EMBRACING GODLY CHANGE
(week 37/17)
KUNLE SOKOYA, OLUBI JOHNSON AND GBOYEGA ADESIYAN

Change is defined as an act, process or result of making or becoming different! Godliness is becoming more like God. Embracing godly change therefore enhances the process and actions that make us more like God. It requires:

  • An attitude that welcomes anything that hastens the process of becoming like God
  • The determination to act like and so become like God!

The satanic nature resists change in our routine, plans, friendships – Lk. 5:36-39). It is our default response. The Lord Jesus uses change of garment (righteousness) and change of wineskin (heart –will, mind and emotions (Lk.5:36-39)) to illustrate the fact that refusal or inability to change will disqualify anyone from higher levels of righteousness and deeper levels of wisdom and creativity. God has declared a new season of Glory; Love, Light and Life with Joy upon us. Each person that desires to enter will be examined by fire (1 Cor. 3:11-13). It is not enough to celebrate godly change when others imbibe it. We must value, embrace, initiate and imbibe it ourselves! Total or partial resistance to godly change is costly. Lot lost everything because his heart had been so conditioned to ungodliness, he was unable to rise to a higher level when the time came, settling for Zoar (Gen 19:1-5,16). It cost Lot not only his wealth, wife, and generations but also his eternal destiny! We must keep going higher personally in godliness! We must pull up our loved with us in godliness! We are to be aware of the spiritual state of our family members (Pr. 27:23). Both of Lot and Job received God’s mercy, but Job learnt his lesson while Lot did not. Jabez, in comparison, initiated his change for godliness (“Bless me indeed”) because of his heart of integrity (1Chr 4:9-10) and God granted his request.

Ungodliness is subtle; its manifestation may be spiritual (a stubborn, proud, reprobate mind, domination by immoral thoughts) and, or, physical (repeated failure, oppression by sickness, or by men e.g. John the Baptist was killed by Herod.

WHY MUST WE EMBRACE GODLY CHANGE?

  1. Increasing in godliness guarantees our spiritual destiny, physical well-being and success (1Tim 4:8, 3Jn 2). It provides God the basis to defend, protect and bless us (Pr 11:4). Resisting godly change widens the gap between us and God and opens the door to fear, satanic affliction (Pr 1:22-27) loss, and limits what God can do through and for us.
  2. When temptation comes, we must keep embracing godly change in order to find His way of escape (2Pet. 2:9, 1Cor 10:13).
  3. We MUST BE looking for a new heavens (heart, will, mind and emotions) and new earth (godliness/holiness; God’s life manifest in our mortal bodies (2Cor.4:10-11) – 2Pet 3:13-14!). Furthermore, increasing ungodliness in our lives or in the lives of those under our charge slows down the manifestation of His glory (Jude 1:12) and points to our responsibility. We must stop making it God’s responsibility to make us godly! Job should have acted rather than be passive. Covering or not acknowledging our lack of godliness only serves to make things worse (Pro. 28:13; Eccl. 8:11). 

We are to be fully submitted always to spiritual oversight (Heb. 13:17, Is. 51:1-2). Our heart attitude to them will determine sufficiency of the spiritual nourishment we receive from them which ultimately reflects in the prosperity of our souls (godliness)! Example is Lot and Abraham (Lk. 16:12, 2Cor. 6:11-17). Come out from the straightened bowels and then you can separate from bad habits, wrong company etc!

We must examine ourselves daily in the following areas:

  • Attitude to God, spiritual oversight, boss, and others,
  • Our practice of obedience and divine Love; how and where to  improve,
  • Our prayer life (daily travail and communion prayer, seven pillars of wisdom (Pr. 9:1) weekly) and bible reading AND study, Confessions (daily, weekly). See our book “A Daily Guide For Perfecting the Love of God in Your Life”

Determine to accept rebuke (correction) and fire your defense attorney (Ps. 141:3-6).

We must learn and master diligence in spiritual and secular endeavour (Heb. 11:6).

We must increase our pace, mastery and diligence in this day when the manifestation of God’s story in the earth is imminent. We must embrace godly change!