FUNSHIP, FOODSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP: WHERE DO I BELONG?

TEXT: JOHN 6: 26-27

EXORDIUM:
John chapter six is a very important passage of Christian Scripture and an index into the lives of many people and of the Church today. Human nature has not changed much for the better but has consistently grown worse (cf. II Timothy 3:13).
Without much controversy there are three outstanding categories of people found among the bands of those who profess faith in Christ. These are the people we want to talk about in this short discussion.
There are people who are pleasure-oriented (Foodship), entertainment-oriented (Funship) and Kingdom-oriented (Fellowship). I am afraid that this is going to get personal with us. We are not going to talk about somebody else but us as we ask, FUNSHIP, FOODSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP: WHERE DO I BELONG?
To do justice to this discussion we would have to go back to the text of John Chapter Six and ask, WHAT KIND OF DISCIPLE AM I? Am I a funship disciple, foodship disciple or fellowship disciple? These questions are rhetorical and mean to help me realize my true identity in the Kingdom of God. Again, it is important to ask, “Am I spoiling or spurring; self-centered or Christ centered?”
Undoubtedly, there are two classes of followers: Situational followers (fair weather, none committal Christians) and the unconditional followers. There are Christians (disciples) of convenience and Christians (disciples) of conviction. Ask yourself again, “Where in these do I belong?”
In John chapter six our Lord had sumptuously provided for the masses of His followers. Recognizing His power of provision the people planned to take Him by force and make Him King probably with the Chieftaincy title of the “Great Benefactor 1 of the Jews” (John 6:14 –15). But then Jesus left them because He did not come to make foodship disciples. The people pursued after Him and having found Him the following day heard the Lord telling them, “You seek me not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate bread and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes but labor for the food which endures unto eternal life” (John 6:26-27).
Am I following the Lord because of the food He provides or because of Who He is and what He has done in my life and for me? Foodship discipleship is seen in many professing Christians today.
Some twenty first century Christians characterize the foodship discipleship mentality. Hear them when a call for burial is made as they ask, “ Would wine flow?”. See them at any given ceremony struggle and fight for food. Romans 12:15 enjoins us to “Mourn with those who mourn….” How justified are we then to demand for food and drinks from those whom we have come to share their sorrows?
If a preacher is a foodship disciple, his primary interest is not in the Spiritual well-being of the flock but on how to fatten himself and line his pockets (cf. Phil. 3:17-18; Ezek 34:1-10). No wonder many would down tools and leave the ministry should supports cease to flow.
OUTLINE OF DISCUSSION
FUNSHIP, FOODSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP: WHERE DO I BELONG?
Those who are funship and foodship disciples Warship, that is, they War and Ship to each other. This explains why there are many conflicts in our congregations. It is because of the presence of these categories of disciples. However, those who are fellowship disciples Worship, that is, they Word and Ship to each other. In the Kingdom of God here on earth, Funship and Foodship discipleship are more interested in “Serving tables” (Acts 6:2) while Fellowship discipleship basks in the WORD OF GOD (Acts 6:4).
Let us examine the character traits of each of these three groups in the church and see whether I as a Christian manifest any of these traits in my Christian life.
I. FOODSHIP (PLEASURE-ORIENTED) DISCPLESHIP:
(a) They are preoccupied with laboring for the things of temporal nature,
“The food which perishes” (John 6:26) and have been told not to (John
6:27). This is because the true nature of the kingdom of God is not
such (Romans 14:17).
(b) For the child of God, proper understanding should be gained
concerning the world and the things therein (Hebrews 13:14; I
Corinthians 7:29-31; I John 2:17).
(c) Foodship discipleship will come under great condemnation as the
objects of their interest will someday be destroyed (I Cor. 6:12-13).
(d) Such do not stand to gain anything but to loose (Matthew 16:26-27).
REMEMBER THAT JUDAS WAS A FOODSHIP DISCIPLE (John
12:4-6; Acts 1:16-20).
(e) If only in this life we have hope in Christ we are of all men most
miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19).
II FUNSHIP (ENTERTAINMENT-ORIENTED) DISCIPLESHIP:
(a) These are the self-centered and not God-centered people. Self is the
pivot of their existence (II Timothy 3:1-2,4). They go for what satisfies
their selfish and materialistic needs. To them self is all that matters.
(b) They are the fun-loving, easy-going and none-comitial Christians.
They go to church not to worship God but to be entertained by the
musicalities of preachers’ voices with no apparent interest in what
God’s Word says (Ezekiel 33:30-33).
(c) These are those who want their fancies to be tickled. Their motto is,
“TICKLE ME” (II Timothy. 4: 2-4; cf. Isaiah 30: 9-10).
(d) These are Spiritual pollutants, poisoning the atmosphere of sound
spirituality, attracting to themselves Divine condemnations (Jude vs.
11-13).
(e) Demas was a Funship disciple (II Timothy 4:10). What was he doing in
Thessalonica considering what the spiritual temperature was? (cf.
Acts. 17:11a).
III.FELLOWSHIP (KINGDOM-ORIENTED) DISCIPLESHIP:
(a) These are beautiful souls, God’s Vessels of Honor and Heaven’s
pride. These are God’s generals. When God’s roll call of who-is-who
is made their names are written in gold.
(b) Fellowship disciples are kingdom-oriented whose true objective is
to seek the Word and the Lord; the Word of the Lord and the Lord
of the Word. They are focused on Kingdom matters (John 6:66-69).
(c) “FELLOWSHIP” is from the Greek word, “KOINONIA.” Christian
fellowship is both vertical and horizontal and have three dimensions –
with Godhood: Father, Son and Holy Ghost (I John 1:3), with one
another (Act 2:42) and in the WORD.
(d) FELLOWSHIP WITH GODHOOD:
There must be an agreement (Amos 3:3) and this entails that we must
walk in the light (I John 1:7). To walk in light means that we must love
what they love and hate what they (Hebrews 1:9; Psalms 97:10).
(e). FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER:
This means that we feel the feelings of each other
(Romans12:15; I Corinthians 12:25-26), Sharpen each other and
(Proverbs 27:17; Isaiah 41:6-7), promote
sound spiritual well being (Romans 14: 19; Hebrews 10: 24-25)
and by sharing things in common (Acts4: 32, 34-35).
(f) FELLOWSHIP IN THE WORD:
This means that we must culture our selves in the Will
and ways of God; Studying to show ourselves approved
unto God. We must feast upon the Word daily and also
in endeavoring to internalize its precepts (Psalms 119: 9-11).
SUMMATION:
As were sharing on the subject of FUNSHIP, FOODSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP: WHERE I YOU BELONG? I had wondered within myself if in the course of this discussion you had recognized a negative familiar personal landmark (FUNSHIP or FOODSHIP) or a positive familiar landmark (FELLOWSHIP).
If you are a FUNSHIP or FOODSHIP disciple, I challenge you today to get out of the wrong boat and get into the right one. But if you are a Fellowship-Kingdom-oriented disciple, I encourage you to remain where you are. Keep paddling and committed!

Hilary Johnson Chukwuma Chukwurah (Evangelist)
Minister, Township/Campus Church of Christ,
14,Agbugwu Lane, off University Market Road,
P.O. Box 351 (Personal Box), Nsukka -410002.
Enugu State, Nigeria.
PHONES: 08039596919; 08182820677.
E-mail: hilaryjohnsonc@yahoo.com;
hilaryjohnsonc@gmail.com

“SAUL, SAUL: WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?” (ARE YOU A PERSECUTOR OR A PROSECUTOR? OPPONENT OR PROPONENT?)

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this Way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” And he said, “Who art thou, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” And he trembling and astonished said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” And the Lord said unto him,” Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” - Acts 9:1-6 (KJV)

INTRODUCTION

The question, “SAUL, SAUL: WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?” resonates with clarity today as it was when it was first uttered by the Lord to Saul of Tarsus, persecutor per excellence. In today’s contexts, the Lord seems to be asking modern day Christians, “Are You A Persecutor or A Prosecutor?” Are you an Opponent or a Proponent?”

We will never appreciate the enormity of the original question until we understand the circumstances that led to it.

It is ironical that someone would set out to do the Will of God but end up doing the opposite. It is ironical that someone would set out to fight for God but end up fighting against God.   

Towards the end of His Earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ made references to how His disciples would be treated by religious people whose warped senses of religiosities would drive them towards actions that would be inimical towards His cause. It was in the course of this that He revealed that some people would go as far as taking the lives of His disciples “thinking that they were doing God service” (John 16:2).

No one exemplified that statement better than Saul of Tarsus, a man’s whose religious fervor was so misdirected that he fought against God, thinking that he was fighting for God. There has always been ways that seem right unto men but the end are the ways of death (Proverb 14:12).

I have come to stark realization that to be zealous for God does not amount to serving God. In God’s Kingdom dynamics, activity does not in any way translate to productivity. The greatest form of service to God is obedience to Him. When you obey God, you serve Him but when you live in disobedience you fight against Him.

It is possible to be zealous for God without actually serving Him or His Kingdom’s interests (Romans 10:1-3). However, it is not possible to serve God without being zealous for Him. If you put the cart before the horse, you will go nowhere, but if you put the horse before the cart, you will make progress. When zeal proceeds before obedience, persecutions of grave dimensions are bound to result. That was Saul of Tarsus’ worst premise and he got a rebuke for it. 

WHO WAS SAUL OF TARSUS?

Saul who was later known as “Paul” was born about AD 3. He was a contemporary of Jesus and His apostles.

In Hebrew, Saul means “desired.” His Roman name was Paul, which means “little.” Because one of the ancients called him Homo tricubitalis, Tradition says he was but four and a half feet in height.

Saul was born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a free city of the Romans. In the Roman Empire, citizenship outside of Italy was reserved for those who made significant contributions to the Empire. It was possible that Saul’s family was wealthy and philanthropic, which made him a Roman citizen.

We can say with certainty that Saul’s father and mother were native Jews, which explains why Paul called himself a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). He was of the kingly tribe of Benjamin. Saul’s father was a Pharisee. He grew up to become one (Acts 23:6).

His early education was in the schools of Tarsus, which was known as a “little Athens for learning.” There he become acquainted with the philosophy and poetry of Greeks, which he later remembered and used (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12).

At the traditional age of 14, young Saul was sent to the university at Jerusalem, where he studied the Torah (Jewish law). His tutor was Gamaliel, an eminent Pharisee (Acts 22:3).

Saul was radicalized. He was too zealous for his father’s religion. He saw Christians as apostates who should be brought back to the Jewish fold at all costs. He took it upon himself to bring these apostates to their knees. In view of this, he sought for Letter of Authority from the Chief Priest to roam the whole country and beyond, binding and bringing Christians to their senses and to Jerusalem. His approach was too radical that Bible says he “ravaged the Church” (Acts 8:1f; Acts 9:1f). It was while on his Mission, “OPERATION BRING THEM BACK!” that he encountered Jesus on his way to Damascus where the Lord asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me…?” (Acts 9:4).

WHAT IS PERSECUTION?

According to Mirriam Websters Dictionary, Persecution is an act of harassment or punishment in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict. Specifically, persecution is hostility and ill-treatment; persistent annoyance or harassment.

Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution) conceives Persecution as the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. It says that the most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution and political persecution. Another form of persecution is psychological persecution.

Succinctly stated, Persecution is an act of aggression directed towards certain individuals or organizations with a view to frustrating them. When people arise to stand against a movement, the objective is to frustrate its activities. This is somewhat explained in Acts 5:34-39,

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space, and said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

What Gamaliel explained here is that historically certain groups were frustrated out of existence through the instrumentality of persecution. He, however, warned that if care was not taken, hey would be seen to be fighting against God while thinking that they were fighting for Him.  

  

Going by Dr. Gamaliel’s counsel, we may sometimes be committed against a cause thinking that we are doing God a service not actually knowing that we are actually standing against God.

Persecution could exist within a commonwealth. For instance, under the commonwealth of the nation of Israel, Jewish religion persecuted Christianity. In the same vein, Carnal minded persons are in the business of persecuting spiritually-minded persons. Galatians 4:29 states,

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now (KJV).

In the course of this, psychological persecutions are effectively employed to frustrate activities of these minded persons. Sometimes, these brethren are tools in the hands of Satan without knowing it and while claiming to do the Lord’s Work, they end up becoming hindrances to the Kingdom business.  

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW PERSECUTION?

In the early days of the Church, anyone would precipitate persecution against Jesus’ followers. The world seemed to take pleasure in persecutions against the Church. Tertullian, a Church historian observed,  “If the Tiber rises too high, or the Nile too low, the remedy is always feeding Christians to the lions.”

 

Why does God allow persecutions of His servants?  In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Jesus knew that persecutions would come upon those who serve and work for Him. He said to us, “If they persecuted Me, they would also persecute you…” (John 15:20). Even though, persecution is a hard experience to undergo, it has its numerous spiritual benefits. Apostle Paul said in Acts 14:23, “For by many tribulations, we shall enter the Kingdom of God.”  Richard Sibbes observed, "God takes a safe course with His children, that they may not be condemned with the world; He permits the world to condemn them, that they may not love the world, the world hates them...."

 

Persecution, if it does discourage, has capacity to keep a Christian on course with its purifying effects. It was said that the “blood of martyrs were the seeds of the Kingdom.” Charles Spurgeon, a notable Baptist Church preacher wrote,

"Never did the church so much prosper and so truly thrive as when she was baptized in the blood. The ship of the church never sails so gloriously along as when the bloody spray of her martyrs falls on her deck. We must suffer and we must die, if we are ever to conquer this world for Christ."

IMPORTANT QUESTION: ARE YOU A PERSECUTOR OR A PROSECUTOR?

Are you for the Lord or are you against him?  At Matthew 12:30 Jesus said, “He who does gather with Me scatters…” Sometimes we think we are for, unaware that we are against. Saul of Tarsus thought he was doing God a service, not knowing that he was doing God a disservice. Whatever we do to anyone doing God a service, we indirectly hurt the Lord. 

“Saul, Saul: Why Are You Persecuting Me?” was the question that our Lord posed to Saul to stop the religious madness of this Jewish persecutor against Christians. In view of this, we now ask, “Are You A Persecutor or A Prosecutor?”

This question goes to every Christian who is politicizing God’s work, to everyone who is standing as a stumbling block to the growth of the Gospel, to those whose activities are stifling the growth of our local congregations. 

Brethren, some of the greatest enemies of the Church are her members. These are people who are standing at the entrance to the Kingdom, they would not go in nor allow those who want to go in to do so (Matthew 23:13).   

HOW DO WE PERSECUTE JESUS TODAY?

Remember the parable of Matthew 25:41ff? The morale of our Lord’s homily was: “whatever you do to any of these, you do it also to Me.” Simply stated, whatever we do to any child of God for or against, we are doing it to Jesus. That is to say that there exists a vicarious relationship between us and the Lord. If we become a blessing, Jesus feels it, but if we are a thorn in any Christian’s personal life or effort to attain the Heavenly Call, we are indirectly dealing with the Lord.

In view of this, we persecute the Lord when we:

“Shoot Our Wounded”

In warfare, there are rules of engagement. You do not chance upon a fellow wounded soldier and rather than attend to him or her to make this fellow soldier recover and continue the warfare, then you decide to shoot this wounded soldier.

How does this analogy apply to the Christian Faith? There is no gainsaying the fact that in the Christian race, there coexists both weak and strong. The strong are to certain extent bear with weaknesses of the weak (Romans 14:1f), help them to grow towards maturity. Those who are spiritually strong should assist those who are caught in the thicket of one moral weakness or another (Galatians 6:1-2). This principle was strongly advocated because that is the nature of God’s personal dealings with each of us (Isaiah 42:3).

It is becoming increasingly troubling that as a church we are becoming more and more hard-hearted than compassionate. After observing the hard hearted treatment of some people by religious Pharisees, Jesus said to them, “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). In God’s economy, “…Mercy would always triumph over judgement” (James 2:13).

When we observe the way Brethren are being treated or matters that concern them are being discussed, I feel the Lord’s countenance fall when He sees we treat each other! We disfellowship our “weak brethren” with reckless abandon. We discard matters that concern them with waves of the hand. We seem to take pleasure in driving them away from the Lord than we are at drawing them closer to the Lord. We seem to have acquired notoriety for being hard-hearted than being a people of compassion.                

When you live against His Will

Hebrews 6:4-9 provides one of the most touching scenarios, which portray people who persecute Jesus. What would be more terrifying than to “Crucify the Lord a second time”?

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak (KJV).

It was Chuck Swindoll who asked, “If you believe like you should, why then do you behave the way you shouldn’t?” When we live the way we are not supposed to live, we bring shame upon the Lord, thereby maligning the name of the Lord. When King David committed adultery with Beersheba and subsequently murdered her husband, Uriah, the question that Prophet Nathan asked was, “… why have you given the enemies of the Lord an occasion to blaspheme…?” (II Samuel 12:14). 

Persecution is not just a physical thing but a behavioural phenomenon. Igbos would say that the blaspheming of a prince is worse than his murder (“Nkalu nwa ogalanya ka ogbugbu ya njo”).  When I live against God’s Will for my life, what the Lord seem to be asking is, “Hilary, Hilary, why persecutes thou Me?....”

 

Romans 2: 24 speaks of the “…Name of the Lord being blasphemed among the Gentiles” because of some of us. How is the name of the Lord being blasphemed? One of such takes place when “…we eat on the Lord’s Table and also eat on the table of demons….” (I Corinthians 10:21-22). When we do this, we simply PROVOKE the Lord.  

When We Discourage Genuine Servants/Workers of the Lord

At II Corinthians 7:5, Apostle Paul expressed fears of internal persecutions aside the external ones that he and other genuine servants of God were subjected to. He wrote:

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

Paul was not alone in his lamentations. Our Lord Jesus expressed the same emotions when He addressed Jewish religious leaders at Mathews 23:29-35:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous bloodshed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

 It is discouraging that we are in the business of mauling down our warriors. A warrior is hardly killed on battle fields but at home. Igbos say that when warriors are slain at peace times when war erupts we say, “Oh, how we wish this and that warrior is alive to fight our wars….” Is it not appalling that we “kill” our frontline brethren by either “badmouthing” them and discouraging them out of relevance and service to our King.

A little down Matthew chapter 23, particularly Matthew 23:37-39 our Lord Jesus Christ lamented:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

These Prophets according to II Chronicles 36:15-16 were sent by God to serve His purpose amongst His people. Rather than encourage them, they maltreated them until God could endure no longer. II Chronicles 36:15-16 says:  

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:  But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Some of us have become devils’ advocates. Satan is the “Accuser of our Brethren” (Revelations 12:10). Many preachers, for instance, have been deliberately boxed into very tight corners by some brethren in certain congregations and when as much as take a step, would be accused by those who set them up and brought out with premeditated allegations with a view to frustrate them out of ministry. That was what Satan did to Joshua, the High Priest of God. Zechariah 3:1-3 says:

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

Satan had set machineries in motion for “a brand to be plucked out of a burning fire” (Zechariah 3:2). If not for Divine Intervention, Joshua would have been disgraced for no fault of his own. His garment was smeared with dirt by the same Satan who turned around to accuse him of filthiness. May God deliver His servants from their accusers and reveal the true sources of their troubles and accusations in Jesus’ name!  

Over the many years of active pulpit work, I have heard some brothers who gloated over the fact that they engineered the sack of certain preachers. What a shame! Let me say this to you: if you have been in the business or are in the business of discouraging preachers from their work or you are a preacher discouraging Brethren from their services to the LORD, be informed of this Scripture:

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matthew 18:6-7)

How many preachers and genuine servants of God have we not “killed” or “chased out”?

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO PERSECUTIONS?

It is one thing to be persecuted, but another thing to handle persecution. For every one who is being persecuted, our Lord has taught us to develop positive mental attitudes towards persecutions. At Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said:

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (KJV).  

Apostles of our Lord “…counted themselves worthy” having being persecuted (Acts 5:41). Do not allow persecutors and persecutions to dampen your zeal for the Lord. Demonstrate resilience. Be the cat with nine lives. Keep your persecutors guessing where your strength is drawn from when you refuse to be pushed down and out.  Take a cue from Grandeurs of our Faith who refused to be put out of the Race by persecutions and persecutors. Hebrews 10:32-39 says:

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 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 drawback, 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.

John Bunyan, popularly known across Christian history for his classic book, The Pilgrim’s Progress was severally persecuted by both infidels and fellow journeyers in the Race to Heaven. When asked what sustained his resolve wrote,

 "… I bind these lies and slanderous accusations to my person as an ornament; it belongs to my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached and reviled, and since all this is nothing but that, as God and my conscience testify, I rejoice in being reproached for Christ's sake."

John Wesley, founder of Methodism quipped:

"If we suffer persecution and affliction in a right manner, we attain a larger measure of conformity to Christ, by a due improvement of one of these occasions, than we could have done merely by imitating his mercy, in abundance of good works."

CONCLUSION

“Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?...” is a question every well-meaning meaning, Heaven-bound Christian should prayerfully answer. Are we persecuting the Lord or are we prosecuting His Work? Are we Opponents of the Faith or Proponents of the Faith?  Are helping the work of the Lord or are we promoting the Lord’s Work?

We must destroy every spirit of “If I do not rule, I will ruin” that has become prevalent amongst us. Let us work together to make the Work of the Lord count.

God bless us all in Jesus’ name!

PREMARITAL SEX AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN CHRISTIAN LIVING

We have a young sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?  If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: but if she be a door, we will barricade her with boards of cedar. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one who found favour - (Song of Solomon 8:8-10)

INTRODUCTION

What kind of youth are you – a wall or a door? Are you a person of easy virtue or a person of strong moral fibre? Are you easily swayed by the sweet nothings of what you hear and see? Are you controlled by the inclinations of your lower nature or are you subject to the principles of the higher calling of God to live in consonance to His Will?

Are you a moral weakling or a moral hero? A moral weakling is one who cannot say, “NO!” to the amorous invitation of a degenerate: a sweet-talking, immorally-enticing person to wine, dine and have a fill of the sweet poisons of immorality. A moral hero is one who has learnt to say “NO” to sinful persuasions and immoral lifestyles.

We live in an era where antiquated immorality has become the modern morality, where taboos have become norms, a sign that one has arrived, a sign that one has become a “Big Gal” or “Big Guy.” We are constantly sold the dummy on TV, movies, magazines, novels, etcetera that compromising our moralities is the sure way to become reckoned as a happening person. Girls are busy baring their breasts without qualms while boys are exhibiting that which makes them males with reckless abandon.

Today, majority consider foolish  people wise and wise people foolish. Today, God’s kind of morality has taken the backseat while Satan’s immorality has taken the centre-stage. Many are eating poisoned fruits and drinking poisoned wines thinking that they are enjoying themselves. 

Today, illicit sex is associated with millions of youths who are unaware of its many dangers spiritually, biologically, and socially. Our youths have taken pre-marital sex as a normal thing and a way of life.   

The topic assigned to me is, “Premarital Sex and Its Implications In Christian Living.”

DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS

Who is a Christian?

By definition, a Christian is one who has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, believed in Jesus, repented of his/her sins, confessed faith in Jesus, is baptized into Jesus in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and then added into the Body of Christ, the Church. These processes make one a Christian. In actuality, however, a Christian is one who is not ashamed of the Gospel, nor a shame to the Gospel (Romans 1:16; II Corinthians 6:3; cf. II Samuel 12:14).

What is Pre-marital Sex?

• The prefix, “Pre” connotes before.
•  “Marital” refers to marriage. Marriage is a union of a man and woman in a covenant relationship for the rest of their lives.
•  “Sex” is an act of intimacy between a man and a woman a legal relationship of marriage.

Succinctly stated, Pre-marital sex is sex before marriage. It is fornication. Pre-marital sex is jumping the gun, it is an experimental act that jeopardizes the spiritual, physical, emotional, psychological and social interests of those involved. It is an act of opening a package meant for its owner before it gets to the owner.     

CAUSES OF PRE-MARITAL SEXUAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestrained chemical reactions

What young people call Love is not love but Lust. Lust is an unrestrained chemical reactions between two young unmarried people.

Peer influence

Peer groups encourage young people to engage in pre-marital sex. This, they do by making mockery of anyone who is chaste by referring to them using unkind remarks. They tell them to “wise up” and to “belong.” Young people who lack judgement and do not have moral strength buckle under such pressures but those who their God are strong and resist such pressures.   

Curiosity

Another reason young people indulge in pre-marital sex is their great curiosity to explore what sexual activity is all about. They do this without considering the damaging consequences.

Cohabitation

Cohabitation breeds sexual immorality and leads to pre-marital sex. Examples of people who fall into this category are betrothed couples who engage in sexual activity before the anticipated marriage.

UNIVERSE OF PREMARITAL SEX

Pre-marital Sex is Prostitution

In Bible, a prostitute is one who commits fornication. One may prostitute himself or herself for any kind of gain, not just money. It may be the pride of continued association, or friendship with someone.

Premarital Sex is A Three-Dimensional Sin:

Fornication is a sin against God. Pre-marital sex goes across or contravenes God’s explicit commandment. Pre-marital sex is a sin against God. Sin is transgression of the Law of God (I John 3:4). Pre-marital sex goes against, or across, what God has commanded.

Fornication is a sin against the other person involved. It is always a mutual sin 

engaged in by two or more persons. By involving others in your own sin, you sin against them and vice-versa. If your convictions had been strong perhaps they would have been encouraged to do right. The sin, the shame, the wrong is shared by both.

Fornication is a sin against oneself.  I Corinthians 6:18 says, "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body."

Pre-marital Sex Will Provide Temporal Pleasure But It Will Leave You Tormented.

By default, sin provides passing pleasures (Hebrews 11:24-26), which leaves the sinner with a terrible sour taste (Romans 6:21). Someone aptly remarked a few moments of joy will usher in an eternity of misery. Would you want to trade in a few moments of pre-marital sexual pleasure for pain and shame?            

CONSEQUENCES OF PREMARITAL SEX

There are many consequences of pre-marital sex. There are damages which cannot be remedied because colossal damages have been brought by young promising persons on themselves which they have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

God knows that there are dangers in pre-marital sex that is why He wants us to flee from youthful lusts (2Timoty 2:22).

Sex is a powerful force that can destroy if not used properly. Like atomic power, sex is the most powerful creative force given to man. When atomic power is used correctly, it can create boundless energy, when it is used in the wrong way it destroys life. Sex is the same kind of powerful force.

Sex is a gift from God to be expressed within marriage. But if you play with this powerful force outside the bounds of marriage, it will destroy you and those who are close to you.

Following are some of the consequences of pre-marital sex:

1.     It arrests their psychological, social and academic development of youths. Studies show that when young people engage in pre-marital sex, their academic performances. It also affects their social relationships with family and friends. This is because adolescents are too immature to deal with the explosive sex drive and it tends to dominate their lives.

2.     Pre-marital sex is fear-inducing. Pre-marital sex usually takes place sneaking around in hidden places, dealing with the fear of being caught, the fear of pregnancy and feelings of guilt.

3.     Pre-marital sex leads to loss of a vital asset. Your virginity is to be given to the most important person in your life – the person you will be committed to stay forever in marriage. Your virginity is the most precious thing you have to your spouse. Once you lose it nothing in the world can bring it back.

4.     Fornication is one sin that attracts other sins. Most pre-marital sex ends up in pregnancy, sickness, abandonment or sale of babies. The rate of abortion has increased because of increase in pre-marital sex. A large percentage of youths have committed murder before reaching age 25. Some of them abandon their babies in dustbins, gutters and other public places which is an increase to their original sin of fornication. Some secretly sell their babies to ready buyers who use such babies for rituals.

5.     It creates an ungodly soul tie (Genesis 34:1-3a). A soul tie is an agreement one enters with another that creates a special bond between two people. Soul ties are common and exist everywhere – husband and wife.

Sex is not just a causal fun as most people think and take it to be. It is much more than that, it involves blood. The Bible says “Life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:14). When you have sex with a person, you have given a part of your life to that person and in return the person has given you a part of his own life in the spirit realm. In the spirit realm, two of you have become one. You start to share things in common. That is why disease, sickness, demons and many things and many things pass through during sexual intercourse. In addition, you have just created “a soul tie” between you and the person involved. Since God does not permit pre-marital sex, it becomes an “ungodly tie” in the sight of God. That is why some girls find a special liking or memory on the day of dis-virginity, the blood that flows out that day becomes the blood of the covenant or agreement. Genesis 34 Shechem the prince of the land of Hivite committed fornication with Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. The soul of Shechem claved unto Dinah.

6.    It fragmentizes your soul. Since sexual intercourse creates soul ties, each person you have sex with you have given part of your heart or soul in the spiritual realm. That is why people who were promiscuous before settling down for marriage find it difficult settling down at all because their souls have been divided; they are always thinking of their relationships with their previous partners, thus making it impossible for them to settle down in their marriages. If a person has slept with a thousand persons in his life, his love, heart and several other things has been shared with these thousand persons. A close look at the society shows that wayward people find it difficult to have a fulfilled marriage life because they have shared their lives with several people.

7.     Premarital sex will lead to extra-marital sexual activities. Most promiscuous people are involved in extramarital relationships. They are never satisfied with one person just for no reason, always looking for their lost souls. It is dangerous engaging in pre-marital sex because it can affect your marriage in future.

8.     Pre-marital Sex Is Lust

Love is from God. It gives unconditionally and it can wait. Lust is from Satan. It is selfish and wants immediate gratification. Any man that loves you will never demand sex from you as a proof of your love for him. Love is patient, is long suffering and endures. Many young people today have the spirit of Ammon (2nd Samuel 13:12-14). Beware!

Other Dangers of Pre-marital Sexual Activities:

•  Premature parenthood – becoming a father or mother before time.
• It makes you marry the wrong person who may not be supportive, friendly or compatible.
• It leads to rejection, abandonment by family or a benefactor.
•  Infertility.
•  It kills your vision. 
•   It takes away your dignity and makes you cheap.
•   It brings shame – shame is accompanied by sense of guilt, whose consequence is death (Romans 6:21).

EFFECTS OF PREMARITAL SEX IN CHRISTIAN LIVING

1.     It Destroys Your Spiritual Fortifications. This is perhaps the most worrisome part of pre-marital sex. Demons and other problems gain entrance into your body and spirit through pre-marital sexual activities. Ecclesiastes 10:8 says:

He who digs a pit shall fall into it and whoever breaks his hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

1 Corinthians 6:16 declares:

“Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two saith He shall be one flesh.”

2     2. It Taints Your Testimony. Nothing counts more than your testimony. When you taint (soil) your testimony, you would have nothing more to live for. A good name remains better than silver and gold (Proverbs 22:1). When you lose your good name, it is as good as losing everything.

Sinful lifestyles dim the light that should be the Christian youth. No matter how beautiful you can sing, preach or pray, tainting your testimony makes nonsense of all these. The name of the Lord and image of our local Congregations will be subjected to ridicule when Christian youths make a mess of their testimonies.  At Romans 2:17-23, Apostle Paul by inspiration of Holy Spirit asks several powerful rhetorical questions:

But if you bear the name of Jew and rely upon the Law and pride yourselves in God and your relationship to Him. And know and understand His will and discerningly approve the better things and have a sense of what is vital, because you are instructed by the Law. And if you are confident that you [yourself] are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, and [that you are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth– Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you teach against stealing, do you steal (take what does not really belong to you)? You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery [are you unchaste in action or in thought]? You who abhor and loathe idols, do you rob temples [do you appropriate to your own use what is consecrated to God, thus robbing the sanctuary and doing sacrilege]? You who boast in the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law [by stealthily infringing upon or carelessly neglecting or openly breaking it]? For, as it is written, The name of God is maligned and blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you! [The words to this effect are from your own Scriptures.]

When we give in and listen to the allure of the world, we stand to lose. An anonymous writer had asks and observes,

What happens to the testimony and influence of a Christian youth who becomes … delinquent? His or her reputation is damaged and a good name forfeited. Pointing to this failure, others excuse their sins and question the validity of Christianity. More happen, too, a life for which the Lord shed His blood is marred. A voice that spoke for Christ is stilled, or else mumbles the hollow testimony of a hypocrite. A witness is compromised… a family is saddened… and a Church weakened… a society looses.

3 3. It Defeats the Purpose of Your Christian Race.

The purpose of our Christian race is to make Heaven. However, Scripture inundates us with several warnings of what immorality will do to us: deprive us of inheritance of God’s eternal Kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21; I Corinthians 6:9-11). Hebrews 12:14 attests that “without holiness no one will ever see God.” We are encouraged in Scripture to make pursuit of sanctification our moral watch-word (I Thessalonians 4:3). We should as a matter of urgency remove from our lives every form of “moral and spiritual defilements, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).    

 Holiness remains the beauty of a Christian. Without moral purity, a Christian loses his or her relevance to God and society.

HOW TO OVERCOME OR AVOID PRE-MARITAL SEX

1.     Have A Die-Hard Heart And Spirit Of No Retreat, No Surrender            

One of the most appropriate responses to immorality is an uncompromising stance that says, “No!” and standing by it (Titus 2:11). When faced with such tempting moments the only good thing to do is to throw your heart over the bar and stand firmly on what you believe.

No matter what, do yourself a favour: “Do not give” your “holy treasure” to “the dogs” nor your “pearls to the swine because they would not only trample them down but also turn around to attack you” (Matthew 7:6).

In other not to be trapped by the deceitfulness of loose living, make a strong covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1) and ears (II Peter 2:8).

How do we protect against this? Simple - watch your heart. Renowned Bible teacher and author, John Henry Jowett in Swindol       (1990:51) writing on the power and place of human thoughts on moral character of an individual observes,

A man’s thoughts determine the moral climate of his life, and will settle the question whether his conduct is to be a poisonous marsh or a fertile meadow; a fragrant garden or a barren sand.

Knowing this and how you can handle your thoughts are      important in our quest for victory over pre-marital sex in particular and immorality in general. R. B. Sweet (1965:30) points out,

The root causes of immorality could be traced to the misuse of certain members of the body. The eyes feasts upon a seductive picture, giving the green light to evil thoughts. The impure thoughts poison the mind until the mind loses control and calls upon the body to act unwisely.  

Realize that when you “Sow a thought you will reap an act; sow an act you will reap a character; sow a character you will reap your destiny.” Always work on your heart and endeavour to bring every evil thought and imaginations captive to obedience to the will of      Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5).

Our actions are the by-products of our thoughts. Someone pointed out that we may not be what we think we are but what we think we are (cf. Proverbs 23:7). To watch over our hearts, we need to cultivate the culture of positive thinking (Philippians 4:8) as well as developing godly mindsets (Colossians 3:2-3).        

2 2. Flee (I Corinthians 6:18; Genesis 39:7-12).

Sometimes where we are in moments of temptations make us more susceptible and unable to put up any meaningful resistance. In such situations, the only way out is to walk away, Flee!

a.  Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, craw. But by all means keep moving!”

b.  Potipher’s wife wanted to make Joseph a sex tool but Joseph ran away, leaving behind everything which would keep a firm grip on him by Potipher’s wife.

(i). Some of us would have jumped at such an opportunity and then let the

good times roll. But Joseph knew that to do what her madam wanted her to do would to sinning against himself, his master, Portiphar and more importantly against God, his Creator. So, he ran away! (Genesis 39: 9, 12).

3 3. Cultivate Godly Relationships (II Timothy 2:22).

a.           Bad association corrupts (I Corinthians 15:33).

b.           Your relationships influence you (Proverb 22:24-25; Psalms 100:34-40).

c.            If Dinah, one of Jacob’s daughters had not gone to “visit with Daughters of the land” she would not have been “Violated by Schechem” (cf. Gen. 34:1-2).

Do not let any son or daughter of the land violate your righteousness! 

CONCLUSION

Heaven is so precious and our souls too valuable that we should allow our environment to destroy the beautiful life ahead of us in eternity with our Father and His Saints glorified. All we need to do to an environment that hinders righteousness is to “Say No” to all its suggestions (Titus 2:12-13).

What the Lord has in store for us are too precious to lose by messing up with low living and all forms of unrighteousness (I Cor. 2:9).

May the Lord strengthen us to remain focused on living for Him!

HILARY JOHNSON CHUKWUMA CHUKWURAH

Township/Campus CHURCH OF CHRIST,

14, Agbugwu Lane, off, University Market Road,

P. O. Box 84 and 351, Nsukka – 410002,

Enugu State, Nigeria.

PHONES: 0803-959-6919.

E-MAILS: hilaryjohnsonc@yahoo.com,

                                hilaryjohnsonc@gmail.com.

REFERENCES

Barclay, W. (1976). The Letters of James and Peter. Philadelphia, Pa: Westminster Press.

Eze, Ada (Mrs).  (2014). “How To Overcome Premarital Sex” being a Speech to youths of St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, Umuodagu Ntu,  18th-23rd August.

Halley, H.H. (1962). Halley’s Bible Handbook. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.

Sweet, R.B. (1965). Achieving Success: Living Word Series Vol. 124.  Texas: R.B. Sweet Company.

Swindoll, Charles R. (1990). Conquering Through Conflict: A Study of Second Peter. Dallas: Word Publishing Company.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version (1982). USA: Thomas Nelson Inc.