Wetin E Mean to Near God? I Fit Near God Even If I No Join Any Religion?
The answer wey Bible give
As e dey for Bible, when person near God e de think like God and de really hungry to do wetin go make God happy. Person wey de allow God holy spirit to direct-am de try to live im life the way God want and as God holy spirit de direct.a—Romans 8:5; Ephesians 5:1.
Many times, when Bible de explain wetin e mean to near God, e de use the things wey people wey no near God de do to explain-am. For example, “person wey im body de control no de accept the things from the spirit of God” or the things wey God de teach, but e no be like that with person wey near God. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) People wey allow make their flesh de control them de “jealous other people and de cause trouble”, but no be so e be with people wey near God. Them get open-hand and de make peace. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) Bible talk about people wey de talk bad about other people and de separate tight friends, as people wey de “behave like animal and … no get God spirit.”—Jude 19; Proverbs 16:28.
For this article
Why e dey important for person to allow the spirit of God direct-am?
Bible verses wey talk about how we fit get tight friendship with God
From where we fit get the spirit of God?
Because God make us for im image, we fit get im spirit and de think like-am. (Genesis 1:27) So, e no de surprise us say many people value things wey them no fit see and touch, and even want learn about them.
Jehovahb God make us to fit get character like e own, like peace, to de pity people, and no de do partial. (James 3:17) God still de give holy spirit to people wey de try to obey im command.—Acts 5:32.
Why e dey important for person to allow the spirit of God to direct-am?
To get the spirit of God de bring “life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) Life and peace na gift wey really get value wey God de give.
Life: God promise to give life wey no go end to people wey im spirit de direct.—John 17:3; Galatians 6:8.
Peace: This na when person get peace with God. People wey de put mind for only wetin their body want de make theirself God enemy. (Romans 8:7) God de bless people wey allow im spirit to direct them with ‘peace wey pass anything wey person fit understand.’ (Philippians 4:6, 7) This kind peace de help them to really dey happy for their life.—Matthew 5:3.
How I fit allow make God holy spirit de direct me?
De learn and obey God command. You fit do this one when you de read Bible. Na “holy spirit directc people” to write wetin God get for mind for inside Bible. (2 Peter 1:21) Wetin you go learn go help you to fit worship God “with spirit and truth,” and na holy spirit go direct you for way wey God want.—John 4:24.
Pray make God help you. (Luke 11:13) God go help you to fit get the kind character wey go show say you be person wey get God spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Prayer fit still give you better sense to fit handle the problem wey life de bring.—James 1:5.
De make friend with people wey near God. Them go encourage you to be person wey God holy spirit de direct more-more. (Romans 1:11, 12) But if you de make friend with people wey no de think like God this one fit spoil your friendship with God.—James 4:4
I need to join religion to fit near God?
If person de worship for one religion, this one no mean say e dey close to God. Bible talk say: “If anybody de think say e de worship God, but e no de control im tongue, e de deceive im own heart and e de serve God for nothing.”—James 1:26, footnote.
Even with that one, Bible show say people wey the spirit of God de direct de worship-am the way e want. Them know say na only “one spirit” dey— this one na God holy spirit. The spirit de direct them to worship God as “one body,” as people wey arrange well as one group and wey de maintain “the one mind from the spirit with the peace wey de hold people together as one.”—Ephesians 4:1-4.
Wrong ideas about wetin e mean to near God
Wrong idea: To near God na way of life wey de make person feel say e dey okay or say the person life don good and e no need to change anything for im life.
The truth: Bible talk say to near God na when person de live life wey agree with wetin God want. No be to de try to be good person without God. People wey near God de happy when them know say na God make them and when them de live their life as God want.—Psalm 100:3.
Wrong idea: Person fit near God when e no de allow imself get the things wey e de enjoy or when e de make imself feel pain as e de deny imself the things wey e really need.
The truth: People wey de suffer their body “de choose their own worship” and them de think as people wey sin de control. (Colossians 2:18, 23) Bible talk say person wey allow make the spirit of God de direct-am go get joy, no be pain.—Proverbs 10:22.
Wrong idea: Anything wey de connect person with the spirit world, whether na to de do things with spirit or with spirit of dead people, de help person near God.
The truth: One way wey people de connect with spirit, na the belief say the spirit of dead people fit talk with people wey dey alive. But, Bible de teach say dead people no know anything. (Ecclesiastes 9:5) The truth na say spiritism na when person de do things with demons and this demons na enemy of God. To do things with demons de really make God vex and e fit make person no get the spirit of God.—Leviticus 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:11, 12.
Wrong idea: Everything wey God make fit near-am.
The truth: Everything wey God make de honor-am. (Psalm 145:10; Romans 1:20) But, na only human being and angels fit near God? Animal no fit think and them no fit get friendship with God. Animal de do things as their body want. (2 Peter 2:12) So na e make Bible talk say people wey no know God de think and behave like animal.—James 3:15; Jude 19.
a The original words wey them translate as “spirit” for Bible still mean “breath.” They fit still mean something wey we no fit see but still get force and de move. Bible talk about God as the Spirit Person Wey High Pass. Person wey near God de allow make the spirit of God de guide-am and na wetin God want e de do.
b When Bible de talk about “person wey sin dey im body” and “person wey im body de control” e mean people wey de think and do things only for way wey their body want, and them no get respect for wetin God talk.
c For Bible God name na Jehovah.—Psalm 83:18.