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Gen. 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”
Man was originally created in the likeness of God such that he would not experience pain, crises of any kind and death. He was to be like God in all formation and living in a special garden without fear and having dominion over every other creature. The power to be immuned from crises and pain was derived from being the image of God which consists of righteousness, and true holiness. But very unfortunately man lost all these privileges after he committed sin.
Rom. 3: 23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
Sin stripped man of his divine image and as a result subjected him to all manner of crises. The likeness of righteousness and holiness upon which man was justified to have dominion over other creatures was suspended and man thus became prone to even death. So the crisis in the world today is as a result of sin.
If not sin the world would have been a better place worthy of living but it is bedevilled of all evil and wickedness. Intelligentsias have done in vain all researches they could in order to find solution to crises created as a result of sin. But it does not require scientific approach to know that repentance is the solution. There is no degree of expertise that could bring peace in the world, no amount of technology could transform the situation until there is a total repentance.
The issue is that humanity has sinned and refused to repent. Abomination is the order of the day. Wickedness is now considered as normal. There are lots of killings, divorces, rituals, robberies, kidnappings, raping, cheatings, abortions, frauds, political chicanery, etc and the perpetrators of these evil have not bothered to blink an eye and seek the face of God and repent. The law enforcement agencies seem to be overwhelmed and thus handicap. This is the reason why God the author of greatness has not looked at our side and until the accursed thing is put away mercy shall continue to elude us.
Josh. 7: 10-11 says, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you”
In the days when Israel was in trouble, when a rag tag army of Ai considered as of no consequence smote a well equipped army of Israel, a situation such as is presence in our country today, God told Joshua that the problem was not that Israel was not capable of defeating their enemies but they have sinned and would continue to suffer defeat until there was repentance. God cannot turn against His people, if they have not turned away from Him. God does not change, His arm cannot be shortened, or His promise fails. No, it is sin, that great mischief-maker that could stop divine favours and separate God from delivering His people.
We cannot prosper, until sin is destroyed out of our hearts, and put out of our habitations and our families, and forsaken in our lives. The situation in most of the nations particularly Nigeria will remain lamentable despite all the indices of greatness in all sectors of life except there is a spiritual and physical reformation. The crises in the world can never be abated if humanity remains stiff-necked to the word of God. Nigeria in particular will remain a lame duck notwithstanding its oil wealth, abundant of human and mineral resources, etc if corruption, wickedness and impunity are not addressed. If we must attain greatness, we must look at home, into our own hearts and make diligent effort to do away with iniquities which God sees and abhors, we must totally repent from all evil and cease to do them no more. Then and then only shall the Lord return to us and bless us.
There is no amount of self help that will bring an enduring blessing to mankind, except repentance. The counsel of economics experts, the experiences of the technocrat, the contribution of the intelligentsias and physicians cannot be of any help if humanity refuses to reconcile with the Creator.
2Chron. 16: 9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars”
The world has done foolishly by committing sin continually and therefore is under condemnation except they repent. To have their divine likeness restored, they need to have their sins blotted out by the blood of Jesus Christ. Until this is done they come short of the glory of God.
1s 59: 1-2 says, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness”
It is not that God has no power to deliver humanity from the daily mirage of problems they are face with in their search for food and peace. How I wish that they would come to the knowledge of the truth, repent from their evil ways and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour so that it shall be well with them. And until that is done crises will continually remain a concurrent decimal in their day to day life activity.
Beloved, there is no doubt that we have transgressed and are suffering from the penalty annexed to it.
And if these accursed things are not destroyed in our lives we should not expect the return of God’s gracious presence in our country. By personal repentance and reformation, the evil in our own hearts and land will be purged and unless we do this, we must never expect the blessing of God. Let all men know that it is nothing but sin that separates between them and God, and, if it be not sincerely repented of and forsaken, it will separate eternally, but God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
