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Tag: Citizenship is of heaven

God’s command is re-given

God gave Adam and Eve, the command to be fruitful, and multiply, and to replenish the earth. However, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought about death into the world they lived in. Subsequently, wickedness and violence became rampant in the world, so much so, that God had to destroy it in a flood, during the time of Noah. After the flood waters receded, it was a new world and interestingly God gives Noah and his sons, the same command that he gave Adam and Eve. God’s command is re-given.

Points to ponder:
When we are believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) and our citizenship is of a new world; of heaven (Philippians 3:20). God’s command (along with his blessing), is given, for us to be fruitful, and to multiply God’s kingdom by replenishing it others who believe in Jesus Christ. God’s command is re-given to us. How do we fare in regards to being fruitful and multiplying God’s kingdom, for God’s command to do so is re-given?

Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 9:1 
1. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be Persecuted

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Verses 10-12 all talk about Persecution. Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” but he does not stop there. He actually personalizes this beatitude, by saying “Blessed are YOU, when men revile and persecute you falsely, for my [Name] sake”, and encourages those being persecuted from being not just glad, but exceedingly glad, for great is their reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:10-12).

To be blessed, one must have the attitude of being exceedingly glad when persecuted for bearing the name of Jesus.

What does it mean to be persecuted? What does “for theirs (who are persecuted) in the kingdom of heaven” mean? According to the Bible, those who are godly in Christ Jesus can be assured of suffering persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). This implies that persecution is an attribute of living a godly life in Jesus Christ. Godly life is different from a good life. There are many who can live a good life and yet not have accepted Jesus Christ as the God of their life, but to be godly IN Christ JESUS means that Jesus is Lord over their life. The godliness comes from God (Jesus Christ) in us, and this means that they they cannot partake of the pleasures of this present world. In other words, the godly in Christ (the persecuted) are sanctified and set apart from the patterns of this world, and they conform to the patterns of the kingdom of heaven (Philippians 3:20).

So you can say, blessed are they/you who are godly in Jesus Christ, for their citizenship is of heaven and not of this world.

Matthew 5:10-12 (KJV)
10
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV)
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be Meek

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

To be blessed, one must have an attitude to be meek.
Moses (who wrote down God’s law for his people) and Jesus (who fulfilled the law and who wrote down God’s grace and mercy for his people) are both described as having been ‘meek’ (Numbers 12:3; Matthew 11:29). God led his people, using Moses, out of a state of physical bondage and captivity from the land of Egypt (Exodus 13, 14) and God continues to lead all the world by his Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, out of the state of spiritual bondage of death and captivity under sin (Galatians 5:1). To be meek means to be submissive, but by no means a push-over or someone who is weak. In fact, it is quite the contrary as the word, when used in the Greek New Testament, in the Beatitudes, is πραΰς which is phonetically spelled as prah-ooce’ and transliterated as ‘ praus’ meaning ‘mild or gentle (reserved) with strength’. In other words, to be meek is to have ‘power under control’. The Greek used this term to describe a wild horse that is brought under control by the bit and bridle. The wild horse, even when tamed has no less power than it had before it was tamed. The difference however is that the horse’s power is under control and can be channeled. To be blessed, we must be meek, which means we must have ‘power under control’. To have power under control, we must submit to God. We must submit to his will as Jesus did. We must submit to having God’s power (in us) control and channel our lives as He so desires according to His will, not ours.

In our submission (meekness), to God, we are blessed; blessed to inherit the earth. Inheritance implies being given something or some trait as a right, because of a relationship. Inheritance cannot be earned. So when Jesus says, that the meek shall inherit the earth, it reinforces the fact that the earth and everything in it is the LORD’s (Psalm 24:1). It also establishes the fact that when we submit (be meek) to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, by believing in Him, in faith, and submit to the leading of the Spirit of God, we are adopted into God’s family and we become His children (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-27). As children, we have the right to inherit what God owns, which would mean we have the right to inherit the earth and its fullness thereof, and so when we submit, being meek, we are given, as an inheritance, this earth and the new earth to come. This earth matters to all who are in Christ, but it is not of great significance to all who are meek, having submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, as their citizenship is really of heaven (Philippians 3:20), but in the new earth that God establishes (Revelation 21:1), as this earth will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10) we shall be joint-heirs with Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Romans 8:17, Revelation 19:16) and what a blessed Truth that is.

Matthew 5:5 (KJV)
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

1 Peter 3:4 (KJV)
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

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