HEBREWS 13:1-3; MATTHEW 22:35-40
Christianity is not a religion. Religion is a form, organized by people, and having rules and regulations. Religious activities have been since, and began in Eden, when Adam lost out, and founded human paganism or religion (how to make a cover for himself from nakedness). And from such was found the 'apron religion'; and people all over the world are looking for their own 'present-day apron religion', rules and regulations, norms and laws just to cover their nakedness and get back the once-lost glory. But unfortunately no religion in the world can do this for mankind, even from Mosaic Religion to Jewish Religion, to Western Religion to African Traditional Religion, even to the seeds of Hagar. But what defines Christianity and distinguishes it from these and every other religion is our living the Life of God on earth. That's what God intended in Eden! He created a man who would be like Him, think like Him, and talk with Him; but man lost out. And from that time till Jesus came, the Lord had been searching for a way to relate with man... And Christianity is "God living in man, through the Son(the Word of God), by His Spirit (the Holy Spirit), thereby making that man different from the men on earth."
And as God is Love, so is Christianity. The rule, law, ordinance and constitution which governs both the Church here below and in Heaven above is Love. It is the Governor of the Kingdom of God and Christianity. When you remove Love from Christianity in a setting, it only becomes an entertainment center; and when you remove this Love(talking about AGAPE, and not lust or Eros) from the Church (or Christianity), it only become social amusement gathering, as we see nowadays. In these times, people now gather themselves together in their numbers in places where comedians and entertainers, and jesters meet to make jokes with or without the Name of Jesus just to entertain them... This is not Christianity. And when you remove this same Love from your life, 'What are you?'
The Church's pillar was on Love; God coming to redeem mankind was inspired by Love; and all which Christ did on the Cross of Calvary where demonstrations of Love. And where Love is, sin will not be there, unrighteousness will not be there, canality, sexual or wicked abominations will not be there. Why? Love does not hurt, but it builds and edifies. So when we talk about Practical Christianity, we are talking about, "...putting God first for the world to see." In Antioch, it wasn't their fish caps, nor spiritual names (such as Mama, Papa, or prophet) nor outward attire which earned them the name, 'Christian.' No! The people only saw 'God in them called Love', they saw Christ in them (called Love) and then testified, saying, 'These people are like Christ.' Even if you bind yourself to a particular denomination and whatever it is that inspires you, if this Love is not there, you have wasted time and energy; you have missed it.
Love is the Law, Love is the Prophet, Love is the Command, and they are all comprehended in one word- 'Loving God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might, and with all your mind.' That is, with your Totality! You can't love God with your heart, when your mouth still drinks and your body fornicates. You don't love God with your money, tithes and offering and on Tuesday Bible Study and Thursday Prayer Meeting, you aren't in Church, but in shop. How do you say you love God? Love is not a slogan, its not a creed, and not a by-pass Word; neither is it that which is used to entertain men in the secular world. Love is a Person; and He manifested Himself in His Throne and gave His Son to die, just to demonstrate this Love; He exchanged His life for our life, our judgement, our pain, our sin and even went to hell for our sake, that we should not go there. So; Love is PRACTICAL, Christianity is PRACTICAL. Its not a theory, neither is it a profession meant for professing Christians. Rather, you must be a practical Christian, in order to make Heaven.
Hence, Brotherly Love, as recommended by Hebrews, MUST CONTINUE. That is, after you have received Christ into your heart, after you have been transformed and changed into the new nature of Christ and after you have been cleansed by the Lord, let it not stop there... Let brotherly love continue. Looking down memory lane, to paths such as is in the Old Testament, you will see that there are some people who practicalised this brotherly love... They entertained strangers; unknown to them that those strangers were angels, thereby attracting favor to their lives. Abraham entertained strangers, and from that act got the message of Isaac's birth. Lot also entertained strangers (angels) who announced the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and saved Lot, his wife and two daughters; and many more people such as these two have entertained strangers, thinking they only were humans, unaware they had been visited by God. Many of you don't know that all the messages I give here are coming from Jesus; you think I'm the one giving you the message? No. I'm just a messenger. The message I have from Him, I give to you, and the Lord records them all. So you must strive to escape hell, for if you refuse, on that day, the Lord will show you that He was the One speaking to you, persuading you. The Love of Jesus is beyond our sin, to the extent that even while sinners, He died for us. So, no matter the state you are in now, no matter your spiritual condition, no matter where you are coming from, no matter those who offended you, know that Jesus truly Loves you. And if you recognize the Love of Jesus (practical Christianity), you will behave like Joseph, who not only loved his brethren who sold him, but also nourished them.
What are we saying? In every tribe and religion, there is always original and inferior. In our Christian journey, there is also original and inferior; and while many are after God because of His miracles and blessings, I am after God so that I may know Him personally, pursuing Him till I see Him face-to-face. No amount of success in ministry, nor in life can make me deter from my desire till I see Him. But sadly, many of us are after God that they may get children, spouse, money, property and so on. And when they get these things, their pursuit of Him ends. I am seeking that I may know Him; What about you? Will you get discouraged by the things on the way?
This is a call to Old-Time Teaching; a call to the Early Apostolic Christianity; a call to the Bible-Christianity and Ministry. And it was the activities of the early apostles that were referred to as 'the Acts of the Apostles'- their activities, their lives and their destinies. We see these men scattered throughout the pages of that Book of the Bible, their works, their decisions and ways they upheld and defended the Gospel. It was their heart, how they acted, how they lived their lives, how they served the Lord PRACTICALLY and upheld the Gospel above human norms and traditions- even the traditions of the Jews! I don't know what you are searching for in every Church... Many are here in search of ways to appease 'self' and not for Jesus- they are the vain and fake Christians. The True Christianity is LOVE (of God, the Son); and when He dwells in you, He makes you a new person. Because we were made in the flesh, God came in the flesh, and dwelt amongst us and we beheld His glory as of that of the Only Begotten Son, full of Grace and Truth. And He lived for 33 years and half, went through various trials, and was tempted and tried as we are, yet in all, He lived holy, faithful and obedient to the Father. When He finished His ministry, He ascended to show Himself to the Father and promised to send us the Comforter, and He did on the Day of Pentecost. The Church was born in Jerusalem, not in Rome, nor Saudi Arabia, nor in Greece, nor in any other part of the world; and from that Day, the Church came alive and the Christ-like life took over men who believed in Him and more were consistently added to the Church. This is the Power of Christianity, the Power of True Love, True Christianity, Purity, Holiness, Righteousness, Faith and Charity... Every-moment- Christianity, which is the culture, nature, and Tradition of Heaven and of God Himself. It was seen in their practical lives!
"Let Brotherly Love Continue..." was the Great Command; and this kind of Love is called Agape - Love in action, Practical Christianity, the Sacrificial Love. It is the Jesus- kind of Love- John 15:13- which says, "Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends." This isn't the kind of Love between a man and his wife, for no husband, wife, boyfriend or any other person is ready to follow his partner to the grave, neither are they able to take away their problems. But this Love of God, demonstrated by Jesus was shown through His exchange of His life for ours! He gave us His own life; a new life , despite all else which would be and were associated with Him on the Cross- the agony, the sorrow, the anguish, the excruciating pain and all else which He suffered. He who knew no sin, became sin; a Man in whom was no guile, now carried our iniquities upon Himself. Why? It was because of Love. It wasn't impossible for God to wipe away any nation found in sin, as He had done to the world of Noah. There even was a time He suggested to Moses that He wipe away the entire children of Israel (due to their sin) and decided to raise another nation out of Moses. Couldn't He have just done that instead of dying? But instead, He demonstrated His Love and went to the Cross inspite of the shame, weeping, anguish; letting His blood flow down for our redemption. Oh!, who could love me like Jesus? Oh!, who could die for me like Jesus? Who could suffer for me like Jesus? Who can give me life everlasting like Jesus?
None else can give everlasting life like Jesus! Some religions claim to prepare to enter paradise through good works; But can good works save a man? No! Isaiah tells us that our good works and self-righteousness are as filthy rags before God. There is no righteous person outside of Christ; no not one until the Saviour, the Lamb of God which was crucified for our redemption makes us righteous, by positioning us in God's grace which brings salvation. This is True Love; giving oneself to God first and then to humanity, by submitting to the will of the Father and giving His life for humanity. God demonstrated it in John 3:16 which says, "For God so loved the world, that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And if you love God, you will give your life to Him; if you love your family, you lay down your life; if you love the Church, you will give your all! Love constraints, Love inspires, Love dictates, Love directs, Love rules! But for the man who still dwells in immorality, infatuation, romance and Eros, which he calls love, in that Day which our Lord will come, He will discover that his flesh will fail him, and everything he once held on to will be dissolved by fervent heat- 2 Peter 3:10-12. All will be dissolved!
In 1 John 3:1, John exclaims saying, "Behold, what manner (kind, type)of love the Father hath lavished, bestowed and poured upon us that we should be called the sons of God...!" Abraham was not called a son of God, neither was Enoch called so... We only were told that he walked with God for 365 years. These men weren't called sons, rather they were called Servants of God! But God, in the Person of Jesus came down and through the Power of the Spirit has begotten us; and by the new and regenerated life, we are born of Heaven, making us thus, to become Sons. This was the controversy between the Jews and Jesus. They thought it blasphemy, when He called Himself the Son of God, because they knew that any who truly is the Son of God is also equally God Himself. And they knew Him as the son of Joseph the Carpenter and Mary whom they knew. But this is Truth, Jesus came into the world and died for us, that we might be redeemed from sin and made into His Kingdom People, a Nation of God, a People from Heaven, no longer of the earth. And that's why in the Philosophy of John Divine, in his bewilderment, he said, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: of whom the sinful, immoral and perishing world knoweth not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him..." 1John 3:1-2. Oh brother, who would you like to be as? Is it angel Michael or the Papa or Mama in your denomination? Who would you like to be like? For me, I would like to be like Jesus. Would you also? Then allow the Holy Spirit into your heart, give Him a chance inside... He is the best Helper and is with us in the world to perfect what God has started in us, to perfect what Jesus has started on the Cross, and to bring us to perfection. This is why John said, "...we shall be like Him, for we shall SEE HIM AS HE IS." There will be no need to imagine anymore. "And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself he makes his life, business, dressing, marriage, conversation, heart, thought, evangelism, and message pure - even as He that called us is pure - 1 John 3:3. And having this seal, the Lord knows those that are His. So, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity -2 Timothy 2:19.
Practical Christianity The early apostles were the ones who first practised this kind of Christianity about 120 of them- and this led to the conversions of others, whose characteristics we see in Acts 2:41-47. From this Scripture, we are told that, as many as received the Word (Jesus) were baptized and the same day added to the Church. This was were the Church was born. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' creed; no longer did they follow Moses' doctrines nor the doctrines of Abraham and Elijah, but that of Christ. "... continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking of bread...with gladness and singleness of heart..." This shows that there was unity, there was Love... This is Practical Christianity. It all began with the Word of God which grew and prevailed. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the Church of God is built. And 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "... upon this rock (Word) I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." This was the reason why the first thing the yet-to-be-saved men received was the Word, before baptism. They that gladly received the Word were converted, saved and then baptized: afterwards fellowship started, the Church started. How do you start a fellowship? We saw purity, oneness, Love, care, charity and how the problem of the entire Church were met by one's help towards the other, and none lacked. That was Practical Christianity. But today, 'you do for me and then I'll do for you' is the new order. This is not Practical Christianity.
The Church must be united. Love is practical, care is practical, unity also is practical, and not theory! Not theory! Many are poor, destitute, hungry, weak and in want while others in the Church eat and even have enough to throw away, make purchases and build and build as though when the Trumpet sounds, both they and their houses will fly away. No! See Acts 4:32-37. "...them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common...and great grace was upon them all." Yes! Love is the highest virtue and gift of the Church; and where it is, Grace will be found also.
When this practical Christianity (True Love) was practised, the Church began to experience bumper harvest, and growth, and much more persons were daily converted. But there was a couple who upon seeing the acts done by others, decided also to give so as to probably be praised and thanked. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira sold a certain land and brought a portion of it and conceived to lay it at the apostles' feet, thinking they could deceive the Church. When Ananias did this, Peter spoke saying, "Why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" The thing is, the land belonged to Ananias, and so it wasn't a problem if he brought only a part of it. It became a problem when he brought that part as though it was the whole money! He could have simply told the truth, that this was only a part, but instead he allowed Satan fill his heart to lie to the Holy Ghost! This deed wasn't done to the Church, it was to God. This is also what many practise today- Christianity done with common sense, tithe paying with common sense, giving offering with common sense, evangelism done with common sense...everything they do in the Church is done with common sense! Upon hearing the Holy Spirit's words through Peter, Ananias died on the spot. The Owner of the Church killed him, not Peter, nor the Church. And after the space of three hours, Sapphira came to Church. My question is, 'What was she doing at home?' Many women don't come to Church because they are taken away by earthly things- making of hair, washing of clothes and much more trivial things which can be moved to a later date. When Sapphira arrived, Peter asked, "Is this how much you sold the land, as your husband said?" And her reply was, "Yes, for so much." And Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of God? Behold the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Immediately, she too fell and gave up the ghost. Who killed her? The Owner of the Church. You may be such who commits abortion and covers it, or such who though doesn't sleep around yet looks and lusts after women, yet claiming to be pure. If you fail to repent, your sin will find you out.
Time will fail me to talk about this Practical Christianity. The Bible calls it Practical Christianity because there are 'fakes'- vain religion as according to James 1:26-27. From verse 26, we see that if a man seems to be righteous, yet with an unbridled tongue, then his religion is vain. And there are several Holiness Organizations as this, wherein is manufactured lies, gossip, tale bearing and hatred. In fact, if you claim to practise the Practical Christianity, having denied yourself everything in the world, but you are unable to control your tongue, James says your religion is vain. And in verse 27, it says that, "Pure Christianity, practical Christianity, and undefiled (that is holy) before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Therefore, with whatever spiritual work, charity and sacrifice you make, make equally sure that your spiritual garment, your holy relationship with God is still maintained. For if while helping people you spot yourself with sin, then it is called 'vain and counterfeit Christianity' because Its no longer Practical and original. Your sacrifice and visitations become vain. And Jesus warned about this in Matthew 15:7-9, how that many draw near to Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. In other words, their Christianity, prayer, tithes, evangelism, soul-winning, teaching, pastoring and everything they labour for are in vain. "...in vain do they worship me..." And even their teachings and doctrines are the commandments of men. May the Lord help us in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Again, Abraham was one of those persons who demonstrated this Practical Christianity. See Genesis 14:11-16. Prior to this, when Abraham's men and those of Lot began to have issues, in other to promote peace, Abraham presented the two sides and lands before them and asked lot, his nephew, to pick whichever side he wanted to go, and himself would go the other way. And Lot in covetousness chose the land with greener pastures, Sodom and Gomorrah. And Abraham went the other way- Genesis 13:6-11. But later on, when Sodom was invaded and its inhabitants captured (even Lot) by the enemies and Abraham was told, he took his men and went after the enemy for Lot's sake, rescued him and restored all. There was no revenge or malice on the side of Abraham to show that he wanted to be 'even' or 'to teach Lot a lesson.' No! Nothing like that; just Love. Again, when God commanded of Abraham his only son, Isaac as a sacrifice, without hesitation, Abraham took him on the journey to the mountain, and halfway there, he let go of his servants, that both he and his son may continue alone. It even came to a point wherein Isaac had to ask, "Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" And Abraham replied, "The Lord will provide." And when the time came, he made the altar, carried Isaac abode it and tied his feet and hands. Yet God waited to see if truly Abraham would obey. And when he raised his knife to strike, then came the voice from Heaven, " Abraham, do not harm the child: for it is now I know that you love Me, more than your son..."(paraphrased)- Genesis 22:1-17. This is Practical Christianity, Practical Love. Many persons have theorized Christianity, so much that when it comes to practise, they deny Him. When it comes to Power to possess the Kingdom Life, they deny Christ; and with little backsliding and little compromise, we see them singing the Lord's song in a strange land. Men like Abraham are men the Lord needs; He justified him by faith, which was imputed to him for righteousness and God called him, His friend.
Another person with the Abraham-like kind of heart is Joseph- Genesis 45:1-7. This eleventh son had ten elder brothers who hated, maltreated and sold him into slavery. At first, he was thrown into a pit, later drawn out and sold into slavery, from slavery to being a 'houseboy', from a 'houseboy' to prison and eventually after 13years, he was made the second-in-command due to God's favor. And when his brothers came to buy food, he recognised them and remembered all they did. He remembered how that they had stripped him off his coat of many colors, thrown him into a pit, closed their ears to his cries and pleas and then sold him away to strangers... And though he knew them, he decided to check if they had repented of their actions by demanding several information and actions from them such as the state of their family, whose they were, their youngest sibling and much more. But these men never knew that this was their brother whom they thought was actually dead. When Joseph could no longer bear disguising himself, seeing that his brothers had truly changed, he sent his servants away, and we saw him in tears... He cried, wept and then began to call his brothers by name to their surprise... And he revealed himself to them saying, "I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves,that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." Though they punished him, yet he was ready to nourish them... Are you ready to nourish those who punished you? Is it easy, to nourish those who made you suffer?...to nourish those who gave you poison?...to nourish those who called you all sorts of bad names?...to nourish those who defiled you? Even when their father died, in fear they began again to plead with him that he would forgive them; and again he wept. And he replied them saying, "...ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive...fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones." Genesis 50:15-21.
Conclusively;
Your perfection will be counted and judged by your ability to forgive those who have offended you. Moses' law says, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But Jesus' law says, "They that have offended you, love them. If they are hungry, give them food and if they are thirsty, give them water." Do you now see that Practical Christianity, is God's kind of Christianity? For He has shown us an example, in that "...He maketh His sun to rise both on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." He even gives crops and every other thing to both sides. This is to say, ' When you Love as I Love, Practise as I Practise, you then become a child of your Father which is in Heaven. For this is your Father's will, that ye be PERFECT even as He is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48.
This is PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY!!!
REMAIN BLESSED!
Pst Ig Nwabuo True definition of love