January 11, 2023 NOT OF THIS WORLD
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
1 Thessalonians 2:12 “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” We spend a lot of time in this world working, shopping, taking care of the house, perhaps being involved in sports or hobby, social activities, attending church, etc. We tend to live as though this world is our home. On several occasions Jesus said that His followers, even though they lived in the world, they were not of the world, but belonged to His kingdom-which was not of this world, or realm as we read in the above verse. It’s a major deal for us to get this point; we have been transferred to the kingdom of God; we no longer belong to this world system. This reality may seem a bit confusing; how do we live 24/7 in this world, but yet not belong to it. The kingdom of this world is physical and it will pass away; the kingdom of God is spiritual in nature and is eternal. Even thought the kingdom of God is spiritual, it has great impact on how we live in the physical world. We must be settled in the fact that the spiritual is far more important than the physical, and because it is, we must be focused on our spiritual relationship with God. The life we live in this world is to flow from our relationship with our heavenly Father. (Our marching orders for life on this earth are to be from God.) As believers, we are spiritual beings who impact the world around us. We are not a body with a spirit, we are a spirit with a body. The emphasis of the above verses, and many other verses, is that we are to walk or live in such a manner that is worthy of God, that honors God, and that reflects His nature to those around us-that must be our over-riding desire. Once we learn of our true identity as His sons and daughters, once we discover that we have been transferred to His kingdom, and once we learn that we are first spiritual beings who are joined to God, we will not live according to this fallen world system-there is so much more. As we read the scriptures, we learn of the ways of the kingdom of God and how we can be expressions of life in the kingdom of God here on the earth. We have been sent into the world, but we are not of the world.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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