Who are the 144,000 Mentioned in Revelation 14?

WHO ARE THE 144,000 MENTIONED IN REVELATION 14?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

PASSAGE 

"Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Revelation 14:1-5, NKJV). 

ANALYSIS 

This passage falls into what Bible scholars refer to as eschatological literature. It describes futuristic events using symbolisms and metaphoric language. 

The identity of the 144,000 people described in the passage has been the subject of theological conversations through the church ages. Bible scholars are divided over its interpretation based on the eschatological views they subscribe to. 

Dispensationalism groups say the number represents the Jewish believers who will turn to Christ during the millennium period. They claim that the vision describes the 144,000 Jewish saints as they gather before the Messiah in the earthly Jerusalem. They observe that the church will have been caught away during the first resurrection described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 before the onset of the great tribulation period. 

Critics of the Dispensationalism view argue that the literal interpretation of the 144,000 believers is inordinate because the premillennial theory itself presupposes that Christ will return to Jerusalem from heaven with countless number of saints from all tongues and nations and will rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years.

The Amillennialism group [also known as "No millennials"] insist that the vision symbolizes the triumph of Jewish believers during the heavy persecution that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem temple in 70 A.D. This is part of the preterist view which considers the events described in the Book of Revelation as having already occurred. 

Other theologians say the vision is symbolic of the triumphant church in heaven after the rapture of believers. They argue that the number is an allegorical figure that underscores the completeness or fullness of the church. They consider the numeric and symbols to be consistent with Jewish theological thought in the first century. 

While it is difficult to determine with absolute certainty who the 144000 are, there are some hints in the passage that cannot be ignored. The mention of the Lamb in v.1 strongly suggests that this number consolidates the redeemed church which was caught up from the earth (v.4). 

The figure could be a symbolic representation of the entire set of believers redeemed by Jesus Christ. This vision appears to be a symbolic portrayal of heaven. Notice that the twenty four elders are also mentioned in Revelation 5 where they worshipped before the throne of God and before the Lamb. 

Benjamin G. Ladd makes a concise evaluation of the application of symbolic language and numeric, saying:

Numbers in Revelation are highly symbolic, as they are in any Jewish apocalypse (e.g., see portions of Daniel, 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch). Consider the following examples:

Fractions: a tenth (Rev. 11:13), a fourth (6:8), a third (8:7–12)

Single digits: two (11:3–4), three (8:13), four (4:6), five (9:5), six (4:8), and seven (1:4)

Double digits: 10 (2:10), 12 (12:1), 24 (4:4), and 42 (11:2)

Hundreds: 144 (21:17) and 666 (13:18)

Thousands: 1,000 (20:2–4), 1,260 (11:3), 1,600 (14:20), 7,000 (11:13), 12,000 (7:5–8), and 144,000 (7:4)

Millions: 200,000,000 or “twice ten thousands of ten thousands” (9:16)

A futurist often takes these numbers as literal descriptions. The problem, though, is that some are clearly symbolic. Take, for example, the “seven spirits” before the heavenly throne (1:4). That’s a reference to the Holy Spirit. Not even futurists claim there are seven literal Holy Spirits before the throne. We could say the same about John’s massive number in 9:16 (200,000,000 or “twice ten thousands of ten thousands”). The futurist Buist Fanning concedes that “a literal count . . . is not intended.” [1]

Thomas R. Schreiner opines thus:

 It is more convincing to say the 144,000 symbolically represent all Christians throughout history, both Jews and Gentiles. They are God’s army who wage war by being faithful to the Lamb and enduring persecution. The reasons for thinking John refers to all Christians are numerous, and some stem from Revelation 14, where the 144,000 appear again. First, numbers in apocalyptic literature are regularly symbolic. Here we have the number twelve representing the people of God from the twelve tribes in the OT, and the number is squared and then multiplied by 1,000. Hence the number should be understood as a symbolic way of designating the entire people of God. [2]

The mention of the twelve tribes of Israel could therefore be an allegorical reference to the diversity of these faithful saints gathered before Christ in heaven rather than a literal number of Jewish believers. It is inconceivable that the redeemed of Christ can be exclusively identified with one race or nation yet the gospel appeal touches the entire world. 

Some Bible scholars say the 144,000 are Jewish evangelist who will proclaim the gospel to the world during the Great Tribulation period which comes after the rapture of the church has taken place. They consider the sealing of these saints as evidence of their divine preservation during this difficult period on earth in line with God's fulfilment of His promises to the Jewish people. 

Critics of this view argue that God's promises to Israel will be fulfilled to the church which is the new Israel of God. They insist that Israel as nation state cannot enjoy separate future benefits from those that God has promised to fulfil through the church. 

Still other scholars consider the mention of the "firstfuits" in v. 4 read together with Revelation 7:4-8 as evidence that the 144,000 are Jewish converts to the Christian faith. They argue that the mention of the twelve tribes of Israel is a compelling persuasion for a futuristic view. The consider the number as an affirmation of the dispensationalism view which is built on a literalist hermeneutic that interprets John's visions in the literal or physical sense. 

It is curious that the tribe of Dan is not mentioned among the twelve tribes of Israel listed in Revelation 7:4-8. Some scholars suppose that this tribe was excluded from the list because of its deep idolatry and immorality. Some also argue that by the time of Solomon, the tribe of Dan had been assimilated with the neighboring Phoenicians.[3] The Bible is however silent on their exclusion from the list.

James 1:8 refers to early Christian believers as a kind of firstfruits. This suggests that the mention of the firstfruits of God is not an exclusive reference to Jewish believers. The broader application of the term to the diversity of believers from all nations may have been contemplated in Revelation 14:4.

Jehovah's Witnesses limit the number of those who will spend eternity in heaven to a literal 144,000. This doctrine contradicts the teaching of Scripture since it attempts to considerably limit the number of believers to a select few without a convincing theological justification.  

The mention of the virginity of the men in Revelation 14:4 could symbolize the priesthood and chastity of these believers rather than a gender distinction. This is a significant virtue for the redeemed in Christ (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). 

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series observes thus: "Personifying redeemed individuals as male and redeemed communities as female says nothing about their actual gender." [4]. 

Matthew Henry posits that the 144,000 had not defiled themselves either with corporal or spiritual adultery; they had kept themselves clean from the abominations of the antichristian generation. [5]

The purity of the saints is also alluded to in Revelation 3:4-5 where Jesus proclaims: "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (NKJV). 

While John may have been writing to a primarily Jewish audience who perhaps understood these symbolisms and imagery better than we do, I am persuaded that this pictorial presentation most probably describes the triumphant church in heaven.

Here's why...

Revelation 5:9-10 says:

And they sang a new song, saying: 

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth." (NKJV)

The universality of those gathered before the throne of God is significant.  It unlocks the mystery behind the 144,000. 

Someone may argue that the scene described in Revelation 5:1-14 is distinct from the one described in our passage of context of Revelation 14:1-5. However, the mention of the throne, the four living creatures, and the twenty four elders in both passages strongly suggests that two visions are theologically intertwined. They both appear to describe the same heavenly scene under two different contexts. 

Accordingly, therefore, the mention of Mount Zion in Revelation 14:1 can be understood as a symbolic reference of to the holy city, the New Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation 21:2. 

One theological truth however remains constant irrespective of the reader's eschatological persuasion: Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will make it to the presence of God in heaven (John 1:12, 3:16-18; Revelation 20:11-15). 

Keep it Christ!

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

___________________________

REFERENCES

[1] Benjamin L. Gladd, "Understanding Revelation: Who are the 144000?", in The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/who-are-144000-revelation/

[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, "Who are the 144000 (Revelation 7)", in Crossway, https://www.crossway.org/articles/who-are-the-144000-revelation-7/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3qQHuAF9ZdxomlEF_47CmTYU8UQLxTebxSmyrt-Pww92fZcpr

[3] Michael Houdmann, "Why is the Tribe of Dan Missing from the 144,000 in Revelation Chapter 7?" in GotQuestions Ministries, https://www.gotquestions.org/tribe-Dan-missing-144000.html

[4] IVP New Testament Commentary Series, https://www.ivpress.com/the-ivp-new-testament-commentary-series?srsltid=AfmBOopoMslE1uE0wDKtFzych0JW1qYJ-OQmwSBAYDH5OydZnymfGWfb

[5] The Matthew Henry Commentary on Revelation 14:1-6, https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-complete/revelation/14

Q & A on the Doctrine of Reprobation

Q & A ON THE DOCTRINE OF REPROBATION 

///Good afternoon, Daktari. 

Have been reading about the theological concept of reprobation. 

What I am not clearly getting an answer in my mind is: if reprobation is real, doesn't it negate the very God’s grace?///

MY RESPONSE 

Thanks XX for reaching out to me.

Reprobation is a doctrine identified with sections of the Reformed Calvinistic tradition. It that teaches that God had determined and predestined before the foundation of the world that a specific number of sinners will be excluded from His saving grace in Christ. This doctrine is anchored on the five point TULIP doctrines embraced by deterministic soteriology groups including Calvinism.

Accordingly therefore, TULIP Calvinism argues that these reprobate people will be denied the "irresistible grace" by which they may believe in Jesus Christ. 

This implies that this class of sinners will never come to faith. Instead, Calvinists argue, these reprobates will be consigned to eternal damnation or punishment in hell. They insist that the divine destiny of the reprobates was eternally sealed by God from eternity past. This perhaps underscores their "doomed from the womb" slogan.

Some Calvinists deliberately misread Romans 1:28 and 2 Corinthians 13:5 to imply that some people have been disqualified from the Christian faith! Neither of these texts, when read in their passage contexts, affirms the reprobation doctrine. They merely serve as convenience proof texts that carry no theological weight. 

The reprobation doctrine apparently contradicts several texts and passages of Scripture including John 3:16-18, Romans 10:5-13; Acts 2:37-38, 16:30-31. These Scriptures reveal that God seeks to save all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination provided that they repent and submit to God's saving grace in Christ Jesus. Contrary to Calvinism, regeneration cannot precede faith. 

John 3:16-18 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (NKJV). 

The above text clarifies this truth.

Calvinists also misinterpret Romans 9:10-13 to argue that God chooses from among sinners to save some unconditionally and reject the rest. 

Romans 9 is however not about how God deals with sinners in Christ. It concerns God's unconditional election of a people to service. God chose Jacob to be the father of Israel, God's nation-state. This does not suggest or imply that God eternally rejected Esau and his offspring from God's saving grace in Christ. 

Calvinistic teachers and their adherents would easily conclude that a stubborn sinner is a reprobate. This is an unfortunate conclusion to make because experience has shown that some obstinate sinners can turn to Christ later in their lives, including on their death beds! 

Some people who used to resist the gospel have surrendered to Christ in the final moments of their lives! We cannot therefore consider any sinner a reprobate simply because of their negative response to the gospel at a given time. The opportunity for accessing God's grace remains open until and unless the sinner dies in his or her rebellion. 

The reprobation doctrine is drawn from sections of gnostic philosophy embraced by the Augustinian Manichaeism groups. Augustine of Hippo, the North African third century theologian, was influenced by these gnostic groups and this shaped his theological writings. 

Martin Luther and John Calvin borrowed heavily from Augustine's works in building their theological reflections.

In conclusion, we can therefore argue within the confines of the revelation of Scripture that God seeks to save all sinners and that His saving grace in Christ Jesus is potentially unlimited. It is available to all sinners who hear the gospel proclaimed and submit to Christ. The sinner must respond to God's grace.

God has ordained the proclamation of the gospel as the primary means by which His saving grace can be accessed by sinners. This is plainly taught in Scripture. One theologian rightly argued that God's grace unapplied saves no one. The offer of God's saving grace in Christ has been open to all sinners in all ages since Calvary. 

The sinner's exercise of faith does not suggest or imply that God's sovereignty is diminished in any material sense. If anything, God's sovereignty is affirmed in His bounty grace that flows to us in Christ Jesus. 

Any person who rejects the grace of God stands condemned. God's judgement in Revelation 20:11-15 is anchored on this truth. 

///Thank you, Daktari, for the response. In my considered opinion, the real biblical tension is not whether God is gracious but how His sovereign mercy and His righteous judgment operate together.///

MY RESPONSE 

There is no biblical or theological tension between the two divine attributes, in my view. God's grace and mercy are two divine attributes of God that the Scriptures reveal with compelling clarity. Christ's incarnate coming and His works of redemption at the cross of Calvary demonstrate God's mercy and grace towards sinful humanity. 

God's justice is anchored on His holiness and righteousness. He abhors sin and evil and punishes the wicked unless they repent. The two attributes do not intertwine or conflict at all.

The Scriptures are replete with illustrations on God's condemnation of evil and His punishment for the wicked in the exercise of His justice. God's destruction of Noah's generation under the flood described in Genesis 7-8 and His obliteration of the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 are suitable illustrations in this context. Revelation 20:11-15 records the final resurrection and the judgement and condemnation awaiting the wicked and those who reject God's grace. Those whose names will be missing from the Lamb's Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire. 

///The Westminster argues that "Election demonstrates God's grace; reprobation demonstrates God's justice. Neither cancels the other."///

MY RESPONSE 

The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) is a Reformed Calvinistic statement of faith that captures their doctrinal framework. This articles are informed by their Reformed theology. 

The word "election" as applied under the TULIP systematic presupposes the validity of the Total Depravity, Unconditional Election Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of Saints. These doctrines are embraced by Calvinistic groups in varying degrees. 

The Total Depravity doctrine teaches that the sinner is so totally depraved in sin to the point that he is unable to respond to God's grace unaided. This doctrine is sometimes described as Total Inability. This is where the irresistible grace doctrine comes into the picture. Calvinists insist that God grants the elect sinner the irresistible grace before they can come to faith. They insist that regeneration must precede faith. 

The non-elect or reprobates are denied God's saving grace so that no matter how much the gospel is proclaimed to them they will never come to faith. Sadly, no text or passage of Scripture that affirms this doctrine. 

The Unconditional Election doctrine states that God chooses those to save among sinners unconditionally. The sinner's responsibility in responding to God's grace is not contemplated in this context because, according to Calvinism, this would amount to the creature exercising some sovereignty! Some Calvinists argue that only the saviour can choose the sinner and not vice versa.

Scripture however reveals that God's invitation in Christ is open to all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination. A sinner who hears the gospel proclaimed must turn to Christ to receive eternal life (John 3:16-18, Acts 2:37-38, 16:30-31).

The Limited Atonement doctrine holds that God's atonement in Christ Jesus is limited to the elect that God had predestined to save. This implies that any sinner who does not appear in God's list will not be granted the irresistible grace. No text of Scripture teaches or affirms the four doctrines. 

Most Evangelical traditions would partly agree with the fourth TULIP systematic. This is to the extent that God would preserve the believer in their journey of faith. Some scholars would however disagree with the view that the believer cannot fall from the faith. There are several illustrations in Scripture that suggest that believers have a responsibility in walking the narrow path that leads to eternal life. 

We shall now examine one of the most controversial arguments advanced by Calvinism. 

Calvinists insist Ephesians 1:4 implies that God chose some sinners for eternal life before the foundation of the world. 

Two theological implications are notable in this context. 

First, the election doctrine appears to suggest or imply that the redemption of cross is not the exclusive instrument for the redemption of sinners. Instead, the cross is reduced to a divine rubber-stamp. This is because the election, according to Calvinism, was concluded by God long before Calvary! This presumption is difficult to reconcile with Scripture. It openly contradicts several texts and passages of Scripture that amplify on the centrality of the cross in the redemption of sinners. 

Ephesians 1:3-14 when read within its passage context reveals that God's election was conceived by God in eternity past but is exclusively anchored in Christ. The means by which the redemption would be supplied was historically accomplished at Calvary 2000 years ago. The election of believers is in Him (Christ) alone. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of men (John 1:29). The election could never have been accomplished outside Calvary. 

Secondly, the Calvinistic doctrine of Election implies that the rest of sinners who were deliberately denied God's saving grace were specifically created for eternal damnation. This is the reason that Calvinism speaks of the revealed and secret will of God in their attempt to defend their faulty systematic. God cannot contradict Himself in the revelation of Scripture. No sinner was ever denied God's saving grace in Christ Jesus. The reprobation doctrine is therefore theologically inadmissible in Scripture. 

Calvinists further argue that the sinner's exercise of free will choice for obedience violates God's sovereignty. This argument is intended to dispute the sinner's capacity to make an informed free will choice for obedience which is plainly taught in Scripture. John 3:16-18 plainly contemplates the sinner's responsibility in responding to God's grace. Calvinism cannot discount the revelation of Scripture while purporting to affirm it! 

Non Calvinistic scholars therefore disagree with the Calvinistic doctrine of Election because it openly contradicts the fundamental teachings of Scripture and borders on impugning God's character.

///Exodus 4:21 (ESV): And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go."///

MY RESPONSE 

Pharaoh's fate had been sealed by God because of his evil against the children of Israel. He was under God's righteous judgement and condemnation. Yes, God promised to harden Pharaoh's heart because this served His divine purposes in that context. This does not however suggest or imply that God hardens some sinners so that they reject the gospel! No text of Scripture remotely affirms this claim. 

It is instructive to note that Calvinism is conveniently founded on a series of proof texts that do not align with the revelation and authority of Scripture.

///R. C Sproul argues that "

If humanity is fallen and guilty, salvation is mercy. God isn't obligated to extend saving mercy to everyone simply because He extends a genuine gospel invitation to everyone."///

MY RESPONSE 

I have heard Calvinists present this lame argument in an attempt to justify their philosophical suppositions. Nothing can be further from the truth! 

Yes, salvation is anchored on God's grace and mercy. However, to argue that God is not obligated to extend saving mercy to everyone is a thinly veiled attempt to shore up the unconditional election doctrine. 

If God chose to extend His mercy to sinners in Christ, why are Calvinists attempting to limit God's grace in total violation of the revelation of Scripture? What motivates this philosophical argument? Why do Calvinists attempt to justify and celebrate the destruction of sinners in hell? What is their attitude to the preaching of the gospel? 

We cannot allow the Scriptures to speak out of silence.

///I still believe somehow that reprobation has a place, however tiny, in theology. But remember, I am arguing more from a pedestrian point of view.///

MY RESPONSE 

The reprobation doctrine has no place in Scripture, in my view. It is anchored on an attempt by Calvinism to justify the TULIP systematic. The truth conveyed by Scripture is that God's grace is open to ALL sinners without prior distinction or discrimination. 

I trust that my responses are helpful in discounting the Calvinistic doctrines and upholding the truths of God's word. 

Shalom 

Dr E Kimosop 

27/8/2026

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

Is the Doctrine of Reprobation Biblical? Has God Already Selected Those Destined to Hell?

IS THE DOCTRINE OF REPROBATION BIBLICAL? HAS GOD ALREADY SELECTED THOSE DESTINED TO HELL? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Reprobation is a doctrine identified with radical deterministic soteriology groups that claim God had predestined before the foundation of the world that some sinners will be excluded from His saving grace in Christ. This doctrine is anchored on the five point TULIP doctrines embraced by sections of Reformed Calvinistic theology.

Accordingly therefore, TULIP Calvinism argues that the reprobate people have been denied the "irresistible grace" by which they may believe in Jesus Christ. 

This implies that this class of sinners will never come to faith. Instead, Calvinists argue, these reprobates are consigned to eternal damnation or punishment in hell. They insist that the divine destiny of the reprobates was eternally sealed by God from eternity past. This perhaps underscores their "doomed from the womb" slogan.

Some deterministic soteriology groups deliberately misread Romans 1:28 and 2 Corinthians 13:5 to imply that some people have been disqualified from the faith! Neither of these texts, when read in their passage contexts, affirms the reprobation doctrine. They have been employed as convenience proof texts that carry no theological weight in their favour. 

Romans 1:28 says "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." 

This text lies at the conclusion of Paul's argument in Romans 1:18-22 which concerns God's wrath on the unrighteous. God would ultimately permit stubborn sinners to have their way if they reject God's grace. This does not suggest that God rejected the unrighteous before the foundation of the world. 

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 says "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. ⁶ But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified." (NKJV). 

Paul did not imply that some believers could have been disqualified from the faith. His rhetorical question in v.5 was not intended to teach the predestination doctrine suggested by deterministic soteriology groups. It was simply meant to draw the believers to the truth of God's promise in Christ. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers anchors their moral standing in Christ and the assurance of eternal life. 

The reprobation doctrine apparently contradicts several texts and passages of Scripture including John 3:16-18, Romans 10:5-13; Acts 2:37-38, 16:30-31. These Scriptures reveal that God seeks to save all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination provided that they submit to God's saving grace in Christ Jesus. No sinners have been reserved for the lake fire from eternity past. God is waiting patiently wishing that no sinner should perish in their disobedience. Our choices however have consequences. 

John 3:16-18 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (NKJV). 

Deterministic groups also misinterpret Romans 9:10-13 to argue that God's saving grace is subject to predestination. They argue that God unconditionally chose to save some among sinners and rejects the rest. This is what the Limited Atonement doctrine implies. 

Romans 9 is however not about how God deals with sinners in Christ. It concerns God's unconditional election of a people to service. God chose Jacob to be the father of Israel, God's nation-state. This does not suggest or imply that God eternally rejected Esau and his offspring from God's saving grace in Christ. 

Deterministic teachers would easily conclude that a stubborn sinner falls under the reprobate category. This is an unfortunate conclusion to make because experience has shown that some obstinate sinners can turn to Christ later in their lives, including on their death beds! 

Some people who used to resist the gospel have surrendered to Christ in the final moments of their lives! We cannot therefore consider any sinner a reprobate simply because of their negative response to the gospel at a given time. The opportunity for accessing God's grace remains open until and unless the sinner dies in his or her rebellion. 

The reprobation doctrine is drawn from sections of gnostic philosophy embraced by the Augustinian Manichaeism groups. Augustine of Hippo, the North African third century theologian, was influenced by these gnostic groups and this philosophical trajectory shaped his theological writings. 

Luther and Calvin borrowed heavily from Augustine's works in building their theological thoughts.

In conclusion, we can therefore argue within the confines of the revelation of Scripture that God seeks to save all sinners and that His saving grace in Christ Jesus is potentially unlimited. It is available to all sinners who hear the gospel proclaimed and submit to Christ. 

God has ordained the proclamation of the gospel as the primary means by which His saving grace can be accessed by sinners. This is plainly taught in Scripture. One theologian rightly argued that God's grace unapplied saves no one. The offer of God's saving grace in Christ has been open to all sinners in all ages since Calvary. 

This does not suggest that God's sovereignty is diminished in any material essence. If anything, God's sovereignty is affirmed in His bountiful grace that flows to us in Christ Jesus. His divine purposes are served when sinners freely turn to Christ upon their conviction of sin.

Any person who rejects the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ stands condemned. God's judgement in Revelation 20:11-15 is anchored on this truth. 

God's grace is therefore unlimited. No sinner is so depraved in sinful disobedience that they cannot respond to God's grace in Christ. The sinner must make a choice for obedience in order to be counted among God's household of faith and be guaranteed eternal life. This is a conditional requirement in Scripture (John 1:12, 3:16-18). 

Have you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed? If so, have you turned to Christ? If not, kindly note that God is earnestly waiting for your response. If yes, glory to God! Keep it Christ! 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

What is the Meaning of Jacob Wrestling with God?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF JACOB WRESTLING WITH GOD?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

PASSAGE 

Genesis 32:22-26 says:  

"And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank. (NKJV). 

PASSAGE ANALYSIS 

Genesis 32:22-32 conveys the account of Jacob’s encounter with God at Peniel (later called Bethel). Jacob was on his way to Canaan after serving his uncle for two decades and marrying his two daughters Leah and Rachel. 

Jacob was earlier compelled to make a secret flight because of the mistreatment he had suffered under his uncle (Genesis 31:1-21). This was compounded by the envy of Laban's sons over Jacob's prosperity. Jacob was apprehensive about being pursued by Laban if his escape plans leaked out. Laban learned about Jacob's flight after three days and pursued him for seven days. God however warned Laban not to harm Jacob. The two men finally made a covenant and peacefully parted ways (Genesis 31:22-55). 

Jacob was also deeply concerned about his future in the Promised Land because of his unpleasant past and his fugitive flight from his brother Esau. 

Back to our passage of context. 

At Peniel, Jacob passed over his family, possessions, and servants across Jabbok River and stayed behind to seek the face of God. He sought to face God alone. The writer of Scripture reveals that God, here personified as a man, met Jacob and engaged him in a wrestling duel through the night till day break.

The popular interpretation of this passage is that Jacob engaged in a physical duel with the angel of the God through the night until God accepted to bless him. On the face of it, the passage appears to portray Jacob's prowess of sorts in subduing God! 

How could God wrestle with a man? 

Some scholars have argued that God did not literally wrestle with Jacob. They contend that a divine agent or angel was sent by God for the purpose. Some have supposed that the divine agent was the preincarnate Christ. This conclusion is drawn from their interpretation of vv. 28-30. They insist that Jacob's statement in v.30 suggests that his adversary was a member of the divinity and not an angel. 

It is however difficult to reconcile the Christophany view with Scripture since no text or passage of Scripture attests that Christ could have come to the earth by any other physical means than the incarnation recorded in the Gospel books. 

Hosea 12:3-4 provides a solid theological answer to this question on the principle that Scripture interprets Scripture. It clarifies that Jacob wrestled with an angel. This text therefore amplifies the truths conveyed in Genesis 32:22-32 on the identity of the divine agent that wrestled with Jacob. It also unravels the theological paradox presented by the writer of Genesis by revealing the nature of the contest. It confirms that it was a spiritual battle. 

The fact that the divine agent had apparently concealed his identity to Jacob v. 29 remains a residual theological mystery. It perhaps underscores the gravity and privacy of his divine assignment as God's mouthpiece to His servant. 

Jacob prevailed in the end, not on account of his physical prowess but by his unwavering zeal for God's heart. God stretched his theological test on Jacob to snapping limits and Jacob graciously pleased God. The divine agent was compelled to strike Jacob's hip leaving a lasting impact on his body that would never be dusted away. This was a physical act with spiritual implications that we shall examine in the concluding section of this article. It is evidence of God's grace intertwining with a broken heart. 

It is instructive to note that no man can physically wrestle with God because we can never compare with Him in strength even with the best military arsenal that can be assembled. The fact that the divine agent struck Jacob’s thigh underscores that God has absolute power and control over our lives and no human power can withstand God's omnipotence. 

To say that Jacob prevailed against God is not to suggest that he was more powerful in physical strength or wisdom than his Creator. No man can ever face off with God in a duel and live to tell it! Jacob simply touched the heart of God by his sincere supplication and God graciously chose to bless him. His passionate spiritual battle with his maker was a sweet aroma that touched the heavens (cf. Noah's offering in Genesis 8:20-22). Jacob deeply yearned for God's intervention in his circumstances. 

The theological meaning of this passage is therefore better amplified by Hosea 12:2-4 but more precisely by Hosea 12:4 which says of Jacob: 

“Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;

He wept, and sought favor from Him.

He found Him in Bethel,

And there He spoke to us.” (NKJV). 

This passage, read together with Genesis 32:22-32, reveals that Jacob earnestly prayed and wept before God. He ultimately prevailed because God granted him the blessings he sought and even changed his name to Israel, a sign of a better future for him. It was an assurance of God's abiding presence and His covenant commitment. 

Jacob's encounter with God was deeply intense. It was an unparalleled and consuming prayer that spanned the night hours. Jacob was compelled to passionately seek the face of God because he knew that his return to the land of his father would be an exercise in futility without God's divine leading and protection. He was about to come face to face with his estranged brother Esau whose birthright he had snatched and from whom he had fled two decades earlier. 

I am persuaded from my study of this passage that the word "wrestled" was metaphorically employed by the writer to depict the intensity of the spiritual encounter. It was therefore not a portrayal of a physical duel between man and divinity. 

MORAL LESSONS 

We can draw a number of moral lessons from our study of the above passage.

First, Jacob's encounter with God teaches us that if we earnestly seek the face of God concerning the burning issues confronting our lives, He is gracious and willing to meet us at the point of need. 

Secondly, we discover that God often exceeds our expectations because of His immeasurable grace and covenant love for us (Ephesians 3:20). 

Jacob was seeking an assurance from God that he will be secure in the land of his fathers Isaac and Abraham after God commanded him to leave the house of Laban his uncle who had shortchanged him for 22 years (Gen 31:3). Despite the mistreatment he suffered under Laban, Jacob was exceedingly blessed by God and he gained greater prominence than his elder brother. He became the father of the nation of Israel and the forefather of Jesus Christ. 

While Jacob was preoccupied with his immediate welfare in Canaan as he returned to the land of promise, God however saw the greater picture, the future that He had prepared for His servant. God sees beyond our limited comprehension when we appear before Him. Solomon prayed for wisdom, God added Him riches. Hannah prayed for a son but God added her five more children! 

Thirdly, we can distill from this passage that there are no circumstances in our lives that God cannot surmount or navigate for us if we remain faithful to Him. He is a faithful and loving God in all generations of His covenant people. God is our refuge, our fortress in time of trouble. In Him we stand secure against the storms of life. God alone stands between our past and our future. He is our Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8).

Fourthly, God desires that we approach Him by faith and in sincerity of heart just like Jacob did before God, crying and weeping for his blessing. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. God honors genuine and broken hearts that passionately seek His blessings, His healing, His restoration, His fellowship, and His mercies. Our covenant relationship is primarily a personal obligation before it is communal.

Iain M. Duguid makes a profound observation on Jacob's encounter with God, saying: "Jacob wrestles with God and not man, and he prevails not by overthrowing his opponent—an impossible task—but simply by clinging to him in his wounded state and refusing to let go. Jacob has finally realized that God—and God alone—is the one with whom he has needed to wrestle in order to receive his blessing." [1]

Fifthly, God is not a respecter of persons. He has the divine discretion to bless those who seek His face in accordance with His sovereign will. Romans 9:10-13 says “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” (NKJV). 

Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3, which employs the Hebrew word "sane" (שָׂנֵא) for "hate". This word is best translated "to love less," "to overlook," or "to choose one over the other". 

In the exercise of His divine discretion, God preferred Jacob over Esau not on the basis of any prior distinctions. Jacob was therefore not more deserving of God's grace than Esau. Either son could have been chosen to be the patriarch of Israel. This does not however suggest or imply that God chooses or discriminates between sinners in Christ other than through their response to the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

The Bible reveals that God receives any sinner who turns to Christ without any prior distinction or discrimination. He has no favourites among sinners! (John 3:16-17). 

Sixthly, God leaves a lasting impact on our lives whenever we encounter Him. We shall never remain the same. The fact that Jacob was left with a broken hip served as a constant reminder to him about God's abiding faithfulness. It was a lesson in persistent faith that should draw us closer to God rather than away from Him. Jon Bloom aptly posits thus: "If necessary, God will cause us to limp to increase our faith." [2]. God uses the afflictions of life to strengthen us in faith and draw us closer to Him. 

Our wrestling with God leaves us more humbled and dependent on God. It causes us to count our blessings. Frederick Buechner depicts Jacob’s divine encounter at the Jabbok River as the “magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God”. [3]

Finally, we learn that God is a destiny shaper. Those who place their trust in Him and faithfully walk with him are assured of His divine presence, leading, and influence over their lives. The God who transformed Jacob's destiny is the same God who seeks a better life and future for us in Christ Jesus in this world and in the world to come. 

This is a compelling truth anchored on God's word. God's grace is both incomprehensible and immeasurable yet it is open to every soul that yearns for Christ. We should consistently and persistently approach His divine presence and file our petitions to Him through unyielding faith. 

Katie Polski succinctly opines that "this moment of intense physical struggle is no simple encounter; it’s an intimate and transformative battle with God." [4]. 

The parable of the persistent widow recorded in Luke 18:1-8 should inspire us to persist with God until His appointed time comes. We should never give up on God. 

Jacob was determined to touch the heart of God and so should we. 

How often do you wrestle with God?

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

REFERENCES 

___________

[1] Iain M. Duguid, Why Did Jacob Wrestle with God? https://share.google/90rlvxOHZpYdtADUe

[2] Jon Bloom, "Will You Wrestle with God?" in Desiring God, https://share.google/NFIiXpIDZc0AR1BvC

[3] Frederick Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat, HarperOne, 1985, p. 18.

[4] Katie Polski, "Blessed Are Those Who Wrestle" in The Gospel Coalition, 23 October 2025, https://share.google/BASm8idFsoBP4DiMC

Lessons from Balaam's Encounter with an Angel of the LORD in Numbers 22:21-29

LESSONS FROM BALAAM'S ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANGEL OF THE LORD IN NUMBERS 22:21-29

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

In Numbers 22:1-20, we learn that the children of Israel crossed into the plains of Moab on the final journey to the promised land. Earlier in Numbers 21, God had granted them victory against three heathen kings - Arad king of the Canaanites (vv. 1-3), Sihon king of the Ammorites (vv.21-32), and Og king of Bashan (vv.33-35). 

In Numbers 22, we are introduced to a totally different scene. When Balak son of Zippor, king of the Moabites learnt about the defeat of the Ammorites, he panicked because his military strength was nothing compared to Israel's. He crafted a different strategy. He sought to curse Israel rather than engage them directly in battle. It appears that the Moabites were steeped in divination and occult practices that were commonly embraced by Canaanite tribes. 

It is instructive to note that the Ammorites descended from Canaan, Noah's grandson (Genesis 10:16) while the Moabites and Ammonites were descendants of Lot by the incest recorded in Genesis 19. The two nations were therefore distant cousins of Israel. 

Back to our passage of context...

In his attempt to craft a solution to his military setback, Balak king of Moab sent for Balaam son of Beor, a diviner or soothsayer, who dwelt in Aram, a location near the Jordan River. Balak did not bother to seek God's leading on the way forward. Instead, he resorted to the template occult world for answers! God however forbade Balaam from either going with Balak's first delegation or cursing the children of Israel at the request of Balak king of the Moabites. 

A second delegation was dispatched by king Balak who stubbornly refused to give up on Balaam (vv.15-17). This strongly suggests that Balak may have approached Balaam on divination assignments on previous occasions. 

In vv.20-21, God finally permitted Balaam to accompany the second delegation provided that he pledged to speak only what God would tell him. 

In vv.21-29, we are introduced to a strange twist of events. The writer records that the LORD's anger was aroused against Balaam and He sent an angel to confront Balaam as he sought to meet Balak. It is not immediately clear why God changed His mind and sent an angel to block Balaam's donkey. Balaam struck his donkey three times in a rage of fury after it refused to take his orders. God caused the donkey to speak to Balaam in human language! This is the only record in Scripture where a donkey spoke!

Bible scholars believe God was angered by Balaam's greed for money. God read the mind and heart of Balaam and foresaw that he would defy God's command and curse Israel in exchange for Balak's money. There is a hint in v.32 where the Angel of the LORD rebukes Balaam saying “...Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me."

The moral perversion and apostasy of Balaam's heart is also affirmed in 2 Peter 2:15-16 where Peter mentions Balaam when rebuking false teachers. Peter writes: 

"They [apostate teachers] have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet." (NKJV, emphasis mine). 

This text of Scripture serves to amplify God's word with compelling clarity. It sheds light on the theological paradox in Numbers 22:22-34 which leaves the Bible reader wondering why God confronted Balaam after earlier permitting him to go to Balak! 

It is instructive that God had already cautioned Balaam in v.12, saying "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” This was mission impossible for Balaam because any act of disobedience would have been perilous. God does not speak from the two sides of His mouth! (cf. Numbers 23:19). 

God could not permit a curse on His covenant people without a compelling moral justification. He had rescued them from Egyptian slavery and had led them through the wilderness for nearly 40 years at this point. They were just about to cross the Jordan from the plains of Moab facing Jericho (v.1). 

Balaam repented of his sin after the angel of the LORD rebuked him. He pleaded to be allowed to return back to his base in Aram but God reinforced His earlier message that he should go to Balak where he would only speak that which God would command Him (vv. 34-35). 

God was not done with Balaam. He sought to use him to confront the arrogant and wicked Moabite king and teach him a vital lesson on God's sovereignty over all nations and His divine will for Israel. 

Numbers 23-24 describes the three occasions on which Balak attempted to influence Balaam to curse the children of Israel. He sacrificed burnt offerings on each occasion but God rejected his prayers. Balaam spoke the mind of God on the three occasions and this sorely displeased his host who finally gave up on him. 

Balaam had hopefully learnt his lesson during the confrontation with the angel of God that nearly got him killed.

Numbers 24 conveys Balaam's poetic doxology or praise song before his return to Aram after defying Balak. God used Balaam to reveal Israel's blessed future in the promised land. The Moabites could not stand in the way of God's people. They finally gave way and God's people crossed the Jordan in the end. 

Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that Balaam returned to his life of moral apostasy. He caused the children of Israel to sin against God. Numbers 31:16 says "Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord."

Balaam's tragic end finally came. Joshua 13:22 says "The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them." It is instructive that Balaam is rightly described as a soothsayer rather than a prophet of God. He was a false prophet. 

MORAL LESSONS 

1. God cannot curse His covenant people without any moral justification. The people of Israel were passing by the land of Moab on their way to the promised land. They never intended to take or possess the land of Moab. They were pilgrims of God. There was no reason for God to curse them. Balak's intrigues were informed by his pride and arrogance. 

2. We should always be careful to speak the mind of God even where it confronts our sinful disobedience. We should never misrepresent the mind of God to either serve our personal interests or to please men. We should not twist the word of God to impress people. We should proclaim the word of God in truth. 

3. Nothing is impossible with God. God's omnipotence is unlimited. God can use unusual circumstances to reveal His presence or communicate His will to His people. He chose to use a female donkey to speak to Balaam after he failed to discern the presence of God. God can speak to us through strangers or unusual events in life. We should discern His divine will in those circumstances. God daily speaks to us through His word in Scripture and by His Spirit. Do you take time to study the word of God? Do you discern His voice in His word? 

4. God's purposes for His people will ultimately be fulfilled no matter what stands in their way. Our journey of faith with God will be accomplished in Christ Jesus. This should encourage us to keep our focus on Christ even under the most difficult circumstances in life. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (NKJV). 

5. The love of  money is a root of all kinds of evil. We should keep away from the captivating desire for earthly riches that drifts us from our devotion to God. We should therefore serve God faithfully and refrain from unbridled greed for ungodly material gain. We should not offer our God-given ministry skills in exchange for material riches. This is not to suggest or imply that believers should not pursue earthly riches. We should do so in ways that glorify and honor God. 

There are many false teachers today who are fleecing their followers under manipulation and deceit in the name of God. Such millionaire preachers are following after the way of Balaam. God will judge and punish them for their greed and evil. 

1 Timothy 6:9-10 says "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (NKJV). 

6. Nothing is hidden or concealed before the eyes of God. Our secret sins are open to God. He sees the intentions of our hearts no matter how much we attempt to conceal them. God's divine omniscience is unlimited. Balaam had secretly conspired to curse Israel in exchange for material gain from Balak. God read his heart and sent an angel to confront Him. We should serve God from a clear conscience. 

7. The wages of sin is death. Balaam did not appear to have learned any lessons from his previous transgressions and acts of imprudence even after God confronted him under Balak's case. He needlessly perished from it in the end, having turned back to his evil ways. We should repent and turn away from our acts of disobedience while the window of God's grace is still open. 

Jeremiah 17:9-10 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." (NKJV).

Are you serving God from a clear conscience? 

Is your heart pure and sincere before God?

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

What is Conditional Election?

WHAT IS CONDITIONAL ELECTION?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

The doctrine of conditional election teaches that salvation is available to any sinner based on their fulfillment of certain conditions set out by God in Scripture. The foremost condition is that the sinner must of his free will repent upon his conviction of sin and turn to Christ. On this basis therefore, the sinner receives God's pardon and is assured of eternal life. 

There are several Scriptures that attest to this doctrine. John 3:16-17 is perhaps one of the most outstanding texts of Scripture that anchor the conditional election doctrine. The sinner must believe in Christ. God neither forcibly saves sinners nor denies any sinner His saving based on prior distinction or discrimination. 

Romans 10:8-10 says “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (NKJV). 

The above passage clearly affirms that the sinner has a part to play in God's plan of salvation. This is undeniable.

The Unconditional election on the other hand stands in contrast to this doctrine. It teaches that God selected a given number of sinners for eternal life from the foundation of the world and that only those sinners in God's list will come to faith. This doctrine is popularly held by deterministic soteriology groups who teach that the sinner cannot do anything in response to God's grace.

This school argues that the the sinner is so depraved in sin that they cannot come to faith unless God grants him the "irresistible grace" which is exclusively reserved for those in the "elect list". Salvation is viewed in this context as a mornergistic process attributed to the will of a sovereign God who exclusively determines the fate of sinners even before they are born! 

One of the key passages cited by proponents of the unconditional election doctrine is Ephesians 1:4-6 that says " just as He chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved." (NKJV). 

A close look at this text reveals a number of theological flaws on the unconditional election doctrine. 

First, while the election is said to have been concluded before foundation of the world, the same text affirms that the election is done or actuated in Him (Christ). This inescapably brings to bear the works of the cross which were accomplished at a given historical date and time in human history. 

According to Scripture, the election of sinners is only effected in Christ, through the works of redemption and the ransom by His sinless blood. No sinner could therefore have bypassed Calvary. 

My view is that the notion that God chose believers before the foundation of the world is anchored on a misrepresentation of God's exhaustive omniscience and foreknowledge. The election of the believer is not a deterministic fait accompli that arbitrarily assigns privilege to a given set of sinners to the exclusion of others who are damned before birth.

Secondly, the adoption in Christ is a futuristic event (cf. Romans 8:18-25). It is awaiting Christ's coming for its divine fulfillment. 

The two other texts employed by proponents of unconditional election are Romans 8:29-30, 9:11. My view is that neither of these texts support the doctrine of unconditional election when read in their passage contexts. Romans 8:18-30 relates to an exhortation on Christian suffering while Romans 9:11 is part of a long treatise by Paul that runs through Romans 9-11. It thesis centres on Israel's need for the gospel. 

The final submission of Paul's thesis is thus: "...God has committed them all [Gentiles and Jews] to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all." (Romans 11:32).

My concluding view is that the conditional election doctrine finds its support in Scripture. Every sinner must repent and turn to Christ to be saved. This truth does not make God less sovereign or take away any glory due to Him. It affirms His sovereignty in graciously granting sinners the opportunity to come to Christ without coercion, compulsion or prior distinction and discrimination.

God is not glorified by the eternal damnation of sinners in hell. He declares "...I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezekiel 33:11, NKJV). 

Peter reminds us that "the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV). 

The conditional election doctrine is therefore anchored on the revelation and authority of Scripture. The sinner must exercise his God given responsibility in responding to God's grace in Christ Jesus. Those who reject God's grace upon conviction of sin will face God's righteous judgement (Revelation 20:11-15).

No sinner was doomed from the womb! 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

What Does it Mean that Jesus is Full of Grace and Truth?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS IS FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

John 1:14 says "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (NKJV). 

This Scripture, read within its wider passage context of John 1:1-18 reveals the reasons for Jesus' incarnate coming as God in flesh. He came to fulfil God's divine purposes for sinful humanity that dwelt in sinful condemnation in Adam. 

Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that it is by grace that we are saved, not by works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9). In His incarnation, Jesus personified the divine projection and pinnacle of God's unmerited grace and mercy bound in human flesh. He was born of a woman yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

Why is Jesus described as full of grace and truth? 

This is a pregnant statement that oozes with the essence of divinity that has been incomprehensibly intertwined with humanity on purpose. What God has conveyed to us in Christ is humanly inexplicable. It is beyond the confines of human philosophy and intellectual discourse! Only God can grant the words by which to explain it. 

First, we learn from Scripture that Jesus' incarnate coming was informed by God's unmerited grace and mercy by which He chose to send His only begotten Son to die on the cross to provide the divine means by which sinful men could be reconciled with the holy and righteous God of Scripture from whom they had been alienated in Adam. 

Jesus became the atonement from heaven, the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God that was slain for us. Apostle John describes Jesus as "...The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, NKJV). 

Secondly, Jesus Christ conveyed the gospel of truth in His earthly ministry. He proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God through His exhortations and the kingdom parables. When He ascended to heaven, He left for us His written word in the holy Scriptures which reveal the mind of God to us and the future that awaits the redeemed of God in heaven. The Scriptures also reveal the eternal destiny of those who reject God's grace.

We need to live by the truth of God's word. 

While praying for His disciples, Jesus affirmed the truth and the efficacious power of God's word in the sanctification of God's people. He petitioned the Father, saying "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17). God alone can sanctify the saints. He justifies us whenever we appear before His divine presence courtesy of what Christ has accomplished for us at Calvary. 

What God has spoken in Scripture is authoritative, sufficient, and final in conveying His grace and truth to us. God's word has been indelibly sealed in the 66 book canon of Scripture. It is His divine voice in all ages and the benchmark by which our Christian obedience and service is measured. 

It is this truth that confronts the dark and sinful world around us. By this truth, God's grace condemns sinful rebellion and draws sinners to God through the conviction of sin and repentance. God's grace is available to all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination. This is gospel truth.

Yes, Jesus is full of grace and truth. 

Those who have submitted to God in Christ Jesus have tapped into God's grace. They are living witnesses of God's saving grace to underserving sinners. They have been transformed from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; from death to life, courtesy of God's atoning grace in Christ Jesus. 

True followers of Jesus will uphold His written word and proclaim it to this world in their generations even as Christ tarries. They are always prepared to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). 

Are you numbered among the saints?

Have you experienced God's grace and truth in your life? Do you live by the revelation and authority of God's word or by the dictates of the contemporary culture? 

The psalmist proclaims to God: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105, NKJV. This is the affirmation of divine truth.

May God's grace and the truth of His word be our daily compass by which we may walk steadfastly in our journey of faith as we look forward to Christ's soon coming.

Shalom.

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

What can we Learn from the Ox and Donkey's Recognition of their Owner?

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE OX AND DONKEY'S RECOGNITION OF THEIR OWNER?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Isaiah 1:1-4 says:

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!

For the Lord has spoken:

“I have nourished and brought up children,

And they have rebelled against Me;

3 The ox knows its owner

And the donkey its master’s crib;

But Israel does not know,

My people do not consider.”

4 Alas, sinful nation,

A people laden with iniquity,

A brood of evildoers,

Children who are corrupters!

They have forsaken the Lord,

They have provoked to anger

The Holy One of Israel,

They have turned away backward." (NKJV). 

Isaiah 1:1-20 conveys God's call to Israel to repent and turn to God. The nation had walked away from their covenant with God. Even the ritual sacrifices they offered were of no effect. God had turned His face from them. 

This poetic lamentation was meant to convey God's displeasure for the people's moral apostasy and a plea for their return to covenant faithfulness. 

The use of the imagery of an ox and a donkey is meant to convey the logical paradox behind Israel's departure from her covenant life. If oxen and donkeys can be faithful to their owners and masters, how can one reconcile Israel's apostasy yet they had walked with God through the years since God rescued them from Egyptian slavery? 

This lament is meant to remind us that God is counting on our covenant faithfulness in our walk with Christ. We need to examine our commitment to a life of devotion and obedience with God and bridge the notable gaps. God is inviting us to a soul-searching moment in our walk with Christ. 

Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that God rebuked the churches of Laodicea and Sardis for their weak covenant commitment (Revelation 3). 

The church of Laodicea was adjudged as a lukewarm church. They approached their Christian life with half heartedness. They placed their covenant life in the periphery as they pursued the things of this passing world. It is easy to retain a pale shadow of our covenant commitment when our hearts are far from God. 

The church of Sardis had even drifted further from the Lord. It was adjudged by Christ as a dead church even though a few believers among them remained faithful (v.4). Majority of its members had abandoned their covenant path and instead settled for the exigencies of their contemporary world. 

God is calling us to examine our walk with Him and return to covenant faithfulness. 

Are you keeping to the narrow path?

Keep it Christ!

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

Was Junia a Female Apostle?

WAS JUNIA A FEMALE APOSTLE? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Romans 16:7 says "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me." (NKJV). The NIV reads "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was."

This text lies in the traditional greetings section at the foot of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Paul reveals his relationship with Andronicus and Junia. Both were Jews and both had suffered for their faith and had been imprisoned with Paul at one time. 

Paul's closing description of the two has been at the centre of theological controversy through the church ages. Were these two believers among the primary apostles of Jesus Christ? If so, why is Scripture silent about them beyond this text? Were the two a Jewish couple or were they siblings? 

We shall begin with a theological examination of the first question. 

Does this Scripture suggest that the two Jewish believers mentioned in Paul's greetings were New Testament apostles within the context of Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 1:15-26, 9:1-19; Ephesians 4:11 and Revelation 21:14? 

Were they part of the New Testament apostles called by Jesus Christ or were they apostolic missionaries that Paul had commissioned to the Gentiles?

My view is that being of note among the apostles is evidence of the good standing of the two believers - Andronicus and Junia - among the apostles. They had perhaps excelled in their service to Christ. This text does not however suggest or imply that the two had been appointed to apostolic office by Jesus Christ during the New Testament church period.

Were they a Christian couple? 

Whether or not the two were married to each other is difficult to conclusively establish from Scripture. Some scholars consider this as a strong possibility. Kelly Campbell notably observes that the two are not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. [1]. This phenomenon considerably limits the reader's reflection on their identity.

It is also instructive that Paul acknowledges the two as having come to faith before him. This suggests that they were perhaps among the first set of New Testament believers identified with the Jerusalem church before the persecution and dispersion that commenced in Acts 7 of which Paul was a leading figure. 

John Calvin supposes that Paul may have used the generic name "apostles" to denote apostolic missionaries or "the sent" rather than as a reference to the holders of the New Testament apostolic office. [2]. This is a plausible argument. 

Some scholars have supposed that the two may have been siblings who had hosted the apostles in Rome. Others have suggested that the two may have been a Christian couple in Rome. The siblings theory is fairly remote because it is difficult to find any convincing evidence in its support either in Scripture or historical sources. 

We shall now return to the million dollar question: Were the two ministers apostles of Jesus Christ within the context of Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 1:15-26, 9:1-19; Ephesians 4:11 and Revelation 21:14? 

These texts of Scripture centre on the appointment of apostles within what we can refer to as the primary apostolic category. It is instructive that there is no mention of a female apostle among those appointed by Jesus in the New Testament Scriptures. This reinforces and lends credence to the conclusion that Jesus never called a woman into His primary apostolic team even though he sent out a large number of believers into the mission field, including the 70 mentioned in Luke 10. 

Beside the appointment of Matthias in Acts 1 as a replacement to Judas Iscariot, no evidence in Scripture suggests that additional primary apostles had been appointed by Jesus or by the Jerusalem church. 

Revelation 21:14 appears to suggest that a fixed number of apostles was contemplated in Scripture. The Scripture says "Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (NKJV). 

There is considerable theological debate on who between Matthias and Paul will feature in those foundations. Some of course may argue that this text conveys an imagery of the world to come and that the number mentioned need not be interpreted in its literal sense. It is however undeniable that numbers convey meaning in Scripture. 

Most Bible scholars agree that Junia (Greek: Ἰουνία) was a female Greek name and this strongly refutes the claim to apostolic stature within the primary apostolic context. 

Al Wolters observes that Ἰουνιᾶν is the Greek form of the Hebrew male name Yehunni. [3]. This suggests that Junia may have been the Hellenized equivalent of the Jewish male Yehunni. This perspective significantly discounts the possibility that the two were a Christian couple. I would classify it as a peripheral observation. Most Bible scholars agree that Junia was female. 

Richard Bauckham, a British classical and Pauline scholar, has exhaustively demonstrated this perspective in his works and concluded that Junia is almost certainly feminine [4]. It is also instructive that Chrysostom did not question her gender but celebrated her apostolic distinction. 

Daniel Wallace, a leading New Testament Greek scholar disagrees with the view that the two believers were New Testament apostles. He observes thus in his analysis of Romans 16:7: “In sum, until further evidence is produced that counters the working hypothesis, we must conclude that Andronicus and Junia were not apostles, but were known to the apostles." [5]. This view can be reconciled from a plain reading of the text. 

Linda Belleville and Eldon Epp under their critical review of the Journal of Biblical Literature have found the male identity argument by Wolters to be methodologically inconclusive [6]. This conclusion theologically consigns the male gender perspective to the periphery.   

My view is that the two believers were either a faithful Christian couple or prominent Jewish believers known to apostle Paul and other New Testament apostles. The two were residing in Rome at the time Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans. 

CONCLUSION

I am persuaded and it is my concluding thesis that:

1. Neither Andronicus nor Junia, nor indeed any other New Testament church missionary, can be classified under the primary category of apostles except the twelve called by Jesus in person plus Matthias and Paul. This category is exclusive. 

2. Junia was not a New Testament apostle within the meaning of Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 1:15-26, 9:1-19; Ephesians 4:11, and Revelation 21:14. She falls under the secondary category. No female believer or missionary was appointed under the primary category. 

3. The primary apostolic office was sealed by Jesus after the calling of Paul in Acts 9. This implies that no additional apostles were contemplated under this category either during the New Testament period or subsequent church periods. There is therefore no living primary apostle today. 

4. The authorship of the inspired writings of Scripture also ceased after the primary apostolic office holders passed on. The 66 canon of Biblical Scriptures is therefore the final record of God's word to His church. 

5. The theological conflation that some have attempted to introduce between the two apostolic categories cannot stand under a faithful biblical exegesis or theological scrutiny. The theological distinction between the two categories therefore stands in all church ages.

6. The Great Commission by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 was given to the church without gender distinction or discrimination. All believers are called into the mission field in all ages of the church until the coming of Christ. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

________________

REFERENCES 

[1] Kelly Campbell, "Who was Junia in the Bible and What do we Know About Her?" In "I Believe", iBelieve.com https://share.google/fSA8k2pcbooELFLAs

[2] John Calvin, Acts (The Crossway Classic Commentaries; eds. Alister McGrath and J.I. Packer; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1995), 237–238.

[3] Albert Wolters, “ΙΟΥΝΙΑΝ (Romans 16:7) and the Hebrew Name Yehunni,” Journal of Biblical Literature 127 (2008): 397–408.

[4] Richard Bauckham, Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdsmans, 2002), 165-202.

[5] Daniel B. Wallace - Junia Among the Apostles - Double Identification Problem. http://bible.org/article/junia-among-apostles-double-identification-problem-romans-167

[6] Michael Burer and Daniel Wallace, "Was Junia Really an Apostle? A Re-examination of Romans 16:7", New Testament Studies, 47 (2001): 76-79. For counter-arguments, see Epp, Junia (2005), Belleville, NTS, 51 (2005); and Richard Bauckham, Gospel Women (2002). 

What Does it Mean to Flourish Like a Palm Tree?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FLOURISH LIKE A PALM TREE?

By Ezekiel Kimosop  

Psalm 92:12-15 says: 

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,

He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord

Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;

They shall be fresh and flourishing,

15 To declare that the Lord is upright;

He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." (NKJV). 

Psalm 92 is part of Hebrew poetic literature that celebrates God's love and faithfulness for His people. 

In v. 12, the psalmist proclaims "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon." (NKJV). 

A palm tree is native to the desert or dry wilderness. It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates. It requires abundant sunlight, warmth, and well drained soil. It is a resilient tree that survives some of the harshest climatic conditions. 

The cedar of Lebanon is mentioned 103 times in Scripture. It is a native tree that flourishes in the Lebanese mountains and grows to between 80 to 120 feet with branches spreading between 40 to 60 feet across. It is a majestic tree that towers above the rest. 

The psalmist uses these two trees as similes that best describe the spiritual depth and fortitude of the righteous in the seasons of life. God deepens and anchors the spiritual standing of His righteous people so that they can withstand the storms of life and emerge victorious in the end. 

Believers draw their strength from God's divine preservation and the assurance of God's abiding presence in their lives. They will flourish and yield fruit even in the most trying environments. They remain unshaken in their covenant walk with Christ. 

Psalm 34:19 says "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all." (NKJV). 

Joseph demonstrated this resilience at Potiphar's house and was successful in his stewardship. He flourished in godly prudence. Genesis 39:3 says "And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand." (NKJV). 

The prison experience also fortified Joseph and he emerged stronger and more resilient. He flourished in Pharaoh's courts, rising to the highest office in the land of Egypt (Genesis 40-41). 

This assurance from God's word should encourage us to remain steadfast in our journey of faith. We can flourish and grow in our walk of faith if we allow the word of God to shape our convictions. We should keep our eyes focused on Him who was pierced for us. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (NKJV).

No matter where God has placed you in this passing evil world, rest assured that His presence and covenant faithfulness abides with you. Serve Him faithfully and draw from the exhortation of His word and you shall flourish in Christ like the palm tree or the cedar of Lebanon. 

We should earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). 

Keep it Christ!

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

How is God's Grace Related to God's Mercy?

HOW IS GOD'S GRACE RELATED TO GOD'S MERCY?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Mercy has been described as not getting the punishment one deserves, while grace is getting a blessing one do not deserve. Grace is best understood as an underserved act of favour or kindness. Some scholars consider mercy as a subset of grace.

Mercy is granted to an undeserving convict. This is the foundation of judicial parole that permits the judicial system to discount a criminal sentence or have a conviction quashed under clemency. In some cases, a convict can be released before serving a full sentence. 

Turning to Scripture, we discover that there are countless occasions on which God chose to forgive His sinful people after they repented of their disobedience. 

In Psalm 51:1-2, David pleads for God's mercy saying: 

"Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin." (NKJV). 

On other occasions, God chose to offer unconditional pardon, choosing to extend His mercy to underserving people. This is where God's mercy exceeds His divine wrath. 

Micah 7:18 says:

"Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy." (NKJV). 

In the New Testament Scriptures, God's mercy and grace is best demonstrated in the redemption works of Calvary. In the exercise of His divine mercy, God determined to send Jesus to die on the cross in order to provide the atonement for the redemption for sinful humanity that was trapped in depravity.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (NKJV, emphasis mine). 

Without God's offer of His saving grace, we would still be eternally separated from God. We would be consigned to eternal damnation in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). 

Genesis 2:16-17 says "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (NKJV). 

When Adam disobeyed the voice of God and ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3:1-6, he suffered spiritual death. Genesis 5:5 reveals that Adam lived for 930 years before he died and was buried. However, his spiritual death and isolation from his maker took place centuries earlier, the moment he fell into disobedience in the garden of Eden. 

Methuselah, Noah's grandfather who a righteous man, lived longest at 969 years (Genesis 5:27) but he too died under God's condemnation in Adam. 

We were therefore collectively "dead in sin" and isolated from the holy and righteous God of Scripture since Adam until God brought the divine solution in Christ. 

Ephesians 1:13-14 says "In Him [Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (NKJV, emphasis mine). 

God's grace is in Christ driven underwritten by God's mercy. He chose to reach out to us and redeem us in Christ Jesus yet we were undeserving sinners who were under sinful condemnation. 

In line with God's offer of His saving grace in Christ, Scripture proclaims: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18, NKJV). 

Romans 5:8-9 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

That is how God's mercy was demonstrated under His saving grace in Christ Jesus. The sinner must reach out in response to God's grace in the gospel. Thomas Watson, a Reformed puritan preacher said God's grace unapplied saves no one. 

Here's the million dollar question: Have you accepted God's saving grace in Christ Jesus or are you living in sinful condemnation in Adam?

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026

A Reason to Believe - Acts 9:32-43

A REASON TO BELIEVE - ACTS 9:32-43

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Acts 9:32-35 says "Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord." (NKJV). 

Peter was visiting believers in Lydda. This ancient place is located in the fertile plain of Sharon in modern day central Israel which is 22 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was a mixed race location where Arabs and Jews lived. Peter found Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. Peter healed Him in the name of Jesus Christ and the man arose from his bed and walked. 

The miraculous healing caused countless many to believe in Jesus Christ (v.35). It was a powerful testimony of God's transformation that the Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Scripture to pen down. 

In vv. 36-43, we learn that when believers in Joppa heard about what God had done through Peter in Lydda, they reached out to Peter seeking divine intervention for their more difficult situation. Dorcas, also known as Tabitha, a devout believer, had died. Peter travelled to Joppa and raised Dorcas back to life in the name of Jesus Christ. Dorcas had transformed the lives of widows in her community by her charitable deeds. Tabitha's generosity drew many widows close to her. 

The Joppa miracle once again led many to turn to Christ. It was a reason to believe. 

These two incidents are among several others in Scripture where God did wonders through the apostles. They serve to remind us that people are seeking for a reason to believe in Jesus Christ today. The Holy Spirit continues to draw sinners to Christ through the preaching of the gospel. 

One of the most profound ways of touching people's lives is through the practical impact that the Christian community brings to their societies of context by their deeds and their Christian witness. 

The two miracles recorded in Acts 9:32-43 reveal that God draws people to conviction in faith when they witness His transforming power in the lives of people known to them. The healing of Aeneas and the raising of Dorcas by Christ Jesus served as a powerful demonstration of God's grace in the two rural societies in Israel.

There is considerable debate in theological circles on whether the gift of raising the dead exists today. Most conservative Evangelical Christian traditions argue that the gift was exclusively intended to authenticate the gospel during the period coinciding with the acts of the apostles. They argue that the gift ceased after the New Testament church period. Other traditions especially charismatics insist that the gift is still available to the church today. 

No matter what persuasion one subscribes to, we cannot doubt the power of God in changing lives through the word of God. His omnipotence is unlimited. God is still in the business touching and transforming the lives of people in various ways including healing and restoration from rebellion and moral ruin.  He can restore a sinner to God by the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter how depraved they are in sinful disobedience. His saving grace is available to all sinners without prior distinction or discrimination.

Jesus assured the repentant thief on the cross that he would join Him in Paradise. God transformed Paul on the road to Damascus from a persecutor of the church to an apostle of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-19). He rose to become one of the greatest New Testament church missionaries and a distinguished author of Scripture. Paul was martyred for his faith. Elsewhere in Scripture, God reached out to Cornelius the Roman centurion and drew him to Christ (Acts 10). He rescued the jailor and his family (Acts 16:29-31). The list is countless. 

Notice the impact of Jesus' restoration of the man possessed with demons (Mark 5:1-20). When he sought to follow Jesus after he was healed, Jesus assigned to him a special ministry instead - to witness to his friends and neighbours about what God had done in his life. This was a reason to believe. 

Jesus commissioned him saying "...Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled." (Mark 5:19-20, NKJV).

What can you tell people about what God has done in your life?

There is no greater miracle than the restoration of a person who was lost in sinful condemnation to eternal life in Jesus Christ. This is the greatest transformation ever. It is a divine miracle that God alone could perform on the sinner. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (NKJV). 

God is counting on us to reach out to those who are trapped in sinful disobedience and bring them to Christ so that they too can inspire their societies of context through their changed lives. 

This too is a reason to believe. 

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2026