{"id":8015,"date":"2012-12-14T11:05:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-14T18:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/?p=8015"},"modified":"2017-04-23T16:29:07","modified_gmt":"2017-04-23T16:29:07","slug":"show-me-the-kingdom-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/significant-sustenance\/show-me-the-kingdom-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Show me the Kingdom of God"},"content":{"rendered":"

A follower of Jesus went into the city to meet with an elderly Spiritual Director. \u00a0 They sat under the old elm tree and enjoyed a glass of iced tea, enjoying the warmth of the spring day. \u00a0 \u00a0As the conversation was lively and often deep, the elder turned to the other and asked quite sincerely “What is stirring your heart these days? \u00a0What’s giving you life?”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The young Jesus follower paused, took a deep breath and said: “I have been\u00a0captivated\u00a0with the idea of Kingdom of God.” \u00a0To which the Elder responded quite directly “Show me the Kingdom of God.”<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Kingdom of God is not just good ideas, right beliefs or warm feelings. \u00a0The Kingdom of God manifests in real life in concrete ways. \u00a0 It is when our ideas move from the safety of pontification and waxing eloquence<\/em> to the terra-firma of the real experience, in the real lives of real people.\u00a0It is often easy to get stuck in our ideas related to the Kingdom of God, heck!, the Father Himself – our ideas and doctrine while it not having any tangible impact on our life. \u00a0We can talk about our grand ideas of the Kingdom of God, of community and of love but how are these shaping our lives?\u00a0 This is what it means to show me the Kingdom – live it not just think about it – even when we think rightly!<\/p>\n

Faith is not easy belief-ism as if we just have to give intellectual assent to a bunch of propositional truths, rather it is the response to the experience of the love of God which transforms all of us, not just our ideas. \u00a0Faith has feet – not works to earn God’s love and acceptance – but\u00a0a life change that comes as a natural response to experiencing His life-changing love. \u00a0This is why obedience is so tied to our relationship with the Father. \u00a0We all know it is one thing to talk the talk<\/em> but quite another to actually walk it. \u00a0Our obedience is not the key to making the Father love us but is a fruit of living in it. \u00a0So when the Jesus says if you love me, you will do what I tell you<\/a>\u00a0He is simply stating the facts – obedience is a natural fruit of knowing<\/strong> the love of God – if you are being transformed by the God of love you will learn to live love (obedience). \u00a0 To add some context – Jesus said: “by this people will know you are my disciples because of the way you love<\/strong> each other”. \u00a0He will also affirm the Law – Love<\/strong> God with everything you are and love<\/strong> others as I have loved you! \u00a0In fact, on this command to love, Jesus says all the Laws and the Prophets hang! Paul affirms this in his letter to Galatians when he writes “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)<\/p>\n

Love is much more than an idea, theory or good theology. \u00a0 Love by its very nature must act – lay down one’s life for another. \u00a0Love is a verb. \u00a0God so loved the world that He sent<\/strong> His Son – Love initiates. Love gives. \u00a0I think you get the idea…Authentic healthy faith is lived as a whole person in our minds, souls, and<\/strong> bodies. \u00a0It is in the physical real world that we are rooted in reality. \u00a0This is the context we were created by God Himself to live our faith, to serve our God and King, and to participate in God’s plan to restore and reconcile all of creation to Himself.<\/p>\n

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