The World vs. the Kingdom

Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:33–36)

Pilate seemed ambivalent. He was intrigued with Jesus and not eager to put Him to death, but he also was worried about losing his position of power. He wanted to please the Jews and avoid any appearance that he had lost control in the realm where he ruled.

As I read this passage, I thought about Jesus’ character. He shows no fear concerning His arrest. Pilate must have wondered at the calmness of this man. What made Him tick?

The disciples were often puzzled too. Jesus calmed the stormy waters and they wondered what sort of man was this. Who can speak to the weather and make it behave?

On another occasion they went for food and came urging Him to eat, but he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” They figured someone had brought Him food, but He said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:31–34) This was another puzzle. What was He talking about?  

From childhood to the grave, most of us are trying to figure out how the world works. Our heads eventually become full of adages, philosophies, even songs and stories as attempts to explain things, like how to be happy, how to make money, how to form relationships, and so on. Book stores are full of practical ways to run my life, even how to live my Christian life. I once asked a Christian book store owner, “If people read the Bible more, would you go out of business?” He was horrified.

As Chambers says, there are many conceptions of how Christians should do things, but the emphasis is often on the wrong thing. The kingdom of God is not from this world nor is it like this world. Jesus said “The kingdom of God is within you” and it is that inner life with God that give me both power and direction.

Every time I take my marching orders come from the world, I get caught up in the rush of activity that the world seems to regard so highly. My to-do list gets out of control and my motivation slips from pleasing God to whatever seems to fit the need of the moment.

Instead, I am to be like Jesus. He was busy, but He did exactly what the Father told Him, no more and no less. He trusted the Father to engineer His circumstances, to allow whatever challenges He would face, and to give Him what He needed to do what He wanted Him to do. He lived in an entirely different kingdom from the one that tells me I need to do this, avoid that, and do such and such if I want to be successful.

The kingdom life is as Chambers says. Living according to it, I must be rooted and grounded in the King, not in the ideas and methods the world develops. Even the church can get sucked into the world’s idea of ‘success’ — such as ‘bigger, better, and more.’

When I take my cues from Jesus, people might think I am totally bonkers, but those who understand the kingdom will support and encourage me because they too have been soaking up the mind and will of God and will understand what it means to rely on Jesus and be obedient to the amazing principles of His kingdom.

Jesus is the answer…

When my hairdo will not cooperate, I usually call it a “hair don’t” which is something like my description of the opposite of willpower – I call it “won’t power.”

Some say that the human will is God’s avenue into the soul. While He can touch our emotions and wants to reform our thinking (see Romans 12:2), He must first find a surrendered heart and life. Of course, Jesus is the perfect example. He came to do the will of God. He gave up His life from the time He was born and did as God asked right through to being crucified for the sins of mankind.

He speaks of His surrendered will when talking with a woman at a well. The disciples had gone to buy lunch and when they returned, the woman had put her faith in Christ. As she left to bring others who hear Jesus, the disciples returned. Seemingly oblivious to the spiritual significance of what was happening, their focus was on lunch.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:31–34)

This is total surrender, yet when Jesus identified with humanity in becoming one of us, He was sinless. No part of Him resisted the will of God in a selfish way. That is why I need Him to conquer sin. My will is too often ‘won’t’ and cannot trusted.

Watchman Nee, a Chinese martyr, separated the soul into those three parts: intellect, emotions, and volition. He said that none of these connect with God. That connection happens when the Spirit of God speaks to our spirit and transforms it from a dead and silent part of our being to a living, God-fearing force. His Spirit unites with our spirit to make a new creation, and out of a new inner life our soul begins to function as God intended. 

The intellect or mind cannot understand the things of God apart from the Spirit. They are hidden to even the most wise on this earth, but “…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 2:10)

Emotions are universally known to be unreliable also. Consider those with a crush on a movie star, or fury at a child for spilling its milk. Consider the feeling of loneliness in a room full of people, or sudden overwhelming grief when you thought grief was finished. While emotions have great purpose, their whimsy means I cannot plan or rule my life by them alone.

My will is tainted by sin as much as every other part of me. I have those days when my will power is ‘won’t’ power and days when my will to do right battles with what seems a stronger desire to do the opposite. While God wants a surrendered will, that too must be touched by His Spirit. As hard as I try, I cannot make it happen by the powers of my own soul. Even if I want to do right, and my brain tells me it is right, and my emotions are on the same team, sin can stir the pot so that I still don’t do what I want to do.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:15–20)

Paul wrote this. Many argue that he was not saved at the time, but if Christians are honest, all of us struggle with this perplexity. Paul’s solution to the problem is my solution too… recognizing first that this is sin in my flesh that causes all the trouble and second, that the only way to battle it is in the power of the Holy Spirit given through faith in Jesus Christ.

Not only that, this battle would not exist apart from Jesus for I would just do whatever I wanted. It is because of Him that I am aware of sin and that old nature that still wants to take over and rule my life. So much for my willpower. It cannot rescue me, just as logic or even a strong hatred for sin are not enough to deliver me from its power.

The pat answer in Sunday School class is Jesus Christ, and despite our chuckles about that, the pat answer for life’s moral and daily choices is also Jesus Christ. I can want to do the will of God, but without Him supplying the power, my will is useless.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

God’s Mysterious Will

My mother told me that when I was small, I was so “busy” that feeding me was impossible unless she put a book into my hands. I still feel the urge to read when I eat, but also see that “busy” trait. Now I would call it “easily distracted” or perhaps say that I have to keep my hands busy. Even when watching television, if I can crochet, work on a crossword puzzle, or do something with my hands, then I don’t feel the urge to be busy or to snack. Yet this antsy desire often makes me wonder if I am accomplishing all that I ought according to the will of God for me.
 

Missionary pioneer, J. Hudson Taylor, said that “the real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will.” That is, the person who is doing the will of God has a sense of accomplishment that comes from no other activities or ambitions. However, this means surrendering to what God wants, not focusing on my own desires.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:31–34)

For me, this could mean many things. The will of God is spelled out in Scripture, but it is not always preaching, or teaching, or doing works of ministry. It might be that God wants me to take a rest and talk to Him, or clean the kitchen and prepare supper for my family. To know His will requires a yielded mindset plus attentively listening to the Holy Spirit. 

For instance, God’s will likely does not mean parking myself in front of the television. I could write a letter, call someone, or make cookies for a cookie-lover. Any of those activities could have eternal value, not be a mere waste of time or energy.

Another example involves yesterday’s angst over our response to repeated requests from a high maintenance neighbor. She has relied on us for years to do tasks for which most people would call a repair person. Right now, we are busy and fatigued from moving (in 35 degree heat) so told her she needed to call someone else. She persisted until I forcefully said no. 

Later, after talking to God about that, I was prepared to apologize for that harsh rebuke. An apology seems to be His will, but for whatever reason, He clearly tells me to wait for Him. He will tell me when. Perhaps His will has something to do with her that I do not understand. I only know that He wanted my confession and willingness, but also to let my apology sit for awhile. 

This seemed as odd to me as Jesus’ words about food and eating must have seemed to His disciples. To them, how could asking a Samaritan woman for water be more important than food on their long journey? Yet Jesus said that He was doing the will of God and was satisfied with that.

Then the Lord reminded me of a story told by Walter Marten, the cult expert. He went to the headquarters of a major cult to get some of their literature. After a short discussion with the clerk about the identity of Jesus, Marten became angry, banged his fist, shouted a truth at this startled man, and charged out. Then he realized he’d forgotten what he came for, but when he tried to go back inside, the man shut and locked the door in his face.

Marten had no opportunity to say he was sorry (and didn’t relate even if he was). However, several years later, a man stood up in a crowd that was listening to Marten. He reminded Marten of that incident and told him that the words he had shouted stayed with him. Seven years later, he woke in the middle of the night, rolled out of bed unto his knees and put his faith in Jesus Christ. 

This example does not justify Marten’s anger (or mine), but does remind me that God works in ways that are beyond my comprehension. No matter what I think or assume, I need to pay attention to Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

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Lord, Your will is far more important than mine, but again, You astonish me. You can take willful actions on the part of Your people and use them for Your purposes. Again, this is no excuse for willful actions, but it humbles me --- I want to be a better listener. Not my will, but Thine be done.