It has become almost trendy to talk about the Kingdom, as an anti-church anti-organized religion slogan. This is part of a greater debate in the Christian faith on what our responsibility is to make the Kingdom of God manifest on the earth.
The debate is as old as the debate over works verses grace. We are saved by grace alone, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9), but faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26), for we were created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
One of the most recent iterations of this debate has engaged almost 20 million viewers through the video below by Jeff Bethke.
I submit that an honest pursuit of Jesus and His Kingdom lies in acknowledging His Kingship and in our submission to His vision (James 4:7,10).
Specifically, we must submit to the eternal vision that Jesus used to announce the beginning of His Kingship. This inaugural speech outlined His priorities: restoration of the poor, the captive the blind, the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). This is consistent throughout the rest of Jesus' recorded works and ultimately exemplified by His death on the cross-- the ultimate act of restoration, restoring the relationship between God and man.
Faith vs. works? How about God's priorities vs. our own? No contest. As believers, we are subjects of the Kingdom, and we must check if our priorities line up with the King. And if not, we need to fall in line.
Lord, position our hearts to prioritize restoration of the poor, the captive, the blind and the oppressed. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The debate is as old as the debate over works verses grace. We are saved by grace alone, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9), but faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26), for we were created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
One of the most recent iterations of this debate has engaged almost 20 million viewers through the video below by Jeff Bethke.
I submit that an honest pursuit of Jesus and His Kingdom lies in acknowledging His Kingship and in our submission to His vision (James 4:7,10).
Specifically, we must submit to the eternal vision that Jesus used to announce the beginning of His Kingship. This inaugural speech outlined His priorities: restoration of the poor, the captive the blind, the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). This is consistent throughout the rest of Jesus' recorded works and ultimately exemplified by His death on the cross-- the ultimate act of restoration, restoring the relationship between God and man.
Faith vs. works? How about God's priorities vs. our own? No contest. As believers, we are subjects of the Kingdom, and we must check if our priorities line up with the King. And if not, we need to fall in line.
Lord, position our hearts to prioritize restoration of the poor, the captive, the blind and the oppressed. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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