JUBILATE - NEW LIFE IN CHRIST: FEAR OF GOD
2Corithians 12:19-21
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
Apostle Paul is writing his second epistle to the Church of God which is at Corinth, a congregation of born again Corinthians who were borne out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he preached. He is addressing these words to whom he classifies as " those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints....who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord..."
Such people are not unique to Corinth only, the are also amongst us. People who are born again in Christ Jesus, people who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
But same as What Paul is fearing, the same is happening amongst us! And this is what is very puzzling!
One would ask, why is it with such pious people, where you would expect to find righteousness, you find it is the same people full of contentions, jealousies,outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions backbitings,whisperings, conceits and tumults. People who still clinging to, and going through motions of piety, but have not repented of the uncleanliness, fornication, and licentiousness. Paul is mourning for such.
It is true that they confessed their faith to Jesus Christ, and seriously so, but where the inner man ( the one that confessed the faith) is still clinging to righteousness, the soul is still caught up in the web of sin.
The Bible tells us that "man" is in fact spirit! He has a soul, and lives in the body, the flesh. At 1 Thessalonians 5:23 the Word says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Indeed, the new life in Christ that we desire cannot be completely so until our spirit (the inner man), our soul, and our body have all been sanctified in Christ Jesus. Of the three, the most stubborn is the soul. But because the soul belongs to the inner man (the spirit), it is possible for the man ( the spirit) to speak to the soul into submission. At Psalms 103:1-5, King David is giving us that example of speaking to his soul! But if you will note, he is speaking the Word of God to his soul. So if we want to save our souls, we need to be filled with the Word of God so that we can fill the mind (Philippians 2:5) with the presence of Christ so that the soul is obedient to God to birth. Amen
MSHANGILIE BWANA - MAISHA MAPYA NDANI YA KRISTO: KUMCHA MUNGU
2Korintho 12:19-21
19 Mwadhani hata sasa ya kuwa najidhuru kwenu! Mbele za Mungu twanena katika Kristo. Na hayo yote, wapenzi, ni kwa ajili ya kuwajenga ninyi.
20 Maana nachelea, nisije nikawakuta si kama vile nitakavyo kuwakuta, nikaonekana kwenu si kama vile mtakavyo; nisije nikakuta labda fitina na wivu, na ghadhabu, na ugomvi, na masingizio, na manong'onezo, na majivuno, na ghasia;
21 nami nitakapokuja tena, Mungu wangu asije akanidhili kwenu, nami nikawasikitikia wengi waliokosa tangu hapo, wasiutubie uchafu, na uasherati, na ufisadi walioufanya.
Mtume Paulo anaandika waraka wake huu wa pili kwa Kanisa lililoko Korintho! kusanyiko la watu waliookoka, waliookolewa kwa injili ya Kristo aliyowahubiria yeye. Anawaandikia wale anaowapa ngazi ya kuitwa ," wale walioitwa wawe watakatifu.....wanaoliitia Jina la Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo "
Watu wa ngazi hii si kwamba walikuwa zamani za Wakorintho tu, bali wapo hata katika Kanisa la sasa, watu wasioenenda kwa kufuata mambo ya mwili, bali ya roho!
Lakini kama vile anavyochelea Paulo juu yao, ndivyo ilivyo sasa katika Kanisa. Na kila leo inashangaza kwa nini?
Kwa nini miongoni mwa wapendwa ambako ungetarajia kukutana na upendo, lakini unakutana na wivu, na ghadhabu, na ugomvi, na masingizio, na manon'gonezo, na majivuno, na ghasia! Aisha kuna wale ambao huenda kwa kunyenyekea lakini kumbe ndani wamebeba mambo ya uchafu, uasherati na ufisadi walioufanya, lakini hawataki kuutubu, kwa kuwa heshima itapungua mbele za watu. Hata Paulo huwalilia hawa!
Ni kweli kabisa kuwa waliokoka, na kujazwa na Roho, na huyu aliyeokoka ni yule mtu wa ndani naye atakuwa salama, isipokuwa kwa huyu nafsi ambaye amebanwa ulimwenguni !
Biblia inatuambia kuwa mtu ni roho, ina nafsi, na anakaa katika mwili, yaani nyama! Katika 1 Wathesalonike 5:23, Neno linatuambia kuwa ili tuwe kamili, " Mungu wa amani mwenyewe awatakase kabisa; nanyi nafsi zenu, na roho zenu na miili yenu mhifadhiwe Mume kamili, bila lawama, wakati wa kuwa kwake Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo". Hakika maisha mapya ndani ya Kristo tunayoyahitaji, hayawezekani bila roho (mtu wa ndani), nafsi na mwili, vitakaswe katika Kristo Yesu!
Na katika hivi vitatu, kilicho kibishi zaidi ni nafsi! Lakini kwa kuwa nafsi ni ya mtu wa ndani (roho), Roho ina nafasi ya kuisemesha nafsi ikatii.
Katika Zab 103:1-5, Neno linatuambia kuwa mfalme Daudi aliisemesha nafsi yake nayo ikaacha kuogopa na kujenga ujasiri wa kupambana! Ila ukisoma unaona kuwa alikuwa akiisemesha nafsi yake Neno la Mungu, sio michapo! Kwa hivyo kama tunataka kuziokoa nafsi zetu, tusijijengee haki, bali tuijaze nafsi nia ilivyokuwa ndani ya Kristo (Wafilipi 2:5) ili nafsi tuwe Na utii hata kufa. Amen
