“How can they believe such nonsense?” Has that every been your comment after hearing someone give their “expert” opinion about whatever subject is being discussed? We tend to hear what someone says and then immediately label them as good or bad, wise, or foolish, one of us or one of them, and the “one of us” titles seem to be growing smaller and smaller. It is true, we do live in a strange time.
There are ever growing groups who identify as right or left, liberal or conservative, woke or unwoke, gender this or gender that, and we either agree with them because they agree with us, or they are “evil and must be destroyed.”
Someone said, “diversity is divine, but division is diabolical.” The devil loves division because it produces strife, finger pointing, and accusation. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).
So, strife opens the door for “every evil work” to enter a person’s life, family, workplace, church, community, or nation. We all should know that division makes us weaker, but how can we come into agreement with those you do not agree with?
Even with a seemingly never-ending grouping of people on the planet, there truly are only two groups of people. There are those who are in the “kingdom of darkness” and those who are in the “kingdom of God”, and it is not always easy to tell the difference. It should be, but it is not always. Let me explain. All of humanity is separated from God because of sin, but God has a solution to our sin problem.
We could not eliminate our sin problem by purchasing forgiveness as a ransom by giving some financial amount for a good cause, or through chronic suffering or self-sacrificing. We will just end up as the same person but broke, sick, and sad. We needed someone else to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
That is why God sent His Son Jesus to live a holy, sinless life for us and then die on a cross and receive the judgment our sin required so that we can be forgiven. Our sins, all of them, were paid for by the blood of Jesus so when we come to Jesus, he has the authority to forgive us, cleanse us, and give us His righteousness (being right).
The Bible says that God “…has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13) God did that by His grace not based on our goodness or eligibility. Our “salvation” (forgiveness and being transferred from one kingdom to another) is not based on what we did or did not do but is wholly based on what Jesus did for us.
When we come to Jesus to humbly confess Him as Lord of all and surrender our broken lives for His abundant life, something happens on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit does a work that only He can do. We are forgiven and not just forgiven we are made into something new we were not before. We were not put on “probation” to see if we will do good enough to be accepted, we were given His salvation that took us out of one kingdom and brought into another.
That work of God in us took place in our spirit. The Bible shows us that a person consists of three parts—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The body is just the house our spirit and soul live in. Our spirit is who we are, a spiritual being that was made in God’s image by the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The soul of man is the mind, will, and emotional part of our being. When anyone comes to Jesus and is born again of the Spirit of God, their spirit is changed and relates to God. The body hasn’t changed, and the mind has some new information but still tends to come to conclusions and form opinions based on their world view and social history just like they have always done.
People who come to the Lord have a new spiritual life in them, but unless they renew their minds to the truth of God’s word, they can still live like those who have never known the Lord. The Bible calls them spiritual babies (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). There are some that believe but live in division and strife just like unbelievers and there are some who don’t believe but they have learned to be kind, gentle, and agreeable. God never intended for us to be governed by our soul, but by our spirit. The book of Romans shows us God’s way for us to live an abundant life.
“…present your bodies as a living sacrifice…”
“…be transformed by renewing your mind…” (Romans 12:1,2)
Our spirits are in perfect agreement with God, but what we do with our bodies is to be what pleases God and our old way of thinking needs to be changed to the way God thinks. We can know how God thinks about things because He tells us in His Word, the Bible. It must be the final authority in our lives, not how we feel about something. Our own reasonings and opinions need to be formed by what God says and not what others think.
Which kingdom are you in? Which kingdom is in you? God wants every one of us to live in His abundant life (John 10:10). Are you willing to come to Jesus to receive forgiveness? Are you then willing to lay down your life (your will, opinions, and ways) and walk in God’s? His is far better.
Dr. Dan Coflin and his wife Dianne co-pastor River of Life Church at 410 E. Chapman Rd. in Lutz, FL. 33549, (813) 949-9931, www.roltampa.org.
We would love to invite you to visit River of Life Church. Our lively worship begins at 10:30am on Sunday. We are a non-denominational, spirit-filled ministry. Please honor us with your visit. We would love to have you!