Message: Are
We Living or Dead Christians?
Text:
Revelations 3:1
‘’I know thy
works: that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead’’
This verse
talks about Christians in the Churches who create the impression that they are
alive in Christ – genuinely Born Again - but in the records of heaven, they are
spiritually dead. To be spiritually dead means to be separated from life in God
or to be separated from the Spirit of God.
God created
man to have an intimate fellowship and relationship with Him. God wants a close
communion with man. The whole duty of man on earth is to fear God and to obey
His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To fear God is to depart from evil
(Proverbs 16:6). To fall short of these requirements is to be cut off from God.
Revelations
3:1 refers to the Christian who is religious but not godly; religious but not
saved; who is in the Church but not in Christ, who claims to know Jesus but
Jesus does not know him.
- § Matthew 7:21 says that it is not everyone that calls Jesus his Lord that will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not everyone who claims to be a Christian that will enter into the Kingdom of God. Those that will enter into the Kingdom of God must be obedient Christians. The most important requirement to qualify for eternity with Christ is obedience which the Bible strongly emphasizes from Genesis to Revelation.
- § Matthew 7:22-23 tells us that working for God alone will not qualify anyone for admission into the Kingdom of God. It is one thing to be working for God and another thing to be walking with Him. Working for God without walking with Him ends in Hell fire.
Anointing without having the character of Christ ends in Hell
fire. One can do great works for God and have impeccable records of service in
ministry and still end up in Hell. To demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit
without the fruit of the Spirit in one’s life ends in Hell fire.
- § Mathew 13:15 refers to Christians that are spiritually blind, who refuse to see the truth and refuse to allow the truth set them free. There are some Christians that say the doctrine of an eternal Hell is false teaching and that there are no such things as the existence of, and immortality of the soul and spirit of Man. They preach another Gospel and another Jesus of their own making (Galatians 1:7-9).
Jesus
preached and warned about eternal Hell in many scriptures such as Matthew
7:22-23, Matthew 10:28 and Matthew 25:41. The Bible teaches about the existence
of, and the immortality of the soul and spirit of man in many scriptures such
as Ecclesiastes 12:7; 1 Peter 3:4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
- § Matthew 15:8 refers to Christians in the churches whose hearts are far away from Christ. Their hearts are far away from transformation; worldly, corrupted, polluted, perverted and depraved; stony and rebellious hearts.
It is those
who have renewed hearts that are circumcised and pure in heart that will see
God (Deuteronomy 30:6) (Ezekiel 36:26) (Matthew 5:8). Our hearts must be
renewed to bring it into conformity with God’s nature and will (1 Peter 1:4) (2
Corinthians 5:17).
- § John 10:27 refers to the type of Christian that heaven recognizes: the sheep Christian. A sheep is an animal that is gentle, meek, obedient, peaceful, teachable and humble. A sheep is easy to lead, direct and control. In the Body of Christ, there are both sheep Christians and goat Christians (Matthew 25:31-46).
Matthew
25:31-46 highlights how they will be separated on the Day of Reckoning. The
goat Christians in the Body of Christ will end up in eternal Hell while the
sheep Christians will go into eternity with Christ.
- The carnally minded Christian (Romans 8:6-14) who lives in the flesh cannot please God. His heart is set on the affections, the lusts and works of the flesh and he naturally fulfills them. To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Galatians 5:16-25 talks about how not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh,
which is by walking in the Spirit. A carnally minded Christian is not a growing
Christian who is not growing in grace (2 Peter 3:18). He has refused to grow
from carnality to spirituality despite his many years in the Church.
- · Those walking is spiritual darkness (Isaiah 9:2), who refuse to enter into the light and choose to remain in darkness. The written Word of God is the true light and those who want light will follow it as it is written and reject all things that are contrary to the Word of God. Anything that is contrary to the Word of God is demonic and satanic and not of the Holy Spirit.
- · Christians living in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-2), who believe that holiness and purity are not possible. There are sinning Christians, disobedient Christians who commit willful sins (Hebrew 10:26-31), who commit sin deliberately and presumptuously (Psalm 19:13).
Their hearts still love sin and they enjoy sinning. Some do not commit
sin directly but derive pleasure when they see others committing sin. They are
not genuinely born again Christians. They confess but do not forsake their sins
contrary to Proverbs 28:13. They claim to repent but are not converted contrary
to Acts 3:19.
- · Those who reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:9-10). The name of Christ is the name above all names, yet many do not believe in the supremacy of His name and claim to be Christians. They have placed other names above His name.
- · Those who live lives of self-seeking pleasures (1Timothy 5:6) are among the dead Christians in the churches. These live riotous and wanton lives (James 5:5) and are lovers of pleasures more than being lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4). Their hearts and energies are devoted to idols and idolatry that have relegated Christ to the backseat in their lives. The Bible in Mark 8:34-36 teaches about consecration and self-denial.
- · Those who live lives of false spirituality are among the spiritually dead Christians. Activity in the Vineyard is not spirituality because working for God without walking with Him is false spirituality (Matthew 7:21-23).
Walking with God is close communion, intimate fellowship and relations
with Him. Working for God without walking with Him in an intimate fellowship is
mere noise making in the ears of heaven.
Wearing a white gown does not make anyone a Christian recognized in
heaven as a holy person. Bearing a Christian name such as John, Moses or Elijah
does not make anyone a Christian fit for eternity with Christ. Quoting bible verses
and speaking in tongues is not the qualification for admission into eternity
with Christ. Regular church attendance does not qualify anyone for heaven.
Bearing high sounding religious titles such as General Overseer, Pastor,
Reverend, Bishop, Apostle, Archbishop etc. does not qualify the holder for
eternity in heaven.
Having the anointing to wake up the dead, cast out demons and heal the
sick will not take anyone to heaven. The most important qualifications for
eternity with Christ are Obedience to God’s Word, Holiness and Love.
May we not go from church to Hell in Jesus name, Amen.
Prayers:
1. God, shake whatever needs to be
shaken for my life to become a new creature in Christ in Jesus name
2. Lord Jesus, show me mercy and forgive
me my sins
3. Lord Jesus, empower me to labor in
the right areas to get the right rewards and not a condemnation
4. O God, teach me to bridle my tongue (Psalm
39:1) (James 1:26)
5. Lord Jesus, shake out of me every
weight and besetting sin that has slowed me down or stopped me from coming into
your presence (Hebrews 12:1)
6. Lord Jesus, deliver me from the
spirit of religion without salvation
7. Holy Spirit, pour on me the
anointing, wisdom and supernatural ability that will transform me to a whole
new level
8. Power to hunger and thirst for holy
and righteous living, fall on me (Luke 1:75)
9. Holy Spirit, revive me in body,
spirit and soul (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
10.
Lord Jesus, break the power and hold of sin
over me (Psalm 19:13)
11.
Power
to hunger and thirst for the Word of God, possess me
12.
Empower me O Lord to set my affections on
things that are above and eternal (Colossians 3:2)
13.
Empower me O Lord to become dead to the
vanities of life in Jesus name.
14.
Blood
of Jesus, cleanse my heart.
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
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