Matthew 24:14 (NET)And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
When Nneka accepted the Lord Jesus, she was told that she needed to be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. She was taught the importance of water baptism and how it was her final burial and disconnection from the world. She died to the old life through faith in Christ but would be buried through baptism(see Romans 6:4). She was also taught that it was the empowerment of the Holy Spirit through His baptism that would make it possible for her to live a life of perpetual victory over sin and the devil(see Acts 1:8, Rom 8:13).
These teachings and many others made it impossible for Nneka to continue to be unequally yoked together with her unbeliever friends because she was too conscious of the fact that she was now a new creation in Christ. Nneka received the gospel of the kingdom and the evidence of the exchanged life was there for all to see. The true gospel of the kingdom is powerful enough to turn a sinner into a Saint. But too many these days have received a gospel that is not the true gospel.
Today there is a gospel that excludes the teachings about repentance and baptisms and only emphasizes material prosperity. People can attend church for years and never hear that they are to forsake a life of sin and fleshly lusts and walk in the holiness of God.
Go into today remembering that any gospel that forgets to teach young believers to forsake fleshly lusts is not the gospel of the kingdom. Any gospel that teaches grace without emphasizing that grace is not a license for sinning but empowerment to walk above sin is another gospel and not the gospel of the kingdom(see Rom 6:1, Tit 2:11).
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you walk in the reality and power of the gospel of the kingdom.
—Abraham Damilola Arigi
Bible in one year: Genesis 36-39
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