A Hard Teaching

 

I am doing a study on the hard teachings of Jesus. I find most of the teachings of Jesus very challenging but there is one particular teaching of Jesus that I find very hard to allow God to make true in my life.

 

But I believe it is the teaching that when we, as God’s people, allow Jesus to become the reality of our lives, it will make a huge impact in the world.

 

In Deuteronomy 26:18 it says, “And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for His treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments.”

 

We are God’s treasured possession. In the King James Version, it says that we are God’s peculiar people. We as God treasured possession are to keep His commandments and thus be a peculiar people who are different than those who are not God’s people. That difference is to show the world the awesomeness of God.

 

1 Peter 1:14-16 says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

 

We are to be holy. We are to be set apart for God’s service & for our lives to be lived differently than the world, which by nature is not holy.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being God’s treasured possession, His peculiar people & living holy lives.

 

Here is the hard teaching that shows that we are God’s holy treasured possession.

 

Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’”

 

We are to love our enemies.

We are to pray for people who persecute us.

 

I find this very hard because my natural tendency is to hate those who hate my and curse those who persecute me. But if I did that, I would not be a peculiar person or holy. I would be a common person and unholy. The world needs to see God’s people really being God’s people and manifesting the reality of Jesus to the world.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

 

Then Jesus gives us three more reasons that we are to love our enemies and be God’s peculiar people.

 

Matthew 5:45 says, “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the just and on the unjust.”

 

God sends the same natural blessings of sun and rain on all people. When we don’t love and show grace to those who hate and persecute us, we are not being sons of our Father.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being sons of our Father by loving others and showing grace to them.

 

Matthew 5:46-47 says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

 

If we only love and show compassion to those who love us and share our values, then what have we done that shows Jesus to others? Jesus loves all people and extends grace to all and makes forgiveness available to all. And if we do the same, then we are showing Jesus to others.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about showing the character of Jesus in our lives to others.

 

Matthew 5:48 says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

When we obey and allow God to make the reality of our lives being God’s peculiar people, being holy, and loving our enemies, then we are complete and are showing the complete reality of Jesus manifested through our lives.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about being complete in God through obeying Jesus as Lord.

 

Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                            Joe