Man is meant to live according to the will of God. He is created to serve and to give God, his creator, pleasure. Man has the nature of God because he has God’s consciousness. This makes him distinct from all other beings God has created. God spent quality time to create man; so, he is not like other creatures or things God commanded to come into existence.

After calling all other creatures into existence, God made a declaration in Genesis 1:26-28, saying: “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27: So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. 28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’”

Using the plural of personal pronoun ‘us’ God implies that the Trinity — God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost — were involved in the moulding of man. God, the Father, breathed life into the moulded sand and he became a living being. That breath of God is called the soul. It is the soul that gave the moulded sand life and this soul belongs to God. Man, therefore, is a creation of God and his soul belongs to God. The unbridgeable difference between man and the beast further confirms this. Man has God’s consciousness, while the highest beast does not. God also empowered man by giving him dominion over all other creatures. God placed man as a sovereign over the earth; He crowned him with glory and honour, irrespective of the fact that he remains His subject.

The divine intention is for man to have a continual fellowship with God in obedience. God also blessed man to be fruitful and replenish the earth. He is to subdue and manage the resources of the earth.

Man was living happily according to the will of God until Satan, the Devil, deceived him to sin. Sin is defined as:
• A transgression, an overstepping of the law, and the divine boundary between good and evil (Ps 51:1).
• Iniquity, an act inherently wrong whether expressly forbidden or not (Rom. 1:21-23).
• Error, a departure from right (Rom.1:18; 1John 3:4).
• Missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard (Rom.3:23).
• Trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority (Eph.2:1).
• Lawlessness or spiritual anarchy (1Tim.1:9) and;
• Unbelief or an insult to the divine veracity (John16:9).

Sin originated from Satan, but unfortunately it entered the world through Adam and Eve, our first parents. Although the source of entry makes sin universal, Christ Jesus was exempted from it.

Sin has the consequences of killing one physically and spiritually and has no remedy. However, through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ one can free himself from the punishment sin brings. Sin can be summarised in the following ways: as an act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God. It can further be said to be a state that is devoid of righteousness. Although all souls came from God, the soul that commits sin must bear the consequences of both physical and spiritual death. Ezekiel 18:4 says: “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

Death is the punishment for sin. This made Adam and Eve to fall from God’s glory and also suffer spiritual death that led to their ejection from the Garden of Eden. With the entrance of sin through Adam and Eve, every human being on earth was then born into sin and condemned to death. Romans 3:23-24 says: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. 24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” By the divine standard, every human being on earth has committed sin and deserved to die because we all have fallen from the grace of God. However, through the intervention of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life on the Cross of Calvary, we have been redeemed from the supposed suffering for our sins.

Redemption, derived from Greek word Exagorazo, means to deliver by paying a price or buying in the market. Man is viewed as a slave sold under sin (Rom.7:14) and under sentence of death (Ezekiel 18:4; Jn.3:18-19; Rom.6:23) but subject to redemption by the purchased price of the blood of the Redeemer. Jesus Christ by His death on the Cross of Calvary has purchased all souls and set them free from further sale. He has paid the price with His blood hence all souls belong to Him. He came that we might be saved for everlasting condemnation. He set up a preaching ministry and directed that we should preach the gospel to ensure the salvation of all souls. The command is captured in Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them; go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16: He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

It is not the will of God that any man should die in sin and go to hell fire after our Lord Jesus Christ has died for the sins of all. It is, therefore, the duty of every disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ to go out to preach the gospel. Christ is coming again to rapture the saints. It is only the converted souls who will be in Christ at the time of His return that will be raptured. There is no way a sinner will understand the consequences of his actions without someone telling him with a discernable bias towards the Bible the will of God for him or her. It is rather unfortunate that many fornicators, adulterers and idolaters do not know they are going against the will of God.

Some years back, some prostitutes who came to our service confessed after hearing the message of salvation that they did not know that prostitution is sinful. They see it as using what they have to get what they need. They repented after hearing the message. We need to go out to win the perishing souls for Christ.

The whole duty of man is to serve God, and evangelism for soul winning is the heartbeat of God. It is for soul winning and recovery of the lost souls that our Lord Jesus Christ came to the world to die for our sins.

Now, He has gone back to heaven to prepare a place for us; we are to work to win souls that will occupy the prepared mansions. Christ is coming again to take the saints. There is no time to waste. God is interested in evangelism and as you do it faithfully He will bless you here on earth and give you a befitting mansion in heaven at the end of this life. Amen!

Testimony Of The Lord’s Doing
The Only Good God
Romans 2v4b Says, “… The goodness of the Lord leads to repentance.”

Every word of God is true. God really showed me his goodness, even when l did not know it. This was as a result of what God did for me that brought me to The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries. My name is Brother Ikechukwu Onuoha, a commercial bus driver.

I have been hearing about Chosen and what God is doing in the church, but I never believed it, just like the doubting Thomas in the Bible. However, on one fateful day in 2020, l loaded my bus and was heading to Lagos Island. Along the way, there was traffic jam and I saw members of Chosen evangelising. One of the sisters crossed to my side and threw handbills into my bus. I collected one of the handbills and placed it on my dashboard and continued my work for the day. Towards evening, as I was returning from Lagos Island, my bus was empty and suddenly it caught fire. Due to anxiety, I lost control of the vehicle and hit the pavement and the vehicle began to tumble. It tumbled to the extent that the four tyres were facing upwards. God helped me to come out unhurt. After the incidence, one man asked me the church I attend. Truly, I was not attending any church as at then, but when l looked inside my vehicle and saw that handbill that was given to me I quickly shouted, “I am a Chosen.” He then said I should thank my God because He is alive. That was how I started attending The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries and by the grace of God I am fully integrated into the church. Praise the Lord!

Moreover, my daughter of about four years old was playing with her elder brother, who is six years old. I didn’t know how her elder brother pushed a broken button into her ear. As little as she was, she tried to remove the button with a broomstick. But as she tried, the button moved inner the more and shoved into her brain. The only option available, according to the medical doctors, was to carry out an operation on her to remove the button. But there was no money! For about three weeks, my daughter could neither eat nor sleep. I became restless too! Then one fateful Thursday, I was at home and the Spirit of God said: “Instead of staying at home, why not go to Thursday counselling and deliverance service.” I obeyed and went for that service and as the General Overseer was praying, he mentioned my case exactly as it happened and said the person concerned should raise his hand. I raised my hand and he said when I get home, I should place my hand on my daughter’s ear and call God of Chosen three times.

Brethren, immediately, I got home I carried my daughter on my laps and did exactly as the General Overseer had directed and immediately, the button came out. Praaaisee the Loooord! God of Chosen is so great, may His name be glorified in Jesus’ name.

Immediately, that object came out, my daughter that had not slept for three weeks fell asleep from that evening till the next morning. That was how the operation was cancelled and her wellness restored. Praise the Lord!

• To Be Continued Next Week

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