Na poloaiina e Iesu Keriso Lona Tino; le Ekalesia e avea ma Ana molimau i le lalolagi. Sa Ia poloaiina i latou, o e ana ia te Ia ma mulimuli ia te Ia e talai atu le talalelei a Iesu Keriso ma le valaau ia salamo ia i latou, O ai e auai i le lalolagi, so that many souls shall be redeemed from the power of darkness and shall be saved by faith and regeneration in Christ and enter the Kingdom of God and be reconciled with God and become sons of God and inherit eternal life. But if Christians live like the world, o le a le mea e tatau ona salamo le lalolagi?
How can souls be saved, if Christians live like the world?
Many Christians say they believe in Jesus Christ and believe that they belong to Him, but meanwhile, they live the same life as the world and do the same works as the world. There is hardly any difference between Christians and unbelievers, O ai e auai i le lalolagi.
Instead of Christians converting the world, the world has converted many Christians (Faitau foi: ‘Poo faamuamua e Kerisiano le lalolagi pe o le a le lalolagi liliu mai o Kerisiano o loo iai le 'au Kerisiano?‘).
Instead of making peace between the old man and God, by preaching the gospel of Christ and the call to repentance, ma toe faalelei le tagata i le Atua, O Le Faatuatua ma le Toefuataiina ia Keriso, they have made peace and reconciled themselves with the world, other religions, (Sasa'e) filosofia, ifo i tupua, Manatu ma saienisi and have defiled the truth of God with the lies of the world and have made the gospel powerless.
Many churches have not removed sin and iniquity, but have accepted and allowed sin and iniquity, by saying that they will always remain sinners and sins and iniquities will always be part of their lives (Faitau foi: ‘E te tumau pea le tagata agasala? ma ‘Mafai ona e faʻaaogaina se lalolagi malepe o se 'alofaga?‘)
Ofcourse there are churches, who have removed the sin and iniquity and don’t approve and tolerate them, ma aua le fetuutuunai, but walk after the Spirit as sons of God in obedience to Jesus Christ; le Upu, ma avea ma e anaana i le Upu. But they are rare.
Living like the world but rewarded with eternal life
O le a le mea tatou te fai atu ai? E tatau ona tatou faaauau pea i le agasala, o lena alofa tunoa e ono tele? Malo (Roma 6:1).
Mo le agasala o le a le maua le pule ia te oe: aua ua le o sau i lalo o le tulafono, but under grace. What then? E tatau ona tatou agasala, Aua tatou te le o i lalo o le tulafono, Ae i lalo o le alofa tunoa? Malo (Roma 6:14-15).
Most people want to have the same life as the world and do the same (amioletonu) works and things, and because of that genuine repentances and regenerations in Christ don’t take place anymore and the flesh is not put off, but stays alive. Ae le o le tuu ese le toeaina ma fa'aofuina le tagata fou, they persevere in sin.
But if those, who say they are Christians persevere in sin, what does the call to repentance contain? What message do Christians have for unbelievers?
Because if someone leads an unclean life and watches porn and/or commits fornication, how can that person approach an unbeliever, who lives an unclean life and watches porn and/or commit fornication, and confront the unbeliever and call the unbeliever to repentance and the removal of sin?
E mafai faapefea e se tasi, who keeps lying, be a witness of Jesus Christ and call liars to repentance?
E mafai faapefea e se tasi, who steals witness and call thieves to repentance?
E mafai faapefea e se tasi, who commits adultery witness and call adulterers to repentance?
E mafai faapefea e se tasi, who is unmarried and has a sexual relationship(s) ma/poo live together with someone, e le o sona toalua, witness and call to repentance?
E mafai faapefea e se tasi, who practices tupe and bows down and worships other gods, witness and call to repentance?
E le mafai! Therefore many churches have lost their credibility and even have become laughable for the world. Because the same works, which the Word calls sin and the Word has condemned, and which are practiced by the world, are also practiced in many churches.
The new man has been made free from sin and has become a servant to God
Aua o le taimi lava o 'outou o auauna a agasala, Sa ou saoloto mai le amiotonu. O le a le fualaau na ou i ai i na mea o loo i ai nei ua maasiasi? Mo le iuga o na mea o le oti. Ae o lenei ua faia fua mai le agasala, Ma Avea Ma Auaunaga i le Atua, ua ia te oe lau fua i le paia, ma le iuga faavavau. Aua o le totogi o le agasala o le oti lea; A o le Meaalofa a le Atua O le ola lea e faʻavavau e ala ia Iesu Keriso lo tatou Alii (Roma 6:20-22)
Afai ua toe fanauina oe ia Keriso, you have become a new creation and you’ve been made free from sin. E ala i le toe fafagaina, ua suia lou natura. You no longer belong to the devil and no longer serve him as a Auauna o le Agasala ma tumau i le agasala, but you have become a servant to God and shall serve Him as a auauna a le amiotonu and have your fruit unto holiness.
But if you persevere in sin and are still a slave of sin, where have you been made free from? How can you go into the world and preach freedom in Christ, if you haven’t been made free yourself, but live in the bondage of sin and death in darkness?
Tagata uma, who by faith in Jesus Christ repent and become born again in Christ, shall enter the process of sanctification. Le Upu ma le Agaga Paia, who abides in the new man will teach, sao, and confront the person with his or her sin and then it’s up to the person to obey the Word and the Holy Spirit and submit to God or not.
The Word shall judge everyone
Sa tagi Iesu ma fai mai, O le e talitonu mai ia te au, E le talitonu ia te au, Ae ia te ia na auina mai au. Ma le na te vaʻai ia te aʻu e vaʻai ia te ia na lafo mai aʻu. Ua ou sau o se malamalama i le lalolagi, o soʻo se tasi e talitonu ia te aʻu e le tatau ona tumau i le pouliuli. Ma afai o se tagata faʻalogo i aʻu upu, ma le talitonu, Ou te le faamasinoina o ia: aua na ou sau e faamasino le lalolagi, Ae o le sefe le lalolagi. O ia na te teena ia te au, ma e le talia a’u upu, e i ai le tasi na te faamasino ia te ia: le upu ua ou fai atu ai, o ia lava lea e faamasino ia te ia i le aso gataaga.
Auā ‘ou te le‘i tautala fua ‘iā te a‘u; a o le Tamā o lē na auina mai aʻu, Na Ia tuuina mai ia te au se poloaiga, mea e tatau ona ou fai atu ai, ma mea e tatau ona ou tautala atu ai. Ma ua ou iloa o Lana poloaiga o le ola e faavavau lea: o le mea lea ou te tautala atu ai, e pei lava ona fetalai mai o le Tamā ia te au, O lea ou te tautala (Ioane 12:44-50)
People can say all kinds of things and make others believe that it doesn’t matter how you live and that God is merciful and tolerates, approves, and accepts everything, e aofia ai le agasala. But the Word says something else and eventually, it’s not the people who will decide, who will enter eternal life and who will be thrown in the eternal pool of fire, but the Word (a.o. Matthew 12:36-37, Ioane 12:48, Faaaliga 20:11-15).
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi‘
