Month: June 2026

Having previously taught on the above subject matter, in Part One, today I am continuing with the second part under two sub-topics, the first of which is:
SELFLESS SERVICES: THE HALLMARK OF A FAITHFUL STEWARD HERE ON EARTH
Luke 17:7-10; 1 Corinthians 9:1-23.

The watchword for any responsible steward should be faithfulness. This is so because as a person employed to manage another’s assests, the steward’s primary focus should be on prompt service delivery; personal interest, or self gratification, must be shelved and not allowed to interfere with that goal!

“So, likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”. Luke 17:10.

The statement by our Lord Jesus Christ, which is quoted above, has aptly defined how the Christian steward’s attitude towards ministry should be:

1. The steward should do “… all those things which are commanded…” them in their area of service by the Lord, or by whomsoever He delegates His authority to so command. See Hebrews 13:17.
2. The steward should also carry out such services as “… unprofitable servants…” as though they have no rewards to gain from it. See 1 Corinthians 9:1-23.
3. The steward should view such services they render in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an obligation they owed to Him, and not as a volunteer work that must await their convenience. They should see it as “…that which was our duty to do…” 1 Corinthians 9:16-17.

When we bear in mind that Christian stewardship refers to the responsibility that the Christian has in maintaining and using wisely the gifts that God has bestowed on them, (be they financial, intellectual or spiritual gifts) for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every living soul, and to the world at large, then we would be more careful to deploy those gifts solely for that purpose, instead of consuming it on ourselves. For this to be possible, we must do the following:

1. Live An Examined Life: _2 Corinthians 13:5-6; Lamentations 3:40

By constantly taking stock of our lives we can be sure that we are still yielded and surrendered to doing the will of God. This is very important because it is our continued obedience to, and dependence on, Jesus Christ that gives us more grace, strength and renewed zeal for the fulfilment of our stewardship in line with His will.

If something goes wrong with our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can be sure that it will affect our ability to continue to be faithful stewards of the gifts which God has bestowed on us for the services of His Kingdom.
“Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5.

It is possible to gradually drift away from the Lord until all that is left for us to hold unto in ministry are the memories of our past relationship with Him, whereas we do no longer receive further instructions from Him anymore. If this describes our present relationship with Him, we would do well to humbly admit it and seek reconciliation with Him once again.
“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord”. Lamentations 3:40.
However, if anyone fails to return to the Lord, upon discovery that their relationship with Him has been compromised, that action could open them up to demonic manipulation, as seen in the scripture below.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron…” 1 Timothy 4:1-2.
This is the sad case with most self-professed servants of God today, but their undoing actually began when they failed to constantly examine themselves to see whether they were in a right standing with God, or not.

2. Live A Controlled Life:
Titus 2:1-8; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:22-26.
If by God’s grace we have passed the test of self-examination, then we must also strive to possess the virtue of self-control, which is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, if at all we are to render a selfless service to mankind as Christ’s faithful stewards.
It usually takes a great deal of self-restraint, coupled with constant prayer, fasting and trust in God’s power, to be able to serve others selflessly. This is so, because man is instinctively self-centered, and this self-elevation needs to be broken down before he can be able to serve as a truly faithful steward of Christ.
A lack of control over our 5 basic emotions of joy, fear, sadness, disgust and anger would certainly leave our lives open to the forces influencing self-centeredness.
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without a wall”. Proverbs 25:28.

The joy of success at achieving our aims, the fear of losing the things or people we cherish, the sadness we experience when things don’t work out the way we’d wanted, the disgust we feel for things or people who don’t measure up to our expectations, and the anger we express when we feel belittled or taken for granted; all have a profound effect in driving up the human instinct to give their self-interest top priority. While this may be applauded in the secular world, the Christian faith, on the other hand, frowns at self-centeredness or selfishness and views it as a vice which can impair a Christian’s stewardship.
The Bible teaches that the Christian should put other people’s interest above their own as a mark of true humility and love, which are key in the rendering of selfless services. To be self-controlled means much for the Christian steward; it means that they can effectively cast a restraint, rather than gratify any desire of their heart, which will not glorify God, or enable them to serve others as Jesus Christ would have done. Matthew 25:31-40.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” Philippians 2:3-4.

Below are some areas of our lives where we need to be self-controlled in order to render a selfless service to others in Christ’s stead:

i. When we control our appetite for food so we can:
a. Fast more often and, thus, be spiritually strong and sensitive to effectively minister as Christ’s stewards. Mark 9:28-29.
b. Share our food with those who are not privileged to have as much, or as little, as we do. Matthew 25:35

ii. When we control our spending habit so we can give more to support the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the needy persons around us. Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:19-21; Deuteronomy 15:7-11

iii. When we control our fleshly desires. We can be a model of Christian purity to the world around us and, thus, be able to lay a good example for them to follow. 1 Corinthians 9:27; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 1 Peter 2:11-12.

iv. When we control our temper or desire for revenge and, thus, choose to suffer wrong patiently that we may be a silent witness of the beauty of the Christian life to our offenders and to the world at large. Romans 12:17-21; Matthew 5:38-45; 1 Peter 2:21-23.

v. When we control our success or achievements in life so that we do not unnecessarily direct attention to ourselves rather than on the gospel we have been called to preach for the salvation of lost souls. Romans 12:3, 16; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 4:6-7.

3. LIVE A SACRIFICIAL LIFE
Romans 12:1; Luke 9:23-24; Matthew 10:38-39; 19:27-29; Galatians 2:20
Christianity is based on the principle of self-sacrifice, which is symbolized by the cross upon which Jesus Christ sacrificed His life in order that those who believe and accept Him in faith as their Lord and Savior may be saved. John 3:16.
Following this same principle, the Christian steward is expected to offer a sacrificial service to God and humanity. For this to be possible, we must daily put to death all conflicting personal interests for the greater good of God’s Kingdom so as to effectively preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He said we must deny ourselves, carry our cross daily and follow after Him.

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” Matthew 10:38.

Below are some areas of our lives which we are required to sacrificially give up in order to offer selfless services to the world around us as God’s faithful stewards:

1. OUR TIME: _Mark 6:30-34; Acts 20:17-21; 2:46-47.
It is interesting how much time Jesus Christ committed to carrying out His earthly ministry. He sacrificialy committed the whole of His last 3 ½ years to doing nothing else but His heavenly Father’s work, while taking no thoughts for leisure or respite from the harsh elements of nature, namely: the heat by day and the cold by night. He had no home to call His own.

“And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” Matthew 8:20.

We can say the same thing about His disciples, that they went through all of that trouble with Jesus Christ ministering to the lost and hurting without a murmur. They truly understood what it meant to sacrifice their time for the salvation of others.

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” Mark 6:31.

When Paul the apostle came to believe in and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, he also imbibed that same virtue of self-sacrifice. He served the people, “…from the first day…” that he came into Asia, and “…at all seasons…” He served and taught them “Publicly, and from house to house…” leaving no one within his reach unattended to with the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the duration of those three years which he spent in Asia. Such commitment and sacrifice deserve our commendation.

Since God is the giver of time, we must use the time He has given to us more for Him and less for ourselves. Like John the Baptist, we should be able to say that “… He must increase, but I must decrease”. John 3:30.

2. OUR TALENT: Ephesians 4:7-13; 2 Timothy 1:6-9; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 7:7.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” 1 Peter 4:10.

There is not a soul that ever lived whom God has not properly fitted with some abilities by which they could render services to His Kingdom if they so wish. But, in reality, that is not what we see the majority of mankind doing; most people fend only for themselves by use of those divine abilities but would hardly honour the Lord, who gave it to them, by the use of it.

“For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that” 1 Corinthians 7:7.

Paul, who made the statement above, lived a life worthy of emulation for those who want to render a selfless service to mankind in Christ’s stead, because as an Apostle richly endowed with spiritual gifts (Romans 15:17-19; Acts 19:11-17), scholastical honours (Acts 22:3) and entrepreneurial skills (Acts 18:1-3; Acts 20:33-35), he never used any of those personal endowments to enrich himself, although it was easy for him to have done so as the sole Apostle to the gentile converts. He, rather, chose to live an austere life and would not utilize any of the benefits attached to his offices, which were his to enjoy and to do with as he pleased.
1 Corinthians 9:1-12:
“Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord? … Have we not power to eat or to drink…? If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so, hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void”. 1 Corinthians 9:1, 4, 11-15

Such selfless and sacrificial services should be the identifying mark of God’s true and holy stewards today. But what we see, instead, is a selfish and greedy horde of unholy and self-proclaimed “men of God” who devour the helpless and poor souls they claim to be serving. Ezekiel 34:1-16.

Pastors today use their spiritual gifts as money-making machines to enrich themselves rather than to advance the cause of the Gospel. Most evangelists will not accept an invitation to minister unless they are guaranteed financial rewards; in fact, some insist that the money be paid upfront before they honour any invitation. Today Gospel Artists sing for money, not for God’s glory anymore. Christian authors see Christian literature as an investment to fall back on, and not as a tool to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt God wants us to also benefit from the talents and gifts which He has bestowed upon us, but it must be with such moderation and discipline that clearly demonstrates selflessness. 1 Timothy 6:6-12.

3. OUR MONEY/RESOURCES: Haggai 2:8
Perhaps one of the most difficult sacrifices, which most people struggle to make for God’s work, is that which involves their finances, or assets. This difficulty stems from the fact that we tend to see our financial and material resources as the fruit of our labour and, therefore, see no reason why we should not do with them as we please. This kind of reasoning is wrong for the Christian steward, for it is like a child who refuses to give his father a piece of biscuit from a whole pack that he had given to him simply because there has been a change of ownership.

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

If only we would reason that we are the work of God’s own hands, and that all the blessings that come upon our lives are also by the work of His own hands, then we would have no trouble sacrificially giving our finances and/or resources for His work here on earth.

Since God is the giver of life and every good thing, and since He has chosen us to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, may we sacrificially discharge those duties with the conviction that “… We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do”.
Luke 17:10.

This brings us to the last Sub-topic titles: HEAVENLY STEWARDSHIP: THE EXCLUSIVE PRESERVE OF THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL STEWARD
Matthew 25:14-46

In this last sub-topic under this series, we are going to look at the study from the following points of view:

1. CHRIST’S RETURN TO EXAMINE OUR STEWARDSHIP
Matthew 25:14-19; 25:31-33; 2 Corinthians 5:10

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” Romans 14:12.

Our earthly stewardship would come to an end at the moment we die; but whether we die or remain alive until when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth, we His stewards shall be gathered to Him to give account of our stewardship. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. Each Christian steward will be required by Jesus Christ to account for how they have employed their talents and spiritual gifts, and how they have utilized all the opportunities which God gave to them in the advancement of His cause here on earth.

2. GOD’S REWARD FOR FAITHFUL AND HOLY STEWARDS
Matthew 25:20-23; 25:34-40; 19:27-30; Galatians 6:9-10

The striking thing to observe here is that God is more interested in our faithfulness to carry on with our stewardship than He is in the success of our mission, but it is we who must determine to be faithful to it or not.

Don’t build your hope on the number of persons you are reaching out to in ministry because God adds to His Church with or without your input; strive, rather, to be faithful in your walk with God, no matter how small your labour field is or how few the flock you oversee there. Remember, your attitude to God’s work is more important than the work itself because He can go ahead and do it even without you.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” Revelation 14:13.

Our eventual admittance into heaven would not be based only on the fact that we have won souls for Christ or have achieved great success in His Kingdom business. There are great preachers and evangelists, with much souls won and great works done to their credit, who are presently languishing in hell because they were not truly faithful to God. God can use anyone either as a holy vessel (2 Timothy 2:19-21) or as just an ordinary channel (Romans 9:14-18; James 7:11-12) to fulfill His will; but the choice as to which way He uses us is always ours: you can choose to either be a faithful and holy vessel in which He dwells to do His work here on earth, or else become an unfaithful steward that He would, nevertheless, use as a sign-post to direct the lost to Himself. Whatever we choose to be, God’s will must still be done!

3. THE REPROOF AND CONDEMNATION OF THE UNFAITHFUL STEWARD
Matthew 25:24-30; 25:41-46; 24:45-51

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delays His coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” Matthew 24:48-51.

God is more interested in showing mercy to the unfaithful stewards than He is in punishing them. 1 Timothy 1:15-16; 2:3-4.

God is longsuffering and merciful; He would only pass judgment on the unrepentant after He has exhausted all other avenues to get them to repent and turn away from their unfaithfulness.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel” Ezekiel 33:11

In Matthew 25:24-30, the Lord did not punish the unprofitable servant only because he failed in his stewardship, but more because he was arrogant and unremorseful. He knew of his failure but did nothing to obtain the mercy that should freely have been shown to him by the Lord who keeps “… mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” Exodus 34:5-7.

We should strive to be the faithful stewards whom the Lord has called and commissioned us to be; but in the event that we find our works to be falling short of His standards at any given time, we must approach Him at His throne of Mercy and Grace and seek for His forgiveness and renewal of our strength to offer that acceptable service which He desires from His faithful stewards.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16.

The End

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10

As the church age draws closer to its end, we the body of Christ would do well to admonish ourselves to strive to be found faithful and good stewards of the grace which God has richly bestowed upon us at that time when we each believed in and continued in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

God, who chose us to serve Him as stewards of His “manifold” (or various manifestations of) grace, did it so as to give us the chance to prove here on earth that we can be trusted with greater and nobler services in our next life in His heavenly kingdom. Our faithfulness to Him now is the proof that we can be so trusted to serve Him and His Christ forever in the coming ages of His everlasting kingdom.

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:1-2.

We were not saved and commissioned to serve God because we were found faithful in the first place, no, but because God wants to give us the chance to prove we can be trusted with eternal riches through our faithfulness with the temporal ones which He has bestowed upon us through grace. Matthew 25:14-30

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” Matthew 25:14-15

Consequently, therefore, our future with God in Heaven is heavily reliant upon our present life as we serve Him here on earth.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21

We shall be considering this study under the following sub-topics below:

1. Genuine Conversion: The Most Basic Requirement for God’s Stewards
2. Selfless Service: The Hallmark of a Faithful Steward Here on Earth
3. Heavenly Stewardship: The Exclusive Preserve of Holy and Fruitful Stewards

1.GENUINE CONVERSION: THE MOST BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR GOD’S STEWARDS
Matthew 18:1-4; 2 Timothy 2:19-21; Luke 22:31-32

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Just as our admittance into the kingdom of heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23) is basically based on genuine conversion of the heart, so also is our suitability as a steward in the service of God’s kingdom. What, though, does the word “conversion” actually mean?
In ordinary language, to convert anything would mean to alter its physical or chemical properties from one form to another. The same thing also is true about the spiritual conversion of lives; it is a complete change (as Acts 26:18 puts it) from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. See also 1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:12-13.
Spiritual conversion (or being born again) must not be taken to be the same thing as repentance or the forgiveness of one’s sins; for while repentance and the forgiveness of sins are experiences which happen instantaneously, conversion, on the other hand (which is the actual goal of repentance and forgiveness of sins), is a process of change which can take place in as short a time as within minutes, or for as long as within years, all depending on how earnest and true the penitent sinner’s response is toward the grace of God (2 Corinthians 5:17) which has been made available to them through Jesus Christ for a new life.
Although the grace and mercy of God is made available to all who turn to God through Jesus Christ in repentance, its workings, or benefits, are manifested differently in them, depending on how each person responds to that call. This is basically the reason why Christians manifest some differences in their spiritual growth and/or experiences. See 1 Timothy 4:13-15; Philippians 2:12-16; Acts 17:10-12; 1 Peter 2:1-3.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12

As to the reasons for the discrepancy in the spiritual growth of different Christians, the Holy Bible in Hebrews 5:12-14 has this to say:
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
The substance of what we are trying to establish here is simply this: that God tries the heart for spiritual maturity, which is the evidence of genuine conversion, before He bestows the grace of stewardship (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) on anyone. That we have repented of our sins and have received forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ does not automatically mean that we are deemed suited to be ministers or stewards of the mysteries of God’s kingdom; we would be deemed to have attained to this status when we, by the means of God’s own grace made available to us in Christ, work on our character until it reflects that of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:17-32; Colossians 2:6-7.

In concluding this first sub-topic, we would like to reflect on two of our pilot scriptures, namely Matthew 18:1-4 and Luke 22:31-32, and to learn some valuable truths from them with regards to genuine conversion.
From the accounts of those Scriptures, we understand that even though Jesus Christ’s disciples had repented of and received forgiveness for their sins, yet they were not genuinely converted until at some later points in their walk with Christ, thus buttressing the earlier point raised that conversion of the heart is a process achieved over time; not because that is how God wants it to be, but because that’s what His longsuffering can achieve with mankind’s inconsistency, just as Galatians 4:19 says below:
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
This errant attitude of the disciples of Jesus Christ is also evident in the following accounts of the Holy Scriptures:

1. They were obsessed with their personal worth. Luke 22:24-27; Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:33-35
2. There was selfish ambition and strife among them. Matthew 20:20-24
3. There was murmuring among them. Mark 14:3-9
4. There was love of money and betrayal, at least in one known case. Mark 14:10-11
5. There were unreasonable promises made by the disciples (Mark 14:26-31) but which they could not keep in the end. (Mark 14:44-52)

It was for the reasons above that Jesus Christ addressed Peter concerning their future thus:

“…But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:32

It is praiseworthy to note that those disciples (except for Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus Christ, who would eventually commit suicide) came out of their initial dismal experiences and proceeded to do great exploits for God’s Kingdom (Mark 16:20) because they did not give up, but rather waited on God (Acts 1:12-14) for cleansing and renewal until they were converted, as Christ had said earlier, and were also filled with the power of the Holy Ghost as He had earlier promised to them. Luke 24:49
The same condition must apply to anyone whose desire is to meet the basic requirement for stewardship in God’s vineyard; they must be disciplined enough to wait on the Lord, and to work on their own weaknesses, until they are converted and made ready for stewardship in God’s Kingdom now on earth and, hereafter, forever in heaven.

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21.

    To be continued...

True Christianity is a practical way of life, and the resultant life of the practicing Christian is a godly life. We can, therefore, say that godliness is the essence of true faith in Jesus Christ. We could be all we want to be for Christ in the church, at home, or anywhere for that matter, but if our lives do not reflect His godly virtues, then we are anything but true Christians. This is so because true Christianity is the practice of the heavenly life here on earth; “…Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:10. “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

The word seek in the context of the scripture above is an active word. It could be defined as looking out for, searching for, yearning for, etc., which are all practical words. In Christianity, you practice here and now on earth the life you would forever live in heaven with God, His Son Jesus Christ and all their subject. To the extent that this aim is daily achieved in your life, the better your chances of making heaven your eternal home with God.

How can a mortal sinful man live a godly life in this sinful world? Is it even possible? Well, we shall find out as the teaching unfolds. Consider the scripture below:

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” Psalm 15:1-2.

From the scripture above we can make out the three essential ingredients that make up a godly life to be as follows:

1. UPRIGHTNESS OF HEART: Psalm 15:1-3
To be upright in heart is the same as being holy in your heart. Verse three mentions three vices of the defiled heart, the absence of which is sufficient proof that a person’s heart is upright. They are namely:
A. He That Backbiteth Not With His Tongue: Gossiping, backbiting, and malicious whispering are evidence of a wicked sin-defiled heart. See Matthew 12:34-37; Psalm 41:5-9; Proverbs 16:28; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 1 Samuel 29:6; 2 Samuel 22:22-24.

2. TRUTHFULNESS AT WHATEVER COST: Psalm 15:1,2,4.
To be truthful is to be able, at all times, to speak, agree with, or make representation of people, things, or situations the way that they actually are, with no regard to personal opinion or self-interest. Some sterling qualities of people who walk in the truth are:
A. They have no fear for or show respect to those who are evil and dishonor God by their life style. Esther 3:1-2; Matthew 10:22-31.
B. They hold their conscience bound to what is right and consistent with the truth, whether it is in their favor or not. Judges 11:30-40; Genesis 14:14-24.

3. RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CONDUCT: Psalm 15:1,2,5.
To be righteous means to be consistent in doing the right things or making the right decisions. This requires a great deal of discipline and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The following are some of the attributes of righteous persons:
A. They have a good sense of justice; they are impartial and will give to everyone their dues. Proverbs 17:15; 24:24; Isaiah 5:23; Jeremiah 5:28; Ezekiel 33:12-16; 34:17,20-22; Galatians 6:7; Revelation 20:11-15.
B. They do not exploit or take advantage of anyone for their own benefit. Proverbs 14:31; 22:16; Exodus 22:21; 1 Samuel 12:1-5.
C. They are selfless and generous to all alike. Matthew 5:44-48; Genesis 18:1-8; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Acts 4:32-37; Hebrews 13:1-3.

From the foregoing, therefore, we can conclude that godliness is the consistent practice of the virtues of holiness, truth, and righteousness. And because they are action-based, a Christian cannot sit idle and attain to these virtues: a Christian must diligently seek for them.

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” 1 Timothy 6:11,12.

Jesus Christ came into this world to make it possible for sinners, as we all were/are, to receive God’s transforming grace and be born again. It is only when we believe in Him and unconditionally accept Him into our heart that He can work from within us to give us the new life – the born again life!

2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. “

We spend our time in the pursuit of so many temporal things which cannot guarantee any satisfaction beyond this temporal fleeting life that we are living, while all that time Jesus Christ is waiting for anyone who would call upon Him for the gift of eternal life, filled with all the goodness of God, both here on earth and for eternity in heaven. If this does not sound like a good deal I wonder what else will! So, are you in?
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”.

1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

As humans we are by our nature inclined to make decisions, express opinions and pass judgments, all in a bid to align our thoughts with the reality we face in order to place our selves in a position of advantage.
While this may be a necessary way of life, if it’s done with truth and empathy as guiding principles, nevertheless experience has proved that due to mankind’s imperfection they seldom follow those principles; they’re mostly biased, choosing self above others in the matter of justice, even where the scales tilt against them. It is with this inherent weakness in view that God counsels us to relinquish our rights to judge others to Him so that we do not bring our selves under condemnation.
Matthew 7:1-2 gives a solemn charge to this effect when it says: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”.
There is, however, a limited exception to the charge above as we shall consider in the following sub -topics below.

Judging Others As An Appointed Duty
Exodus 18:13-26; Deuteronomy 16:12-20; Judges 2:8-18; 2 Chronicles 19:4-7; Ezra 7:25-26; 1 Corinthians 6:1-5; Luke 22:28-30

The word Judge can be defined in two ways, namely;

1. In its noun form, it means a public officer appointed to decide disputes in a law Court. In ancient Israel it means a leader having power and authority to lead.
2. In its verb form, it means to form an opinion or conclusion about a person or a thing.

We are, however going to focus on the noun definition of the word, Judge , in the first of three sub-topics in this series.

God’s commandment to “Judge not” does not apply to persons appointed by a lawfully constituted government authority to administer justice to the people governed under that authority, provided their judicial activities are carried out within the scope of that constituted authority by which that people have pledged allegiance to be governed. This is so in this case because that appointed person judges the people not by his personal opinion, but by using legislation generally accepted by the people and thus he is free of the charge to “Judge not” as commanded in God’s word.

In secular a country this legislation by which citizens are governed is called the constitution, but in the Biblical era the people were governed by the laws of God. Let us consider some instances below:

1. Exodus 18:13-26; Ezra 7:25-26.
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, Judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.” Exodus 18:21-22.

In the scripture above, Moses was counseled by his father in-law, Jethro, to teach the people of Israel God’s ordinances and laws, and to instruct them how they might walk in those statutes. Further more he was to appoint Judges who would hold the people accountable for any breach of those laws and ordinances.

2. Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 2 Chronicles 19:4-7.
Here in Deuteronomy, the scope of a judge’s duty is spelt out for him to follow; any wilful departure from this, and a resort to personal opinion, would bring him under God’s wrath.
“Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.” Deuteronomy 16:19.

3. Judges 2:8-18
The Bible book of Judges chronicles the accounts and lives of several Judges who judged Israel before their first King was enthroned.
“Nevertheless the LORD raised up Judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them… and when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the Judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the Judge…” Judges 2:16-18

4. 1 Corinthians 6:1-5, Luke 22:28-30
In this church age, however, we are taught that in the future Kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ, we shall be Judges, too. Whereas God remains the eternal Judge over His everlasting Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:28), here on earth during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ the resurrected and glorified Christians will rule and reign with Jesus for a thousand years. See Revelation 20:1-6. At that time the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow on those who would be found worthy the authority to bear rule upon the peoples of the earth who survived the great tribulation and witnessed His second coming.

This authority to rule over the nations is what is termed as “Judging the world” in scripture.
“Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? … Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:2-3.

We would also “judge” angels in the sense that as heirs of salvation and as joint heirs with Jesus Christ over the riches and inheritance of God’s Kingdom, the angels of God shall wait on (Minister to) us Hebrews 1:13,14

“Are they not all ministering Spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Hebrews 1:14

In conclusion, therefore, we must hold that a person under an appointment to act as a Judge, whether by religious or secular powers, provided the enabling laws are right before God, and that the duty is carried out strictly under the scope of that law, shall not be guilty of having expressed a prejudicial opinion in judging others, which is what God’s word prohibited when the Lord commanded to “Judge not”.

Judgmental Personal Opinion And Its Dangers.
Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37; James 2:12-13; 4:11-12; Romans 14:1-13.

There is a good reason why God forbids us to sit in judgment or to condemn any other person, and that reason is simply because mortal man is imperfect and therefore, unfit to condemn or judge any form of imperfection in others, except where (as we saw in the last sub-topic) he is authorized to do so either by God’s Word or the civil authority sanctioned by God. See Romans 13:1-7.

Romans 13:1-2: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation”.

We can see an example of this in the account of the woman accused of Committing adultery (John 8:1-11) The mob had sought the maximum penalty of death by stoning against her, but Jesus had answered them in this way:
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”. John 8:7.

The following scriptural reasoning below will help us to know more about why it is dangerous to judge or to condemn anyone based on a personal human opinion.

1. Mankind is plague with imperfection and, therefore, cannot judge the imperfect conduct of others without coming under self-condemnation. Romans 2:1-6.
   “…for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things”. Romans 2:1.
2. Even where our lives are blameless before God, we would still be unfit to express a personal opinion in condemning any one because we did not come to be free of sin by our power, but through God’s grace and mercy therefore, we must also desire for others to obtain such mercy from God, instead of condemning them for their misconducts.

“or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:4

3. Another reason why it is dangerous for us to judge others is because our personal opinions for such judgment would be based on the limited knowledge available to us through physical observation: only God sees the motives in a person’s heart. 1 Samuel 16:7.

Having considered some reasons why God forbids us to sit in judgment over other people’s short-comings, we would now set forth to consider the dangers that we expose ourselves to when we do that.

1. We risk bringing ourselves under God’s swift judgment when we judge other people’s faults.
   “Judge not and ye shall not be judged: condemn not and ye shall not be condemned” Luke 6:37; Romans 14:10-12.
2. We risk being denied God’s mercy any further if we become habitually judgmental towards others. James 2:12-13.
   “For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shown no mercy and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” James 2:13.
3. When we wickedly begin to dig into the past lives of people so as to bring accusation against them, we would also risk having our own sinful past searched out and exposed by God.
   “They searched out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow: suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away” God As The Ultimate Judge And His Word As The Basis For All Judgments .
   Psalms 50:1-6
   From the previous sub-topics of this study, we have made out a case of innocence for appointed judges, provided that in sitting in judgment over other men’s faults they do so strictly based on the laws which enables them to so act. We also fault any judgment based on a personal opinion as wrong and offensive to God’s commandment on the grounds that no man is perfect enough to assume that role on personal merits.

In this final sub-topic, we are going to be looking at God as the ultimate Judge and His Word as basis for judgments. We shall further divide this last point into three namely:

1. God’s Holiness as Basis for determining what is right. 1 Samuel 2:2-3; Psalms 45:6-7. Our understanding of what is right and what is wrong comes entirely from our knowledge of God’s holy nature; because He is absolutely holy, we know that whatsoever does not conform to His holiness is not right and must therefore be judged if not repented of. See 1 John 1:5-6 Psalms 36:9.
   “… God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all…” 1 John 1:5.

Therefore to not conform to God’s nature of holiness is what makes anyone susceptible to judgment.
Mankind, however, do not have God’s kind of inherent holiness and, therefore, cannot judge the failures and sins of others without they themselves coming under the same condemnation.
“for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things”. Romans 2:1

2. God’s Sovereignty As Basis for His Power to Judge or Show Mercy. Psalms 62:11-12.
   God is sovereign: He is the highest and final authority; all other authorities are delegated by Him. Because of this sovereignty, God has the power to judge or show mercy on any one solely by His own discretion alone.

“God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God” Psalms 62:11.

No man possesses the power to forgive or to punish another’s sin, which they have committed against God or man except where God delegates such power.
At His trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus Christ plainly told the Roman governor:
“Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above…” John 19:11.

3. God’s word as Basis for All Judgments Here on the Earth and in Heaven. John 12:46-50; Romans 2:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-2.
   All rules and regulations for the administration of Justice must conform to the truth of God’s holy word or else they would be condemnable before Him.

When we use God’s word as the basis for judgment, then it is no longer our opinion or judgment, but God’s own, as revealed in His Holy word. This is what a delegated authority is all about. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16.
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” 1 Corinthians 2:15.

As long as we judge or condemn sin and all unrighteousness solely on the basis of God’s revealed word alone (our Personal opinion not playing any active role in this) we are using a delegated authority similar to the one seen in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 and Isaiah 54:17.
“… reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” 2 Timothy 4:2
“… every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the Servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” Isaiah 54:17.

There is no doubt that we are at the very brink of that prophetic era which the Holy Bible variously refers to as the Last Days, The Day of the Lord, or The End of the World. See 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 3:1-4, 10; Matthew 24:29-31; Joel 2:30-32; 1 Corinthians 10:11.

This era, according to the scriptures, will begin with a universal departure from the truth of God’s word by mankind. This is what Paul’s epistle termed as the falling away in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

After the falling away, or the departure from the truth, comes the day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ to salvage what would be left of the Church, which is the faithful few that held to their faith in Jesus Christ, and also to smite the world and all ungodly sinners with His wrath. Jude 14, 15; Joel 2:1-32; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand… And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?… Then will the LORD be jealous for his land and pity his people.” Joel 2:1, 11, 18.

The last event in the prophetic era of the last days would be the destruction of the heavens and the earth and all ungodly persons and their works, so as to usher in everlasting righteousness for the saints in God’s Kingdom, and to condemn all sinners to everlasting shame and eternal torment in the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment. Revelation 20:7-10, 11-15; 21:1-7.

“But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up… Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10, 13.

Today’s teaching, however, deals with the first event of the last days, and we shall consider it in the following sub topics:

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1. BACKSLIDING AND APOSTASY DEFINED.

Backsliding and apostasy are two different stages of one phenomenon which we can define as the cessation of the practice of truth, righteousness and holiness; or, in three words, cessation of godliness .

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death… The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.” Proverbs 14:12, 14.

The first sign of backsliding is self-will, with little or no regard for the word of God. Even where that person’s character is manifestly sinful and opposed to the truth of God’s word, they’d still proclaim their righteousness. See Jeremiah 3:6-11; 8:4-6. But even at this early stage of backsliding there is still hope of reconciliation with God upon genuine repentance.

“…Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:12, 13.

Apostasy, on the other hand, is the finished work of backsliding, where the conscience is finally seared and does not feel the guilt of sin or the reproof of God’s Spirit, until grace is eventually denied and judgment looms over the apostate soul. Proverbs 1:23-32; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31.
“He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1.

To an apostate king of Judah, the LORD declared:
“As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;…” Jeremiah 22:24.

2. BACKSLIDING AND APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH TODAY
Jeremiah 2:1-19; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition… even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9, 10.

The church, today, is filled with both backsliders and apostates who make up the vast number of so-called believers professing faith in Jesus Christ. However, it is easy to identify those who really are the true representatives of Jesus Christ in the world today.

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked.” 1 John 2:6.

Every doctrine of a church and the conduct of its ministers and their followers which contradicts the life of Christ, as portrayed in the Gospels and Epistles, is a falling away from the truth delivered to the church by Jesus Christ Himself. This, however, is becoming the normal order of affairs in Christendom today. See Jeremiah 23:9-17; Jude 3-16; Matthew 15:1-9.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” Jeremiah 23:16, 17.

3. GOD’S WARNING FOR BELIEVERS IN THESE LAST DAYS.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
Jude 3.

The symptoms of a backsliding church, or an individual Christian, would be easy to see and to understand if we are sincerely willing to abide by the Word of God given to us in its simplicity. At whatever time we discover in a church, or in any one person, the tendency to wrest scripture in support of what is manifestly un-Christ-like, then backsliding has set in. At such a time it would be wise to abandon self-will and personal interests in favor of God’s will and the interest of the true Christian faith, which we pledged allegiance to defend when we were graciously saved by Jesus Christ.

The following are some signs of backsliding which could lead to apostasy if left unchecked:

1. Lukewarmness in our relationship and devotion to God. Revelation 3:14-19.
2. Loss of interest in the things of God. 2 Timothy 4:3, 4, 9, 10.
3. Assertion of self-will over God’s will. Proverbs 14:14; James 4:13-16; Luke 12:47.
4. Worldliness. 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:1-4; James 5:1–6.
5. Nonchalant attitude towards the work of God’s Kingdom. Judges 5:23; Jeremiah 23:1-2.

God warns all backsliders to repent and be restored back to Him or risk the doom of apostates; many of whom are prominent leaders of churches and ministries today. If we would be healed, restored, and be made ready as the bride of Christ, awaiting His imminent return, then we must cast aside all interests that conflict with the call of God unto holiness and return unconditionally to Him in repentance. Joel 2:12-17.

“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning… Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach…” Joel 2:12, 17.