Agreement
From the Pastor’s heart
2Co_6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
I am becoming increasingly interested in the amazing reality of light and darkness. I am beginning to realise with some amazement that this whole Universe was created by God in darkness. Apparently, parts of this darkness are so great that it is impossible for even stars to shine in some places like Black Holes. Yet, all stellar objects like the sun, moon and stars shine in darkness by the design of God. If you removed all light giving objects, you would have blackness or darkness. Gen 1:2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep…. So, before God created anything in our known Universe and on earth where we now exist in the light, there was absolute darkness.
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it. Why should it? Is the Bible speaking of the same darkness as the blackness of space or is the Bible speaking of another light and another darkness? I believe it is talking about the light of Jesus and the darkness of evil. It is with this spiritual darkness that light has no agreement. The light being Jesus and darkness being evil and the devil. The devil himself is a victim of evil and darkness as he was once a creature of light. When he was cursed by God, he became a creature of darkness of the evil kind. Jud_1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness….
Often time the devil uses the cloak of physical darkness to carry out his activities but the true darkness he uses is deception. 2Co 4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest thelight of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The contrast of light and darkness is apparent here. The light is associated with the gospel which has to do with our spiritual eyes seeing and hearts knowing the truth versus the lies and deceptions of the devil to hide things associated with the truth. It is through this minefield of knowledge and truth we must journey, constantly seeking the word to light our path. The word is that source and giver of light we need to use to access this revelation. Psa_119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Without the word we will not understand light or darkness and so the truth will escape us. This is what the devil wants.
Agreement with either side therefore becomes an extremely important spiritual concept. We must know how to apply our faith in order for our lives to be blessed. Agreement on many levels obviously extend into the natural as much as the spiritual and covers both written and spoken agreements. The value of such agreements are tremendously powerful in both what they agree to and what they disagree about. Here are some ways in which we can participate in agreements. Since most agreements are word based and are either spoken or written they have a legal component to them which is binding on all parties. Some examples:
1. By speaking them or writing them down and signing off on them. Psa 66:13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, Psa 66:14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. 2Ch_34:31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
2. The other way is, when we participate in an agreement through our actions. A person can come into agreement with the light through faith actions or the dark side by committing a murder etc. This is coming into an agreement by action.
3. One can also come into an agreement by association by the use of oil or handkerchiefs for prayer or taking an object into one’s possession that is from the dark side either innocently or not so innocently. Gen 31:34Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. By this act, Rachel had brought upon herself a curse that ended in her death because Jacob had pronounced it without knowing it. Gen 31:32With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. Even though Jacob did not know it, the act of taking it had opened a legal door by his words through which the evil one brought death.
What one must realise is, that in life, all agreements are legal and binding irrespective of the fact that you make them with God or the devil. They stand firm. They cannot be broken but can only be overcome by the grace and mercy of God. When God commanded Adam & Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were safe from any harm and danger as long as they obeyed. The devil knew that in order for them to fail God, he would have to bring them into agreement with sin. The moment they heeded the words of the devil and broke agreement with God through disobedience of His command which is a legal and binding command, they failed in their agreement with light and joined themselves to darkness. Yet, God overrode that with His mercy and grace.
The agreements we make are often time not even understood by us. When we confess negatively, when we use idle words, joke and act foolishly, we come into agreement with un-Godly powers. The power of life and death are in the tongue but so too in our actions. Being unequally yoked with unbelievers and believers is a big problem in the Christian world. The next few verses highlight these concepts. 2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2Co 6:16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. With believers, the following verse applies because of various problems that arise with differences. 1Co_5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Amo_3:3Can two walk together, except they be agreed? When we have differences in vision, doctrine or worldly practices, we cannot walk together; we are unequally yoked. There will be a clash at some stage even though we may be brothers. One must be aware that such unequal relationships do not sit well with God. I know of so many who marry unbelievers because they say they have fallen in love only to end up in serious trouble because of this. Furthermore, we must be wise when we deal with people in the world especially when coming into any form of agreement with them. We will be severely disadvantaged if we do not use wisdom because of what we are allowed to do based on the word of God. The work place can be such a place where agreements are made that are contrary to God’s ways. We succumb to them because we are pressured to have and keep a job. We must trust God not man. We must be able to say “no” to ungodly practices, like bribing, lying or selling ungodly items like alcohol etc.
Light basically has nothing to do with darkness. However, having said that, I also know that the natural world is a determining factor in our spirituality. What we do and say in the natural has great bearing on our spiritual lives and the level of our spirituality. Many do not understand this in the Christian world and go about trying to live a dual life based on allowances saying God forgives and is full of grace. I think deliberate acts of continuity in sin do not come under His grace. Rom_8:13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Gen_6:3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh…. I am constantly being made aware of my own weakness and need for the word of God to be a light to my path so that I do not walk in darkness. Darkness as practiced by the devil is subtle and sudden and worst of all insidious, lying in wait for an opportunity to trip up God’s people into some area of sin that he can then dominate them in. His aim is to eventually have world domination of mankind and destroy us. We see that he has been quite successful in blinding the eyes of many and causing them to walk in darkness devoid of God’s love and light. God’s light is love and acceptance. Yet, many do not know this because of what darkness has done to them.
Let us learn to walk in the light. 1Jn 1:5This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1Jn 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The hour is upon us even more so now than ever before because the word of God is being manipulated and shut up by many who do not know what they are even preaching anymore They have been deluded to produce a watered down, easy gospel that tickles the ears. The strong man’s gospel is about reproving the works of darkness. Eph 5:11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
26/03/2017