Rules for residing in Paradise – 27 March 2020
By Hennie Symington
(Di)temana ya Bibele
MATEU 7
Ke bafe ba ba tlago tsena legodimong?
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
As Christians we are all intimately involved in the kingdom of God. For some it is perceived as a concept that exists in a faraway kingdom or in life after death. Yet, we are constantly reminded that the kingdom of God is not only here and near, but that the kingdom of God is and present on earth as well as in heaven.
From what we have heard and believe, we know that the world and creation is deeply connected with the kingdom of God. Christ’s ethics, his concept of faith and what He shared with us about himself, the Father as well as and heaven, all relate to the kingdom. In Matthew 4:17 Jesus says, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
How does this relate to me? It relates to us in the deepest possible way because we are citizens of this kingdom. We cannot choose where, when or whether we want to be part of the kingdom. Our job is to make the kingdom visible in a world which has become blind to the reality of God and his divine presence on earth.
Prayer: Forgive me Lord when I shift my responsibility to the kingdom aside in order to serve my own kingdom. Teach me to bear my citizenship with pride and responsibility. Amen
