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Tag: unbelievers

  • God does not give true riches to unbelievers – By Femi Aribisala

    God does not give true riches to unbelievers – By Femi Aribisala

    “The gains obtainable in the world are all ungodly”.

    The scriptures affirm that: “The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men.” (Daniel 5:21). Nevertheless, the wisdom of God says it is only the wicked who prosper in the world:

    “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” (Psalm 73:12). The righteous only prosper in the kingdom of God.

    Worldly wealth

    The riches of this world are counterfeit. Jesus says they are deceitful. (Matthew 13:22). When a man has lots of money, we say he is rich. But Jesus disagrees:

    “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ -and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17).

    Jesus says the rich in this world should not be envied but pitied: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” (Luke 6:24).

    James echoes this: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.” (James 5:1-3).

    The worldly rich are so poverty-stricken and disadvantaged that they cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24).

    He says furthermore: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24).

    True riches

    Jesus cautions about the confusion of money with true riches: “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11).

    If true riches cannot be found in this world, where then can they be found? They can only be found in Christ. Jesus says: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.” (Revelation 3:18).

    True riches are not denominated in world currencies but in the glory of God. When Moses asked to see the glory of God, he did not see money, gold, or silver. Instead, he saw the intrinsic nature and character of God.

    “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7).

    The riches of God are in God and not in the world. The glory of God is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive: “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8). We are enriched in everything by Him. (1 Corinthians 1:5).

    It is therefore a contradiction for those who have received the fulness of Christ to then hanker after the counterfeit riches of this world.

    Kingdom dynamics

    God never gives true riches to those who are not in Christ. He only gives them counterfeits. All worldly wealth is counterfeit. “For all these worldly things, these evil desires-the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to (us), and the pride that comes from wealth and importance-these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself.” (1 John 2:16-17).

    God would never give anything valuable to unbelievers. He does not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast His pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.” (Matthew 7:6). He only gives unbelievers the things He despises. Jesus says: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15).

    So, if you ever see an unbeliever with anything, know automatically that it is rubbish. The unbeliever has earthly riches because they are garbage. They are a whole lot of nothing. The only things of value are not in the world but in the kingdom of God.

    This prognosis means everything we gain in this world is rubbish.  That also includes the worldly gains of believers. The gains of this world distract and prevent us from attaining the great gains of the kingdom of God. The gains obtainable in the world are all ungodly. But great gains are reserved for the godly, and they are all in Christ.

    Our rubbish gains in the world include our pedigree, education, social status, financial resources, fame, and fortune et cetera. Once we receive Christ and He opens our eyes, we come to realise that these gains are worthless.

    That is why the highfalutin pastors of our churches are confused and confusing. Paul refers to them as: “Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:5-6).

    Righteous conversion

    Therefore, he says:

    “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-9).

    The progression in this scripture is instructive. When Paul met Christ, he initially converted his earlier gains into losses. This conforms to the prophecy that in Christ: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low.” (Luke 3:5).

    But then he soon discovered that the things he lost were all rubbish. We do not lose rubbish. We discard them. We throw them away. In effect, he lost nothing but gained everything.

    Let me state this graphically so that its true import is not missed. He now regards everything that men value such as money, houses, cars, fame, fortune, beauty, pedigree, and achievements in this world (to mention but a few) as all rubbish. They all become inconsequential.

    So, he says to those of us who are in Christ:

    “In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11).

    Riches in glory

    The world is in a drought. We live in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1). But out of the belly of the believer flows rivers of living water. (John 7:38).

    There is too much counterfeit in the world. But it is short of goodness. It is lacking in righteousness, truth, and compassion. “Judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14).

    There is a surfeit of money, but a dearth of mercy. People need the truth. They need the righteousness of God.

    Believers are the people with great gains who can supply what the world needs according to our riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).

  • Jesus will save all believers and unbelievers – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    Peter says some of the writings of Paul are hard to understand and “untaught and unstable people” twist them to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16). What is he referring to here?

    Paul says again and again: “God wants everyone to be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:4). “God is the Savior of everyone, but especially of those who have faith.” (1 Timothy 4:10). “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Peter agrees: “(God) wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” (2 Peter 3:9).

    Moreover, since God wants all men to be saved, then all men will be saved. This is because: “(God) works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11). God says: “’My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:10). “Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:11).

    Peter notes that Paul’s revelation that all will be saved was being use by some to justify continuing in sin. Carnal Christians think: “If all will be saved, then I don’t need to be righteous; whatever happens, I will be saved.”

    Indeed, Paul says the more we sin, the more grace God provides: “The law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:19-21).

    However, anticipating that some may conclude this gives them a license to sin, Paul asks: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1).

    Cords of love

    The problem comes from not having the mind of Christ. The wisdom of man leads to the presumption that the severity of God would readily lead men to salvation. Therefore, Christian fundamentalists create an extra-biblical hell designed to frighten men into the kingdom of God.

    But God warns: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8-9). Thus, Jesus notes that religious leaders teach as doctrines the commandments of men instead of the commandments of God. (Mark 7:7).

    God is love and he does not lead men to salvation through fear. On the contrary: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). God leads us to salvation through his love. He says: “I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.” (Hosea 11:4).

    A basic requirement of salvation is repentance of sin. However, the fear of mythical hell does not lead to repentance. It is: “the goodness of God (that) leads to repentance.” (Romans 2:4). When God is good to us, even in spite of our sins, it breaks us down and makes us repent.

    Fall from grace

    Similarly, the wisdom of man says if Christ will ultimately save all men, why bother to live righteously now? Those foolish enough to think like this are likely to fall from grace. No man is saved by right or merit. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

    Therefore, if God saves some and not all, he would be guilty of favouritism. But “God has committed all (men) to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.” (Romans 11;32). However, the fact that all men will be saved does not mean all men will escape punishment. Those who despise the grace of Jesus will receive the severest punishment of all.

    “If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

    “Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, ‘I will take revenge. I will pay them back.’ He also said, ‘The Lord will judge his own people.’ It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31).

    Weeping and gnashing

    When true knowledge comes and Christ is revealed by sight and not just by faith, many will be tormented by exclusion from his councils.

    Jesus says: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:28-30).

    Beware, because the first who will become last is likely to be a Christian who has despised the grace of God. In the day of judgment, it will be more tolerable for the unbeliever than for the unfaithful believer. It will be more tolerable for those to whom the gospel was not preached than for those who despised or rejected it.

    Jesus says: “That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:47-48).

    Are these stripes then tantamount to destruction? Yes! Is there hope for man after the destruction of the Lord? Yes! But the duration of this penalty cannot be eternal precisely because God is love. God’s throne of judgment is established in mercy and not in vindictiveness:

    “In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:5).

    “I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:26-27).