Summary
Highlights
Paul, in Hebrews 6:1-3, calls for believers to "go on to perfection." Perfection (telios, teleo, katismos) means maturity, completeness, and functional equipping, not sinlessness. It refers to being complete, like Christ, and having the capacity to function as He did, demonstrating love, wisdom, and power. Paul outlines six foundational principles for this journey: (1) Repentance from dead works (metanoia): a change of mind from sinful actions, self-righteous efforts, and lifeless religious activities. (2) Faith towards God (pistis): moving from self-reliance to full trust, conviction, and dependence on God. (3) Doctrine of Baptisms: immersion into Christ (ideology), water (separation from the world, rising in new life), and the Holy Ghost (empowerment). These define our reality and our capacity. The Apostle criticizes 'performative' Christianity where individuals seek applause rather than true spiritual encounter, demonstrating a lack of genuine reliance on God.
The foundational principles continue with: (4) Laying on of hands (epitheos cheron): coming under the transference of grace. This involves positioning oneself for God's grace through service, honor, and spiritual alignment, understanding that spiritual authority and outcomes are influenced by grace, not just effort. (5) Resurrection from the dead (anastasis): rising above limitations, experiencing victory over adverse circumstances, and embodying the resurrection power of Christ in daily life, analogous to Jesus' ability to overcome all obstacles. (6) Eternal judgment: understanding accountability to God and wielding the power of the age to come, which includes exercising spiritual authority and seeing situations change through divine intervention.
Building on the foundational principles, Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 outlines further steps to becoming like Jesus: (1) Unity of faith: seeing others as integral parts of the same body, fostering love and mutual support rather than competition or self-interest. (2) Perfect man (ability to tame emotions): controlling one's natural tendencies and emotions, much like Jesus did, demonstrating self-control and forgiveness even in difficult situations. (3) Fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ: living by Jesus' principles, such as generosity, humility, service, and forgiveness, rather than solely based on personal desires or societal trends. (4) Not children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine: understanding and being rooted in truth (backed by scripture and Jesus' example) to avoid being swayed by deceptive teachings or popular opinions. (5) Speaking the truth in love: correcting others with love and compassion, focusing on restoration rather than public condemnation or ridicule. The sermon concludes with a prayer for the grace to embrace these teachings and live a transformed life, embodying Jesus' character and power.
Apostle Michael Orokpo revisits yesterday's teaching on the apostolic invasions, stating that the emphasis is to raise people who embody and mirror the person of Christ. This was God's original plan for creation: for man to host His presence, represent Him, and establish His government on Earth. Genesis 1:26 highlights this purpose, stating man was created in God's image and likeness to have dominion. Man's fall in Genesis 3 occurred because he didn't realize he was already like God, leading him to rebel and lose his capacity to manifest God and exercise authority.
Jesus came not only to atone for sin but also to restore man to his original identity in God. John 3:16 speaks of salvation from perishing, while Romans 6:23 explains that sin leads to death and damnation. Jesus delivered us from six key things: death (Romans 6:23, John 5:24-26), sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), the power of Satan (Colossians 1:12-14, Hebrews 2:14), the world's value systems (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4), the flesh and its lusts (Galatians 5:16-17, Romans 8:11), and God's judgment (Romans 8:1). Deliverance from the world involves rejecting its corrupt values like dishonesty, immorality, competition, and self-righteousness, and instead embracing integrity and truth. The speaker criticizes religious leaders who compromise these values, emphasizing that true spiritual leadership requires holiness and adherence to biblical principles.
Beyond salvation, God's ultimate desire is for believers to become like Him, as exemplified by Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-3, John 14:9). Paul, in Romans 8:29-30, explains that Jesus is the first among many brethren destined to be conformed to His image. This is possible because God has given us Jesus' life (1 John 5:11-13), righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), mind (1 Corinthians 2:12, 16), faith (Romans 12:3, Galatians 2:20), and Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12). Having all these aspects of Christ means we are inherently designed to operate like Him, just as a child embodies the DNA of their parent. The apostles demonstrated this possibility, teaching that the raw material to be like Jesus is in every believer.