DEFAULT SETTING

I have read and hear people quote a particular portion of the scripture and it seem to be an easy one to understand. It is devoid of any form of ambiguity. However, the meaning have not been so evident in the life of some brethren.

“Teach a child the way that he should go and he will not depart from it” Prov 22:6

That scripture is so instructive and powerful to me. If the scripture is anything to go by then we should have a world filled with Christ driven men with the rate of church explosion in our world today.

In my early years of going out on ministry assignment amongst youths, one of the question that is most prevalent I was asked was “how not to do what you don’t want to do”. I began to see how brethren who are fervent in church attendance struggle with living a true Christ worthy life. Most of who grew up in the church, attended bible study classes and all of the teachings on hell, devil and heaven but still end up finding it difficult to be true within. It is important I point out that child here does not translate to physical birth but a time of coming into the faith.

The climax is the dominance of secret sin amongst brethren. I was with some local leaders of a very prominent church in Nigeria and we began to share along the line of living pure for the Lord. One of the leaders confided in me that they are aware of many of the church members who after church services have secret places they go to indulge in all forms of immoral acts and for me it was a big concern. This is what is happening with many, but covered under the umbrella of fervency towards church programs. There is a conflict within with living righteously. Some feel sober but seem helpless.

If they were taught about all of the ways to stay away from sin (and the scriptures says he who is taught won’t depart) from their formative years then why is it difficult to stay on the track?  Or what does the scripture means when it refers to a child being taught the way they should go?

Let’s take a look at the life of Moses to see the implication of that scripture.

I have always wondered how Moses was able to understand God’s purpose for his life so perfectly at an early stage. The most intriguing is that he was not distracted by the honour of living in the king’s palace. Until I saw today instructively that he was raised by a Hebrew mother, his own mother. He spent his childhood with the way he should go. His mother must have given him everything he needed to know and mentored him in God’s purpose for his life.

“Take this CHILD home and nurse him for me, the princess instructed the baby’s mother, and I will pay you well. So she took him home and nursed him. Later when he was OLDER, she brought him back to the princess…” Exo 2:9-10

Moses had every reason to go outside of the will of God when he became older, yet he didn’t. He couldn’t change because he was shown his default setting. His default setting was to be the deliverer of the Israelites. That was what God saw each time He looked at Moses. So, the way a man should go is not just about what feels right but what God sees of the person.

Now, to the present age…

In the beginning the default setting was man being pleasing to God without any cause for panic. There was a problem with the default setting which brought in the LAW after Adam and Eve erred. However, Jesus came to restore the factory setting. That brought an end to the law- a process of trying to win the acceptance of God. Now, back to factory setting, you are accepted through faith in Jesus. Show a child the way God sees him and he would never depart from God. That is the power of Grace. The only antidote to a sinful life. Rom8:3

There has been the argument that the hype on Grace gives a man the license to sin. Yes! Maybe it does, but also seizes the car to drive which makes the possession of the license useless. Moses had all the affluence but everything that could make him hungry for wealth and fame as against his purpose had been dealt with. So, the liberty meant nothing than to be used to advance his purpose. If you think grace means lawlessness, you missed it. It is fulfilling the law without a need for it. Grace is being married to Jesus. You can only do what is pleasing to your husband.

If there is a problem with living your Christian life to pleasing the Lord, check your childhood formation. What was your faith built on? It took the great Apostle Paul a divine intervention to reset his formation from Law to Grace.  

The way a child should go is the default path designed by God to go through- Grace. If you know this, you won’t depart from it. You want to be a Hebrew but taught the ways of the Egyptian; that will only lead to conflict.

(You can read more for perfect understanding on Grace here: The Sharp Divide and Second Divide)

Be Innovated

Olufemi Ibitoye

@toyeolufemi