Text: Matthew 5: 14 &16 “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.”
Happy Sunday, dear readers:
The times are what they are because of our individual resistance to allow change to begin with us.
The topic we address in this sermon touches on how faithful we as followers of Jesus Christ in our sojourn in life.
This informs the need for us to clarify, in the introductory remarks, the concepts of Christian walk, Corruption, and Society, to put the topic of the sermon in proper perspective.
The bible in 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things has passed away; behold all things have become new”.
The import of this statement by Apostle Paul to the Church is that Christian walk involves a new way of thinking.
A walk in this context is thus a metaphor for practical daily living.
In 1 John 2:6, we read that whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which He walked; guided by his righteousness, obedience to His commands, having unwavering faith, a new way of thinking, fidelity and such other virtues, irrespective of the circumstances in which the Christian finds himself.
It is common knowledge that our society is corruption-ridden. The 2023 Corruptions Perceptions Index of Transparency International scored Nigeria low in integrity ratings (145th among 180 countries).
A number of indices were considered in the evaluation, ranging from extortion of the poor people, stealing of public funds, greed and avarice and such other social vices, the level of decadence of which were identified in the report.
A corrupt society is thus one in which entrusted power is abused for private gain.
Corruption is a hydra headed monster that weakens democracy and not only short changes all efforts at economic development but exacerbates poverty thus making the poor poorer.
This is the society in which we find ourselves where dishonest and sharp practices are the norm where there is lack of integrity.
Quite a large number of people are crooked and wicked. It is one where Machiavellian principle of the end justifying the means is the mindset.
The average Christian is hooked by human nature that is fallen and this has corrupted the flesh which explains why the common maxim of if you cannot beat them, join them weighs in the bandwagon effect of corruption.
However, the expectation of Jesus Christ in the life of a true Christian is encapsulated in John 17:23a “I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect.”
This reminds us of the scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 earlier alluded to, that we as Christians should live a new life, as redeemed children of God. Ephesians 5:15-16 admonishes us to walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise ones, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
It therefore becomes a burden on us as Christians to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (Philippians 2:15).
The wisdom for Christian walk in a corrupt society revolves around four peculiar seasons of life, namely:
i] season of outward prosperity when everything seems to be running smoothly for us
ii] season of outward troubles and affliction when things seems to be upside down for us and the future looks bleak.
iii] season of temptation including when we are encouraged to follow the multitude to do evil and
iv] season of scriptural desertion when the Word of God no longer has a good grip on our conscience.
In all of these seasons, the choice to walk with the Lord and be guided by His spirit is the decision that gives joy in this life and hereafter.
What baffles one is that despite the disgrace that follows ill-gotten wealth even some supposed children of God are not deterred.
There are several cases of the high and mighty that have from fallen grace to grass and after their fall they fake Christianity and publicly make the Bible their companion.
No one is insulated from temptation; it takes a grim determination to refuse to fall into it; and according to Mark 13:37 it is the duty of the believer to always watch.
The watch will not be one off, this is because if Satan comes once and finds the believer watching, he will go and come again looking for an opportunity when he may find him sleeping to plant chaff among the grain (see Luke 4:13 and John 14:30).
Brethren, how then do we live a victorious Christian life?
Jesus Christ Himself has equipped us with the knowledge of Him and all that we require is to blossom. 2 Peters 1: 3-4 says “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Man lives with the fear of the needs for and the means of getting basic things of life and graduates to the level of greed land later moves to the level of inordinate acquisition of ephemeral things and then to terminal destruction. All these happen when we do not trust and obey the Lord.
We tend to walk the journey of life relying on human wisdom. We are called by Jesus Christ to kowtow to him in body, soul and spirit, that way; we will not be recipients of satanic shame which is the end result of corruption.
When John Henry Sammis wrote the Methodist hymn 516 “Trust and Obey” in 1919, his major concern was with the rewards of trusting the word of God and obeying His will by walking with Him in any circumstances of life we may find ourselves. The ultimate reward is to sit in fellowship at His feet in eternity.
Children of God, may I ask, would you rather get crushed by the spoils of corruption in a morally decadent society than to walk with Him and reign with Him in His eternal Kingdom?
Our walk should be different because we are the scriptures people now read and we are supposed to be the light of the world.
May God bless His Word for the deliverance of our souls. Amen.
Have a great week ahead!
Very Revd Dr S.O. Olanipekun, is a Presbyter, Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. He can be reached on +2348033827897
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