The hour has come for true worshippers – Part 5

2Cor. 6:14-18, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

The Scripture by the above context admonishes the true worshippers of God on the need to steer clear of unbelievers, and never to have any association with them. This is because God regards them as people that provide abode for Satan (belial) and allow him to control their actions, motives, thoughts and decisions. Miffed by their audacity, Apostle Paul asked, ‘how could a believer in Christ, one who is a true worshipper of God have a close intimacy with one who is still under the dominion of Satan?’ He warned that, if you as a Christian continue to mingle with unbelievers, who are the temple of the devil, you must rest assured he will take you away from Christ/God. But if you keep away from him, God assured He would receive you as His son/daughter. So, God is demanding that you should totally separate from them, because their influence could negatively impact on your life.

We all know that unbelievers are enemies of Christ, Cross and anything about God. Once they get close to you, in no time, they will corrupt your good manner, make you not to be prayerful, read the Bible or be committed to the work of God. We must, therefore, mark and avoid them, so that when we pray, God Almighty will hear and answer our prayers, for He seeks such to worship Him. But if you ignore this warning, then you will be a partaker of the wrath that will befall them.

2Tim 2:19-20 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”

Christendom is a great house. And as a result, backslider and compromise are expected to be seen there, but that will not be an excuse to mingle with them, or borrow their lifestyle. You must ensure that no sin is recorded in your name; otherwise it will be very difficult to have God’s presence. That’s why the Bible says, ‘let he that mentions the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ So, as you keep the instruction, I am assuring you the presence of God. So, make up your mind that henceforth, you will live the rest of your life in holiness and righteousness without compromise.

1Thes. 5: 22-23, “Abstain from all appearance of evil 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As we go on to keep ourselves from evil, the Lord will purify, keep us by His power, make whole our spirit, soul and body. So, let’s ensure we obey Him and do His will in Jesus name. God is still looking for those who will worship Him in purity and devoid of covetousness, love of money and world. They are such people whose hearts are pure, free from idol worship and things of this world. 

Matt 5: 48 says “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” Matt 5: 8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
If you maintain purity while praying, God will be delighted to work with you, answer and speak to you in private. And when the trumpet sounds, He will receive you in glory. 

Lev. 11: 44-45 states, “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

At any given time, God wants His people to be holy, as He is holy. The things of this world bring defilement. Thus, God tells us to be free from the life that is entangled with this world and ensure holiness inside and outside. And if you will obey, our Father in heaven, Who is seeking such worshippers will be with you and bless you in Jesus name. He will accept your worship and praises because He is looking for such people to worship Him. There are many churches in the world, but only few are meeting God’s demand, when it comes to worship. So, as many as decided to meet this demand and worship Him in truth and Spirit shall have His presence and blessings, and at the end of this life, will be received in glory and all their tears and sorrow shall be wiped away. 

Rev. 21:3-7, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Beloved, let’s endeavour to ensure that we maintain purity and righteousness, so that we can benefit many things from the Lord, such as answers to prayers, His presence and blessings and in the world to come eternal life, where there will be no more sorrow, tears, and cries. We should know that our Lord Jesus Christ is coming for the true worshippers. So, everybody must press towards that to ensure that he/she is a true worshipper of God, devoid of any iota of sin.

Ephesians 5: 27 says, “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

A heavenly model church by God’s standard is one full of honour, splendour and beauty, not having any form of transgression and if we are Chosen, we must ensure we conform to the standard expected of us.

1Pet. 2:9 says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

The Chosen saints should see the above declaration as a special privilege and understand that we are special people and must thus not defile our garments, but must endeavour to be what God has said we should be. Our goal should be to ensure we are among those who God said they are holy Nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood and a chosen generation. We must endeavour to live such life, so that God can confide in us, use us to convert others and at the end, receive us in glory. So, let us endeavour to live up to expectations by being watchful and making sure our garments are not defiled.

Matt 24: 43, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

Since we don’t know when the Lord will come, we must, therefore, watch and don’t be careless, because He can even come as we are reading this message. So, it is imperative we avoid being taken unawares, by guiding against unrighteousness in season and out of season and above all, ensuring that nothing is standing between us and God.

Matt 25: 34, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” 
My desire and prayer is that we are going to hear the above verse at the end of this world. And whenever we hear it, we shall rejoice because we have fulfilled all righteousness and shall make it in Jesus name. So, let’s make sure we present ourselves as an instrument of honour and worship Him in truth and Spirit, so that we shall not be found wanting in Jesus name.