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How Do I Discover My Purpose? Pt. 2

JJ Irukwu
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How Do I Discover My Purpose? Pt. 2
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The last time we took a dive into the importance of knowing your purpose and the endless list of pros to knowing your calling. But now that you may understand why it’s useful to know it, what knowing it can do, and the way it can change your life…the next reasonable question would, of course, be ‘So how do I discover mine?’.

Let’s try a small exercise. Close your eyes and imagine your average day in 10 years, what will you be doing?  Assuming you have opened your eyes, add in Condition 1

  • Money is not a concern for you, you don’t work because you have to. You work because you want to do something, you just get paid for it.

Again, close your eyes and imagine. Now add in Condition 2:

  • Failure isn’t possible, assume that whatever you see yourself doing will be successful.

Now, close your eyes and imagine these two conditions combined.

Whatever you imagined yourself doing, in many cases will be an indicator of what you’re called to do. If you just imagined yourself asleep or soaking in the sun at the beach then you need to go back and read pt.1. The reason why we undertook the above exercise is that: Condition 1 removes the pressure of having to make money and Condition 2 removes the cap we often apply to ourselves by seeing a task as too big or too risky, which are some of the biggest lies used to hold us back from fulfilling that purpose.

You could engage in this exercise anywhere, therefore you might ask yourself- where is God in all this? Well, conditions 1 and 2, when added to the life you were imagining, are the equivalent of adding God. God’s involvement in your path to purpose should mean that money and failure cannot be the reason you fail to achieve it. This does not mean guaranteed wealth or success at every turn, but that lack of finances and failure on the way will not be the reason you can’t make it to your destination. God will send you and then provide the things needed to get there.

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

– Exodus 16:2-3

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 

– Exodus 16:4

The Lord Will Provide

When walking in purpose, God will provide. Money shouldn’t be a concern because God will not set you out to work without ensuring that you have the resources you need to be effective. If there are no resources available in your walk, your question should be: ‘Am I here because I want to be or because God sent me?’ Throughout the Bible we see examples of God intervening to keep His people afloat on the missions He sent them. If in Egypt before their emancipation, you had asked an Israelite if they wanted to reach the promised land, it’s not unreasonable to assume the answer would have been ‘yes’. However, when they started walking through the wilderness and they were asking for death instead, it seemed as if the promised land was far from being a priority. This is because the lack of resources discouraged them, they were hungry and starving and their end goal became secondary to survival.

This is the life many of us are living, the need to keep the lights on or living in comfort has us shelving our purpose for later when we can afford to take those risks. Imagine the Israelites had waited until they had enough food for 40 years to survive in the wilderness or waited until a season where the Red Sea was at its shallowest? They had to move into their purpose and God went ahead of them clearing seas and dropping food from the sky. The question is would you walk out into that wilderness and trust Him to feed you?

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”

– Jeremiah 17:5-8

Nothing is Too Hard or Unrealistic for God

As for condition 2, if you believe that what you imagined is too big or too hard or unrealistic, I have to ask what do you consider to be a realistic limit for God? That thing you imagined in the opening exercise and then dismissed as unrealistic, if God sent you there is it still unrealistic?

This is the quickest way the enemy can hold you back from fulfillment, because if he can convince you not to start because it’s unrealistic, then he has stolen, killed and destroyed before you have even moved. The Bible will never tell you a task is too great for God, so holding on to such a false impression, of what God can or cannot do, is very detrimental. The Word is the truth and in this case it will set you free from the shackles that keep you from moving towards your purpose. Sometimes, we can’t be bothered, we all feel this way, but next time you do, ask yourself who stands to gain the most from your inactivity…and who stands to lose the most?

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

– John 17:17

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

– John 8:32

Seek Ye First…

Okay, now that we have established the importance of purpose, so how do you find out yours and know that it is God who calls you not just your wishful thinking? The best answer to this is to seek God.

If you do not know Him, it’s unreasonable to expect to know His plan for you. As a general word of advice, ‘Seek God, get to know and understand His ways better’ will be the answer to many of the dilemmas you face in your walk with Christ. Honestly, try it, next time you’re faced with an issue, tell yourself to ‘Seek God, get to know and understand His ways better’ and something about that situation will change.

Furthermore, as you progressively understand Jesus’ relationship with us, you will see that it mirrors a lot of the things we are expected to be to the world and the gaps that are we are meant to fill within the world. For example, as you begin to understand Christ’s role as an intermediary or intercessor, you start to see why people might need someone to speak up on their behalf and you begin to realise that whenever your siblings got in trouble, it was you they called to plead for their forgiveness, you have a lifetime training in speaking on people’s behalf. It’s not a coincidence, it’s divine design (coining that phrase now if it hasn’t been).

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

– 1 Chronicles 16:11

Not to get side-tracked, saying seek God is great advice but more often than not the question is how? So here are some practical ways to seek God and discover purpose.

His Word

The Bible tells us that He is the Word. The Word is Him, therefore the discovery of the Word is a discovery of Him. All the questions you have about what God wants us to do or who He wants us to be are all in the Word. In times of uncertainty you can weigh the decision you want, mark it against people in the Bible making similar decisions, and read how God felt about it. Did this please him? If so, you might want to look into it more. If it caused God to grieve, it’s probably something you want to avoid. The Word is always a great place to start, as there will always be parts that are accessible to you.

“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13

The Holy Spirit

As if the bible app on your phone is not portable enough, God went so far as to send us a Helper to reside within us and guide us. So as the Word begins to stick, it will dwell in your heart as opposed to just being words on a page. When weighing up decisions you may not have to turn to a particular passage, The Holy Spirit will be there to bring to remembrance the morals and purposes of what the Word has taught you. Speaking from experience, hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is only half the battle, the hard part is doing what He says regardless.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

– John 14:26

Prayer

Closed mouths don’t get fed. Have you actually tried spending a few days just asking Him? Just going to Him and asking Him to show you some of the picture of what He requires you to do. However, you must ask yourself if you’re ready for the answer. There was a time I prayed for an answer on something for months and kept feeling like I was getting nothing. Until one day God revealed that He had been telling me for a while that I shouldn’t be where I was, but I was so attached to the situation, to the point where all I wanted to hear was, ‘yes proceed’ – and that’s not what I got so I thought it was silence. Some real soul-searching is required to establish whether you’re ready to commit to WHATEVER He instructs.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

– 1 John 5:14

Fasting and Retreating

Sometimes fasting is about removing distractions and focusing, and at other times it is about sacrifice. Speaking from experience, every single time God has revealed purpose-related matters to me, I had been fasting. That’s not to say that you can’t get these answers without fasting, but I can’t ignore the effect it seems to have. Whilst the anecdote is personal, there are countless examples in the Bible of people fasting or removing themselves from their daily routine and distractions in order for God to reveal something to them.

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

– Acts 13:2

“Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments”

–Exodus 34:28

where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

–Luke 4:2-4

The answers you are looking for will be in some combination of these practical steps, that much He has already promised us. Whatever your purpose is, God has been moulding you for it since the day you were born and as such there will probably be pointers in your life that allude to it. However, these pointers should always come after the 4 points above, in terms of their weighting. But if you’re going to wait until tomorrow to start that fast or that prayer period, then there are things to think about in the meantime. If this topic has got you reflecting and wondering what you were put here to do, here are some other questions you can ask yourself to provide insight:

1. What can you do well without effort?

2. What makes you angry enough to make a change?

3. What releases your compassion or can move you to tears?

4. Is there anything you feel God has called you to do?

5. What problems can you not ignore?

After answering all of these you might start to see a natural inclination to a particular topic or issue or perhaps something you have a natural flair for, whatever it is, it’s a good starting place.

Following Godly Examples

Shumi Mararike
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Following Godly Examples

Christianity is not for the lone wolf. To willingly embark on an isolated walk with Christ robs oneself of a joyful and energised pursuit of God. We must be rubbing shoulders with fellow believers if we are to serve God most effectively whilst enjoying the process. There is no better way to do so than following the example of a number of more mature and wiser people in the faith. Their footsteps should ultimately lead us to the greatest example to ever walk the earth: Jesus Christ.

What is a Disciple?

The Greek word we translate as ‘disciples’ (Mathetes) means ‘learner’. To be a disciple of Jesus means to be an attentive observer of Jesus, closely following His example and implementing it in our own lives. This is living in full submission to the Father and taking pleasure in fulfilling His will (John 4:34). It is to love others as He loved His disciples: by serving them (John 13:34-35 and 15:13). It is to walk in accordance to the scriptures by abiding in His word.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32.

Of course, we mustn’t reduce Jesus to a mere moral example. He is Lord, Saviour, and the Light of the World (John 8:12) who cures the spiritual blindness of the unsaved (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus’ model of discipleship was to walk alongside His followers and ‘do life’ with them. He spent three years side by side with 12 people from all walks of life, and all devoted to following Him wholeheartedly – minus one.

This consisted of patiently loving those He discipled. Rebuking and chastening them where necessary (Matthew 8:23-27 is one of several examples). He also praised them where deserved with Matthew 16:13-20 perhaps being the most powerful demonstration given to us in scripture. As He did so, He sharpened their faith, helping them to mature and become equipped to serve others.

What Am I To Look for in a Spiritual Mentor?

The answer is straightforward: Jesus. Disciplers must emulate Christ. They are to be people whose lives diffuse Christ-like attributes. The fruits of the Spirit are borne out of their lives and they produce good works that glorify God, testifying to the faith they profess to have (James 2:14). As you follow them you are following Christ.

Paul encouraged both the Corinthian and Philippian churches to do so:

 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1

 

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

Philippians 3:17 

 

Where Should I Look?

The natural place to start would be your local church. The church is the body of Christ, made up of God’s people who are all pursuing Jesus, with the enablement of the Holy Spirit and the help of one another in preparation for His second coming. This is why it is extremely vital to be plugged into a life-giving body of believers so that we may be spurred onto good works and love for one another, maturing in the faith, and all together glorifying God.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Perhaps you may not have a local church you call your home. Small groups such as Bible studies or home groups still provide great opportunities for you to seek out others to disciple you. At the very minimum, we all have friends or family members whom we can reach out to help sharpen us as we desire to mature in our faith.


Following Godly Examples With Wisdom

Human beings are fallible. We all have our own shortcomings and areas in our lives where God must work on our character. Therefore, we must be discerning, extracting that which is good, and disposing of the residue in those we follow. It must then follow that we must exercise wisdom and look for multiple mentors in order to make up for the deficiencies of another.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

PROVERBS 27:17

 

Discipling Others

We mustn’t be selfish. All that we learn and receive is not just for ourselves. As we are being poured into, we must also deposit into the lives of others. We are called not only to be discipled but to also disciple others. Your life must be a conduit through which those who walk with you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Our experience as disciples should fill up a reservoir of waters from which we then pour into others so that they may also raise up others to diligently follow and serve God. Discipleship done right should be a perpetual process: you receive, you give, and those you give to repeat the process. This is how Jesus approached it. His three years of discipleship equipped his students to fulfill the great commission in which new disciples were then birthed as the early church was established.

Closing Thoughts

God in His great providence has strategically placed you in the very community you are in. He has people whom we may disciple or be discipled by to help the sanctification of His people. With this in mind, I pose this question to you: Who are Pauls and Timothys in your life?

The High Calling to Holiness

Shumi Mararike
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The High Calling to Holiness

Holiness appears to be taken lightly by Christians in the present day. It is often perceived and addressed as merely obeying commands. Holiness is much more than this. It is the hallmark of the Christian life decreed by our Heavenly Father whose very nature is holy.

Holiness is positional, progressive and a pursuit

To be holy is to be sanctified. This means being set apart unto God, consecrated for His special use and purposes. We are positionally holy at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:11, and Hebrews 10:10). Holiness is also progressive as we are continually freed from sin and conformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 3:18). Not only that, but God calls us to pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14).

Holiness – It’s God’s nature

 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Isaiah 6:1-3

Isaiah 6 provides a majestic portrait of God’s holiness. Dr. R.C. Sproul beautifully communicates its centrality to the nature of our Heavenly Father in this passage:

“Only once in sacred scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy.  Not that He is merely holy or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It  does say that He is Holy and that the whole earth is full of His glory.”

God has a transcendental otherness. He is morally pure, separate from all sin, and superior over all creation. The weight of the seraphim’s voices shook the doorposts of the temple as they sang of His holiness (Isaiah 6:4). Isaiah was moved to pronounce judgement upon himself as his perilous, sinful condition was magnified in the presence of the holy God.

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”

Isaiah 6:5

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16

The most emphatic statement given about God in the whole Bible is His holiness which is communicated to the superlative degree (Isaiah 6:3). This makes our call to holiness in 1 Peter 1:13-16 one of great magnitude, and significance, which we should heed to at all times.

The KJV reads “gird up the loins of your mind” (v. 13). This is akin to rolling up your sleeves in preparation for strenuous action. As seen above, the call to holiness is weighty. Therefore, Peter is ordering God’s people to be alert and focused so that they may adopt an active way of thinking, setting their minds upon holy living, set apart unto God for His glory.

The gradual longing for holiness in the heart

Peter addresses the Christian pilgrims to whom, throughout his epistle, are addressed as the “elect” (1 Peter 1:2); God’s chosen people whom He chose to save before the foundations of the earth. Peter implores us to live as such, keeping at the forefront of our minds that we have been chosen by God for His glory which requires holy living on our part.

An essential result of our election is sanctification and obedience (v.2), fuelled by the new nature we receive when born again and the indwelt by the Holy Spirit at work in us (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Though the flesh and the Spirit are constantly waging war (Galatians 5:17), The Spirit is presently transforming our desires to those of the Father, making holiness not only a calling but also a deeper longing of the soul. Thus, we begin to take joy in holiness as the Spirit progressively renews our desires as we are moulded into Jesus’ image.

With our minds fixed on Jesus and our hearts increasingly longing for holiness, our actions respond accordingly and we pursue it with all our might. God is changing us from the inside out, patterning our nature and desires after Himself so that we may be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16 and Leviticus 19:1-2).

We were a people once dead in our sins and transgressions (Ephesians 2:1) but now made alive by God desiring us to be His holy vessels, set apart unto Him for His purposes. This has massive implications. Our transformed lives as God’s sanctified people are the greatest testimony to the power of the Gospel. Consequently, we have a higher calling which we ought to embrace and live out in complete submission to God through the enablement of His Spirit.

What Hope Exists For The Christian Who Feels Like They Have A Soul Tie?

Deborah Asamoah
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What Hope Exists For The Christian Who Feels Like They Have A Soul Tie?

The gospel and sex. Both are rarely mentioned together. Many might not believe that they go together, however, they do. In so many ways.

What does the Bible say about sex?

Sex is very good, and the Bible teaches so. God wouldn’t have created it with its particular design and parameters if such was not the case. I think what makes sex a taboo topic for the Christian community is the idea of sexual platonism; discussing sexual pleasure is considered inappropriate because any hedonist perspective towards sex is seen as immoral. This might make a book like Songs of Solomon an uncomfortable read for some.

Let’s not be mistaken, sexual activity in extra-marital circumstances is a sin and has its negative consequences. Believers can and have fallen short of their duty to uphold purity in their lives, including myself. However, what transpires is that in our wrongdoing, ill-formed views on sex arise, where we make sex out to be the villain and not ourselves. Many Christians can be misled down the path of believing that their misdeed has resulted in form of bondage called a “soul tie”; where their soul has been spiritually fused to the soul of whom they have slept with. This is far from the truth. This is where the gospel meets sex in a compelling way.

Don’t get me wrong, while actual soul tying does not exist for believers who have engaged in sexually immoral behaviour it can FEEL as though one’s soul is tied to that of another person because of the devastating and painful consequences that linger long after the relationship has ruptured. Emotions stick around like unwanted company. Pain and regret wander in the corridors of our minds. Desires, both sexual and emotional loiter in a carefree manner. Ghostly memories of what once was and is no longer haunt us while we try to get on with our lives. This can create a depth-filled sense of entanglement that one might feel and struggle to break free from.

God’s design for sex.

The parameters of sexual activity are what high-stoned walls are to its citadel; for protection. Sex is a pleasure thoroughly enjoyed in a marriage covenant, because of what it represents. As Timothy Keller puts it, it gives us the opportunity to ‘witness how God works in the gospel.’ God through Christ calls us to exclusivity; to enter a faithful covenant with Him; the same way in which a man calls a woman to enter into a faithful commitment with him. As our exclusive loyalty to God allows us to be beneficiaries of various spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), so is sex one of the many blessings that a husband and wife experience as a result of their fidelity to one another. Sex is a safe, secure expression of selflessness through love and a declaration of one’s devotion. When we engage in extra-marital sex, we experience the opposite of this and thus, the positive attributes of sex are hidden.

So what hope is there for the Christian who find themselves burned from the fire of their lust and is experiencing a sense of painful entanglement from their sin?

Christ sets us free.

Firstly we should not be so quick to assume that this indicates a soul tie. The message of the gospel hums a completely different tune; through Christ’s death on the cross, He has paid the debt of our sin and in His resurrection has set us free from the slavery of death, sin and its effects. Therefore in our freedom, we should not be so quick to let ourselves be burdened by a bondage of sin that no longer exists for us.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

Instead, we shouldn’t hesitate to make use of our privilege by boldly and humbly approaching the throne of God and earnestly confessing our sins to the One who is Faithful and Just to both forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of the sore plague that our entanglement in sin has caused us (1 John 1:9).

“Crucify Him, Cancel Him”

M.T. Omoniyi
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“Crucify Him, Cancel Him”

The stakes were high in Jerusalem as Jesus was making his way unto the cross. In Luke Chapter 23, we get a look at the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate, his meeting with King Herod Antipas, his crucifixion, death, and burial. The story is well recorded and well covered in history because it details Jesus’ atoning death for our sins on the cross. However, in that chapter, there is a little incongruence that I want us to look at through narrative analysis. It is shocking, and when we consider it deeply, it may help us understand a thing or two about this generation’s #CancelCulture.

The Jews had no authority to administer the death penalty, so they went to Pilate, who was the Roman governor over the region of Judea. They brought Jesus to Pilate hoping for a favourable result. Secular history shows us that Pilate was a cruel, ruthless man, completely insensitive to the moral feelings of others. Surely, they thought, Pilate will put this Jesus to death. Surely he would put an end to all this preaching and disruption to their religious order.

And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

Luke 23:2

It is important to note here that, they knew Pilate would be unconcerned with what they had “convicted” Jesus of — blasphemy. So, they blatantly lied and brought up other charges to make a death sentence more likely.  However, though Pilate was a cruel, ruthless man; he wasn’t stupid. He could see through the motives of the Jewish leaders, and had no problem in sizing up Jesus and the whole situation, and returning a verdict:

“I find no fault in this Man.”

With this verdict from Pilate, Jesus was then sent to King Herod, after all, he was under King Herod’s jurisdiction. After much conversing and taunting King Herod too could find no fault in Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate for a second trial.

So far, the story adds up. We have Jesus, who on two separate accounts had been vindicated, judged as free and right. His own enemies found that he was innocent of any crime but still the people were not satisfied. This is when the situation became a little jarring and odd. Even though Jesus was innocent by the customs, the Jewish leaders were persistent so Pilate believed he had a way for Jesus to escape death. He planned to release Him according to the custom of releasing a prisoner every Passover season. Pilate figured, “If this man claimed to be king, and was even the slightest bit hostile to Rome, then the crowd will love him. These Jewish leaders don’t want Jesus to go free, but the crowd will sympathise with Him.”

Enter Barabbas. We don’t even know much about him, except that Barabbas is a murderer, the leader of an insurrection, and a rebel (Luke 23:19). So at this moment, Pilate thinks ‘I hold the destinies of these two men in my hands. I know the Jews have a tradition that on a holy day – I will release one of the prisoners on death row.’ It will either be Jesus or Barabbas.

Pilate stands on this audacious stage and now presents Jesus, the Son of God – vs Barabbas the thug and rebel. He essentially asks the people ‘Alright, who do you want?’.

If you consider it, it’s almost blasphemy – there is simply no comparison. Barabbas is a thief, a man deserving of being imprisoned and a man who should be on death row, and Jesus, well — He’s Jesus. He’s already been declared innocent twice by two separate courts, what business does He have going up against Barabbas like this. It’s a false equivalence.

The crowd makes its choice.

And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will, therefore, chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Luke 23: 19-25
 

Faced with an unbelievably clear choice between night and day, the people with venom in their eyes and pitchforks in their hands shouted, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”. A modern translation might be, “Cancel Him, cancel Him! We don’t care about the facts or the detail or anything else, we want blood.” The crowd, whom Pilate was convinced would release Jesus, instead condemned Him. It is a strange, almost insane scene: a cruel, ruthless Roman governor trying to win the life of a miracle-working Jewish teacher against the strenuous efforts of both the Jewish leaders and the bloodthirsty crowd. We may imagine that many in this crowd had, just a few days before, been crying “Hosanna” to Jesus. But there are always plenty of people who will do whatever the crowd does. Some scholarly commentaries say  ‘a riot was beginning to build up [that]…It must have been obvious to Pilate that the situation was becoming increasingly ugly’ (Morris, 1988).

Barabbas a rebel against right, and a bad man, a thug and a crook, a man who deserves the chains, who deserves the crucifixion — freed. What did Jesus do? Heal, restore, deliver, set free, open blind eyes, and open deaf ears, heal the lame, and the lepers. Who do the people want?—’We want Barabbas, give us Barabbas’ they said.

Every time I study this story, I’m moved deeply. I have a mixture of emotions, anger, annoyance, and frustration. However, it’s the sheer sense of injustice that almost overwhelms me. How could a man like that go free? How could Barabbas not be cancelled? Why was he not crucified? What hurts more is that there’s no record of him turning to Jesus and saying “I owe You everything now, for You have set me free.” No. You don’t see any of that in Barabbas. He just walks away free. God saw that and Jesus stood there silently.

Who is Barabbas?

At this point, you too may be feeling frustrated and angry at the story. Angry at why a guilty man got to go free whilst Jesus was crucified and cancelled. That may change if you stop to consider who Barabbas really is. Barrabas is Us, he is you and I. Dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), we offered nothing to our salvation than the sin that made it necessary.

We are liars, cheaters, sinners, guilty by every account and deserving of death and separation from the Father. We were found guilty, we were on death row, we were set for eternal damnation, we were the thugs, the murders, the unrepentant and the ungrateful. And whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It almost seems unjust that he would let us walk free, that we would be free. Jesus said give them Barabbas, take me instead. It is a wonderful picture of the Gospel. It is a powerful picture of Jesus’ atoning work and the benefits we reap.

God treats Jesus like Barabbas (guilty) so he could treat us like Jesus (sons). Our sin is His and His obedience is ours. It wasn’t the people that set Barabbas free, it was a heavenly and loving Father who loves Barabbas. “For while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God sent His Son for Barabbas, even the one He knew would walk away from Jesus and His free gift, and never come back… He loves him. This image is overwhelming. When we consider that we are like Barabbas, that we got off, the good news is that we are freed by no work or power in and of ourselves but because of a loving and forgiving Father. It means no one in the kingdom should walk with a swagger and no one in the kingdom should walk with a limp. We have been forgiven.

Pass It On

That same forgiveness we received, we must pass it on. In light of recent tweets and many conversations online about forgiveness and change, it is important we meditate on this portion of scripture:

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”


Matthew 6:14-15

Is Jesus saying in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we struggle to forgive others then we cannot be saved? If we must forgive others in order to be saved, then wouldn’t our salvation be somewhat dependent on our own works? We know that cannot be true based on Ephesians 2:8-9. So what does this passage mean? Jesus isn’t telling us what we must do in order to receive salvation, but rather what we will do if we have truly received salvation. Do you see the difference? If the forgiveness we claim to have received from Jesus is so ineffective in our lives that we cannot forgive another person, then we have not truly embraced and treasured what God offers us in Christ. Saving faith is not merely intellectual; it is life changing. Barabbas was materially made free.

Not only is a forgiving spirit evidence that we have truly accepted God’s forgiveness in Christ, it is also for our good. When God is glorified through our lives, it is always for our good – even if it costs us something here on earth. Gospel-driven forgiveness is not easy. In fact, it is downright hard at times. Some of you reading this have experienced unimaginable suffering at the hands of another. Please know that Christ’s call to forgive in no way minimizes your pain. He is not dismissing the wrong that has been done to you, but rather setting you free from it. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’” Remember that first and foremost, all sin is against God. He sees and knows the wrong done to us. Refusing to forgive only does more damage, so we must choose to trust God and forgive

The key to forgiveness is fixing our eyes on Jesus. In Christ we see both unimaginable suffering, and unexplainable grace. In Him we see the depth of our own sin, and the limitless bounds of God’s forgiveness to us. Having trouble forgiving? Look to the cross of Christ and remember you like Barabbas got off free.

How Do I Discover My Purpose? Pt. 1

JJ Irukwu
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How Do I Discover My Purpose? Pt. 1
Prefer to listen? Listen to the article here!

What should I do next? Who should I be around? Is it too late to change career? Why shouldn’t I feel worthless right now? These are questions that plague a lot of young people, but you would be surprised to find that knowing one piece of information could answer them all forever.

What is Purpose?

We believe that Christians have been called to specific tasks. We all share the mission of spreading the good news about Jesus Christ. Everybody deserves to be offered the choice of eternal life with Him. However, God also placed us all here for individual reasons. God saw a future need in the world, and He sent you to fill it. As a tall kid, growing up I was probably asked if I play basketball at least once a month because, for a sport where the goal is 10 feet in the air, height makes you uniquely equipped to carry out this task. The same goes for us, God has specifically designed us to complete an objective on Earth before we go to join Him. This task that you were created for is what we refer to as your purpose.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

– Ephesians 2:10

Why Is Purpose Important?

1. Focus and Direction:

Simply put, if you know your purpose then you can see where you’re supposed to be headed and can make decisions accordingly. Decisions like choosing where to live or work can be more informed and strategised. Your purpose can also serve as internal motivation. What else makes you get out of bed in the morning beyond your singular God-given purpose for existence?

2. Peace of Mind:

The flip side of this focus is the peace of mind that comes from knowing where you are headed and what is not for you. That job opportunity might look like what you want but it will make it more difficult for you to fulfill your purpose. Saying no is hard but it is easier if you know the reason why you said no and what was at stake. Often times the things that you’re looking for in that pay rise and increased status, are waiting for you at the end of a fulfilled purpose. Furthermore, knowing where you are going makes it easier to weather storms. It might be raining where you are right now but if you can see the sunshine where you are headed, then rain becomes more bearable.

“Set your mind on things above not earthly things” – Colossians 3:2

3. Value and Self-confidence:

God looked at the world, saw it was lacking something, and sent you. He has been molding you your entire life. Your importance cannot be diminished. Someone somewhere needs or is going to need you. It could be huge, and you could have been sent to change nations or it could be small and specific like being a godly example and influence next door to the person that will go on to change nations. Either way, both parts are necessary for nations to change. Whatever you have been called by God to do, it is necessary and important. Furthermore, if you know you have been sent to a place by the Entity that oversees everything, how can someone tell you don’t belong there? The notion will be laughable.

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:6

4. Relationships:

Who you’re around is key. In Proverbs we’re told about the safety you find in an abundance of good counsel. However, in order to put the right people around you, you need to know where you’re going. When you know, you can choose people according to whether they will be able to help you get there or be a hindrance. This is useful for new Christians debating what to do about old friendships with people who don’t know Christ or friendships that are constantly leading them away from living a life that is honourable to God. It’s not worth it if it holds you back from your purpose.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”- 1 Corinthians 15:33

It also follows that finding a partner based on purpose is an excellent foundation because when times get tough, knowing you need that person to be who you’re supposed to be, means at some point you have to get back on good terms, you cannot leave them, because you need them, so you strive to make it work. In the same way, finding a partner before you know your purpose is asking for trouble because how can you team up for a life long race and one of you doesn’t know where they’re going yet? What if they find out in 5 years and it requires a completely different direction than their partner’s purpose?

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” – Amos 3:3

 

5. Peace in Death and Loss:

As Christians, we must always consider ourselves as pieces in God’s plan. We won’t always understand the full plan. But what we do know, is like Jesus, our goal is to glorify God and His will whilst we are here on Earth, fulfilling our God-given roles and then going to be with the Father. As Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were sad for themselves, but nobody was sad for Jesus, He had completed His mission, He went to the Father’s house to prepare our rooms. Now we don’t ascend into the heavens in such majestic form, but our earthly bodies return to dust, and our spirits go to the Father’s house. Jesus was 33 when this happened, in our time this would be considered a young death, unfortunate, a tragedy even. But it is not a tragedy, the only tragedy is a life lived with no fulfillment of purpose. There is no time limit on purpose, it could take 20 years or 80 but when fulfilled its home time, and when we see this, we should not mourn. I promise you, nobody in Heaven wishes they could come back.

“And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:26

As you can see knowing your purpose as a Christian, is like unlocking all the boosts on a video game. Things that were hard become easier, things that were bad become good. Stay tuned for part 2 next week where we discuss ways to help identify your own purpose.

Part 3: What is Glorification?

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The short answer is that “glorification” is God’s final removal of sin from the life of the saints (i.e., everyone who is saved) in the eternal state (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). At Christ’s coming, the glory of God (Romans 5:2)—His honor, praise, majesty, and holiness—will be realized in us; instead of being mortals burdened with sin nature, we will be changed into holy immortals with direct and unhindered access to God’s presence, and we will enjoy holy communion with Him throughout eternity. In considering glorification, we should focus on Christ, for He is every Christian’s “blessed hope”; also, we may consider final glorification as the culmination of sanctification.

Final glorification must await the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13; 1 Timothy 6:14). Until He returns, we are burdened with sin, and our spiritual vision is distorted because of the curse. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Every day, we should be diligent by the Spirit to put to death what is “fleshly” (sinful) in us (Romans 8:13).

Part 2: What is Sanctification?

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Sanctification is one of those religious sounding words that people in the church use, but may not understand what it means. In its most basic sense, to sanctify something is to set it apart for God’s special use and purpose. Therefore, God’s people are sometimes said to be sanctified because they are set apart for God’s special purposes in the world: “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Lev 20:7–8). As this verse helps us see, the word sanctification is closely related to holiness. The word sanctification can be used in a similar sense in the New Testament, and in one sense, believers are already sanctified because of what Jesus has done for them. Hebrews 10:10 tells us that as followers of Christ “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

But most of the time when Christians use the word sanctification, they are referring to the progressive work of God to make a believer more like Jesus Christ. As such Paul can write, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thes 4:3). He commands Christians to “present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Rom 6:19). Because believers have been set free from their slavery to sin, “the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Rom 6:22).

3 Minute Theology 4.4: What is Sanctification?

The Greek word translated “sanctification” (hagiasmos [aJgiasmov”]) means “holiness.” To sanctify, therefore, means “to make holy.” In one sense only God is holy ( Isa 6:3 ). God is separate, distinct, other. No human being or thing shares the holiness of God’s essential nature. There is one God. Yet Scripture speaks about holy things. Moreover, God calls human beings to be holy — as holy as he is holy ( Lev 11:44 ; Matt 5:48 ; 1 Peter 1:15-16 ). Another word for a holy person is “saint” (hagios [a&gio”]), meaning a sanctified one. The opposite of sanctified is “profane” ( Lev 10:10 ).

From time to time human beings are commanded to sanctify themselves. For example, God commanded the nation of Israel, “consecrate to me every firstborn male” ( Exod 13:2 ). God said through Peter, “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord” ( 1 Peter 3:15 ). One sanctifies Christ by responding to unbelievers meaningfully, out of a good conscience and faithful life. God calls his own to set themselves apart for that which he has set them apart. Sanctify, therefore, becomes a synonym for “trust and obey” ( Isa 29:23 ). Another name for this action is “consecration.” To fail to sanctify God has serious consequences ( Num 20:12 ).

Human beings ultimately cannot sanctify themselves. The Triune God sanctifies. The Father sanctifies ( 1 Cor 1:30 ) by the Spirit ( 2 Thess 2:13 ; 1 Peter 1:2 ) and in the name of Christ ( 1 Cor 6:11 ). Yet Christian faith is not merely passive. Paul calls for active trust and obedience when he says, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” ( 2 Cor 7:1 ). No one may presume on God’s grace in sanctification. Peter reminds believers to be diligent in making their calling and election sure ( 2 Peter 1:10 ).

A person or thing can be sanctified in two ways according to God’s creative purpose or according to God’s redemptive design. All sanctified in the first sense are used by God in the second sense. Not all God uses in the second sense are sanctified in the first sense.

Useful Articles

What is Sanctification by Nathan Bingham https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-sanctification/

Sanctification is a Direction by David Powlison https://www.crossway.org/articles/sanctification-is-a-direction/

6 things every Christian needs to know about sanctification by Coleman Ford https://equip.sbts.edu/article/6-things-every-christian-needs-know-sanctification/

Use Videos

Part 1: What is Justification

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In our Statement of faith we assert this about Justification,

The Justification of Sinners We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God.

This short course would will cover the meaning and definitions of Justification. It will also suggest resources you should consider in furthering your understanding.

What is Justification Simply Put?

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous, to make one right with God. Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Though justification as a principle is found throughout Scripture, the main passage describing justification in relation to believers is Romans 3:21-26: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

3 Minute Theology 3.8: What is Justification by Faith?

The doctrine of justification by faith has had a checkered history. It was virtually ignored until the Reformation. That all changed with Martin Luther, who elevated justification to the head of all doctrines. Ever since, Lutheran theologians have followed their founder’s lead, proclaiming in the oft-quoted phrase that justification by faith is the doctrine “on which the church stands or falls.”

How does it happen?

We are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. Justification does not make us righteous, but rather pronounces us righteous. Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ’s own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God’s demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous—He justifies us.

Romans 5:18-19 sums it up well: “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” It is because of justification that the peace of God can rule in our lives. It is because of justification that believers can have assurance of salvation. It is the fact of justification that enables God to begin the process of sanctification—the process by which God makes us in reality what we already are positionally. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Useful Articles

Faith Alone by J.V Fesko https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/faith-alone/

A systematic Theology of Justification by Andy Naselli https://www.crossway.org/articles/a-systematic-theology-of-justification/

The Hill We Must Die on by Stephen Wellum https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-hill-we-all-must-die-on

Useful Videos

Proceed to Sanctification

Why Do Christians Always Want To Fit In?

M.T. Omoniyi
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Why Do Christians Always Want To Fit In?

I remember as a young Christian in youth church being introduced to Watchman Nee by an encouraging uncle. He spotted my youth like zeal and thought to give me some tough food to chew on. The truth is, I’m still chewing today. I was introduced to Nee’s book ‘The Release of the Spirit’, which was first published in China in 1955. Nee taught in that book that the path to spiritual fruitfulness— and to a true, intimate knowledge of the Lord—is the brokenness of the outward man. He explained that God uses tests and trials in our lives to break our selfish nature so that Christ’s nature can flow through us. He spoke of the freakish nature of the Christian faith and the need to stand out. I remember as a young person reading this book and watching as these themes cascaded one on top of the other. With each point, my fear compounded as it dawned on me that zeal was not only to be outward expression and energy but the denial of a lot of the shows, songs, and ‘banter’ that I had come to love. It dawned on me that I not only needed to be bold and loud but that I needed to become an Alien!

Identity Crisis

Let us be honest, even as a Christian, there can often be (an albeit fading) desire to fit in, to be socially relevant and accepted by the world. I still get excited every time I make a successful pop culture reference. Although we have left the club, many of us still feel the desire to keep our membership card — just in case. We may still be drawn to attend the same parties but miss the ones that are really bad, we may even speak the same but avoid really bad speech, we watch the same things but avoid really bad shows. The ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) can be crippling for Christians who watch everyone ‘playing and having fun’ and feel like they have no option but to join in. They enter the fun under the ruse of ‘banter and letting hair down’ and in so doing make their witness ineffective. This appears to be the experience of some nominal Christians around the world.

I have spoken earlier about Moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD). It’s a term that was first introduced in the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (2005). The book is the result of the research project the “National Study of Youth and Religion”. The author’s study found that many young people believe in several moral statutes not exclusive to any of the major world religions. A central statute in this book is that most young people think the point of religion is to help you behave better and make you into a better person. This is false. Alarming as it may be, this is what some Christians may have been hoodwinked into or knowingly started believing. This is the view that Christians are to be less bad than the world. To attend wild parties but not sin, to drink but not get drunk, to dance intimately but not have sex. To get involved in every discussion and debate but not be vulgar. To enjoy the same things leaving space for repentance straight after.

Many Christians believe Christianity is about being less bad than the world. Sure, this is a part of the Gospel, but not the thrust of the Gospel. The thrust of the Gospel is about making you right with God. It’s about satisfying eternal and weighty wrath and being born again. It’s about a change of nature and essence and not solely managed behavioural change. That comes after. Why is this important? Well because when we consider that we have been reborn (John 3:1-21) and set apart (1 John 4:4-5), we begin to understand that standing out and being different is the very call of the gospel. It’s not a choice or an optional module, its the very point of being saved. Saved from what? Yourself

Saved for or saved from? 

One of the main reasons we struggle saying no to the desire to fit in and to be culturally relevant is because our Christian lives can sometimes feel like a never-ending list of don’ts. Don’t watch this, don’t read this, don’t listen to this. That way of living can feel repressive and stifling. Here, it’s important to consider the message of the Gospel. Through Gospel lenses, we see that the Christian life is not a constrained life by any measure, only a carnal mindset will produce that thought.

John Piper put it well when he said:

“My father used to say, be so busy doing… you don’t have time to “don’t“. When people accused us fundamentalists of being people with a bunch of don’ts, I have never felt that way. My life is not a constrained life. It is a free life.” “You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13)”

Life in Christ is not mainly about the avoidance of evil, but mainly the passionate and intense pursuit of good. “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

We haven’t just been saved from ourselves, but we have been saved for greater works, greater joy, greater peace – in Him. Jesus died — yes to purify his people and to make them positionally right forever. However, it is an absolute travesty to the triune God, to the cross, to treat it as though Jesus died only to forgive us for sinful acts and not to purify us for the power not to go back to our vomit. We have been saved from ourselves, from the applause of men, from needing validation from culture and saved for union and increasingly joyful communion with God.

What do I do when I feel left out?

Embrace it. Don’t run away from it. Embrace it. It’s a sign that you were ‘made for another world’. Let it remind you fo this truth. That you are a sojourner, an alien, a misfit here on this earth. It’s a sign that you have been enlisted into a different army and that you have a different commander. Christians ought not to run away from this feeling but to see what it points to and to rejoice in that. The truth is the world does not need ‘less bad’, irrelevant copies of itself. The world needs more aliens. More folks that are willing to stand out and be different. Who are willing to be called prudish, bizarre and old fashioned and uncool. Who are willing to embrace the ‘shame’ of the world and let it do its work. After all, look at the effect shame had on the life of Jesus. Shame stripped away every earthly support that Jesus had: his friends gave way in shaming abandonment; his reputation gave way in shaming slander; his decency gave way in shaming nakedness; his comfort gave way in shaming torture. It reminded him that he was different, set apart and holy.

Crucially, mature Christians must embrace a similar type of shame (Hebrews 12:2,3) and instead rejoice in God’s approval of their behaviour. Feeling left out is not only a sign but it also has a purifying effect in the life of a believer. It weans you off the world and prepares you for a new one. It makes you even more effective because to maintain your prophetic witness you need to maintain a prophetic distance. The truth of the matter is that we (Christians) cannot hope to change the world if we are motivated by the same things they are motivated by. What’s the difference? How can you aim to influence people who don’t see you as different? If they only see you as ‘better’ than they are, then they will wrongly assume that they just need to work harder to get to your ‘level’ when in reality they need to be saved and born again. Here are some helpful passages on standing out. 

Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.

1. Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, your minds must be clear and ready for action. Place your confidence completely in what God’s kindness will bring you when Jesus Christ appears again. Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better. But because the God who called you is holy, you must be holy in every aspect of your life.

1 Peter 1:13-15

You people are not faithful to God! You should know that loving what the world has is the same as hating God. So anyone who wants to be friends with this evil world becomes God’s enemy.

James 4:4

I believe we must reclaim the forgotten message of consecration. It is not enough to know Christian doctrines or to paint a nice Christian veneer on the surface of our lives. God wants our hearts. We must embrace the cross daily. It is not enough to simply avoid the sins that our Christian culture says are the “worst”; we must also allow God’s knife to slay the pride, the self-will, the self-confidence and the self-glorification that our backslidden Christian culture encourages. We must consider that if we continue to indulge in the culture we are commissioned to change, we will be continually sanded until, subtly (and sadly) unbeknownst to us, our love grows cold and we are rendered blunt and ineffective in the hands of our Master.

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