Month: July 2026

Mal.3.16 – “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.
Mal.3.17 – “They will be my people,” says the LORD Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.
Mal.3.18 – Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” NLT

A JEWEL is defined as “a precious stone or a piece of hard, shining mineral cut into shape and polished for use as an ornament for beautifying the body or the home.” Below are some examples of jewels depicted in the writings of the Holy Bible:
“And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst…” — Revelation 21:19-20 KJV

God’s kingdom is beautified with some of the rarest jewels of inestimable value, as we have seen in the quoted portion of the Scriptures above. But God’s greatest jewels are the redeemed souls of the people who have accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and personal Saviour, even as we have read in the opening text above. God says of them:

“And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” — Malachi 3:17 KJV

We can understand from the text as a whole that God is making up His jewels from among the people of the world, and His selection process is still ongoing. He will choose from among the peoples of every nation and tribes of the earth, and the process will be free and fair because God is not biased toward anyone. See Romans 2:11; Colossians 3:25. His eyes are constantly roving throughout the earth in search of people who are upright in heart and godly in their character, that He may make them part of His collection of precious jewels, to be redeemed at last from this sinful world and translated into His eternal and glorious heavenly kingdom. As a redeemed soul, you must show yourself capable of good works, through the available grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that you may be among God’s chosen jewels.
“For his eyes (God’s) are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” — Job 34:21 KJV
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…” — 2 Chronicles 16:9. KJV

Below are three (3) sub-topics for the purpose of expanding the study for a better understanding:
1. GOD CHOOSES HIS JEWELS BASED ON THEIR WORKS.
Malachi 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10
God looks out for those whose works are acceptable to Him and encourages them to keep up with what they do. They stand a chance of becoming His treasured jewels, whose names He would command to be written before Him for an everlasting record in the Book of Life in heaven.
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God… I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.” — Revelation 2:18-19 KJV
As for those whose works are less than acceptable to Him, God gives them a warning to change their sinful habits and unrighteous works so that they could be among His chosen jewels.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: … I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot… 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: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear…” — Revelation 3:14-18 KJV

2. GOD TESTS AND PROVES HIS JEWELS BY TRIALS AND HARDSHIP
Zechariah 13:7-9; 1 Peter 1:3-8; 4:12-16
The jewel that shines the brightest is the one on which the craftsman had spent much time polishing it to perfection. Even so, God looks for an opportunity to work more on our lives in order to bring us to perfection, provided we do not deny Him the opportunity, which, sadly, we often do without realizing it.
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” — Zechariah 13:9 KJV
Trials and hardship help the righteous to re-evaluate their lives in order to refocus, re-strategize, and re-launch their lives into serving God better than ever before. See Hebrews 12:6-11; Revelation 2:8-10; Philippians 3:3
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” — Revelation 2:10 KJV
Patience and endurance in the face of trials will keep us steadfast in the race to heaven and cause us to shine the brightest as God’s own chosen jewels.

3. GOD WILL REWARD HIS TRUSTED JEWELS WITH ETERNAL LIFE
John 10:27-29; Revelation 21:12-14; John 14:1-3; Hebrews 10:35-39
“For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him; but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” — Hebrews 10:37-39 KJV.

It may seem like it’s been a long wait for the return of Jesus Christ to take us to heaven, but no matter how long the wait has been, God’s Word assures us that it will soon be over and the Lord will come to take His chosen jewels with Him to heaven. The most important thing for us now is not the long wait, but what we should be doing while waiting for the Lord’s return. See 1 John 3:1-3
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” — 1 John 3:3 KJV.
Our waiting time should be spent mostly in:

1. Pursuing a holy and righteous lifestyle. — Hebrews 12:14
2. Praying, studying the Word of God, and preaching the gospel. — Acts 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:1-2, 15; 4:1-5

“If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” — John 13:17

Matt. 18:32 – “Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.
Matt. 18:33 – Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?'”
Matt. 18:34 – Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.
Matt. 18:35 – “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” NLT

Today’s teaching is on the topic of forgiveness, which is now a rare virtue in a hurting, vengeful, and fault-finding world where people look for just anyone to blame for their pain. But, the current situation of the world notwithstanding, our text vividly captures the essence of forgiveness from God’s own viewpoint. He forgives us so that we can, in turn, learn to forgive others. As we practice the virtue of forgiving others for whatever wrongs they have committed against us, God also holds open for us the door to His heart, where we can always find full forgiveness for our own trespasses.
Matt. 6:12 – “…and forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.”
The Lord’s Prayer above makes it clear that we can only ask for God’s forgiveness on the condition that we have also forgiven those who have trespassed against us. However, we must be careful how we practice forgiveness because it must meet certain criteria for it to be acceptable to God.

1. FORGIVENESS THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE WITH GOD:
Matthew 18:35
Forgiveness is a sacrifice; therefore, any forgiveness that is not done with a sacrificial spirit may not have been properly done. Forgiveness is a conscious decision aimed at refraining from the vengeful desire to do any act or say any word to another person that their attitude or action toward us deserves. In exercising forgiveness, we deny ourselves the right to seek redress for any wrong done to us. Although this may not always be easy to do, that is exactly what God’s Word commands us to do in this new dispensation of grace.
In contrast, however, during the old dispensation of the Law, it was proper to seek redress for damages done to one’s person or body because the Old Testament law prescribed “a tooth for a tooth” or “an eye for an eye” as a system of justice. However, Christ’s ministry changed that and instead prescribed forgiveness, even for those we think are undeserving of it.
Matt. 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'”
Matt. 5:39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matt. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Matt. 5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
From Jesus Christ’s admonition above, it follows, then, that the common impulsive attitude of first giving vent to our anger before pronouncing forgiveness to our offenders is not acceptable before God on the simple grounds that it was not done sacrificially with love. The only exception to this rule, though, would be in the case where we are not the beneficiaries of such a show of anger. For instance, when we are angry at what is offensive to God, just as Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest of God, did, then the anger would be considered justified, provided we do not allow it to continue after our point is made.
Num. 25:11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them.” (NIV)
Eph. 4:26 – And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Eph. 4:27 – for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.” NLT

Where we choose to satisfy ourselves by releasing the thunder and volcano within us, we have in effect denied our trespassers the benefit of our forgiveness. In such a case, the sentence of Holy Scripture is clearly spelled out.
Mark 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.” (AMP)

2. FORGIVENESS AS PRACTICED IN THE SCRIPTURES
Having now seen, from the foregoing, the dangers of maintaining an unforgiving attitude, we will do well to fall back to the Scriptures and get ourselves acquainted with the practice of the early saints as it regards forgiveness by studying how they practically applied that principle in their own lives.
The martyr Stephen, as he was being brutally murdered by the people he had wanted to save, did not cry out to God for vengeance against them but pleaded for their forgiveness (Acts 7:54-60).
So, also, in Hebrews 11:36-38, we are given a glimpse of the horrible life which our predecessors were forced to live by unbelievers and the backslidden religious leaders of that time. When strong, able-bodied brothers in the Lord would not retaliate against their persecutors, we can reasonably conclude that their actions were a result of their deep understanding of the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:43-44: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” NLT

Unless we have reached the point in our personal lives where we can honestly say, without fear of being contradicted by our conscience, that we have obeyed Christ just like the early Christians did, we have not practiced forgiveness as God would have us do.

3. FORGIVENESS AS A TOOL FOR WINNING OTHERS TO CHRIST
Love is something you do. There is no better way to show love to your trespassers than by forgiving them unconditionally. An old, popular Christian hymn says, “they will know we are Christians by our love.” More than anything else, forgiving others when we are suffering as a result of their actions tends to melt their hearts and bring them to repentance.
The crowd that cheered and jeered as Jesus Christ hung in agony from His cross was not the same that left the scene of the crucifixion after He had uttered His last prayer for their forgiveness before He died. See Luke 23:20, 21, 33-37, 44-48.
Luke 23:48 – “And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw all that had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.” NLT

Paul the Apostle gave wise counsel when he said:
Rom. 12:19 – “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, ‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,’ says the Lord.
Rom. 12:20 – Instead, do what the Scriptures say: ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.'”
Rom. 12:21 – Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.” NLT

In practicing the counsel given above, however, we must avoid the error of weaponizing forgiveness against anyone. By that I mean that the end goal of showing kindness to those who offend us should not be to make them feel ashamed or regret their actions against us. It should rather demonstrate our love for them. This is also the reason why God forgives us: that we may know that He still loves us, our sins and shortcomings notwithstanding. This is the reason we must also forgive others, their offenses and uncharitable deeds against us notwithstanding!
Matt. 5:44 – “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Matt. 5:45 – In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too.” NLT

When we preach that God loves a cheerful giver, it also includes those who give forgiveness cheerfully!

Evidence abounds not only in print, audio, and visual media, but also from the events of everyday life, that the Rapture, which will herald the coming of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth, is quite at hand. The strivings among the nations, one against the other, and the degradation of nature, are some of the obvious signs which Jesus Christ had earlier warned His disciples to look out for in judging the imminence of the Rapture and His eventual second coming to rule over the earth.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places…” Matthew 24:7.

Jesus had not only given us the signs to look out for, but also what preparations to make against the yet unknown day of the Rapture. He said to His disciples:

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28.

Below are some of the areas that the children of God should make adequate preparations as they await the events of the rapture:

1. Have a Modest Plan for Your Life. 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12; 1 Timothy 2:1-3
“…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 1 Timothy 2:2b; Luke 21:35.
Keep it simple. Do not get yourself entangled with the things of this life so much that they will demand too much of your attention and time to manage. Remember, you have your soul’s eternal destiny to worry about and your future with Jesus Christ in heaven to prepare for. So do not allow the temporal things of this world to spoil your chances of gaining the eternal ones of heaven.
Luke 21:34 “But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose.” AMP[lest]

2. Be Earnest in Prayer. Psalm 55:16, 17; 5:7; 28:1, 2; Hebrews 5:7-10; Luke 22:39-44; Jeremiah 29:13
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared…” Hebrews 5:7.
Keep praying, not only when you need something from God, but mostly because you want to have and maintain fellowship with Him. You might just be having one of those intimate prayer fellowships with Him one day when the celestial trumpeters will give that distinct blast that will herald the Rapture of God’s saints — and you inclusive — to heaven.
Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Mark 13:33 “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” NKJV

3. Constantly Study the Bible. Acts 17:10, 11; 2 Timothy 2:15; John 5:39
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39.
Read the Holy Bible as if your entire life and hope of heaven depend on it, because it actually does. Let the Word of God guide your steps in the dangerous terrain of this treacherous world because you cannot be too sure what is right to do unless your knowledge of God’s Word comes in handy. Those who presume to navigate life’s complex roads purely on their own initiative, without the light of God’s Word, are bound to fail!
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules.”
Psalm 119:10 “I have tried my best to find you — don’t let me wander from your commands.”
Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” NLT

4. Be Always Spirit-Filled and Spiritually Conscious. Galatians 5:16, 22-25; Romans 8:1-2, 9-17; Ephesians 4:30
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30.
If you want to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, then you have to be on good terms with the Holy Spirit; your life must be conducive for Him to live in. As He is holy, He must, therefore, find your life holy to dwell in also.
One identifying mark of those who are on course to heaven is that they carry the presence of the Holy Spirit, not only in the over-hyped tongue speaking, but in the mostly unsung holy character, which cannot be mistaken for anything else but that it is the very life of God in them!
Galatians 5:22 “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
Galatians 5:23 “gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.”
Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”
Galatians 5:25 “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” NLT

5. Be Ardent in Evangelism. Mark 6:7-13; 2 Timothy 4:1-2; John 4:23-24; Romans 10:14-16
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” Mark 6:12.
Witnessing to people about the redemption story: how God loved us and sent His Son Jesus Christ to make atonement for our sins, which had hitherto separated us from Him (Isaiah 59:2, John 3:16); how He is transforming sinners into saints as they believe and accept His Son Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of their life (2 Corinthians 5:17); how He is preparing a place for them in heaven, with the promise to return to earth to take them to be with Him in heaven forever (John 14:1-3); that is the primary assignment which Jesus Christ has given to everyone who believes in Him.
Matthew 28:18 “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth.’”
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 28:20 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NLT

6. Be in Constant Fellowship with Other Believers. Malachi 3:16, 17; Hebrews 10:23-25
“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.
Keeping in touch with those who practice the Christian faith in truth and sincerity, through church meetings and scheduled visitations, is one sure way to keep yourself spiritually connected, edified, and positively occupied with the things of God while waiting for the Rapture to take place.
Malachi 3:16 “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.”
Malachi 3:17 “‘They will be my people,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.’” NLT

7. Have Occasional Personal Retreats. Mark 6:30-32; Luke 4:42
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35.
Withdrawing yourself, once in a while, from the hustle and bustle of your daily activities, in order to wait on God for personal renewal and spiritual refreshment, is a must for every heaven-conscious child of God. This is important because it is often so easy to get too occupied — even with spiritual activities — to notice that we are missing out on some intimate moments with God, like waiting to receive direction for tomorrow from Him, or just wanting to know the next task He has for us to do for Him.
God wants to spend time with us in order to prepare us for the Rapture, but unless we create that time for Him, it will not be possible for Him to easily fulfill that desire.
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.” MSG

8. Subject Every Doctrine to Rigorous Biblical Scrutiny. 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Ephesians 4:14, 15; Isaiah 8:20; Mark 7:6-13; 1 Timothy 4:1-2
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20.
What you hear and believe becomes what you practice. What you practice becomes your spiritual identity before God and mankind. Your spiritual identity determines your eternal destiny. So, be careful where you attend fellowship and who ministers to you. This is about your eternal destiny. As you would not consciously allow a quack doctor to attend to your health issues, so you should not allow just anyone to guide your spiritual destiny unless you have proven confidence that what they believe, preach, and practice is totally in line with God’s Holy Word.
Luke 8:18 “So be sure to pay attention to what you hear. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them.” NLT

9. Be Careful Who You Partner With In Life Or Ministry. 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Acts 20:28-30; 1 Peter 5:1-3; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 18-21; 2 Timothy 2:22
“Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22.
You are as good — or otherwise — as the company you keep. Keeping the right friends or having the right partner can add a boost to your hope of heavenly candidacy for the Rapture of the saints.
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.” AMP

10. Render a Good Account of Yourself to All Men. Acts 20:17-38; 1 Timothy 4:12; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Peter 2:11, 12; Matthew 5:13-16
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12.
What people see and comment about your life might just be a true reflection of how you stand before Almighty God also. So, try and give a good account of yourself wherever you are.
Acts 24:16 “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” NIV

We may not really know the day and time of the rapture of the saints, but knowing that we are daily preparing ourselves for this event can be very comforting to us and inspiring to those who look up to us for hope in a dying and soon-ending world.

“And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3.

I am continuing this literature with the fifth (5) and last point, having written the first part up to point 4 titled Why The Splitting Of God’s Redemption Plan Into Two Phases Became Necessary. Please, follow me as I explore the fifth point.

5. What All Of This Means For Us Today
In rounding up this work, it is imperative to let the reader know that I have tried my utmost best to avoid being tedious, by trimming down the number of words I needed to use, in order to win their interest, while also at the same time doing justice to this literature by furnishing the reader with enough scriptural proof so that their conviction on the subject would be absolutely based on God’s Word alone. What I have eventually ended up with can best be described as an abridged version of what I would otherwise have written were this to be a fully detailed work.

But, be that as it may, I have kept until now what I would consider the most poignant aspect of the expose, and it has to do with the tragic twist which Satan has subtly introduced into some people’s perception of the redemption project of God. Since knowing that he cannot stop God from carrying out His redemption plan for mankind, Satan has inspired and commissioned an army of false prophets, preachers and teachers to craftfully distort the teaching on the subject of redemption in a way that will be misleading to mankind. Although Jesus Christ and His immediate disciples had earlier given the Church the warning of this impending evil, yet it is sad to admit that, in recent times, the success rate of this satanic campaign to propagate a misleading redemption gospel is alarming. However, and that happily, God has also promised His faithful children that Satan’s efforts would be defeated, nevertheless, and his loyalists judged and punished.

2 Thess. 2:9 – “This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
2 Thess. 2:10 – He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.
2 Thess. 2:11 – So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies.
2 Thess. 2:12 – Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.” NLT

God has faithfully played His own part in re-opening the way back to His Kingdom, through His redemption road map, to anyone who is willing to faithfully accept and follow it.

Our part now is to diligently study the Holy Scriptures in order to properly acquaint ourselves with the truth it offers with regards to the subject. This has become necessary because the message of God’s redemption through Jesus Christ has been deliberately compromised through some subtle means, which only a diligent study of the Holy Bible, and prayer for God’s guidance on the matter will help unravel.

I have no doubt that there are a lot of sincere people out there who have already accepted, or are really desirous of accepting God’s redemption through Jesus Christ, but unless they’re well guided by God’s Word, they might just be listening to the wrong preachers. To such persons I will recommend that they do the only sensible thing that the scriptures below suggest:

Isa. 8:20 “Tell them, ‘No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.’ People who try the other ways get nowhere — a dead end!” (MSG)
Acts 17:11 – “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. _They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.”_ NLT

Below are some important guides to help the sincere seeker of God’s redemption to successfully navigate through the maze of satanic doctrines which is keeping a lot of people religiously active but, sadly, very far from being truly saved.

1. Avoid Treating Salvation As A Quick Fix Formula To Be Recited
God wants to be intimately connected with the sinner. No one becomes saved because they casually recited the “sinner’s prayer”, even as important as that may be. Every part of the process leading to the salvation of the sinner has its rightful place and time, and must be taken seriously. God respects our choices; no one should be pre-empted into making a decision to accept His redemption when they’re not convinced that they want to do it. The preacher may preach his sermon and make a plea for the sinner to repent and turn their lives over to Jesus Christ. However, that’s as far as they can possibly go: the Holy Spirit will have to finish it up by convicting the sinner of their sin, while also helping them to see their need for God’s forgiveness and salvation. If this happens (as it is bound to happen where the truth is sincerely and faithfully preached) the outpouring of grief and regret over their sins will be noticeable.

Acts 2:37 – “Peter’s words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’
Acts 2:38 – Peter replied, ‘Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’.”

However, there have been some sad cases where people had been assured that they’d be blessed with finances, or good health, and so on, if only they’d repeat the sinner’s prayer. Well, that may be alright to do if their initial intention in approaching God’s altar was to ask for His forgiveness and accept His redemption; otherwise, using repentance as a leverage to get God’s blessing will not result in a genuine redemption of the soul. The next point below complements this truth.

2. Do Not Seek The Physical Blessing Above The Spiritual New Life
Forget about the much-hyped prosperity gospel as it does little or no good to anyone who wants to be truly redeemed. Do not get me wrong – God has a plan to prosper His children, but only after their redemption has been guaranteed. The proponents of the prosperity gospel will hardly dwell much on that fact because their speeches are focused more on acquiring wealth to live the best life money can afford now. However, a closer look at the gospel of Jesus Christ will show that such a view is not even contemplated in God’s plan for this first phase of His redemption project; it belongs to the second phase. But this does not mean that God will not take care of His children now before the consummation of the second phase, which is the restoration of redeemed mankind’s lost glory and prosperity in the new heaven and new earth; it just means that He will restrict that care to just their needs, not their wants. There’s a world of difference between the two, namely:

i. A person’s needs are those things that are essential for their daily survival and functioning. They’re the basic necessities of life — the continued deprivation of which could jeopardize a person’s existence. God’s Word focuses on just two of them, namely: food and clothing.
1 Tim. 6:8 – “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”
In the Holy Bible God’s Word promises to meet those basic needs, (not our wants) if we give priority to seeking His Kingdom’s interest.
Matt. 6:31 – “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.
Matt. 6:32 – Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,
Matt. 6:33 – and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” NLT

You’ll have noticed already that the emphasis above is on those two basic needs of mankind and, even at that, God still says we should not freak out when they seem to be lacking because He’d supply them to us.

Consider also Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Christians at Philippi below:
Phil. 4:19 – “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” NLT

Notice also that the promise made is to supply our needs. However, in contrast, let us consider below what God’s Word says about wants.

ii. A person’s want is any thing they desire in order to improve the quality of their physical life, the deprivation of which can only cause some temporary inconveniences or disappointments, but certainly not a threat to their existence. While some of our wants are tolerable with God, however, man’s disposition towards acquiring them might not be. For instance, the excessive desire among mankind for riches, fame, beauty, fancy clothes, lavish vacations, luxurious lifestyle (the list goes on!) are just some of the wants the mind craves for. However, they’re not part of the basic needs of life; rather, they’re the desires which feed the lust and pride of the unregenerate mind of the unredeemed person; it is akin to that same spiritually unnecessary desire which the deceptive words of the devil diffused into the mind of Eve at Eden, which led to her corruption.
1 Tim. 6:9 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” (NIV)

The Holy Bible seriously warns against indulging those desires because they’re a distraction to the first phase of God’s redemption plan for mankind, which is mainly the restoration of mankind’s corrupted spirit back to a semblance of God’s image and likeness. God wants the redeemed Christian to be mainly focused on seeing the accomplishment of His work of grace in their life, while trusting in Him to take care of their needs. But if we follow the error of the prosperity gospel, by craving for the gold and glory of this present sinful world (which indeed God plans to give us, but in the future fully restored new world) then we’d still remain corrupted and be thrown off His plan for good. That’d be very, very sad!
Rom. 8:8 – “That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”

If we truly love God’s plan of salvation for us, we’d follow it all through faithfully, not minding the sacrifices it requires.
1 John 2:15 – Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.
1 John 2:16 – For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.
1 John 2:17 – And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” NLT

Let’s put the view above into context: imagine that a house with people inside is on fire and a rescue effort is being launched; what do you think would be the rescuers’ first instinct?
To save the people, of course! Once they’d achieved that, then they could shift attention to the house itself. But would that move mean that the house is not important also? Of course not! It simply means that on the scale of preference, the occupants’ lives come first. In much the same way God wants us to be focused on the redemption of the soul over and above the gratification of the body as this is the priority in His scale of preference, with regards to His redemption project. If the soul is redeemed in this first phase of the project, it will eventually successfully transition into the second phase, in God’s new world, where all the deprivation it had earlier endured would be more than compensated for.
2 Cor. 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
2 Cor. 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Cor. 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (NIV)

3. Do Not Compromise On Holiness
Heb. 12:14 – “Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” NLT

Holiness is the absence of corruption in the God-image and God-likeness in which God created mankind. We know, however, that earlier on from the beginning sin had brought corruption upon them. So to be holy, therefore, means to be transformed into God’s image and likeness once again.
Lev. 20:7 “Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am GOD, your God.” (MSG)
You’re under probation: from the first day you turned your life over to Jesus Christ for redemption, until the day you leave this world (either by natural death or by the rapture of the church), heaven counts on you to work out, on your own part, God’s redemption plan for your own salvation. Your personal choices play a very important role here.
Phil. 2:12 “Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).” (AMP)

Those who eventually transition into the next phase of God’s redemption plan (from this sinful and chaotic world) would be the ones whose lifetime on earth was carefully spent in alignment with God’s will, purpose and plan for them. Such a life would include the scrutiny of both your inward and outward, or public and secret life. It will affect your choice of friends, entertainment, adornment, career, etc. Simply put, living a holy life means living entirely for God’s glory, and not for your own pleasure.
Col. 3:17 “Let every detail in your lives — words, actions, whatever — be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” (MSG)
In essence, whatever God’s Word does not approve of is not right to do for the person who wants to be holy.

Satan has raised preachers who strongly preach against the need for living a holy life, wrongly stressing that God’s grace, as a covering for man’s shortcomings, has taken care of that. At first that might sound right and reassuring, but wait! Does it agree with the scriptures of truth, by which we are made wise for the salvation of our soul? 2 Timothy 3:15. I do not believe that is the scriptural view of the workings of God’s grace. That’s almost the same thing as saying that because you have a laundry soap, or detergent, stored up in your house, your clothes would never get dirty anymore, no matter how careless you are wearing them. Grace is not an immunization against sin but, rather, a divine empowerment with the knowledge to not sin.
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,” (NIV)
If Grace immunizes against sin, as some Preachers seem to make it look, then there’d be no more need to watch against being contaminated with the sins of this world, as we are being admonished throughout the Holy Scriptures. But no! Grace is not a safeguard against sin as vaccines are against diseases. Grace, instead, teaches you to stay holy after you have been washed clean from your sins.
1 John 5:18 “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” (NKJV)

In conclusion, I want to say that the above three sub-points under this fifth final point, are not the exclusive things to watch out for against the wiles of Satan, but they’re some of the most important. If anyone starts off wrongly in the redemption road to salvation, chases around the temporal blessings they see, and lives an unholy, unprincipled loose life, they’d no doubt miss out on God’s road map to redemption.

With much prayer and sincere longings, the Holy Spirit will guide the genuine Seeker into more truths.
The End