Good morning -
Kingdom people are great lovers. Now, to avoid any confusion about that statement, let me clarify what I mean from the Apostle Paul's words:
"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:8-12)
The future kingdom becomes today's kingdom through love and truth. When we align ourselves with the greatest truth of loving God with heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as our self we've appropriated some of tomorrow's reality today. The future kingdom will be characterized by total and absolute love and devotion to our Father and unconditional love for all of our brothers and sisters. Perhaps more than anything else, the kingdom will be characterized by perfect relationships.
I often return to the story of the first church in the Book of Acts and notice that kingdom truth caused these believers to live as a radical kingdom community. Truth permeated their personal and corporate lifestyles and gave powerful testimony to their culture of the reality of the risen Christ and His kingdom authority and power.
Scripture has plenty to say about the priority of truth but it also has plenty to say about love being the outgrowth of truth. Kingdom people should be solidly based on truth but authentic love should be evidence of the reality of truth. If tomorrow's kingdom means anything to us it will have an effect on us today. It will personally cause us to "lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" and do "no wrong to a neighbor".
I believe that the church - whether a home group, small group, or congregation with a building - is the Lord's "kingdom laboratory experiment". Here truth is worked out in relationships and lifestyles; sometimes successfully, but more often than not through failure, forgiveness and restoration. At its best it becomes "salt" and "light" to a bland and dark world.
Kingdom people ARE great lovers. Maybe we need some bumper stickers to declare that truth and remind ourselves.
Pastor Steve
Kingdom people are great lovers. Now, to avoid any confusion about that statement, let me clarify what I mean from the Apostle Paul's words:
"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:8-12)
The future kingdom becomes today's kingdom through love and truth. When we align ourselves with the greatest truth of loving God with heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as our self we've appropriated some of tomorrow's reality today. The future kingdom will be characterized by total and absolute love and devotion to our Father and unconditional love for all of our brothers and sisters. Perhaps more than anything else, the kingdom will be characterized by perfect relationships.
I often return to the story of the first church in the Book of Acts and notice that kingdom truth caused these believers to live as a radical kingdom community. Truth permeated their personal and corporate lifestyles and gave powerful testimony to their culture of the reality of the risen Christ and His kingdom authority and power.
Scripture has plenty to say about the priority of truth but it also has plenty to say about love being the outgrowth of truth. Kingdom people should be solidly based on truth but authentic love should be evidence of the reality of truth. If tomorrow's kingdom means anything to us it will have an effect on us today. It will personally cause us to "lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" and do "no wrong to a neighbor".
I believe that the church - whether a home group, small group, or congregation with a building - is the Lord's "kingdom laboratory experiment". Here truth is worked out in relationships and lifestyles; sometimes successfully, but more often than not through failure, forgiveness and restoration. At its best it becomes "salt" and "light" to a bland and dark world.
Kingdom people ARE great lovers. Maybe we need some bumper stickers to declare that truth and remind ourselves.
Pastor Steve
posted by steve @ 10:14 AM
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