Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets. “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
LUKE 6: 26-36
When it comes to everyday life, there are far too many Christians telling me it’s too hard to live like Christ. Here are a few examples:
I told a lady I’m celibate and I’m going to stay that way until my wedding night. She said, though she believed that’s the right thing to do, she had to “test drive” her potential mate. She wasn’t going to be stuck in an “unfulfilling” marriage.
There was a situation at work in which a person was falsely attacked and a large argument erupted. The person attacked, who has confessed Christ, was the main one who fueled the fire of anger and strife. When asked about it later, he said he couldn’t just stand by and let the other person disrespect him like that.
I am not perfect nor are the people who I described “bad” people. It’s just so many Christians don’t know their true nationality….
Christianity is not a philosophy or just a great set of beliefs. Christianity is the living, breathing, loving Kingdom of God with it’s own laws, rules, regulations and Sovereign. Our nation is full of people who TRY every moment to live, breathe and love like their Father/King. If we call ourselves by this, His Name, then we owe it to Him to try to act like Him, don’t we? Will we fall short? Absolutely! That’s part of the process. But you’ll never experience Holy Spirit’s power working through you if you never try. I John 2:6 says “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
If Christianity is our nationality, then righteousness is our driver’s license. It’s how we move about when we are in God’s Kingdom. To be righteous is not about following a set of rules to make us appear holy and set apart, i.e. ladies not wearing pants, makeup or jewelry. True righteousness is living everyday life as Jesus would, according to His rules, standards and ways. It’s not about our own way of thinking of what’s right. Jesus’ rules of the road tell us to turn the other cheek when someone UNJUSTLY strikes us. He said if someone ROBS us of our coat, then VOLUNTARILY give the same robber our jacket. He said to pray for those who DESPITEFULLY use us. Pray for our enemies, remain chaste, don’t judge others, love one another, the list goes on and on. Yes we are living under Grace and not the law. But we are also supposed to live holy, sanctified (set apart) and righteous lives, right?
Is it easy to do follow these things? No! Do you wake up one day and instantly want to do like Christ did? For some, maybe. But for most of us, definitely not. It’s a moment by moment process. It takes practice to become a good driver. And driving thru life like Jesus takes patience, humbleness, love and, most of all, reliance on Holy Spirit to change from the world’s lane to the straight one in God’s Kingdom.
Remember, Romans 8: 1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Walk out on faith, trust Him and strive to be as different as He asks. Actively claim your citizenship. Your nationality is Christianity and He and the world are watching how you drive through this life.
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