In An Upside Down World
Jesus’ sermon on the mount encourages us to look at ourselves in the mirror and see what’s really in our hearts. Jesus said, seven times “You’ve heard it said… but I say unto you…”. When we see the truth through Christ’s eyes behind our eyes, then we will see that the world is upside down from the truth of the Word of God.
The world says you should get even with those who’ve wronged you. But Jesus said, if someone steals your clothes, then give him you coat also. If someone slaps you on the cheek, then turn the other cheek. When we live for the god of self, we cannot live for the true God.
The devil appealed to Eve’s selfish ego in the Garden of Eden. He questioned the love of God and the word of God. He said, If you disobey God and eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you won’t need God. You’ll be like God… dont trust God, he doesn’t love you. He wants you to remain ignorant. Trust your own knowledge and intelligence. Then you can worship yourself instead of God. The devil has been preaching the same lie ever since and the world has fallen, worshiping the God of self.
Pride goeth before the fall. In the midst of a fallen world, Jesus said, don’t think less of yourself, think nothing of yourself. As the Apostle Paul said, In my flesh that I inherited from Adam’s fall, there is no good thing. Jesus said, In order to be my disciple, then forsake yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me. In order to follow in the way he’s prepared for us, we must crucify the old nature that we inherited from Adam. Then we can follow the Lord from a heart of love, meekness, humility, joy, and thankfulness.
In an upside down world, Jesus contrasts the beautiful attitudes of the spirit of life in Christ with the worldly attitudes of the flesh. The Sermon on the Mount separates Christ-followers from the followers of the god of this world…. those whose eyes the devil has blinded lest the glorious light of the gospel of truth should shine unto them.
It’s not about the cost, the pain, and the suffering of following Him… instead it’s about the value… the value of following him from a heart of love. We cannot love like Jesus loved without his valuable gift of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of life in Christ is different from the life of the fallen flesh we inherited from Adam and Eve. God loved us before we could love him. The love of God is not of this world. His love is the motivation for the spirit he gave to us as the perfect gift, paid for by the innocent blood of Jesus Christ sacrificed on our behalf. He loved us not because we were deserving of His love, but because love is God’s nature not ours. We can love him only because he first loved us…. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
A man of God’s desire is to learn to love and live like Jesus. A follower of Christ says, I want to learn to become just like my Lord. Colossians 2:6-7 says, As you have received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
God is no respecter of persons. He is however, a respecter of His word. As we walk in the light as Christ is in the light, the blood of Jesus Chrsit will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The cleansing is in the walking.. in following him according to the way that he’s prepared for us.
According to Galatians…. neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing. Everything we can do out of a religious motivation will come to no avail. The only thing that accomplishes God’s purpose in our lives is believing faith that works in love. Anything done from a selfish motive will amount to nothing. It will be useless and empty and devoid of purpose. God called us as his workmanship, his poem, his poetry in motion to walk the path of following our Lord motivated by a heart of love. For we are his workmanship, his great work of art created in Christ Jesus unto good works that he has prepared in advance for us to walk according to his purpose… that we should be to the praise fo the glory of His grace.
According to the charity checklist in 1 Corinthians 13, Love suffereth long and is kind. Love vaunteth not itself… it is not boastful and is not puffed up. It is not prideful or self serving. It is never joyful about injustice. It eagerly believes the best for others. It hold no grudges, it does not think evil of others. The love of God beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things according to the word of our loving Father.
The things of this world will soon be passed. Only that which is done in the love of Christ shall last. Love never faileth. Now abides faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is the love of God.
The love of God calls us to a higher purpose. With the spirit of God in Christ in us God has made us a new creation. Old things are passed away, all things are become new. Therefore each new day is an opportunity to walk in the newness of life.
Jesus said, love your enemies. Bless them that persecute you, slander you and despitefully use you. Recompense to no man evil for evil. From a heart of the unconditional love of God Jesus said, in that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
The upside down world thinks that freedom means freedom not to have my so called human rights violated. However Galatians says, freedom is not to use our liberty in Christ as an opportunity to sin, but to serve others from a heart of love. This is the example of Jesus Chrsit himself… for in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. Because he paid the price for our sins, we can love him by loving others with a selfless heart of meekness and humility.
That with a heart overflowing with the Love of God, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
