How President Buhari has turned anti-corruption war into a complete joke

How President Buhari has turned anti-corruption war into a complete joke

The president has not satisfactorily lived up to his tough words on corruption during his election campaign.

play President Muhammadu Buhari
(Bayo Omoboriowo)

Last week, while addressing representatives of several civil society organisations in Abuja, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo laid some of the blame for the government's fairly unsuccessful anti-graft war at the feet of Nigerians.

"I don't think that the people, especially the civil society have shown enough outrage that one expects in order to consistently beam searchlight on the perpetrators.

"People come and ask where are the convictions but I say where are the campaigns, we should be able to point out these persons so that they will not be able to spend these monies," the Vice President said.

Osinbajo's subtle dig at the Nigerian populace is completely divorced from the wave of populist sentiments that swept President Muhammadu Buhari to power just a little over two years ago.

The president's major selling point as the right candidate for the country was the promise that he could rid the government of the stench of corruption that has plagued it for as long as anyone can remember.

His campaign trumpeted his anti-corruption history as a military Head of State in the 80s and a man of incorruptible integrity that'll rein in the practice of financial mismanagement in the country's corridors of power.

With the results of the 2015 presidential elections, it is fair to say that the Nigerian people were clearly convinced.

However, more than two years down the line, maybe it's time to admit that we've been sold a dummy by the president.

Well before President Buhari's electoral victory, his opposition had long pointed to the hypocrisy of his anti-corruption mandate, especially in light of the political company that he keeps.

Political detractors and neutral sceptics, for their own reasons, indicated that the president's anti-corruption rhetoric was nothing but smoke and mirrors that'll lack the sort of depth that the Nigerian people were desperately hoping for to arrest a very disappointing slide into financial anarchy.

Since the president assumed his mandate, it's an understatement to say the war on corruption has been anything but underwhelming.

play The president has not satisfactorily lived up to his tough words on corruption during his election campaign (AFP)

One of the most pronounced problems of the anti-corruption campaign is the absolute lack of any meaningful high profile conviction.

While Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has maintained that the ministry recovers stolen funds, like, every day even though she won't account for exact figures, the number of high profile offenders going to jail for stealing in the first place is practically non-existent.

For example, former governor of Adamawa state, Bala Ngilari, was sentenced by the state's High Court to five years in prison on March 6, 2017, after he was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of processing a N169 million contract without due process.

Not only was he sentenced to a prison of his own choosing, he was controversially granted bail only weeks later after citing medical concerns that included high blood pressure, diabetes and insomnia.

On July 20, a Court of Appeal in Yola dismissed all charges against Ngilari and set him free due to lack of merit and sufficient proof of the allegations against him.

Ngilari's case is representative of President Buhari's administration's anti-corruption campaign: disorderly and largely ineffective.

The government can make a case that it is recovering millions of stolen wealth all it wants, but without notable culprits to use as deterrents, it lacks required steam to front itself as a success.

The argument has been made several times by officials close to the presidency that corruption cases are very hard to prosecute especially in line with the dictates of the nation's laws, and this has some merit to it, so one might have a problem blaming the president for something that's so clearly out of his hands.

Except he isn't doing so well with what he actually has power over.

After months of mounting pressure, President Buhari suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal on April 19 due to allegations of his complicity in the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

play Babachir Lawal has been a thorny issue for the president to deal with (Sahara Reporters)

The SGF was indicted by an ad-hoc Senate committee who alleged that he had awarded a contract of over N200 million to dispose of 'invasive plant species' in IDP camps to a company where he had vested interest.

Despite the Senate committee's recommendation that Lawal be removed as SGF to enable a proper prosecution of the allegations, President Buhari suspended him as a stopgap and set up another committee to conduct an investigation that had already been done.

In an earlier defence of Lawal in January, the presidency had dismissed the Senate committee's recommendation about the SGF's removal, saying that the report "does not meet the principles of fair hearing."

The new panel set up to investigate the allegations was headed by Vice President Osinbajo in collaboration with National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Another subject under investigation by the panel was the Director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke, who was also suspended after his public involvement in the controversial N13 billion loot recovered by the EFCC from an Ikoyi apartment in April. He had laid claim to the funds, saying it was earmarked by the agency for covert operations.

Despite the fact that the Presidential Investigation Panel was supposed to take two weeks in April to submit their report to the president, his 103 days away in London derailed that timetable and meant Nigerians had to wait for months on the outcome of that report.

Nevertheless, there were rumours that the panel did find enough to recommend that the president dismiss Lawal and Oke from their positions.

After his return to the country in August, President Buhari made quite a public spectacle out of receiving the report from the panel with the Vice President saying the decision to act on the panel's recommendation rests on the president from that moment on.

play Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presentation of the Presidential Investigation Panel Report to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja
(Facebook/Sahara Reporters)

While addressing the media after the presentation, Osinbajo asked for patience from the Nigerian people on finding out what the outcome of their investigation was.

"If you want to know what is in the report you have to wait, you really have to wait," he said.

Now, in hindsight, those words are ominous as Nigerians continue to wait for the president to be done reading that document and deciding to tell the them what they might already know.

Well over a month after the president received the report, he's kept mum over what the way forward is and whether both federal employees will get fired and face subsequent investigations from anti-graft agencies.

President Buhari's reticence in dealing with Lawal and Oke has been attributed to the long standing relationship between Lawal and the president which dates all the way back to 2002, through his failed presidential bids.

play Could President Buhari be possibly holding back on Lawal due to personal ties? (Vanguard)

Lawal's ties to the president appears to be the only reason why the SGF is not being hounded by the prosecution team of the EFCC just yet.

It's reasonable to believe that Oke is also enjoying from that privilege because the president can't take any action against him without Lawal's situation being thrown into the mix, so it's a delicate situation for the nation's commander-in-chief.

For each day that passes without the president taking any definitive action on the perceived corruption right under his nose, the stench is going to overwhelm his government's most defining highlight.

Regardless of what happens from now on, the president might have already proved the sceptics right about his real disposition on corruption as something only the opposition gets punished for.

The corruption episode with Lawal, especially, was a great opportunity for President Buhari to put his foot down and show everyone the sincerity of his own words.

However, with the erratic way the process has been handled, he has not done his administration's anti-corruption war any favours.

The president might just have dealt the death blow to his own anti-corruption war.

Civil Defence to Recruit more 10,000 Personnel

Civil Defence to Recruit more 10,000 Personnel

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The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana has requested for additional 10,000 personnel to be recruited into the service.

According to a statement from the corps spokesman Emmanuel Okeh, Gana made the  remark after the decoration of 10 senior officers promoted from the rank of Commandant to Assistant Commandant General at the Civil Defence Academy, Abuja.

Gana explained that the additional personnel is " in order to meet up with the demands from different Ministries, Department and Agencies of government seeking for deployment of the Corps personnel."

The CG clarified that the promotion of the officers was purely on merit, therefore they must justify the confidence given to them.

Gana also posited that, with the demand from Ministry of Agriculture, the Corps is expected to provide 6,000 personnel to protect the proposed 200 cattle ranches in order to curtail the incessant crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and Farmers.

He encouraged personnel to be patient as the management is working towards ensuring payment of their shift arrears, election allowances as soon as fund is made available by the Government and not to join rumour mongers speculating that their money was embezzled.

United Nations University Junior Fellows Internship Programme 2018

The United Nations University Office of the Rector recruits highly qualified applicants to work as Junior Fellows at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo. Junior Fellows are recruited through a competitive application process twice per year. Graduate students interested in the work of the United Nations — and in particular, UNU — are encouraged to apply.
The underlying principles of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector are centred on creating a dynamic, challenging and rewarding experience for graduate level students and young professionals. Successful candidates will contribute to the work of the Office of the Rector, the United Nations University, and the UN system as a whole. The programme provides opportunities for the development of new skills and knowledge and is a unique and constructive setting for the practical application of capacities acquired through graduate studies.
The programme places a strong emphasis on the training, guidance, and hands-on experience that form the foundation of a successful and beneficial internship. The programme opens with a one-week orientation designed to familiarize junior fellows with UNU, their co-workers, facilities and the working processes within the Office of the Rector. The knowledge and practical experience gained will also be beneficial to those candidates seeking a career in the United Nations. Junior fellows at the Office of the Rector can expect to gain valuable work experience while contributing in meaningful ways to UNU’s mission.
Purpose
The purpose of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is:

• to provide opportunities for young professionals to gain in-depth, hands-on experience in a UN agency;
• to expose young professionals to an administrative working environment, and;
• to provide support to activities within the Office of the Rector.
• to promote interaction and dialogue between young scholars, professionals and UNU;
• to familiarize junior fellows with the activities of the Office of the Rector and the work of UNU;

Working Conditions
Running parallel to most university semesters, Junior Fellows are selected twice per year, once in May-June for the fall term and once in September-October for the spring term. The fall term begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-December. Starting 2016, the spring term will run from mid-January to the end of June. Visit the Application Process page for the specific dates for each term.
Junior Fellows work full time during the regular working hours of the University: 9:30–17:30, Monday to Friday. Weekends and official UNU holidays are days off. In addition, Junior Fellows are entitled to 1 day of leave per month. Junior Fellows are provided office space and facilities, as appropriate for their work, and are provided a monthly stipend in addition to a fixed transportation allowance for their commute to and from the UNU headquarters building. Junior Fellows also enjoy free access to the headquarters’ library and gym and have the unique opportunity to learn about, contribute to and provide assistance in the organization of conferences, lectures and academic forums and symposiums that take place throughout the year.
Work Assignments
Participants in this programme have the opportunity to engage in a number of ongoing initiatives that provide a unique window into the working processes of the University. Junior Fellows support the work of the Office of the Rector in the following areas:

• meeting coordination: logistical support and minute taking;
• editorial support: proof-reading reports and copy editing;
• communication: preparation and dissemination of newsletters, event summaries, and other communication documents.
• research and writing for institutional development: preparation of executive briefs on priority issues; background research and drafting of topical information briefs in support of internal policy development (i.e. related to the functioning of the University);
• planning: supporting the development of project management tools and systems;
• event coordination: supporting the organization of lectures, conferences, workshops, and other public events;

Criteria
The qualifications that are considered in each application process include, but are not limited to, the following. The candidate:

• has excellent research, writing and analytical skills;
• can establish and maintain effective working relations with people from diverse backgrounds;
• demonstrates resourcefulness and creativity in problem-solving;
• has advanced computer skills: sound, hands-on, knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.); and
• has a demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and more specifically, in the work of the United Nations University.
• is currently pursuing or has recently completed postgraduate studies (master’s or doctoral), preferably in a field related to the University’s work;
• is under 32 years of age at the time of application;
• must not have more than 5 years of work experience in their related field;
• has a native or near fluent command of written and spoken 

• Junior Fellows Internship Programme Office of the Rector

  Overview

  Applications procedure

  FAQ

  Related Files

  Contact

• POSITION:

  Executive Management, Institutional Development

  LOCATION:

  Tokyo, Japan

  Timezone:

  UTC +9

  CLOSING DATE:

  2017•10•29

  The United Nations University Office of the Rector recruits highly qualified applicants to work as Junior Fellows at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo. Junior Fellows are recruited through a competitive application process twice per year. Graduate students interested in the work of the United Nations — and in particular, UNU — are encouraged to apply.
  The underlying principles of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector are centred on creating a dynamic, challenging and rewarding experience for graduate level students and young professionals. Successful candidates will contribute to the work of the Office of the Rector, the United Nations University, and the UN system as a whole. The programme provides opportunities for the development of new skills and knowledge and is a unique and constructive setting for the practical application of capacities acquired through graduate studies.
  The programme places a strong emphasis on the training, guidance, and hands-on experience that form the foundation of a successful and beneficial internship. The programme opens with a one-week orientation designed to familiarize junior fellows with UNU, their co-workers, facilities and the working processes within the Office of the Rector. The knowledge and practical experience gained will also be beneficial to those candidates seeking a career in the United Nations. Junior fellows at the Office of the Rector can expect to gain valuable work experience while contributing in meaningful ways to UNU’s mission.
  
  

  >

  Purpose

  The purpose of the Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is:
  

  • to promote interaction and dialogue between young scholars, professionals and UNU;
  • to familiarize junior fellows with the activities of the Office of the Rector and the work of UNU;
  • to provide opportunities for young professionals to gain in-depth, hands-on experience in a UN agency;
  • to expose young professionals to an administrative working environment, and;
  • to provide support to activities within the Office of the Rector.

  Working Conditions

  Running parallel to most university semesters, Junior Fellows are selected twice per year, once in May-June for the fall term and once in September-October for the spring term. The fall term begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-December. Starting 2016, the spring term will run from mid-January to the end of June. Visit the Application Process page for the specific dates for each term.
  Junior Fellows work full time during the regular working hours of the University: 9:30–17:30, Monday to Friday. Weekends and official UNU holidays are days off. In addition, Junior Fellows are entitled to 1 day of leave per month. Junior Fellows are provided office space and facilities, as appropriate for their work, and are provided a monthly stipend in addition to a fixed transportation allowance for their commute to and from the UNU headquarters building. Junior Fellows also enjoy free access to the headquarters’ library and gym and have the unique opportunity to learn about, contribute to and provide assistance in the organization of conferences, lectures and academic forums and symposiums that take place throughout the year.
  

  Work Assignments

  Participants in this programme have the opportunity to engage in a number of ongoing initiatives that provide a unique window into the working processes of the University. Junior Fellows support the work of the Office of the Rector in the following areas:
  

  • research and writing for institutional development: preparation of executive briefs on priority issues; background research and drafting of topical information briefs in support of internal policy development (i.e. related to the functioning of the University);
  • planning: supporting the development of project management tools and systems;
  • event coordination: supporting the organization of lectures, conferences, workshops, and other public events;
  • meeting coordination: logistical support and minute taking;
  • editorial support: proof-reading reports and copy editing;
  • communication: preparation and dissemination of newsletters, event summaries, and other communication documents.

  Criteria

  The qualifications that are considered in each application process include, but are not limited to, the following. The candidate:
  

  • is currently pursuing or has recently completed postgraduate studies (master’s or doctoral), preferably in a field related to the University’s work;
  • is under 32 years of age at the time of application;
  • must not have more than 5 years of work experience in their related field;
  • has a native or near fluent command of written and spoken English;
  • has excellent research, writing and analytical skills;
  • can establish and maintain effective working relations with people from diverse backgrounds;
  • demonstrates resourcefulness and creativity in problem-solving;
  • has advanced computer skills: sound, hands-on, knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.); and
  • has a demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and more specifically, in the work of the United Nations University.

  Management

  The Junior Fellows Internship Programme at the Office of the Rector is currently managed and supervised by Rachad Nassar, a former participant in the programme.
  

  Current Junior Fellows

  The Office of the Rector currently hosts two Junior Fellows: Mr. Bobur Nazarmuhamedov, currently a PhD candidate in international development at the University of Tsukuba, and Ms. Hannah Nono, currently pursuing a Master of Arts in International Relations at the University of Tokyo.
  

  Alumni

  Is considered alumnus any participant who has successfully completed all the programme requirements. To date, a total of 41 young professionals — 17 males and 24 females aged on average 26 — have participated in the programme. The Office of the Rector has welcomed participants from Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Ghana, Uganda, Indonesia, Japan, Sweden, Canada, the United States of America, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
  

  What have they become?

  Some of them continue working with international organisations, some of them join the private sector, others decide to study further: below is a list of a number of the programme’s alumni — alongside information on their respective function — which should provide prospective candidates with an understanding of what they could expect after their time at UNU.
  André Asplund, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer, MacMillan Center, Council on East Asia Studies, Yale Universtiy (USA)
  Elisabeth Asselin, Correspondence Officer, Canadian Human Rights Commission (Canada)
  Jonathan Auld, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, United Nations Population Fund (Nepal)
  SongYi Baek, Project Officer, The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Republic of Korea)
  Laurens Bistervels, Policy Officer, Asia and Oceania Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Netherlands)
  Daniel Bodonyi, Customer Experience Manager, Wahl & Case (Japan)
  Laura Bullon-Cassis, Civil Affairs Officer, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Haiti)
  Luke Hamilton, Legal Researcher, Irish Refugee Council (Ireland)
  Benoit Hardy-Chartrand, Research Associate – Global Security and Politics, Centre for International Governance Innovation (Canada)
  Kostas  Kononovas, Strategic Analyst, Macmillan Cancer Support (UK)
  Sultana Ladhani, Business Development Executive, Serco (UK)
  William Lanning, Presidential Management Fellow, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Government (USA)
  Wrenn Yennie Lindgren, Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Norway)
  Neelam Melwani, Second Secretary, Political Affairs, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations (USA)
  Valerie Moreyra, Princeton in Latin America Fellow, United Nations World Food Programme (Panama)
  Menaal Munshey, Junior Researcher, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (Japan)
  Rachad Nassar, Programme Associate, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  André Neto-Bradley, PhD candidate, Center for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure & Built Environment, University of Cambridge (UK)
  Yuko Oaku, Coordination Specialist, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (Maldives)
  Ruth O’Brien, International Liaison Officer, Abbey College (UK)
  Katariina Oivo, Attaché, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
  Emmi Okada, Programme Officer, United Nations Development Programme (Timor-Leste)
  Sandeep Rajgopal, Programme Assistant, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  Nancy Roberts, Programme Officer, Office of the Rector, United Nations University (Japan)
  Sebastian Scholl, PhD student, International Economic Development, Waseda University (Japan)
  Lee Schrader, JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (Japan)
  Amelia Thomson, Law student, BPP University, (UK)
  Wazhma Wesa, Director of Afghanistan National Development Strategy, Ministry of Finance, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)
  Bima Wicaksono, International Relations Graduate student, Tsinghua University (China)
  

  https://youtu.be/pe1x2LgPKHA

  
  
•  

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! The Nicest Place in America is…

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! The Nicest Place in America is…

Be Gentle and Smile - Daily Inspiration

Be Gentle and Smile - Daily Inspiration

 

Who forces time is pushed back by time;
who yields to time finds time on his side.
- The Talmud

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize.
The first is gentleness;
the second is frugality;
the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.
Be gentle and you can be bold;
be frugal and you can be generous;
avoid putting yourself before others
and you can become a leader among men.
- Lao Tzu

Smile.
Today would be a wonderful day
not to take life so seriously.
Today may end up the way you prefer -
and it may not.
Happiness is not about being a winner -
it's about being gentle with life -
being gentle with yourself.
Let life be a dance,
and choose the kind of
dance you want for today -
perhaps a gentle loving dance.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading: Tending the Garden of Our Lives
Depressed? Laugh!
Is There Virtue In Avoiding Battles?
      

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May the world be kind to you,
and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.

 

Faith Alone

How (Not) to Use a Reformed Slogan

Bethlehem College & Seminary Chapel | Minneapolis

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The greatest problem facing this world is that the Creator of the universe has sentenced every human being to everlasting condemnation because we have all committed treason against him by giving the allegiance of our greatest affections to other things and not to him.
We have exchanged the pleasures of our Creator for the pleasures of creation (Romans 1:23). There is none righteous. No not one (Romans 3:10). The natural human mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. And no one in this treasonous state can please God (Romans 8:7–9). We are all rebellious and ruined.
Therefore, all of mankind are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, because we suppress the truth in our unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). The whole creation has been subjected to futility because of our sin and groans under the bondage to corruption (Romans 8:20–21). The book of nature, the human conscience, and the word of God make this clear, so that every mouth is stopped and the whole world is accountable before God (Romans 1:20–21; 2:14–15; 3:19).
A great and final day of wrath is coming on the world (Matthew 3:7; Romans 2:5; Colossians 3:6; Revelation 6:17).

The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:7–9).
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)
Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? (Psalm 90:11)

This, I say again, with as much absoluteness and seriousness and sorrow as I can see and feel from God’s word: The greatest problem facing this world is that the Creator of the universe has sentenced every human being to everlasting condemnation, because we have all committed treason against him by giving the allegiance of our greatest affections to other things and not to him.

“All the infinite goodness of the Creator works without pause for us forever.”

Human Rebellion, Divine Solution

And from this rebellion on our part, and this holy wrath on God’s part, flow all the errors, all the ugliness, and all the miseries of this world. This means that every subject and every issue at Bethlehem College & Seminary, and every relationship in your life, and the life of this city and this world is distorted by this double reality: human rebellion and divine wrath. Their ruinous fingerprints are everywhere.
This means that the reversal of this rebellion and this wrath — wherever it could happen — would be personally, relationally, academically, socially, politically, pervasively, and globally relevant everywhere all the time.
This also means that, if you knew how the reversal of human rebellion and divine wrath could be brought about, and you spent your life savoring and showing the causes and effects of that reversal, you would have joined the greatest purpose in the universe. You would not have wasted your life. How could it be a waste to show the world the solution to its greatest problem, and how that solution affects everything?
And you do know!
God has acted in Jesus Christ to bring about this solution. And we are focusing today on one central, glorious, inexpressibly amazing stand-on-your-head-with-joy aspect of that solution: The justification of the ungodly by faith alone in Jesus Christ

God Is for You

In Romans 8:31, we see one of the most magnificent pictures of the reversal of the wrath of God.
“What then shall we say to these things?” — these things that have gone before in Romans 8, indeed in Romans 1–8. What is the great upshot of it all?
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” There is the reversal and one of its effects: God is for us and not in wrath against us. All his infinite power, all his infinite wisdom, all the infinite goodness of the Creator working without pause forever for us. And of course, for us does not mean for our harm or misery or evil. It means for our holiness and happiness, our goodness and our gladness. As much good and as much gladness — as much purity and as much pleasure — as an all-powerful, all-wise, all-good God can do and be for you. The infinite God for you — and not against you — bodes happiness beyond your wildest imagination.
And from this reality that God is for us, Paul draws out one result at the end of verse 31: “Who can be against us?” What’s the answer to that question? No one. Really? Look at verse 36: “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” So, what does he mean when he says, “No one can be against you”?

God Intends Good

He means, what they intend for evil God intends for good (Genesis 50:20). When they slaughter you like sheep, they serve you. You are not just a conqueror at that moment. You are more than a conqueror (verse 37). Nobody can ruin you. Nobody can destroy you. Nobody can keep you from the greatest joy. Nobody can successfully be against you because the infinite, good, wise, all-controlling God is for you.
Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” The proof that God is for us, and will not hold back any omnipotent effort to bring us into the enjoyment of all things, is that he did not hold back the giving of his Son for us. For us!
Romans 8:33: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” What’s the answer? No one. Really? Jesus died under false charges. Paul was arrested and tried under false charges. Satan shoots his flaming arrows of accusation against us all day. And the Christian faith is spoken against everywhere.

God Declares You Innocent

So what does Paul mean? He means no charge against God’s elect will stick. Not one. All the enemies of the cross on earth and all the demons in hell may hurl their accusations against you. And none of them — not one — sticks.
Why? Romans 8:33b: “It is God who justifies.” Finally, here we are. Justification! What is it? The scene is the courtroom of heaven. There is a defendant — you. And you are guilty, ungodly, rebellious. And there is a prosecuting attorney with many witnesses against you. And their accusations are flying. You feel them. They are true. You remember them. And there is the judge — God.

“If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy.”

And in that courtroom, none of those true and legitimate accusations are allowed to stand. They are all being overruled — all of them. The most petty and the most grotesque. For one reason: The judge has declared that you are innocent — not guilty The judge has declared you a law-keeper — not a law-breaker. You are justified. Even though in yourself you are none of those things. “It is God who justifies.”
Romans 8:34: “Who is to condemn?” Answer: No one. How can this verdict stand in this courtroom of perfect justice? No condemnation for the guilty? How can this be? Paul answers (verse 34b): “Christ Jesus is the one who died.” Look back to verse 3:

God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.

But he had no sin. Paul just said he was in the “likeness of sinful flesh.” When Jesus died, God condemned the sin of all who are in him. He did it in the flesh of Jesus.
Who is to condemn? No one. Why? “Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
So the basis — the foundation — of God’s justification — declaring us not guilty, not a law-breaker but a law-keeper — is the death of Christ, which he holds before the Father in perpetual intercession.

Live in Paradise

And it follows then in verse 35 that there is no separation from the love of Christ — ever. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Nothing. This is the great reversal of wrath. God is for us and not against us. He is one hundred percent for us. Totally for us.

Who can bring a charge against us? No one. Who can condemn us? No one. What can separate us from Christ? Nothing.

Because God justified us. Christ died for us. Love keeps us.
Since God is for us, then no accusation, no condemnation, no separation. Martin Luther had said, “If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy” (Luther: Man Between God and the Devil, 315) And when he saw this truth — really saw it — he said, “I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates” (Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, 11).
I wonder if you live in this paradise? Study in this paradise? Sleep in this paradise?

“The only kind of faith that counts for justification is the kind that produces love, that bears the fruit of love. ”

Justified by Faith Alone

So now, at last, we ask the question: How do you get into this position where God is one hundred percent for you, and never, in the slightest, against you? Where there is no accusation that sticks, no condemnation that holds, and, therefore, no separation forever? How does one come to be in the courtroom of heaven as a sinner and yet justified? The answer of the New Testament is by faith alone. Follow me through a sequence of passages that make this clear.

Apart from Works of the Law

Let’s start with Romans 3:28: “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (If you want to dig into what the New Perspective on Paul — which is not new anymore and is fading away — made out of the phrase “works of the law” I recommend the short Justification Reconsidered by Stephen Westerholm.) I take “works of the law” to mean all efforts at law-keeping. This implies, as Luther translated it, that “one is justified by faith alone.” But it doesn’t say that explicitly, so let’s keep looking.

A Righteousness Not Our Own

Consider Philippians 3:9. Paul says his aim is to be found

in Christ, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law [or we could say “that comes from law-keeping”], but that [righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.

So again, Paul denies and affirms. He denies that the righteousness he needs in the presence of God is “my own that comes from law-keeping.” And he affirms that the righteousness he needs is found only “in Christ” — in union with Christ. It is “that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” So, again, “not from law-keeping, but from faith” implies faith alone.

All or Nothing

But it gets even clearer in Galatians. Look at Galatians 2:21:

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

So, the righteousness we need for justification in the presence of God is not “through the law.” But might this not mean, not mainly through the law? And perhaps just a little bit of law-keeping is required for God to be one hundred percent for us? Maybe, say, just circumcision? Now see Paul’s radical answer in Galatians 5:1–3

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision [one little effort at law-keeping], Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. (Galatians 5:1–3)

This is simply astonishing. If you choose to rely just a little bit on law-keeping as a way of getting justified — as a way of getting into the position where God is one hundred percent for you — then Christ will be of no advantage to you. Paul says, if you want to go the route of justification by any law-keeping, you must go the route of justification by total law-keeping — perfection. Galatians 5:3: “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.”

One Way

There are two ways of justification: the way of law-keeping, which requires your perfection, and the way of faith, which depends on Christ’s perfection. These two paths into the position where God is one hundred percent for you are so distinct that they cannot be mixed.
If you are trusting Christ for a righteous standing where God is one hundred percent for you, you cannot mix into that way of justification one ounce of effort to establish your own righteousness. And if you are seeking to establish your own righteousness — your own record of virtue — as your entrance into the position where God is one hundred percent for you, you cannot mix in the slightest faith in Christ as your all-sufficient righteousness. It is one or the other. Law-keeping to establish my righteousness, or faith alone to rest in Christ for righteousness.

“Love, the fruit of faith, is the necessary confirmation that we have faith and are alive.”

Faith Works

One last question: What is the nature of this faith which unites us to Christ for justification? It is a receiving of Christ for who he really is — the beautiful, supreme, all-satisfying treasure that he is as our divine Substitute and Sovereign. This is why genuine faith always transforms the heart and life.
James saw in his day those who were treating “faith alone” as a doctrine that claimed you could be justified by faith which produced no good works. And he said No to such faith. He said it is dead: “Faith without works is dead” (2:17). It is like a body with no breath (2:26). It is like an energy with no effect (2:20), no completion (2:22). If there is justifying faith, it has works (2:17). So, he says, “I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18). The works will come from faith.
Paul would affirm all of this because he said in Galatians 5:6, “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” The only kind of faith that counts for justification is the kind that produces love, that bears the fruit of love. The faith which alone justifies is never alone, but always yielding transforming fruit. So, when James says these controversial words, “A person is justified by works and not by faith alone (James 2:24), I take him to mean not by faith which is alone, but which shows itself by works.
Paul calls this effect or fruit or evidence of faith the “work of faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11) and the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5; 16:26). These works of faith, and this obedience of faith, these fruits of the Spirit that come by faith are necessary for our final salvation. No holiness, no heaven (Hebrews 12:14).

Christian Essentials

So, we should not speak of getting to heaven by faith alone in the same way we are justified by faith alone. Love, the fruit of faith, is the necessary confirmation that we have faith and are alive. We won’t enter heaven until we have it. There is a holiness without which we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Essential to the Christian life and necessary for final salvation is the killing of sin (Romans 8:13) and the pursuit of holiness (Hebrews 12:14). Mortification of sin, sanctification in holiness. But what makes that possible and pleasing to God? We put sin to death and we pursue holiness from a justified position where God is one hundred percent for us — already — by faith alone.
Because if we try to put sin to death and to pursue holiness from a position where we are not fully accepted, not fully forgiven, not fully righteous in Christ, and where God is not one hundred percent for us, then we will be putting sin to death and pursuing holiness as a means of getting into a position where God is one hundred percent for us. And that is the Galatian heresy.
Therefore, we are justified — we are put in a position where God is one hundred percent for us — by faith alone. A position in Christ where no accusation sticks, no condemnation holds, and no separation ever comes. Brothers and sisters, we have been shown the solution to the world’s greatest problem. We have entered paradise. We have stood on our head for joy. And everything has changed. Savor it. Show it to the world. And you will not have wasted your life.

THE SIGNS OF REAL LOVE

THE SIGNS OF REAL LOVE 

The Signs of Real Love 

Series: What's Real And What's Not (I John)

I John 4: 7-12

INTRO:

(A) John ... Been There --- Done That ... SERIES: WHAT'S REAL AND WHAT'S NOT!
1- The ministry of Jesus ... the miracles of Jesus ... the Cross ... the Resurrection ... Birth of the church ... expansion of the church ... writing of God's Word ...John was there!
2- The future ... Antichrist ... one world government ... Second Coming of Jesus ... Millennium ... Great White Throne Judgment ... the New Jerusalem and heaven ... John was there!
* 60 or more years after the crucifixion ... John living in Ephesus as an old man ... writes the final books of God's Word!
* John --- Qualified to tell us WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT'S NOT!

(B) John has 3 themes that run throughout his letter: LOVE, OBEDIENCE , and TRUTH!
1- Each time he returns to one of these themes ... he takes us more deeply into it.
2- Tonight ... we revisit the theme ..... LOVE!
3- We've been here before:
I John 2: 7-11 ... THE SOURCE OF REAL LOVE...read 2:7 ... Real love originated with God ... was introduced to the world by Jesus and is the source from which the Christian draws both his assurance of salvation and his purpose for living.
I John 3: 11-18 ... THE SCORNING OF REAL LOVE ... read 3: 10-11 ... Children of the devil do not display real love because they have not experienced God's love ... In fact, they hate those who have experienced God's love!
4- Tonight ... John reveals to us ... THE SIGNS OF REAL LOVE!

(C) The world is obsessed with this thing called ... love!
1- Secular music ... almost totally dedicated to it.
2- Romance novels ... always among the best sellers!
3- Television covered with it ... people all over the world ... glued to their TV sets watching their soap opera ...
a- Waiting breathlessly from Friday to Monday to find out -- "Will John get Mary, or will Mary forsake John for Luke. Or will Luk ...

ummary: Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is. If our songs, movies and poems (as interesting and entertaining to listen to, watch, and read as they are), are any indication, most of us don’t really know what l

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INTRODUCTION

Sermonic Theme

Notation: Today we will be taking a break from our Parables of Jesus series to celebrate love and marriage. I cannot miss this opportunity to address one of the most critical subjects of all…loving someone.

Opening Statement: Perhaps, our musicians who seem to be enamored by love underscore this the most. But even then, there seems to be some confusion on what love is and what we should do with love. Elvis sang, “I can’t help falling in love with you.” Tina Turner sings, “What’s love got to do with it.” And what about the movies? From “Sleepless in Seattle” to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” we are all led to believe that love is something that we fall into and live happily ever after. Many of the movies that we watch come from Hollywood, CA. I’ve driven through there and believe me; it’s not that impressive. In fact, it’s a little disappointing. And what about our poetry? We tell our beloved how we would climb high mountains to be near them, swim wide oceans, cross deserts in the burning heat of day, and even sit at their window and sing love songs to them in the moonlight, but when it comes to doing the dishes, all of sudden, we’ve been on our feet too long today and can’t quite muster up enough gusto to knock those dishes out.

Quotation: Poet Samuel Daniel, a contemporary of Shakespeare, said, "Love is a sickness full of woes, all remedies refusing." Love is the universal topic of writers, poets and singers. It is the subject of both highbrow literature and the lowly country song.

Observation: Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is. If our songs, movies and poems (as interesting and entertaining to listen to, watch, and read as they are), are any indication, most of us don’t really know what love is; we confuse real love with other experiences and emotions. Consequently, we have no basis on which to evaluate the relationships we pursue and the decisions we make in search of real love.

Key Word: What we need—and what we most want to hear-- is a realistic and Biblical understanding of true love. So let me suggest to you first what love is not, and then I’ll try to show you what love is.

Title: Real Love

Proposition:

Text: John 3:16; 15:13

Recitation: 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 15:13 No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends.

Sermon

Opening Statement: You weren’t expecting it. You never saw it coming. You were minding your own business when it happened. You were standing in front of your locker at school, just talking with your friends, when all of a sudden the door opened and --WHAM! BAM! SHAZAAM! -- through the door walked your dream come true, a combination of all the posters hanging on your bedroom wall, the embodiment of all your fantasies, the fulfillment of all your hopes, and you knew, like you never knew anything before, that you were in love, that here was the person you would marry, that you had just met. . . .your destiny!