Powerless Christians

The term ‘powerless Christians’ is an oxymoron because Paul said that he is not ashamed of the gospel for it is the POWER OF GOD unto salvation to everyone who believes. Rom 1:16. A Christian from the moment he believes there is already power working in them unto salvation. Paul notes in another place that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Cor 4:20. Jesus also says that none comes to Him unless the Father draws him. John 6:44. Thus, even the very act of believing is ‘unctioned’ by God Himself because, in our natural state; we are dead in trespasses and sins. Eph 2:1. Can dead people move themselves? Hence, we cannot move ourselves from trespasses and sins but God made us (born again Christians) alive by his grace. Eph 2:5. Thus, we cannot be Christians without his power and this power doesn’t stop the moment we believe but continues to work. And if the power is not there then we are not Christians. That is why I term the topic as an oxymoron.

On the other hand, this term ‘powerless Christians’ could have been coined from the comparison between early Christianity and contemporary Christianity. Early Christianity;

·         A time when they so loved each other that they could die for each other. 1 John 3:16. Phil 2: 25-30. Today, we bite and devour each other because of our various forms of selfish ambitions.

·         A time when they didn’t preach what they think is the word of God neither their own ideologies but with the words of God. 1 Peter 4:11. In a time when truth was treasured and all lies that masqueraded as truth were crucified. Gal 1:9. Today, I hear countless heresies been spewed from our pulpits to our pews by so called men of God, yet they are Satan masquerading as an angel of light and everyone in the pews celebrating as if Jesus had come in his glory yet it’s just because their itchy ears have been scratched.

·         A time when people didn’t just expect a good life from God; good house, good car, good spouse etc but they knew in following Jesus they would suffer (2 Tim 2:12) and they did not just suffer but considered it a gift to suffer (Phi 2:29) and thus they would endure their suffering (Hb 10:32) and when convinced it was God’s will they would rejoice (Phi 4:40). What we want now is to flee from everything that can cause affliction even if it involves obeying God.

·         In a time when the church was so heavenly minded desirous of being ruptured from this body of sin and being united with Christ unlike now we want everything now. Paul’s words in Colossians 3:2 should now be changed to ‘set your minds on things that are below, not on things that are in heaven.’

·         A time when people literally had a heavy burden for souls. They left the burden of sin to Jesus but they owned the burden of souls. (Rom 9:1-3; 10:1).

·         A time when they literally died and Christ lived in them. Gal 2:20. A time when they had no will of their own but Christ’s will. Today we surrender all to Jesus on our lips but in our hearts we have surrendered only our carnal needs but never ourselves.

I write this in tears that the reason for our seeming powerlessness is that we are far gone from the rock that we were cut from, yet this is just a drop in an ocean. We have left the old ways and instead of going back to the old ways in tears. We are seeking new ways while God’s ways are the old ways, yet, we wonder why we are powerless. Look at the ascension of Jesus, 120 people saw him ascend and they all went to pray in the upper room; if Jesus ascended in our day, millions would probably have come to see the miraculous (because their god is miracles) but very few would have gone back to tarry in prayer that they may be imbued with the power that resurrected Jesus from the dead. And let me say this, that as much as there are many church gatherings called revivals, there has not been revival in Kenya in the last few years or so, and, I will never say ‘there has been revival’ until the church in Kenya reflects even a slight fraction of the early church for when God brings revival he will not bring a new definition of Christianity but an old demonstration of it. Finally, no matter how many people talk of revival, me included, it will never come without God’s people travailing in prayer. And we will never travail in true prayer until we are imbued with the true knowledge of God that pervades every bit of our lives. Holy Ghost revival is the only cure to our powerlessness.

Charles Mutuku