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A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plough or cart that they are to pull. It is synonymous to harness, collar, coupling, tackle, tack or equipage.
Unequal yoke is wrong
What is wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it, and what is right is right even if everyone is against it. The type of association you keep will either make or mar you. You don’t have to board all ships. Some ships might take you to the wrong destination if care is not taking.
These ships of unequal yoke might come in form of friendship, partnership, fellowship, followership, mentorship, acquaintanceship, discipleship, membership, colleagueship, worship, membership or musicianship. James 4:4 says, “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”. Bad companies corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33)
Light cannot collaborate with darkness
Music is a very important act of worship to God. We must however do it properly for God to accept our act of worship. I have been asked in various interviews on different occasions if it is proper for Gospel Artists to feature ungodly Artists and I have been categorical in my answer to the interviewers, the answer is NO.
Here are my candid questions’ “If Jesus Christ were to be a Gospel Artist, will He feature Satan in His music? Is it appropriate for a Pastor to invite an “Ifa” Priest to come and preach on his pulpit? It is definitely inappropriate. So it is not proper for Gospel artists to feature secular artists whose fruits does not portray that they have any relationship with God.
It is an unequal yoke for Light to feature Darkness, for Christ to collaborate with Belial, or for a Believer to team up with an Unbeliever in his or her music. Music is spiritual and God has a guideline on how it must be offered unto Him, who must offer it, and the status and quality of the vessel whom, sacrifice He must accept.
Let your light shine
We are the light of the world, and we are admonished to allow our light to shine so well before men, that they will see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16). Satan was a musician rendering quality music to God in heaven before sin was found in him.
If God requires music from a sinner, he would have retained Satan in heaven. Whatsoever disqualified Satan from singing to God in heaven disqualifies any ungodly singer or anyone who is not born again from singing to Him. We need to offer our bodies first unto God as a living and holy sacrifice, that is our reasonable service.
Anything outside that is unreasonable. We are also admonished not to copy the behavior and customs of this world (Romans 12: 1-2)
Be a vessel unto honour
God is not only interested in our music, but also in the vessel offering such music. God is interested in a vessel unto honour and not in a vessel unto dishonour. You might collaborate with a seemingly popular ungodly artist so as to be more popular in this world, but not all who are famous in this world will be famous in heaven.
You may receive all the accolades, encomiums might be showered on you and you might be applauded, even when God is very angry with you. It is not all about the praise of men, but about the nod of God.
Many may look like a great star in this world, but when you get to heaven, you will be surprised to see that they are not recognized by God. It is actually not about the fame, but more about pleasing God. Take a cue from the story of Lazarus and the Rich man, the unpopular Lazarus was the one who was celebrated in heaven (Luke 16: 19-31)
God despise vessels unto dishonour
Even when an unbeliever sings a seemingly song of praise to God, it is like using a dirty and stinking vessel to present a delicious meal to someone who believes so much in personal hygiene. He will not eat it. Or can you eat a delicious food placed in a vessel used in the toilet which has some traces of feaces in it? I am sure you won’t say that because the food is delicious, you will eat it with the feaces, how much more God?
Praising God is a sacrifice. Hebrews 13: 15 say, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”. But it is not all sacrifices that God accepts. He accepted that of Abel and rejected that of Cain. And what is the difference? It was the vessel offering the sacrifice that made the difference (Genesis 4: 3-7).
Let us examine these scriptures:
“Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
“The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination; how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?” (Proverbs 21:27)
Don’t offer a strange fire
Jesus also called some people hypocrites. He said they worship God with their lips while their hearts are far from God. So the heart is more important to God than the worship. (Matthew 15:7). Even though, Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron, the Priest, they died because they offered a strange fire unto God. The Priesthood of their father could not save them from the consequence of strange worship. (Numbers 3: 2-4).
Don’t claim that you are lifting up holy hands when your hands are defiled with sins, you cannot deceive God. Don’t claim that you have surrendered all to Christ when you have not fully surrendered. Ananias and Sapphira tried it and the Holy Spirit killed them instantly for lying against Him (Acts 5:1-11)
Don’t let us be fooled by falling into this trap because God cannot be mocked. Not all those who call him Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do His will (Matthew 7:21). A word is enough for the wise, because it is only the wise that can accept the truth.
Kayode Olusoji
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