Living with and for Jesus the King, in His Kingdom

Living with and for Jesus the King, in His Kingdom

Back in September of 2018, I wrote an article for our website on why lasting spiritual transformation is so elusive?  There are of course many factors that impact our spiritual growth but I want to focus on one today that is essential for us to understand.  Namely, how do we understand the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and what has been our response to it? If we don’t get the starting point right it is difficult, to nearly impossible, to end up in the right place.  Based on my study of the Gospels in general, and Jesus’ teachings in particular, I believe many in the church have been presented, or at least have received, an incomplete Gospel message.  Meaning the message that has been received is correct as far as it goes but key details have been left out.  Details that are essential to our experiencing lasting spiritual transformation.

There often has been a two-tiered presentation/understanding of the Gospel.  In many cases the message presented is one can “receive” Jesus by professing belief in Him, attending church, reading the bible, praying occasionally and you are a follower of Christ.  The main emphasis is on the forgiveness of sins now and as a result the promise of heaven one day, after you are done living your life here on earth.  Again, it is not I believe this is wrong, just incomplete and therefore misleading.  With this understanding, the activities of spiritual formation (transformation) discipleship, which allow for the experience of lasting spiritual transformation are at best optional.  Things like daily following Jesus by hearing His voice and doing what He says, are optional pursuits for the zealous and the professionals.  The problem with this thinking is the New Testament knows nothing of it. 

The Gospel message presented in the New Testament is about Jesus’ invitation to live in the kingdom of God, now, and the way we do that is by becoming a follower, an apprentice, of Jesus.  Beginning with John the Baptist the message was “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).  The invitation always has been that those who would follow Jesus, become His disciples, do so by leaving everything to follow Him, embracing His teaching and His ways of living.  We are called not only to live in the Kingdom of God but to make seeking it and its advancement our top life priority.  In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.”  In other words, our top priority in life is to actively seek God’s reign and rule in, and through, our own life, and the rest of life will take care of itself. To get at this teaching of Jesus let’s look at Matthew 6:33 a little more closely.

Seek- The first thing we notice about Jesus’ instructions to us comes from the word seek.  In the original text, it is a second person, present active imperative and should be understood as a command coming directly from the mouth of Jesus.  It is if Jesus is standing here among us and saying to us collectively “seek and keep on seeking” the kingdom of God (His Kingdom) and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.  This is not some casual looking here and there to see if you can find something but an earnest, intentional pursuit that recognizes the truth that you cannot serve 2 masters or live in 2 kingdoms (Matthew 6:24). 

First- Frank Damazio in his book, The Power of Spiritual Alignment notes “to place something first means it must be the first in time and number, first in rank and value, the most important…The first thing is the most important thing.”  The word first tells us that our seeking of the kingdom needs to be the top priority in our lives, superseding all other pursuits in life.

His Kingdom- The kingdom of God is not a geographical place but rather refers to the reign and rule of God upon our lives and in the earth.  God sovereignly reigns over all creation but the Kingdom of God exists where His rule is welcomed and observed.  To seek first the Kingdom of God is to actively and persistently pursue His will, His plan and His purposes for our lives.  Like Jesus before us, we live only for the will of the Father (John 5:19; 6:38).  The kingdom of God is a present reality in our world accessible to all who live in covenantal relationship God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Those who participate in God's kingdom avail themselves to the power of God in this life. On this topic, Dallas Willard writes:

As a child, I lived in an area of southern Missouri where electricity was available only in the form of lightning. We had more of that than we could use. But in my senior year of high school, the REA (Rural Electrification Administration) extended its lines into the area where we lived, and electrical power became available to households and farms. 

When those lines came by our farm, a very different way of living presented itself. Our relationships to fundamental aspects of life—daylight and dark, hot and cold, clean and dirty, work and leisure, preparing food and preserving it—could then be vastly changed for the better. But we still had to believe in the electricity and its arrangements, understand them and take the practical steps involved in relying on it.

You may think the comparison rather crude, and in some respects it is. But it will help us to understand Jesus' basic message about the kingdom of heaven if we pause to reflect on those farmers who, in effect, heard the message: "Repent, for electricity is at hand." Repent, or turn from their kerosene lamps and lanterns, their iceboxes and cellars, their scrub-boards and rug beaters, their woman-powered sewing machines and their radio with dry-cell batteries.

The power that could make their lives far better was right there near them where, by making relatively simple arrangements, they could utilize it. Strangely, a few did not accept it. They did not enter the kingdom of electricity. Some just didn't want to change. Others could not afford it, or so they thought.

To be sure, that kingdom [God's] has been here as long as we humans have been here, and longer. But it has been available to us through simple confidence in Jesus, the Anointed, only from the time he became a public figure. 

- Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, (HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), pp. 30-31

His Righteousness- In the Old Testament righteousness involves the fulfillment of the demands of a relationship, either with God or other human beings…Righteousness is justice within the context of a covenantal relationship.  Again, in the New Testament righteousness generally refers to the conduct within the new covenant between God and His people and discussion of human righteousness generally refers to obedience to the will of God and actions that are pleasing to Him (All from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume 4)

The Bible speaks of righteousness in at least a couple of different ways, positional and experiential/human.  The positionally righteous state we enjoy as believers in Christ comes to us as Jesus’ righteousness is credited to our account thereby canceling our debt of sin.  It comes to us a free gift by faith, as we put our trust in Jesus Christ.

But the righteousness Matthew has in view here is the pursuit of “life in full submission to the will of God” (Expositors Bible Commentary, Volume 9, p 217) as demonstrated by Jesus Himself.  As apprentices of Jesus, we are to grow in Christlikeness by following His teachings and emulating His life, thus fulfilling the demands of living in covenant with God.

And all these things shall be added to you- In the immediate context Jesus is speaking about food to eat and clothing to wear but they are symbolic of a larger truth.  Our heavenly father, who knows our every need, knows we need food and clothing.  And He has promised to provide them for us, along with meeting our other needs for the sustaining of life.  To be preoccupied with pursuing them, or to worry about not having them, is an act of unbelief and distracts from the higher priority of pursuing the Kingdom of God.

Understanding Truth + Belief + Practice + Time + Community = Spiritual Transformation

In our monthly Transforming Together gathering, we looked at the big picture acrostic VIM given to us by Dallas Willard in his book Renovation of the Heart.  The acrostic represents the three components he argues need to be present Vision, Intention, and Means.  They are building blocks to creating an environment for life change and you can visit the podcast section on our site to hear a discussion of those points.

But I want to just mention now and describe more fully later a more specific process that is also present when we think about life change and spiritual transformation.  Very briefly, it begins with our understanding the truth about God, ourselves and the true nature of our situation.  From there we need to actually believe it is true, not just recognize its veracity or truthfulness.  We can acknowledge a matter’s truthfulness without believing it is true for or about us.  Then it is to put into practice, through a change in attitudes and behavior, the right actions consistently over time in the midst of others.  Through this long-term effort, the Holy Spirit works the transformation we desire.  It is not about trying harder but being intentional and disciplined to bring our thoughts and behavior into alignment with the truth we have come to understand and believe.

Reflecting on God’s Truth

As you consider the reflection questions below keep both the larger (VIM) and more specific pathways of spiritual transformation in mind.  Read through them all and ask the Holy Spirit to help you pick one.  After you have processed that one fully you may want to consider another?  It is not a test and there isn’t a required number to complete each month.  Work at your own pace as the Holy Spirit directs you. 

You may want to keep a journal and for sure respond with a post to the Transforming Together blog as God reveals His Truth to you.  We all can learn from one another.

1.      What is my current understanding of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ?  Has my primary focus been on forgiveness now and heaven later or living with and for King Jesus in His Kingdom?

2.      Will I consider memorizing Matthew 6:33 and spend some time meditating upon the various truths Jesus is teaching me here. What am I learning?  What are the benefits of living in God’s Kingdom?  (See Romans 14:17) What changes would allow me to experience more of a daily walk with Jesus in His kingdom?

3.      Since Jesus is the King in His Kingdom what does that say about my relationship with Him?  With my heart open before God, I can ask myself if seeking God’s kingdom (reign or rule) is my top priority in life.  I will ask the Father to reveal any obstacles I may have to do this (questions, fears, unhealthy relationships) and what He would have me do with them?

4.      In my covenant relationship, there are both benefits and obligations.  How will my recognition of both help me in my pursuit of Kingdom living and the resultant spiritual transformation?

5.      What is the relationship between righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit?  What would it be worth to me (what would I be willing to do) to have my life characterized by peace and joy in the Holy Spirit?

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