Research has shown that there is a new disease going around these days and every follower of the way is urged to beware. It’s called the Demas syndrome, some have fallen prey already but the good news is that there is a very effective cure!

Okay, Okay you’ve caught me lol. It’s not actually a real disease but its a very real menace ravaging the body of Christ and one we ought not to turn blind eyes to.

DEMAS?? EXPLAIN!

Gladly!

A few months ago, as I followed the New Testament scriptures book by book; I read 2 Timothy and later on, Philemon. Something struck me in these 2 books about a certain man called Demas.

You see, in 2 Timothy Apostle Paul mentions a man who had forsaken him having loved this present world but in Philemon, he calls this same man a co-labourer with Him in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Philemon must have been written before 2nd Timothy).

After reading these 2 scriptures, I could not think about anything else for the next few days and in small Bible study groups during that time, I spoke about this man with a broken heart. We must imagine what it means for a man like Apostle Paul to call you a co-labourer.

He must have gone through such suffering that the kingdom of God would prevail upon the earth and then later to be described as having forsaken the very thing he at some point probably would have been wiling to give up his life for is heart wrenching. In summary, at some point Demas looked at the world and found its deception(ways) more attractive than the way of the cross.

Heart Check…

This is a call to introspection and a time to ask ourselves tough questions like if we truly love the Lord as we claim and why?? I encourage us all to not be afraid to break down faulty foundations and partner with the Holy Spirit and the Word to rebuild long lasting ones.

In recent times, I’ve asked myself what does it mean to love God? If we are to get accurate definitions as believers, we must receive them from our pattern man(Christ). We see in Christ’s definition of love, a pattern of action which involves sacrifice, wonder, reverence, devotion, obedience and complete surrender to the will of the Father. A denial of one’s self and offering one’s days on this earth to the purposes of the creator was Christ’s example of love and remember dear friends, God will never ask you to do a thing He did not first model.

Our actions are mirrors of our desires. Quickly, I have learnt that my emotional reactions (not that they are bad but must be coupled with understanding) are not the proof of my love for Him. Can He trust me, can He count on me, can my words be yes and mean yes? or do I only have outbursts of emotions(out of guilt sometimes) and turn back to my flesh and its wicked/evil ways without lasting transformation because I choose not to stick with the scriptures in tough seasons?

Holy Spirit, We Need You!

The world in this context is it’s systems, it’s definitions, ways of life based on self, greed and pride. It is that which is outside the government, value system, wisdom and complete will of God, ruled by the enemy and his desires which will always be contrary to God and these days, in very subtle ways(2 Cor.4:4).

Apostle Paul says this ‘present’ world to emphasize a point that this world will eventually pass away like the scriptures say (1 John 2:17). We are therefore reminded to set our hearts on things above(Col.3:2, Matt.6:33), to place as priority God’s kingdom and reign in our hearts and upon the earth.

Friend, you are sent into this world but not of this world. You are of a heavenly kingdom sent as an ambassador to this world to represent your ruler’s desires, the kingdom of heaven, it is a privilege to be a child of God. If we allow the lusts of this world infiltrate our hearts without caution, we will soon find ourselves like Demas, once labourers, and then at some point in time, those who got sucked into the world’s lure. May it never be so!

In Conclusion!

There is an enduring of hardness that every soldier of Christ must come under, to stick with the same things, to love Jesus and the Word of God above all that the world can offer, more than your very life etc. Who can hear these sayings?? Only a man who allows the Holy spirit though the Word to transform his entire mind because if men will leave their old ways and embrace the Kingdom of Light, Abba’s desire is that it will be done through our witness of Him(in character and in power).

Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. because of the joy awaiting him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated at the place of honour beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up (Heb12:1-3 NLT).