APPROVED OF GOD  

Raphael Oye Taiwo

Unity Christ Evangelical Ministry (UCEM)

www.ucevam.com

 

Lesson Four

How God chooses and approves men

 

 Things that may cause God to disapprove and refuse to choose a Christian (continued from lesson three) 

 Ungodly words - Matt 12:37; Prov. 6:2; Matt 12:36. Many have had written across their names the word ‘rejected’ in God’s book, just because of the ungodly words they utter. Some Christians, at the slightest provocation, will utter derogatory words against their leaders in the Lord, in spite of God’s words in 1 Thess 5:12-13. They will not hesitate to slander, backbite and drag the names of other Christians in the mud. These people will certainly suffer the Lord’s rejection. Jer 6:28-30 says, ‘They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander…They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.’ (NIV). Read  Prov 10:18; Lev 19:16; James 4:11.

Sin. Gen 6:6-8. Why was God grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain? Sin. Sin. Sin. Because of sin God rejected the whole people of the earth, safe Noah and his family. They were wiped out of the surface of the earth. Ps 78:57-60; 2 Chron 24:15 – 20. Why was a whole nation of people forsaken by God? They disobeyed the commandments of God. God can forsake a whole Ministry or church or a whole nation because of sin. A Christian or a minister who is walking in sin is asking for God’s rejection, even if he is the man after God’s heart.

Rebellion. God hates rebellion. That is why the judgment of Korah, Dathan and Abiram was very swift and severe (Numbers 16:1-3, 32-33, 35, 41-50). Note that the 250 people who perished in this rebellion were important people among the people of God, princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown (Num 16:2). Num 12:1-15: Miriam had seen all the miracles the Lord did among thee people. She was a prophetess of God, a special person among the people of God. Yet God rejected her for a time because of her rebellion against Moses, the man of God. And if it had not been for Moses’ love for her, she would have been ‘like one dead.’

Failure to bear fruit. Luke 13:6-9; John 15:2,8. The Lord expects every Christian to bear fruit. If you don’t bear fruit, as you should, you will suffer God’s disapproval. The fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance Gal 5:22-23. God expects you to bear fruit by bringing people to Jesus, by contributing to your church growth, by making others love the Lord more.

Discouragement. The most effective weapon in the devil’s arsenal. A discouraged servant of God is like an engine empty of fuel. Elijah’s great ministry would have ended untimely if the Lord had not intervened in time – 1 Kings 19:1-5. The Lord was showing great goodness to the Israelites by leading them to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. But the people got discouraged and many of them were rejected by God, with the result that they perished - Num 21:4-6. If you give up because you are discouraged, you will forfeit God’s approval. You will lose His favor.

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