Emeritus Professor Mercy Olumide Warns Against Conforming to Worldly Systems
In a compelling discourse, Emeritus Professor Mercy Olumide has highlighted the intense pressure individuals face to conform to the patterns of the present world system. She asserts that this pressure, which manifests on multiple levels, must be firmly resisted by true believers to maintain spiritual integrity.
Reasons to Resist Worldly Conformity
Professor Olumide outlines several critical reasons for this resistance. She explains that the current world system is under Satan's rule, as referenced in biblical passages like John 12:31 and 2 Corinthians 4:4, making it inherently hostile to God and His followers. This hostility is further detailed in scriptures such as John 7:7 and James 4:4, which describe the world's opposition to divine principles.
Moreover, the system is built upon human wisdom and values, which often conflict with biblical teachings. Professor Olumide points to 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 and Colossians 2:8 to illustrate how worldly philosophies can lead believers astray from a godly worldview.
The Nature of Worldly Kingdoms
She contrasts the kingdom of Christ, which is not of this world as stated in John 18:36, with the world's kingdom, characterized by darkness, deception, and seduction. Believers are exhorted in scriptures like Matthew 5:14-16 and Ephesians 5:8-11 to resist various forms of worldliness that surround the church.
These include greed, self-centered living, humanistic thinking, political maneuvering for power, envy, hatred, revenge, impurity, lust, ungodly entertainment, immodest fashion, immorality, drugs, intoxication, and unrighteous companions. Professor Olumide references Ephesians 5:3-16 and 1 John 2:15-17 to underscore the dangers of yielding to such temptations.
The Path to Transformation
As an alternative to conforming, Professor Olumide advocates for transformation through Christ and His word. This process renews the mind, allowing vision, values, and plans to be governed by God's revelation and eternal truth rather than the world's temporal and deceptive patterns.
She emphasizes that a renewed mind and transformed life enable believers to test, prove, and affirm that God's will is good, desirable, and perfect. This stands in stark contrast to Satan's slander, which portrays God's will as flawed. Transformed believers, she notes, embrace God's will as the highest and best way of life.
Spiritual Revelations Through Adoration
Professor Olumide also discusses the potential for revelation during adoration, citing the example of the Apostle Paul from 2 Corinthians 12:2. Paul, referred to as "a man in Christ," was caught up to the third heaven to receive revelations about Christ's gospel and the glories of heaven. This experience strengthened him to endure severe sufferings during his ministry.
She draws parallels to Moses, who desired to see God's glory as recounted in Exodus 33:18. God revealed Himself to Moses in passages like Exodus 33:19-23 and 34:5-7, demonstrating the profound spiritual insights that can arise from devotion and adoration.
Professor Olumide's insights serve as a reminder of the importance of spiritual vigilance and the pursuit of divine transformation in a world rife with conflicting values.
