2003-12-26
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
One of the questions that often arises in people’s minds is: Can we know for certain that we will inherit the Kingdom? Those with a strong background in the Scriptures and faith which is rock solid already know the answer to that question. But, most of us really need to take the time to delve into it. Let’s do that right now.
It should be noted that most of the beattitudes are in the future tense. However, this is not the case for MT 5: 3 and 10. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven…Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Remember that (3) deals with knowing that our spirits are impoverished without the Holy Spirit’s influence over them. If we feel the need for the Holy Spirit and are willing to allow Him to take control over our thoughts, decisions, and actions, we are sure to inherit the Kingdom. Moreover, if we experience the pain of persecution because we did what God requires, we are assured of entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. To do that takes courage of faith, something which faith in Christ equips us to have. Our faith must be real and not just lip service for this truth to be experienced. This truth is not only discussed in the NT. Here are some OT verses that also deal with it. There are rewards for righteous living. PS 146: 8, “The Lord loves the righteous.” The Kingdom of God is now. PS 93: 1-2, “The Lord is King, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, He is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” PS 145: 13, “Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Dear Ones, I don’t think I’m stepping out on a limb to say that God’s Kingdom is now in the hearts of all who believe in Him and endure in that faith. It will be a reality and our permanent home after the coming glory happens.
Let’s look at MK 10:17-27, the story of the rich young man who encounters Christ. “As Jesus was started on His way again, a man ran up, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?’” [17]. Christ began answering by saying that only God is good, and you know the commandments. At this point, he reiterated some of the Ten Commandments. The young man expressed his view that he had obeyed these commandments since he was young. In (21) With love, Christ delivered the most important message this young man could hear at the time. “You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” This same message has been given to all of us in several places in the NT. For example, MT 6: 19-21 when he spoke of putting our riches in heaven and not on earth where rust and moth will destroy them. Once again, we see this same message in LK 9: 23, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must forget himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me.” This certainly requires a paradigm shift from the way our natural selves want to live. It is also a difficult lesson for people living in modern day America, because of our material wealth. But, nevertheless, it is a lesson which applies for eternity. Christ is not asking us to become so materially impoverished that we can’t function, but He is asking us to share what we have over what our real needs are with those less fortunate than ourselves. He is asking us to turn from the natural propensity toward selfishness to God-driven unselfishness in every aspect of our lives. He is asking us to be mature in our faith, as seen by our thoughts and actions-even more importantly, as felt in our hearts.
Sadly, the story of this rich young man ends in disappointment for him. Gloom spread over his face, and he went away sad, because his faith wasn’t strong enough for him to part with some of his wealth. That is when Christ turned to His disciples saying, “It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” [25] The disciples asked Christ, “Who, then, can be saved?” [26]. Christ’s wonderful answer is in (27), “This is impossible for a man, but not for God; everything is possible for God.” We are all being asked to look at what we are willing to do for others and how much of our own personal wealth are we willing to share with the less blessed. These are tough questions for us to examine, but for the sake of our faith in Jesus Christ, we must do that.
In writing what I have said, I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about some very wealthy people who share much of their wealth for the benefit of others. Paul Newman comes to mind. His company, Newman’s Own, produces and sells wonderful foods. These cost a few pennies more, but all of the proceeds from this company go to charity. Mr. Newman is careful in choosing real charities that do important work. While he may be very wealthy in his own right from the proceeds from his work in the entertainment industry, he doesn’t take any of the profits his food company makes. He is one example of a rich man who God will gladly carry through the eye of His needle. There are others. So, while we are led by God to ask the questions about our own lives above, we are not led to assume that all wealthy people won’t gain the Kingdom. Our God is loving and compassionate. He wants as many people as possible to turn from their sinning ways and spend eternity with Him in the Kingdom [JN 6: 39-40].
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your throne desiring to spend eternity with You. We endeavor to empty our spiritual vessels of human agendas and to allow the Holy Spirit to fill them. It is hard for us to turn away from the desires of the natural self, our selfishness, greed, and other sins. However, we are here today to state our belief that You and only You can equip us to do this through Your Spirit. Without You we are hopelessly locked into sinful lives. With You, we are able to enjoy the blessings that righteousness brings. You are the Source of all goodness. PS 31: 1, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in your righteousness.” Only You can satisfy our hunger and thirst. “PS 63: 1, “O God, You are my God, I seek You, my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You.” Only in You, Dearest Abba, are we victorious over sin and evil. PS 16: 1-2, “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” The goodness that comes from You alone enriches our lives eternally. PS 31: 19, “How wonderful are the good things You keep for those who honor You! Everyone know how good You are, how securely You protect those who trust in You.” The greatest gift You have ever given us is the faith we have in You and the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross, so we can be saved. We bow before You in humility to acknowledge that we are sinners in need of Your presence, guidance, patience, love, and compassion in our lives. We dedicate ourselves to being both Your servants and Your friends who please You. We will spend the rest of our lives thanking You and praising You for the blessings You shower on us each day. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
There is more for me to write about this story of the rich man’s encounter with Christ. That will be the subject of next week’s message. This story has great personal impact on me. Because of Peter’s career being destroyed by being downsized out of two companies in the last five years, we have had to learn to live on much less. Amazingly, God has protected us through all the challenges we have faced. He does this through the love of our friends, their kindness toward us, and the example for us that they set. At one time in my life, I thought acquiring material wealth would bring security and happiness. Peter and I have been taught in a very real way that real happiness comes from living a life of faith in our Lord and Savior. I am led to reiterate PS 27:1, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” It is my fervent hope that each of you will spend some time on your knees in conversation with the Lord, giving Him a chance to help you understand what His presence in Your life means to you. I have done this and continue to do it, because without Him I am nothing.
God loves each of you and so do I,
Lynn