Advancing the Kingdom of God

Earlier this morning the Lord Jesus had me write on Matthew 11:7-10,16-19, but he had me skip over verses 11-15 because this is another whole subject. And so I am going to write about this one now. And I am including verse 10 here to give it context. For the passage is primarily about John the Baptist and his calling of God to be “a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

 

For John the Baptist was called of God even before his birth to be this messenger of God. For Isaiah prophesied about him many years before this, which is what John quoted about himself, as is recorded for us in John 1:23. It was prophesied of John that he was to be a messenger sent by God who would prepare the way for Jesus Christ and for the people to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

 

Matthew 11:10-15 ESV

 

“This is he of whom it is written,

 

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

    who will prepare your way before you.’

 

“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

 

Some people interpret this passage of scripture that this is speaking about those coming against the kingdom of God, yet in context, it does not lend itself to that interpretation. In context, this is speaking of John as a messenger of God, preparing the way for Christ, and of the prophets who came before him, who were also God’s messengers.

 

These men, in the power of God, advanced the kingdom of God forcefully, i.e. persuasively, powerfully, insistently, and urgently, and with much determination, faithfulness, and purpose of heart and mind. And this is what we should be doing, too, as Christ’s Body, his representatives, and as his messengers in this world. We should not be blending in with the culture and speaking what is popular. But we should speak the truth to the people, even if they don’t want to hear it, and even if they fight against it.

 

Yet, that is not to say that the kingdom of God does not suffer violence. It most certainly does. And it is because the messengers of the Lord are taking the true message of the gospel of our salvation to the people of the world that they are being persecuted. And the gospel of our salvation is suffering much in the way of people diluting its message and manipulating it to say something else, and in the way of people attacking it as works-based salvation, or as intolerance, hate and/or bigotry. Therefore, those who are speaking the truth of the gospel are being persecuted.

 

And, the gospel and its messengers are being attacked, and they are suffering violence and persecution because the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing; because the true message of the gospel is going forth via the Lord’s messengers, his servants, who are powerfully and insistently spreading the truth, and who are with great determination and faithfulness exposing the lies for what they are, so that people will reject the lies and so that they hold to the truth, and so that they live the truth and not the lies.

 

So, what is the truth that John taught? He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). And to repent, although it means to have a change of mind, is more than just that. It is a change of mind about God and his gospel message with a result of change of heart and mind and actions. For the Scriptures depict repentance in terms of us turning from our sins to now walk in obedience to our Lord and in holy living.

 

[Matt 4:17; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 11:20-21; Matt 12:41; Matt 21:28-31; Mk 1:14-15; Lu 5:32; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 13:1-5; Lu 15:2-7; Lu 24:45-47; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:31-32,51; Jn 10:27-30; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:1-11]

 

And what was John’s message to be? What was his assignment from God? He was to make straight the way of the Lord and he was to cry out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” And “straight” is what is upright, honest, aboveboard, trustworthy, decent, morally pure, faithful, honorable, and righteous. So this was his message to the people that this is the way of the Lord, this righteous, honest, and morally pure path, and this is the way in which we are to walk (conduct our lives), too.

 

And if this is the message that we give out to the people, we are going to be largely rejected, persecuted, ignored, falsely accused, and treated as though we are the enemy, while the masses embrace the lies and the liars who are telling them that God does not require repentance nor obedience nor the good works he prepared in advance that we should walk in them (see Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14).

 

But if we tell people the lies, to make them feel good, then we are guilty of cursing them to hell. Yet if we tell them the truth, that God does indeed require repentance, obedience, and the good works he prepared for us to walk in, then we are teaching that “straight way” that John the Baptist was called of God to do, and which we are also called of God to do. And all those who follow that straight way now have the hope of eternal life with God.

 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

 

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

 

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

 

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