“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For, if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5: 9-12; 38-39; 43-48)
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. (John 13:13)
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)
There is a key to understanding spiritual things, but it has next to nothing to do with higher education. I know some men with Doctorates or PHD’s who have great knowledge, but limited in spiritual understanding; obedience is the key.
We have some choices to make in our individual walk with God. When God gives us a word, immediately we are tested. In the Sermon on the Mount, we are called to be obedient in difficult, no, impossible things for the mere human. Jesus Christ, our LORD, never forces our obedience. He tells us with great emphasis and clarity what we should do, or be doing, but He will never take actions to make us do it. We truly do have decisions to make.
We can disobey the LORD if we choose to, and it may have a form of help to the immediate problem, but it will grieve the Spirit when we do. If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us. Our obedience will likely interfere with their plans, actions, and desires. However, we must obey Him and leave all the effects, negative or positive, with Him.
Beloved, if we are in love with Jesus, obedience has no cost to us, it is our joy; the cost will be on those who do not love Him. If we are purposely in a continuing deep personal, intimate, relationship with Him, we will do what He desires without delay or debate. If not, then there is someone or something that we love more than He.
Jesus will never aid us into obedience, but we must obey; we will obey through our abiding relationship.
27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
When we are obedient through abiding in Him, His peace gives us rest. When His peace is not near, we must take stock of our awareness to Him . . . are we abiding? If abiding is a struggle, disobedience is at hand.
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
Jesus wants us in the relationship of abiding in which He is easily Master without our conscious awareness of it; all we know is that we are His, therefore we simply obey. Our goal is Jesus Himself, no matter what the cost. That’s abiding!
Beloved, America is lacking, and starving for, Christians who are abiding in Christ. Our Spiritual warfare begins right there! “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
Church, abidingly . . . Pray On!
