James 1:1 says, 'Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly'.
The above scripture scares me any time I come across it. Many of teach, preach and reach out to people through various platforms (like church pulpit, social media, public places, schools, gatherings, buses), while others are longing to become pastors. All of these things are not bad. We are only carrying out the great commission and doing the work Jesus sent us to do.
However, I become scared because at times we fall short of the "revelations" we receive daily and share on the various platforms. Paul said I do not want to be a cast away at the end of the day after preaching to others. Situations and places we have found ourselves have made us fall over and over again. The challenges of life and the things we see have swept us off our feet severally and we keep asking ourselves if we are Christians.
It is not easy living by righteousness in this present world and by what we preach but we can win the race and win by righteousness. We need to discipline ourselves daily so that we will not become cast aways after preaching and winning souls for the lord. Also, we need to have people in our lives that we are accountable to that will tell us the truth to our face when we miss it. These are friends and people that we can confide in with our pains, fears, and struggles. This is one way we will help ourselves to run this race set before us.
You might have fallen several times and have felt like you are not a Christian. I have felt that way many times. I have done things that any time I thing of them, I become ashamed of myself. I have taken wrong decisions that I can’t change and of which I am still suffering from today. But one thing I do any time I fall is that I repent of it and ask God for forgiveness and mercy.
James 1:2 says, “ We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check”.
The above scripture says that we fall in many ways. We fail with our words ( what we say), with what we do, with what we watch, and so on. But the scripture says that a righteous man falls seven times and still gets up. If you have fallen, don’t stay fallen. Get up and move on. Don’t let the devil use his weapon of guilt and condemnation to prevent you from repenting and having a flow with God again. Sin can prevent you from praying, studying the word of God and make you feel dirty and condemned.
However, it is possible to live as Christians on earth and not fall. Temptations will come but we can stand like Christ of whom Hebrew 4 : 15 says “ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin”.
Christ was tempted sexually, financially, morally and so on according to the above scripture but he didn’t give in to them. We can win by righteousness but it will not be according to the flesh or will power but according to the spirit. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus who give life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
How will it be on that day that after you have ministered to many and you have lived according to the ways and standard of God, that you will be found wanting? It will be painful to any one because they have lived as Christians and stayed away from sin, yet they are cast away. May this not be our portion? Amen.
Wilson Ileogben
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