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| CAC General Superintendent Pastor Emmanuel O. Oladele |
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The General Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria & Overseas, Pastor Emmanuel O. Odejobi, has arithmetically explained that man was minus God before the advent of Christ to the world as man forsook God for Satan, flesh, idol, world and sin, but the coming of the Lord Jesus brought man to God.
Pastor Odejobi stated this in his Christmas message titled "Emmanuel" from the text, Matthew 1:23 delivered on Friday, December 22, 2023, at the Carol service of CAC Transfiguration Districts' Coordinating Council (DCC).
The cleric who added that "God also forsook man because he, the sinful was on parallel line with the Holy God (Deuteronomy 32:15-20,30" noted the benefits of God's presence with man.
"Plus God is minus Satan, sin, demons, sickness, diseases, poverty, lack, suffering, condemnation and the wrath of God. Minus glory plus shame but now minus shame plus glory. Minus life, plus death but now minus death, plus life. Plus labour minus grace but now minus labour, plus grace," he said.
Referencing Genesis 3:17-19 where the consequences of man's sins were meted, the CAC General Superintendent, explained that what was plus labour, minus grace to conceive, bear, nurse child; with Christ is now minus labour plus grace to conceive, bear, and nurse a child.
The cleric further noted points of grace, saying that to belong to God is by grace, to be saved from the sin infested and perilous world is by grace, to receive forgiveness for committed sin is by grace, and to get help from God is by grace.
He added that, to make avail what had been set beyond our reach is by grace, to bear discomfort without sinning is by grace; to live righteously in this sinful infested, sin advertised, sin condoned, sin approved, sin legislated world is by grace; to be somebody in life is by grace; and to excel is by grace.