Detained
blogger, Kemi Omololu Olunloyo has continued to gather much support
online as Nigerian push for her unconditional release from prison
custody.
Kemi Omololu Olunloyo
I thought am tired enough to take a rest not until I stumble upon
the news that Kemi Olunloyo is still detained after an allegation of
writing against a Port - Harcourt Based Pastor, David Ibiyeomie, of the
salvation ministries.
Though, this seems not to be the first time the popular blogger who
is a daughter of former Oyo state Governor, have had issues with 'men
of God' and other celebrities but it's also notable to see how
individual react base on their personality and the believe they portray.
As a Christian that I am, it's taught in the church that we
shouldn't judge the men of God but leave them to God to do the judgment,
hence, i think it's important to recite what Jesus lived for, in our
aspiration to be “Christ-like”.
For the sake of this article, I will take some teachings by Charles
Ryrie in his book, Balancing the Christian Life, the first question he
answered was:
Why did Jesus tell people to ‘go and sin no more’ if sinlessness is impossible?"
Answer: There are two instances in the New Testament when Jesus
told someone to “sin no more,” and they were each under very different
circumstances. The first is when Jesus healed an invalid by the Pool of
Bethesda (John 5:1–15). Afterward, Jesus found the man and told him,
“See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to
you” (verse 14). It is clear that Jesus knew what had caused the man’s
condition. We are not told the specifics of the man’s physical
impairment, but the context implies that it was caused by sinful
choices. Jesus warned the man that he had been given a second chance and
that he should make better choices. If the man returned to his sinful
behavior, he would have wasted the opportunity Jesus gave him to live
whole and forgiven.
The second instance is in the account of the woman taken in the act
of adultery (John 8:3–11). When the woman’s accusers brought her before
Jesus, expecting Him to pronounce judgment, He told them that the one
who was without sin should throw the first stone. One by one, the
condemning crowd left. Then Jesus told the woman, “Neither do I condemn
you. Go and sin no more” (verse 11). She had been caught. She was
guilty. She did deserve stoning according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus
20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). But the religious leaders who had dragged
her there had no concern for holiness. They were trying to trap Jesus
into saying that the Law did not matter (verse 6).
Jesus often reminded those religious leaders that He had not come
to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He, as God, was the
Author of the Law (2 Timothy 3:16). The Pharisees focused on the letter
of the Law but missed the true spirit of it, which is given in
Galatians 5:14: “The whole law can be summed up in this one command:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” When Jesus refused to condemn the
woman, He was not minimizing the importance of holiness. He was offering
her the same kind of forgiveness He offers every one of us (Acts 3:19).
In saying, “Go and sin no more,” Jesus was not speaking of sinless
perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices.
His words both extended mercy and demanded holiness. Jesus was always
the perfect balance of “grace and truth” (John 1:14). With forgiveness
comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of
rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will naturally want to obey
Him (John 14:15).
When we turn to Christ and receive His forgiveness, we experience a
heart change (Luke 9:23; Acts 1: 10. Forgiveness is not cheap, and it
does not excuse the sin that separated us from God. It cost God
everything to offer us the cleansing that pronounces us righteous before
Him (John 3:16; 15:13). Rather than continue in the self-centered path
that led us astray from Him to begin with, the forgiven can walk in
God’s path (Luke 14:27). A move toward God is a move toward
righteousness, purity, and holy living (1 Peter 1:16; Romans 8:29). We
cannot experience the transforming power of forgiveness without being
forever changed.
It goes without saying that the woman caught in adultery did not
return to her infidelity. She had met Jesus. She would not be perfect.
No one is. But she was forever changed. Her eyes had been opened to the
depravity of what she was doing. Sin no longer held the appeal it once
did. When we meet Jesus, sin no longer holds its fatal attraction. Grace
changes things. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By
no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any
longer?” (Romans 6:1–2).When we are born again (John 3:3), the power of
the Holy Spirit breaks the power that sin once had over us (Romans 6:6).
Once we lived only to please ourselves, but when we have been forgiven,
our motivation changes. We now live to please God (Galatians 2:20).
It should be the goal of every Christian to “sin no more,” although
we recognize that, while we are in the flesh, we will still stumble (1
John 1:cool. God’s desire for each of us is to be holy as He is holy (1
Peter 1:16). We still sin, but sin is no longer a lifestyle choice (1
John 3:9–10). When we fail, we can come to God and ask forgiveness (1
John 1:9; 1 Peter 4:1–2). And if we are truly God’s children, He will
correct us, disciplining us when we need it (Hebrews 12:6–11). His work
is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
I may not be a theological student but for the sake of knowledge,
wisdom and understanding, I find the bible as a guard and I will
continue to respect every Pastors base on their teachings and believe
that they are the replica of Jesus christ in the church.
Everyday may be for the thief, but finally, the owner has come to
cage the thief, but just like the thief on the right hand side of Jesus,
he received mercy and the grace to meet with Him in the paradise.
Finally, I urge the respectful man of God to reflect how
influential his judgement would be on the accused, the by-passers and
the brethren.
Eniola Opeyemi
Writes from Ibadan, Oyo state.
eniolaopeyemi@gmail.com
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