Acts 20:27 “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”
Jesus Christ called His disciples and servants to proclaim the whole counsel of God. The gospel was never meant to be reduced to a single message that appeals to the flesh but lacks the power to save. Whoever deliberately departs from the whole counsel of God to promote a selective message that exalts the desires of men has departed from the pattern established by Christ and His apostles.
Yet, in this generation, many ministers have chosen specific areas of emphasis that please them. In contrast, others have become instruments through which the enemy distracts the children of God from the true gospel.
Some claim to be called exclusively to the ministry of deliverance. Some say they are called to make people rich. Others claim that their assignment is to increase faith in believers.
Some claim to be called to give children to the barren, while others claim to be spiritual warriors who fight battles on behalf of believers. They gather crowds and promise to help people possess their possessions and overcome every household enemy.
But when these things become the centre of the message, they distract from the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The enemy succeeds in shifting the attention of believers from the Giver to the gifts, from the kingdom to its benefits, and from salvation to material and temporary needs.
Jesus Christ said:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
Yet, many have reversed the order. They seek the things that should be added and neglect the kingdom and righteousness that should be sought first.
It is addition that many so-called preachers now preach. They remove the whole message from the sight of men and centre their teachings on things that have no power to preserve the soul for eternity.
If temporary blessings alone could take men to heaven, Satan could provide counterfeits of them as well.
Satan can give temporary relief. He can postpone the manifestation of evil. He can provide counterfeit blessings. He can give riches in exchange for souls. He can give things to his followers, but he cannot give eternal life.
Life is found only in Jesus Christ.
This is why the message of every true minister of God must lead men beyond temporary benefits and bring them into the knowledge of Christ. Had many ministers been genuinely sent by God, they would have proclaimed the whole counsel of God, producing souls for the kingdom and bringing glory to God.
Men are desperately pursuing the world while losing their souls.
What is the value of a deliverance that does not deliver a man from the power and consequences of sin?
Some people remove accursed properties during deliverance, only to return to them afterwards. The moment they restore those things to their lives, they rebuild the same strongholds that once kept them in captivity.
They are delivered from problems but remain bound by sin.
They are delivered from affliction but continue to live in lust.
What then is the purpose of such deliverance?
Will they depend on temporary experiences to see the face of God, or will they hold firmly to the cross of Calvary and allow Christ to deliver them from the flesh, lust, and pride?
No wonder many can no longer distinguish between the holy and the unholy, between the will of God and their own desires. Their attention is constantly fixed on what the enemy has done, while they neglect what Christ has already accomplished through His death and resurrection.
There can be no complete deliverance where the works and instruments of darkness are continually retained.
There can also be no true prosperity without holiness.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Mark 8:36
Satan can also give riches without holiness. The difference lies in the source and the price attached to what is received.
The blessing of God adds no sorrow. However, Satan can give riches with hidden conditions that eventually remove the joy of possessing them.
There are agents of darkness whose purpose is to make Christians sacrifice their salvation on the altar of material possessions.
What is the value of receiving something in this world if it ultimately destroys your eternity?
Lazarus died without earthly riches, yet he entered into everlasting comfort in Abraham’s bosom. Others who enjoyed temporary pleasures have entered into eternal judgment.
Some in hell would gladly return to earth, even to a life of poverty and suffering, if only they could escape eternal judgment. But for them, it is too late.
During their lifetime, they rejoiced in the suffering of others and lived according to their own pleasures. Now, their judgment is fixed.
God desires to bring you to a place where He becomes your greatest possession.
Even if you have nothing in this world, if you have God, He is more than enough.
This life is temporary. Why should anyone spend eternity pursuing pleasures that will soon pass away?
Preaching only a portion of the gospel while avoiding the whole counsel of God is a spiritual shortcut. It allows men to pursue the benefits of Christianity while avoiding the demands of true repentance, holiness, obedience, and transformation.
Many desire to continue in sin while still expecting unrestricted access to the throne of grace.
By such reasoning, men attempt to merge sin with the goodness of God to achieve their personal desires.
But whatever is obtained through compromise cannot be regarded as the true blessing of God. It becomes a counterfeit that ultimately holds the soul captive.
The apostles of Jesus Christ preached the whole counsel of God.
Through the same gospel, they healed the sick, ministered to the needy, and cast out demons.
“Freely ye have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:8
The problem with many selective messages today is that they attract people who are not seeking Christ Himself. They attract those who only desire what can be obtained from God… to be continued
Prayer: Father lord, deliver your church from the spirit of selective messages in Jesus’ name, amen.
