Faithful on Fridays Blog

About four hundred years after the church began God raised up a priest named Augustine whose writings continue to be influential today. He described two invisible cities (kingdoms) running parallel in our lives: the city of God and city of man; you’ll recognize them in Jesus’ teachings of the kingdom of God.

When Jesus preached His monumental Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) He used this repetitious phrase, “… you have heard it said … but I say …” His point was that the world tells you to think or act one way (the city of man) but He offered a better way (the city of God). Jesus explained and even intensified the teachings of the Law in His longest sermon, for example; murder is against the law (city of man) but in contrast  anger alone will bring judgment. Why? Because His Kingdom Culture deals with the heart, the upper story, not just the world’s laws (lower story), in fact, He said reconciliation trumps being right. Ouch

When Jesus came into our world He changed everything; He brought a regime change. You’ve seen it in our government and even at work; new leaders bring their vision, new ways, and often their own people. His new regime would include division, stay with me, that separated believers from non-believers.

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 10:34-39

Jesus strongly emphasized that His regime change, a new kingdom culture, would have opposition: even in your own family. However, He promised that living counter-culturally would bring great reward.

What does that look like today? Here are some paradoxes (ridiculous but true) from that sermon:

• Stay sexually pure.
• Marriage is one man and one woman not divorcing except for adultery.
• Keep your word even when it hurts. 
• Never retaliate but love and pray for your enemies.
• Don’t commend yourself and your good works.
• Give quietly and generously.
• There is reward with prayer and fasting.
• Forgive quickly.
• Don’t let money be your focus.
• Trust God for absolutely everything in your life then stress and anxiety will flee.
• You’ll be judged by God with the same measure you judge others.
• Do unto others … you know the rest.

Entrance into this counter-cultural Kingdom is narrow and often hard but it leads to an amazing, victorious life in Christ.