HIS DWELLING PLACE

The Bible describes God’s dwelling place as a place of holiness and righteousness. In the Old Testament, God’s presence with His people was most vividly manifested in the earthly symbols of Israel’s tabernacle and temple . The Israelite high priest could only enter once a year into the holiest inner chamber of the temple, which was the locus of God’s presence among His people. In so doing, the high priest served as an intermediary for the people, coming into the presence of God on their behalf . In general, God’s dwelling place is heaven, according to the Bible . Heaven is where God lives and is described as His house . It is also where His throne is located . The New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of God, which descends from heaven . The Bible also states that God’s dwelling place is universally the Body of Christ, and is expressed practically in the many local churches.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the full and final manifestation of God’s presence with His people. Jesus Himself is the new temple, something He spoke of even before His death . As both the final sacrifice for sins and the priest who offers the sacrifice, Jesus brings us into the joy of experiencing the intimate presence of God, the reality at the heart of temple worship in the Old Testament .

The church is also called a temple in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for allowing themselves to be consumed with the earthly prestige of their leaders. He urges them to recognize that the church is God’s building project, not theirs. In fact, they must be brought to see that it is God’s temple, and that if individual members of the church hinder the building work, they will face God’s judgment . In 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for the sexual permissiveness rampant in their church. The reason this is so offensive to God is that the individual believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and nothing impure can be allowed to enter God’s temple. ‘’ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore’’(Psalm 16:11) – kjv.

THE WEIGHT AND BESETTING SINS

"And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Daniel 5:25-27) -KJV. The concept of "weights" and "besetting sins" in a spiritual context is drawn from Christian faith and is often used to emphasize the idea of obstacles or hindrances that can impede one's spiritual growth and relationship with God. Here are some key points related to this concept:

1. Weights as Hindrances: "Weights" refer to anything that may be permissible or even good in itself but becomes a hindrance when it distracts or obstructs an individual's progress in their spiritual journey. These "weights" can take the form of distractions, attachments, or habits that divert one's focus from our spiritual goals.

2. Besetting Sins: "Besetting sins" are specific sins or weaknesses to which an individual is particularly prone. These are the sins that a person may continually struggle with and have a natural inclination toward. They can act as persistent stumbling blocks in one's efforts to grow spiritually.

3. Distinct Concepts: " "Weights" and "besetting sins" are distinct concepts. "Weights" may refer to various hindrances or burdens that are not necessarily sinful in themselves but hinder one's spiritual progress. "Besetting sins" specifically point to sinful patterns or temptations that require special attention and effort to overcome.

4. Destructiveness of Pride: "Pride is highlighted as a destructive attitude that can hinder one's relationship with God. It is described as an attitude that can destroy one's spiritual life. God always resist the proud and give grace to the humble. This statement underscores the importance of humility and self-awareness in the context of spiritual growth and Christian faith. The example of Belshazzar from the Bible is cited as a warning about the consequences of pride and arrogance. Belshazzar's pride led to his downfall and the end of his reign.

5. Imperfection of Believers: " It is emphasized that Christians do not become perfect and sinless upon salvation. This recognition underscores the need for ongoing sanctification (holiness), the second work of grace for spiritual growth, inner purity, and transformation. This is seen as essential for believers to draw closer to God and see Him. A verse from Proverbs 16:2 is cited to highlight the idea that God weighs not only actions but also thoughts and intentions. This verse emphasizes the importance of God's righteous judgment.

6. Running the Heavenly Race: " The metaphor of running a race is often used in believers in Christ to describe the journey of faith. Just as a runner needs to shed unnecessary weight to run faster, believers are encouraged to cast off "weights" and address "besetting sins" to run the race of faith more effectively.

7. Righteous Balance: " The concept of a "false balance" being an abomination to the Lord is mentioned, emphasizing the need for integrity and fairness in all actions and dealings.

8. Repentance and Transformation: "Overcoming both "weights" and "besetting sins" requires a commitment to repentance, self-examination, and reliance on God's grace for transformation. It involves recognizing areas in one's life that hinder spiritual growth and taking steps to address them. 9. Biblical truth: " The concept of being weighed in the balances and found wanting, as mentioned in the Book of Daniel, serves as a biblical reference to the idea of being evaluated or judged by God based on one's actions and character.
"Therefore, "weights" and "besetting sins" underscores the importance of self-examination, repentance, and spiritual growth in the Christian faith. Believers are encouraged to cast aside hindrances, whether they are sinful or merely distracting, in order to run the race of faith more effectively and draw closer to God and see Him when our journey on earth come to an end. Here is a clarion call to genuine salvation in Christ, living a righteous and spiritually accountable life, guided by faith and a sense of moral responsibility. A call to humility - a quality often associated with acknowledging one's limitations, seeking guidance, and maintaining a teachable spirit. A call to examine oneself daily in the word of God, the importance of reflection, introspection, and aligning one's life with moral and ethical principles as we prepare for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, the significance of personal actions and how they impact various aspects of life, including relationships with oneself, family, friends, spouses, children, adversaries, and business associates to be taking into consideration in accordance with the word of God. God, as the righteous Judge, evaluates the thoughts, words, and deeds of individuals and will judge according to His righteous law. Therefore, a false balance is an abomination unto the Lord our God.

RIGHTEOUSNESS NOT RELIGION

The question of Job that needed to be answered for people to understand is “How then can a man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4). The book of James 1:27 has this to tell us, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”. The answer is, that you are loved, forgiven, and accepted beyond any doubt because of what Jesus Christ has already done. The finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary makes righteousness a possibility. As a result, it is needless to play religion.

What is religion? This is man’s effort at reaching his Maker through personal means – regular attendance in worship places, praying many times a day, fasting, paying tithes, giving alms, having dreams that come true, being very active in church activities, financing church projects or single-handedly building worship places. Others include meditations and leadership positions in large and popular congregations. Pilgrimage to the holy place, dressing in particular ways, etc. (Isaiah 58:1-6; Matthew 23:5-7). Not that these activities in themselves are bad but engaging in them without the transformation brought about by faith in Christ’s atoning work only amounts to empty religion.

There is a vast difference between religion and righteousness: Religion, at its bests is based on externalities – what man does or does not do (Luke 18:10-12). Righteousness on the other hand is by faith (Romans 1:17). Religion makes an individual self-conceited. It is characterized by eye service, hypocrisy, earthly mindedness, vainglory, carnal comparison, and so on. Righteousness, however, promotes only the praise of God (Jude 1:16). Religion seeks to do good in order to entreat God’s favor; righteousness seeks to please God, not because of what is going to get from Him. Religion is largely based on traditions of men; righteousness operates mainly on the grace of God (Mark 7:8; Romans 3:24). Religion can only reform. It controls and modifies the outward man. Righteousness is a product of an inward transformation (Luke 11:39). Religion holds the religious bond; it’s a righteousness that liberates (Mark 7:1-15). Religion is an effort by man to be perfect, but righteousness is God’s nature imputed in man (Romans 4:6). Religion is temporal; righteousness is eternal (Psalm 119:142).

Very clearly then, what really counts is righteousness, not religion. It will therefore be an effort in futility to carry on in religion without the righteousness that comes from God. To have this righteousness, you must acknowledge that you cannot do it on your own. Then, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, ask the Saviour to come into your heart and make you a new creature.

It is after this has been done that you too can be a partaker of ‘righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe’ (Romans 3:22).

WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE?

Exodus 32:25-28; “And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men”. There are two sides to a coin, as well as two sides to many things in life, such as good or bad, saints and sinners, righteous or unrighteous, heaven or hell. Likewise, there’s the side of the kingdom of God and kingdom of Satan.

Those in God’s kingdom are saved by grace with manifestation of the fruit of spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22). But those on the side of Satan are filled with the work of the flesh and bad characters – rebellions, cheating, disobedience, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, and revelling (Galatians 5:19-21).

We need to understand that those on the side of Satan will go and live in hell with him forever. You don’t need to worry if you are on the Lord’s side, heaven is guaranteed if you remain and continue in the Lord. Now, let me ask you the same question Moses asked the children of Israel. “Whose side are you today? Are you on the side of God? Have you repented of your sins, Is your sins washed in the blood of the Lamb? Remember that God is not willing that all should perish but every one to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9-10). For you to be on the side of God’s righteousness, you must be born again by turning away from sins through genuine repentance (Acts 17:30; John 3:3,7), accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10).

“Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band… (Likewise, Jesus said) If ye love me, keep my commandments” (1 Chronicles 12:18; Matthew 12:30).

BIBLE AND YOU

The Holy Bible (also called the Scriptures, the book of the law, the book of the Lord) is the most inspiring book in all of human history. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).It is living and active book that inform,counsel, educate and impact knowledge above all the series of books that have been in human history. All scripture is written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and about forty writers were used to do its composition and compilation for over a thousand years.

God’s word is free from any mixture of error, from all falsehood. The Holy Bible, which is also called the book of the LORD in Isaiah 34:16, it’s the heavenly treasure and constitution given to mankind, to guide us in our pilgrim’s journey on earth to eternity (life eternal). We are admonished to “seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them”. Every promise is pure, and every doctrine is pure; every commandment is pure, and every promise prophecy is pure; every one of them free from the mixtures and interventions of men.No doubt, it’s the greatest book in the world and in the history of man.

It’s about God’s revelations to man covering the past, present and the future events. No man can know God except by the Holy Scriptures. As life of man cannot be sustained and nourished without the physical food even so a Christian cannot live victoriously except he/she daily feeds on the Holy Scriptures to nourish their spiritual lives. Who then is the author of the Bible? The Almighty God Himself in His infinite mercy inspired the writers, as the Holy Spirit moved the saints of old: the Prophets and Apostles (to mention but few) to write about God’s creation, His love, plan and purpose of salvation (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Bible revealed God’s will to us (Psalm 119:9, 11,105). It also reveals the way of salvation by pointing us to the vicarious death of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who paid the price of the sins of humanity (Hebrews 13:12; Acts 4:12).

The importance of reading and studying the scriptures cannot be over emphasized thus; it shows us the way of salvation and righteous living (John 3:16, 36;6:63; 8:32). It also gives us power over sin and weapons against temptation (Psalm 1119:11; Matthew 4:3-4). Studying and obeying the book of the LORD lead you to prosperity and success in life (Please read Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3).More benefits you can derive from the Holy Bible as you study and practice it is growth and maturity (1 Peter 2:2); nourishment and health (Proverbs 4:20-22). As physical food is to the body so is the word of God to the soul of men.Unfortunately,a lot of people hate the Bible and a greater number of them hardly read God’s word. Reading the Bible day and night is profitable in this last day as it will impacts your life than any other books you can ever come across.Devotional attention must be given to the Bible – read it, study it, meditate on it, pray on it and obey it.

No any other guidebook that can lead one to heaven (life eternal) except the Holy Bibles. Truly, the Christian journey is impossible without studying the Bible. Hence, it’s imperative for all Bible-believing Christians to read God’s inspired book every day. “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God,and keep it “(Luke 11:28). Commitment to the Bible means that we read it prayerfully, meditate on it patiently, pray on it perseveringly, and obey it in totality. We must not only rejoice in the promises but we should also tremble under the judgements and hasten to obey the commandments. Remember that as you are keeping to this word, your life shall never remain the same.