Enjoying Christ

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Enjoying Christ to Receive a Reward
lsm ministry

Luke 14:27
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after
Me cannot be My disciple.
(28) For which of you, wanting to
build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost,
whether he has enough to complete it?
(29) Lest perhaps, once
he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all those
looking on will begin to mock him,

Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy
is he who has part in the first resurrection; over these the
second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.


The tone here [in Luke 14:25-35] is very different from that
in 14:15-24. For salvation there is no need for us to do
anything. This means that for salvation there are no terms, no
conditions. We simply need to answer God's invitation and
receive what He offers us and we are saved. But there is more
to God's economy than just being saved. After we are saved, we
need to enter into the coming kingdom to receive a reward.
Therefore, to be saved by grace is one thing, and to be
rewarded according to our following of the Lord is another
thing.

We all need to see the difference between salvation and
reward. God's salvation is for us to enjoy the jubilee today,
and His reward is for us to enjoy the jubilee in the coming
age. We have seen that the New Testament jubilee is of three
stages:

first, the jubilee in the present age, the age of
grace;

the second, the jubilee in the coming age, the age of
the kingdom;

and third, the jubilee in eternity, in the new
heaven and new earth.


Enjoying the jubilee today is a matter
of salvation. However, enjoying the jubilee in the coming age
is a matter of reward. The enjoyment of the jubilee in
eternity in the new heaven and new earth will be the full
taste of God's full salvation [for all the believers].

Today everyone who accepts God's invitation and receives the
offer of what He has prepared for us has the ground to
participate in the New Testament jubilee and enjoy Christ in
this age. But in order to receive the reward of the jubilee in
the coming age, we need to enjoy Christ faithfully in this
age. Many saved ones are not faithful to enjoy Christ today.
For this reason, God has set up a reward as an incentive that
we may enjoy Christ faithfully in this present age. If we do
not enjoy Christ faithfully today, we shall lose the enjoyment
of Christ in the coming age. Here we see that in His wisdom
God has made the enjoyment of Christ in the coming age a
reward for the faithful ones, the ones who enjoy Christ
faithfully in this age.

 

[JPPT1974]

Christ is to be enjoyed
For all ages passing this
From one generation to the next.
Couldn't agree with you anymore.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

2 Cor. 5:10
For we [the believers] must all be manifested before the judgment seat
of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body
according
to what he has practiced, whether good or bad.

Rev. 22:12
Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to render to
each one as his work is.



We need to enjoy Him faithfully in order
to receive the reward in the coming age of the kingdom.
Otherwise, we shall lose the enjoyment of Christ in that coming
age. The kingdom will be a reward in the thousand years to the
faithful enjoyers of Christ, and that reward will also be a
jubilee. Today's jubilee is real, but it is only a foretaste,
not the full taste. God has presented us such a foretaste, and
we need to have a high regard for it.

According to the New Testament, God's kingdom today is Christ
as our enjoyment. This enjoyment is the jubilee. (Jesus preached this first in Nazareth and they tried to kill Him when they found that the gentiles would be the ones that mostly would inherit His blessings)

The kingdom of
God, which is Christ Himself, has set us free from the bondage
of sin, Satan, the world, and the self. The kingdom of God has
also recovered our right to the divine inheritance, the right
to enjoy the Triune God in Christ. Today in God's salvation we
have the right to enjoy Christ, the right to enjoy the jubilee.
Now we must remain faithful in this enjoyment. Properly and
faithfully we need to enjoy God's Son who is the all-inclusive
Christ as the all- inclusive Spirit. This faithful enjoyment of
Christ will qualify us to enter into the kingdom in the coming
age and there to enjoy a fuller jubilee. That fuller jubilee
will be a reward. Receiving this reward requires the
fulfillment of a condition, and this condition is that we
faithfully and continually enjoy Christ today.

In our daily living we may fail to enjoy Christ. If you fail,
simply repent and confess your failure, and the blood of Jesus
will cleanse you. Then you will be brought back to the proper
enjoyment of Christ. We may need to do this again and again,
each time we fail. When you go to bed at night, you may sense
your failures that day. But if you confess them, you will have
a new beginning concerning the enjoyment of Christ. Every day
we should exercise to keep ourselves in the faithful enjoyment
of Christ.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Many have seen in the phrase “the acceptable year of the Lord” a reference to the “year of Jubilee” described in Leviticus 25.

The year of liberation occurred every fifty years and was designed to “level” society by keeping the Jewish community balanced, lest some became extremely wealthy and powerful while others become extremely poor and powerless.
So, each generation was to observe a “year of the Lord’s favor” when fields lay fallow, persons returned to their family property, debts were cancelled and slaves set free.
Beginning with the Day of Atonement, it was a year of “doing justice” and “loving mercy” (Mic. 6:8). Thus, it was a year of “jubilee” and joyful liberation.

Jesus announced that the age of fulfillment had arrived.
The hope of Israel for a messianic age had come, because Jesus, the Messiah, had come.

Micah 6:8 (The Message)
But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

John Wesley's Notes on the Bible
Mic 6:8
Verse 8. He - God hath already told you in his word, with what you ought to come before him.
To do justly - To render to every one their due, superiors, equals, inferiors, to be equal to all, and oppress none, (see Matthew chap 5-7) in body, goods or name; in all your dealings with men carry a chancery in your own beasts, and do according to equity. To love mercy - To be kind, merciful and compassionate to all, not using severity towards any. Walk humbly with thy God - Keep up a constant fellowship with God, by humble, holy faith.

Why is the Jubilee such a joyous occasion?
Because once in everyone's lifetime they would get to take a Years Sabbatical to spend with the Father,
away from commerce and trade,
joyously gleaming from the fields of others labor,
returned to the Lord's inheritance given to them,
giving only to the ways of the Lord.

We can have that jubilee today in following Christ,
by being the givers of the jubilee to others.

Yet the gardens of our minds still need constant vigilance.

Our minds are like gardens that need constant weeding. Cultivate the good thoughts, and don't allow the bad thoughts to take root, for following after evil thoughts is wrong. Instead take them captive to Christ.

This is how we are taught to think:
Philippians 4:8
Finally, (A) whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.

Cross references:
(A) Philippians 4:8: Rom 14:18; 1 Pet 2:12

And this is how we are told to act:
Galatians 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.


Because:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war (A) according to the flesh,
4for the (B) weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful (C) for the destruction of fortresses.
5We are destroying speculations and every (D) lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the (E) obedience of Christ,

Cross references:
(A) 2 Corinthians 10:3: Rom 8:4; 2 Cor 1:17
(B) 2 Corinthians 10:4: 1 Cor 9:7; 2 Cor 6:7; 1 Tim 1:18
(C) 2 Corinthians 10:4: Jer 1:10; 2 Cor 10:8; 13:10
(D) 2 Corinthians 10:5: Is 2:11
(E) 2 Corinthians 10:5: 2 Cor 9:13




Finally:
Philippians 4:6-7
6(A) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by (B) prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And (C) the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will
(D) guard your hearts and your (E) minds in (F) Christ Jesus.

Cross references:
(A) Philippians 4:6: Matt 6:25
(B) Philippians 4:6: Eph 6:18; 1 Tim 2:1; 5:5
(C) Philippians 4:7: Is 26:3; John 14:27; Phil 4:9; Col 3:15
(D) Philippians 4:7: 1 Pet 1:5
(E) Philippians 4:7: 2 Cor 10:5
(F) Philippians 4:7: Phil 1:1; 4:19, 21



Enjoy the Jubilee in this life and in doing so you will be prepared to enjoy Christ in His Kingdom of the millenium (where the first death has no affect) and on to eternity.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I think that if this was a reality in our lives we wouldn't need to know anything further to have an abiding, happy, content life with Christ. God bless your day, everyone!

 

[MoNiCa4316]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts As we look upon His loveliness we can't help but enjoy Him. There is no greater happiness than being in His presence. If we love Jesus we will be with Him forever, and He will be our greatest reward.
God bless!

 

[This_Beautiful_Grace]

Thanks for this Evangelica.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Your welcome and thanks for your comments.

 

[JPPT1974]

I am prepared for the Lord to
Come back at anyday at anytime
As well as enjoy Him!