Difficult decisions to be like Christ

Difficult decisions to be like Christ

Luke 16 v 16-17 ““The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.”

I sat with a friend having coffee and as we were discussing the kingdom that Jesus leads us into I could see the battle he was having.

There are aspects of the kingdom that are for the broken and the weak for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. However, we have seen in this gospel alone how counting the cost of building a tower or going into war, hating one’s family, selling our possessions to give to the poor etc all take a determination and a force to enter into that kingdom mentality and life. My friend was once again making a kingdom decision and he ‘forcing his way into it’. Spiritual warfare is not extended times of praying in tongues, but it is taking aggressive decisions to be the better person when all around you are those who should know better. It is about choosing the lonely path. It is about not reacting when you have just cause to do so. It is about having a bigger more generous heart. That is the warfare fight with the powers and principalities that stand behind people and their conversations and actions towards you. I pray my friend wins the battle. If he does, then he will enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom.

However, tough that it is, Jesus says it is still easier than trying to accomplish the Pharisees own interpretation of the Law of Moses, called the Mishnah. The rules of the Kingdom and the battle to enter it is easier than the battle to fulfil man’s interpretation of the Law.

The Kingdom Jesus brings is the perfect interpretation of the Law found in Him. Jesus says it is this that will endure. The Kingdom will not die. Generosity of heart is here to stay, forever. In eternity we will have big hearts towards one another. But we will have forcibly moved into that here on earth.

So let’s win the war today. Let us no matter how much energy it takes, force our way into the kingdom by making those difficult decisions to be like Christ.