This week, Michael writes that Jesus came to introduce his disciples to a new kingdom ... a kingdom that is not of this world. The standard of Christ’s new kingdom is the unconditional love of God ... to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
According to 1 Corinthians 13, Love is patient, love is kind, is never selfish, rude, or proud... it never demands its own way. The unconditional "agape" love of God is not of this world. It is one of the qualities of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. The love of God is not touchy or irritable. It is not resentful or bitter. The love of God rises above human frailty ... it transforms and transcends worldly standards, morals, and conventions. The love of God suffers injustice, always thinks the best of others, never holds grudges ... it never fails to bless, to encourage, and to edify. Love never fails.
The devil is the accuser and the deceiver. He reminds us of our fallen nature and the things we’ve done that fall short of God’s righteous standard. However, even while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. For even though our heart condemns us ... God is greater than our heart and knows all things ... that our righteousness is in Christ.
What calls a man and woman to repentance ... to turn from darkness unto light? Is it the threat of death and eternal damnation? Is it guilt, shame, pain, and suffering? Romans 2 says, it is the goodness, kindness, love and mercy of God that calls a person to repentance. The love of God is what attracts a child of God to run to the Lord and not away from Him.
Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. When Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus responded, “You said it.” Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” He could not perceive that he was looking the truth in the eye ... for Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life.
After Jesus healed a man born blinded, the religious leaders asked the blind man, “Who healed you?” He said, “I don’t know who he was, but this one thing I know, I was blind, but now I see.” Jesus came to open the eyes of those born blind ... physically and spiritually. To perceive truth, we must be born again ... to see and perceive from Christ’s eyes behind our eyes.
Many men and women hear the truth about the Gospel and casually agree with it. However, they are not willing to commit their lives to Christ. They want to be their own master and are unwilling to subject their hearts in submission to the Lord. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. When a person repents, God brings them to the realization that, “I have found the enemy and it is me.”
The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. When the devil attacks, this assault is either an invitation to join the devil’s pity party, or the point of repentance to turn from the darkness of this God-rejecting world unto the glorious light of the gospel of salvation through faith alone by grace alone in Christ alone.
Living the Christian life gets the attention of this world. The love of God is not of this world. Jesus said, blessed are they when people shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. The love of God turns the other cheek and gladly goes the second mile. It does not return evil for evil. It is full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The love of God is the nature of God himself ... for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Christianity is not about the cost. Rather, it’s about the value. What is it that you value most? The valuable things of this life are priceless ... we could not afford either the payment for sin or for eternal live. Therefore, we have been bought with a price ... the priceless and precious blood of God’s only begotten Son. Because Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin, we can live in the glorious light of the gospel of peace. For He who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus said, I always do my father’s will. His father’s will was your redemption and mine. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, not my will but thine be done. The answer to Jesus’ prayer in the garden is in Hebrews 11, Jesus Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God... God showed His Son the joy of your redemption and mine.
We love Him because He first loved us. Because God has given us His Spirit of life in Christ, we can Love God above all. Then when we love others, Jesus said, in that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. To love others, we love Jesus himself.
Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives and to set free them that are bound. In an upside down in priorities world, the greatest freedom is to subject ourselves captive to Christ ... casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. According to Galatians 5, stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage of the law of sin and death. Only use not liberty as an occasion to sin, but in love, serve one another.
That in loving God above all, we may live according to the His kingdom’s purpose ... that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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