Secret of Victory in a Sinful World

Michael Bimbo Ojelabi

Ours is a worldly, sinful, wicked, wild world, and you must be victorious,
triumphant, and successful, in the way of God, despite the odds.

Despite the declining numbers, Christianity remains the dominant religion, but
how being victorious in the Christian race is the ultimate goal of genuine Christian
adherents.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Rev 3:21).

Christianity is all about mankind having a perfect understanding of the truth that
The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. Genuine Christians have indeed come into this repentance, and
marching in faith through Gods marvelous grace as Pilgrims unto Heaven..

The love of God for man is so great, proven by offering His only begotten Son,
Jesus Christ, and that whosoever believe might be saved, and not perish in this
life.

Unfortunately, lukewarm-ness and doubt has engulfed Christianity in the modern

world to the point that Christian power as of old and the fire of the Gospel
remains threatened from time to time.

It is not as if Satan, the devil, and the world can win or overcome the power, the
purpose and the plan of God, NO, Never, but many Soldiers of the Cross are
lukewarm, lethargic, indolent, and are neither hot nor cold to contend for the
faith once delivered to the Saints.

The naked church in the Bible is Laodicea, a so-called Christian assembly or

fellowship filled with unsaved church members whose souls are closely knit to the
world, fixated on worldliness, and its sinful nakedness.

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These church people say with their mouth that they are of Christ but are not born
again in their soul, neither are they covered in their heart with Christs robe of
righteousness.

The lukewarm churches in Laodicea are worldly churches, not part of the spiritual
Church of Christ.

Therefore they dress like the world in its fads and fashion, live like the world in its
materialistic pursuit and desire, speak like the world in its sinful terms and filthy
language, supporting the sinful causes of the world rather than the Gospel Truth
of Christ.

From such, turn away!

Standing upon His Truth and His promises alone, being on your guards against
false teachers and heresies, you will surely win the battle over the devil and the
world, and secure your victory in a sinful world.

Unfortunately, lukewarm attitude has eaten deep into the lives of so-called
believers who are famously known as Christians but lack the transforming power
of the Gospel of Christ.

It is the duty of Christian ministers, preachers, teachers, mentors and the general
Christian laity to consistently point the world and sinners to Christ by their
character, their lifestyle, and the virtues they project to the world at large.

A godly mentor models Christs character, and leads the world to Christ and the
Gospel truth, teaching us to completely surrender our will and desires to Gods
will for eternal gain and glory.

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass,
that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much
people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Act 11:26).

Christs true Disciples are people who had made the firm decision with serious
thought to embraces the religion of Christ, to uphold His faith, to believe His
promises, and make His calling their chief ministry in life.
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It is very sad and disappointing that big names in Christianity and high office
holders in the visible church and large Christian assemblies are hobnobbing with
worldly systems, opening and brazenly playing with the fire of the anti-Christ.

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then
let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: (Mar 13:14).

The church in Laodicean era is lukewarm and suffering from a serious spiritual
malady, and only Jesus Christ, the great sin Physician, with a complete and perfect
healing remedy, can provide adequate panacea.

The church in Laodicea era is the church of the present modern age which is rich
and prosperous in material things but bankrupt spiritually.

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down
to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in
Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment, than for thee. (Mat 11:23,24).

The church in modern era has greater light as a result of expansion of knowledge
and advancement of technology to reach further and wider than the time of the
Apostles and early believers.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked: (Rev 3:17).

There can be no greater sin than self-deception.

Christians in the Laodicean era boast of wealth, health, prosperity, power,

popularity, wide acceptability, great membership and followership, and big
churches and cathedral.

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But, in actual fact these lukewarm Christians and assemblies are wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Nothing else in life can be so
offensive to man and God, dangerous to the human soul, as pride and self-
sufficiency.

There is no stronger delusion than that which makes men believe that they are
righteous and accepted of God, while at the same time they are sinning against
Him, and are in a deplorable spiritual condition.

Rather than exhort Lesbians and Homosexuals to repent and turn to Christ, Pope
Francis is urging the church to accept gays, lesbians, same-sex marriages and the
LGBT community.

The Church of England is no longer the strong defender of the Faith of Christ and
hard-core biblical doctrines anymore.

Why is the Anglican Communion sympathizing with sinners such as gays and
homosexuals, rather than come out to condemn the sin and preach the sinners
into repentance?

What kind of Christian leader does one make of Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
outspoken critic of the apartheid regime in South Africa, who declares, Id pick
hell over an anti-Gay Heaven.

Is he an Archbishop in the church of Christ or the church of this world?

This world may approve and accept lesbianism and homosexuals a million times
over, but the Bible and the Word of God condemn it as abomination, and that is
it!

Many Christians nowadays are evolving into modernity while moving away from
the life and teachings of Christ, the doctrines of the faith entrenched in the Bible
and committed to the Apostles and early fathers.

Prince, the Purple Rain musician, is rated to be probably the most famous
Jehovah Witness member.

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Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family, mother of the old Jackson
Five band boys is reputed to have raised all her children in the Jehovah Witness
faith, and that Michael Jackson with Janet Jackson were at some point in their
lives very active members of the Kingdom Hall assembly.

Does Jehovah Witness faith accommodates all these modern ideas, such as seen
in the lifestyle, music and public image of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson,
their sibling and their offspring?

How have their lifestyles, their larger-than-life fame, power in the music industry
and other sectors, position and influence impacted genuine Christianity or serving
worldliness, while they are still Christians?

Venus and Serena Williams are unarguably world leading lawn tennis players who
have dominated the scene for quite some time now, and are actively practicing
Jehovahs Witness members, who often thank Jehovah after winning matches.

Christians doctrinally give glory to God for successes in life, breakthroughs, and
achievements, while we pray to Him in times of trouble.

One wonders aloud if the life of Serena Williams and Venus Williams has
supported the Great Commission or projected them and Christianity in a bad light
to the world through their private and public lives.

U. S. President Donald Trump has ever been a popular man as a successful

business mogul. The contest for the Presidency, and performance so far as the
consummate U.S. President, has projected him as a crusader against Muslims,
illegal immigrants, refugees, and a host of other institutions, even the Pope.

He openly support white supremacist, as against colored people, yet a Christian!

Between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is A Tale of Two Corinthians he,
wrongly referring to "two Corinthians" instead of "second Corinthians." The
former Secretary of States getting it right in quoting "First Corinthians, 13, which
happens to be one of my favorite passages.

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Which of the two Christians really gives more to the Gospel and the Great
Commission evangelism than politics and business? You be the judge!

From President Barrack Obama, the Christian U.S. President whose Christian faith
evolved into signing same-sex marriage into law, to Prince Charles of England,
leading light of the Church of England, whose biblical understanding of marriage
permits divorce and questionable remarriage, is the failure for many so-called
Christians to recognize their spiritual poverty.

The Laodicean message is a last-minute call by the Lord upon modern Christians
and last-days believers to expose the folly of imagining that they are spiritually
wealthy and in need of nothing, when they are actually wretched, miserable,
poor, blind, lukewarm, and fit only to be spewed out of the mouth of Christ, as an
object of loathing.

Lukewarm Christians are Laodiceans who, in their public lives, are neither hot nor
cold for Christ and His true Church, and in their inner souls, too compromised to
contend for the faith, and too lazy to seek urgent remedy for their spiritual
malady.

Modern Christianity places her focus upon her material progress in prosperity,
philanthropy, growing church membership, progressive church projects,
constructions, crusade, and seminars.

However, all these material progresses are taking place at the expense of failing
spiritual upliftment.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I
am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all
knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and
have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body
to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1Co 13:1,2,3).

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True love to God and man is a benevolent and charitable heart to obey and
hearken to the commandments of God and treat fellow mankind the way you wil
treat your very self.

How are those deluded who look for acceptance and reward for their good works,
which are as scanty and defective as they are corrupt and selfish!

While modern Christians are getting on well on prosperity and the good life, their
core state of moral power, core Christian virtues, biblical understanding and
scriptural knowledge, sanctified life, and fulfillment of the Great Commission, are
dwindling and falling apart. Whither then is the Christianity in the man?

The present age has been described as an age of scientific progress, human
achievement, and tremendous advancements into new frontiers of technology.

Ours is a modern world, an age of moral and spiritual crisis, yes more and more
people are trooping in en-mass into the churches, devoid of salvation.

This is the era of phenomenal increase in crime, war, and drug addiction,
universal preoccupation with sex, nudity, homosexuality and gay life style.

There is general disregard for authority; there exist great social upheavals and
racial strife all across the nations, and abysmal lack of moral understanding and
concern.

We find ourselves living in an age analogous to the dark ages of the Judges when
"every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jud 21:25).

The great apostasy of our day and the perilous times in which we live were
foretold by the Apostle Paul as characterizing the last days:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof. (II Tim 3:1-5).
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It is a time when, even among professing Christians, being "accepted" by the
group seems to be more important than being accepted by God and the
distinction between the sacred and the secular is rapidly becoming more difficult
to discern.

The need of the hour is for Christians to experience once more a personal
encounter with the Holy Spirit, and to rediscover His blessed ministry in their
lives.

The continuous indwelling of the Son with the Father was the secret of the Lord in
gaining victory over the world.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son
can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things
soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the
Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him
greater works than these, that ye may marvel.( oh 5:19,20).

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the
new heart. A change is wrought, a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural
element into human nature is done, which we can never accomplish by ourselves.

The soul that is yielded to Christ, becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a
revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own.

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God:
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth him of the evil.

Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even
a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? (Joe 2:12 -14).

Points to Ponder:

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 a. Ponder about your professional, career, and business life. Does it glorifies
God or tarnishes the label of Christianity you adorn in public?
Do your shrewdness, craftiness, acumen, and sagacity glorify God or
dishonor Him?
b. Ponder about your marital life, family or relationships.
Is your wedding in line with Christian standards, is your marriage fulfilling
the purpose and plan of God, is your spouse loved and beloved with care
and faithfulness, and your children and home Godly, goodly, and
Christianly?
c. Is your life a channel of blessing to the vineyard of God and His sheepfold?
Is the love of God flowing through you unto the saved and unsaved
mankind, telling the lost about the love of the Savior, daily fulfilling the
Great Commission while watching in faith daily for the Rapture?

And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the
LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from
among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he
will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the
LORD only. ( 1Sa 7:3,4)

The proposal of Christ to Laodicea involves a perfect and complete union of the
human with the divine as the only hope of victory in a sinful world.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Rev
3:19-22).

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The plea of Christ to you is for reconciliation, for union, for reunion, and for
seamless communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost unto eternal
life.

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