What we want to talk about today as God helps us on Forms and Patterns is a very sensitive matter. It is a matter that addresses the minister's uprightness with the word of God, and the word 'uprightness' in the topic, is a matter of ethics. To be upright according to the dictionary, is "always behaving in an honest way or having high moral standards." It is no longer news that there are many ministers of the gospel today who are no longer upright or honest with the word God. What we see many ministers do these days, is to interpret the word of God to mean what it does not mean, in order to suit their narrative.
Listen to Podcast: THE MINISTER AND UPRIGHTNESS WITH THE WORD
Just like what the serpent said to Eve in the garden of Eden, when Eve said to the serpent, "God has instructed us not to partake of that tree for in the day we do so, we will die." But when you examine the response of the serpent, it says "you will not surely die" so that he can get Eve to change her mind and disobey God's instruction. Now, this exactly is what many ministers of the gospel do today. They misinterpret the word of God, they downplay on the integrity of God's word simply to make those listening to them come into their own limited understanding and not God's understanding of the word.
And this is why we are examining the matter before us today so that the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to those areas where we have been missing it and so that we can make necessary adjustments and re-align ourselves back to the efficacy of God's word. Let us consider the text below as we continue into the word for today. Apostle Paul made certain things clear in the passage that we are about to read and I believe it is very much related to what we are talking about today.
"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
First and foremost, one of the understandings that every minister of the gospel must possess is in the fact that it is God's mercy that counted individuals worthy to be called into the ministry in the first place. Ministry is not something you do simply because you feel like doing it, No! It is the mercy of God that singles you out for the work, and no wonder apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:12 that "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." That tells us that being in ministry and remaining in it, is simply by God's divine providence, and not by our own doing. So, what apostle Paul was telling us in verse 1 of our text is that we have received this ministry by God's mercy and because of that mercy, we are not losing heart or fainting while doing the work.
The second thing that could be noted in that passage is from verse two, which says "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully," That tells us that it is possible for a man of God or a woman of God to handle the word of God deceitfully. What does that even mean? To handle the word of God deceitfully simply means: to not be upright with the word of God or to be dishonest with the word of God. When you as a minister of God deliberately twist the message of the gospel to mean what it does not mean in order to suit your narrative, what that depicts is handling the word of God deceitfully, and many ministers of the gospel are guilty of this.
As a minister of God, you must realize that the message which you have been given to preach is all about Christ. Verse 5 of that text tells us: "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake." When your message no longer points people again to Christ but to something else or to you the minister, that means the word of God is being handled deceitfully. There are many people and groups in the world today who are going ahead to alter the Bible, changing certain words and phrases to make it suit their narrative. I once read that the homosexual community have their own version of the Bible called 'Queen James Version', and many verses from the King James version of the Bible were being altered to suit their evil agenda. This is absolutely wrong!
If your ministry is ever going to be effective, the starting point is by being upright with the word of God. See what verse 6 of our text says: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." If the light of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will be made manifest in your ministry, you must never be seen to be taking the word of God deceitfully. Don't add to the word of God, don't remove from it as well. Teach the word of God as God wants it to be taught, preach it as God want it to be preached.
Remember, the consequences of handling the word of God deceitfully is not something to toil with. See what was revealed to John concerning this matter: Revelation 22:18, the Bible says: "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city and from the things which are written in this book." Do you see that? The matter looks really simple, but yet, God does not take it likely.
No wonder apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, to "study to show himself approve unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." If you don't want to be caught handling the word of God with dishonesty and deceit, then you must study it thoroughly. Understand what God is saying concerning His word, and as you take these words to heart, you will never struggle again in your ministry in Jesus' name.
Amen!
Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!
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