Choose to love

Context is important to make informed 
decisions, without context we can take 
any issue, judge it by the appearance 
and we will land at a very 
wrong conclusion. 
A born again polygamist is not going 
to hell, neither will 
a born again divorcee or a born 
again serial monogamist.
The terms of our salvation were 
clearly spelled out in John 3:16, 
the price for our salvation was paid 
by only one entity and we are 
required to pay nothing else apart 
from believing in the son of God and 
confessing him as our Lord and savior.
This agreement was brokered by God 
himself from the very beginning.
It had nothing to do with religion 
or “Christianity”. It was based on 
relationships. Abraham believed and it 
was counted to him as righteousness.
If we will all be frank, as 
believers who came to know the 
way of salvation in Christ Jesus in 
the New Testament. 
Abraham didn’t worship God the way 
we did.
He worshiped according to the dictates 
of his time and season but the one 
thing he had in common with us 
is a glorious relationship with God.
Most people who claim to be Christians 
today are religious in their walk and 
relationship with God. 
This is very sad because God didn’t 
call us to religion. We were called 
into a relationship.
Our relationships have a general 
guideline but it also has a personal 
intimacy to it that differs from 
one believer to the other. 
The Father had a relationship with 
the prodigal son.
He also had a relationship with 
the prodigal son’s brother.
The two sons didn’t follow the 
same life pattern or ideology, to be 
frank they were both very different 
in their disposition towards their 
father yet the Father loved both of 
them equally. 
Some of us may even argue
that the father loved the prodigal 
son more. (This isn’t true but it 
seems so on the surface).
In our walk with God, we must 
be very personal and keep out 
Of the business of other believers 
lest we end up poking our noses where 
it doesn’t belong.

I remember the first time I read 
that Elijah slept in the same house 
for many months with a widow…
If Elijah is of this generation, 
he will be vilified on social media 
by religious folks. What sort of 
a man of God sleeps in the 
same house with a single woman 
who is very much flesh and blood 
like him. We will blog about him 
for traffic and use this misconduct 
against him even though God told 
him personally to leave the brook 
Cherith and stay with the widow 
throughout the duration 
of the famine.

What about Hosea, and his relationship 
with Gomer. God said he was 
using this prophet’s life as an 
illustration to the children of 
Israel.
God was playing Hosea and Gomer, 
the prostitute was being depicted as 
a representation of the nation of 
Israel.
Did God consider the people’s opinion 
of the man Hosea in all these?
Yes he did, he was banking 
On the people calling him names 
and mocking him. When they do 
that, they justify God and condemn 
themselves but they wouldn’t realize 
this at that moment.
Remember when Peter asked Jesus what 
fate awaits John (after they had 
a conversation about death and 
persecution). Jesus said “What is that 
to you? You follow me”
See? It is a personal call.
It is a personal walk.
It is always a one-on-one affair, 
there is no group salvation and 
there is no collective relationship.
That we attend the same church 
means we all agree and believe 
in the doctrine of that church but 
that does not mean we are 
better than those whose doctrines 
do not agree with us as 
long as they do not believe in 
anything or anyone other than Jesus 
and they have a relationship with 
the Holy Spirit.
I know a Pastor once, he is 
late now. Before he joined the 
Pentecostal movement he was in the 
white garment church and he had 
three wives.
Then he joined the Pentecostals and 
their doctrine stated that had 
to give up his last two wives 
or he wouldn’t be able to minister 
as a pastor (note that they 
didn’t tell him he will go to 
hell for marrying more than one wife)
He wouldn’t be a church leader just 
as Paul wrote to Timothy when he 
was counseling him on the criteria 
by which a church leader should be 
chosen and also following the 
criteria for choosing the deacons 
in the book of Acts. 
This pastor did what 
was popularly referred to as restitution 
not because God said he should 
but because It was what the 
doctrine the Pentecostals demanded and 
everybody saw him as fulfilling the 
demands of doctrine (not the demands 
of making heaven). 
Another pastor got divorced and chose 
to remarry. 
Many people said “the Bible said he 
should remain as he was”. But his ex-wife 
had remarried in America with four children, 
there was no room for reconciliation.
This man remarried and 
as a result he had to leave the 
Pentecostal church he was attending 
and started another one free of that 
doctrine. He is still a Man of God, 
called by the Lord Jesus and 
his ministry still thrives.
Another Pastor got divorced and refused 
to remarry stating that in his 
opinion he is still married even 
though his wife sued for divorce and 
left him based on irreconcilable 
differences. This pastor also thrives
and the Lord is manifesting His glory 
in His ministry every day.
There is another pastor who married 
many wives, became a Christian, and 
refused to do that restitution thing.
The man became a king in his 
community and has led many to 
Christ by his exemplary Christian 
conduct and life. 
I write this to say 
boldly that none of us has a 
right to imagine that He or She 
knows the mind of God and plan 
of God regarding the walk of others.
You can speak in the light of 
your doctrine but not according to 
the plan of God for the individual.
A Nigerian pastor went to the
USA for his Ph.D. in theology and 
was attached to a church.
After service the Reverend in charge 
Of the church he was attached to 
invited him to his office and he 
saw the good reverend smoking a 
cigarette. He said he almost fainted 
with shock. It was a cultural thing 
not about heaven Or hell.
A pastor went to Germany for a 
crusade, the people that came were 
drinking beer like water but they 
don’t take coffee, then he went 
to Romania and the people were 
drinking coffee but not touching 
beer.
He concluded that Jesus was right 
when he said what we eat doesn’t
make us sinners but what comes 
out of us. So what is coming 
out of you? Judgment, anger, pain, 
jealousy, strife, woe, or Peace, 
understanding, harmony, and love?
It is what comes out of you 
that tells us who lives within 
you. Our walk is personal and 
none of us was given the right 
to Judge the other, we were 
given the commandment to love 
one another, not judge one another!
Let this be your watchword!

I choose to love

-GSW-