GETTING TO KNOW THE LEVELS IN GOD
Disclaimer: this blog page: Ladi's musings is a product of the foolishness of one Ladi, who decided to put his innermost thoughts and conversations into letters for the world to read, and if possible, be helped. Thus, no need to take any element of the artistry as a veiled insult of any kind.
Start:
Most of us are little children! Regardless of age, we are little children. Little children who still want coco pops for dinner. Unfortunately, some have become starved little children, not because the sweets they like have not been made available by their parents. Rather, we have closed our mouth so tight that even feeding us is a labour. We just don't want to eat! But God will help us.
Okay, if there are little children, then there are youths and if there are youths, then there are adults. That is what the Apostle John (Mine and everyone's favorite Apostle) taught in the second chapter of his very first letter.
Sidebar: The Apostle John chose to call Adults, 'Father's' ! As a male, of course I completely agree with him 😅
Let's take a look at the part of the letter that concerns us.
1 John 2:12-14 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bible.kingjamesbiblelite
From the text above, we see the different levels of growth/age in Christians that the Apostle was speaking to.
Sidebar: Don't mind anybody that tells you John wasn't writing to Christians in this book, they just don't like saying they are sorry to God when they do wrong, a form of pride in my book. 🤨
And this brings us to John's instruction to little children (the level most of us are). He said:
1) Your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
2) You have known the Father.
As a born again Christian (newly), the only reason you can say you are born again, is that you believed that Jesus Christ is your lord and Savior. And the only reason you believe is because the Father called you.
John 6:65
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Bruh, if you are a Christian, you were selected to be one by our Father in heaven. Never forget this.
Now that you are aware that you were chosen by our Father to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you must understand that what seperated you from God, which was sin, Adam's sin, has been removed. Which means you are forgiven. Now, that you are a Christian and Adam's sin has been forgiven you, it doesn't mean that you do not sin.
Like a little child who is limited in knowledge would say and/or do the wrong things, we also find ourselves in this situation. However, unlike Adam's sin, which seperated him from God, your sin does not seperate you from God, rather you are corrected by Him lovingly and in fact, the moment we truly recognize that we have made an error, we ask for forgiveness (say sorry) and we receive it.
It is also always best when we recognize that we have done wrong, we ask for help not to do that same thing again. This provision is very legal as being a Christian means you are in a covenant with God, and some of the content of that covenant says:
Ezekiel 36:23-27 NRSV
[23] I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. [24] I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. [25] I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. [26] A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.
https://bible.com/bible/2016/ezk.36.23-27.NRSV
God is not pretending here, that you as a Christian (little child) are always sinning 'bedwetting' is embarrassing to him and so He has made a covenant with you that he will deal with that squarely. So, when we recognize a weakness in us, we say sorry and ask him for help for his name's sake.
Now, if we are little children, what makes us grow well? We eat nutritious food and we live in an atmosphere of love. That is why God directs us to read the Bible (food) and pray (creating an atmosphere of love through conversations) everyday.
1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Now, let's move to the youth level, (not by anyway referring to the youth church wing of your church 😅). Trust me, the youth stage looks a bit more scary. That seems to be when the Christian battles spiritual forces. However, there is victory assured! Let's take a look at the instructions of Apostle John to the Youth or the Young Men as the Apostle calls it.
Sidebar: (not me singing, 'it is a man's world...) sorry, I'll behave!
I have this as a word of knowledge {many of my children are like pendulums. They oscillate back and forth, from a little child to a youth and a few times to a father, because they do not have being a 'father' as a target on their vision board!}
Back to regular programming:
The instruction to the youth includes:
1) You have overcome the evil one.
2) You are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
So as a little child, you were nourishing your self with good food and love, but this continued and now you have fatness (in the word of God, fatness is a good thing) you are like a chubby/ruddy lamb. So, you have to sculpt up, you have to start developing the fatness into useful muscles. And God in his infinite wisdom uses the evil/wicked one to sculpt up his ruddy lamb.
Imagine David, that's King David to you.. I know him personally. Now when Dave was a kid, he was always alone in the field tending his father, Jesse's sheep. There he had the time to spend with God, (no one tells us who his teachers/Priests were) but we know he had some dangerous situations as a ruddy kid, and he overcame them with God.
Jesus, as well from a young age was ruddy in the word, and he would discuss Scriptures with Priests and they would be stunned (not annoyed).
However, when the time of his sculpting came, He was baptized with the Holy Spirit and he became STRONG. It is my opinion that He was strong before he went to the wilderness and not that the wilderness made him strong (how else would he have survived 40 days and nights, with no food and water). That experience only reinforced within him that he had a source of strength different from the food (the natural realm). So the great sculpter (the Holy Spirit) also allowed him to be tempted (like testing your new Ferrari on the Autobahn!). And Jesus responded correctly to all the evil one's deceptions. And the greatest lesson Jesus learnt is this just obey God and you will overcome the evil one everytime.
Now, every little child in transition to becoming a youth has the great sculpter in them. The question is how fat are you? What resources is available for you to be sculpted with. Is there any fat in you that can be transformed to muscles?
To overcome, as a youth, you have to be filled with the Holy Spirit (STRONG) ,full of the Word of God (Obedient) and then you are an OVERCOMER! This verse expresses this:
James 4:6-8 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bible.kingjamesbiblelite
You must have heard James 4:7 preached to you before, that submitting to God means being obedient to God completely, and although James 4:7, was the verse I wanted to focus on, but the verse before it is quite striking as well. The grace (God Ability in Man) you need to resist the devil comes from a place of humility. In fact, humility is in you first before you can be obedient. Because, humility is that Point where you acknowledge that you have come to the end of yourself. And that was Apostle Paul's experience here:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bible.kingjamesbiblelite
Gosh!
Amazing Grace!
What Paul is saying here is that, see ehn, at the point when I realize I have come to the end of myself, I rejoice because why, God will release his Grace to help me. Then I am strong!
There is no manipulation or Ọgbọ́n Sodik (overcacu) as a youth. You have done all that your brain can think of, it didn't work or produce the best result. So now, you have to look to God.
Finally, the Father level.
Side bar:
To my fellow Naruto fans: the Father level is like having the power of the ten tails at your disposal and you are in sage mode with the best set of eyes and Shikamaru's wisdom!
To the Avatar fans: the Father level is like having mastered all the elements and entering the Avatar state, but in complete control.
To my fellow Atlas fans: the Father level is like being in complete sync with your A.I. only that you are in Simu Liu's body!
To my fellow Bible lovers: the Father level is Jesus Christ going about doing good!
John's instruction to the Fathers is only one, repeated twice.
'You have known him that is from the beginning!'
You have reached the level where God has revealed Himself to you to the highest peak of your capability to receive Him!
Lord, enlarge my coasts! Amen.
You know Him who created the earth and entire universe. You can command the wind! you can heal with soil and spittle! you can call forth limbs to grow back! you can heal the sick just by your touch! you can bring to life one who was dead for four days! You can do greater miracles than Jesus! You know the God of CREATION!
If you've read this far, and you are not a Christian, it is for a reason. Perhaps, you are one of those whom the God of creation wants to make a covenant with. And now you have the opportunity to humble yourself and accept His free gift of salvation. Just go on your knees and pray this prayer:
God, I believe that Jesus is your son and your lamb who has saved me from sin by his sacrifice on the cross. I hereby do accept him as my Lord and Savior. Forgive me and help me to become your child truly and completely. Amen!
Best to find a church that teaches the milk (word of God) you need to grow and learn to pray to your Father in heaven. I attend an Anglican Church, but pray to God to lead you to the place you need to be!
End!
'Ladi Obidairo
Altar Server, All Saints Anglican Church Ikosi-ketu, Lagos, Nigeria.
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