The Church of GOD Nigeria, Abakaliki (2026)

11/08/2026

Life Moves Fast

_Text: Psalm 90:12 — "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."_

Family, grace and peace to you.

Have you ever watched smoke rise from a candle and disappear into the air? One moment it’s there, curling, warm, visible. The next moment it’s gone. And that, Scripture says, is us.

1. Life is brief, and God tells us plainly
We don’t like to hear it, but the Bible doesn’t whisper it. It declares it.

Job 14:1-2. "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue."
Psalm 103:15-16. "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."
James 4:14: "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a v***r that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

A v***r. Grass. A flower. A shadow.
God uses fragile images on purpose. Not to depress us, but to wake us up. Because when we forget how short life is, we start living like we have forever.

David understood this. In Psalm 39:4-5 he prayed: "Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You."_

A handbreadth. That’s how wide your palm is. That’s how God measures our years.

2. Because life is short, eternity is urgent
If this life is the whole story, then eat, drink, and be merry. But Jesus said it isn’t.

Hebrews 9:27; "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."
Appointed. Once. Then judgment. Then eternity.

The "eternal call" is not just death. It’s the summons to stand before the One who made us. 2 Corinthians 5:10; "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

That is why Jesus kept telling parables about readiness:
- The ten virgins with lamps. Five were ready, five were not. Matthew 25:10 "and the door was shut."
- The rich fool in Luke 12:19-20 who built bigger barns and said "Soul, take your ease." But God said, _"Fool! This night your soul will be required of you."
- The servants in *Luke 12:35-36; "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master."

God is not trying to scare us. He’s trying to sober us. A student doesn’t study the night before an exam because he’s afraid of the paper. He studies because the exam is real and the date is set.

3. So how do we stay prepared?
"Prepared" doesn’t mean walking around in fear. It means walking in wisdom.

First: Be right with God today.
Isaiah 55:6; "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near."
Tomorrow is not promised. Proverbs 27:1: "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
Salvation is a present-tense thing. 2 Corinthians 6:2, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Second: Live with eternal priorities.
Colossians 3:2, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Matthew 6:19-20, Don’t store up moth-eaten treasures. Store up what outlives us: faith, obedience, love, souls.
Moses asked God in Psalm 90:12, for one thing: a wise heart. And wisdom starts with remembering the clock is ticking.

Third: Stay watchful and faithful in small things.
Revelation 16:15 Jesus Himself says: "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches."
Not because we know the day or hour. Matthew 24:44: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Preparedness looks like forgiveness offered today, not "one day." Prayer made now, not "when I’m less busy." Witness given to your neighbor, coworker, child, while they’re still here to hear.

4. The hope in the brevity
This message isn’t meant to crush us, It’s meant to free us.

When we know life is short, petty things lose their power. Grudges feel too expensive. Pride feels too heavy. You start saying "I love you" more. You start saying "I’m sorry" faster. You start saying "Yes, Lord" quicker.

1 Peter 1:24-25, "All flesh is as grass... but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Our lives are grass. But we are called to anchor ourselves to what never fades.

Paul said in Philippians 1:21: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
That’s a prepared heart. Not afraid of the call, because he’s been answering it every day.

Brothers and sisters, don’t wait for a funeral to get serious with God. Don’t wait for a diagnosis to make peace. Don’t wait for "later" to obey.

Number your days.
Redeem the time, Ephesians 5:16
Keep your lamp burning.
Live today like you may meet Jesus tomorrow, and plan for tomorrow like Jesus may tarry.

Because one day, the eternal call will come. For some it’s Christ’s return. For others it’s our last breath. Either way, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 promises there is a gathering for those who are ready: "and thus we shall always be with the Lord."

So let’s live in such a way that when that call comes, we don’t scramble. We answer, "Here I am, Lord. Amen 🙏+

20/06/2026

Morning Meditation!

God's Pruning
John 15:2-6

(2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (4) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (5) "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

New King James Version.

In John 15:2, Christ describes two distinct actions on the part of the Father: "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." These two actions are 1) taking away unproductive branches and 2) pruning productive ones. Both actions involve cutting, but the reasons for and the results of God's cutting are quite different.

In John 15:3-6, Christ elaborates on His Father's two actions: Removing (airo) unproductive branches and pruning (kathairo) productive ones. Concerned that His disciples understand that they are clean as a result of His Father's action, He focuses first on pruning (kathairo), keying in on its cleansing aspects: "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).

The adjective "clean" here is from the Greek katharos, obviously a word closely related to the verb kathairo. It means "blameless," "pure," "clean," "free of sin and guilt." Its first use is in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In verses 4-5, Christ continues His comments about the vine and the branches with a remarkable example of irony—irony to the point of paradox. Just how does a Christian experience cleansing? Not by separation, but by remaining unified with the Vine. Is there a contradiction between the idea of cleansing by removal (kathairo)—pruning—and Christ's admonition that we abide tenaciously in the Vine? No, there is not. It is all a question of who does what. We do the abiding, as Christ here commands that we do. God does the cutting.

The apostle Paul's comment in Colossians 3:10 (Good News Translation) points out God's role in maintaining the vitality of His people: "This is the new being [the new man] which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in His Own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of Himself." The pruning-cleansing (kathairo) mentioned in John 15 is one of the ways God constantly renews or maintains the new man. It is an ongoing creative act on God's part. Through His pruning, He strengthens the committed Christian, the one who resolutely clings to the Vine. The one who "endures to the end" the trials sent his way will be saved (Matthew 10:22).

With John 15:6, Christ returns to a discussion of that other action performed by His Father, "taking away" (airo) nonproductive branches: "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." This action does not result in their cleansing, however, but in destruction. In His comments to the church at Laodicea, Christ uses an even stronger verb than airo to describe the cutting away of unproductive branches: "I could wish that you were either cold or hot! But, since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I intend to spit you out of My mouth!" Revelation 3:15-16 (J.B. Phillips' paraphrase).

The unproductive branches experience removal, suffering loss at the same time—annihilation. They do not experience cleansing. We should do nothing that would put God in a frame of mind where He "intends" to detach Himself from us—whether by vomiting us from Him or through cutting us off as unproductive branches. To avoid rejection by God, we need to abide in Christ, connected to the Vine.

That is our responsibility. We must take no action that signals to God a lapse of our clinging-commitment no action that has the effect of separating ourselves from Him. Examples of such actions include failing to attend Holy services consistently or becoming remiss in daily prayer and Bible study. As we gradually become more unproductive, perhaps imperceptibly at first, we begin to droop, withering. Because of our lackluster approach our Laodicean attitude toward God, which may initially be neither hot nor cold God ultimately cuts us off, separating us from Himself. The result is catastrophic.

Conversely, the productive branches those Christians committed to remaining attached to the Vine, not permitting "any root of bitterness" (Hebrews 12:15) to develop as a result of God's correction (or trimming) experience cleansing, something far more desirable than burning.

Let us remember that God cleanses as He prunes. We need to be careful not to take any action that damages the fellowship we have with the Father, His Son, and each other, a fellowship made possible through enormous sacrifice on the part of the God Family.

God Bless US Amen 🙏+

24/04/2026

Morning Meditation!

Jesus Opens Eyes: Faith and Spiritual Understanding in Scripture.

Matthew 9:29
(29) Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."
New King James Version.

Jesus says, "According to your faith let it be to you," similar to His words to the centurion whose servant was dying in Matthew 8:13. In both cases, the condition for the miraculous cure is faith. Faith opens the door for divine blessing; its lack closes the door. Christ could do few mighty works in Nazareth due to the people's lack of faith (Matthew 13:57-58). Similarly, salvation is a great work, but unbelief prevents it. It is important to study the Word of God to increase faith, as it comes by hearing or reading God's Word (Romans 10:17).

"Their eyes were opened" is more than a description of a literal action; it is also a Hebrew figure of speech. The Jews thought of blind eyes as "shut," and seeing eyes as "open." Jesus removes two men's blindness they can now see and comprehend what was once closed to them. Thus, the opening of the eyes also suggests spiritual understanding.

Most people do not grasp the value or the meaning of Scripture, but Christ can open a person's eyes to enable him to understand His Word just as He did for His disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:16-31, 45). The psalmist prays, "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law" (Psalm 119:18)

God Bless US Amen 🙏+.

19/03/2026

Morning Meditation!
The Famine of God's Word

Amos 8:11–12
11. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
12. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

The prophet Amos was sent by God to the nation of Israel during a time of prosperity. Outwardly, the people were successful and comfortable, but spiritually they were corrupt.

There was injustice, oppression of the poor, dishonesty in business, and empty religious practices. People performed rituals, but their hearts were far from God. Amos’ mission was to call out this hypocrisy and warn of coming judgment.
In Amos 8:11–12, God declares that because the people rejected His Word when it was available, a time would come when they would desperately seek it but would no longer have access to it. This is a profound reversal. Instead of God constantly reaching out to guide and correct them, He would withdraw His voice. The people would wander from sea to sea, searching for truth, direction, and meaning, but they would not find it.

This “famine of the Word” is deeply symbolic. Physical famine causes suffering, weakness, and death, but a spiritual famine is even more dangerous. Without God’s Word, people lose moral direction, purpose, and understanding. The Word of God serves as a guide, a source of truth, and a foundation for righteous living. When it is absent, confusion and spiritual darkness take over.

The Israelites had access to God’s instructions through prophets, but they ignored or rejected them. They preferred comfort, wealth, and sinful practices over obedience. As a result, God allowed them to experience the consequences of their choices. This teaches that spiritual opportunities should never be taken for granted. When God speaks through Scripture, teaching, or conviction it is vital to listen and respond.

The famine described is not accidental; it is a direct result of the people’s disobedience. God’s silence becomes a form of judgment. This may seem harsh, but it reflects a principle found throughout Scripture: persistent rejection of truth can lead to its withdrawal. When people continually ignore God’s voice, their hearts become hardened, making it more difficult to hear Him.

Even though the people had previously ignored His Word, when it was gone, they longed for it. This reveals that the human soul is designed to seek God. No amount of wealth, success, or pleasure can replace the need for divine truth and guidance. When that connection is missing, there is a deep sense of emptiness.

Today, many people have access to the Bible and spiritual teachings, yet they often neglect or undervalue them. Distractions such as technology, entertainment, and material pursuits can take priority over spiritual growth. The warning in Amos challenges individuals to reflect on how they treat God’s Word. Are they listening, obeying, and applying it, or ignoring it?

Additionally, the idea of a “famine of the Word” can be seen in societies where truth is distorted or ignored. When moral standards are abandoned and truth becomes relative, confusion and instability follow. This reminds us that God’s Word is essential for maintaining righteousness and order in both personal lives and communities.

God Bless US, Amen 🙏+

11/02/2026

Overcoming Fear and Doubt: Trusting in God's Love and Promises.

2 Corinthians 13:5
(5) Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
New King James Version.

God, through Paul, commands us to examine our faith and to test ourselves. How can we know the strength of our faith—our belief in the words of God? One of the ways is to examine our fears and worries.

Nehemiah writes, "For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me" (Nehemiah 6:13). Why did Nehemiah call being afraid a sin? Because fear and worry call God a liar, insinuating that His words about His sovereignty, love, power, and faithfulness are not to be trusted. Fear and worry mirror the attitudes of a faithless Satan who believes God exists but does not believe what He says.

Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be anxious for nothing." In other words, we are commanded, "Don't worry about anything," another of God's absolutes. To have fear, worry, anxiety, or forebodings question God's goodness and care. They display a lack of faith in His promises of wise and gracious providence and cast doubts on the depth of the love God and Christ have for us. If we cannot trust God, how can He ever trust us? Why would Christ marry forever someone who doubts His love?

Rather than give in to fear and worry, we can choose an action to believe God and His love. If we believe in the depth of the love God (John 17:23) and Christ (John 15:13) have for us, believing those words, faith in that perfect love will cast out fear (I John 4:18) so that we can say as David did: "I will fear no evil; for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).

In Psalm 78:22 (New Living Translation—NLT), David succinctly cuts to the heart of Israel's problem, and by extension, ours: ". . . for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them." Doubting God's love for us is at the core of the sin of faithlessness. This doubt was a major characteristic of our ancestors, ancient Israel. ". . . because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, 'Is the Lord going to take care of us or not?'" [Exodus 17:7 (NLT)] They never overcame this sin of faithlessness. We must. The stakes are so much higher.

It is sobering to consider the fate of the fearful and unbelieving and the rank they are given in the list found in Revelation 21:8: "But the cowardly [fearful, KJV], unbelieving [faithless, RSV], abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

God tested the faith of Adam and Eve and of Abraham. The former failed, the latter succeeded. Eventually, God will put every human being to the same test.

As we cope with these tests we need to stir up (II Timothy 1:6) and exercise that gift of faith God gave us at the beginning, to get back to that first love and dedication to the words and promises God has given us.

We have the same choice as Adam and Eve, ancient Israel, and Abraham had. It is our decision to make: to believe God or to believe what we see the visible circumstances we face. Faith is life (Habakkuk 2:4), and faithlessness is sin (Romans 14:23) and therefore death (Romans 6:23). God entreats us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19).

God Bless Us Amen 🙏+

21/01/2026

Morning Meditation!

Understanding the Burnt Offering: Total Sacrifice and Devotion to Him.

Leviticus 1:9
(9) but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

New King James Version.

During the preparations for the burning, the entrails and legs representing our innermost being: the heart from which conduct springs; the viscera, our emotions; and the legs, our walk must be cleansed with water before all is burned on the fire. The burnt offering is cleaned on the inside and then completely consumed.

Here is pictured the standard of devotion to God; this is what God is aiming His children toward due to our access to Him through Christ. We are to be a cleansed, total sacrifice. We are to withhold nothing; we are to give our all. This is the hardest of all the offerings God calls upon us to perform because, like the rich young ruler, we want to reserve things for ourselves. Whatever it is, it is like a child's security blanket, and we love it and do not want to let it go.

David understood sacrificing, which II Samuel 24:24 reveals:

Then the king said to Araunah. "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

The burnt offering is painful because it is costly. It is so costly because it costs us our life. This is what we give in exchange for the forgiveness of our sins! Jesus Himself says this in Luke 14:26: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."

Hebrews 5:7-8 informs us that Jesus Christ felt His sacrifices not just His sacrifice on the stake, but also the multitude of sacrifices He made after emptying Himself of His godly prerogatives to live as a burnt offering for 33½ years.

God Bless Us Amen 🙏+

17/01/2026

Morning Meditation

Satan's Aim: The Abolition of Humanity in Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 2:2
(2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

New King James Version

What is the primary aim of "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2)? The abolition of man! Ever since God created the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been interested in nothing else but the eradication of humanity from his "proper domain" (Jude 6). He sees mankind, made after the God-kind (Genesis 1:26-27) with the potential of being born again into the God Family (John 3:3-8; Revelation 14:1-5; 20:4-6; etc.), as interlopers, squatters, and vagrants in his realm. He is painfully aware that God intends humanity to replace him and his demons as rulers of this planet, and he is fighting like a cornered rat to retain his place and power. Though he has already been personally defeated by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:14), he still believes he can win or at least frustrate and perhaps ruin God's plan by deceiving, attacking, destroying, and killing as many human beings as he can (I Peter 5:8). He especially desires to derail and exterminate as many of God's children as he can (Revelation 12:17).

Most people would probably laugh at such a notion, for it is not popular to believe in a being of ultimate evil like Satan the Devil. This is a very skeptical world. If people cannot see it, they do not believe it—and Satan has done a good job of deceiving the whole world into believing that he does not exist (Revelation 12:9). Now he can hide in plain sight and go virtually unnoticed. Mankind blithely ascribes his malicious works to "natural causes," "unfortunate accidents," "coincidences," "delusions," "mental illnesses," "misunderstandings," even "progress." Thus, the valueless educational methods of today are considered by the intelligentsia to be an evolutionary step forward for mankind—while the truth is that Satan has merely handed Western civilization a time bomb calibrated to render millions of people spiritually deaf to God's call.

The serpent is more subtle than any beast of the field (Genesis 3:1), and Adam and Eve's descendants are proving to be just as gullible and sinful as their first parents—perhaps more so in our degenerate age. It is interesting that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, their eyes were opened (verse 7), but in reality, now they had their eyes wide shut.

It is only when we are called by God and our eyes opened by His Holy Spirit that we can see what is really going on in the world (II Corinthians 3:16). We are in a life-and-death struggle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). We have to "put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (verse 11). In this battle, we have to recognize the real enemy and his stratagems and to "resist him, steadfast in the faith" (I Peter 5:9).

No worries. It is just the fate of humanity on the line.

God Bless Us Amen 🙏+

16/01/2026

We shall persist in fervent prayer until every straying soul is restored to the path of righteousness, every spirit that has fallen into slumber or spiritual lethargy awakens to the light of truth, and every soul that is spiritually dead is revived by the power of divine grace. This steadfast intercession is motivated by the urgent need to prepare the Bride of Christ—His faithful church—who is presently in a state of spiritual weakness or affliction. Our commitment to continual prayer reflects our deep concern for the spiritual health and ultimate salvation of all who are lost, dormant, or spiritually dead, and we trust in God's mercy to bring healing and restoration to His beloved Bride.

16/01/2026

Morning Meditation

Understanding Partiality in Faith: Respect of Persons in James 2 Explained

James 2:1
(1) My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

New King James Version

Instead of "partiality," the King James Version reads "respect of persons." In many ways, "respect of persons" is a plainer translation of the Greek, since that is exactly what the apostle is fighting: church members respecting some people over others. This problem frequently rears its ugly head, causing trouble among brethren, so it is good to know what it is and how it manifests itself in a congregation.

First, we need to make sure that we understand the full implications of partiality by reviewing some definitions of the term. Webster's Dictionary defines partial as "biased to one party; inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more than the other; not indifferent." A second meaning emphasizes favoring something "without reason," and a third, "affecting a part only; not general or universal; not total," implies dividing or separating things apart from the whole.

Another tool we can use to get a better grasp of a term is to see how other translations of a particular Bible verse use it. Here are several alternate translations of James 2:1:

International Standard Version: My brothers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by showing partiality.

New International Version: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Good News Translation: My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.

James Moffatt Translation: My brothers, as you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Glory, pay no servile regard to people.

William Barclay Translation: My brothers, you cannot at one and the same time believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and be a snob.

The New Testament in Modern English: Don't ever attempt, my brothers, to combine snobbery with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ!

Amplified Bible: My brethren, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold [and] practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of Glory, [together with snobbery]!

This term, rendered variously as "partiality," "favoritism," "respect of persons," "servile regard," and "snobbery" in James 2:1, means "the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men, instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not so . . ." (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

Parents almost always display partiality for their own children over other people's children, which is only natural, but sometimes they favor one of their own children over his or her sibling(s). This is bound to have disastrous results at some point.

Of course, there are racial, social, religious, and political prejudices. Many of these kinds of partialities can get one in trouble with the group in question, the law, the community, or the church, depending on how radically a person displays them. Even in supposedly free and equal societies, prejudices abound, as they are part of human nature.

Further, intellectual snobbery and elitism abound. Those who have advanced degrees too often look down their noses at those whose educational achievements were stymied by a lack of opportunity or funds or plain bad grades in school. Though it is more rare, a reverse intellectual snobbery has been known to exist among poorly educated people from time to time.

In the church, we often witness the "holier than thou" individual who wears his spirituality on his sleeve for all to see. He is quick to criticize others for their shortcomings, drawing away from fellowship with them for their "lack of conversion." Such a person is showing a bias toward his idea of righteousness, which, as we know, is called "self-righteousness."

There are many other kinds of partiality, and if one keeps an eye out for them, they are easy to spot. Respect of persons is part of the underside of the human condition, so it is not surprising that the Bible presents so many illustrations of it.

God Bless Us Amen 🙏+

15/01/2026

Unmasking Antinomianism: Balaam, Nicolaitans, and Lawlessness in Christianity

Revelation 2:14-15

(14) But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. (15) Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

New King James Version

The structure of this paragraph ties together the doctrine of Balaam, the sins of eating things sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Christ implies that all three are the same basic heresy under different guises. This antinomian teaching affected the church in Thyatira as well (Revelation 2:20-21).

Moses records Balaam's story in Numbers 22-25, 31. Balak, king of Moab, hires Balaam to curse the Israelites, but every time he tries, Balaam instead blesses them. He then counsels Balak to send Moabite and Midianite women into the camp of Israel to seduce the men and invite them to the sacrifices of their god (Numbers 25:1-2; 31:16). Clearly, Balaam's instruction included getting the Israelites to commit idolatry and sexual immorality.

Interestingly, these two practices arise in the Jerusalem Council in AD 49. Paul and Barnabas, with Peter's help, convince the assembled elders that Gentile converts to Christianity should not be required to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, Judaism's rigorous "yoke" of picayune laws (Acts 15:10). However, the Council enjoins the Gentiles on four points of typical Gentile religious practice:

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. (Acts 15:28-29)

Obviously, the Council's decree does not exempt Gentiles from keeping the Ten Commandments, for it is clear from many New Testament passages that Jesus and the apostles taught them to both Jews and Gentiles (e.g., Matthew 19:17-19; Romans 13:9; etc.). These two issues—idolatry and sexual immorality—became a flashpoint in the conflict between true Christianity and Hellenistic Gnosticism, and a person's stance on them exposed which side he favored. Thus, Nicolaitanism and Balaamism are biblical symbols or representatives of the larger Gnostic, antinomian influence on Christianity.

Is Nicolaitanism passé? Evidently not, for Jesus' admonitions in Revelation 2 indicate that this antinomian influence will remain until His return. Notice His warnings to Pergamos and Thyatira:

Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. . . . But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan [another allusion to antinomianism], as they call them, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. (Revelation 2:16, 24-25)

This does not mean that the particular sins of eating meat sacrificed to idols and sexual license will pervade the church until the end, although idolatry and sexual sins will certainly exist in it. He is more concerned about the antinomian spirit, the attitude of lawlessness, that allows these sins to infest the church. When members of the church teach and practice that they are not obliged to keep the laws of God, sin will inevitably break out vigorously. When this occurs, Christians are no longer under grace but under the penalty of the law and the wrath of the Judge (Romans 6:11-23; Hebrews 10:26-31; 12:25).

Jesus, Paul, Peter, Jude, and John warn against the encroachment of antinomianism or lawlessness. In His Olivet Prophecy, Jesus says: "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:11-12). What will happen to such lawless people? Jesus Himself answers:

Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:22-23)

Among Paul's end-time prophecies is his prediction of a great apostasy that results from the unrestrained assault of "the mystery of lawlessness" (II Thessalonians 2:1-7). This comes

with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. . . . Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught. . . . (II Thessalonians 2:10-12, 15)

Peter and Jude use similar language in their books to counter the antinomian teaching extant in their congregations (II Peter 2:9-10, 12-13, 15, 18-19; 3:17-18; Jude 3-4). John's epistles are likewise full of warnings against antinomian heresies. For instance, notice these passages:

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (I John 2:3-4)

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. (I John 3:4)

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. (I John 3:10)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (I John 5:2-3)

This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. . . . Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (II John 6, 9-11)

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (III John 11)

In addition, the gospel of John uses Jesus' own words during His ministry to attack antinomian heresies in the church. This much scriptural attention along with its prophetic implications warrants our taking careful notice.

God Bless Us Amen 🙏+

The Church of GOD Nigeria

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