Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God- Part 7
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”
Matthew 5:9
The history of mankind reflects that whatever ambitions a person may have, inner peace is one of the top priorities he strives to possess.
As members of the Kingdom of God, Christians are the only people who are able to give mankind the peace that everyone seeks. “The fruit of the Spirit (who lives within all who have been born again) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a).
A peacemaker does not seek peace at any price; rather, a peacemaker has a different view because he is being delivered from concern for self. His interest is focused on bringing true inner peace to mankind regardless of personal sacrifice. He sees a much bigger and more important purpose in life. Jesus was the supreme example of this. He sacrificed His rights and went to the cross to bring peace to the hearts of mankind.
The blessing promised to a peacemaker is a great tribute. Jesus said that “they will be called sons of God.” You know the saying “like father, like son”? When the characteristic of peacemaking becomes part of our nature, we will truly be acting like a son of God. This once again demonstrates how different the Kingdom of God is from the kingdom of the world.
Nothing else in Scripture so thoroughly condemns the humanistic way of bringing peace as does the Sermon on the Mount. In the world’s kingdom, mankind will always experience international tension, threats of war and discord among people.
Self-centeredness, greed and lust will always show themselves. They are inherent part of man’s sinful nature. Therefore, man’s way of bringing peace-by political, economic, and social means–does not work. The only way is to go to the heart. That is the theme of all of Jesus’ teachings. We must be made new from the inside out.
In conclusion to this blog Series on the “Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God”… here are some points to remember. The seven spiritual characteristics mark the unique differences between what is to govern our way of life under Christ, and that which marks the life of a non-Christian. They show us just how dependent we are on the power of the Holy Spirit within us, and how useless is the power of our flesh in living out the life of Christ. The degree to which these characteristics are developed in us is not the criteria for our salvation, they they directly impact how successful we will be in fulfilling God’s mission of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
We are in the world, but we are no longer members of its kingdom. Therefore, we are to separate ourselves from its standards. This is essential if we are to declare the wonderful deeds of him to called us out of darkness. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God- Part 6
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”
Matthew 5:8
Christian doctrine emphasizes the heart! Jesus baffled the scholars of His day because He bypassed the intellectual mechanics of the Scriptures and zeroed in on their effect on the heart. The Pharisees were interested in the outside more than the inside. They made the way of life and righteousness a mere matter of conduct and ethics.
“Heart” refers to the core of our being. It includes our mind, will and emotions. It is also the seat of all our problems. Jesus put it this way: “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thought, sexual immorality, theft, murder, and adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All of these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean'” (Mark 7:20-23).
Even if we had a perfect environment, it would not solve man’s problems. It was in paradise, the Garden of Eden, that man fell. Problems in life always come from an unworthy desire in the heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). To be pure is to be without hypocrisy, which is the worst of all heart problems. It is a lie that has an attractive cover to hide the truth. It causes us to be dishonest, insincere and self-deceiving. The hypocrite may even claim a share in Christ righteousness. He might be involved in religious activity and appear to outdo the committed Christian. But God looks at the heart; He knows better. Judas confidently sat down with the apostles at Passover as if he were the holiest guest of all. Yet his heart was evil, and he went out and betrayed Christ.
A divided heart has always been a problem. One part of our being wants to know, worship, obey and please God. But because of our sinful nature another part wants to do its own thing. A pure heart in a person is shown by the degree to which the heart is less and less divided. Psalm 86:11 defines a pure heart: “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
The more pure our heart is, the more it will merge with God’s will. Even when our best effort fails, the willing spirit of a pure heart means success to God.
In our next blog post we will discuss the next spiritual characteristic “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God- Part 5
“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy”
Matthew 5:7
As these characteristics on the other side of the mountain become a natural part of our being, we start to express the true character of God. Mercy is a sense of pity plus an effort to relieve suffering. It is not pity alone; it includes action. Consider the parable of the Good Samaritan. Others may have pitied the injured man, but they did nothing. They were not demonstrating mercy. Mercy allowed Jesus to see the miserable consequences of sin. It is also what drove him to relieve the suffering sin causes both in this life and the life after death.
The characteristic of mercy develops a sacrificial love that inspires a person to do all he or she can to save another from the fiery pits of Hell. We can be thankful we have a merciful God. He knows the consequences of sin. “For God so loved the world (mankind) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him (accepts Him as Savior) shall not perish (spend eternity in Hell) but have eternal life (spend eternity in Heaven). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).
Mercy differentiates between the sinner and sin. God hates sin, but loves the sinner. Mercy causes us to see people as creatures to be pitied-slaves to sinful nature- who are trapped in Satan’s world system and suffering the awful consequences of sin. Even while He was on the cross, mercy moved Jesus to pray for His oppressors, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Stay tuned for our next blog post on spiritual characteristic number seven, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God- Part 4
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”
(Matthew 5:6)
As we grow spiritually in the Lord, He must do away with our old nature as He develops in us a new one with these Christ-like characteristics. As the first three are formed in us, we are gradually emptied of our old sinful nature. Only then will we desire to be filled with God’s righteousness, and the Lord will develop that desire into a hunger and thirst.
Righteousness is simply right living before God. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold…In keep them there is much reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).
Note that Jesus did not say to hunger and thirst after happiness or blessings. These come as a result of seeking righteousness. To hunger and thirst is to have the consciousness of a deep and desperate need, to the point that we experience pain in our soul. This brings suffering and agony, because it is an all-out drive to achieve the desired goal. It is somewhat like being away from home and homesick, or the inner drive people have to be a sports champion.
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is the defining spiritual trait of our Christianity. If we truly desire righteousness, God’s Spirit will transform us into His image. We cannot obtain it by our own efforts. Attempting to do so will only lead to pride, which has been the downfall of many throughout the history of Christianity.
Jesus promised that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled. This comes through the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. If one is emptied of a self-seeking nature and filled with God’s nature, the next three characteristics given by Jesus-merciful, pure in heart and peacemaker— will flow naturally as we come down the mountain to minister for His Kingdom rather than for selfish reasons.
Stay connected to the blog for our upcoming post on spiritual characteristic number five, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom of God- Part 3
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”
(Matthew 5:5)
Meekness is often regarded as similar to being poor in spirit; however, it is quite different. Meekness is more difficult and more humbling than the previous characteristics mentioned in the last 2 blog posts. It is also more searching, because it takes us from within ourselves to our relationship with others. I can evaluate, even condemn, myself, but when others do it, I tend to be resentful. Meekness is measured by how we respond when others put the spotlight on us.
Jesus took on the form of a servant and submitted to the will of His Father. He did not try to use the political systems of His day to accomplish God’s mission. Instead He sacrificed Himself, giving His all in meekness to His Father’s will. That is how meekness works.
One of the greatest leaders of all time was Moses. In Numbers 12:3 he is described as a meek man. He had been groomed and trained to be a leader in Egypt. Yet God chose to strip Moses of his self-power, position and abilities. His mission could only be accomplished through the character and power of God.
In his relationship with King Saul, David did not assert himself, though he could have on several occasions. As this Christian characteristic of meekness develops it causes us not to demand anything for ourselves in our rleatioships with others. When people scorn us or lie about us, we don’t have to flight back and defend ourselves. It is not important that we assert our rights, position in life or privileges in relationship to others. No longer do we have to go on the defensive for the purpose of needing to be right. Out self-life has been crucified. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me (see Galatians 2:20).
This does not mean that we are to be flabby, lacking in firmness, vigor, weak in personality, always exhibiting in compromising spirit. That is not how Jesus or Paul lived. They knew their mission and set their face as a flint to accomplish it; not in their own strength but through the power of God.
Please continue this journey on the blog, as our next post will cover spiritual characteristic number four, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Spiritual Characteristics of the Kingdom- Part 1
Jesus told us how to be truly blessed or happy. The world longs for happiness, but many people seek it through sinful pursuits. It is tragic the many ways people seek happiness by getting involved in activities that only bring it for a short time. In the long run, what they usually find is misery.
Developing the spiritual traits Jesus taught is like climbing a rugged mountain. As we ascent our spiritual mountain God is working in us by burning out our old nature and developing these first three characteristics that Jesus Lists-being poor in spirit, mourning and meekness-which makes us conscious of a deep need we have.
The development of these initial three characteristics causes us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. God promises to satisfy this hunger and thirst in that we “shall be filled.” The result of this filling develops the last three spiritual characteristics as we descend our spiritual mountain. We will become merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. After that, Jesus warns, we may be “persecuted because of righteousness” as Satan hates and wares against the development of these godly characteristics.
God develops our Christian character in three steps: need, satisfaction and results. First, He makes us aware of our need; next, He fills that need as we hunger and thirst for righteousness; and finally, He satisfies our longing by developing in us the qualities of mercy, being pure in heart, and a peacemaker. He is the potter; we are the clay. We are dependent on Jesus to deliver us from who we are and to develop in us the characteristics of His kingdom.
We not only need Jesus for the salvation of our soul; we also need Him to deliver us from what we are. Jesus is everything and everything is in Jesus.
Spiritual Characteristic Number One
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)
This heart characteristic is the keystone of all the other qualities. It deals with the process of emptying us of our old sinful nature so we can be filled with the power of God’s new nature. The extent to which we become poor in spirit affects how successfully we develop the subsequent traits, and each characteristic build on the previous ones.
The characteristic of being poor in spirit deals with a person’s attitude toward self. The kingdom of this world promotes self-reliance, self-confidence, self-expression, self-exaltation and self-satisfaction. The world emphasizes personality, talent, looks, heritage, intelligence, wealth, power, etc. But the gospel raises up higher standard that focuses on God-reliance, God-confidence, God-expression, God-exaltation and the desire to please God through obedience to His Word, His will and His way. It is a characteristic that is despised by the world.
Being poor in spirit does not mean suppressing one’s true personality, trying to appear humble, making great sacrifices, or fleeing from the difficulties of everyday life. That certainly was not the way of Jesus.
The scriptures define poor in spirit: “The sacrifices of God are not broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “For this is what the high and lofty One says-he who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).
The characteristic poor in spirit means:
-We shall not rely on the fact that we belong to a given family.
-We shall not boast that we are certain nationality.
-We shall not brag about our position in life, or any powers that may have been given to us.
-We shall not put confidence in the wealth we may have.
-We shall not flaunt our education.
-We shall not rely primarily on our personality, intelligence or special abilities.
-We shall not point to our morality and good behavior.
-We shall not build upon natural temperament.
To be poor in spirit is to be delivered from all that which promotes self. It is to know that within the flesh we are nothing, we have nothing, and we must look to God in utter dependence upon His grace and mercy. Within the flesh we are empty and hopeless, but He is the all-sufficient one.
How does one become poor in spirit? We do not begin by trying to do things to ourselves like sacrificing the flesh or suffering hardships. These only make us more conscious of ourselves and thus less poor in spirit. No, we must look to God. Our responsibility is to study God’s word to learn what He expects from us, and then to set our face as a flint to live in obedience. As we look at Him we feel out absolute poverty and, like the apostles, we cry out, “Lord increase our faith.”
The development of all these inner characteristics will evolve in us by the power of the Holy Spirit as we grow spiritually. They are characteristics of the Kingdom of God. You will see none of them are apart of our natural make-up.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where will discuss the second spiritual characteristic of “blessed are those who mourn” based on Matthew 5:4.
You are the Light of the World
Jesus gave us the perfect mission statement in scripture when he said “you are the salt of the earth” and “you are the light of the world.” Let’s dig deeper into what it means to be the light.
LIGHT
Jesus then proclaimed that Christians are “the light of the world.” The world is in a state of darkness, even though its people are always talking about their enlightenment. There are many scriptures that confirm this truth. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8). “But you are a chosen people…a people belonging to God…who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Only Christians have been brought into the light; the people of the world remain in spiritual darkness.
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You are the Salt of the Earth
Today there are more than 350,000 Christian churches across our land. In fact, you can hear the Gospel preached every hour through every communication means available. Christian men and women from America have also taken the Gospel of Christ throughout the world and raised up numerous ministries to meet the various needs of people.
Even as God obviously had a hand in America’s past, He challenges His church today to be the salt and light in our present troubled society. In Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus makes two of the most penetrating statements about Christians found anywhere in Scripture: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.”
Jesus gave us our perfect mission statement in these two short sentences. They require a lot of courage to live out and are quite demanding. Today, we will dive into the first portion of this mission, “You are the salt of the earth.” Our Lord is saying that Christians are the only people in this world who can preserve the good (our function as salt) and have the understanding to help in those areas that matter the most (our function as light). What a challenging and fulfilling adventure Christians are to have in this life on Earth.
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A Heightened Awareness of Holiness
How wonderful it is when a Christian finally realizes Jesus is, in fact, an unseen guest in their earthly home. His presence is far more precious than expensive furniture in the living room or a swimming pool in the backyard. This privilege is not just wishful thinking; it is an absolute truth that is central to the very definition of personal revival.
To understand personal revival, you must fully embrace the concept of living with Jesus as your constant companion. Doing so will make you aware of HIS closeness.
Personal revival can be identified by an ongoing sense of the presence of the Lord. Just as a church experiences the presence of Jesus during revival, so also, do individuals. What I am describing is a heightened awareness of holiness.
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The Beast Of Revelation 13 (Part 3)
We left off last time while conducting scriptural tests to determine the possibility that America (the superpower) might fit as the Beast of Revelation 13. (If you missed the discussion of the previous tests, please read the BLOGS for part 1 and part 2 of “The Beast of Revelation 13”).
Test #5: “ten crowns on his horns.” Of all the characteristics of the “beast” or superpower in Revelation 13, “ten crowns on his horns” is truly unique. It is a demanding characteristic. The word “crown” (or “diadem” as some versions read) was a distinctive mark of royalty among the early Greeks and Romans. If the word crown or diadem is used, something is being said about its political position.
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The Beast of Revelation 13 (Part 2)
We left off last time while conducting a scriptural test about the possibility of America (the superpower) fitting as the Beast of Revelation 13. (If you missed the Test #1, please read the previous BLOG).
Test #2: “coming out of the sea.” This phrase also appears in Daniel. So the angel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision can also be used to understand John’s vision. Daniel writes, “Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea” (7:3). Daniel’s four beasts (Daniel 1:1-7) refer to a succession of world powers that shaped Israel’s history before the time of Christ. The lion represents Babylon, which conquered Egypt in 606 B.C. and achieved political prominence in the Middle East. The bear is the Media-Persian Empire. They conquered the Babylonians in about 539 B.C. and ruled until 331 B.C., when Alexander the Great defeated them (Daniel 8:21). The leopard represents the Greek Empire under Alexander, which splintered into four separate kingdoms as Daniel prophesied it would (Daniel 8:8, 8:22). The last of these four kingdoms continued until 31 B.C., when, as Daniel prophesied (8:9-12, 23-25), the Roman Empire rose to power.
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Jesus’ Prophecy of Deception In America (Part 3)
Because of the salvation, power and authority of Jesus, John makes another important fact known in Revelation 12:12 that we seldom hear discussed. “Therefore rejoice you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” This is one of the most powerful warnings to the people of God found in Scripture. “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Much of the balance of Revelation 12 describes the protection afforded the woman (Israel) following the birth of the male child (Jesus) after Satan and his angels had been hurled to Earth.
“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s [Satan’s] reach” (Revelation 12:13-14). In my research I discovered that the phrase “time, times and half a time” was used by Jewish scribes to refer to an unknown troublesome period of time that lingers—and lingers—and lingers.
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The Beast of Revelation 13 (Part 1)
After Satan was hurled to Earth, we were warned that he would furiously war against Christians. The history of the church over the last 2000 years confirms this to be the case.
America was founded on Christian values, and because God often intervened in our nation’s spiritual development, we eventually became the world’s center of Christianity. Satan has always schemed to destroy anything God raises up. In this last generation, two unique things happened in our history: first, we became the greatest superpower in the history of mankind; and second, even though there are now hundreds of thousands of churches in America, thousands of evangelistic outreach ministries and the Bible taught everyday throughout our nation on radio and TV, our moral values have deteriorated more in this last generation than in all of the years combined since the beginning of our country.
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JESUS’ PROPHECY OF DECEPTION IN AMERICA (PART 2)
The nation of Israel had a special calling from God. In the days before the Lord’s First Coming, the enemy had deceived the people to where most of them had completely fallen away from their unique calling. This happened in the very country where God’s presence had been greatest. That is how the enemy works! His fiercest attacks are going to be in the area where God’s people are the strongest, especially if they have a special calling from God.
Is the Body of Christ in America repeating history? The fruit of our nation in this last generation reveals that we too are falling away from our calling in these days prior to the Second Coming. As with Israel; it is happening in the part of the world where God’s presence has been the strongest.
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JESUS’ PROPHECY OF DECEPTION IN AMERICA (PART 1)
In the days of Noah, God warned of a coming catastrophe. God warned Lot before He destroyed wicked Sodom. I believe God has also warned the people of America in our day. His warnings have come through various Christian leaders who have made clear that our nation is racing toward a day of judgment. However, one of God’s most significant warnings concerning spiritual deception in these last days came from His Son Jesus.
Jesus warned, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).
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Deception Illustrated (Part 3)
In my last blog, you read about my Brother, Dr. Charles Fraley, and how he was caught in Satan’s web of deception. Today you will read the conclusion of his powerful testimony and learn how he was able to overcome his spiritual defeat! This is the continuation of the testimony of Dr. Charles Fraley…
A Lesson To Be Learned –
I am going to digress for a moment because there is an important lesson that anyone who claims to be a Christian can learn from my experience. Although God is merciful and long-suffering, there comes a time when He expects us to clean up our lives, and the sooner the better! Otherwise, He will have to do it for us, which may require walking through some deep valleys that we will not like.
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