly can you find people who
are ready to go in this direction. Those who want to practice Christian fellowship must
agree to go in the direction that lead to heaven, a path of self-denial and determination.
These are people who want to leave the crowd and be Jesus disciples. And there went
great multitudes with him, and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me,
and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14: 25 27.
HOW TO PRACTICE TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

There is only one way in which we can practice Christian fellowship as ordained by
God himself, anything different from this is just another gathering that is void of God
presence. Believers in Christ are called to walk in this way to show the light which we
are to our generation though the world [unbeliever] and carnal Christian know this
way, they find it difficult to walk therein because they cannot pay the price of walking
in that way. Jesus said unto him. I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me. John 14: 6, And an highway shall be there, and a way, and
it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be
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for those: the wayfaring men, though fools shall not err therein. No lion shall be there,
nor any ravenous beast go up thereon, it shall not be found there, but the redeemed
shall walk their: Isaiah 35: 8 9 Unlike what we hear and see today those thing which
emanate from fellowship and do reflect God but rather bring reproach to the name of
the Lord, such as divorce, polygamy, gay marriage, strife, anger, ritual killing, duping,
fornication, half naked dressing, occultism and some other atrocities. In any gathering
where any of these is found God cannot be found there therefore, it is not a Christian
fellowship. Holiness is what characterizes Christian fellowship because God is holy, He
demands that those who will come to Him should be holy. But as He which hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be
ye holy; for I am Holy. 1 Peter 1 : 15 -16., Depart ye depart ye, go ye out from thence,
touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean, that bear the vessels
of the Lord. As a believer who wants to make heaven it is high time you to take heed
to the word of God. Therefore, cleanse yourself with the word of God, and drop those
things that can make you an Achan in that fellowship you belong to. May I also say
that it is not the name you give to your fellowship that will take you to heaven but your
determination to be permanent member of Gods fellowship and not moving from one
fellowship group to the other, all you need do is to ensure the fellowship treads in the
path of holiness. And they continued steadfast in the apostles doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2: 42.
CONCLUSION
In true Christian fellowship every member enjoys God and is blessed as a result of the
activities in the fellowship. Therefore, for you to maximally enjoy God in the fellowship
you belong to avoid the under listed:

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Fellowship with the devil: But I say the things, which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with
devils.1Corinthians 10: 20.
Fellowship with works of darkness: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5: 11, And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light, because their deeds were evil. John 3: 19.
Fellowship with unbelievers; Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch
not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. 2 Corinthians 6: 14 17.

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CHAPTER THREE
THE ROLES OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN ATTAINING NATIONAL

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Oluwalana Stephen O
Christ Fountain of Prayer Ministries (CFPM).
Oba Ile, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION
This paper focuses on the roles of Christian leaders in attaining national sustainable
development. We shall discuss in details what Christian leaders should do to sustain
the present the level of national development. Hence, if this vision is pursued, our
future generation would have cause to live a better life. For better understanding of the
above subject matter, we shall discuss what leadership is all about. Leadership is the
capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by a passion, generated by a
vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.
True leadership fundamentally requires the responsibility of taking followers into

existing unknown and creating a new reality for them now and in the future. A careful
study of this definition reveals that leadership is not a pursuit but a result. Since this
paper focuses on the roles of Christian leadership in attaining national sustainable
development, let us see what sustainable development really connotes.
Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present
generation without necessarily compromising or jeopardizing the ability of the future
generation. That is, the ability of the present generation to increase economically,
develop and produce the needs of the society without having any future effect on the
generation yet unborn. For better understanding of the above definition, let us take oil
production in Nigeria as a case study.
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In Nigeria today, we produce petroleum in large quantities yet no effort has been put in
place to control air pollution and water pollution. Not that alone, we encourage
deforestation without having any meaningful plan for afforestation. Just to mention a
few. If this trend continues, one would agree with me that the future of our yet unborn
generation would be badly affected; and this would greatly hamper national
sustainable development. In view of this established fact, we would be happy if
Christian Leadership could play major roles at this crucial moment to bring about
national sustainable development.
One of the major roles that Christian leaders could play in attaining national sustainable
development is right teaching of biblical principles. This is very important, since the
leaders are coming from the followers, and the followers in the church believe so much
in their leaders. It is my candid belief, that if this kind of teaching is done appropriately,
it would go a long way in changing the lives of the followers and in transforming the
larger society in all ramifications.
Again, we should not shy away from the fact that so many Christian leaders have failed
in teaching their followers about Christian ethics, which would transform the society
and bring about development. Christian leaders would do well if they can teach their
followers how to embrace good behavior and conduct themselves well in the society.
This would transform the society at large more so that a large number of people in
government belong to one denomination or the other.
Not only that, Christian leaders should as well teach their followers how to do things
and render services with the fear of God. If people start giving room for high moral
value, they would formulate policies and programmes that would impact positively on
the general well-being of the society when they find themselves in any of the Executive

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legislative Arms of Government or Judiciary. Then, national development would be

sustained.
Christian leader can as well contribute their quota to sustaining national development
by advising the Government to provide decent and affordable housing for all. This
could be done through mass media. This step would in no small measure reduce
poverty in Nigeria. Once poverty is reduced, this, we are on the pathway to sustainable
development as a nation.
Christian leaders could as well support the Government by partnering with them in
providing affordable health care delivery centers. As a matter of fact, churches have
been doing well in this regard. Let us take for instance, Evangel Hospital, one of the
very big hospitals in Ile-Ife, Osun State is owned and managed by Evangelical Church
of West Africa. The Roman Catholic Church and many other church denominations
have also done well in this regard. Other Christian leaders can as well emulate this kind
gesture by establishing small and medium Hospitals that would cater for the immediate
health challenges of the people in the communities where they have church branches.
Christian leaders should carry out enlightenment campaign on certain health issues,
such as family planning and cesarean operation. They should tell their followers that
cesarean operation is not evil and as such they should allow doctors do their job
whenever occasion demands.
Not only that, churches that have maternity homes should have direct link with other
established hospitals for the purpose of referral. They should even know their
limitations and give room for experts. This would bring about reduction in maternal
mortality rate. Family planning should also be encouraged among Christian couples.

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Christian leaders should sensitize people on how to leave hygienic life. In addition, they
should as well carry out enlightenment campaign on the need for their followers and
general public to leave healthy lifestyle. Christian leaders should equally partner with
the government in providing safe and drinkable water in towns and villages as part of
their evangelistic campaign.
Let us take for instance, when white men brought Christian religion to West African
countries, they established missionary schools as well, this gesture has contributed
immensely to the educational development in Nigeria today; and it has helped in
contributing to a sustainable development in educational sector.
Christian leaders should start emphasizing the need for people to co-exist with good
mind and in love. If this is done, it will go a long way in helping people to do away
with the wrong teaching they have been taught by their religious leaders. Some
religious leaders have taught their followers that one religion or the other is bad. This
teaching has led us to the problem which we have today. Take for instance, the issue of
Boko Haram in the North East Nigeria, which has claimed lives of several innocent
people as a result of wrong teaching by certain religious leaders.
For us as a nation to have sustainable development in area of security, Christian leaders

should continue to play a major role in this regard. It is my sincere opinion that, if all
religious leaders preach justice and peace with all honesty, the present security
challenges in the land will be a thing of the past.
Christian leaders would also contribute to national sustainable development if they

could ensure poverty reduction and food security. Poverty reduction could be achieved,
if the church leaders could organize entrepreneurial skill seminar for their followers
and the general public. Not that alone, they could as well organize seminar for people
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and teach them how to be self-reliant rather than waiting for government work that
would not come.
Let us take for instance, Living Faith Church also known as Winner Chapel has done so
much in this regard.
When the Church organizes seminars for her members and
distributes soft loans for participants. This step has not only reduced poverty in the
lives of the participants. It has also helped them to believe in themselves and in what
they can do to contribute positively to the national development. If other Christian
leaders could emulate this kind of practice, I believed in no distant time, poverty would
be drastically reduced and national sustainable development would be achieved.
National sustainable development could be achieved if Christian leaders encourage

government on the need for successors to continue the project embarked upon by their
predecessor whenever they get to the position of authority. In Nigeria today, hardly
would you see a successor carrying on from where his predecessor stopped. Why? This
is because the new government wants to compete unnecessary with the predecessors.
This kind of bad attitude has resulted in numerous abandonment of projects in different
states of the federation. If things continue this manner, national sustainable
development would only be a dream that would not come to reality. However, to avoid
this pitfall, Christian leadership should let people know the need to shun unnecessary
competition. Life itself is ephemeral, they should at the same time let our political
leaders know that they do not need amassing wealth for themselves and allow future
generation to suffer. In sustaining national development, Christian leadership should
encourage their followers and the general public to go school. Hence, they should let
them know the need to acquire necessary skills and knowledge that would make them
relevant in the society.

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In addition, they should partner with the government in establishing more schools and
make sure that the schools fees are affordable. It has been said that education helps in
eradicating poverty and ignorance. When people are well educated, they would be
useful in the church and contribute to the development of a nation. It should be noted
that churches have done wonderfully well in this regard but they should aspire to do
better. So as to fulfill the biblical injunction in Psalm 24 which says help us to keep the
Lords earth habitable for the earth is the Lords and all that is in it If this vision is
pursued with all seriousness by Christian leaders, national sustainable development
would be achieved. Christian leaders could help in national sustainable development, if
they could encourage the citizens to start cultivating maintenance culture. Meaning that
citizens should no longer wait for the government to maintain social infrastructure
alone rather, they should do something reasonable to assist the government in the area
of maintenance. If this is done faithfully by the general public, wastage of funds would
be reduced on the part of the government and such saved funds would be used for
some other projects that could bring about development.
Christian leaders should carry out enlightenment campaign on the need for people to
shun corruption and embrace honesty, equitable distribution of national wealth, selfreliance and fair play. This can only be achieved when the church starts living above
board in her responsibilities. If this happens the society would to take a clue from the
church.
Again, Christian leaders should be pre-occupied with the assignment of teaching their
followers high moral value that could enhance national sustainable development.
Christian leaders should tell their followers the need to manage national resources very
well for the benefit of everybody and the posterity. To corroborate the above opinion,
the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, the former governor of Ondo State utilizes the resources of
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Ondo State very well when he was in the office. As a matter of fact, most of the
establishment and cooperation he put in place then are still very useful till today in both
Ondo and Ekiti States.
While he was governing Ondo State, he established Ondo State University Ado Ekiti
now Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti. He also established Oluwa Glass Industry and
Hope Newspaper. Among other things he did were establishment of former Owena
Bank and Ire Block Industry. However, it would be noted that this noble man did not
build more than one House in his home town in Owo. It is on record that late Pa
Adekunle did not build house in elsewhere in the world. What a great legacy! People
would agree with me that what we presently experience in Nigeria is quite different as
a result of corruption which has eaten deep into our veins.
Another example of a worthy leader is late Jakande the former governor of Lagos State
he showed commitment in this regard as well by laying a foundation of sustainable
development in Lagos. Having seen this kind of lifestyle that contributed immensely to
national development, Christian leaders should start emphasizing the need for the
followers to live above board in every petition they occupy. Not only that, they should
also encourage government at different levels and their followers to emulate this kind
gesture. If this is followed, corruption would not only be reduced but it would be
totally eradicated in Nigeria. Hence, national sustainable development would be
achieved.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Christian leaders should take active part in things that would lead to
national sustainable development. It should be noted that we are not living yet, until we
the present generation plan adequately for the future. This could only be achieved
when Christian leaders give more priority to Educational sector, health sector,
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affordable housing, resource management and maintenance culture of social

infrastructure. If this vision is pursue with all seriousness and zeal, the future of yet
unborn generation would be guaranteed and sustained.

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CHAPTER FOUR
THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN: A ROLE MODEL IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Omolona S.O.
Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (Non-Governmental Organization)
Oyemekun, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION
Beauty without virtue is like a rose without scent. Proverb
In this copy and paste generation, when women are sacrificing their characteristic
femininity and nobility, it is encouraging to know that there are those women; spinsters,
wives and mothers who strive to keep themselves unblemished from the world.
We may not really take cognizance of this challenge-(the dearth of a virtuous woman),
until we take stock of increasing number of dysfunctional homes.
Young women growing up in the 21st century face an uphill battle in forming a
positive, healthy view of their own identities. The culture of this modern age is steeped
in confusion regarding proper characteristics, roles and goals for women. Feminism
scorns the traditional roles of wife and mother, and encourages women to function as
men behaving like men, pursuing the same goals as men, and competing with men.
Positive role models for young women are virtually non-existent! Popular television
programs feature female characters whose lives revolve around illicit romance,
materialism and career pursuits and their real-life counterparts tend to follow suit.

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Girls and young women who aspire to be virtuous women must constantly resist and
unlearn the values and ways of the world around them because only those who are
determined to swim against the current with Gods help will fulfill their potential.
What qualifies a woman as being virtuous? Proverbs 31 describes a woman whose

character and conduct are pleasing to God. Verse 10 asks the question: Who can find a
virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
The word virtuous here is translated from the Hebrew word chayil, which can mean
strong,valiant or worthy. The comparison to the ruby is no accident. Rubies are
among the most precious gemstones. They can be more expensive than diamonds (a top
quality ruby can cost over $30,000 per karat). Rubies are rare, as are godly women;
verse 10 alludes to their scarcity. Also, rubies are harder than any other precious stone,
except diamonds. God compares this kind of woman to a beautiful, valuable and
durable jewel. This is truly an honor!
The chapter on a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31) whose price is far above rubies, is a
eulogy unsurpassed in classical or religious literature. The 22 verses of the virtuous
woman each begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet hence, the A. B.
Cs. Using an alphabet was a form of teaching by rabbis. In these 22 verses are 11
characteristics of a virtuous woman. The English word virtuous has a narrow
meaning. The Hebrew word is wider, i.e. all moral qualities. Ruth is the only one called
virtuous in the Old Testament (Ruth 3:11).
A.
A virtuous woman who can find? For her price is above rubies.
B.
The heart of her husband trusted in her. And he shall have no lack of gain.
C.
She doeth him good and not evil, all the days of her life.
D.
She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
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E.
She is like the merchant-ship, she bringeth her food from afar.
F.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, And their
tasks to her maidens.
G.
She considereth a field and buyeth it: With the fruit of her hands she planteth a
vineyard.
H.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.
I.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable; her lamp goeth not out by
night.
K.
She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
L.
She spreadeth out her hand to the poor: Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the
needy.
M.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed
with scarlet.
N.
She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
O.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
P.
She maketh linen garments, and selleth them, and delivereth girdles unto the
merchant.
R.
Strength and dignity are her clothing; and she laugheth at the time to come.
S.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and the law of kindness is on her tongue.
T.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of
idleness.
U.
Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
W.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Y.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that feareth the Lord, she
shall be praised.
Z.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:10-30

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From the above picture of a queen among women these prominent features of her
character are noticeable:
She is a commendable wife and mother.

She lives for her home and family.
She is constantly industrious.
She is self-disciplined and orderly.
She is a sharp business woman.
She has good, refined tastes.
She manifests the grace of hospitality.
She is charitable in time of need.
She is virtuous because she is spiritually-minded.
Lets dissect further for more clarification.
THEY CALL HER MOTHER

Who can find a virtuous woman, for the value of her life is beyond monetary
calculations. Her husband has absolute trust in her so that he has no need of satisfaction
from other women. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She keeps his clothing up-to-date, clean and tidy. She willingly works around the
house. She provides variety at mealtime by wise selection and nutritious and delicious
foods. She gets up early each morning to make his breakfast and sees that her children
also eat properly.
She knows a bargain when she sees one and is always concerned about the future
stability and supply of her home. The strength of her character is shown in her attitude

28
toward her household tasks. She takes pride in a job well done even if she must work
late hours to accomplish it.
She knows how to use a sewing machine and needle. She has a compassionate heart
and hand toward those who have great needs. Those in her home especially benefit
from her domestic talents. Her own clothing shows good taste and modesty. Even her
husband is known by her concern for his wearing apparel. She often uses her household
talents to provide extra income for her family.
She is known as a woman of honorable character. The humble expression of this

character gives her an inner joy.
She is wise in her speech and especially knows how to say kind words. She is concerned
about the interests and problems of all in her house. She is not a gossip. Her children
are happy to talk about her to their friends. Her husband also praises her to others.
Other women have done great deeds, but this type of a mother and wife ranks highest.
Popularity is deceitful and glamor is shallow, but a woman who has personal contact
with the holy God, she shall be praised. She shall receive great satisfaction from her
labors and others shall talk about her good deeds wherever they go.
Matthew Henry in his comments on Proverbs 31:10-31 says that this description of the
virtuous woman is designed to show what wives the women should make and what
wives the men should choose.... We have the abridgement of it in the New Testament
(1Timothy 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 3:1-6), where the duty prescribed to wives agrees with this
description of a good wife.

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The Apocrypha at greater length praises feminine virtues and beauty as the writer of
Proverbs does.
Happy is the husband of a virtuous wife,

The number of his days is doubled.
A worthy wife is the joy of her husband,
And he passes his years in peace.
The virtuous wife is a good gift;

She shall be given to those who fear the Lord.
Rich or poor, her husband has a joyful heart
And gaiety shines from his face at all times.
Eccl. 26:1-4
And again from Ecclesiastics

Happy is the husband of a virtuous wife,
And her understanding fatteneth his bones.
A silent woman is a gift from the Lord
And a well instructed woman is above worth.
Grace upon grace is a modest wife
And there is no price of a chaste woman.
-26:13-15
The inner and outer beauty of a good woman is praised thus:

As the sun arising in the highest places of the heavens,
So the beauty of a good wife shines in her well-ordered home;
As the lamp shining on the holy candlestick,
So is the beauty of a face on a stately figure.
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Like golden pillars upon silver bases,

So are elegant feet upon firm heels.
26:16-18
From the Jewish Mishnah we have similar tributes:
A man owes great respect to his wife, for it is only through his wife that prosperity
comes to a man.
The death of a good wife is for him who loves her misfortune as great as the rain of
Jerusalem.
A man should love his wife as himself and honor her more than himself.
Start your journey to excellence nowpursue virtuous womanhood, and fulfill your
God-given potential!
What other attributes are found in this rare gem called the virtuous woman?
Trustworthiness
A godly woman is faithful, loyal and trustworthy, and looks out for the best interests of
others: The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need
of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life (Prov. 31:11-12).
By extension, young women should be pure, chaste and faithful to future husbands
determined not to rob them of what belongs only in marriage.
Productivity
God expects women to be industrious, and to use their talents and energy toward
productive ends. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her handswith
the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with strength, and
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strengthens her armsher candle goes not out by night. She lays her hands to the
spindle, and her hands hold the distaff (Prov. 31:13, 16-19).
Also, a virtuous woman pays attention to the quality of her work: She perceives that
her merchandise is goodShe makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles unto
the merchant (vs. 18, 24).
A woman should follow the instructions found in Ecclesiastes: Whatsoever your hand
finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor
wisdom, in the grave, where you go (9:10).
It is wise to develop hobbies and pursue interests that may enable you to supplement
your future husbands income while being a keeper at home (e.g., giving music lessons,
making crafts, taking photographs, babysitting, designing websites, etc.).
Financial Wisdom
The Proverbs 31 woman is the opposite of the spoiled wife who impulsively buys
frivolous items: She is like the merchants ships; she brings her food from afar. She
considers a field, and buys it(Prov. 31:14, 16). Under the direction of their husbands,
women are often stewards of the family budget. These passages describe effort,
forethought and judgment being used in this responsibility. Financial habits are often
built in adolescencebegin to save now for what the future may bring.
Also, although career goals are secondary to serving God and family, it is certainly
beneficial to become educated or skilled in a particular area. In the case of a woman
who remains single for some time, this can make a drastic difference in her quality of
life.

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Generosity and Concern

A woman of character seeks and serves those who are struggling with difficult
circumstances: She stretches out her hand to the poor; yes, she reaches forth her hands
to the needy (vs. 20). This also speaks to the general principle of constantly looking out
for the needs of others, and taking action to fulfill them.
Able to Manage Her Household

Another responsibility that rests with a woman is to make sure her family is cared for
and that her home is running properly and efficiently: She rises also while it is yet
night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She is not afraid
of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She looks
well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness (vs. 15, 21, 27).
This kind of woman strives to have all things be done decently and in order in the
home (I Cor. 14:40).
Learn to manage your life now. Show initiative. Do not rely on your parents to
constantly direct you in everyday tasks and habits such as cleaning your room, doing
homework, maintaining proper nutrition, and exercising regularly. Managing yourself
now shows a sense of maturity that most young people lack.
Feminine and Modest Appearance

In this world, a womans appearance is overemphasized to the extreme. Young
womenand even young girls are being taught to dress in ways that incite lust in
males and focus attention on the self. While this is wrong, the Proverbs 31 woman is
concerned with how she looks since she makes herself coverings of tapestry; her
clothing is silk and purple (vs. 22).

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As in all areas of life, balance is the key. Members of the fairer sex do not need to look
frumpy, backward or odd. Neither should they emulate the world by following the
latest trends. Strive for a pleasing, attractive appearance, but avoid extremes; always
dress modestly.
Health is a large part of maintaining ones appearance and has benefits that reach into
every other area of a womans life. Strive for good health. Take care of yourselfread
about proper nutrition, exercise and natural remedies. Not only will you look more
radiant, but you will also function better in every area of responsibility. And your
future family will benefit from your understanding of health and nutrition in the
preparation of wholesome meals!
To put physical appearance in proper perspective, another verse describes the outfit
that is most important to a godly woman: Strength and honor are her clothing (vs.
25). Appearance does matter, but it is not nearly as important as righteous character!
Wise and Kind

Another aspect of the woman discussed in Proverbs 31 has to do with her words: She
opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness (vs. 26). This
verse actually goes beyond the mouth; it addresses the mind since of the abundance of
the heart [the] mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).
Of course, our minds (hearts) should be filled with Gods Word. Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4).
God is the true source of wisdom. Nothing can replace daily Bible study along with
prayer, meditation and periodic fasts. Study the lives of women in the Bible such as
Ruth, Deborah, Abigail, Esther and Mary.
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Strive to develop your mind and to become well-rounded. This will enable you to be
comfortable in different situations, including speaking to people of various
backgrounds. Borrow edifying and profitable books, videos and CDs from the library.
Seek new experiences! Take opportunities to travel and to learn about different
geographical areas and cultures.
The second quality described here, kindness, is important for men to possess as well,
but is especially becoming of a true lady. A gentle and considerate manner is important
to God this flies in the face of the brash, strident demeanor of many modern women.
While you should share your thoughts, avoid being loud, obnoxious and crass.
The New Testament expands on the attitude and approach that a woman should
embody:
Likewise,
you
wives[let
your
husbands]
behold
your
chaste
conversationWhose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair,
and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the
heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sarah
obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, as long as you do well,
and are not afraid with any amazement (I Pet. 3:1-6).
Fear of God
Another verse in this chapter describes the central virtue of a godly woman: Favor is
deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD , she shall be praised
(Prov. 31:30).
But what is the fear of God?
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Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil (3:7).
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from
evil (16:6).
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding
(Job 28:28).
Physical beauty is temporary and can deceive onlookers by partially concealing an ugly
attitude. By contrast, strong character lasts forever. A wise young man will seek to
marry a godly woman rather than a drop-dead gorgeous woman void of character.
Take diligent notes during Church services. Become well acquainted with Church
literature. Study doctrines. Make prayer and Bible study a daily habit. Let your light
(your example) shine (Matt. 5:16) in your school and community.
Confidence
Although it is not directly mentioned in Proverbs 31, the fear of God has an important
by-product: In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence (Prov. 14:26).
Obeying God and departing from evil will produce confidence in Him as you
experience the blessings of obedience. (This is very different from the self-confidence
promoted by worldly psychology.) The achievements of the Proverbs 31 woman can
only be produced by a confident person who is willing and able to jump in wherever
life affords opportunities.
If you are shy, put yourself in situations that will help you develop social and
conversational skills. Look people in the eye. Be a good listener. Do not worry about
sounding awkward from time to time it happens to everyone.

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Joy
Another result of living Gods Way is JOY. Proverbs 31:25 states that the godly woman
shall rejoice in time to come. Not mayshall. It is certain. A woman who is
unselfish, and whose life is filled with growth and achievement, will radiate joy and it
will spread to others. It will be obvious by ones countenance.
It has been said, Of all the things that you put on in the morning, expression is the
most important. A smile always improves anyones appearance!
THE IDEAL WOMAN AMONG BIBLE WOMEN

Among the many women whose imperishable records the Bible possesses there are a
few who are conspicuous for their chaste and commendable characters. They are
examples of womanhood at its best, and as nothing is said of any failure they might
have had, it would seem as if theirs was the white flower of a blameless life. In fact,
by way of comparison, the women of the Bible come out better than its men. It is
satisfying to find very few despicable female characters portrayed in the pages of Holy
Writ. In the last days and death of the Saviour, not one woman among those mentioned,
acted in any harsh way, hurtful to Him who was born of a woman. Accustomed as they
were to pain and sorrow they wept for Him.
In the Foreword of his Studies of Famous Women, H. T. Sell remarks that the best
Bible women are well worth the most careful study as they are the acknowledged trailblazers for the larger freedom of thought and action.
Then in his study of 21 of the most typical women, Dr. Sell considers aspects of their
lives and careers which bring out in clear light their important contributions to the
present high status, destined to go higher, of womanhood. Of the worst Bible women
the same writer says that human nature does not changesave to mark the dangerous

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shoals, quicksands and rocks of life, where their lives are wrecked, and which still exist
as death traps.
No man has ever lived who has had as much experience with women as King Solomon,
who loved many strange women. Having 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines,
all of whom it would seem were idolaters, we can readily understand how they turned
away his heart from God (1 Kings 11:1-8). It was because of Solomons gross adultery
and idolatry that the kingdom he had raised to illustrious heights was so tragically rent
in twain. Cleaving unto his hundreds of heathen wives in love (none of whom are
named, apart from Naamah, mother of Rehoboam), Solomon could be expected to say
something about the vices and virtues of women, as he does, particularly in the Book of
Proverbs.
The strange women Solomon loved were foreign women, or women who were not
Israelites. When men of Israel took wives out of lands not their own, they trespassed
against the Lord. In Proverbs, however, the strange women Solomon writes about were
actually harlots. The son of a strange [rv another] woman (Judges 11:1, 12) is parallel
to the son of a harlot. In no other book in the Bible do we find so many references to
loose women and grim warnings against any association with them, as in Proverbs
(Proverbs 2:16; 5:3, 5, 20; 7:5; 20:16; 23:27, 33). Solomon knew to his own cost that the
lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil.
Cognizant that woman was bone of Adams bone and flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:23),
Israels spiritual leaders always advocated respect for women, and were ready to praise
their diligence, piety and qualities, which they valued more highly than their beauty. It
is to be regretted that a notorious polygamist like Solomon did not illustrate his own
proverb in his own life that, He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains
favour from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). Had he found a godly wife out of Israel, and
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remained the husband of one wife, he would have been more signally favored of the
Lord. But because of the multiplicity of wives, his reign ended in tragedy and the
forfeiture of divine favor. What a mightier spiritual force Solomon would have been
had he had one prudent wife from the Lord! (Proverbs 19:14). It is interesting to trace
Solomons references to women in Proverbs. Having hundreds of women around him
he learned a great deal about their influence for good or evil.
A man should always rejoice in the wife of his youth (5:18).

A man should not be enticed by an evil womans beauty (6:25).
A man should never tamper with his neighbors wife (6:29).
A man should never waste his substance on a harlot (7:10, 11, 12; 29:3. See Luke 15:30).
Clamorous, foolish women are empty-headed (Proverbs 9:13).

Gracious women retain their honor (11:16).
Lovely women without discretion are like jewels in a swines snout (11:22).
Wise women build substantial homes (14:1).

Foolish women destroy a home (14:1).
Contentious women are like a continual dropping on a rainy day (19:13; 27:15).
Brawling women are not easy to live with (21:9; 25:24).

Angry women are never good company (21:19).
Adulterous women can be self-righteous (30:20).
Odious women ruin the peace of a home (30:21, 23).

Loose women are like snares and nets (Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 7:10).
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband (12:4).

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Proverbs 31 describes the character of the ideal wife or mother. So wonderful are the
characteristics of this woman, that sisters despair of ever being able to attain unto her
standard, whilst brethren live in hope that they may find a wife that comes somewhere
near the character described.
There is no doubt that the Virtuous Woman was no single personality, but the wise
man's estimation of the ideal woman, on account of which he elucidates the positive
virtues of such a woman. It is also equally true that the woman in question was not as
the ordinary housewife of today, but more the supervisor of a large household wherein
she exercised control over her "maidens" (v 15), who would assist in the daily tasks of
such an house, making possible her achievements as described.
Sisters in today's society must learn to cope almost single-handed in the daily round of
household chores and need not despair if they cannot reach unto the ideal spoken of
here. Even so, ideals are set that we may aspire to be like them. If sisters give up in their
attempts to emulate the virtues of this woman, there is little hope that they will ever
aspire to be "like him" who is our heavenly Bridegroom.
Sisters who pattern their lives on the God-given ideal of Pro 31 will in no way feel
degraded by their loving submission to their husbands, but will find in that subjection
is the crowning fulfilment of God's purpose with them. Indeed by their submission they
will share the dominion allotted to the man in whom they lovingly and willingly lose
their own identity. To quote JT: "They will then rule in the hearts of their rulers, and so
ameliorate their own subjection, as to convert it into a desirable sovereign obedience".
"A sovereign obedience." What a wonderful expression. Queens by their very

submission, and so to be enthroned by their influence in the practise of humility. May
the ideal set forth in Pro 31 have its fruit in the lives of Sisters, by being translated into
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actions, so that it may be said of them: "Let her own works praise her in the gates" (Pro
31:31).
The poem written in a memory of Nancy Rowley, and all faithful preacher wives who
"stay by the stuff" captivates the true meaning of a virtuous woman:
You may talk of the work of the greatest of man,

You may rave about statesmen and teachers;
You may tell all about their achievements, and then,
Let me tell you of the wives of the preachers.
No Martyr was ever more steadfast and true

No soldier was ever more brave;
She's a genius at home, she's a diplomat, too;
And the Best Mother God ever gave.
She has met disappointments with courage so high;

She has battled grim poverty, too.
With a smile on her face and a light in her eye,
And a hope each morning that's new.
She is often alone, but she'll never complain;
And she cheerfully stays by the stuff;
Knowing well that her loss is her dear Master's gain,
And His smile of approval's enough.
She never gets all the credit that's due,

For most of it goes to the preacher;
Few know of the faith and courage so true,
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Of this gentle and wonderful creature.
There is coming a day when the whole world shall hear

From the lips of the Crucified One,
Her story in full, told in words sweet and clear,
Hear Him say to her softly, "well done."
And I think that when all of their labors are o'er,

And we know all their unselfish lives,
We'll honor more highly than ever before
The preachers' most wonderful wives.
Author unknown
A Representation of Her Husband

In the book authored by Elizabeth Hanford Rice we read, If the Lord Jesus Christ, God
Himself, submitted to the authority of the Father, it is no shame or dishonor for a
woman to be under authority. A woman is subject to her husband, but she can still go
directly to God to ask anything she needs or desires and get it as quickly as if she were a
man. God hears the prayers of a godly woman as quickly as he hears the prayers of a
godly man." I Cor. 11:7-12.
God made the man to be the achiever, the doer, to provide for the home and protect it,
to be high priest and intercessor for the home. God made the woman to be keeper of the
home, to make a haven within its walls, a retreat from the stress of battle, the nourisher
of the children. Is your home a place of turmoil and discontentment? What kind of a
home do you make for your family?

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A woman is different from a man! A woman is different in her body, in her interests, in
her thinking, in her abilities: not inferior-- different. A woman can choose nearly any
occupation she likes, but I deny that she will find fulfillment that will surpass that
which a godly Christian woman finds in the knowledge of her womanhood and its
rightness, and in building a home for her husband and children! Her confidence in her
ability to be a help, meet for her husband's needs comes as she finds her place in the
order of authority.
Woman's nature requires obedience; I Timothy 2:12. But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over a man Eve's sin was because she was deceived. Adam's
was not. He knew the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit. She did not. Women
are more often led into spiritual error than men. It might be because of her emotions,
but, she doesn't have to be led into error. That is the reason God commanded her not to
usurp authority over the man, so she can be protected from false doctrine. Submission
of a wife to her husband gives her an umbrella or protection. When a wife rejects her
God-given authority, she leaves herself open to false teaching. When a woman takes the
spiritual leadership of the home, it always leads to tragedy. My mother was an excellent
example to me in her submission to my father. Submitting has not been a struggle for
me. I enjoy not having the responsibility of answering to God for decisions. The thing I
answer to God for is whether I submitted to my head and supported him. You don't
always have to agree with him. There have been times I didn't agree with my husband,
but then that's where prayer comes in. I gave it to God and left it at that. It's our nature
to want to manipulate and control to get what we want. We can't do that. Sometimes,
God will use a mistake to teach a lesson that wouldn't otherwise be learned. We need to
keep our hands off.
The following are some examples of those who chose their own way instead of trusting
God. We need to take heed to keep from making the same mistakes.
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1. Sarah- Gives Hagar to Abram to help God out. Arab-Jew conflict still going on today
Gen. 16
2. Rebekah- I'll cook the venison for your father- we'll deceive him so you can get the
blessing. She
was never able to see Jacob alive again. Gen. 27
3. Solomon- Let his many wives take the spiritual leadership of the home. They turned
away his
heart after other gods. I Kings. 11
Proverbs reveals the wisdom Solomon gained about strange women. We would do well
to take heed to his instruction. God expects a woman to obey her husband. The
husband-wife relationship pictures the holy, sweet relationship between Christ and His
bride, the Church, and also because we are commanded in Scripture to obey. Eph. 5:2224 The Lord intends for marriage to be as delightful, as sweet and intimate and tender
as the relationship He wants us to experience with Him.
The virtuous woman is faithful to her husband. A virtuous woman is one who is pure,
who abstains from a sexual relationship other than with her husband, a woman who is
not suggestive; she is free from obscenity and indecency; she is modest, pure and
decent. How do you dress? Are you modest? What is modest? Properly, restrained by a
sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not
boastful.
Be careful about how you dress. Dress to glorify the Lord not to draw attention from the
eyes of men. When you get ready to go out, ask yourself these questions.
1. Is my garment too tight- does it draw attention to the wrong areas? What about the
weight of the
material, is it too thin?

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2. Is it too short- when I sit, am I covered properly- check your legs.

3. Am I pleasing in my husband's eyes? We'll study more about all this in the lesson on
beauty.
Strive to be God's woman. In no other book in the Bible besides Proverbs do we find so
many references to loose women and grim warnings against any association with them.
She Is Also a Woman of Trust (Proverbs 31:11, 12)

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
A woman who loves God in a righteous way expressing warmth and true affection is a
desirable wife. She will develop these characteristics as found in Galatians 5:22,
23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law
A man is indeed blessed if he can trust his wife to be honest, discreet, free from
covetousness, and dependable in her domain. Being the woman her husband can trust
is one of the jobs of "wifing". It requires constant effort, but it reaps great rewards in
appreciation and love. A man needs to be able to trust his wife to be dependable in her
domain. To be dependable in the area of her domestic responsibilities requires
discipline and diligence, the ability to follow a set of priorities, and genuine concern for
the comfort and welfare of the family. It seems that more and more women are more
interested in acquiring things for themselves than the welfare of the family. Daycares
packed with little children are the result of this goal of women. God help these poor
children who are constantly shifted from one babysitter, to another, to daycare. They've
already got two strikes against them before they hardly get started out in the world.

45
She is honest. Honesty with one's self, with God, and with all those whose lives our
lives touch, is essential and basic to trustworthiness. It is hardest to be honest with
ourselves. It is not easy to cultivate a heart of meticulous honesty. We must recognize
the need for it, and have the desire, and then ask God to give us "an honest and good
heart." We must be willing to scrutinize carefully all our attitudes and actions to
determine if we are being honest--with ourselves, with God, and with others. It's a
temptation to try to make ourselves look better when telling something. Whether it be
one more than what actually was done, or an inch longer than we did, or a little bigger
than it really was. The natural thing for us to do is to push it a little. Guard yourselves
against this. Purpose in your heart to be honest in every word and deed. Set a good
example for those children.
A man should be able to trust his wife to be free from covetousness. Picture a wife who
is never content with what her husband can give her and constantly lets him know how
inadequately he provides. She is like the one in Ecc. 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not
be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity.
The person greedy of gain can only bring trouble to his household, but "Godliness with
contentment is great gain" I Tim. 6:6. Contentment is not that I have what I want, but
that I want what I have.
Furthemore, man needs to be able to trust his wife to be dependable in her domain. To
be dependable in the area of her domestic responsibilities requires discipline and
diligence, the ability to follow a set of priorities, and a genuine concern for the comfort
and welfare of the family.
Always guard your reputation for integrity, honesty and trustworthiness. Riches are
uncertain, but no one can rob you of your good name. As God-fearing women we owe

46
trustworthiness not only to our nearest and dearest, but to all those with whom we
have to do.
A Woman of Energy (Proverbs 31:13-16, 19, 24)

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the
merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night,
and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field,
and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She layeth her hands
to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and
delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
This lesson describes the Proverbs lady as a woman who is not only the wife of a man of
rank, but a wise, useful, and godly matron in her domestic responsibilities. It is a
woman professing godliness, adorned "with good works" (I Timothy 2:10).
This may seem a little to the extreme, but it does help to teach two great object lessons
on diligence and slothfulness in the book of Proverbs. The lesson of the ant (Proverbs
6:6-11; 30:24) and the field of the slothful (24:30-34). The sluggard is instructed to go to
the ant, consider her ways and be wise, which implies that he is lacking in wisdom. It is
explicitly stated that the slothful owner of the field is a person without understanding.
Anyone who ignores the warnings, instructions, and commandments of God is foolish.
It is evident that the Proverbs woman is dedicated to the welfare of her household. God
does not unreasonably expect more from us that he has given us the ability and strength
to do. Verse 13 says she "worketh willingly with her hands". Working willingly is a
mental attitude. It is being pleased with housework, having a desire to do it and taking
delight in doing it-- all for the purpose of glorifying God. No one expects a woman to
like everything she has to do-- dusting, ironing, washing the dishes, matching socks, (I
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sometimes think the washing machine eats socks the way they turn up missing.)
picking up toys. However, God does expect Christian women to do these things
willingly as unto him. When you do these things with a willing spirit, your example
will be a reflection on your children; their approach to life. This will carry over into
their walk with the Lord and how they will respond when he tells them to do
something. I like the verse in Colossians 3.17 which says "and whatsoever ye do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by
him." Let's look at some areas of our lives in which this might hold true.
The point is that we each must learn who we are and whose we are and in doing so we
become that woman of virtue. Our value is determined by the contributions that we
make not just to our family or to our husband but to the world.
If I am a good mother, my contribution would be raising exceptional children who

grow up and become a contribution to the world. If I am making a good home for my
husband (and he for me as well) he feels like he has a place to lay his head and restore
his soul from the cares of this world so that he can go back out there and face the world
another day, the man that the world receives should be happier, better and thus he
becomes a contribution to the world.
Gods ideal woman, the proverbs 31 woman, makes the world a better place just by her
sheer existence in it.
It all comes down to this, a woman has a choice to make of this two in all she does, she
either contributes to the overall decency, goodness and moral integrity of the people
and world around her or she chooses to tear down and destroy them by contributing to
dissolution, destruction, and negativity in her environment.

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A woman who chooses the first projects hope, harmony and happiness in all she does.
She is a direct contradiction to the video girls who are mindless of scruple and flaunt
their perceived beauty with the intent to project and propel promiscuity, sexuality and
immoral desires. Yes, video parades negative images of us as women who have no
goals or hopes for their future but rather ones who run after fame and wealth at the
expense of integrity and moral value. We are presented as if we care less about the
world around us. We have a responsibility as the Proverbs 31 Woman to be up and
doing and shine as a beckon of light as an example for us all.
Why is this so important? In the world we live in these days it is actually hard to find a
virtuous woman. There are so many women who will do anything whatsoever to get
ahead, focusing mainly on themselves. So when you find a woman that is not selfserving, who is willing to give of herself to benefit and to serve others, people take note
of such as she shining above them all. My dear sisters, Christian women all over places,
as you live your daily life with all its blessings and challenges, let me assure you that
the Lord loves you. He knows you. He listens to your prayers, and He answers those
prayers, wherever on this world you may be. He wants you to succeed in this life and in
eternity. In the words of President Heber J. Grant (18561945) Without the devotion
and absolute testimony of the living God in the hearts of our mothers, this Church
would die.
It is so tremendously important that the women in the Church stand strong and
immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord.
At this juncture, I deem it pertinent to bring to the fore the history of one of the virtuous
women in the history of mankind-CLARA BARTON, Founder of the National First Aid
Association of America. Clara Barton is best known as one of the founders of the

49
American Red Cross and as a pioneer in the field of nursing. She was also a supporter
of the womens suffrage movement and dedicated her life to helping people.
Clarissa "Clara" Harlowe Barton was born December 25, 1821, in North Oxford,
Massachusetts, to Captain Stephen and Sarah (Stone) Barton. Her father was a
prosperous businessman and community leader who served in the Indian wars and
regaled Clara with war stories. Educated mainly at home by her older siblingsshe was
the youngest of five children Clara was acutely shy.
When her brother David became seriously ill following a barn-raising accident, 11-year
old Clara nursed him for two years. The family enlisted the help of a doctor who used
hydrotherapy to cure David within a few weeks. Following Davids recovery, Captain
Barton sent Clara to a private boarding school and though she was able to keep up
academically, her shyness affected her health and she returned home. Finally, her
mother had her examined by a noted phrenologist, who recommended she become a
teacher to overcome her shyness.
Clara took the teachers exam brief oral examination given by a minister, a lawyer, and
a judge and began teaching in May 1838 in North Oxford. As a teacher, she enthralled
her students and refused to discipline them physically, though corporal punishment
was a common practice in 19th-century schools. She later wrote, "Child that I was, I did
not know that the surest test of discipline is its absence." Six years later, she opened her
own school.
In 1850, to further her own education, Clara enrolled at the Clinton Liberal Institute in
Clinton, New York. After a year of study, she moved with a friend to Bordentown, New
Jersey. At the time, New Jersey had no free public schools, but with support from the
local community Clara opened a free public school. Although enrollment was initially
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low, by the end of the year she had about 200 pupils. Her project was such a success
that the community built a new school and, much to Claras surprise, hired a man to
run it at twice her salary.
Clara resigned and moved to Washington, D.C., where she became the first female clerk
at the U.S. Patent Office. After President James Buchanan took office in 1857, her
position was eliminated and she was dismissed. She went home to North Oxford but
later returned to the Patent Office and was in Washington, D.C. when the American
Civil War began.
On April 19, 1861, a mob of Southern sympathizers attacked soldiers from the 6th
Massachusetts Regiment in Baltimore. The Baltimore Riot killed and wounded several
soldiers and civilians. A makeshift hospital had been set up for the soldiers at the new
U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. As soon as she heard about the riots, Clara
left the Patent Office to tend the wounded, some of whom she knew personally. She
collected food, medicine, clothing, and other supplies for the troops, many of whom
arrived with just the clothes they were wearing. Clara wrote friends in Massachusetts,
New York, and New Jersey urging them to help, soon building a volunteer supply
network that would last the entirety of the war.
Clara wanted to help with the war effort as much as she could, she offered to do the
work of two clerks at the Patent Office, drawing only the salary of one, so that two male
clerks could be released to fight in the war. With no precedent, the Patent Office refused
and Clara resigned, dedicating herself to help with the war by any means she could,
initially collecting and dispersing supplies and eventually nursing the wounded.
She met and was one of the first to tend to the routed multitudes from the First Battle of
Bull Run in July 1861 and, in October, the soldiers returning from the Battle of Balls
51
Bluff, who included soldiers she knew from Massachusetts. During the Peninsula
Campaign of 1862 she went down to the docks to meet the transports returning from
the field, tending the wounded and helping to bring them to the hospitals.
In late 1861, she went home to North Oxford to tend her dying father, returned to
Washington in March, 1862 with renewed conviction to help her country win the war.
The neglected wounds of the men, which had weighed on her mind since Bull Run, led
her to campaign for the ability to travel to the field hospitals, which were restricted to
male-only staff by both military regulations and societal mores. She finally received
official permission on August 3, 1862, to transport supplies to battlefields and arrived in
the Union camps four days after the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia. She stayed two
days and nights to tend the wounded. On September 1 she arrived at Fairfax Station
and tended the wounded from the Second Battle of Bull Run; on September 14, she was
on hand in Maryland to tend the wounded from the battles of Harpers Ferry and South
Mountain.
Clara then traveled with the army to Antietam Creek outside Sharpsburg, Maryland.
Arriving on the field with four wagons before the Battle of Antietam began, she
provided surgeons with badly needed supplies and stayed with the army as it pursued
the Confederates into Virginia. During the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862,
she assisted in a hospital at Chatham, known as the Lacy House, tending wounded
from both sides. To assist a physician, she traveled into Fredericksburg to tend the
wounded and was able to set up a soup kitchen, returning to Chatham the next day to
she continued to help the wounded. Because the physicians were too busy to keep
records, Clara wrote the names of the men who died at Chatham and where they were
buried in her diary.

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Being so close to the battlefields, Clara narrowly escaped death many times. While
tending to a wounded soldier during the Battle of Antietam, she felt her sleeve movea
bullet had gone through it and killed the man she was tending. At the Battle of
Fredericksburg, Virginia, in December 1862, she saw a fragment from an exploding
shell sever a soldiers artery and applied a tourniquet that saved his life. When a shell
struck the door of the room she was in, she continued what she was doing as though
nothing had happened.
In April, 1863, Clara traveled south to Hilton Head, South Carolina, in anticipation of
the bombardment of Charleston, where she joined her brother, Captain David Bartonan
Army quartermaster and her nephew, Steven E. Barton, who was serving in the military
telegraph office. She helped establish field hospitals and distribute supplies during
siege of nearby Fort Wagner in August.
By June of 1864, Clara was appointed by Army of the James Commander Major General
Benjamin F. Butler to be in charge of diet and nursing at the X Corps hospital, dubbed a
"flying hospital" because of its frequent moves to be close enough to the battle help the
wounded but not so close as to be overrun.
In the fall of 1864, Claras brother Stephen was released from jail and into her care. He
had been arrested on suspicion of treason and violating a blockade. He had moved to
South Carolina just before the war and had difficulty maintaining his property and
business, ultimately engaging in activities that could have been deemed illegal by both
sides. Stephen was later acquitted and allowed to return to Washington, D.C., where he
died in early March 1865 in spite of Claras ministrations.
Soon after, on March 11, 1865, Clara was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to
"search for missing prisoners of war," helping soldiers separated from the units reunite
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with those units or their families and helping families learn the fate of missing soldiers.
She set up Friends of the Missing Men of the United States Army using her own funds
and with the assistance of several volunteers, including her sister Sally. When an
inquiry about a soldier was received, his name was added to the lists, which were
organized by state and published in local newspapers, displayed in post offices, and
reviewed by various organizations. The hope was that veterans seeing the list might
recognize a name or two and provide Clara with information, which her organization
would then provide to whoever had inquired about that soldier.
The search for missing soldiers soon turned to identifying graves. In June 1865, she was
contacted by Dorence Atwater, a Union prisoner of war at Andersonville, Georgia, who
had been assigned to the Confederate Surgeon General to record the deaths at the
prisonother Union soldiers had been assigned to burying the dead. He secretly kept
his own copy of this list and after returning North, asked Clara for a help. She was able
to use her connections to have the case presented to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton,
who agreed that the nearly 13,000 graves should be properly marked. In July, Clara and
Atwater traveled with the U.S. Army Quartermaster and 40 workmen to Andersonville.
Clara had the honor of raising the flag over Andersonville National Cemetery on
August 17, 1865, during the dedication ceremony.
In February 1866 she testified before Congress about the Andersonville prison grounds,
which still stood, a stockade with no running water or shelter. She also testified about
the freed slaves, many of whom had not been told of their freedom, and her
observations of the whites in Georgia. In early March, Congress appropriated $15,000 to
reimburse her for expenses relating to the Friends of the Missing Men of the United
States Army, which she would continue to operate until 1869, identifying a total of
about 22,000 missing men.

54
In 1866, Clara began a lecture tour throughout the Northeast and Midwest, describing
her Civil War experiences. She often shared the platform with other prominent lecturers
of the day. In November 1867, she met woman-suffrage leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Susan B. Anthony, forming strong friendships with both and aligning herself firmly
with the suffrage movement.
Exhausted from her two-year lecture tour, Clara traveled to Europe in September 1869
on the advice of her doctor. While visiting Switzerland, she met Dr. Louis Appia, a
member of the Committee of Five, which would later become the International
Committee of the Red Cross, an organization that had come out of the first Geneva
Convention, August 1864. In September 1870, with sponsorship from the International
Red Cross and the Grand Duchess Louise of Baden, daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm I, Clara
organized a relief effort in Strasbourg, France, during the Franco-Prussian War, which
had begun July 18. In 1871, she organized a similar relief effort in Paris, though the
work had begun to wear on her.
In 1872, nervous exhaustion caused Clara to temporarily lose her eyesight and she went
to England to recuperate. The following October, she returned to the United States,
though she did not make a full recovery until 1876 after going to a sanitarium in
Dansville, New York, where she then made her home.
Following her recovery, Clara focused on publicizing the International Red Cross and
garnering support for the American Red Cross, which was established May 21, 1881.
She was elected its president a few weeks later. The newly formed organization sprang
into action in the fall of 1881 when forest fires ripped through Michigan. It provided
relief during many other natural disasters and epidemics in the U.S., including the
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood in 1889. Clara directed many of the relief operations
herself. The American Red Cross also provided international relief, helping victims of
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the Russian famine of 1892 and providing relief to Armenians living in Turkishcontrolled Armenia in 1896, among other endeavors. In 1898, Clara herself traveled with
nurses to Cuba during the Spanish-American War to nurse the wounded and provide
supplies and foodshe was 76 at the time.
In 1886 Clara moved back to the Washington, D.C., area, to Glen Echo, Maryland. In
1900, after several contentious attempts in the 1890s, the U.S. Congress granted the
American Red Cross a charter, making the independent, non-profit organization
responsible for fulfilling the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, providing family
and other support to the U.S. military, and providing a system for disaster relief.
Clara also directed her last relief operation in 1900, for victims of a hurricane that
devastated Galveston, Texas. Four years later, bowing to pressure for new, larger
centralized leadership of the American Red Cross, she resigned her position. In 1905,
she established the National First Aid Association of America, which emphasized basic
first aid instruction and emergency preparedness, and served as honorary president for
five years. She continued living at her home in Glen Echo, dying at the age of 90 in 1912.
As we live up to this mission, in whatever life circumstance we find yourself as a wife,

as a mother, as a single mother, as a divorced woman, as a widowed or a single woman,
the Lord our God will open up responsibilities and blessings far beyond your ability to
imagine.
I challenge you therefore to rise to the great potential within you. But dont reach
beyond your capacity. Dont set goals beyond your capacity to achieve. Dont feel guilty
or dwell on thoughts of failure. Dont compare yourself with others. Do the best you
can, and the Lord will provide the rest. Have faith and confidence in Him, and you will
see miracles happen in your life and in the lives of your loved ones. The virtue of your
56
own life will be a light to those who sit in darkness, because you are a living witness of
the fulness of the gospel. Wherever you have been planted on this beautiful but often
troubled earth of ours, you can be the one to succor the weak, lift up the hands which
hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
CONCLUSION
I will like to conclude this article in the words of Marcus Aurelius; Waste no more time
arguing about what a good man or woman should be. Be one.

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CHAPTER FIVE
GRACE OF GOD
V. O. Odufuwa
The Church of the Living Stone Int'l., Glorious Assembly
INTRODUCTION
We need to look first at the word grace. It simply means assistance or help. And
whereas we can obtain assistance or help from man as well as from God, the difference
will be seen in what goes into either. For man, you can be sure the assistance or help
will most probably come as a result of expectations from giving such help. But, for God,
the Creator of man, such help or assistance comes as a result of the need to take care of
the mans need without any string, conditions or expectations attached. Oftentimes God
does this for man even when by mans sinful and wayward nature, he obviously does
not deserve it. It is thus an undeserved favour originating from the giver, who of course
can be God alone. In such we have Grace of God.
WHAT IS GRACE OF GOD?

What then is the grace of God? It can be described or defined as undeserved or
unmerited favour or assistance from God to man. It is a form of kindness from God
which we do not deserve or merit. It is neither as a result of anything ordinary or
special we have not done, nor whatever do to earn this favour. It is not something you
can pray or pay money to earn. It is a gift from God, totally free for the receiver and
undeservedly too. Grace of God can further be described as a divine assistance given to
humans for their regeneration or sanctification. Whatever we are or may be spiritually
and physically, is by this grace. Apostle Paul attests to this in I Corin.15:10. This
explains the chorus Thank you Jesus, thank you my God; whatever I am now, it is by

58
your grace;; and also Ephesians 2:8-9. We have been saved by faith i.e. as a
result of our belief in God, as well as by His personal wisdom, which no one can search.
To further explain His grace, a preacher once used it as an acronym to mean Gods
Richies at Christs Expense, an expression which explains what our Lord Jesus Christ
went through so that we may enjoy this special gift of grace from God.
As man, it is obligatory that we all extend grace i.e. help, kindness, and assistance to
others. When the word is used in connection with God, it carries weight in meaning and
dimension. It is about God choosing to bless us rather than cursing us, in accordance
with our sins, short-comings, misdemeanors, waywardness, disobedience. In fact, the
only reason any of us can enter into a relationship with Him is because of His grace
toward us Ephes.2:8-9. It is of note however that this grace actually began in the
Garden of Eden when God had to kill an animal to cover the sin of Adam and Eve
Genesis. 3:21. He could have chosen to kill the first man there for his disobedience, but
rather made a way for them to be right with Him. God continued in this pattern of
grace as He instituted blood sacrifices as a medium to atone for sinful men. It was not
the blood from those sacrifices that cleansed sinners, but the grace of God that forgave
those who trusted in Him Genesis.15:6, Hebrews.10:4.
SOME FORMS OF GRACE

God Himself is the initiator of grace and it is from Him that all other grace flows. We
have varied grace, some of such, which are often taken for granted, abused or frustrated
are
1.
Grace of life You are alive, body, soul and spirit; you sleep and wake up; you
travel and arrive safely; you fall sick and you are healed, more and It is all by the
grace of God. In fact, many erroneously pray so that God can make them wake
up instead of appreciating it as grace. It is like we are taking God as a guard.

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2.
Grace of sight it is not everyone that has eyes that can see. The Bible says in
Psalm. 36:9b that In Your light we see light. A lot of the blind people are more
knowledgeable in the word of God than many of who are not blind. An example
is the late Pastor Obadare.
3.
Grace of hearing The child of a deaf and dumb will appreciate this grace the
more.
4.
Grace of smell By His grace, some can smell fire before it breaks out and so be
saved.
5.
Grace of intelligence.
6.
Grace of music appreciation Some people often dance against rhythm because
they do not have the grace to do otherwise.
7.
Grace of morals This is not a virtue to boast about if you have it, it is only by
grace. If you observe that you are gentle, for instance, dont blame the man who
is troublesome. Salvation is different from morals; before you know it, the
troublesome person has been saved while you are on the other side.
8.
Grace of age It is grace to attain a certain age. It is not that you did not go
through the dangers which others went through and died.
9.
Grace of safe delivery Have a thought of those who had to go through surgical
operations at birth delivery. Yours was so easy, you should appreciate the fact
that it was just by grace.
10.
Grace of safe journey.

There are many more. The question is, why does God give us this grace?
REASONS FOR GODS GRACE

1.
That all the glory will be His alone, so that no one will boast. You cannot thank
your parents, for instance, for your height, your look, salvation, etc Ephesians.
2:8, Jeremiah. 9:23-24. There is only one reason by which anyone can glory that
you understand and know God. The glory is not about yourself but of knowing
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the One who alone has the glory. You can begin to glory when you have come to
know God as God of righteousness and justice, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, etc. The glory is in the submission of your own glory to His.
2.
To display His sovereignty Whatever God does is final. Who dares question
Him for whatever, He does and who He is. This is so that He alone can have all
the glory. By His grace, you will be able to acknowledge that He alone is
sovereign in power, in wisdom, in knowledge, etc.
HOW TO RECEIVE GODS GRACE AND STAY IN IT

There are ways to receive Gods grace, this free gift from God, which has been given to
us in Christ Jesus even before the beginning of time. This, of course can be seen from the
Holy Scriptures. Well equally see how to stay in the grace after having received it.
1.
God gives grace to the humble Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, and IPet.5:5. Be
humble to receive His grace in totality.
2.
As a free gift from Him, grace was given to us by God in Christ Jesus before the
beginning of time 2Timothy.1:8-9
3.
Through the knowledge and revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ 2Peter1:2,
1Peter1:13.
How then do we stay in the grace of God after it has been received?
1.
We should make use of the grace effectively and productively

2Corithians. 6:1, 9:8
2.
Share and spread it to more people it will result and a further spread of the glory
of God Romans.1:5-6, 2Corithians.4:15.
3.
We must totally stay away from sin and cling on righteousness Romans.6:12 -14
4.
As this grace is the one which can give us salvation, we must remain in our faith,
the faith which is alive and working thus expressing love Galatians 5:4-6.

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CHALLENGES, REPONSES OR ANSWERS TO THE GRACE OF GOD

When one received the grace of God upon his or her life, what are the possible
challenges that can come up and the resultant responses from us?
1.
We must show gratitude to God with fear and trembling Phill.2:12. Maybe you
have not been praying as much as you should, but doing it as best you can, dont
blame yourself. It takes grace of God. Just endeavour to have a fearful gratitude
to God about those things you are able to do right. Avoid getting carried away
by whatever achievement that comes your way, thinking it will always be so.
2.
We must always strive to maximize or allow the grace of God upon our lives to
increase. This however, can be done in two ways:
a.
Positive use of the grace 2 Corinthians 6:1.
We must avoid abusing or
frustrating the grace when we have it. For instance, what do you use your grace
of sight, intelligence, smell, and others for? Are you always conscious of using
them to glorify God or self? As an example, you say if you have a thousand
tongues, you will praise God, but the only one you have, you have been using it
to destroy others Philippians. 4:8-9.
b.
Boldly approach the throne of grace - Hebrews. 4:14-16. The heart of man will
always want to take liberty for license. If God says, for instance, that you should
not fast but you think you have a looming problem for which you must fast,
remember the sovereignty of God, and that He is the one that has given you the
grace to exist i.e. grace of life. Afterall, you did not have to fast to be saved.
Remember again Hebrew.4:14-16. The grace that made you a father or mother,
for instance, can make you become successful if only you will hold on to the
sovereignty of God. Abraham left his profession (faith) when he was 86 years
and went in with Haggai, with God looking away from him and thus resulting in
pains for another 13 years before he went back again.

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You must maximize your faith by going to the throne all the time. Do not be afraid of
shedding tears or of being naked before God to plead for His mercy. If you are a man
and you have a problem, go to the throne of grace that made you a man, for solution.
Stop limiting the power of God. He gave you the grace in the first place to demonstrate
His power. Hold on to your profession (faith) and boldly go to the throne of grace.
What are even these professions? That you are what you are by His grace, and that God
alone has the sovereignty of wisdom and knowledge. God knows your limitations, your
infirmities, go to Him in confidence, as long as you do not wander come away from
grace of God to yourself. By grace, you are a husband, or a wife, or a child, etc, may yet
feel insufficient maximize the grace you already have today by approaching boldly the
throne of grace.

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CHAPTER SIX
THE ROLE OF GODS ANOINTING IN SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT
Wilson E. Iteheri
Victory Christian Missionary Centre, Ekiugbo-Ughelli,
Delta State, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
1.
Background:
All the nations of the earth are groping for ways and means of sustainable
development. The nations are overwhelmed by challenges that are beyond human
solution. These challenges have defied human knowledge, wisdom, technology and
experience. The more human efforts are exerted, the more the challenges escalate
beyond human solution
Some of the daunting challenges facing humankind that thwart development are
poverty, famine, diseases, crime, immorality, wickedness, unemployment, terrorism,
insurgencies, wars, flood, typhoons, corruption, oppression, hurricanes, windstorms
and numerous others.
The nations of the earth including Nigeria have tried every kind of leadership, from
civilian to military and back to civilian, from parliamentary system of government to
presidential system, from military rule to democracy all to no avail. Things are getting
worse. Unemployment is increasing, violet crimes are increasing, insurgencies and wars
are taking root, corruption is increasing and general national underdevelopment is
increasing.

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All economic development theories have failed. All psychological and philosophical
employed to bring about solutions have failed. All forms of leadership have failed and
even the church has failed. The questions now are what are the causes of these
challenges that have thwarted the efforts of these nations at development of effort of
nations? Why have all human effort failed and what could be the supernatural solution
to these challenges in order to have sustainable national development? Is this possible?
How?
The truth of the matter is that the governments of the world cannot create sustainable
development if they depend on human effort, knowledge and wisdom no matter how
hard they try and no matter how noble their intentions are. This is because the whole
world is under the power of the wicked one Satan the devil as the bible says the
whole world lieth under the power of the wicked one
Human power, knowledge and effort alone cannot match up with that of Satan the
devil whose sole mission is to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10 vs. 10). Here lies
the truth of the matter. The only force that can break the yoke of Satan is Gods
anointing upon the leaders as the Bible says say unto Zerubbabal, not by might nor by
power but by my spirit (shall the yoke be broken) saith the lord of host (Zach. 4 vs.
6) and Isaiah 10 vs.27 says it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken
away from off thy shoulders and his yoke from off thy neck and the yoke shall be destroyed
because of the anointing.
The second important point is that Satan has cast a veil and a covering upon all the
nations of the earth according to Isaiah 25 vs. 7 which says and he will destroy in this
mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the Vail that is spread over all
nations.
Ephesians 6 vs. 12 for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against

65
principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of the world and against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
The only power that can remove this covering veil from the nations of the earth and
unleash their potentials for sustainable development is the power of Gods anointing.
Every other thing will surely fail, United Nations (UN) will fail, World Health
Organization (WHO) will fail, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will fail and
African Union (AU) will fail. The Bible says now the Egyptians are men and not God; and
their horses are flesh and not spirit; when the Lord shall stretch out this hand, both he that
helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall fail together (Isaiah 31:3)
Egyptians here represents human efforts and horses here are human instruments of
development.
The third point on this issue is the fallen nature of man. Psychologists, social scientists
and theologians are yearning for the New Man that can take charge of the nations of
the earth to ensure equity, peace, security and national development. This is a clear
testimony that something is wrong with the present
nature
of
human
beings
irrespective of race, colour, creed or sex. The human nature tends towards greed,
violence, oppression, immorality and disorderliness. The Bible refers to this as the law
of sin and death. It is a force beyond human
control and it operates through fleshly
desires and is driven by the satanic spirit in man. It tends only towards pleasure and
self-gratification irrespective of the harm done to others and the nation.
But there is another law that frees us from the law of sin and death. It is called the law
of the spirit of life which is driven by the spirit of God in us through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8: 2 for the law of spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death.

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2.
Definition of Gods anointing
Beyond the physical or academic meaning of anointing which is defined as a religious

activity of pouring oil on an individual for the purpose of separation for a religious
assignment, anointing is the presence of the Holy Spirit of God in an individual to
instruct and to direct.
Anybody that does not have the indwelling spirit of God in him to instruct and to direct
is not anointed no matter the quantity of oil poured on him, the title he bears or the
religious office he holds. The Bible says for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are
the sons of God (Romans 8: 14). 1st Corinthians 2: 11 12 also says for what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth
no man but the spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit of
God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Therefore, Gods anointing is beyond pouring of oil, ordination, consecration,

sanctification, titles, robes and positions. It is simply the presence of the Spirit of God to
instruct and to direct. Jeremiah 1: 5 says before I formed thee in the belly, I know thee; and
before thou comest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the
nations
The Gods anointed therefore are those in whom the spirit of God dwells to instruct and
to direct. They carry the presence and the power of God on planet Earth and they are
the sons of God in every nation of the world and in every generation. They are not
religious men but they are Godly men. They are not dominated by doctrines and
dominations but they are dominated by presence and the power of God.
They are not popular in the social and political glitz neither do they struggle for space
with world leaders and businessmen. They are like John the Baptist who
was sent to

67
remind the people of their sins and to repent unto God. Matthew 3: 2-3 and saying (of
John the Baptist) repent ye for the kingdom of God is at hand 3: for this is he that was spoken of
by the Prophet Isaiah, saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the
lord and make his path straight.
Anointed men are lonely men. They are courageous men like Nathan that confronted
David with his sin of adultery. They do not compromise the truth neither do they have
value for earthly wealth. Gods anointed men are few on earth but their impacts are
great.
Perhaps the greatest prayer any nation needs to pray to attain sustainable National
development is lord, send your anointing upon our land and upon our people. There is a
serious deficit of anointing and anointed men and women in Nigeria hence the nation
has various national crisis that hinder development.
3.
Definition of Sustainable National Development:
Sustainable national development connotes a robust satisfaction of human needs to

dwell in peace and security. It involves the adequate provision of food, shelter, peace,
security, gainful employment, physical infrastructure and as well as a conductive
environment for the actualization of the human potential.
Sustainable National development is a systemic progression in meeting the social,

economic and physical infrastructure needs of people. It is a state of freedom from fear,
disease and hopelessness. It is a utopian state where all is well and continues to be
better with the nation and her people in all ramifications.

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From creation, and hitherto sustainable national development has been a mirage to
mankind. Right from the time Eve succumbed to Satan in the garden of the Eden and
from, the time Cain killed Abel, the nations of the world have not known peace.
The rebellious and anti-peace spirit in man has led to bloodshed, wars, sodomy, greed,
dominations and oppression and all forms of evil.
However, through the infinite mercy of God, he sent the Lord Jesus Christ in the form
of man unto planet Earth to die for the sins of man so that man can be free from this
yoke of satanic control. Roman 5:17, 19 for if by one mans offense death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the spirit of righteousness shall reign
in life by one; Jesus Christ 19 for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by
the obedience of one shall many is made righteous.
Jesus Christ, the anointed of God paid the supreme price to free us from the satanic
powers that make sustainable national development impossible. He made every true
believer an anointed son of God on planet earth to be an agent of sustainable national
development because only the anointed are beyond the control of Satan the Devil
John1:12 says but as many that received him, to they he gave power to become sons of Gods,
even to them that believe on his name Only the Anointed sons can overcome the power of
darkness over the nations of the earth.
4.
The Role of Gods anointing in Sustainable National Development:
The first issue is: Can Gods anointing be upon a nation or upon a land just as it can be
upon believers? What are the conditions and what are the benefits of the anointing
upon the nations?

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The answer is that Gods anointing can be upon a nation or a land. The conditions are
that the people must humble themselves before God; they must pray and must turn
away from their wicked ways.
II Chronicles 7:14 says If my people who are called by my name shall humble
themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will
hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land
The first thing the anointing does upon a nation is TO HEAL THE NATION. Until a
nation is healed there cannot be peace, there cannot be productivity, good health, good
leaders and prosperity. Hence such nation cannot experience sustainable national
development. All the nations of the earth including Nigeria are seriously sick. Some
have terminal diseases that will lead to disintegration. The diseases are wars, terrorism,
insurgencies,
joblessness,
sicknesses,
famines,
corruption,
greed,
oppressions,
wickedness, floods, natural disasters and all manners of afflictions.
Until the anointing comes upon the nation and God rebukes the devourers (Malachi
3:11), no nation can experience sustainable development. This point of Healing the land
should be a concern of all Nigerians. There should be a clarion call to Nigerians for
repentance and humility before God in prayers as was the case of Nineveh, so that God
will hear our prayers, forgive our sins and heal our country to enable us attain
sustainable national development.
The second thing anointing does to promote sustainable National development is

NATIONAL RESTORATION. After healing the land, only the lord can restore it to
glory and sustainable development.

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Ezekiel 36:29-30 Says I will also save you from all your uncleanness and I will call for the
corn and will increase it and lay no famine upon you. 30 and I will multiply the fruit of the tree
and the increase of the field, that ye receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
When anointing comes upon a nation, she experiences healing and restoration which
are manifested in peace, security, prosperity, progress, equity justice and human capital
development. These are the indices of sustainable national development
The third role Gods anointing play in sustainable National development is the
ENTHRONEMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Sin brings reproach but righteousness
exalts a nation according to proverb 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a
reproach to any people.
Righteousness is doing things right and having the fear of God. Unrighteousness is sin
and it hinders individual and national development. In a country where only the few
opportuned persons steal the wealth of the Nation and save it in foreign banks while
the majority of the masses suffer hunger, unemployment and hopelessness, sustainable
national development cannot be attained.
When Gods anointing comes upon the land, he will install righteous leaders who will
install righteousness in the country and this will promote sustainable national
development. The bible
says God changeth the times and the seasons, he removeth kings
and setteth up kings, he giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know
understanding (Daniel 2:21).
When righteousness is enthroned via Gods anointing, all things became well for the
people. Isaiah 3:10 says ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the
fruit of their doings.

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Another benefit of righteousness is LEADERSHIP STABILITY which is a precondition

for sustainable national development Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness shall the throne be
established, thou shall be far from oppression, for thou shall not fear, and from
terror
for it shall not come near thee
Righteousness being a benefit of Gods anointing is very much desired in Nigeria today
if we are to experience peace, security, prosperity and all round sustainable national
development. If the majority of Nigerians especially the leadership can fulfill the
conditions for the out pouring of Gods anointing upon the nation, then this nation shall
be healed, and restored, we shall have stable leadership and polity and experience
sustainable National development.
The forth role of Gods anointing in the attainment of sustainable national development
is the RAISING UP OF FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF GOD IN THE LAND. The
greatness of America today is because she is a nation, founded upon faith in God. She
is the first and only country in the world whose currency and constitution clearly bears
IN GOD WE TRUST. Since her independence, no American president has ever taken
any major decision without consulting with men of God who are part and parcel of the
national development.
The late Evangelist BILLY GRAHAM was the spiritual consultant in national affairs to
six American presidents. Today, America still remains the country with the greatest
number of Gods Generals in the world. This is why she is the greatest country on planet
earth and will remain so for a long time.
1st Samuel 2 vs. 25 and I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that
which is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house
and he shall walk
before mine anointed forever.

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The duties of these anointed servants of God in the nation are

(1.)
Prayer for the Nation: moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the
lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way(1st
Samuel 12 v s. 23).
Also, 1st Samuel 7 vs. 8 And the children of Israel said unto Samuel, cease not to cry unto the
lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
Gods anointing raises up many Gods anointed which turn the nation into a prayer
house to create the spiritual and physical environment for sustainable nation
development.
(2)
The anointed servants of God in a nation are the spiritual consultants to the
political leaders to enable them take the right decision for victory
1 Samuel 7 vs. 8 and David said unto Abiathar the Priest, Ahimelechs son, I pray
thee, bring me hither the ephod and Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David (8) and
David enquired at the lord saying shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He
answered him. Pursue for thou shall surely overtake them and without fail, recover all and
without fail, recover all.
Without spiritual consultation, things go wrong and disasters happen. Gods anointing
makes the presence and power of God available through his anointed servants for free
spiritual consultation and insights. National leadership should not slight this free gift of
God.
The anointed servants of God also reprove leadership when they are going astray like
Prophet Nathan did to king David and prophet Elijah did to King Ahab.
2nd Samuel 12 vs. 7 and Nathan said unto David thou art the man

73
1st King 18 vs. 23 and Elijah answered I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy
fathers house in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and thou has
followed Balaam.
However, for the anointed servants of God to play their roles effectively, they must hear
from God and they must speak exactly what they hear.
11 king 22 vs. 14 and Micaiah (the prophet) said, as the Lord lived, what the Lord saith
unto me, that I will speak.
The prayer of all Nigerians should be Lord as you pour your anointing upon our land to
heal, restore and enthrone stability, raise up your true servants in multitudes who will hear from
you and redirect the affairs of this nation
CONCLUSION
Nigeria is in dire need of Gods anointing in all aspects of her life in order to attain
sustainable nation development. We cannot do without it. All efforts since
independence have failed and there is increase in crime, in corruption, in
unemployment, poverty, disunity and terrorism.
Only Gods anointing can recreate the moral fabric of the nation and restore her to the
path of rectitude and fear of God. Only the anointing of God can
tame the unbridled
corruption in high places and make the heart of leadership consider the frustrations the
youths of the nation face in getting admission into higher institutions of learning and in
getting jobs after graduation. Only the anointing of God can make leadership realize
that the people are suffering and that there is need to harness the wealth of this nation
towards sustainable development of the nation and her people.

74
This paper is a clarion calls on all Nigerians the leaders and the led that God, the must
high God ruleth the affairs of men and no nation on planet earth can attain
sustainable national development without his presence and power via the anointing.
God bless Nigeria. Amen.

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CHAPTER SEVEN
SALVATION: ITS INTERPRETATION IN THE PRESENT DAY CHURCH

James Olusola Adetona
CAC Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists, P.O. Box 1151,
Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
Salvation according to Wycliffe Bible Dictionary is the sum total of Gods works in
bringing men from the state of sin to the state of glory through Jesus Christ the Godman. In the former state men are spiritually dead and subject to divine wrath; in the
latter, they are under Gods grace and experiencing eternal life.
Understood passively, salvation is the total and future enjoyment by true believers in
Christ of God self-giving through His son1.
The topic of discussion: Salvation, its interpretation in the present day church would be
examining salvation viz a viz what it was in the Old Testament dispensation, its
significance in the New Testament period and its relevance in the present day
dispensation, and what the present day believers of whom the end time come upon
would stand to gain and benefit through both Old Testament and New Testament,
make reference to being saved from physical danger and possible physical death.
Salvation refers primarily to being delivered or rescued from sin. The great saving event
of the Old Testament was the exodus when God acted in his story to free Israel from
Egyptian domination. Though the Israelites enjoyed national deliverance through the
Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, published by Hendrickson Publishers Inc, P.O. Box 3473 Peabody
Massachusetts 019613473
1

76
prophets, they looked forward to the new age when salvation would be proclaimed to
the whole earth.
Jesus fulfilled this Old Testament hope because He came to die in order to save sinners
from the guilt and power of sin. We cannot do anything to save ourselves instead if we
are to receive Gods salvation we must believe in Jesus. When we have that belief, he
removes our guilt and we are forgiven of our sins and trespasses, following that, we
have a responsibility to ensure a right living in Christ and His resurrection power and
we have future hope of becoming free at long last from the stain of sin in the new
heaven and new heart2.
In the course of this discussion therefore, there would be an appraisal of the exodus
prophesied and fulfilled (Gen 15:13-14), Salvation promised for all nations (Ps 22:27-28),
One church worldwide (Matt 16:18), Purpose of Christ cross (Isaiah 53:5-8), Jesus as our
saviour (Matt 1:21), Faith in Jesus (John 1:12), Salvation by grace (Acts 11:18), Salvation
received by faith (Gen 15:6), Salvation not by works (Deut 9:4-6), God forgiving sins
(Exodus 34:6-7), Existence in Christ (John 6:56), Our real home is heaven (Luke 10:20),
Assurance of eternal life (Psalm 23:6).
All the above subtopics which would be dwelt on, although not indepthly due to
constraints of space are scriptural and Biblical. They are not write ups of imagination or
juxtaposition of ideas and thoughts got here and there rather it is a thoroughly and
strictly scriptural work and it would be exercised in that light.
THE EXODUS PROPHESIED AND FULFILLED (GEN 15: 13-14)

The passage of discussion and the quoted passage (Gen 15:13-14), one gathered from
the passage that is quoted, there is the reality that the action of Abraham might in
2
The NIV Topical Study Bible, copyright 1989 by Zondervan Corporation, All right reserved.

77
probability have tired God though we were not present there but it might have been the
case, however the prophesy in that passage came to fulfilment on Abraham
descendants during the time of Jacob and his sons, when they went to live in Egypt
(Gen 40:1-27). They lived in the land of Egypt for 430 years until the time of Moses
when the children of Israel became free of centuries of bondage. A sin might have been
committed thereof but God does not do things absence mindedly and he does not act
presumptuously.
SALVATION PROMISED FOR ALL NATIONS (PS 22:27-28)

After the flood (Gen 7:1-23), the whole of the human race divided into various and
diverse nations, God is king over all of them, He made the descendants of Abraham His
chosen nation. The inhabitants of this nation became known as Israelites (Gen 32:28)
and later as Jews (Zech 8:23), God commanded them to separate themselves from other
nations especially by avoiding mixed marriages.
From biblical perspective, the human race came to be divided along the lines of Jew and
the Gentiles, Jew and Greek.
The intention of God was never to reserve his promised blessing only for one nation but
to make it available for all nations. Already to Abraham he promised that in him all the
nations of the world would be blessed. The prophets looked ahead to a time in which all
nations would hear about and respond to the salvation of God.
This was fulfilled when the gospel was preached to the Jew and gentiles alike. The
church came into existence as the worldwide body of Jesus Christ3.
Ibid pg 582

78
ONE CHURCH WORLDWIDE (MATT 16:18)

Church from the literal Greek translation means Ekklesia denoting called out ones. It is
never a place of worship but an assembly of people; it indicates a local body of
believers.
The circumstances under which Ekklesia became the accepted term for Christian
congregations remain uncertain. The word however does appear in the New Testament
recorded in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17. In an age of division, diversity and
denominationalism the call to unity needs to be constant with us.
Jesus prays that his disciples will be one and the Bible uses various metaphors to
describe the church as one considering the great impact of unity, such as one body
family, flock, vineyard and bride. A spirit of oneness in each local church is very crucial.
The reference to Peter in Matthew 16:18.... and upon this rock i will build my church
is a metaphorical statement, it portrays that Peter as the chief disciple and the
spokesman of the Apostles would play a very promising and vital role in bringing the
church into existence, to the audience, the statement may not make much meaning but
it came into fulfillment a few years later after the ascension of Jesus Christ. The mantle
of propagating the gospel fell on the Apostles of which Peter was the leader4.
THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST CROSS (ISAIAH 53:5-8)

The death of Christ on the cross paid the eternal price for us, we have all sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). None of us is righteous but the Son of man
came, a man with no guile, to free us from sin to give us total obedience to the loving
Lord of the universe. Jesus wants us to serve him by serving others, recognising that
whatever we do for one of Gods children we do for him.
4
Ibid pg 1034

79
In our service, we are to have the same humble, and gentle, spirit that characterized
Jesus Christ, the cross served as a means of execution for Jesus whose death was
planned by God and carried out by sinful people.
The message of the cross preached already on Pentecost was a stumbling block to Jews,
for they expected a powerful deliverer rather than one who had a cruel, painful and
disgraceful death, a death which according to the Old Testament brought a divine curse
on the one crucified. The cross was foolishness to the Gentile for only the worst
criminals were crucified, yet through the cross Christ brought salvation, setting us free
from the curse of God, forgiving our sins, winning the victory over his enemies,
bringing us back to God and giving us life that will never end.
As believers, crucified with Christ, we must now live new lives putting our sinful
nature to death, imitation Jesus commitment to the will of the father and willingly
obeying Christ even when it threatens our security or comfort and even if it leads to
death5.
JESUS AS OUR SAVIOUR (MATTHEW 1:21)

The birth of Jesus Christ as saviour and redeemer had been predicted and prophesied
by prophets and men of God centuries before it came into fulfilment (Isaiah 9:6, Zech
9:9-12). The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and later to Joseph to give a message of
the birth of the Messiah of the world.
The couple received the message with reservation especially Mary bearing it in mind
that both couple were just engaged, the marriage had not been formally solemnized.
The message and the prophecy by the angel however came into fulfillment.
5
Ibid pg 1308

80
It reveals and portrays a very significant truth about Jesus Christ - that he is both God
and man, God took on the limitations of humanity so that he could live and die for the
salvation of all who believes and trust in him6.
FAITH IN JESUS (JOHN 1:12)

All those who receive and welcome Jesus as Lord of their lives with a penitent and
repentant heart are reborn spirituality and they receive new life from God through faith
in Christ, the new birth changes the believers completely and totally.
i.
Firstly, it changes the believers inside out restructuring the attitudes, desires
and motives of the person.
ii.
Being born into the world makes one to be physically alive and places one in
ones parent family.
iii.
Being born again makes one spiritually alive and one permanently in Gods
family.
There is the need to seek the face of God and pray to be made a new person. The fresh
start is made available to only those who believe in Christ7.
SALVATION BY GRACE (ACT 11:18)

Salvation extended to the gentiles through the preaching and the activities of the
disciples and the Apostles who were with Jesus and had drunk very deeply from the
tank of his vast knowledge.
The Jesus message The gospel to all nations was a very serious message when Jesus
made the declaration that the message should be preached to the gentiles.
6
7
Life Application Study Bible KJV copyright 1989 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton Il, 60189
Ibid John 1:12

81
When Peter reported to his colleagues how God had led him to a whole new audience
when they heard the story they glorified God for the new ministry. The new converts
remained teachable.
The intellectual questions ended and the theological discussions stopped with the
report that God had given the Holy Spirit to the gentiles. The situation was the turning
point for the early church. They had to accept those whom God had chosen even if they
were gentiles.
The conversion has not stopped over the centuries since the church started. Salvation is
by grace, it is not an aggregation of efforts or strivings put up by a group of people,
society or nation neither is it the ability, strength and enablement of an individual, it is
the complete grace of God on man, it was God who laid the foundation and brought it
to existence for the sake of mankind8.
SALVATION BY FAITH (GEN 15:6)

Salvation by faith was not received and obtained by Abraham, when told by God to
depart and go out of his fathers household and go to a new land - a virgin land which
God would show him.
Looking at it retrospectively, were it some people not in the mould of Abraham human
characteristic, they might be bound to be disobedient, querying Gods directives and
asking what is wrong with the present abode or residence. But Abraham being an
obedient and an insightful man knew and recognised the voice and word of God and it
paid off spiritually, physically and materially for him and his generations yet unborn of
which we are living witnesses today.
The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition Copyright 2002-2007 by Maxwell Motivation Inc.

82
The choice Abraham made in departing his fathers house was a good one and through
Abraham the world has been blessed. Obedience to follow Gods directives and
instructions paid off fully for Abraham and his descendants; to have done contrary
would have been disastrous and catastrophic.
Abrahams faith is a typical guide to any Christian or believer of any age who wished
for God true blessings. Going through the scriptures, one can see allusions and
references made about the faith and the steadfastness of Abraham, little wonder
therefore that he is referred to as the father of faith9 (Rom 4:17-21)
SALVATION NOT BY WORKS (DEUT 9:4-6)

The children of Israel were warned and admonished by God not to think too much
about their own righteousness nor should they consider that the wicked deeds of the
nations that were deprived the land made the people to possess the land rather, it is the
covenant that God Jehovah Yahweh swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the Lord is
upholding to the letters even though the Israelites were defaulting in many instances in
their journey to the promised land. God is faithful and he keeps His promises to His
chosen people. There are lessons to learn from the admonition because people easily
forget and do not remember the great deeds of God in the wilderness, how God parted
the Red sea for the people to pass through, how he conquered and annihilated great
kings in the course of the Israelites journey to the land of promise. All these were the
acts and deeds of God not the works and abilities of the Israelites, so therefore, salvation
is not by works, it is through the grace of God10.
Bible faith study course, 1991 Rhema Bible Church. All right reserved pg 9-10
Op cit pg 216
10

83
GOD FORGIVES SIN (EX 34:6-7)

There is no doubt that one cannot ignore the theme of judgement in the book of Exodus.
When one reflects the incidents, the confrontations and the activities of the children of
Israel with Pharaoh and one assessed the adamancy of Pharaoh, because of pharaohs
sinful oppression of the children of Israel and his persistent refusal to obey the
command of God to let them leave, God sent the ten plagues culminating in the death of
every first born Egyptian, later God drowned the army of pharaoh in the red sea but
God also judge the Israelites when they worshipped the gold calf, three thousand were
killed by the Levites at Moses command and more died when the lord struck the people
with a plague.
It is little wonder that the Israelites developed a wholesome fear of the Lord. Gods
anger and judgement is always related to sin and disobedience, he calls us like Israelites
to obey his will11.
Why would the sins of fore parents affect grandchildren and great grandchildren? It is
not a deliberate or arbitrary punishment. Children still suffer for the sins of their
parents. In the present age and time when one considers child abuse or alcoholism for
example, these sins are obvious like selfishness and greed can be passed along as well.
The dire consequence of sin is not limited to the individual family member. In view of
this, one should be careful not to treat sin casually or carelessly but what to do in the
instance is to recognise ones sins, repent of it, and turn away from it completely12.
EXISTENCE IN CHRIST (JOHN 6:56)

The statement of Jesus Christ that anyone that partakes of his body and blood abide in
him is an imagery, a reference point, not a literal statement or something of a fact, what
11
12
NIV Topical study bible copyright 1989 by Zondervan op. All right reserved pg 96
Op cit pg 165

84
that saying denotes is that anyone who has accepted and received Christ as Lord and
Saviour is now a new being who has changed completely and therefore takes on the
new concept of a new life, old things are not to be reckoned with anymore, as a result of
the new life, the thought, action, reflect and bear Christ likeness in all endeavours.
The Apostles Paul The Apostle to the gentiles made an allusion to this imagery of
body and blood in I Corinthians 11:23-26, all what one is doing as a believer should
symbolise Christ not just on face value. The term Christian should exist and abide in
him, obeying and observing His tenets and injunctions and upholding the faith for
others to learn from and thereby there is sustenance and maintenance of Gods
precepts13.
OUR REAL HOME IS HEAVEN (LUKE 10:20)

The salvation that has been brought to our doorsteps through the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ who is our lord and saviour has brought us out of total darkness to light
eternal, if not for the light and salvation of the gospel, one wonders what life would
have been now? Probably, a world of dog eats dog, a world of severest mans
inhumanity to man, a world of most extreme mans wickedness to his own kind.
Salvation has brought light, joy, happiness and hope to mankind. All these are Gods
wonder at work, the work is however a continuity till the climax of time. There is
however one thing we all should not lose sense of, that is the heavenly citizenship
which is the ultimate of our existence. If we are in the world and we have not gained
anything we have not lost out but to lose out in the race of the heavenly citizenship
especially for believers is to lose out on everything14.
13
14
Op cit pg 615, 2015.

Ibid pg 1743

85
ASSURANCE OF EXTERNAL LIFE (PSALM 23:6)

As believers pass through this sinful world of tribulations and uncertainty of what
would happen tomorrow, we should live in hope, dwell in hope and aspire in hope.
God is the perfect shepherd and as believers follow the perfect shepherd, they will not
be led astray, he is the only one who can offer and lead believers to their eternal home,
man cannot and will fail but with God, everything is obedience to him, therefore, with
someone in Christ abiding and dwelling in Him eternal life is assured15.
SUMMARY
How does the present day church perceive salvation? Do they perceive it as bringing
light to battered lives, to people whose hope are shattered? Does the modern church see
a good future in the brethren of today that they could become the John Wesley, the Billy
Sunday, the George Finney or the D.L. Moody of tomorrow?
The propagation of the gospel today is an avenue for advertisement of things that are
negative in concept and pattern that does not promote the gospel. It has become an
avenue for raising fund and revenue as if there are no other forums for such things, it is
a place of the latest fashion propagation in town as if the revival venue is a fashion
parade forum.
It has also turned to a forum where the latest music and music dance steps are
advertised and promoted. It is also seen as an avenue for popularity promotion where
various populace and eminent personalities and figures are called to promote and give
them recognition.
15
Ibid pg 97

86
All these developments are total misconceptions, dis-orientation, misrepresentation and

of what salvation is to the generality of people.
That is not the idea or concept and even purpose of Jesus Christ when he gave out the
great commission to the disciples in Matthew 28: 18-20: Go therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
The interpretation of salvation in the present day church should change for good,
salvation is not a monetary issue neither is it a concept for self-glorification nor a picnic
of self aggendisment, rather it is something eternal that affects the soul of man and it is
not something to be toyed with. Propagating and promoting the message of salvation
by the modern day church should be given the prominence and priority it deserves.
REFERENCES
1. Wycliffe Bible Dictionary Published by Hendrickson Publishers Inc. P.O. Box
3473 Peabody, Massachusetts 019613473.
2. The NIV Topical Study Bible, copyright 1989 by Zondervan Corporation, All
Right Reserved.
3. Ibid pg 582
4. Ibid pg 1034
5. Ibid pg 1308
6. Life Application Study Bible KJV copyright 1989 by Tyndale House Publishers
Inc., Wheaton Il, 60189
7. Ibid John 1:12
8. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition Copyright 2002-2007 by Maxwell
Motivation Inc.
9. Bible Faith Study Course, 1991 Rhema Bible Church. All right reserved pg 9-10
87
10. Op cit pg 216

11. NIV Topical Study Bible, copyright 1989 by Zondervan op. All right reserved pg
96
12. Op cit pg 165
13. Op cit pg 615, 2015.
14. Ibid pg 1743
15. Ibid pg 97

88
CHAPTER EIGHT
FORGIVENESS
Julius Sunday Omotilewa

The Church of the Living Stone Int'l.
INTRODUCTION
Sin began when man disobeyed God and decided to go his own way, and to this
original rebellion can be traced all the evil and wrong doing in the world today. It
accounts for crime. It accounts for the hatred, enmity and suspicion which exist between
people of different countries and colours, religious, classes and creeds. Sin therefore is a
deep-seated attitude of rebellion and hostility towards God. Sin degrades man and
disrupts society; but by far its most serious effect is that it isolates us from God.
What then are we to say about an offense against God whose greatness and dignity are
measureless to man? Note that sin is not just insulting Gods person, it is breaking
His Law; for Sin, we are told, is the transgression of the law (1st John 3:4). For the
law breaker there must be punishment; and the punishment is described in the Bible as
death (Romans 6:23) that is, alienation or separation from God. Is there a way back? Is
the re-entry problem completely unsolvable? Once again the answer lies in the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, released Himself to Gods judgment in
our place, and offered us a shade from the heat (Isaiah 25:4). He becomes our shield
Trusting in Him, we can make a safe and confident re-entry into Gods presence.
As sinners we have broken Gods laws, and deserve to be punished. There is nothing
we can do to earn pardon and forgiveness. If we are to enjoy it at all, then it must be
humbly and gratefully accepted as a gift. St. Paul realized this, and after telling us that

89
we are saved by Gods grace alone, he added: not because of works (merit) lest any
man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-10), has the debt been paid? Have we a receipt for the
entrance fee? There should be no doubt about the answer to these questions. The New
Testament is full of confidence and certainty, and it all stems from almost the last words
which Jesus uttered: It is finished (John 19:30) This was not the expiring cry of an
exhausted man, but the triumphant shout of a conqueror in the moment of victory: I
have won It is in Jesus work as sin bearer that Christ solves the deepest of all our
problems-human guilt before a Holy God.
There are four kinds of forgiveness in the Bible. First, eternal forgiveness; second,
borrowed forgiveness; third, communion forgiveness; and fourth, governmental
forgiveness.
Eternal Forgiveness.
This is the forgiveness we receive at the time we are saved. This is the forgiveness of
which the Lord Jesus spoke when He said, Repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Lk 24:47). This is also
what Roman 4-7 refers to: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose
sins are covered We call this kind of forgiveness eternal forgiveness because once God
forgives our sins, He forgives them forever. He casts our sins, into the depths of the sea,
so that He no longer sees nor remembers them. Such is the forgiveness we receive at the
time of salvation. For us who believe in the Lord Jesus, He forgives all our sins and
takes away all our iniquities so that before God none is left unforgiving.
Borrowed Forgiveness
Many times God Himself says, I forgive you! Sometimes, though, He declares His
forgiveness through the Church: God has forgiven your sins! This kind of forgiveness
we term borrowed forgiveness. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and
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saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whose so ever sins ye forgive, they are
forgiven unto them who so ever says ye retain they are retained (John 20;22-23) Here
the Lord gives His Holy Spirit to the Church so that she represent Him on earth and be
His vessel to forgive peoples sins.
The forgiveness here is based on the Lords breathing upon the Church, saying, receive
ye the Holy Spirit The consequence of receiving the Holy Spirit is that the Church
knows whose sins are forgiven and whose sins are retained. Remember this: the Church
has such authority only because she herself is under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
Borrowed forgiveness is God forgiving peoples sins, using the church to as the channel
to proclaim the forgiveness.
If the Church cannot forgive or retain sins, how can she decide who may be baptized
and who may not? Why do you baptize some people and refuse to baptize others? Why
do you receive some to the breaking of bread and refuse others? These are instances in
which the Church exercises the authority which the Lord has given her to declare who
is saved and who is not saved, whose sins are forgiven and whose sins are retained.
Such words should not be idly spoken but only under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
The Church, having received the Holy Spirit, is under His authority, and is thus like a
borrowed hand of God. In eternal forgiveness, God directly forgives sins, but in
borrowed forgiveness, God announces His forgiveness by the church, His own people.
Communional Forgiveness
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus the Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
righteous to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9)
My little children, these things write I onto you that ye may not sin. And if any man
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sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. (1 John
2:1-2) The forgiveness mentioned here is neither that which we received at the time of
salvation nor that which the church extends to us. After we have believed in the Lord
and have become Gods children, we still may have need of Gods forgiveness.
Life has special characteristics, it delights in fellowship. Man, like other living creatures,
desires to preserve his own life as well as to have fellowship with others. For you who
have trusted in the blood of the Lord Jesus, the life preservation problem is already
solved. You have no more trouble because you are eternally saved and your sins are
eternally forgiven.
But there may be trouble in another respect. If you sin against God after you are saved,
your fellowship with God as well as with Gods children may be disturbed. Because
you have sinned, have you ceased to be Gods child? You are still His child, though
your sin has caused your fellowship with Him to be immediately interrupted and
impaired. No longer is your conscience without offense and, to enjoy uninterrupted
fellowship with God, you must have a clear conscience. When ones conscience is
offended, fellowship with God becomes impossible.
Gods children will not lose their position as His children because of sin, but they will
certainly lose their fellowship with Him. Therefore, God has provided a kind of
forgiveness which we call communional forgiveness. Why do we call it communional
forgiveness? It is because by coming to God and confessing your sin, you may have
your communion and fellowship with God restored. Otherwise you have no way of
having your fellowship restored. You cannot pray, you cannot even say Amen to
anothers prayer. What then can you do? You must come to God and confess that you
have sinned against Him on a certain matter and ask His forgiveness. If we confess our
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sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Such forgiveness is not connected to eternal salvation but is related
to fellowship with God. Therefore, we call it communional forgiveness. Nigerians need
this kind of forgiveness now more than before. If I shut up heaven that there be no
rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my
people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek my face, and come from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2nd Chronicles(7:13-14)
Governmental Forgiveness
This kind of forgiveness is seen in the following Bible passages. Matt. 9:2,5-6, James 5:15
and Matt. 6:14-15. A good example to illustrate governmental forgiveness is the case of
a girl who stole from her mothers cupboard. Formerly the mother always left the doors
in the house open, including the cupboard door and the kitchen door. She never locked
the cupboard in which she kept food, but a time came when she came home, and
discovered that some of the food in the cupboard had been eaten. Then that the mother
knew what had happened, the girl was forced to confess her sin and asked for
forgiveness. The mother forgave her and even kissed her. The incident is considered
past and the fellowship is restored. However, whenever the mother leaves the house,
she locks all the doors. Her ways of doing things has changed. Fellowship is one thing,
but government is quite another.
What is government? Government is a way of Gods administration. The mother may

forgive the girls sin and restore their fellowship, but next time she will lock both the
cupboard and the kitchen doors when she goes out. In other words, she has changed
her ways. To restore fellowship is easy, but to restore trust is not so easy. The mother is
afraid that her daughter may do it again. She cannot give the daughter full liberty but
has to put on some restraints. Her confident expectation has changed. Remember, God
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treats us in a similar manner. Communional forgiveness is relatively easy to get. He

who sincerely confesses his sin will have his fellowship restored. At the moment he
confesses his sin, God restores fellowship with Him. Nevertheless, God may change His
way toward him. It may be that Gods discipline will immediately come upon him; God
may not give him as much liberty as he enjoyed before.
Again, another day may come when God removes His disciplinary measure and this we
call governmental forgiveness. In the case of the mother, this would mean that the day
comes when she feels her daughter is now dependable, so she leaves the doors
unlocked. This is governmental forgiveness. You, too, may sin against God, and at each
confession of your sin God forgives you. This does not, however, hinder God from
giving you new chastening. Since God has forgiven you, your fellowship with God may
be restored. But God will change His way with you. It is important for us to know that
Gods disciplinary hand upon us is not easily moved, nor, once extended, is it easily
removed. Unless God has full assurance that His children are all right His government
hand will not be removed.
Therefore, brethren, what is governmental forgiveness? It is something quite different

from eternal forgiveness, borrowed forgiveness, or communion forgiveness. It is
something which speaks of Gods taking care of us, dealing with us, and disciplining
us. Some people brought a man sick of palsy to the Lord. Son,. Thy sins are
forgiven! said the Lord Jesus to the palsied. The Lord shows us two things here on the
one side, Thy sins are forgiven; on the other side, Arise and walk Let us remember
that many sicknesses are due to Gods governmental hand. In order to heal the palsied
man and get him walk, the Lord has to first grant him governmental forgiveness. The
forgiveness seen here was related to Gods government. It had a special connection with
sickness. When his sins were forgiven, his sickness was over. This we call governmental
forgiveness. When governmental forgiveness comes, sickness is healed.
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If you fall into Gods governmental hand, he will not let you go until you get
forgiveness unless you commit sin against the Holy Spirit. See James 5:14-15 for the call
upon the elders of the Church to pray for and anoint the sick, for healing and that if he
has committed sins, it shall be forgiven-him. Let us learn from the story of King David.
Whatever sin you may have committed, if you go to God and ask for forgiveness, you
will be forgiven. The restoration of fellowship can be very fast. David quickly restored
his fellowship with God. Nevertheless, the discipline of God upon David stayed until
even after his death. To have your sin forgiven and your fellowship with God restored
is quite easy. But you cannot remove the discipline God gives you in your environmentyour home, your business, or your physical body. The only thing you can do is learn to
subject yourself to the mighty hand of God. Learn to be generous and forgiving, be
charitable, be ready to forgive others. Try to overlook the faults of your brethren, speak
fewer idle words, be restrained in judgment. When people are in trouble, help them, but
do not judge them.
FORGIVEN AND FORGIVING

In Mathew 6:12, Jesus taught His disciples (the believers of today are concerned) to
pray, Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us Jesus
immediately explained why we must forgive those who have wronged us (v 14-15) and
he later illustrated it with a parable (Mathew 18:23-35).
How much did the first servant owe the master? Ten thousand talents (v 24 NIV). One
talent was the equivalent of 20 years wages for an average worker. It would have taken
200,000 years for the servant to earn 10,000 talents. Although the servant promised to
pay back everything (v 26) /this was an impossible debt to repay. So his master was
filled with pity for him, and released him and forgives his debt 9v27)

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How much did the fellow servant owe the first servant? One hundred denarii (v28)
NIV) equivalent to 20 weeks of common labour. This debt could be repaid within five
months. The fellow servant begged for some time to pay back his debt, but the first
servant refused and had him put in prison instead (VV29-20).
You are a free person. Jesus has set you free. But when you refuse to forgive, you
become a prisoner again, a prisoner of your own unforgiving spirit, a prisoner of your
own bitterness and a prisoner of sin again (VV32-34). The worst kind of prison is the
prison of an unforgiving heart. Is there someone you find hard to forgive? What will
you do today to forgive this person based on Gods forgiveness of your own sins?
GODS DELIGHT IN FORGIVING.

What is God ready to do for all who seek for forgiveness.
For thou, Lord art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all of them
that call upon thee (Ps 86:5)
What reason is given for Gods readiness to forgive sin?
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth the transgression of
the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in
mercy Micah 7:18 (see psalm 78:38)
Specific Example
When the prodigal son, in the parable repented and turned toward home, what did his
father do?

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When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him Luke 15:20.
What is felt in heaven when a sinner repents?
likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth Lk 15:10
CONDITIONS FOR FORGIVENESS

Upon what basis has Christ taught us to ask for forgiveness? And forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors (Mathew 6:12 see also Ephesians 4:32 for Christ Exhortation).
For the purpose of a true national sustainable development, the church must wake up
from her slumber, from her comfort zone and do more evangelism. The church must
learn from the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let us see the sad story in Gen.13; 13,
18; 20, 19; 1-9. The men of Sodom were bad and gross sinners against God. The people
became known for such immoral practices as homo sexuality and God declared their sin
as very heavy. I am of the opinion that the sins of Nigerians as at now are heavier than
those of the people Sodom. Thank God, we have a loving and forgiving God. Let us
confess and forsake these sins and God will forgive us such that our country will
develop in all areas.
The city of Sodom showed it deserved destruction as some of the people surrounded
Lots house attempting to rape his angelic guests. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah
refused to repent of their sins talk less of asking for forgiveness hence Jude mentions
that Sodom and Gomorrah are placed before us as a warring example by undergoing
the judicial punishment of everlasting fire. Let believers of our time evangelise more in
words and in deed and show the true love of God so that sinners will know God
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through us and ask for genuine repentance and forgiveness of their sins. Jesus says;
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heaven laden, and I will give you
rest.for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matt.11:28-30)This is a simple and
loving invitation because; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Gods
throne, mercy and truth go before His face. (Ps.89:14).
Jesus invitation is to the kidnappers, the ritualist, the corrupt politicians and the
corrupt civil servants, the idol worshippers of all sorts, corrupt bank officials, false
prophets, those that are siphoning Nigeria money through oil bunkering all religious
fanatics including the Boko-haram group. You all need genuine repentance and
forgiveness before this country cans actually witness sustainable development and
experience real peace which can only be given by Jesus Christ. We have a God that
never fails or forsakes His people. God, who though must punish sin, still does so in
mercy and love for His own. A thorough knowledge of God can make all the difference
in our lives in this nation. God bless Nigeria.
THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF FORGIVENESS

Many people today are not willing to cultivate the spirit of forgiveness. If we allow the
root of bitterness to spring up in our hearts against someone, our prayer will not be
answered. Now, let us revisit the Lords Prayer or the disciples prayer which is a test of
our sonship. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If we are
doing the will of God that is a very good sign that we are born of God. A very critical
aspect of the Lords Prayer says forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that
trespass against us This is the only part of the prayer that Christ explained.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if
ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespassers
Notice that when you go into the door of Gods kingdom, you go in through the door of
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forgiveness. For your soul to be blessed, you have to forgive others. If we are unwilling
to forgive others, God cannot forgive us. Cast your mind back to the past, are there any
against whom you cherish hard and ill feelings? Is there any root of bitterness springing
up against someone who has perhaps injured you? If I am not willing to forgive those
who may have committed some single offence against me, would I have any
justification asking God to forgive the ten thousand sins of which I have been guilty?
But Christ goes still further. He says. If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath aught thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and
go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come back and offer thy gift.
That is what Christ expects from you and me. You cannot be forgiven until you forgive
others. It is human to err, but it is Christ-like to forgive.
CONCLUSION
Dear friends, is this the reason why your prayers are not answered? Is there a friend, a
member of your family or, someone in the church you have not forgiven? How can we
expect God to forgive when this is the case? You do not forgive your offending brother
aright and acceptably, if you do not forgive him from the heart, remember that God sees
the heart. No malice must be harboured there, neither must ill-will to any, no projects of
any revenge be hatched there, nor desired of it, as there are in many who outwardly
appear peaceful and reconciled. We must from the heart desire and seek the welfare of
those who have offended us.
Let us make up our mind that we will not rest until this question of sin is forever
settled, so that we can look up and claim God as our forgiving Father. Let us be willing
to forgive others, that we may be able to claim forgiveness from God, remembering the
words of the Lord Jesus, If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will

99
also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses.

100
CHAPTER NINE
LIFE OF HOLINESS: GODS ORIGINAL INTENTION AND DESIGN FOR
HUMANITY
Samuel .O. Banjo
Christ Apostolic Church Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists, Ilesa.
P. O. Box 179
INTRODUCTION
The word Holiness or Holy is usually translated from two root words, one from
Hebrew and the other from Greek. The Hebrew is qadash and the Greek is hagiasmos.
The basic meaning of qadash is separateness, withdrawal. It is first applied to God and is
early associated with ideas of purity and righteousness. Long before the prophetic
period, the ethical content is plain. Greek hagiasmos is an equivalent of qadash and its
history is similar.
What became increasingly evident in the Old Testament is
overwhelmingly explicit in the New Testament: that holiness means the pure, loving
nature of God, separated from evil, aggressively seeking to universalise itself; that this
character inheres in places, times and institutions intimately associated with worship;
and that it is to characterize human beings who have entered into personal relations
with God (Adesegun and Ogunewu, 2013: 114).
The Greek root word of Holiness is hagiasmos which means to make holy or to
sanctify. Hagiasmos is translated holiness and sanctification. Objectively, hagiasmos
means to be set apart (also known as positional holiness). In a sense it means to be set
apart from sin or to be set apart unto God. Subjectively, hagiasmos means to be cleansed
inwardly (also known as practical holiness). In a sense it means to be purged from sin, or
to be refined, regenerated, renewed in mind and soul (Dennis, 1993:5-6).
The word holy, in contemporary thinking, is closely akin to the term nerd which
our children use. Holiness is not thought of as a virtue but as a vice. How insulting to be
101
thought of as holy by your peers. Even in the church, holiness is becoming rare. Only
few Christian gathering speak of holiness.
How comfortable we are to add God to our lives with little or no change necessary on
our part? Such is not the message of the true gospel or the teaching of the Scriptures on
the spiritual life. The Old Testament prophets, along with John the Baptist and then
Jesus called for a radical change for those who would trust and obey God. Repent
was an indispensable word to those who proclaimed the Word of God in truth. To
repent means to change not only our thinking but our actions. When we are saved, we
are saved from our heathen desires and practices and called to live a life of holiness.
This call to holiness comes very early in Peters first epistle in chapter 1:14-16 and
continues to be stressed throughout his epistle.
The belief and behaviour of holiness of which Peter speaks comes neither naturally
(through our flesh) nor easily. Peter did not find it natural or easy either. While the
concept of holiness is frequently taught in the Old Testament, Judaism (especially the
scribes and Pharisees) distorted it until it became something entirely different. To many,
the scribes and Pharisees, who saw themselves as holy, were the epitome of holiness.
How shocking Jesus words must have been to those who first heard them: For I say to
you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you
shall not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).
Definition of Holiness
In every religion there is a concept of being holy. We have witnessed the Christian
religions and their ministers, and their concept on being holy. They basically
understand holiness as being separate from the worldly influences. We see in extreme
examples that some of the men in the Catholic religion become priests and separate
from women, some become monks and live in monasteries while some of the women
102
become nuns and live in convents separate from the rest of the world. In Eastern
religions we have seen that the concept of holiness also entails separation from the
world and meditation in an environment that promotes peace and tranquility. In every
religious group the concept of holiness entails a separation from the world.
The Torah beseeches the Jewish people to be a holy people as it states in Leviticus 11:44
and 11:15, "...be holy because I am Holy." The question here is: what is "holy"? We are
instructed to be holy because God is Holy - but what is the connection between His
Holiness and us? After all, our abilities to achieve a semblance of sanctity are severely
curtailed by our own God given human desires and drives. If God wants us as Jews
(Christians) to be holy because He is Holy, then what is the point of comparison?
Perhaps the understanding of what is "holy" is needed to really harness our inherent
and God given abilities to achieve this goal. We must accept as a given that God would
not give us a task that we could not carry out.
To understand the meaning of the word "holy" we are fortunate that we understand the
Hebrew language and do not rely upon translated texts. The word "holy" is in Hebrew
"kadosh". A principle in Hebrew is that all Hebrew words are related through their
spelling - different words using the very same letters have connections in meanings. We
find a very interesting connection based on the story of Judah, the son of Jacob, who
saw his daughter-in-law wearing a veil, disguised as a harlot. The Torah relates that he
thought that she was a "kadasha." (See Genesis 38:21) The word for a harlot in Hebrew is
"kadasha" and the word for holiness is "kadusha".
This is a difficult thing to understand. How can the same letters (which in Hebrew
convey similar meanings) be used for such completely opposite meanings - holiness
and prostitution?

103
But the concept can be understood simply. A "kadasha" was not a prostitute, but merely
a woman who was living without the bounds of the normal worldly conveniences of
marriage. She lived without regards to the worldly laws of conduct. Her conduct was in
effect oblivious to the normal rules and boundaries. Her life was not bounded.
God also lives without bounds. On one side of the picture, he is the infinite, totally
without beginning and without end. He existed before the world existed and will exist
after the world ceases to exist. He created time and space. The world and all that is in it
is a created place and by virtue of being created, they are limited in time and space meaning that in time they have a beginning and an end. In space they have limits,
boundaries and ends. Two objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time.
Can a finite box contain an infinite amount of objects? Obviously not! How can the
finite contain the infinite? Can the world, which is finite, contain the infinite of God?
Yet, if we say that the world cannot contain God, we have placed a limitation on God
and we know that God is unlimited and has the ability to do all. This means that God,
the infinite, certainly can fill the world and at the same time not be contained by the
world.
This is the definition of God's Holiness: He is not bound by the world, yet he fills the
entire world with no place void of his presence - even the lowliest places. Nevertheless,
He is not affected by the world. All that we do cannot cause a change in God, to God,
the world is nothing and has no effect upon Him. Yet He is immediately present in
every aspect of the world in a manner that He cannot be separated from the world. This
is a bit of a dichotomy, He is actively involved in the running of the world, yet, totally
unaffected by the world and yet our prayers He hears and answers.

104
This is our holiness also. As Christians, we must occupy ourselves in the betterment of
the world through carrying out His directives. This means living in this world,
marrying, procreating, and working and at the same time not to be affected by the daily
worldly occurrences. That is the holiness of the Christian in this world. We do not
separate ourselves from the world! We must involve ourselves in the betterment of the
world. Yet through this entanglement in the mundane we will see the hand of God
effecting the changes that we strive to achieve.
Biblical Foundation
Historically, holiness has been a biblical injunction right from the beginning. Genesis
the first book of the Bible presents us with the account of mans initial contact with God
(Clark 1985). But since Gods revelation to mankind has been progressive, we are not to
expect, in these early times of mans contact with God, a distinct and elaborate teaching
on the subject of holiness, which we find in other parts of the Bible. This
notwithstanding, the concept was practiced by all the generations of men who sought
and had meaningful and rewarding relationship with God. The biblical records attested
to the exemplary lives of such men as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Joseph. These
men lived uprightly, were approved of God, and are therefore practical examples of
holy living to every generation of men (Roberts 1983).
However, from Exodus, the second book of the Bible, the emphasis on holiness became
more exposed, expounded and constantly stressed. From the time of Moses, the Mosaic
Law, especially the Ten Commandments, served as the yardstick for measuring ethical
standards and therefore the basis for holiness teaching in the Bible. All the leaders of
Israel (Judges and Prophets) taught and preached the content of the law. Whenever, the
people were accused of acts of ungodliness, what was usually emphasised was a
deviation from the law (Freeman 1983). This was the situation until the advent of Christ.
Christ in his teaching made it clear to His audience that He had not come to abolish the
105
law and the prophets, but to fulfill them, that is to give full meaning to their teachings.
In his prominent teaching, the Sermon of the Mount, he taught the law, emphasising
all the principles and the interpretation as it would apply to His time (the New
Dispensation) and to His followers after him and these are the Christians. This implied
that Christ automatically transferred the holiness teaching from the Old Testament
Scriptures into Christianity.
In the course of history, the holiness teaching characterized the modern period of
Church history. It was especially prominent during the era of the Great Awakening
(18th Century) and more pronounced in the teaching of John Wesley, the founder of
Methodism. Wesley taught a host of Christian virtues which he vehemently
emphasized are expected to characterise the life of a Christian. He taught such virtues
as love both to God and mankind, stewardship, self-denial, temperance, honesty in
conduct of business, true courtesy, the prudent use of riches, the choice of a career,
leisure and pleasure, and cheerfulness (Watson 1984). These according to him are the
hallmark of scriptural holiness.
Interestingly, it is on record that Wesleys teaching was of immense benefit to the

English society of his time, in that it saved England from the kind of revolution which
the French experienced at the end of the 18th Century (Hanks, 1989). One of the greatest
revolutions of modern times came to France in 1789, and its effect was felt far and wide.
There were fears that it might have a spill-over effect on England also, but Methodism,
springing out of the Church of England, taught obedience to the powers that be, and
Methodists were the most loyal of all citizens to the British Crown. They prayed
regularly for the king and his government, so much so that peace and orderliness was
sustained in the England of the time (Houghton, 1980:193). Therefore, it could be said
that the Holiness message benefited both the Church and the society of the Wesleyan
era.
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The Life of Holiness

The pursuit of holiness is essential to the Christian life. Follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). God commands us
to be holy in all our conduct because He is holy (I Peter 1:15-16). Being holy is a process
of growth as we conform to the character and will of God. Although we are imperfect,
we are growing into maturity. Throughout this process, we are holy in the sense of:
separation from sin and,
dedication to God. (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:17-7:1.)
Holiness is both inward and outward. (I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 7:1; I

Thessalonians 5:23.) Thus, it encompasses thoughts and attitudes as well as conduct,
speech, amusements, and dress. The practices of holiness separate us from the worlds
value system, namely:
the lust of the flesh
the lust of the eyes and,
the pride of life (I John 2:15-17).
Holiness is not a means of earning salvation but a result of salvation. We do not

manufacture our own holiness, but we are partakers of Gods holiness (Hebrews 12:10).
We are not saved by adherence to certain rules but by our faith relationship with Jesus
Christ, which issues forth in obedience and produces spiritual fruit.
The Christian life is one of liberty, not legalism. Instead of following the external law,
we are motivated internally by faith, love, and the Holy Spirit, which produce greater
dedication and power than the law could impart. Christians have freedom to make
personal choices in non-moral matters, but liberty does not negate moral law or
scriptural teaching. (Romans 6:15; 14; Galatians 5:13). All true holiness teachings are
based on Scripturewhether specific statements or valid applications of principles to
107
contemporary situations. We learn holiness from the inspired Word of God, anointed
pastors and teachers who proclaim and apply the Word, and internal promptings and
convictions of the Holy Spirit.
Holiness begins in the heart, as we develop the fruit of the Spirit, put away ungodly
attitudes, and embrace wholesome thoughts. (Galatians 5:19-23; Ephesians 4:23-32; II
Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8). Holiness includes proper stewardship of the body as
the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are not to become gluttonous or use substances that
defile, intoxicate, or addict. (I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:12, 19-20). We are to use our tongue
for wholesome speech. (James 1:26; 3:1-2; 4:11; 5:12). We are to guard our eyes from evil.
(Psalm 101:2-3; 119:37; Matthew 6:22-23). Because of the widespread display of evil in
modern media, we must be particularly mindful of the dangers associated with
television ownership, movies, and the Internet.
Holiness extends to outward appearance and dress. (Deuteronomy 22:5; I Corinthians

11:13-16; I Timothy 2:8-10.) Biblical principles here include:
(1) modesty,
(2) avoidance of personal ornamentation (ornamental jewelry and makeup),
(3) moderation in cost, and,
(4) distinction between male and female in dress and hair. Women are to let their
hair grow long instead of cutting it, while men are to cut their hair noticeably short.
Other important aspects of holiness include justice and mercy in personal and social
relationships; the sanctity of marriage and sexual relationships only within the marriage
of one man and one woman; the sanctity of human life; honesty and integrity;
wholesome fellowship, unity, accountability, and mutual submission to godly authority
in the body of Christ; and regulation of amusements.

108
Holiness is an integral part of our salvation from the power and effects of sin. It is part
of abundant life, a joyful privilege, a blessing from Gods grace, a glorious life of
freedom and power. The life of holiness fulfills Gods original intention and design for
humanity. For the Spirit-filled believer, holiness is the normalindeed the onlyway
to live.
CONCLUSION
For many people "Life of Holiness" has a negative connotation to it; we don't do this,
we don't do that! Biblically however, holiness has a strong positive focus, one of
positive action! Holiness is a simple concept, it means being set apart by God to reflect
His will in this world. Since God is set apart from the evil of this world we must be
also. "Without holiness, no man shall see God!"
REFERENCES
Adesegun, A.A. and Ogunewu, A. (2013). Biblical Teaching on Holiness and its Social
Significance in Contemporary Society. Journal of Arts and Contemporary Society,
Volume 5, Number 1, 2013
Clark, D. (1985). The Theology of Holiness, London: Classic Prints.
Dennis, M. (1993). Holiness: the Divine Imperative.
Freeman, H. (1983). An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets, Warsaw:

Faith Ministries and Publications.
Hanks, G.(1989). 70 Great Christians The Story of the Christian Church, Kaduna;
Evangel Publications.

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Hougton, S. M. (1980).Sketches from Church History, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth

Trust.
Roberts, B.(1983). Holiness Teachings, Salem: Schmul Publications Co., Inc.
Watson, P.S.(1984).The Message of the Wesleys: Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury

Press.

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NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NIGERIA

Knowledge for Global Development

Copyright 2016 SEDInst

This first edition published 2016 by

Knowledge for Global Development

LIST OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Prof. Mohammad S. Mubarak

Prof. Francisco Torrens

Hon. Niyi Jones Akinyugha

Mr. Sola Akitimehin

Knowledge for Global Development

The Essence of National Unity as a Sustainable Development:

Promoting True Christian Fellowship - Odufuwa M. Adetola

The Roles of Christian Leaders in Attaining National

The Virtuous Woman: A Role Model in National Development

Grace of God - V. O. Odufuwa

The Role of Gods Anointing in Sustainable National Development

Salvation: Its Interpretation in The Present Day Church

Forgiveness Julius Sunday Omotilewa

Life of Holiness: Gods original intention and

Knowledge for Global Development

Knowledge for Global Development

Julius Sunday Omotilewa is an accountant and a teacher by profession, he retired from

Knowledge for Global Development

THE ESSENCE OF NATIONAL UNITY AS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

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HOW DOES BIBLE EXPLAIN UNITY?

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So unity is symbolically represented: Aaron represents Israel in the temple. So Aaron

IN UNITY, IS ONENESS NOT DIVISION

country not eventually collapse?

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITY FOR NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

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From the above, self-interest, infested goodness, self-centeredness, sentiment of

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PROMOTING TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

BIBLE TEXT - 1Peter 1: 1-7

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WHAT IS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

DURABILITY OF CHRITIAN FELLOWSHIP

Agreement on the place of meeting:- There is need for members of the

Agreement on time of meeting:- It is not enough to agree on the place of

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characteristics of the Christian fellowship, God is always happy to see his

HOW TO PRACTICE TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

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Fellowship with unbelievers; Be ye not unequally yoked together with

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THE ROLES OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN ATTAINING NATIONAL

True leadership fundamentally requires the responsibility of taking followers into

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legislative Arms of Government or Judiciary. Then, national development would be

Knowledge for Global Development

For us as a nation to have sustainable development in area of security, Christian leaders

Christian leaders would also contribute to national sustainable development if they

When the Church organizes seminars for her members and

National sustainable development could be achieved if Christian leaders encourage

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affordable housing, resource management and maintenance culture of social

Knowledge for Global Development