Inheriting the kingdom

Inheriting the Kingdom of God
written by Michael McBane

The circumstance of a recent conversation caused me to wrestled more to uncover the deeper wisdom of God’s intent concerning how we live today as Christ centered Christians. I was told in this conversation that we should expect to be worldly. I was told that we must act within this world and integrate in limited characteristics to live and or adapt to world standards which might include certain mindsets. I disagreed. I feel that standard is not courageous, lacks aggressive conviction and fosters an attitude of surrender to a lesser call. The high call of God in Christ is an opportunity to merge into the full understanding and value of God’s grace daily. We go from glory to glory and hope to hope. In one sense we are mature but in another our daily obedience to the implications of the reward of grace allows us to inherit the Kingdom with eternal enlargement. In a futuritive way we obey beyond the implication for this day, we see the implications of our faith for our children and generations beyond. We see historically as we feel the faithful call us onward. We see into the perspective of eternal purpose that is integrated in the present moment. We see this if we accept that we have been joined to the Son of God’s rest at the right hand of the Father.

Paul’s prayer to introduce his heart to the Colossians church reveals the foundation of how I hope my words unfold to you. “For this reason also, since we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
Colossians 1:9 through 12. There is enough content in this prayer to establish a standard for the Christian life.

By revealing an aspect of my life here through example I hope to set a tone for my words. I have been graced to take life one day at a time. I admit I do struggle at times. I have not compartmentalized life but set all before the Lord. If He does not write the script I find it is frustrating and bears no lasting fruit. I really attempt to pay attention to the little things that often are thunderous from God’s view point. I was given a vision decades ago that I believe God placed within me. this has given me personal markers to use on the journey. I have continually set this visionary purpose before the Lord as life has progressed. This vision that was planted in me is not about my personal success. This vision does not validate me Christ does. I examine aspects of its validity to see if it still has purpose in each season. I also have taken all aspects my life and tried to center them according to what I hear from the Lord. I don’t just go and do. For instance when I have worked I ask and look for the purpose of God beyond the monetary recompense. In fact that is usually my least concern. I am dependent on the Lord for all aspects of life. He is the provisionary source. I here have seen the Lord continually reward my faith. In all most every circumstance of daily life He has placed me there to reveal Him in some way. I cannot predetermined the longevity of what I do for what I do is woven within His design which I have subjected myself to. Because of this I have certain expectation to see this pattern integrated in most of life. Why, because I do not believe God does or expects us to do things by accident for without purpose. If we are secured in His love we understand that we live to advance the knowledge of God on this earth. This substantiates the verse in Galatians 3: 3, having begun by the Spirit why do we now walk in the flesh? This sets a standard of understanding that is to often overlooked.

"For one who sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6: 8.

This verse is not shallow for as we grow the things that corrupt our flesh are revealed to us daily. It is a matter of daily obedience. It is a matter of being deliberate in our decisions, being direct at times with our words and confronting by our action or inaction. It is a matter of being honest about who we are in our flesh and who we are in the grace of God. This grace can project us towards the reality of God freeing us from the entanglements that we at times feel we must resign to. Our obedience must be set in the cradle of how God defines love. This definition will adjust our motivation, our application and self justification.

We must subject all things to Christ, and to be frank if we are Christian then I can not imagine why we would not want to? But it seems clear observing the landscape of Christ in life that this is not so. We seem content to live within the means and standards of this world. But this subjection cannot be a courtesy submittal rather then an honest willingness to wait until God answers.

We must think beyond the expectations of this world and understand that our actions, our thoughts weave us into the patterns of God’s eternity now or leave us without promise, as we make our own way. This is our confrontation with darkness the moment by moment action of everything we are, subjected to the Holy Spirit. Our warfare in the spirit is not necessarily something we do but someone we are. Functioning in our completed union with Christ. This is why we must allow this fact to settle in us, our words, our decisions, or actions are never just about us. Our inheritance is in the saints as a whole. We can increase the life of this possibility or decrease it. We do have a responsibility to live beyond self. And that responsibility begins with self. Our obedience is were we will reflect the image of God.

Obedience to the Lord, when it is so different and unexpected, when it is so unnatural or unconventional. When our actions consistently separate us from the actions of the worlds wisdom are able to change life because this obedience is not about us but a response to the directive of God. The conclusion is not always what we expect. But our obedience as we say and do, responding to what we know God has directed alter life eternally. Some of our obedience is intuitive, and natural because we begin to flow with the orchestration of God’s heart, desire and will.

As we grow in faith filled obedience it requires that we keep our eyes on the Lord. He must remain our vision, our objective. For as I have stated our obedience will on some days be unearthly. As when Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat and onto the water. Keep in mind Jesus had been cultivating Peters faith. Jesus had shown Himself as faithful to Peter but Peter also heard His Masters voice on the day He was called. This is so primary to Peters faith and acceptance of grace. That voice so resonated within him on that day that it drove to the very core of Peter. Peter was challenged in the remainder of His life even denying Christ outwardly but He could not remove the words of life, the sound that they made within him. He even told Jesus once that there was nothing else that satisfied in life He had the very words of life. The call on Peters life was spoken to him by the one who spoke the world into being. This allowed him to see beyond the day to day. And walk beyond what circumstance and daily life represented. Do we have this kind of sound in us, a sound that settles us in the storm and convicts us in sin and delivers us in grace? Or have we somehow forgotten the sound of life by burying it with compromise?

Our obedience is accumulative, progressive and it is similar to furrowing the soil both naturally and spiritually, to planting and to watering and gathering.

The expectation of our life actions is built on God’s faithfulness. In the morning I anticipate my prayers and watch God unfold them before me. This as the Psalmist in 5:3 expressed is living in the spirit. Knowing because you have given your life over to function in the will of God. We must make decisions and understand that these unlock the flow of faith. We can not hold back because we are incapable or fearful. That is not submitting to the the strength of God. We hold onto unbelief here.

Obedience that separates one from this world is unnatural and courageous. It is a constant act of faith. Obedience is an act of faith revealing God’s faithfulness.

The justification of worldly inclusion in our life patterns can be founded in rebellion, fear of man and self preservation. But worldly justification is also contained in a moralism or legalism instead of a faith filled grace.

Jesus said we live in this world but we are not of this world we are in the world but not of it. This should be how we are grounded unless one has not accepted that Jesus extracted them from one kingdom and placed them into another. Colossians 1:13. If this is so, it is reasonable to think that we would not be subjected to what was. That all of our actions have deliberate purpose. That we subject our minds to a renewal that allows the greater vision of God’s coming to this earth to be the rudder of our direction.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Do we ever think that our faith has been diluted? The great transgression is adding to the Gospel anything that persuades us to exclude the full possibility that our faith in Christ calls us to. These may be the things that make room for the philosophy of men, the structures that bring success, the culture patterns that vest us in worldly acceptance. I cannot make conclusions for you but I can ask that we subject our ideas, persuasions, intents to the Lord. He is dismantling more then we wish to accept. But many of these things that are being shaken have held our traditions, They enable us but they do not extend the Kingdom of God. Only Christ is unshakable. Why would we hold to that which will be shaken? I am not against success or influence but I am persuaded that we are called to not mimic this world to influence it for Christ. In fact as time goes on I am less persuaded to accept the word that tells us to influence this world. We are of another Kingdom. We are Ambassadors that represent a coming King. A KIng who is less known in this world then we think. So to merely influence is digression we must prepare the way of the Lord.

Paul asked, “You were running well; who or what hindered you? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. And then he uncovers the thing that we over look, by saying, a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. Galatians 5: 7 through 9.
Paul clearly tells us that the flesh sets its desire against the things of the spirit. This contention is not to be overlooked but seen for what it is. And from this juncture we make decision to stand against our flesh.

The desires of the flesh we must preach against to ourselves and then to those we walk with. Paul says, these are “evident: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness,carousing and things like these”. And he ends by saying those who practice such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Let me point this out, there are what I will call the overflow of these things that are evident that Christians willfully engage with. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. My friends where life is headed demands that we extract ourselves from the things that war against the fruit of the spirit. If we do not we abort our inheritance and a part of this inheritance is held in the saints, we do not accept our responsibility when we willfully engage in the deeds of the flesh or the accommodations of its extensions. It is not about our satisfaction in daily life it is time to get over that mindset and leap forward.

What then is the fruit of the spirit? “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now to those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5: 22 through 26

When we sow to the spirit we reap eternal life. This speaks of abundance. I ask that we renew our hearts and understand the grace that God has offered and deliberately step away from that which is evident. Let us not make excuse. We have responsibility.

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