YOU NEED A MAN PART 2
When the Lord wants to reach a man he brings the right people his way. Men have always been the major way God reaches people. In the part one of this series, we looked at What honour is, we also looked at why we must honour even unbelievers: in that God saw them worthy to die for, they deserve to be honoured. Click here to read part one if you have not read it. We saw in part one that we can honour men on different ways, by giving to them, by showing them love, by rendering service to them and other ways. In this part of the series, we will be looking at honour for fellow believers.
WHY WE MUST HONOUR BELIEVERS
As humans in Christ, we must treat with value our fellow believers. We must esteem other believers no matter their denominations or believe. Why must we honour believers? We must honour believers because God lives in them. When a man get saved, he becomes the temple, the shrine of God. God indwells him. This means that such a person must be seen with great value in that He or she is good enough to carry God.
Romans 8: 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
It takes having God in you through His Spirit to be called a child of God. We know that anyone that have not the Spirit of God is not of God.
We NEED EACH OTHER IN CHRIST
1 Corinthians 12
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. note
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. note
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. note
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Here, Apostle Paul uses the analogy of the human body parts to explain the need for everyone in the body of Christ. First, we must realise we are one in that we have one Spirit of God and we believe in one Jesus. We have been baptized into one body. This makes us to of a necessity be indebted to each other as believers. You must realise that every believer is important no matter who the person is, in that he has the Spirit. This is enough reason to HONOUR THE PERSON. Remember the answer you are looking for is in a man. That believer you are looking down on may be who God will reach you through. Another reason Why we must honour believers is HONOUR AFFECTS RECEPTION. You receive from someone only to the extent you can recognise and honour the person. For example, when you are sick or have a need, believers around you should be able to heal you. You have to see that the person carries God. That’s all that is required. HONOUR can even pull out from someone what the person has not seen before. I remember the first time I prophesied to one person for more than an hour. It was an act of Honour from the person. You can never receive from a man you despise. In the physical world, anything you despise cannot bless you. It is an act of dishonour to be sick and have a believer around you especially when you know the person has healed the sick before. Even if you don’t know, for the fact that the person is saved, and has the Spirit is enough reason to receive healing from the person. It has little or nothing to do with if the person is perfect in character or not. You must recognise that the person carries God.
God arranged us in Christ in a way that we will need each other. This is even the relevance of giving. We give primarily to meet needs. Though we can also receive when we give. In 2 Corinthians 9, giving is taught as ministering to the saints. Giving is God’s design to meet needs. Remember it is men that give to men. God answers prayers many times by sending a man. Now, if it is someone you have despised many times, the person will be reluctant to give to you. God’s power do not bypass men’s will. This doesn’t in any way mean that God cannot supernaturally provide without man. God does. He provided food for Elijah through the ravens 1 Kings 17. He is still in the business of doing that. In the same chapter God also provided for Elijah through the widow of Zarephat. Imagine Elijah has had grievous issue with the woman before God sent him to her, what would have happened? You must realise that you need a man. YOU CAN NOT, CAN NEVER DO WITHOUT MEN on earth. Honour your fellow believers. Do good to all men especially to those in the body of Christ. Galatians 6 :10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
In the next part of this series, we will look at honour for the anointed. THE ANSWER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN men. May your eyes be opened to identify and keep the right people in your life.
By OBIAZIKWOR EMEKE MODESTY