Dear Reader,
Welcome to the month of April, where God will turn your shame and reproach to glory and honour in Jesus’ name! This month, we will examine Liberty from Defilement.
To begin with, let us define what defilement means. It means to make dirty, filthy, pollute or violate the chastity of something. This can also mean violating your body or taking advantage of someone for sexual gratification. So, defilement is a violation of the law of God, and ignorance of that law is no excuse. It is a sin because it has to do with your body, which is the temple of God. If you defile the temple God made a holy place, you are walking in opposition to God’s will for your life as a single person, and God’s judgement is placed upon you (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
According to 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day was obsessed with the law and the need to avoid defilement from the world. Great energy was spent by the Pharisees not to be “defiled” or stained by things. Any close contact with the Gentiles was forbidden. Even Jesus’ association with known sinners was viewed as a sign that He was not of God (in the minds of the Pharisees).
The same impulse (to avoid defilement) exists in parts of the Christian community today. The most common culprits are worldly amusements, ungodly associations and addictions of various types that become spiritual strongholds that keep people bound. But the most conspicuous culprit is any association with the occult or things related to the occult activity.
When you are defiled, the presence of the Lord is no longer with you because righteousness cannot co-habit with iniquity. We are living in times when the world is trying to change the standards and moral commandments set by God thousands of years ago. God is holy and just and does not change, and neither will His standards for us change or be shaped by the so-called progressives of this sinful world. So, the question is: Who will you be obedient to? Whose standards will you follow – God’s or this world’s?
The Bible warns not to believe when the world tells you “sex outside of marriage is okay as long as you are practising safe sex” or “same-sex unions are normal, and they should have the same status as male/female marriages.” God’s Word warns you not to fall for these man-made standards of living. The Word says: Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light… And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:6-11).
So, if you have truly accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you should not be ruled by your flesh. Instead, do all you can to avoid those people and things that will cause you to stumble and give in to defilement. You are prone to defilement when you follow your own path and live contrary to the will of God, thereby posing a threat to those who have no understanding of God’s Word.
Therefore, to live a life void of defilement, you need the help of God. If you are not born again, please say this prayer of faith: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner, and I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the Living God. From today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I am Born Again.
Congratulations! You are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave or forsake you. With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Please write or call to share your testimonies with me through oyedepofaitha@gmail.com OR 08141320204 and 07026385437.
For more insight, these books, authored by me, are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Single with A Difference, Make Your Life Count, A Living Witness,and Single and not Entangled.
