Living Above Sin and Death

By Anthony Ametu Ajayi and Damian Ajayi

The soul of man is bedevilled with the fear of death as he finds himself enclosed in a body of death limiting his carnal understanding to a fate of hopelessness and uncertainty of the judgement beyond death. What a pity! This book provides an escape from his misguided thoughts. Using the experience of scriptures based on Bible references, Living Beyond Sin And Death beams out the light of hope beyond the body of death. That is the radiant light of the expression of God, a verified assurance of promise that cannot fail. For example, the Bible notes that the gift of God is eternal life. Furthermore, it presents Jesus declaring his custody of the keys of hell and death. Why then should a soul be in fear of death if not ignorance? Rather, a soul needs death to grow into his likeness to his Maker and thereabouts return to embrace his God in eternal glory. This is great faith and a worthy fellowship. Get a copy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: Jun 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543775037

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Anthony Ametu Ajayi and Damian Ajayi.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

www.partridgepublishing.com/africa

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Foreword

Chapter 1: The Vision And Purpose Of God For Man

Chapter 2: Naked And Not Ashamed

Chapter 3: The Serpent And The Fall Of Man

Chapter 4: Man In Flesh

Chapter 5: Sin And Death

Chapter 6: Law & Grace

Chapter 7: The Awakening Of The Soul: Regaining The Consciousness Of God

Chapter 8: The Cross: Faith, Love And Hope

Chapter 9: The Resurrection Power

Chapter 10: Dominion, Glory And Life Forevermore

Dedication

To the blessed memories of our late Dad, Cosmas Omage Ajayi

Acknowledgement

It is believed by a certain school of thought that a book is immortal: books live beyond their authors and readers. This volume will not be complete without remembering the memories of the following people who have contributed to the mind that informed the expression of this book. Though late, their inclusion in this space portends epithets awarded to colour their blessed memories forever in the thought of time. May their dutiful and diligent souls reap in peace. They are by their names listed here in alphabetical order: Ademola Aderoju, Akin Odebiyi, Audrey Edu, Ebenezer & Mayowa Kehinde, Peter Topa Ajayi, Suleiman Yekini.

Furthermore, in the light of this book, the following are also remembered for their thoughtfulness and kindness in the things concerning our wellness and being: Adeyinka & Oluwatoyin Sanya, Anthony Onwunmere, Ayo Jegede, Bashir Abdullahi, El Bambino, Kolade Da-Silva, Paul Akeju, Tina Uttazi.

Foreword

To many of us out there, lost and confused, trapped in sin and bound in guilt and shame, there is hope. Whether you are a father or a son or a mother or a daughter or husband or a wife struggling with rejection, depression and inadequacy, this book helps you engage your thoughts by expanding your mind in God’s consciousness and ultimate essence. There are days we feel inadequate and weak and there are times we lose our way and then it seems that we are lost forever. It can be very troubling to our souls. This book reaches out to you in the light and goodness of God’s love, faith and hope. It shares a deep understanding of who you are and who you can become regardless of your frame of limitations and conditions. It guides you into thoughts and ways that can help you see yourself as greater and higher than the challenges, weakness, inadequacies and brokenness that keep burying you in despair and captivity. It’s God’s desire and purpose for you to overcome and triumph in glory ultimately: whatever it is that keeps you down and helpless, God is saying; there is a way for you today if you open your heart and mind to His light and consciousness. We hope as you read this book, you will be blessed and when you look back at how far you have come, you will give all the glory to God who is the beginning and end of all things. He is who was, who is and who is to come for ever and evermore. Our struggles, pain, regrets and victories guide our expressions in this book to show light to the struggles that engulf us and the hope we hold on to. As a young Christian and believer, I struggled with sin and guilt. I struggled with holiness and righteousness. I struggled with choices and consequences. I struggled with alcoholism, sexual immoralities and inadequacies. I walked many paths and they expressed different dimensions of me in different ways and yet I yearned for the love of God in Christ Jesus even more deeply in submission and chastity. We hope this book conveys a part of that to you for exhortation and admonition. The best of us are humans and even the strongest among us struggle and fall sometimes but that is not our end. In this book, the cross is deeply and extensively discussed. Many teachings today avoid and bury the message of the cross but we hope you will find the wisdom of God in the cross as it is the power of God unto salvation and eternal inheritances. We have tried to lay it down guided by our life experiences, and most importantly that you will find the grace to embrace the cross as you walk the path of truth, denial of self and crucifixion so that you can come to Him whole, empty and sanctified; that He may then fill you with Him and in Him in all His fullness according to His will and His glory.

I want to especially thank people whose lives have been a source of exemplary admiration through their character of patience, resilience, humility, long-suffering and kindness. To my sisters Anthonia Ajayi and Helen Oguns for their patience and long-suffering; to my friends Kunle Wahab, Alhaji Hakeem Sadiq and Remilekun Faniyi for their patience and kindness. And most especially to my co-author and Rabbi of many years for his humility, long-suffering and unshakable faith in God’s word. Through persecution, shame, pain, rejection, tribulation and loss; in plenty, in nothing and in your inadequacies; when it was convenient and when it was not convenient; in sickness, close to death, in hope and despair; in strength and weakness, in decrease and increase; In despair yet believing, in death living, in shame in glory; in defeat yet in victory, in fear yet in faith, in tears yet rejoicing in the spirit, in pain full of spiritual joy, in the dark in the amazing light of God’s grace and power knowing that in the fullness of time He is goodness, healing, restoration and righteousness that you may know He is your exceedingly great reward and crown. You have shown us that God is all that you seek and your life is a living testimony of God’s peace and power. Finally, I want to thank Asiwaju Yusuf Azeez for his thoughtfulness and kindness in support of my good and noble aspirations.

- Damian Ajayi

Chapter 1

The Vision And Purpose Of God For Man

There is always an intention behind every move. As there is an intention for every move of a man so there is also for every move of God. In the beginning, God moved: the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water to create a Rest for God. How do we know this? Well, the stop of the move of God was at the point of His rest from all His works on the Seventh Day. Work is said to be done when a body is moved through a distance: God moved through a distance of seven days and put a full stop on the Seventh Day. The universe is the whole composition characterised with the function of God. This means the universe is called by the name of God who created and established it and also preserved it. Man is a significant component of this universe created by God: God appointed man as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the whole universe. According to the Bible, man is the representative of God, a figure of God predestined to the image and likeness of God and ordained with the function of God’s dominion capacity. Invariably, man is the apparent ambassador of the invisible God. If the Word of God is God in the beginning with God, and if this Word is the image of God, then man, Adam, is the figure of the Word of God (Romans 5:14). Every word of God shall come to pass in time as a faithful and true witness of God, that is the Amen (Revelation 3:14). The Word of God is Amen. And Adam is Amen personified. Everything in the universe unfolded from the composition of God’s faithfulness, therefore the Word of God is the expression of God’s glory according to the mind of God; the mind being the universal vision of God. Humanity therefore is attributed to the vision of God according to the mind and will of God. God abides with His mind to perform His counsel and to materialise the concept of His expression of peace of mind. God is altogether one. This oneness is God’s idea of peace which He ordained to humanity. Life everlasting is a reflection of the universal peace of mind composed in the man chosen by God to play out and playback the Word of God and Vision of the Creator. The pleasure of God is the expression of peace and life beyond death according to the knowledge of God. The application of this knowledge to the glory of God is wisdom, a wisdom identified with the transformation of man from Adam to Christ and from a mess to a message.

The glory of God is eternal and His name is Holy. This Holy name, the function of the everlasting composition of God, is beyond the power of death. The consciousness of God which God breathed into Adam is the power of resurrection bestowed upon him as a seal and preservation from death unto the actualisation of the image of God and accomplishment of peace. The image of God is immortality. Immortality rests in peace beyond fear of insecurity. Everything subject to death is corruptible but death is subject to the incorruptible God. The vision and purpose of God for man is the incorruptible mind of God. All that is incorruptible is pure, therefore no flesh but spirit can be pure. Whatever is pure is conceived of the Holy Spirit of God and born of God with the status of perfection: only the Vision of God, the Word of God, is perfect. Man may therefore be called perfect upon his reflection of God’s mind and not based on his carnal appearance. To be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and spirit. Any man who is born of the breath and Holy Spirit of God is born with the living consciousness of God in his mind. God is the God of the living and not the God of the dead (Mark 12:27). Therefore, the living are the sons of God, the bright and morning stars of God created for good works to the glory of God and for the remembrance of His Holy name. The pure sons of God are not flesh but spirits, gods and not men, saints and not sinners. A spiritually conscious soul may attain the consciousness of purity to be judged pure as God. God desires that all souls should be pure, therefore He gave us His word of life and manner of communication for guidance unto His likeness. The pleasure of God is our knowledge of Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24, 1 Corinthians 1:31). The vision of God for man is attainable through the course of study of the Word of God, to walk in the light of pureness and goodness of God’s righteousness according to the righteousness which is of faith in Christ. To the end that man would be brought nearest to God as fellows with Him in the eternal light of incorruptible glory and in uniform with the Holy One. So it is written:

Romans 8:28-30 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Man represents the image and likeness of God and the power of His dominion. The man God created being exemplified in Adam. The Garden of Eden is symbolic of the state of harmony and purity of thought rooted in God’s consciousness and spiritual understanding akin to holiness (Proverbs 9:10). Adam, though enclosed in the frame of the world and therefore in appearance like dead souls (men of the world who are void of the Spirit of God) was grounded in the understanding and consciousness of God that purified his mind with the righteousness based on his substance of faith in uniform with God, his Father, and in peace with the Holy One. At the stage of innocence before the fall and while being already equipped with the breath (Spirit) of God beforehand, Adam represents the receptive, selfless living soul man without the understanding of judgement which is the knowledge of good and evil albeit it was necessary for him to eat from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil to come into the full realisation of his calling in uniform with God by reason of his comprehension of the Godhead who called him to be made conformable to the person of the image and glory of God, the Son of God, in his imagination and thought of spiritual mind. In Genesis 2:25, the bible narrates that the man and his companion were naked but not ashamed: he was unaware of his lowliness of nature and ordinary helpless self. He was instead in his consciousness of the light of God’s presence which is renewed continuously in the fullness of the truth and power of God after the likeness of Christ. A light which sanctified his being before God and fixed the awareness of his attention on the countenance of God rather than on the dusty background of his substandard frame: he gave thought to his calling in God and not to his vain nature which has no familiarity with God. In the presence of God there is liberty and power to triumph and live above the shortfalls of the world. The world was made for Adam to dominate and rule over and not