We live in a world, where everyone has an opinion. Get into a group of ten people and bring up a topic and you’ll hear different opinions. This isn’t surprising, since they have different backgrounds in relation to the family they were raised in and the way they were nurtured, the environment, aganuu, education, ma isi. But if you believe in Jesus Christ and become born again in Him and become a Christian, then it’s no longer about you and about your opinion and findings, but what the Word of God says. Because on the Day of Judgment, the Word shall judge everyone according to his works. O lea la, let the Word be your Judge in your life on earth.
Why is it important to read and study the Bible?
If everyone, who calls themselves a Christian, would be born again and read and study the Bible by themselves through the Holy Spirit, then the church would no longer be a receptacle of all kinds of human reasonings, opinions, and doctrines, where there is disunity, but the church would form a unity through the Word, and be a witness of Jesus Chris and represent the will of God and live according to His will and establish His Kingdom on earth (Faitau foi: ‘What is wrong with the church?‘ ma ‘What causes divisions in the church‘).
Because through the Word you will get to know the will of God and if you really love Jesus and follow Him, you shall keep His commandments and you shall subdue the will of the flesh to the will of God.
Unfortunately, many Christians are too busy with their own lives and the things of the world and spend all their time on temporary things, which have no eternal value (Faitau foi: ‘What are the 7 uiga o aso o Noa?‘ ma ‘Too busy being busy‘).
E toatele Kerisiano, who rather listen to all kinds of (famous) preachers and feed themselves with new doctrines, even if the doctrines contradict the Word, instead of taking the Bible and reading and studying the Bible themselves, so that they will get to know God and God will speak to them directly and they find out what the will of God is.
Because on the Day of Judgement Jesus shall recognize His people and the Word shall judge everyone according to his works and everyone shall give account from every idle word they have spoken (a.o. Mataio 12:36-37, Ioane 12:48, Roma 2:16, 2 Timoteo 4:8, Faaaliga 20:11-14).
When you stand before the Throne, you shall no longer be able to make excuses for your words and works. You can’t say, “But, the preacher said this or that or the preacher made me do it”. Because God has made Himself known and revealed His will in and through His Word; Iesu Keriso, Who is the reflection of God.
The Lord has given everything: His Word and His Spirit, but it’s up to people, what they have done with His Word and His Spirit on earth.
The idle words and love of the world
The idle words and love of the world please the flesh and approve and tolerate the works of the flesh and promote sin. Look at the (social) media, where the works of the flesh are promoted and people are encouraged to live a sinful lifestyle.
Because the agenda of the world and the purpose of the ruler of the world is to ensure that everyone keeps doing the works of the flesh and perseveres in sin and stays in the bondage of sin and death.
The words and love of the world tolerate, accept and promote sin and keep the people in bondage and eventually lead to eternal death.
The words and love of God
But the words and the love of God don’t please the flesh but the spirit, and don’t approve the works of the flesh, but testify that the works of the flesh are evil and that everyone, who keeps doing the works of the flesh and persevere in sin, doesn’t belong to God and have not known God personally (a.o. 1 Ioane 2:28-29; 3:4-9; 5:18-19).
The words and love of God call to repentance and discipline, correct, and chastise man. The Word means death for the flesh but life for the spirit.
The carnal man, who is not born again, shall consider the words of God as harsh and relentless instead of compassionate and loving.
They shall not be able to bear the Word, because the Word separates spirit and soul and testify that the works of the flesh are evil and therefore condemns them. That’s why the carnal man shall reject the words of God.
But the spiritual man, who is born again in Christ, shall consider the words of God as precious and loving.
They shall believe and love the Word and submit to the Word by obeying the Word and applying the words of God in their lives.
They shall be willing and allow the Word to correct and chastise them and keep the commandments of Jesus. Since the spiritual man knows that submission to the words of God brings forth peace and (eternal) life.
“He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: le upu ua ou fai atu ai”
.Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: le upu ua ou fai atu ai, o ia lava lea e faamasino ia te ia i le aso gataaga. Auā ‘ou te le‘i tautala fua ‘iā te a‘u; a o le Tamā o lē na auina mai aʻu, Na Ia tuuina mai ia te au se poloaiga, mea e tatau ona ou fai atu ai, ma mea e tatau ona ou tautala atu ai. Ma ua ou iloa o Lana poloaiga o le ola e faavavau lea: o le mea lea ou te tautala atu ai, e pei lava ona fetalai mai o le Tamā ia te au, so I speak (Ioane 12:44-50)
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him. E moni, e moni, Ou te fai atu ia te outou, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. E moni, e moni, Ou te fai atu ia te outou, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man (Ioane 5:22-27)
Jesus represented His Father and was a reflection of His Father. Because Jesus said, he that has seen Me has seen Him that sent Me. Jesus didn’t speak His own words, but Jesus spoke the words of the Father that represent His will.
When Jesus walked on the earth it wasn’t His time to judge the people.
The purpose of Jesus’ coming was not to judge but to save the world. First by calling the people of the house of Israel to repentance and by preaching and bringing the Kingdom of God and eventually through His redemptive work, whereby those, who believe in Him shall be saved (Faitau foi: ‘The true meaning of the cross‘).
But there shall be a time, that Jesus will judge everyone according to their works and they shall give account from every idle word they have spoken.
If you believe in Jesus Christ, o le Alo o le Atua, and take the words of Jesus and obey and do them, and because of that, have shown Him that you are born of God and belong to Him and love Him, you shall be saved.
But if you reject the words of Jesus, then those same words, which Jesus has spoken, shall judge you and condemn you.
Let the Word be your Judge in your life
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it (Isaia 1:18-20)
I le olaga, it’s not about people’s opinions and what they say, but it’s about God’s opinion and what God says. What does the Word say? Because eventually, it’s the Word Who shall judge you, and not people (Lees ook: ‘Gods Word has the final word on the Day of Judgment‘)
Therefore it’s so important that the Word is the highest authority in everyone’s life and that the Word is the center in families, and children will be raised from a young age in the will of God and they will get to know Jesus Christ and God the Father through the Word, so that children will learn to submit to Him and His Word and fear the Lord (having great awe for the Lord) and love Him and have an experiential relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Because the Word is meant for both young and old. No child is too young to hear and understand the words of God. That’s what the world wants you to believe, but it’s a lie from the devil.
Let the Word be the highest Authority in your life and let the Word be your Judge. Consult and listen to the Word and submit yourself to the Word and obey the words of God in your life, so that on the Day of Judgement you won’t be surprised by the verdict.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
