I saw a clip recently where one man came to meet a renowned man of God in his ministry office complex. He claimed to have travelled all the way to see him. As he knelt for prayers, the man of God walked past him telling him; “You don’t need to see me, you don’t need prayers. What you need is light. Go get materials from the bookshop and read, you would be fine.” That clip got me thinking.

Friend, when it comes to our relationship with God, you must always remember that there is the person of Jesus and there is the principle of Jesus. We must get both of them if our Christianity would be balanced and fruitful. Jesus did not only come to the earth as a person, He also taught principles (Matthew 5:2).

The purpose of Jesus’s coming is that we might learn of Him (Matthew 11:28-30). We behold Him to become like Him, we learn from Him to live like Him (Matthew 5:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18). It is possible to enjoy intimacy with Jesus without reflecting Him in your daily life. The purpose of intimacy is instruction (Exodus 24:12). It is the instructions that bring the real transformation (John 8:31-32).

The person of Jesus guarantees our eternity with Christ. The principles of Jesus secure our victory on earth. You can be a Lazarus on your way to heaven or the rich man on your way to hell (Luke 16:19-31). However, God wants you to be an Abraham on your way to heaven. You enjoy friendship with God and also profit by His principles on earth (Genesis 13:2, 18:17-19).

Principles do not respect personality (Proverbs 22:29). An unbeliever can practise kingdom principles and have visible results while a Christian can disobey the principles and live a frustrated life. This is where the children of this world seem wiser than God’s children (Luke 16:18). They work God’s principles without serving our God; we claim to serve God without working His principles.

Behind every scripture is a person and a principle (John 1:1-5, 2 Timothy 3:16). Behind every verse is a voice (Psalms 29:1-3). The scriptures contain principles for life and living; there are principles for wealth creation, marital success, ministry exploits, career and business success etc. As you fellowship with the person of Jesus, never forget to learn the principles.

‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria