Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
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right in. Colossians chapter 2 I'm trusting God
we're supposed to finish off the last part for
this today. Amen. I guess is it 29 today? Hallelujah.
Colossians chapter 2 verse 15. Having disarmed
principalities, and powers. He made a public
spectacle of them triumphing over them in it.
So let no one judge you in food or in drink,
or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath,
which are a shadow of the things to come, where
the substance Let no one cheat you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship
of angels, intruding into those things which
he has not seen. from whom all the body nourished
and knit together by joints and ligaments, grow
with the increase that is from God. Therefore,
if you died with Christ from the basic principles
of the world, why, as though living in the world,
do you subject yourself to regulations, do not
touch? do not test, do not handle, which all
concerning this, which concerning things which
perish with the using, according to the commandment
and doctrine of men. These things indeed have
an appearance of wisdom in self -imposed religion.
false humility and neglect of the body, but are
of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Chapter 3 verse 1. If then you were raised with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ is sitting, at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on the things
on the earth for you will die and your life is
hidden with christ in god hallelujah so what
i will just do today is just to look at the implications
for getting involved in the worship of angels
the implications of getting involved in the worship
of angels. In other words, what is the implication
of practicing the law? Even while you are saved,
even while you have been purchased, you have
been redeemed by the blood, what is the implication
of practicing the law? Look at verse 17. after
the two of collusions. He said, which are a shadow
of the things to come, but the substance is of
Christ. Verse 16, so let no one judge you in
food or in drink, or regarding a festival, or
a new moon, or sabbaths. He was just describing
the law, and which we said, That actually involved
in the law means involved in the religion of
angels or in the worship of angels And then he
said the law verse 17 is a which are a shadow
of the things to come but the substance Is of
Christ Another word the shadow of the things
to come. What is shadow? I mean, for a long time
I've read shadow, you understand, as something
actually like symbol or directing you to Christ,
like a signboard, you know something? Like when
you stand like this, you see, you point to this
place, this is the place, understand. What is
shadow? Of course, here is talking about the
law, that the law is a shadow. are we together
and if we read in order of i think we i made
mention of that hubris chapter 10 well let me
read eight first hubris chapter eight look at
verse four Well, let me read from verse one so
that we understand. Now this is the main point
of the things we are saying. We have such a high
priest who is seated at the right hand of the
throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister
of sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which
the Lord erected, not man. Verse 3, for every
high priest is appointed to offer both gifts
and sacrifice. Therefore it is necessary that
this one also have something to offer. For if
he were on earth, talking about Christ who is
a high priest, he said he will not be a priest
since there were priests who offered gifts according
to what? according to the law. So you say they
were a priest. If you had been on earth, because
the tabernacle of the high priest with her is
not made with hands. You say, if you were on
earth, you would not be a priest. Because there
were already people occupying that place. Are
we together? They did so, offer sacrifices, according
to what? According to the law. You say, who served?
That is what they did. The system. self as what?
As a copy and as a shadow of the things to come.
That's what the point I'm trying to make. So
there's a system of the law that's a shadow of
the things to come. Chapter 10 verse 1. For the
law, having a shadow of the good things to come
and not look at the what? And what? not the very
image of the things can never with these sacrifices
which they offer continually year by year make
those who approach perfect. Now it's already,
this place is trying to give us already what
shadow means. But when you look at the word shadow
in Greek is the word scare that is S. T -I -A
S -K -I -A In Greek it means darkness of error
darkness of error or adumbration or adumbration
talking about something that's faintly represents
or cast a shadow. What we're trying to say is
that if I stand here, this light is showing my
shadow. That means I am the real. Are we together?
This one is what? Is the unreal. Are we together?
So if you want to shake hands with me, will you
shake hands with the real or with the unreal?
Are we together? When the scripture talks about
shadow, it talks about something that is faintly
represented in the sun. Amen. So, there are many
features of Victor you can never see from the
shadow of Victor. Are we together? If you say
you want to study me, like Pastor Cosimo, Dadu,
Anatomy, Nitia Kadava, they sleep with cadaver
they eat with cadaver hallelujah they are not
they didn't study shadow did you understand trying
to say amen they did not study shadow they brought
the cadaver they were seeing it they were walking
on the cadaver are we together amen if you have
a doctor that walk on the shadow don't go to
that doctor are we together amen so What the
Bible is trying to say is that you can never
study the real from the shadow Did you get what
I'm trying to say? So the Bible says not a war
tax the law is not the reality Are we together
that it is not the real thing Now read that verse
17 go back to that Colossians Let's read that
verse 17. He said which are a shadow of the things
to come You see that? He said but the substance
is Christ that was substance in Greek is Soma
S -O -M -A It it means literally body You did
get all the point so you can say The body, just
like I give an example, my body, me, me, me,
that is Soma. The shadow is not the real Victor.
Me, my body, you can see me, you can touch me
in the sun, is the substance, that's the reality.
So the reality is Christ, not the shadow. So
what are we trying to say? We're trying to say
that the reality and the shadow are two different
systems. That is, what the reality will give
you, the shadow cannot give you. The revelation
in the reality, you can't see it in the shadow.
The shadow brings death, the reality brings life.
The shadow is darkness, but the reality is light.
You want life is in the real, not in the shadow.
Therefore, you cannot expect the shadow. What
again? Death, because there is death in shadow.
Eh? Darkness. Eh? to teach you about light and
life. Are we together? We said the real or the
reality, which is Christ, is different from the
shadow. The shadow brings darkness. The shadow,
so you cannot study the shadow, which is darkness
to see light. Which means you cannot study the
shadow. Which brings death to receive life. Did
you get what I'm trying to say? Now look at what
Paul outlined more. When he did a very intelligent
thing here. He described the first thing by 16.
He said, food and drink. What Paul grouped it
is that that's dietary regulations. Did you get
what I'm trying to say? Dietary what? Regulation.
You know, there are some people who believe to
please God, you can eat certain things. Did you
get what I'm trying to say? That's why he said
you cannot, you see. you cannot have life or
you cannot get God's acceptance from following
the shadow because in the shadow there is no
you can't have acceptance of God so Paul is saying
don't allow anyone to judge you you understand
he said in food and drink in other way we can
say the dietary regulations don't eat pork don't
eat rat don't eat lizard Don't eat, what do you
call it? Shellfish, you know shellfish? All those
crab. And the rest, they are family. Amen? Lobsters,
you get the point? Even though today it has become
a symbol of luxury. But if you eat it, these
things, we even have one in Nigeria, they call
it Taitos, right? Dietary regulation. If you
read Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, you will
see all kinds of dietary regulations there. Are
we together? All kinds of dietary regulations.
We can even classify the issue of communion in
that category. You know, some people believe
when you take bread and wine, that's when you
will have God's favor, God's protection. And
so you take things out of context. In fact, to
make it, that's those people who are in the,
if you take it much more, you move to our brothers.
that take Eucharist. They believe that to be
able to be safe, you need the Eucharist. That
as you eat it, you eat literally the body of
Jesus. And they pick it from John chapter six,
when Jesus said, if you eat my body and drink
my what? my blood, that's when you will have
life or eternal life. Are we together? The question
is, you want to ask, who has ever eaten Christ's
body? The disciples that were with him, did they
eat his body? If you read in that content, you
will see that even then they were confused. They
didn't understand what he was saying. That was
why they were angry. So how did this person talk
to us like this? Eat your body? You know what
I'm saying? And they were angry to stone him.
Jesus was not talking literally. I mean, we cherry
pick scripture anyhow. Why won't you take the
other one that Jesus said literally? That if
your hand causes you to sin, you should cut it
off. Did you understand what I'm saying? Why
didn't you take that one literally? We say, no,
Jesus was not talking about that if your eye
causes you to sin, how many times your eyes has
caused you to sin? Why didn't you plug it? But
it is that one that said, if you eat my body,
you think he's talking about his physical body.
Hallelujah. So what we're trying to say is that
you can practice the law and which we are doing
it. That is the religion of angels. That is the
religion of angels. Then he talks about the sacred
days. Look at it, it was 16. That's the second
one. First one died three regulations. Then he
say regarding what? Festival, new moon, and Sabbath.
Religious festival, this is talking about what
they do annually. Like for example, the Passover.
Are we together? He talks about the new moon.
New moon has to do with monthly festivity. Amen?
Are we together? Or monthly celebration? The
supper has to do with weekly. You know what to
do weekly. We still have believers that follow
or keep the seven day. You know what I'm saying?
Nope. Why we are trying to speak like this? Because
we're trying to read and see what is the implication
of living according to the law. You know, I've
had many believers say, no problem now, there's
no problem at least. Since we are not sinning
directly, it's also worshipping God in different
ways. No, you cannot worship God by the law.
It's not possible. Did you hear what I said?
You cannot worship God through the law. It's
not possible. Just like you cannot receive life
through the law. You cannot receive God's acceptance
through the law. No. Not at all. Then the last
part that Paul talked about in the sack. Look
at down when he talked about verse 20. Therefore,
if you died with the Christ from the basic principles
of the world, why as though living in the world,
do you subject yourself to regulations? Do not
touch, do not taste, and do not handle. This
poll is trying to do is what we call the rituals
of purity and asceticism. This issue of abstinence.
You know abstinence? That is, don't touch certain
things. If you read particularly Leviticus 15,
Numbers 19, you will see the outline of what?
Of all the things. Don't touch this dead body.
You know, some of us still do it. in our villages
you understand if your mother died they say no
children are not allowed to touch the mother's
body did you understand say because if you touch
her that means you also follow and or something
all kinds of you know what i'm trying to say
that so they have all these things if you touch
this this is how you're going to you have to
be purified kept outside the camp for so so number
of days before you can come in there you are
purified so all this touch not Don't do this,
don't do that, understand? Or at certain time,
you cannot eat this, you cannot eat that. For
the sake that you are preserving purity. Are
we together? Paul says that all these are what?
Are commandment of man. He said they have a form
of wisdom. They have an appearance of wisdom.
But they lack, they lack the value in restraining
one from sexual, what? Indulgence or desires.
Hallelujah. So we have so many things today in
different form. Many people practice the law,
even as believers. There are a list of it. See
people carrying bottles all around, or holy water,
or handkerchief, they call it mantu, for protection.
The God of my papa, he will put it inside. He
will carry the Holy Spirit. Oh God. As I said,
you know, when those days we used to take the
wine and the cup in the sun, even back at home,
I used to ask, why do we take the bread and the
wine? He said, well, the Bible commanded it and
Jesus commanded it to do this in remembrance
of me. Why do you want to remember him? The question
is that, do I need to take the bread and the
wine to remember Jesus? Do you have memory problem?
I mean, you know, there are some certain questions
you need to ask. I mean, you need to ask the
question, but you know, he said, that's just
what Jesus said we should do. You know, certain
spiritual things are mysterious. You just have
to believe to go because what we are taught as
faith is abstract, that is believing in something.
You understand? That's not Bible faith. Bible
faith is not, I was afraid, Bible faith is not
just, it's not hinged upon nothing. It's not
just positive thinking. It will happen. I told
you it's going to happen. Hallelujah. What will
happen? Who say it will happen? Did you understand
what I'm trying to say? What are you holding?
Who said it? It's not just positive thinking.
I'm optimistic. No, that's not faith. No. We
have studied in this church. You see, when you
study the entire book of John, you will know
what remember means. Did you understand what
I'm trying to say? You know, some of us, we read
Bible as if those who wrote it were Englishmen.
Remembering does not mean to recall. It's not
talking about memory. It's talking about understanding.
Do this because at the last supper, he was teaching
them, illustrating what he would do. So he said,
eat this, do this. Knowing and understanding
is about myself. That's what it means by do this
in remembrance of me. He's also saying, continue
to do it so that you can recall. No, that's not
the meaning. Hallelujah So that's why you must
be committed to understanding the world Some
say you have to be baptized in the Sun for you
to be saved the code scriptures here and there
Jesus said again that Jesus suffered in the Sun
Unless you're born of water He said water. Gone
of water and the spirit. How can you remove the
water and only speak about the spirit? If you
are in this church for a long time, by now I
believe you don't have a problem with that. We
have taught you how to read the Bible in context.
The Bible is not line by line. It's all verse
by verse. If you have studied a book of John,
you will know what it means by water. You understand
what I'm saying? But if you say in one line,
I'm impute your village into it. Why won't you
listen? So all those things, what we're trying
to say that the reason why I'm pointing this
thing is that you can believe him. and practicing
the religion of angels why you are a believer
you say without holiness no one shall see the
lord yes whose holiness your own your own so
you are a joker so you mean you mean you mean
You mean you are struggling that to stay holy
so that so that you will see God your own effort
Go and read well Are we together? Hallelujah.
So what we're trying to say is that You can't
get anything from human effort remember he said
is based on the commandment and doctrine of men
These are things carved by men You have to do
this to see God. Is it God that said it that
way or the man that interpreted it that way?
That's not what God is saying. That's what we're
talking about. Look at verse 18. So what is the
implication? When you live with that type of
performance mentality, that is you are living
or you are involved in the religion of angels,
innocent. Five ways to get favor from God. From
where? Three ways for God to answer your prayer.
Where did you get it? Did you see that you are
also establishing your own doctrine? The doctrine
of man. Hmm? Are we together? Remember those
two guys that came? One that said, I have done
this, done that, done this, done this, done this.
Pay my tithes, do this. He listed all the things.
The other one came. He came not on anything,
but depending on the mercy of Him. Are we together?
You see, the service of God is not based on any
of our own merits. Are we together? Hallelujah.
Verse 18. What is the implication of involved?
He says that let no one cheat you of your reward.
Why is he questioning it? Because I told you.
When the Bible talks of a believer's reward,
even though yes, it's based on what we do, it's
not based on what we do on account of our own
merit. Did you get what I'm trying to say? be
steadfast, be immovable, always abandoning in
the work of the Lord, knowing that your label
in the Lord is not in vain. Your label where?
In where? In the Lord. It's not in vain. So Paul
cautioned and said, let no one cheat you. you
of your reward. What Paul is trying to say is
that one of the greatest implications is that
there is no reward in wear, in shadow, in the
law. That's why he's cautioning. Don't allow
anyone. That's why he said don't allow anyone
to judge you verse 16. And then verse 18 says,
let no one cheat you. Don't allow it. Cheat you
of your reward. How is it taking delight in false
humility and in the worship of it that means
in the worship of angels There is no reward you'll
be cheated You'll be cheated There is no life
in the law any work done in the law is called
dead work That's from week from where we are
saved Let me read some verses. I saw this verse
in Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. Look
at verse 1. He said, therefore, leaving the discussion
of the elementary principles of Christ, let us
go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation
of what? He said, repentance from what? So what,
when we receive Christ, you understand? We are
actually repenting from what? From dead walks.
Chapter 9 verse 14. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 14.
It says, how much more shall the blood of Christ
who through the eternal spirit offered himself
without spot to God cleanse what? Our conscience
from what? Oh, are we together? From what? Death
walks. No life is in the law. He says he cleans
our conscience from death walks. To serve the
living God. To serve the living God. Romans chapter
five. Oh, Romans chapter seven. Look at verse
five. Romans. chapter seven, verse five. He said,
for when, please look at this, please. When we
were in the flesh, the sinful passion, which
we are aroused by the law, we are at work in
our members to bear fruit. To what? To death.
He said, verse six, but now we have been delivered
from what? or talk to me from the law having
died to what we were held by so that we will
do what serve in the newness of the spirit not
in the oneness of letters our service our life
our conduct is in the newness of spirit, not
in the letters. We were saved from the law. So
going back to live by it is to do dead walks,
is to live and have dead walks. We were saved
from it. So that now we serve God in the newness
of the spirit. not in the letters. For the letters
telleth what the Spirit giveth life. We are ministers
of what of the Spirit, not of letters. So when
Paul said, I have run the race, I have found
a good fight. I have finished my race. I have
kept the faith. Then he said, therefore, now
lay for me the crown of righteousness. What did
he say he kept? He said he kept the faith, not
that he kept the law. Are you with me? Are you
with me? He didn't say he kept the law. He said
he kept the faith. Faith there means he kept
the sound doctrine. These are not letters. This
is not the law Hallelujah So there is a kind
of doctrine that is not the doctrine of man Look
at that romance go back a little bit verse six,
chapter six, verse 17. Romans chapter six, verse
17. He said, but God be damned, that though you
were a slave of sin, yet you observed from the
heart that form of doctrine to which you were
delivered. That means This doctrine, this one
to which they were delivered is not that other
doctrine of the doctrine of men, of the basic
principle of the world. The one that leads men
to death, the one that we have been delivered
from. So the one Paul kept, he said, I have kept
the faith, is this one, the form of doctrine
that delivered men. He did not keep the law.
That's why they are late for him. What? The crown
of righteousness. So what I'm trying to say is
that reward is keeping the doctrine that delivered
me. That form of doctrine. That is where the
reward is. So Paul now warns and say, eh, bro.
He said, let no one cheat you of your reward.
We're not talking about anything that works.
It works. It works for me. It works for you.
How? What's the meaning of that? When the devil
deceived Adam and Eve, didn't it work? Is that
righteousness? Don't talk like that. He walk?
No. Look at that verse 18, number two. Another
problem, a collusion, go back to that collusion.
Two, verse 18. He said, let no one cheat you
of your reward. Taking delight in the false humility
and worship of angels. intruding into those things
which he has not seen is a vainly poofed up by
what? In his fleshy mind. One thing you will
see in observing the law is prides. that leads
to emptiness. Pride. Pride. Pride. When it comes
to the things of God, you want to always speak
as if what you have received from God was what
you did. So when you are giving testimony, say,
dry fasting. I was in the first day, Kalabada
Gada. Second day, Anusa Sabada. Third day, suddenly
the heavens opens. And I saw the Lord. I said,
ooh. Fasting opens heavens. There is a dimension
of God you can't touch. unless you are into intense
fasting. The question is that what dimension
have we not received in Christ? I'm asking you,
which one is that man talking about again? That
you have to receive a dimension in God by what
you will do. Are we saying your alignment is
not needed? No, that's not what we're saying.
But not what you received. It pleases the Lord
that His fullness of Godhead dwells in Him. And
that Him is in me. Did you get the point? So
which fullness of God have you not received in
Christ? Which one are you talking about? Which
one are you talking about? Philippians chapter
3, I want to show you something. Pride, there
is pride in the law. This is why you see men
trying to distinguish us. There are different
kinds of graces. Which grace? Which one did this
save you? And which one did you not save the
other person? Verse three. He said, for we are
the circumcision. Who worship God? In what? In
the spirit. rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
know what oh talk to me have know what confidence
in the flesh and look at what Paul said though
I also have confidence in the flesh if anyone
else think he may have confidence in the flesh
I have more so He said, let me just give you
some credatia, small, small, small, small. He
said, circumcising the eddy of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, of the Hebrews of Hebrews,
concerning the law, a Pharisee, concerning, I
mean zeal, he said, perfecting the, I mean, persecuting
the church, concerning righteousness, which is
in the law, blameless. This is the law. Did you
understand anything? This is confidence in what?
In the flesh. He said, if you are talking about
that, I have more. Let me just give you some
list, a little bit. Now say all those things.
He said, yet, look at verse 8. Indeed, I count
all these things lost for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them as rubbish. That I may gain Christ That
I may gain Christ and be found in him having
Not having my own righteousness which is from
the Lord But that which is true Christ or true
faith in Christ the righteousness which is from
God by faith This is what Paul followed and dumped
that water one. You understand what I'm saying?
And dumped the one that have confidence in the
flesh. And followed this one in the sand that
Christ gave. That is humility. Right. The 13th
verse 19. Go back to Colossians chapter 2. verse
19. He said, I'm not holding fast to the head
from whom all the body nourished are knitted
together by joints and ligament, with the increase
that is from God. He said, not holding fast.
You can't live in the worship of angels and hold
fast the head. Did you get what I'm trying to
say? And once you are not holding the head, there
is no growth, there is no there is no product
that came from holding fast of the head. Did
you get what I'm trying to say? And that's why
it is by holding the head, the last implication
is that you grow with the increase that is from
God. But the one that is vainly proved, the one
that is practicing the law cannot hold fast to
the head. Therefore, Look at anyone that every
day is working with weapons. Eh? A little thing.
Holy ghost fire, holy ghost fire, holy ghost
fire. That person is ever and perpetually a man
in fear or a person in fear. He can never go
to discover his own reality. Because the faith,
his belief is in a bottle, not in the spirit
he carries. Are we together? You want to grow?
Live the law. Understand that which is in Christ.
Are we together? That is how to grow. You are
rooted in Him by revelation. You are rooted,
you will grow in Him by understanding who He
is. That's why this text almost is closely related,
this verse particularly, with Ephesians chapter
4. Do you understand? If you read, you will see
that it's talking about knitting together. How
do you do that? It says so that you will not
become too close to and what? And flow by every
wind of what? by every wind of doctrine. That
is if you have what? Grown. And the essence of
the ministry gift is said that they will be able
to reveal that we might come to the unity of
faith and to the knowledge of the what? Of the
Son of God. That is how you grow. By the knowledge
of the Son of God. Peter said, grow in grace
and in the knowledge. That is how you grow. You
don't grow by the law. Because in the law, you
can't hold fast to the head. You want to become
a baby? Stay by practicing the law. or involved
in the worship of angels, you will ever and perpetually
be a baby. Today, they will say, I come from
heaven. I saw this, I saw that. You say, what
were they doing there? You see, because your
focus is every day on the law. And before you
know, today you follow these thoughts. Tomorrow
you are here, toast to and fro. by every wind
of doctrine. Once you are like that, you are
a candidate of deception. If you see the horror
of many people in the sand, so many people in
church, I mean the horrible messages, how some
people use God and they see the... What is Baba
Lao in English? Native doctors! they have left
uh busho they are wearing suit now well packaged
selling soap come from heaven and you are there
you didn't know are you not there oh they are
looking at me we are raised with christ eh seated
together where so how can somebody say he has
been to heaven where has he been to see soap
and say when you wash With it, you have favor.
I have keys from heaven. I mean, how daft could
we be? But I have come to Mount Zion. Not I will
go. I am there, the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem. Are we together? Amen. Amen.
Say, I cannot be deceived. I cannot be deceived
because I am growing in Him. And I remain in
the church. You know, your strength is in your
community. This level of freelancer Christianity
is not good in the sun. Hallelujah. Are we together?
Look at verse 20. Colossians 2 verse 20. Therefore,
if you died with Christ from the basic principles
of the world, why, as though living in the world,
do you subject yourself to regulations? Do you
subject yourself to regulations? Do not touch,
do not taste, do not handle which all concerns,
things which perish. with the using according
to the commandment and doctrine of men, these
things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in
imposed religion, false humility, and neglect
of the body, but are of no value against indulgence
of the flesh. That's the one here. that you will
not express your victory in Christ. The law only
promotes desires of sinning. Did you get what
I'm saying? It has no value against. That means
there is nothing you will ever do to express
your victory in Christ when you live by the law.
Because there is no... There is no value against
you to restrain yourself. I've seen so many people,
maybe you have tried it. You think you kill sexual
urge or immorality by fasting. Immediately after
you finish the three -day fasting, it's as if
they say all the demons from heaven. Did you
understand? All the demons from heaven, you understand?
You are sleeping eternal, oh Jesus, I bind you.
I bind you. Bind who? You have not bind anything.
Because in your thoughts, that it is through
an effort of man that you are able to restrain
yourself from indulgence of the flesh. It's not
possible. You will fail. You will get disappointed.
You will get discouraged. You will get confused
until you understand who you are in Christ. The
power is in the revelation. Understand? The power
is in the gospel. The power is understanding
who you are in Christ. You don't need any do's
and don'ts. What you need is knowledge of who
you are. That's what you need. Understand? Every
habit, every attitude, is only destroyed, immediately
you understand who you are in Christ. Are we
together? Are we together? Not by do's and don'ts.
Please take note of this last verse, verse 23,
to remind yourself nothing you are trusting to
overcome. To see it has gone in your life will
ever be achieved through the law. Sin shall no
longer have dominion over you. That is, sin shall
no longer be your master. Why? He said, because
you are not under the law. but under grace. Did
you get what I'm trying to say? Which means that
being under the law is actually being in a system
that perpetually keep you in defeat. You must
come to an understanding that I am under grace.
The grace of God that bring us salvation is the
one, understand, is the one that taught is the
one that teach it teach us to abstain to live
godly in this present life so you can see all
these things that the law don't ever think that
the law is for you i live with my children you
would tell them 10 times In fact, if you say
don't touch this thing, that is when their curiosity
increase. You understand? To go and touch it.
Because they want to know, why did they say I
shouldn't touch it? So what am I trying to say?
Look at verse 14, having wiped out. You can't
be walking and carrying the things Christ has
wiped out. Having wiped out the handwriting of
requirement. We say that not handwriting of requirement
means the written law that is a manuscript. The
manuscript, the law is a wiped it out. Why are
you going to carry it again? He said, you wiped
it out. That was against us, and contrary to
us. Keeping the law shows that you don't understand
what Jesus has done. You can't be doing, or undoing,
is that what you're saying? You can't be going
and trying to bring what Christ has removed.
As a believer, living by the law, is a self -sabotage.
A self -sabotage means God has wiped out things
that is against you and now you are bringing
it back. He says it's contrary to you. Remember,
in the last verse, verse 23 of chapter two, he
said he has a what? An appearance of wisdom.
That's all when people are dishing it up. You
say, hmm, hmm. When we say sit down so that you
can learn the Word of God, you don't want to
come to church. But what we say, you see, what
you would do is that you have the number of your
mother, write it in a paper, paste it in the
wall. Immediately wake up in the morning, speak
to it three times. Mummy, ka la la la la. That's
what you like. Because it has a what? It has
an appearance of what? Wisdom. This is the reason
why many men of God have used so many people
and deceived them. Because people like law. Just
give them what to do because they want to be
involved so that when they come to give testimony,
they are also included inside. Did you understand
what I'm trying to say? Yes. They don't want
to say, this thing look easy. Come to touch.
Church, let's teach you the word of God to know
who you are. To be strengthened. You say no.
So the law is not for the righteous. What did
I say? First Timothy chapter nine. That's what
we're saying. It is against you. Did you hear
what I'm saying? It is against you. Don't ever
agree to live by the law. No matter the appearance
of wisdom, it's against you. It's self -sabotage.
The law is not of faith. And you are of faith.
First, Timothy. Oh, God, help me. 1 Timothy 1
verse 9. Look at it. He said, knowing this, that
the law, is it made for you? Oh, talk to me.
Is it made for you? Is it made for you? No. The
law is not made for the righteous. Listen, this
place when he was talking about, is not made
for the righteous man. Remember when he mentioned,
but. For the lawless, for the insubordinate,
he's not describing conduct here. Because he
says he's not meant for the righteous. He's talking
about the righteousness by faith. So if he says
the insubordinate is describing a person under
the law, he's not discussing conduct. He's a
mate for the righteous man. He's a bud for the
lawless, the insubordinate. for the ungodly and
for the sinners, for the unholy, the profane,
for the murderers of fathers and murderers of
mothers, the men slayers, for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, the liars, for...
Did you understand what I'm trying to say? Is
this one describing Israel? Are you with me?
Is it describing Israel? Yes, these were who
they were. Look at the Tronomy 31. I want you
to connect with what we did. Because I am coming
to wrapping this. The Tronomy 31. Look at 24.
Look at verse 24. He says, so it was when Moses
had completed writing, writing the words of this
law in a book, when they were finished, that
Moses commanded the Levites who bore the ark
of the covenant of the Lord, saying, take this
book of the law and put it beside the ark of
the covenant of the Lord. your God that it may
be that that it may be there as a witness against
who did you see what Paul was saying it might
be against you for I know you are a what a rebellious
and stiff mate if today while I am yet alive
with you you had been rebellious against the
Lord, then how much more after my death?" This
is closely when Moses was about to die. When
you read actually from chapter 27, which we did,
the last time we were teaching or we are studying,
you see that he gave them the law. He said, when
you get to Canaan, that means He knew that these
people, the only way you can keep these rebellious
unbelievers is by giving them the law. That's
the only thing. That's why Paul was saying that
the law is not meant for who? For the righteous.
He gave them to restrain them. So one of these
laws is Deuteronomy 22 Verse five. Why did Moses
gave that law? Because they are rebellious people.
They are unbelievers. They are not righteous.
They are not righteous. Are we together? Go back
to that 22. 22 verse five. He said, and a woman
shall not wear anything that pertains to a man,
nor shall a man put on a woman's garment. For
all who do so are an abomination to the Lord
your God. Remember, this law is both for male
and female. What is the problem? I want to ask
you again. When Moses gave this law, was the
problem about clothes or about their hearts?
Or talk to me. Was the problem about clothings
or about their hearts? About their hearts. The
reason is because they were all believers. The
problem was because they are all believers. So
the focus of this text, eh, was primarily because
of the people themselves. Are we together? If
you read the astronomy, I mean, sorry, Leviticus
18 verse 22 and 20 verse 18, there are laws about,
remember what we said when we read the astronomy
31? He's talking about that now I'm about to
die, even the way you are behaving. He said,
package this thing. As you move into that land,
this is how you should condole yourself. He talks
there are laws against sodomy. You understand?
Sleeping with man to man and woman to woman.
And now he add this one. I don't want confusion.
So there is no cross dressing. so that we know
this one is man, this one is woman. So that this
one will not come off black and look like a woman
and then move and say, I'm coming to greet my
sister. And then we don't know what is happening
with them. What they say, no, no, no, no, no.
Never, a woman must never wear a man's garment.
And a man must never wear a woman's garment.
The idea is for identification who is who. because
he has already given them, you can never, don't
ever sleep with a man. A righteous, righteous
people don't need that. This is the foundation
by which that law came from. So you cannot leave
this text and come and be pestin' it on my sister
who is a righteous person. You are daft, you
don't understand the context by which this text
was given. No! See. This text, Deuteronomy 22
.5, is not for believers. Tell your neighbor,
tell your neighbor it's not for believers. Say
it again now, it's not for believers. So don't
torment my sister. Did you understand what I'm
saying? This text is given to unbelievers who
are rebellious, who are bent. into disobedience.
Are we together? You cannot put this mark on
people. It's not about a style of dressing. It's
about the nature of the man. That's how the law
came. You have to understand that dressing generally
is influenced by culture. You understand? If
you come to the northern part of Nigeria, the
same country, we see you do that. Do you understand
what I'm saying? Now what we're trying to say
is that you cannot import all those things like
that. Even within the same culture, dressing
keeps changing. Do we say you should dress half
naked? No, I'm going to address that. But what
we are saying is that you cannot do style of
dressing. Women should not wear trouser. Which
wear? This text is not saying that. Did you know
the type of dressing in Israel? Did you understand
what I'm trying to say? So don't carry liftings
that are for unbelievers and be pestilence upon
who? Believers. Are we together? Hallelujah.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I hear some of my sisters
say, a -ha! A -ha! No, it's not a -ha. We have
not finished. Because the problem is that, remember,
the text of the Bible must be read contextually.
Are we together? Can you thank the Lord? An appreciation.
We appreciate you being here today. We hope you
carry this word with you throughout your week.
Don't forget to check the show notes for additional
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