God’s Kingdom in Earthly Vessels

Meekness and Righteousness–

Matthew chapter five and verse five tells us,

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”  (Matt. 5:5)

Matthew chapter five and verse three instructs us concerning pride and humbleness, verse four instructs us concerning repentance, and now verse five instructs us about walking in that repentance and humility.

“Blessed are the meek.”

The Greek word for meek is “praus” (pronounced prah-ooce’). It literally means mild. Many people interpret the word meek to mean someone who is cowardly or afraid.

Jesus was a very meek individual and a very mild individual. The Bible says that He was led before His accusers as a Lamb led to the slaughter, meek and not opening his mouth.

However, He was anything but cowardly or afraid.

Jesus was a man among men.

He rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders to their face.

He drove the money changers and sellers out of the Temple.

He willingly went to the cross knowing in advance what pain and suffering He would endure.

The “mildness” that God tells us to walk in is not a cowardly or timid meekness, for the Bible says the righteous are “bold as a lion”. (Prov. 28:1)

The “meek” that are blessed of God are those who determine in their hearts to completely do away with all vengeance and retaliation.

It is a meekness whereby we commit everything into the hands of our Heavenly Father.

He is the One who will rise up as a mighty Parent and protect His injured child.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”  (Rom. 12:19)

He is the One who will make sure that all things will work together for the good of His child.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  (Rom. 8:28)

First Corinthians chapter six and verse seven says,

“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?”  (1Cor. 6:7)

God is able to sovereignly bless.

I often wonder how many times Christians have deprived themselves of the tremendous blessings that God would have returned to them after they had been defrauded or wronged if only they had committed it to God instead of trying to obtain justice themselves.

God can cause men to give back to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over when we allow Him to be our avenger.

“Vengeance is mine” saith the Lord, “I will repay.”

Here He says we are “utterly at fault” because we go to law one with another instead of trusting God. The Lord says, “Why do you not rather endure being wronged?” I believe here the Lord is literally saying, “Don’t you know that you are robbing yourself of a blessing?”

By trying to be our own avenger and to force our own recompense, we miss out on the Lord being able to “…do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  (Eph. 3:20)

Trust God.

He is the one who owns everything. The Bible says that “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills; the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”

Hebrews chapter ten verses 30 and 31 says,

“For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  (Heb. 10:30-31)

If we think that we can hurt someone because they have hurt us then we are wrong.

God is our avenger. God will judge to determine who is right and who is wrong and then He will punish or reward.

There were times when Jesus looked at the Pharisees and said, “Because of the traditions of men you make the Word of God of none effect.” Many times we literally tie God’s hands by taking it upon ourselves and not committing the situation unto Him.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”  (Matt. 5:5)

Matthew chapter five and verse six says,

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”  (Matt. 5:6)

This is the attitude of a regenerate heart. This is the attitude of someone who has genuinely been born again. Romans chapter seven verses 18 and 19 says,

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”  (Rom 7:18-19)

The Apostle Paul says, “I know that in this flesh dwells no good thing.”

This flesh is not who we are.

It is how we appear to others, but it is not who we are on the inside. The flesh may look ugly but inside can be a beautiful person.

Jesus makes us beautiful when He gives us a new heart.

Here the Apostle Paul says “to will” is present with him. He wanted to do what was right. However, he says “how to perform that which is good I find not.” This is a description of someone yearning for righteousness.

The Bible says in Romans chapter seven verses 24 and 25,

“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”  (Rom. 7:24-25)

Jesus said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.”

Jesus said in Luke chapter 24 and verse 49,

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”  (Luke 24:49)

 The Bible goes on and says in Acts chapter two and verse four,

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  (Acts 2:4)

The Holy Ghost is the only way to overcome the flesh.

A person who has not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost more than likely will be found going forward a little and then falling back even more, sinning secretly, and not having victory in their life.

The Holy Ghost is the power that God gives us to overcome the flesh.

Jesus says if we thirst, if we hunger and yearn, we shall be filled. We will not only be filled with righteousness but we will be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Ephesians chapter five and verse 18 says,

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Eph. 5:18)

Now all of these attitudes and principles that we are talking about have to do with living a blessed life in the eyes of God. It is not only our faith towards God that is important to Him but also our obedience to his word.

The Bible tells us in the book of James,

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  (James 2:26)

Let us walk in the light as He is in the light.

If we walk in the light as He gives us the light, then the Bible says He will cleanse us from all sin.

It will be God’s Kingdom in earthly vessels.

Tomorrow- The Power of Mercy

All twelve books in the “How to Walk Christian Series” by Raymond Candy are available now in one collection of two volumes for $6.99 each at bn.com for the NOOK, amazon.com for the KINDLE, on iTunes at the iBookstore for the iPad and iPhone, and at Lulu.com for the PC and all e-reading devices