The Kingdom Perspective (Part 1)

May the Holy Spirit reveal and confirm the truth of this extremely important biblical truth to all who read it. Amen!

Brothers and Sisters before beginning I feel led to state that this topic is perhaps the most important thing that we can learn in this day and age. I also feel that I must warn you that if you haven’t already come to the realization of this truth and come to grasp it now, it will change your life forever. Subsequently it is going to make you many enemies.

There is absolutely no way to avoid this truth. But do not be worried or concerned about it because your Father in heaven has you under His wings and no weapon of the enemy will prevail against you!

Let’s Begin

(Rom 12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

(Rom 12:2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Understanding this basic biblical precept brothers and sisters is the first step in our spiritual walk and our acquisition of the kingdom perspective. It is also the cornerstone on which this ministry is being built.

The Apostle Paul is telling us in these verses that we must, first of all, offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. What does one do with a sacrifice? You offer it to God and then you kill it!

You see brothers and sisters there are far to many believers who do not truly understand, that is to say that it is not deep within their souls, that they are not earthly bodies who have a spiritual nature. We are, in fact, spirit beings with a carnal nature.

(Rom 8:7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

(1Co 3:1) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

(1Co 3:3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

(1Co 3:4) For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

(1Co 9:11) If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

(2Co 10:4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

You see friends what Paul is saying here is that this carnal nature must be sacrificed. Our carnal (fleshy) desires must be done away with. We must decrease so that He can Increase! (John 3:30)

This brothers and sisters is our “reasonable service”. All that God desires of us is that we kill off self. That we do not take matters into our own hands and allow The Potter to form the clay. This act of free will, this submission to the will of our Father, is the second step in our walk toward spiritual maturity.

What was the first step? Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior by which, through His sacrifice and the spilling of His precious blood, we were made holy and acceptable to God!

Now Paul continues in verse 2 saying that we are not to be conformed to the world.

What exactly does this mean to be conformed to the world?

It means that we don’t act like the world nor do we think like the world.

Here brothers and sisters is where the warning that I offered you above comes into play. There are many members of the body today, as it was from the beginning, who are carnally minded. That is to say that they have “a form of godliness” but deny the power thereof.

(2Ti 3:5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The morphology of this Greek word, translated into the English word “form” is very interesting.

This Greek word morphōsis means a formation (by implication) appearance or semblance.
Which comes from the word morphoō (to fashion) and is the same as morphē which refers, not to the external and transient, but to the inward and real; it is used in Gal 4:19, expressing the necessity of a change in character and conduct to correspond with inward spiritual condition, so that there may be moral conformity to Christ. Cp. metamorphoo, to transform, transfigure,” summorphizo and suschematizo, “to conform to.”

This person appears outwardly to be godly but inwardly has not been transformed. In fact they believe that they have been changed and go through the motions of living a holy life but the truth is they are still living in the world, in the flesh.

How do we know these people? How do we know who they are? Well the truth be known there are two ways that I know of where we can know the truth. The first is by spiritual discernment (which will be discussed at a later time.) and the other is do they look like the rest of the world through our spiritual eyes? What do these people look like when being viewed from The Kingdom Perspective?

You see brothers and sisters these people believe that the “renewing of the mind” comes from their own efforts, by their own power and by their own understanding just like the rest of the world. The do not have The Kingdom Perspective and subsequently are not walking a spiritual walk or living a spiritual life.

Now it important to note here that this does not mean that these people are not saved. They are saved by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus just like anyone else. The problem is that they are not being transformed. They believe that because they are growing in scriptural knowledge and are trying, under their own power to “obey” because it is “required” that they are being transformed into the image of Christ.

The truth is that these people are deceived. They are what I call carnal Christians. I believe Jesus agrees with this sentiment:

(Joh 5:39) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

These people according to Jesus Himself “think” that they are going to find eternal life within scriptures and adds that the scripture are testifying of Him and that is through Him alone are we saved. Not through scriptures.

(Joh 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Amen!