God’s Kingdom isn’t built for containment.Isaiah’s inspired prophecy makes this very clear: “…of the increase of His kingdom and peace there shall be no end.”Never does this kingdom stand still or grind to a halt; it fulfills one mandate: conquest.
Once we are born again and indwelt by the Spirit of God, we begin to sense divine pressure on every area of life that we count dear.The rich young ruler passes every test but one—the one that was nearest to his heart.The ardent young man who hears Jesus and desires to become his disciple is confronted with this divine pressure when he asks permission to bury his father: “Let the dead bury their dead.”Jesus allows no exceptions, no excuses.Those who wish to follow Him come face to face with His standard and are found wanting or willing.The wanting soul merely sees an opportunity while the willing soul sees a Man worth losing everything for.The wanting soul is offended at the cost of following, but the willing soul joyfully sells all for the chance to be with Jesus.Both men are presented with the gospel of the Kingdom, the good news of a take-over.One would’ve rather heard a gospel of containment.He could have done right by his family, preserved his reputation, and later caught up with Jesus and his disciples in another town.Does Jesus commend him for being true to his family?No!He rejects the man who rejects His rulership.But then there’s the willing soul who hears the gospel for what it is and gladly receives the King’s rule in every area of his life.He cares only about Jesus and His opinion; He lives the simplest life of all.In this man the Kingdom fulfills its mandate; it permeates his finances, his marriage, his thought life, his words, actions, and ultimately pervades the lives of those around him.The Kingdom can’t stop.The man who yields all to the King becomes a channel through which the King takes new territory.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
We know by the word of God and by experience that faith is a fight unlike any other.When it comes to possessing the promises of God, it is the good fight of faith, and nothing short of it that will prevail.There are many positions when it comes to the promises of God—those who don’t believe they are for today, those who assume they are only for a select few, those who believe God’s sovereignty removes our responsibility, and on and on.On the other hand, many claim the promises of God and expect the fulfillment of them in their lives.Within this group, the phrase “fight of faith” is well known, yet most will not see the manifestation of the promise.Their principle is right, but their approach is wrong.For untold millions of believers, the fight of faith is an effort to convince God to move on their behalf; they beg, plead, worry, agonize, and appeal to God’s pity.Some may over-analyze every part of their lives to make sure they are doing everything right in order to win His approval and answer.They fight to get.They assume total responsibility in the matter; if they don’t pray and fast enough, the answer will not come.These see healing, provision, and deliverance as future events; they often say, “if God doesn’t do it,” as if His works were not already accomplished.This kind of fighting expends much energy while yielding little fruit.The real fight of faith takes place in the soul of man—in his mind, will, and emotions.A man who reads Peter’s words, “By whose stripes ye were healed,” or Paul’s exhortation, “My God shall supply all your needs,” must simply believe God by believing His word.When a promise becomes living revelation in the heart of a man, when He really sees what has been promised to Him by a God who cannot lie, he is ready for the fight.Instead of wrestling God, as if he could coerce Him into something, he aims his efforts toward the enemies within—fear, doubt, anxiety, and any other emotion that contradicts the promise.That is the fight.That’s where the battle is either won or lost.Stick to your guns—don’t let your emotions take over.They have the power to overwhelm and cloud judgment.Fight the good fight of faith.Simply believe God.Refuse to be moved away from the promise; plant your roots deep into the Word and subdue every emotion that opposes your hope.You don’t fight to get, you fight because according to God’s word, you already have
For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness , and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;
The Son of Man didn’t come just to provide a good example for those who would imitate his lifestyle.He didn’t merely live a good life before the eyes of the disciples.His teachings weren’t aimed at improving the status quo, neither did He offer nuggets for self-help.In His own words, He stated why He came: “that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”So the intention was stated, and the offer was made.Life was available.Most in the crowd then, and today, miss the grand proposal Jesus made.To them, He was just saying nice words that were not to be taken literally; after all, they were already alive—how could they gain any more life?But men like John heard an invitation that they could not afford to refuse.Jesus wasn’t offering the quality of life that we are familiar with.He wasn’t offering designer clothes, mansions, popularity, and ease; He was talking about a higher form of life, eternal life.What does eternal life look like?It looks like Jesus.In his epistle, John calls Jesus “the life,” and “eternal life;” Jesus offers nothing less than the very life He lives.Search the gospels and you’ll see what Eternal Life does when it encounters sickness and disease.Observe the result of Life meeting those who are dead, demonized, and insane; eternal life is authority.This kind of life had mercy on a woman caught in the act of adultery, yet spoke boldly against hypocrites.Above all, it lived in perfect submission to the Father.Jesus is the head of all humanity—His life, in every aspect, was and is superior to any other way of life the world promotes.His life is our life.John tells us, “As He is, so are we in this world.”Because we have eternal life, or the life of Jesus, our lives ought to yield the same kind of fruit that was evident in His earthly ministry; authority, miracles, radical obedience, persecution, and utter dependence on God were hallmarks of His human existence.There is no higher life than the life He lived.Let us forsake low, menial living so that His life can manifest in us.
