Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Bottom Line Spirituality: Worldly and Godly Thinking

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Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Spirituality is our innate ability to feel the difference worldly or godly thinking makes to the way scripture translates to our daily life and relationships.

Remember: The DISCIPLE-SHIFT

(see Pentecost Sunday Meditation by Clicking Here)

The Virtual Small Group

Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.

All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God. He is the complete revelation of God’s will of grace for salvation. Grace is the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life.

The Gospel of grace is: rather than trying to be more faithful to become faithful, we become faithful by feeling the Faith God already has for and in us.

The War on Legalism

God declared War on Legalism when He sent His Word into the World. John 1:1 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Legalism fought back against grace believing the Bible, not Jesus, is the word of God. Grace is based on the Two Great Love Commandments. All the Law and the Prophets have now been changed into “do the loving thing.” Matthew 22:37-40 The New Command is to be in His Presence in order to Love one another. John 13:34 “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The Gospel of grace is not following the law to please God but to feel how pleased God is to give us the law of grace, truth and love to follow Him.

Galatians 5:23 “gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Luke 20:27-38 Marriage and Resurrection

Grace has a heart of gold. Legalism’s heart is a hard-boiled egg.

“Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees who deny that there is any resurrection”

What we are thinking is irrelevant.

How we are thinking is relevant.

The lesson today is an example of the fact that literal thinking trying to get rational answers to spiritual questions is irrelevant. Only spiritual thinking can get grace answers concerning spiritual questions.

They quoted Moses, “If a man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.” They then asked, “Now in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be?”

Jesus answered, "Those who belong to this age marry and are married, but those…in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.” PERIOD!

The question was a literal one about a spiritual issue. The answer had to be spiritual.

Their real question was whether there is a resurrection or not. The priestly Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Some today say the same thing. As long as one seeks a rational answer to a spiritual question they will get a rational answer.

The proof Jesus uses is right from the Bible. “The fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive." In other words God’s name is “I AM” not “I was”.

Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!”  And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Jesus presses His point on the resurrection.  They are looking for a physical Messiah who is the Son of David. Jesus challenges them by pointing out the Messiah cannot be David’s son because David called the Messiah “my Lord.” David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can He be His Son?”

The scripture goes on to say “while all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,‘Beware of the teachers of the law.’”  Why would He attack them when they supported Him against the Sadducees arguments against the resurrection?

The teachers of the law were part of the Pharisees group.  They believed in the resurrection. They and Jesus were worlds apart in most areas. Just because they agreed with Him on the resurrection did not mean they were not plotting to kill Him. They interpreted the Law in terms of legalism with judgment and condemnations.  

Jesus was not attacking the persons. He was attacking the Law as unjust. Jesus knew the law needed to be seen as a guideline to do the loving thing.

A person can believe in Jesus and still be legalistic or graceful. That is why it is so important to understand the great commandments of loving God, self and neighbor as well as the New Commandment to love others as He loved us in the Power and Love of the grace of God.

That is all one needs to know about the Law no matter what else it might seem to mean. Now go and do thou likewise.

THE DISCIPLE-SHIFT: The Virtual Small Group:  Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.