GOD’S PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT
With Pastor Godfrey Wippon
God’s people have always been different from the world. Whether in relation to the general moral standards or the readily accepted religious beliefs around them, God’s people must be different.
I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHICH HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM OTHER PEOPLE” (LEVITICUS 20:24)
These are the words of God to His first chosen people, the Israelites.
Israel was in a unique position in the Old Testament. Israel means “RULING WITH GOD”.
When they recognised that they were a sanctified or separated people they were overtaken by the blessing of God. When they wanted to be like everyone else, they paid the price.
Today in the New Testament age The Spirit-filled (Holy Spirit) Church is now God’s Vessel, and the same principles of this separation still apply.
The Church is called “to go into the world”, to preach the gospel, but must be ever vigilant to ensure that the world doesn’t come into the Church. Today politics and culture have influenced the churches and as a result, no power, no meaning, no proof of God’s presence.
The Lord Jesus Himself spoke about the quickening, and reviving of the word of God, which sanctifies (separates and sets apart) the Church:
JOHN 17: 14 – I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of this world.
Vs.15 “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one. ”
Vs.16 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
Vs.17 “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.”
There is a myriad of different doctrines today. It is claimed that there are over 1,000 variations of Christianity alone.
Clearly, in such an environment as this, there must be a multitude of divergent views on even the most basic of doctrines of salvation and how to live in God’s favour.
God poses the question in the Book of Amos 3: 3. “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?”
Jesus was critical of the religious “blind leaders of the blind” of His day (Matthew 15:14) and calls His followers to turn away from the powerless religions of the last days (2 Timothy 3:5).
In PNG now we have so many churches with their different doctrines and the majority of our people do not know this. We all have been indoctrinated or led to believe that all churches are God’s churches and we can attend them and we shall inherit the Kingdom of God.
This is not true according to the Word of God. The church of God is the Holy Spirit Church-Power Church, founded on the day of Pentecost.
Many members of God’s Church have come out from these churches where we attended fellowships, prayed, read the bible, sang choruses, and yet our attitudes did not change. In Pidgin we say “LOTU LOTU TASOL PASIN INO SENIS”.
We must understand that we are all subjected to the Lord God alone and not to any man. God exhorts such people to “COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, LEST YOU SHARE IN HER SINS, AND LEST YOU RECEIVE OF HER PLAGUES” (REVELATION 18:4).
In a solemn warning to the elders at Ephesus, the apostle Paul warned of “grievous wolves” coming in among the flock of God. Even former members can be a danger to God’s sheep (ACTS 20:26-32, 1 JOHN 2:19, PSALMS 55:12-21).
God’s people must withdraw themselves from those who walk disorderly (2 Thessalonians 3:6) and be wary of those who have become bitter (HEBREWS 12: 14 & 15).
The Church must avoid those who cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine we have learned (ROMANS 16: 17 & 18). It is dangerous to allow false doctrine into our homes as our families could become confused (2 JOHN 10 & 11).
In our modern society, many worldly ways could be tempting to Christians, but God’s ways are always far superior (ISAIAH 55: 6 – 11).
The Church in Galatia began well when they received the Holy Spirit but reverted back to their old thoughts. They began in the Spirit and then tried to introduce worldly, natural wisdom. (GALATIANS 3: 1 – 3).
Many modern, and often Spirit-filled, churches have reduced the Spiritual content of their ministry and have increased their social services. Their community profile is lifted by relying on prosperity doctrines and entertainment, at the expense of the Word of God, to bring people in.
There is no substitute for God’s Son, God’s Word and God’s Spirit. Those who sow to the flesh shall reap corruption (GALATIANS 6: 8).
The RCPNG has been operating separately from the world and other churches for the last 31 years since its inception in PNG. As a result, our Lord God has blessed us greatly and our people are testifying everywhere. Our Fellowship is booming in PNG with 200-300 converted every week.
We are called by God for a special task. We don’t forbid others (MARK 9: 38 – 40), but we keep ourselves busy for the Lord preaching to the unsaved and shepherding our own.
The world and its religions have no place in the Church of God. It is the Church of God that will become the KINGDOM OF GOD in the end.
