“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” – Romans 12:9-13
LIGHT FOR NOW: A believer who lives in offence is walking in dishonour.
In our previous studies, we established that where the character or attitude of honour is concerned among believers in a local assembly, then a fundamental displaying of it will be in walking in love. Hence, walking in love was an emphasis in all of his letters and also in the letters of other apostles in the epistles. Thus, from the highlighted text seen so far in previous studies (and other overwhelming evidences in the epistles), we can safely deduce that the believer who lives in offences will definitely walk in dishonour to the Lord and His church; the church leadership and membership. Hence, Paul’s prayer for believers in His letter to the church at Philippe, it reads “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10). So, evidently, honour is taught throughout the scriptures as we have seen by Jesus in the synoptic, the apostles in their epistles. Thus, it is vital for us believers not to become secular in our thinking, just like Paul in Romans 12:2 will say “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. We must never treat the sacred (Christ and His church/ the Father and His family) as secular and consequently treat the secular as sacred. We must endeavor at all times to hold in high esteem Christ and His church. Honour is a vital Christian virtue that must be evident in all of our dealings with fellow believers, church leadership and membership. This must also permeate our lifestyle or everyday life. Hence, the apostles also admonished believers to honour those in position of authority, our bosses at work and our natural parents. So let’s allow these realities influence our attitude in the local church so that we will not be a stumbling block as to why God’s power is stifled amongst us. Hallelujah!
INSTRUCTION: The degree to which you pay attention to your realities is the degree to which you will walk in it; so pay attention to your realities.
PRAYER: Thank you father for your realities, I declare that I walk in it like never before in Jesus Name, Amen.
QUOTE: You cannot separate what a man does from what he knows.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 12; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4
