The Paradigm of the Gospel
You may have heard it spoken that the Kingdom of God is an upside down or backwards Kingdom. If you want to be first, be last. If you want wealth, give. If you want life, lose your life.
The biggest thing that Jesus exposed or focussed on in His ministry was the matters of the heart. We may be able to follow the commands laid out by God, but this is where Jesus greatly raised the bar. He took the word of God from the outward to the heart. He said if you even look on a woman with lust in your eyes you have committed adultery!! WOW! So much for attaining righteousness on my own strength. We cannot be in right standing with God on our own without a sacrifice. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. There was only one person who was able to do it; JESUS! And He said “Hey, I know you need help, so you can use my name. Just tell the Father you know Jesus.”
Of course I am gonna get someone say, “It’s more than knowing his name. Satan knows Jesus name!”
Yes, obviously. Here is why it is still a backwards Kingdom. We have to give up our efforts toward obtaining righteousness and trust in His. We cannot do it on our own. We need to completely give in to Jesus’ obedience, even to death on the cross. He is the only reason we can approach God.
“So then, we do nothing?!” someone shouts.
Love moves beyond words.
If you love Jesus with your whole heart and trust His guidance through the Holy Spirit, you will be moved to, compelled to and driven by compassion to love. Not sure what Love looks like? It looks like Jesus. (1 Corinthians 13 is also a good place to learn about love.) Love moves beyond words. Love is an action.
Jesus was moved by compassion. How do we know that we have proper motives in doing what we do? We are driven by compassion. We are compelled to act because of the compassion that is bursting through our heart. We cannot be silent or stand still. We are driven. It is not something that can be drummed up, stirred up or prayed into us. It comes with knowing, believing and walking in the love of Christ that is shed abroad in our hearts.
We can show love because we are supposed to, OR we can love because that is who is in us and that’s all that comes out. When all you can do is love, it is not a burdensome thing. This is why Jesus said He took the burden. He fulfilled the Law and the tough stuff.
Joh 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.
I used to try and prove my love to Jesus, but that’s not what it says. Once I had a revelation of His love for me, I found myself doing what was right. The burden was gone. I was no longer trying to earn it through doing and striving and effort. His burden is light. His Yoke is easy.
This cannot be done on the outward, but must start on the inside; which is why it is un upside down Kingdom.
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