Excerpts

The Lighthouse Apostolic Centre

Kingdom Bible Study

17th July, 2022

The New Man: His Identity, Nature and Promises (Part 7)

Love: The Nature of the New Man

(Recap)

Pastor Ayorinde Fakunle

Study Begins

The core nature of the new man, out of which every other expression flows forth is love. Charity is the righteousness of God revealed in Christ Jesus.

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Charity is righteousness. To live right is to do charity. By the reason of this study, the Lord is building us up on our inside, blocks are laid upon blocks.

Brethren's Review

Brother Samuel Ofaka

Pastor Tosin explained that in our long suffering, we should also be kind. There are some attitudes that are in line with charity. In looking out for charity, we are to look out for how the other person thinks or feels.

Bro. Ademola Bamidele

The core nature of the new man is love, expressed as charity among the saints and the brethren. The nature of the new man is summarised in love.

The attributes of the new man are embedded in our spirits but our souls need to come to the realisation. One way we can cultivate this nature in our souls is through our relationship with the brethren. When we relate and interact with one another, the nature embedded in our spirits will begin to find expression.

We all have our personal preferences but when we live with brethren, we have to lay mour principles and preferences aside.

One of the attributes of charity is to put the interest of others above our own, not necessarily because our interest is wrong but because charity prefers the other person to itself.

There is a way we can bear with one another grudgingly, but when we do charity, there will be no grumbling within us.

Bro. Adenuga Oluwatobi

The genesis of envy is comparison. The work of faith is charity (James 2:17-18).

Bro. Ojo Adewale

Kindness is not just limited to us showing compassion and concern; it is also in how we receive compassion and concern from others.

Bro. Bukunmi Adaramola

We must have wisdom to judge thoughts; some thoughts are not our thoughts. It is a lot of help for us to have forgiveness towards someone even before they offend us.

We are not to judge or make an assumption about our brother; we are to have bowels of compassion and mercy towards our brethren.

When we gather, satan comes to blow thoughts to us about our brethren but we must have wisdom to judge between thoughts.

Sis. Afolabi Temitayo

We should be willing to give as the Lord leads us; we should not consider how much we will have left after giving.

Study Continues

Pastor Ayorinde Fakunle

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

7. Charity is Not Easily Provoked

Proverbs 16:32

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Charity exercises control over temper. The temperament of God is Christ. People have classified human temperaments into four;  Sanguine, Melancholy, Phlegmatic and Choleric. These temperaments flow from the blood of man.

As we put on charity, we will learn not to allow these temperaments to define and determine our responses; we will be able to put them under and allow Christ to determine our response.

Christ is not Sanguine, Melancholy, Phlegmatic or Choleric; Christ is charity.

Charity dominates temperaments. It may not have taken the root away but it exercises control over it.

Charity is self-controlled.

Titus 2:11-12

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Soberness is self-control. To be self-controlled is to have the ability not to go along with the appetites of our senses. It is not every time we are hungry, we eat everything that is available.

Charity helps us to come to a place where our appetites are put under; we don’t live by how we feel.

Charity is not easily aroused to anger or violent emotion; charity doesn’t lose her peace unnecessarily. You don’t react based on people’s actions. Charity is temperate in all things.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

It takes stature to be able to contain oneself in the face of emotional pressure or displeasure.

The fact that the body releases oxytocin does not mean one can't put one's body under. It is charity to put your body under.

To be easily provoked is not just to be angry;  it is being quick to respond to feelings or emotions.

Proverbs 14:17

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Getting angry at every little thing is not a fruit of Christ, in fact it is naturally not healthy.

8. Charity Thinketh No Evil

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Thoughts come from different sources. The fact that it comes does not mean we are to stay with it; we can learn to swipe things off. There should be boundaries to thoughts we allow.

Charity does not process, meditate or stay on anything that has an appearance of evil. Most of the thoughts that come to us naturally are evil; we should judge them by standards of Scripture. Satan is a father of facts; he will give a man one thousand reasons to despise another person.

Reasoning is one of the greatest enemies of submission; the Lord must deliver us from reasonings. Satan will always give us facts to reason with.

Some people have written some kind of men off from salvation but the heart of Jesus is that all men should be saved.

We should be redemption-conscious in our thoughts towards all men or leaders.

We are praying for the government and the nation; we should therefore not allow evil thoughts or speakings about our leaders.

It is possible to read meaning to another person’s actions, other than what the person intended.

2 Samuel 10:1-4

And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.  Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.  And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?  Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

Matthew 9:2-5

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.  And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?  For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

If we consider ourselves, we will see that we have judged people several times and attributed evil intentions to them.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Without judgement, we cannot do charity right (Philippians 1:9).

We should not be quick to think that people have evil intentions when they show us kindness.

9. Charity Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity but Rejoiceth In The Truth

We shouldn't say we hate iniquity while we are passive when others do evil. When we are passive when people do evil around us, it means we don’t hate it.

If we hate the fragrance of a perfume, we won’t be able to stand it when another person uses it.

2 John 1:4

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

It is charity to rejoice when people are getting better.

Some people never see how others measure up; they are always seeing the flaws of others.

Charity rejoices in seeing others walking in truth. To be delivered from addiction is more powerful than to be delivered from demons; most addictions are works of spirits.

3 John 1:3

For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

It is a lot of encouragement to ministers of the Gospel to see saints take steps of advancement in the spirit.

The Lord Jesus never rejoiced in iniquity; we see this in how he responded to the Pharisees.

John 8:56

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Luke 19:41-42

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 

We should weep when people are not seeing the inheritance: these are the feelings of Christ.

2 Samuel 4:10-12

When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:  How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?  And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. 

It is the fool and unlearned in the spirit that rejoices in iniquity. Charity is wisdom; Christ is the wisdom of God.

Proverbs 14:9

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

It is a sign of foolishness to mock sin; to think there is no big deal in sin.

Many people refer to David to justify fornication but David knew that the act was as a result of a wicked way (Psalm 51, Psalm 139:24).

Soberness is the attitude of a man working towards perfection.

Luke 22:1-6

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.  And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.  Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.  And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.  And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.  And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

It is not enough for us to desist from speaking ill of  Pastors and ministers; we should never be in a place where such conversations are taking place. We need to condemn that evil act.

Ephesians 5:9-10

(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 

We have a right to stand for righteousness, even if it means standing alone.

Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We don’t rub unfruitful works of darkness on the head, rather we should reprove them.

Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

To reprove them is to expose and report them. Even if they hate us at work, it is part of the sufferings of Christ; we are to bear it.

Most times, the reason we don’t experience persecutions is because we are one with the world. Since the day of Paul, the world has become more brutal, but the world loves us because with every standard it raises, we are okay with it.

Psalm 119:136

Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

The psalmist wept because the people did not keep the law of God.

Jeremiah 13:15-17

Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.  Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.  But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

1 Samuel 16:1

And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

Samuel mourned because the Lord rejected a man.

10. Charity Bears All Things

1 Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Galatians 6:1-2

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

To bear is to roof over or to cover with silence. The way a roof always protects the dwellers of a house, charity also protects.

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Genesis 9:20-22

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:  And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

Ham could see the nakedness of his father because he had access to his father’s tent, it is similar to being privy to information about someone that others don't have.

Genesis 9:20-23

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:  And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.  And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

Charity bears in unpleasant, hostile and difficult situations until changes take place. Charity bears because it believes change will come.

Atimes, the Lord puts us in difficult workplaces so as to work some things into us. God can orchestrate us into an environment that is not too conducive so as to work things into us.

God is first interested in what our souls are becoming than in what we are earning. Many of us have taken ourselves out of God’s dealings; we have gained promotion in the physical but we are repeating a class in the spirit.

Psalm 84:5-7

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before