Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good rainy morning, dear people.
Phooey! I failed to close the chicken house last night. So about 1:20am I heard chicken noises outside. I bounded out of bed, jerked on some clothing, grabbed a gun and light and went out. The lousy dog never did make a peep. When I checked out the chicken house, there was only one hen in there. But I saw several all over the place roosting, having…I’ll tell you later—Becki is calling me and she wants to leave now.
Bye. Love, Ray/Dad.
If it is true that Jesus is Who He claimed to be, and Who the scriptures describe Him to be, then this is a sound and valid statement. As I think further about the matter, it can really be no other way. If He truly is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” then anyone who rejects or opposes Him can only be on the wrong road, consumed with error, and bound for consequences they won’t like and didn’t know they were choosing—headed for the opposite of life—the kind of death Romans 6:23 talks about.
This terrible condition not only causes one to be pitted against Jesus (God’s Kingdom), but also makes one to unwittingly partner with Satan and his demons. I know I tend to be repetitious, but I believe this is very critical to a sound Biblical worldview. So let me also state it again in a little different way: If there are only two kingdoms (i.e., the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan), and if Jesus is the Supreme Representative of the Kingdom of God, then anyone who opposes or rejects Him automatically (by default) places himself within the territory of the enemy kingdom and is made subject to its controls and influences. That’s why Jesus can justly be so blunt as to say to His aggressive opponents, “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart (and its kingdom orientation) the mouth speaks” (v. 34).
I want to encourage you to join me in not only personally seeking His Kingdom rule, but in nurturing personal relationship with Him. Jesus equates that mindset with becoming a close family member. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v. 50).