Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, Role of Women in Ministry,

& Response to Islamic Terrorism & Aggression

By

JOHN BROWN OKWII,

Introduction

Romans 1:20 reads, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world

are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal

power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” This lets us know that

whatever spiritual principle God is communicating to us, we can find something

natural and tangible that points to and symbolizes that principle. Where men and

women err, being led away into idolatry, is when they begin to worship the

emblem without regard for the message God was speaking to His people by way of

it.

If not used as segue to the Spirit, the outward emblem becomes what is known as

the letter. We find in 2 Corinthians 3:6 that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

It is important to spend time making distinction between the letter and the Spirit

since the differences between the two will continue to surface as a highlight of this

text. We have read this scripture numerously. Perhaps some do not realize what the

letter kills. And this may be a great place to start, especially when talking about

‘things that are made’ going back to Romans 1:20.

One aspect of the scripture, “the letter kills,” has to do with killing or distorting

men’s understanding of the original intended message of God by perverting the

natural symbol and erecting another symbol outside of the plan of God. There are

numerous accounts in the scriptures when men, even men of God, were judged for

tampering with God’s ordained symbol, and miscommunicated God’s message

about His Christ, in particular. For instance, in the Old Testament, God had

purposed that the “rock” from which the children of Israel drank, would be the

symbol of His Christ to come. Moreover, the rock would serve to tell of the

crucifix as part of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. Moses’ act of having

smitten the rock twice was a distorted symbol that communicated a message of

which God had not intended. The Christ of God was to be crucified once only, and

this was seen in Moses’ first account of smiting the rock. When Moses drew his

sword to smite the rock after God had told him to speak to the rock, God dealt

justly with Moses.

In Numbers 20:12, God’s words to Moses and Aaron were as follows: “Because

you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel,

therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

We can see from this example that God is serious about His Word (the invisible

thing) and the symbols (things that are made) He uses to communicate His Word.

In Genesis 11:6, as the people were building a tower of Babel toward heaven, God

showed us that if men were allowed to erect their own symbol, they would ban as

one, and without restraint, they would do all according to their wicked imagination.

“And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and

this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they

have imagined to do (KJV).” It was God’s mercy that He, the Lord, should destroy

the tower, so that this wicked perverted symbol would not reach heaven.

A second point I wish to make regarding ‘the letter kills” has to do with the ploy of

the enemy against the body of Christ to usher in division, so that the unity of the

Spirit is never realized in the Church. As one of Satan’s primary devices, he draws

men and women into focusing on the letter. As a result, many of God’s people then

find themselves engaged in a ‘war on interpretation.’ In this case, the letter kills

any opportunity for establishing the community of the Saints. Paul, for example,

when dealing with the contentions in 1Corinthians as reported by those in the

House of Chloe, dealt with the issue of baptism, in particular. The people had

begun to separate themselves into various factions, and Paul addressed them

thusly, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos;

and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or

were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (I Cor. 1:12-15). In this passage, the

emphasis on outward baptism, as an act of the letter, drove the people into division

concerning how baptism should be performed. Had the emphasis been on spiritual

baptism, the unity of the Spirit, which characterized Christ, would have been

evident, and Paul’s reproof of their dissentions would not have been necessary.

While baptism was useful as an outward sign, it was never intended to be used

independent of its meaning, which is the imbuing or washing of the individual’s

heart with Christ. So then ‘the invisible thing,’ the act of spiritual cleansing, would

be understood by ‘the things that are made,’ in this case outward baptism. When

the focus, however, becomes the outward baptism, then divisions will expectedly

ensue.

In summary, God has chosen His own message. The message has always been

about the Father as leading Spirit, and His Christ as submitted Soul. Further, that

through His Christ, the Father has created all things (Eph. 3:9), including a

pathway to Salvation through the process of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection

(Rom. 1:4; 5:6-11; 14:9). By way of this process, man would be reconciled,

restored, and sustained in an overcoming posture over the world, the flesh, the

devil, and death. Again, God has not only chosen the message, but He also

determines what emblem He will use to convey this message.

This paper speaks specifically of the symbol of a holy marriage between man and

woman, representing the union or marriage between the Father and Son. In the next

section, a discussion begins with a general statement about marriage, but

distinguishes natural marriage from holy matrimony. If the message is holy, it

makes sense that the symbol be described in like terms since the only type

matrimony that can justly represent a marriage between the Father and His Christ

is holy matrimony. Topics of divorce and remarriage follow this discussion. The

next section thereafter is on the role of women in ministry. This fits nicely with the

discussion of the man and woman in marriage. In the relationship between the

Father and His Christ, Christ might be regarded as woman or soul to the Father.

Seen in this context, as a submitted soul, the role of the woman in ministry is

noteworthy, and deserving of attention. Finally, the paper concludes with a

discussion on the response to Islamic terrorism and aggression.

MARRIAGE

It may seem strange to think of the Father/Son relationship as a marriage.

However, when defined in terms of holiness, the marriage of the two makes perfect

sense. Notice the pattern of multiplication. God was, and out of himself, He

brought forth a Son, and called His Son, Christ. When the Son was brought forth

from the Father, a marriage was formed. Marriage can then be defined as a holy

union of two, one born of the other, and these stand as one flesh to express the

unity or oneness of God. In marriage of two, each has a distinct purpose, one as

leading Spirit and the other as submitted soul. Each is necessary to express the

principle of God as one; therefore, neither can be regarded as less significant in the

marital union.

The message of the unity of God and His Christ as one flesh was to be witnessed in

the earth in marriage of Adam and Eve. After the fall of Lucifer, the union of

Adam and Eve would become the righteous symbol of which God had ordained to

communicate His oneness to all creatures. Just as God had done with Himself and

His Son, He used the same pattern in the formation of Adam and Eve. Adam was

put to sleep, and from Adam, Eve was created. In other words, Adam was

multiplied through Eve. The wife (soul) was born out of the husband (spirit) and

the two were to become one flesh. In Genesis 2:23, Adam described what

happened on this wise: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she

shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” The two were not to

be known in their twain-ness, but in their one-ness. There was no different clay

used in the formation of Eve, neither was there a separation of overall purpose. In

reality, all that Adam was, Eve was composed of the same nature. This should be

of no surprise since Christ is of the same divine nature of God the Father, being the

only begotten Son.

So you see, marriage is never about the relationship between a man and a woman

apart from their first relationship with God. The scripture makes it clear that the

Creator is the husband of every child of God, whether male or female. For thy

Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the

Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be (Isa. 54: 5 KJV). By

this we know that the Christian marriage is not natural but spiritual.

Natural marriage

Natural marriages follow the order of those who perform the ceremony. If, for

example, the marriage surrounds a particular denominational religion, the two

parties are then joined together based on the teachings of that religion. Civil

authorities also perform natural marriages. In this case, a Clerk of Court or a judge

may be empowered to bring two persons together in matrimony. A very important

point is revealed in this concept. Any matter that is born is of the same nature from

which it is derived, whether natural or spiritual. In Jesus’ dialogue with

Nicodemus, he made reference to this same concept in John 3: 6-7, “That which is

born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I

say unto you, ye must be born again.” If one is said to be of God, he must be born

of God, wherein he is of the divine nature of God, known as the new man, “which

after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24). This can be

understood more clearly using the example of anointing. Anointing is symbolic of

a covering or the permission that one is granted to act in the anointer’s authority. If

the anointer is natural, the anointing is natural, and the anointed one can only go

forth naturally.

Often natural unions are among that which is referred to as holy matrimony. To the

contrary, there is nothing holy about a marriage that is not sanctified or set apart

unto God. Natural marriages are built on unstable foundations, and upon closer

inspection and in due time, the instability of the foundation is revealed. Natural

norms, values, ideas, and beliefs of a community contribute to the delusions men

and women have of holy matrimony. Let us examine the marriage of Samson in

Judges, chapter 14.

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the

daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his

mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the

Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his

mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy

brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the

uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me;

for she pleaseth me well (vv 1-3).

The question is whether the Spirit of God was leading Samson or whether his heart

was directing him? Verses four through nine help us understand that Samson

yielded to natural temptations and the deception of Satan.

The temptation and deception are seen in the delight which Samson found in the

Philistine woman. We are told that “she pleased Samson well.” But God had

already spoken that Samson should not marry of the Philistine women. In a blind

state, Samson disobeyed God to satisfy his lustful desires as many in churches do

today. God’s desire was that to do for Samson what He had done for Adam—that

Samson should enter a deep sleep, not literally, but figuratively—so that Samson’s

desires should be put to rest, and that God should bring out of Samson a woman

after God’s own choosing. Except this process takes place, the marriage can only

be said to be brought of natural means, where men and women pursue one another

according to the desires of the flesh because “he [or she] pleased [me] well.”

Obviously, such a marriage cannot be said to reflect the Father/Son relationship.

Once again, this is like unto the erection of a manmade perverted symbol, one that

miscommunicates the message of the oneness of God. As with the tower of Babel,

this symbol cannot be erected unto God as a holy monument, and in the mercy of

God, it will be destroyed.

Holy Matrimony

Holy matrimony is the spiritual union or oneness of God and His creature in which

the creature shows reverence unto the Creator. Still using the example of Samson,

we can see that when the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson (v.6); a spiritual

union took place, demonstrating holy matrimony between the two, not because

Samson had perfectly obeyed God, rather because God was longsuffering toward

Samson. As described earlier, the uniting of the Creator and creature in oneness is

God’s definition of a spiritual marriage or holy matrimony. When Samson repeated

the pattern of disobedience in marrying Delilah, God’s love was still unto him and

Samson continued under the covering of God until he broke the vow of a Nazarite

and cut his hair (Judges 13:5). The Old Testament, written in types, shadows, and

figures, (see Col 2:17) often pointed to Christ as the covering of mercy for God’s

people. The act of Sampson cutting his hair was to suggest the removal of Christ as

the covering over the people of Israel, but also as Lord of the Church.

Symbolically, this would have left the Church vulnerable and exposed to the

possibility of Satan’s assertion of himself as Lord over the Church. Without a

proper head, the Church would lack the power and wisdom found in God’s

overcoming power and the hope for overcoming the world, the flesh, devil, and

death would be virtually impossible.

Even though Samson erred much, God’s love did not have him break the marriage

bond He had with Samson. This is contrary to the natural marriage men and

women esteem in today’s society; even the perversion of same sex unions, clearly

a distorted symbol. Natural things can be observed by way of the senses and

predicted based on observation and study, but spiritual things require spiritual

revelation from God and spiritual discernment. For the marriage to be sanctified

unto God, each party of the marriage must first give their heart unto God in a

vertical relationship and from the vertical relationship unto God flows the

horizontal marital relationship between the two parties. (See Building Sustainable

Marriage Relationships while Healing the Pain of Divorce, 2004, Deryl Hunt,

Ph.D.) Another example of God’s marriage is His marriage to Israel in Ezekiel 16,

despite her numerous acts of disobedience.

DIVORCE

Divorce is an act of division due to failure by one to uphold the tenets of the

marital contract. The separation of a whole in two discreet parts represents a

broken fellowship. If the relationship is vertical (between God and man), the

resulting divorce could be described as an internal spiritual divorce. If the

relationship is horizontal (between man and woman), the resulting divorce could

be described as an external natural divorce. In a vertical relationship, the broken

fellowship is with God where the creature has alienated himself from his Creator.

Often times, unless there is a change of heart from the two parties involved, the

internal separation may manifest itself as an actual (external) divorce.

In Malachi 2:16, we learn that divorce is something God hates: For the LORD, the

God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his

garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal

not treacherously. The “putting away” is an act deemed to be a treacherous or

unfaithful dealing. But nevertheless, God allowed Moses to give Israel a wit of

divorce because He did not want to destroy His people for their unrighteousness

(Mat.19:8).

The act of divorce can be seen in the purest form between God and Lucifer, the

anointed cherub that covered other angels. Lucifer divorced himself from God

when he said in his heart that he wanted to be like God not according to God’s will

but according to his fleshly desire (Isaiah 14:13-14). When Lucifer sinned against

God and refused to repent, he was vanquished or separated from God. This refusal

caused an exclusive disposition and a permanent disconnect of the creature from

the Creator. The once loving Creator and creature union morphed into a divisive,

contentious and very devilish relationship because the creature did not respect his

Maker. From this, it is the Will of Satan that every man devolves to the same state

he is in: divorced from God.

In the case of Adam, when he was created, he also divorced himself from His

Creator. Adam agreed with the thought that was brought to him by another which

constituted willful sin and required God’s judgment. The disobedience resulted in

an immediate loss to the covering or glory that had been given to Adam and Eve

by God (Genesis 3:7–8). Herein is another witness of God destroying an emblem

of which He did not create or purpose to represent the holy union of the

Father/Son, Christ/the Church, husband/wife. Though God hated putting Adam

away, nevertheless, in love, He did so to teach the creature his place in relation to

his Creator (Genesis 3:17–19).

Consider the scripture: Matthew 27:46 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken

me?” This is a separation of the Father from Christ also known as the crucifixion

of Christ; thereby being a type of divorce that took place. As earlier stated, divorce

is a state of division or separation. This can also be viewed as the separation of the

body (soul) from the head (spirit). Christ, the submitted Soul was pained by the

thought of separation from the Father (the supreme Spirit). Again, Satan (like a

roaring lion) desires that every man be in a state of divorce just as he is (See I Peter

5:8). Interestingly, in a natural sense, individuals marry and then divorce in that

order. However, in the eyes of God, because of man’s fall precipitated by Adam’s

sin, individuals are born into a state of divorce without ever having engaged in an

outward married. In such a state, horizontal (earthly) marriage between two

persons absent the vertical (spiritual) marriage to God lacks hope for sustainability.

For marriages to be sustained, parties must understand the principal marriage of

Jesus and Christ. Within his or her being, the human spirit must submit to the love

of Christ, the new man. Following this, the soul must submit to the love of the

human spirit, now swallowed up in the newness of life, growing in its new identity

as a regenerated soul. Moreover, both parties must allow this inward marriage to be

reflected in their lives within the role of which God has purposed for each of them

in the earth, with the man as loving husband and the woman as submissive wife

(Eph. 5:22-25).

God offered marriage to Israel; she opted for divorce. Similarly, God demonstrated

to man what true marriage entails (between Himself and Christ). Because He

loved man so, He allowed divorce from His son, Jesus Christ, for three days and

nights. Even when cut off from the vine of the Father, the Father did not forget His

son and the two in short order were remarried in glory. The Church is the

beneficiary of suffering and glory of Christ, but the Church for a time yielded its

overcoming power to Satan by failing to follow the example of the Apostles.

Further, division crept in and the Church failed to recognize that Jesus was the

body prepared (Heb. 10:5) and began worshiping a natural Jesus instead of Christ

within Jesus who is God’s son (Acts 9:20). Mercifully, God did not put away the

Church and it now sees its error as the fundamental message that Jesus is the Christ

is being mightily preached around the world.

REMARRIAGE

God’s will related to the creature is that none should perish, but that all come to

repentance (2 Pet.3:9). Contrary to what many believe, God waited long for Satan

to turn from his wickedness. Long after Adam had fallen, God sought to turn Satan

but his heart was given over to divorce to the point of no return. We see as much

in the book of Job where God asked Satan if he had “considered his servant Job,

that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that

feareth God, and escheweth evil”(Job1:8). Rather than responding to God’s loving

call unto him to take note of the creature’s right relationship to His Creator and to

learn from Job’s example, Satan accused God of protecting Job from his evil by

hedging him about (vv.9-10).

Remarriage between God and Lucifer never took place because Lucifer failed to

acknowledge his sin before God, which resulted in Lucifer becoming Satan and the

Devil. If he had not been too proud, the process of remarriage could have taken

place. His lack of humility caused severance of his marriage to God and brought

along those he governed, namely the angels that fell with him. (Rev. 12:9) Adam,

on the other hand was given opportunity to make the matter right with God just as

Lucifer. Because Adam fell from grace (Genesis 3), humility was needed for

remarriage to ensue. Adam took advantage of the opportunity and through the

second Adam (Christ Jesus) was remarried to God. It was pointed out above that

God divorced Israel, but He did not leave her in the divorced state. To the

contrary, God provided a stronger bond with Israel via the Church. Paul has written

pertaining to Israel: “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the

world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead” (Rom 11:15).

The “casting away” was a form of divorce and “receiving of them” a form of

remarriage. We see this same principle with the death of Christ discussed above.

The separation of the Father from His Son was clearly an act of divorce just as the

ascension to the Father was a form of remarriage (Jo.20:17). Each example cited,

the divorce was for God’s holy purpose and the love bond between the two was

made stronger in the remarriage.

ROLE OF THE WOMEN IN MINISTRY

The role of women in ministry is as non-important as is the role of men in

ministry when these are viewed naturally. The focus should not be on the gender of

an individual but rather the agreement with all things of God. God does not focus

on the gender of the individual but rather on what is in the heart for God. God’s

instruction to his servant Samuel was not to look on the outward appearance, but to

see as the Lord sees, “for God looks at the heart” (1Sam. 16:7). The truth is that

God has to give a child of God a new heart to facilitate the new man that he be

awakened from within so that he can do “justice, love mercy, and walk humbly

with God”(Mic.6:8). These are the requirements of God, that is, his character must

be put on. Said another way, the character of Christ must be put on for an

individual to enter into the ministry of the spirit. Therefore, it is about being one

with God. Suffice it to say that neither man nor woman (naturally speaking) can be

used by God in the ministry of the spirit, as God does his own work (See Zec. 4:6).

Agreement with God occurs by coming in the unity of the faith, and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature

of the fullness of Christ. (Eph. 4:13). Submission unto one’s husband is essential

with the understanding that the husband of every believer is God. Men have erred

believing they have a special command from God to “rule” over women. To be

sure, this is a natural approach to relationship building according to the letter of the

bible and not the Spirit. Consider Paul’s words to the Romans: “There is neither

Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for

ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:28).

The relationship between husband and wife is on the same order as the relationship

between the spirit and soul. The weaker vessel (see I Peter 3:7), styled as the soul

or woman, should submit unto the stronger vessel, styled as the spirit or man. In

this sense, wives should submit unto their husbands (Col 3:18). However, if the

physical female is more submitted to God than the male, then she acts in the role of

the stronger vessel and he the weaker vessel. Therefore, God’s commandments

regarding gender roles must always be read in light of who the weaker and stronger

vessels are. In God’s perfect relationship where both are submitted unto God, the

man (both spiritual and physical) is the head of the woman (spiritual and physical)

(I Cor. 11:3). However, the man and woman must submit one to another in the

fear of God (Eph. 5:21).

I Tim 2:12 reads “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the

man, but to be in silence.” This scripture has been used as a clear prohibition

against women in leadership roles. An important question is: who is the “woman”

of whom 1Timothy speaks? Should the words be interpreted naturally absent

revelation of God? This scripture is no different than the prescription that slaves

should obey their masters (Col 3:22). God must reveal His intent underlying the

letter. This scripture must be read in light of revelation of God’s commandments

regarding gender roles as to the weaker and stronger vessels. The focus of this

scripture is not a prohibition on physical women, but rather mutes the unsubmitted

weaker vessel (or soul) in favor of the stronger vessel (the spirit) until the soul

comes up to the level of the spirit.

The oneness is in “Christ Jesus.” When the Church lacks oneness in Christ Jesus,

the focus of ministry tends to be natural not spiritual. In the natural church, pastors

are elevated to the position of prominence, preachers are said to be able to “out

preach” others based on their natural gifts, vocalists are often esteemed based on

their ability to sing, etc. There is no difference between the world and the church

insofar as the natural is concerned. On the other hand, when the church is

established as “one in Christ Jesus”, the pastor becomes a vessel through whom

God works even as God preaches through the preacher and sings through the

singers. In other words, in the natural church men and women do the work, but in

the spiritual church, God does His own work through the humble servant of the

Lord.

True, the bible teaches us that God has called the man (spirit) as the head of the

woman (soul), but equally true, when the man fails God, as was the case in the

time of the Judges in the Old Testament, God saved His people through man’s help

meet, woman (Jud.4:4). God will not allow His people to be lost because there is

no man to be found who believes. To the contrary, God created man a help meet

(Gen.2:18) in his time of need. The woman is that help meet and has been used by

God to save His people when men would not as I have afore stated during the time

of the Judges. To God, it does not matter if the vessel is male or female. What

matters is whether the vessel is obedient unto God. The prophet has written: “Not

by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech.4:6).

There are many scriptures that speak to the subject of women in ministry. We see

Mariam, the prophetess and sister of Aaron as one that led the women in song and

dance saying “Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and

his rider hath he thrown into the sea” (Ex.15:21).

As indicated above, we see Deborah a judge and prophetess over Israel agreeing

with (the Lord) Barak to go into battle with him, saying unto him “Up; for this is

the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hands: is not the Lord

gone out before thee? (Judges 4:8-14). This was an occasion for the deliverance of

the people of God from the terror of one seeking their destruction.

We see Queen Esther being called to be a deliverer of God’s people as another

attempt to destroy God’s people is being formulated. Esther knew that she had to

be called before she could appear before the king, to do so without being

summoned was perilous. Therefore, she fasted, prayed, and called for her maids

and the people to join her in that activity for three days and nights, after, she said

“so I will go into the king, which is not according to law; and if I perish, I

perish”(Esther 4:11-16).

We see Mary Magdalene a recipient of a great deliverance from the Lord, delivered

from seven devils (Lk 8:2); one honored to see where his body was buried (Mk.

15:47); to be the first to see the risen Lord, and deliver the message to disciples

that he had risen (Mk.16:9).

We see the woman at the well that went out proclaiming “Come, see a man, which

told me all the things I ever did: is this not the Christ”? (Jn. 4:29).

We see Dorcas, “called a disciple name Tabitha, which by interpretation is called

Dorcas: that was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. She became

sick and died, The Lord sent Peter to her, who found those who knew her in tears,

and after asking them to leave the room; Peter prayed; turn to her and said,

“Tabitha arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up”

(Acts 9: 36-40).

We see Phebe “called a servant unto the church” by the Apostle Paul. Hear Paul’s

words to those He sent her to: “Ye received her in the Lord, as becometh saints,

and ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a

succourer of many, and of myself also” (Romans 16:1-2). The hearts of those

mentioned can be viewed as characteristic of the New Man, which after God is

created in righteousness and true holiness. At the heart of the matter, as far as God

is concerned is whether a yielded vessel will be found that he can use.

Furthermore, we see how it is that “He gave some to be apostles, and some as

prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the

saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we

all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a

perfect man, unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ” (Eph.4:12-13)

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom 8:14.

This scripture shows that regardless of male or female, those who walk in the spirit

are “sons of God.” In each son of God resides a “…new man, which after God is

created in righteousness and true holiness.” Eph 4:24. This new man is the one

through which God does his work irrespective of whether the container or house

(the outward body) is male or female.

God has always included women in ministry, as her initial role was one of help

meet. It has been the devil that has tried to use something as a wedge issue to

divide between the man (spirit) and the woman (soul). Here is an opportunity for

us to revisit Paul’s words to the Galatians, “For as many of you as have been

baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is

neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye all one in Christ

Jesus (Gal. 3:27-28). Coming to a place of oneness with God requires that one

must hear God, believe God and obey God.

RESPONSE TO ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND AGGRESSION

With any perceived act of aggression, the fundamental question is whether the

actor who perpetrated the act was being led by the Spirit of God. If not, then the

individual is operating out of, at best, a natural anointing or at worst, a supernatural

anointing. (See The Law of Natural Anointing, 2013, Deryl Hunt, PhD& John

Brown Okwii,Ph.D). which shows that God is imbued with a Spiritual anointing,

man is imbued with a natural anointing, and the devil and his angels are imbued

with a supernatural anointing). The scripture tells us that “But the natural man

receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:

neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Cor 2:14.

Thus, the injuries inflicted upon Christians are done by individuals acting out a

natural or supernatural anointing. In saying so, we do not downplay the

seriousness of the situation. To combat the problem, a natural strategy may be

envisioned and implemented but such a strategy will lack sustainability. A

spiritual solution derived from the power and wisdom found only in Christ is

required as the scripture shows us that God’s Spiritual anointing trumps natural

and supernatural anointing. For example, in Acts 8:5, Phillip was sent of God to

Samaria to do a work and encountered Simon whom the people thought to be the

great power of God. Phillip’s anointing (borne of God’s Spirit) was shown to be

greater than Simon’s supernatural anointing.

Response to Islamic Terrorism and Aggression for the Christian is through the

overcoming power of the Lord’s Christ. Learning the first principles of the

doctrines Christ gives the believer in childhood status. (Heb 6:1). As a child of

God, the believer is limited in warfare against the world, flesh and devil just as a

child naturally is limited in warfare. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in

Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on

Christ.” Gal 3:26,27. The natural child must grow up and be taught how to war.

In the same manner, the child of God follows on to become a son of God. “For as

many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom 8:14. A son

of God is a mature saint who knows that Jesus is Christ and because he is Christ,

he is the Son of God. As God’s Son, Christ is the power and wisdom of God. (I

Cor 1:24). Every Christian must follow this same path: child of parents, born

again child of God, and when God permits, son of God and finally, the power and

wisdom of God. God, however, will not permit a child of God to go on to become

a son of God until the child has matured in the things of the Spirit, and until the

child of God has become a son of God, he lacks the power and wisdom to respond

to Islamic Terrorism and Aggression.

A Son of God gains the benefit of a higher vantage point from which to see the

coming attacks of the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 tells us:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against

powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual

wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of

God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to

stand…. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to

quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [emphasis added]

The word of God is His Christ. John 1:1-18. Christ is the power and wisdom of

God. I Cor 1:24. Therefore, knowing Jesus as the Christ signals God’s permission

to the child of God to access God’s power and wisdom. This further allows the

child to become a son of God, having moved from the principles of the doctrines

and no longer tossed to and fro (Eph 2:14) but progressing on to operate in God’s

overcoming power. In overcoming power, the world, flesh, and devil are no longer

able to hold sway over His Church.

Terrorism and aggression are acts committed to force one to change his practice or

in this case his Christian beliefs. Aggression is most often the means by which a

person seeks to control and dominate others. With the religious leaders of Israel

during Jesus Christ's time, the feeling was: “...What do we do? For this man doeth

many miracles. If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him: and the

Romans shall come and take away our place and nation”. (John 11:47-48). This

was the response of the religious leaders after learning of the raising of Lazarus

from the dead by Jesus Christ.

Even though Jesus Christ glorified the Father in performing such a notable miracle,

still there were those onlookers who took the news of this event back to the

Pharisees. Caiaphas the high priest prophesied that it was expedient that one man

should die for Israel than that the whole nation should perish. And not only for that

nation, but also that he should gather together in one the children of God that were

scattered abroad. (vv. 49-52). How did they respond to this word of prophecy?

“Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death”. (v.

53). We have indicated above that the letter kills. Here we see a natural

understanding of a word from God bringing forth death in the hearers because of

unbelief, this unbelief also seeking to play itself out in bringing about the death of

Jesus.

How did Jesus respond to this situation? John 11:54 shows that he ceased walking

openly among the Jews. The reason Jesus adopted this approach was because the

Christ within gave him access to the power and wisdom of God. Jesus Christ had

the advantage of knowing the will of his father and acting in accordance (John

8:29). The body of Christ (the Church) has this same advantage.

Jesus Christ, by raising Lazarus, foreshadowed his authority over death. He had

spoken earlier: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life,

that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I

have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment

have I received of my Father”. (John 10: 17-18). Understand that the level of the

warfare waged against the Son of God is indicative of the level of the work that he

is doing.

The level of wickedness that a person operates in also indicates the degree to

which he has given over his heart to the enemy, the devil. The chief priests and

Pharisees gave commandment that if anyone saw Jesus or knew where he was, that

they should report it to them that they might take him. (v. 57). But Jesus Christ was

determined to finish the work that the Father had called him to do, so he avoided

walking publicly among the Jews. The point is not to suggest that avoidance is the

solution to the problem of terrorism and aggression. In fact, in some cases Jesus

dealt with those who despised him with confrontation (see Joh. 8:44). Rather,

Jesus had access to the greater power and wisdom of God (Christ) to know how to

overcome in every situation. The Church must know Jesus as the Christ, must

recognize itself as the body of Christ imbued with power and wisdom of God, and

must seek the Father for His specific strategies (a “right now” word) to overcome

its enemies. Similar to Jesus’ experience, the Church’s strategy for dealing with

terrorism and aggression may differ depending upon the right now word of God,

but God’s method of deliverance remains the same – Christ, the power and wisdom

of God.

From the God-man point of view, this centrally involves the mobilization of

inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-

involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people in Nigeria. The arduous task

of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of

negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design.

The Church's Theological Commission should, fundamentally be empowered, to

build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of

what people talk about as past and present capacities: achievements, assets,

unexplored potentials, innovations, strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities,

benchmarks, high point moments, lived values, traditions, strategic competencies,

stories, expressions of wisdom, insights into the deeper corporate spirit or soul--

and visions of valued and possible futures. Taking all of these together as a gestalt,

the Commission should deliberately, seek to work from accounts of “positive

change core” with the assumption that every living system has many untapped and

rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to

any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly, biblically and

democratically mobilized. This will lead to the church as a body of Christ:

Discovering Strengths, Dreaming of What they could be, Designing what should

be and Discovering what will be.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

It is no gain saying that the Church in Nigeria and elsewhere is facing tough

challenges and every denomination is not exempted from such challenges.

Ministers who are expected to live above board are marrying, divorcing and

remarrying at will because God’s original emblem has been either culturally

modified or spiritually assigned new meanings. The members too are copying their

shepherds. The any Church's Theological Commission should always know that: In

Matters of Doctrine, Only the Scripture is Sufficient, in Matters of Opinion,

regulated freedom in Christ is Profitable, in All things, let Charity Prevail. It is also

worthy to note that bending low or breaking away from the long held scriptural-

tradition of permanency of marriage so as to yield to the pressures of Modernism,

Symbolism, and Post-Modernism is choosing sin over righteousness, schism over

unity, disgrace over grace, and hate over love. From the early beginnings of the

Church, women have always played their roles well even in places where men

failed. For example, women were the first to receive the commission from Christ

after his resurrection. If God permits and it will be pleasing to Him and the Church,

this Theological Commission should be guided by the principles of biblical: i.

Command, ii.Example, and iii. Necessary Inference. Ultimately, the Commission’s

Goal should be that of Community Building, the Objective should be that of Unity,

the Method should be that of Respect(Christ in all things),and the Attitude should

be that of Honour expressed by way of Shared Behaviour/Vision, Communicated

through Personal Mastery, and exhibited in a Discipline conditioned by the

biblical and Church Systems Thinking and Policy Analysis Glocally and Globally.

These principles are even applicable to how the church can respond to

Terrorism and Aggression.