Following Jesus

We are citizens of heaven and citizens of the United States of America. We are commanded to set our affections on things above and not on things of the earth, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, and our love for America should never be greater than our love for our God and our heavenly home where we will enjoy His unbroken fellowship forever. This dual citizenship can bring about conflicts of interest and Paul provides some clear guidelines for a Christian’s obligation to government.

We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul teaches us an important lesson in Romans 16:3-12. As we are looking unto Jesus, we must be faithful in the matter of giving loving appreciation to those who serve.

How do we reconcile these two statements of the Gospel writers. Luke records that the Savior will bring peace. Matthew quotes Jesus saying, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

We should desire to please our heavenly Father as Jesus pleased the Father. When Jesus instructed his disciples to pray he told them to begin their prayer by saying Our Father which art in heaven (Matthew 6:9). Our heavenly Father is infinitely greater than the best possible earthly father.

There is a failure in modern Christianity to understand or take seriously God’s intent that the local church must be central to the life of believers. Many simply attend church without becoming members and often the decision to go or not is made on Sunday morning if nothing else is on the schedule. New Testament believers were wholly committed members of their local church and there is a great need for us in our modern world to follow their example and be obedient to the Word of God in the matter of church membership.

Jesus example of reaching the woman at the well is a great guide for us to follow when seeking to share the gospel with someone. We learn about the proper manner, method and message we should have in sharing our faith.