The Kingdom is Like

The Kingdom is Like: “Beloved, it is good to write to you once again.  Please forgive the lapse in writing to you. The LORD has impress upon me to redouble my efforts to keep this portion of the ministry a constant. So I will obey the LORD and do my level best to keep the devotional at the very least a weekly event. Pray for me.
Today, I want to keep speaking of our place in the kingdom of God. Jesus gives us a lot of instruction as to who we are in the Kingdom, and how we are to operate in the kingdom. I contend that our knowledge of how we are to comport ourselves, as children of the kingdom will benefit us in ways we are as yet unaware of. Let us look to the word of God.
In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus teaches some valuable lessons. Matt. 25:1 ¶ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
There are three things to take away from this verse. We need to resemble virgins, have our lamps, and go to meet the bridegroom. What is a virgin in this context? There are several meanings. Of course the one, which comes to mind immediately, is, a man or a woman who has never engaged in sexual activity. In the Greek there is another meaning. In the original a virgin is defined as a marriageable woman.  Someone is eligible for marriage because he or she understood what was required to remain eligible, and with diligence keep his or her vow to God to remain eligible for marriage. In short, those who are called to be a part of the kingdom know what God expects of us, because his word informs us how to be righteous before him, and we diligently adhere to the word. It does not mean we are perfect, but it does mean we work at being what God wants us to be. Think about it, no one is a virgin by accident. It takes a mindset to abstain, and for us it even means we have to fight our own natural instincts but we do it. Jesus tells us that we are not righteous because we never had a wrong thought, or the wrong urge. We are righteous because we know what is right, and do our level best to be righteous before him.
You say to yourself, I have never been marriageable. I have had to deal with sin, which would make me unfit to marry the bridegroom. You are correct; as a matter of fact when you came to God you were unfit. But here is what the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians. Eph. 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
We are acceptable. We are marriageable. We are because he made us that way. You are what you are because of the love of God. His love has made you, what even your best intention could not. Righteousness has been given to you, and now you are a part of his Kingdom. So what do we take away from this today? I know what God expects of me, and that is for me to remain eligible for him. Go through the week encouraged, knowing who you are and whom you belong to. This knowledge helps you to remain the virgin in the sight of God. Peter reminds us: Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Next week we will continue to look at this vital teaching from Jesus. Be encouraged, you can do it, because God said, you are more than a conquer through him that loves you (Romans 8:37).

Yours Because I’m His
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
http://www.ihpfwc.org”

(Via .)