Kingdom Living Part 1 - Our Daily Bread...

KINGDOMLIVING PART 1Embracing TheVirtues Of The King

TTwo mistakes can be made when we considerthe kingdom of God. We

can think of Christ’s rule onearth only in future terms. Orwe can look for the influence of His power and authority only in the present.

Joe Stowell, in the followingexcerpt of his book Eternity:Reclaiming A Passion For WhatEndures, shows the importanceof embracing both perspectives.He reasons that, according tothe wisdom of the Bible, radicalpersonal change requires thatwe honor the rule of Christ notonly in the world to come, butpresently in the world within.

Mart De Haan

CONTENTS

Eternity In Our Hearts. . 2

The Kingdom Look. . . . . 4

Principles Of The Kingdom . . . . . . . . . 6

A Concert Of Virtuous Living . . . . . . . 29

Chart Of Kingdom Virtues vs.Earth-side Values . . . . . . 30

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design: iStockphotoUnless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the New American StandardBible®. Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 byThe LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.This booklet is based on a portion of Eternity: Reclaiming A Passion For What Endures by JoeStowell, published by Discovery House Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministries family.© 2008 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

HP091 Kingdom Living pt 1 pp 10/2/08 3:32 PM

ETERNITY INOUR HEARTS

PPaul Azinger was at the height of

his professional golfcareer when the doctor told him that he had life-threatening cancer. Up tothat moment he had notgiven much thought todying. Life was too allconsuming for him to stopand consider the reality ofthe grave and all that isbeyond. But that encounterwith the inevitability ofeternity was an abruptreality check. His life wouldnever again be the same.Even the $1.46 million hehad made as a professionalgolfer that year paled toinsignificance. All he couldthink about was what thechaplain of the tour hadsaid: “We think that we are in the land of the livinggoing to the land of thedying when in reality we are in the land of the dying

headed for the land of theliving.”

Embracing the reality of the world to comeradically alters everythingin this world. Our valuesare prioritized and purified.Money, things, time,friends, enemies, family,and life itself are alladjusted and given theirappropriate worth andplace.

If anyone should expressthe reality of eternity, it’sthose of us who have beenguaranteed safe passage to the other side throughChrist, our divine passport.Yet interestingly, we whoare marked with heaven in our hearts usually live as though it were real but irrelevant. We areconsumed with the tyrannyof the temporal, and wetrade both the characterand power of a life with an eternal focus for theordinary.

We are not unlike the 2


© 2008 RBC Ministries

average person on the street who lives out anexistence in the limitedconfines of a one-worldpoint of view. Blinded to the reality of the worldbeyond, this earthboundperson’s all-consumingexpectation is to experiencemaximum pleasure andprosperity here. Quality oflife is measured in terms ofaccumulating stacks of stuffand ascending to platformsof power and position. Lifeis defined by eating thisworld’s best food anddrinking its best wines.Leisure and large doses ofcomfort shape the pursuit.Finding maximum peaceand the thrill of maximumpleasure become an illusivequest—illusive becauseultimately this world is, atbest, a hollow experienceand, at worst, leaves usdisillusioned and in despair. When eternity is off the screen, all of life is compressed into

the distorted assumptionthat this is all we have.And, frankly, it’s never quite enough.

Why? Because we are built for eternity. We are built for an eternal,unhindered relationshipwith God, who created us toknow the deep pleasure ofHis companionship. But sin

altered the landscape andforced these innate longingsto search this fallen planetfor satisfaction instead. Ourbest experiences are onlyfeeble, futile attempts toregain paradise lost.

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We are built foreternity—an

eternal, unhinderedrelationship withGod, who createdus to know the

deep pleasure ofHis companionship.



Thankfully, redemptionhas put us back in touchwith the eternal worldbeyond and has placedeternity in our hearts.Saving grace has blowndown the walls thatobscured our view ofeternity and has given us a present relationship withChrist, the King of eternity,who now lives within us.

If you sense that you are missing something—that you had expectedmore—then perhaps youhave neglected the pressingpreeminence of the world to come and its first-waveexpression in the person ofthe King who dwells in theworld that is in our hearts.It is only when we activelyembrace the world beyondand the world within intheir proper perspectivesthat we become capable of finally coping with andconquering our fleetingexperience in this presentworld.

THE KINGDOMLOOK

GGeorge Sweetingserved as the sixth president

of Moody Bible Institute for 16 distinguished years.Needless to say, it was achallenge for me to followhis season of service atMoody. Not only had hebeen an outstanding leader,but he also looked like thequintessential president.With his wavy, white hair,his soft eyes, and hissensitive, yet determined,countenance, he looked likethe consummate president. His pulpit mannerisms were impeccable, hisrepresentation of Moodywithout stain. One of thebroadcasting people atMoody told me that Dr.Sweeting never gave themany reason to be ashamed.Simply put, he not only hadthe look, he also had thecharacter to support and

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advance the cause to whichChrist had called him.

It’s like that for those of us who are called tomanage the world within insuch a way that we expressto a watching world anaccurate statement of boththe look and the characterof the kingdom of Christthat we belong to. As wethink of reflecting therighteousness that is thecore of the kingdom, weneed to know what thisrighteousness specificallylooks like as it is lived out.On what actual biblicaltargets can we focus? Whatmirrors can we hang in thecloset of our souls to checkthe kingdom look that Godhas designed?

Obviously, a righteouslife will reflect thecompelling qualities of thefruit of the Spirit. Galatians5:22-23 lists the kingdomfashions that adorn apilgrim who is committed to righteousness. We can’t

miss the fact that thequalities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-controlare fruits. They are theresult of a process thatinvolves our walking in(submitting to) the Spirit ofthe King, who always leadsus to righteous behavior,the centerpiece of kingdomprotocol.

Interestingly, inGalatians Paul contraststhese kingdom marks withthe domain of darknessfrom which we have beendelivered. The fashions of a fading, past, conquered,degenerating kingdom are:“immorality, impurity,sensuality, idolatry, sorcery,enmities, strife, jealousy,outbursts of anger, disputes,dissensions, factions,envying, drunkenness,carousing, and things likethese” (5:19-21). Even ifthere were no world beyondand no kingdom within,

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there would hardly be anycontest between whichqualities of life would bemore desirable.

What then are theelements of righteousnessthat cultivate and producethese kingdom fruits in ourlives? Since righteousness issuch a huge word coveringthe full spectrum of all that is right before Godaccording to His standards,we can categorize it intothree segments: righteousprinciples and righteousperspectives that lead torighteous practices.

In this booklet, we will concentrate on theprinciples. In a companionbooklet, we will look at theperspectives and practices(Kingdom Living: FollowingThe Perspectives AndPractices Of The KingHP092).

PRINCIPLES OFTHE KINGDOM

LLet’s explore thecompelling principlesof the kingdom. When

we are driven by theseprinciples, they inevitablyproduce the kingdom imagein our lives. In fact, theseprinciples are in realitymore than just “values.”They constitute God’s moralauthority in our lives. Theyare the virtues that defineand dictate kingdom living.

We hear little aboutvirtue in this present world. All of our talk aboutprinciples that determinebehavior is in terms ofvalues. There is a reason.Since this present culturerejects the thought ofabsolutes, there is no longer a supreme, single moral authority.Earthbound persons arefree to structure their ownset of values. One person’sset of values is as valid as

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another’s. Therefore,nothing is really virtuoussince virtue smacks of thatwhich is best, that which ismorally superior. In a veryreal sense, this presentworld has lost its virtuebecause it has rejectedChrist the King as absoluteand final moral authority.

In his book First ThingsFirst, Stephen Covey says ofthe weakness of values:

To value something is toesteem it to be of worth.And values are criticallyimportant. Our valuesdrive our choices andactions. But we can valuemany different things—love, security, a bighouse, money in thebank, status, recognition,fame. Just because wevalue something does notnecessarily mean it willcreate quality-of-liferesults. When what we value is in oppositionto the natural laws thatgovern peace of mind

and quality of life, webase our lives on illusionand set ourselves up forfailure. We cannot be alaw unto ourselves (p.26).Speaking of the

importance of principledvirtues, he concludes,“Values will not bringquality-of-life results . . .unless we value principles”(p.52).

William Bennett, formerUS Secretary of Health,Education and Welfare,compiled The Book OfVirtues in an effort to re-inculcate the notion ofvirtue into our society. Inthis bestseller, he noted thedifference between valuesand virtues. He wrote,“Today we speak aboutvalues, and how importantit is for us to ‘have them’ as if they were beads on a string or marbles in apouch.” He goes on to say, in contrast, that virtuesare not something to bepossessed but “something

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to be, the most importantthing to be” (p.14).

Historian GertrudeHimmelfarb adds that “theshift from ‘virtue’ to ‘values’has had other unfortunateconsequences,” includingconfining virtue to the ideaof “chastity and maritalfidelity” while forgetting toemphasize “the classicalvirtues of wisdom, justice,temperance, and courage,or the Christian ones offaith, hope, and charity”(The De-Moralization OfSociety, 1994, p.15).

When Bennett’s book onvirtues came out, I went tomy local bookstore to buy acopy. After leafing throughit, I took it to the counterwhere a trendy, bookish-type clerk took my money.As he did I naively said,“This looks like it could bea bestseller”—to which hereplied rather caustically,“I hope not.” I was puzzleduntil I realized that thethought of virtues (moral

absolutes that definecharacter and behavior) is not only foreign in the present world butunwelcome as well.

As kingdom transients,we commit ourselves to themoral absolutes of the Kingand strive to emulate thesevirtues in the midst ofvarying and oftenconflicting values in theworld around us. Thekingdom mind-set elevateseternal virtues as thehighest point of success,admiration, and personalaffirmation. Significantly,kingdom virtues featurecharacter above credentials.In the community of belief,respectability and honor are grounded in characterrather than position, power,or wealth. The poorest,least credentialed of us who is a virtuous kingdomtraveler will find honor inour midst.

Unfortunately, many ofus have opted for honor in

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the earth-side values offame, fortune, and wealth.For some of us, power isassumed to be in positionrather than purity.Performance eclipses piety. Yet embracing theprinciples, the virtues, ofthe kingdom as the noblestelement of our pilgrimagefocuses our passion onkingdom character ratherthan earthbound stature.

What, then, are thevirtues that producekingdom righteousness?Since it is the righteousnessof Christ that shapes thecodes and conduct of thekingdom, we need to look to the principles, the virtues,that Christ embraced in thedefining moments of Hislife. In fact, the incarnation,God in human form in the person of Christ,demonstrated for us whatthe King would do if Hewere on earth. That, in turn, demonstrates for usthe essence of kingdom

behavior. Christ is thevisible link to the characterand quality of eternity inhuman earth-side dynamics.The moral authority that Heimposed on His own personand relationships casts aclear vision of the virtues to which we must aspire as kingdom travelers.

DEFINING THEKINGDOM VIRTUESThere are at least sevenkingdom virtues reflected inChrist’s life. They are bestunderstood in contrast tothe earthbound value withwhich they compete. Theyare truth, as opposed totolerance; grace, rather thangreed; love, rather than self-centeredness; servanthood,in contrast to significance;self-control, as opposed tosensualism; justice, insteadof oppression; humility, asopposed to haughtiness.These seven virtues, whenwe embrace them, forgekingdom character that

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gives our lives a compellinguniqueness. Let’s schoolourselves in Christ’skingdom responses in this present world.

1.Truth. There is littledoubt that the ruling valueof this present, passingworld is tolerance. Sincesociety has no moralauthority that dictates the absolutes to which itshould strive, everything is legitimate as long as itdoesn’t harm or hinderanother person. Because earthbound philosophers in their enlightenment havecome to believe that there is no real right and wrong,to be truly modern we must tolerate everything.This is why gay liberation,abortion, sexual expressionwithout limits, and othersinful activities are fullytolerated. This is whyvarieties of secularphilosophies can be hailedas valid even in the face oftheir debilitating outcomes.

And this is why we are told to seek the truth butare persecuted when we say we have found it.

Yet kingdom personsfind their lives formed bythe virtue of truth. Thisinevitably puts us inconflict with the domainfrom which we have beendelivered. Truth by its verynature is intolerant. If thereis truth, then there is error.If there is right, then thereis wrong. A kingdom personwho is committed to truthwill always tolerate thosewho are in error but willnever tolerate error itself.Yet of all the principles ofrighteousness, truth mustreign supreme. It is not that we arrogantly andarbitrarily claim to knowtruth; it is rather that we are people of the King whoby His very nature is true.In fact, the penetratingimpression that Christ madewhile on earth was that Hewas full of truth (Jn. 1:14)

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and that His truth was thereflected glory of His Father.

As kingdom people weboth embrace and expresstruth. The source of truth isthe authoritative Word ofGod, which gives us solidlife-related conclusions thatare true regardless of thestate of denial our presentculture is in. We are peoplewho speak the truth in love and confidence. Weare true to our word andcommitments. We are trueto who we say we are andwhat we claim to be. Werefuse to lie, deceive, cheat,or in any way erode what is true by either action orattitude. The character we develop as people of the truth is marked byintegrity, reliability, andtransparency. As people ofthe truth we are committedto what is truly fair andjust, and we becomechampions for theoppressed and helpers of those who are genuine

victims. Most of all, we aretrue to God in word, deed,thought, and attitude.

God is true. All that Hesays and does is true. Youcan count on that. He istrue to Himself, His Word,His people, His promises,and the entirety of Hischaracter. In His rule thereis no error, no hypocrisy, nounfaithfulness, no injustice,no deceit. His kingdom ischaracterized by truth—avirtue toward whichkingdom persons strive.

2. Grace. Standingalongside this certain andimmovable virtue of truth is the second virtue that isclearly evident in the King:grace. When the apostleJohn remembered his lifewith the King, he remarkedthat Christ was full of grace(Jn. 1:14). Truth is final and firm, while graceenables and encourages the struggler to come to his or her full potential in the truth. It enables us to

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recover when we fall. Thedomain of Satan celebratesthose who have the powerto personally advancethemselves regardless ofhow ruthless they are withothers. Grace focuses ourpower on empowering and enabling others toovercome and succeed.Grace is the perfectcomplement to truth. It paves the way to living by the standard of truth.

In this present world, the weak arevictimized, discarded, and marginalized. In thekingdom, grace encouragesand enables the weak in our midst. It is evenextended to our enemies.Grace forgives, enablingrestoration. Grace sharesresources to meet needs.Grace patiently mentors.Grace listens, understands,and loves. Grace goes intodanger first. Grace seespotential rather thanproblems.

Where would we betoday if our lives had notbeen sustained by the graceof the King, who shares Hispower and resources withus for our eternal benefit?His amazing grace is akingdom virtue, an eternalfashion that will benefit allwho come within its reach.

The Pharisees hadobviously framed theadulterous woman theybrought to Jesus and set up a situation in which they hoped to discredit Himpublicly. Christ said nothingto the Pharisees; He simplywrote something twice inthe sand. Probably whenHe wrote with His finger inthe sand, He was reflectingthe God of Israel, whowrote the tablets of the lawtwice because of His gracetoward a people who hadsinned against Him. To thePharisees, it was a reminderof the God of grace. And tothe woman, He extendedboth grace and truth:

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“Go, and sin no more” (Jn. 8:11 KJV).

The Nations FordCommunity Church inCharlotte, North Carolina,found just the right place to plant their church where they could develop a ministry for God’s glory. It was a vacant churchbuilding on the edge ofwhat had been a long-standing blue-collar, white area of town. In fact, the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan liveddown the street, as didmany adherents of his sect. Needless to say, the prospect of thischurch settling into thisneighborhood met stiff resistance in thecommunity, given the factthat at the time the NationsFord Community Churchwas a body of African-American believers.

The pastor, Phil Davis,could have led his churchdown the road of political

conquest by using theACLU to guarantee theirplace there. He could have opted to call the editor of the CharlotteObserver to bring to bearthe power of the media to publicly intimidate theneighborhood resistance. If the Nations Ford Churchwanted a still strongerpower play, Davis and the church members couldhave called the AdvocacyHotline at the US JusticeDepartment and retained afederal civil rights lawyer toprotect their rights. Or theycould have decided thatthis was simply anothercase of the racism thathistorically subjugated our nation and retreatedinto a cocoon of deepeningself-pity and bitternesstoward their enemies whosurrounded them in theneighborhood.

Instead, Nations Ford Community Churchdid something far more

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dramatic and effective.They demonstrated theircommitment to the lordshipof Christ.

Members of the NationsFord Community Churchunderstood that there wasanother option available to them, one grounded inGod’s plan for penetratinghostile environments withthe good news of JesusChrist. Realizing that theneighborhood around theirnew property was strugglingwith encroaching povertyand unemployment andthat creditors were litigatingmany of the residents, the church focused itsattention on a ministry of compassion to the needsof the neighborhood. Sincesome of the members of the congregation were legal,financial, and medicalprofessionals, they openedan office outside thecommunity (to avoidcausing embarrassment tothose community members

who made use of theseservices) and began to give legal, medical, and financial counsel and service to their new neighbors. Thebusinesspersons in thechurch offered employmentopportunities to theunemployed. Over a briefperiod of time, these acts ofgrace toward their enemiesmelted the resistance andopened the doors of thatcommunity, not only to theNations Ford CommunityChurch but also to thegospel of Jesus Christ.

Since 1987, the churchhas grown from 11 to 3,000 members. The church offers over 30different ministries ofservice to members and thecommunity. Nations FordChurch also has startedthree other congregations. It was the power of grace in the midst of a hostileneighborhood that meltedthe resistance and opened

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hearts to the power ofredemption.

Phil Davis and hischurch are clearly kingdomtravelers. When theyextended marvelous graceto the community, theyforecast the dawning of a new day, of an eternitywhere grace abounds.

3. Love. Among thevirtues displayed mostclearly in the everydayactivities of Christ was theobvious expression of Hisunconditional love towardall. His love transcendedethnic, gender, moral, andsocio-economic barriers.Jesus loved tax collectorsand sinners, wealthy andpoor, Pharisees andprostitutes. And He lovednot by choice or randomdecision. He is love. Hecan’t help but love. It’s an essential aspect of Hischaracter. What then is thedefinition of this kingdomvirtue?

The kingdom principle

of love requires that wechoose (whether we feelgood about it, whether welike the person who is to beloved, whether that persondeserves it) to reach outand yield ourselves and our resources to the needs of others. As Christcommanded, we are first tolove Him (yield completelyto Him) and then, becausewe are yielded to Him, loveour neighbor as ourselves.In fact, in following thissequence we can tell howmuch we love God by theway we treat those aroundus (Mt. 22:34-40).

The competing culturalvalue is not hate but self-centeredness. In this look-out-for-number-one world,where self-interest and the disregard of others’needs are encouraged, theauthentic pilgrim denies theearthly grip of self and seeksto be a blessing to others.

The pressure to claimand cling to our rights may

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be the greatest challenge of all to transcend becausethe world expects us todemand privileges andpersonal attention. Butkingdom protocol elevateslove as a distinct virtue. And in a world where self-centeredness has isolated us into ghettos of one, whereour self-centeredness hasleft us lonely and unfulfilled,and where hearts arestarved for true love andconcern with no stringsattached, the impact of loveflowing from a kingdom lifewill cut like a laser beamthrough the darkness in thispresent world and enter livesthat are looking for the lightof Christ the King.

Love as a kingdom virtue is to be focusedtoward God and neighbor(Lk. 10:27), toward fellowfollowers of Christ (Jn.13:34-35), toward wivesfrom husbands (Eph. 5:25),toward the flock in feedingand caring ministries (Jn.

21:15-17), and even towardour enemies (Mt. 5:43-48).

Buster Soaries, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens inSomerset, New Jersey, has a clear commitment to express kingdom love,even to his enemies. Severalyears before he became aChristian, he was kidnappedby five drug dealers whoplanned to take his life.With a shotgun in his face, a .45 at the back of hishead, and a rifle jammed in his side, Buster waschauffeured to a vacant lotand dragged out of the carearly one morning. Justbefore his kidnappers firedtheir guns, the driver noticeda police car parked on anearby highway. Fearingthat the police would hearthe shots, they threw Busterback into the car. Nearly 5 hours later, their plansfoiled, the kidnappers wereinstructed by their gang lordto let Buster go. They made

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it clear to him that theywould get him later.

Talk about enemies!Buster had every reason to both fear and hate thosemen. As he was not yet abeliever, he had resolved to take revenge the nexttime he saw them. It was an understandableresponse—that is, until helater encountered Christand began learning what itmeant to live by the uniqueprinciples of the kingdom.

Some time later, at a gathering of more than20,000 at Madison SquareGarden, to Buster’s surprisethe man who had once held a .45 to the back of his head was standing infront of him. Immediately a surge of hatred andretaliation flowed withinhim—alongside the Spirit’sclear reminder that heneeded to demonstrate theprinciples of the kingdomby loving his enemy. Wouldhe seek to protect himself

and shy away out of fear?Would he seek to remedythe injustice of the past anduse this as an opportunityto even the score? Or wouldhe discard those earth-sideresponses in order to usethe moment to model thelove of Christ?

Buster approached his“enemy” and, much to thekidnapper’s shock, huggedhim, told him he loved him,and said that if he neededanything to let him knowand that he would behappy to help him in anyway. Buster says, “Thatman almost dropped deadright then and there.”

And the King rejoiced that through thefaithfulness of His servant,His love had cut like a laserbeam from the stretches ofeternity into the darkness of that man’s heart.

4. Servanthood. Thefourth virtue that shapesour conduct as kingdomtravelers is servanthood. It

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is a fascinating twist to note that when Christ theKing arrived on our planet,having the highest positionin the universe, He usedHis position to serve. Infact, He took on the identityof a servant. Then the Kinginstructed His disciples totake on the perspective ofservants, which stood ingreat contrast to thedomain’s obsession with significance.

The disciples were more inclined to sit around discussing whowould hold the highestoffice of significance andpower in the kingdom. So ina dramatic and instructivemoment, the King put on a towel and washed theirfeet to demonstrate theimportance of servanthood.In fact, when the mother ofJames and John asked if hersons could sit on His rightand left in the kingdom,Jesus answered, “You know that the rulers of the

Gentiles lord it over them,and their great men exerciseauthority over them. It isnot this way among you,but whoever wishes tobecome great among youshall be your servant, andwhoever wishes to be firstamong you shall be yourslave; just as the Son ofMan did not come to beserved, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:25-28).

Paul pointed to the Kingas our example when Hecommanded that we . . .

Do nothing fromselfishness or emptyconceit, but with humilityof mind regard oneanother as more importantthan yourselves; do notmerely look out for yourown personal interests,but also for the interests ofothers. Have this attitudein yourselves which wasalso in Christ Jesus, who,although He existed in the form of God, did not

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regard equality with Goda thing to be grasped, butemptied Himself, takingthe form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found inappearance as a man, He humbled Himself bybecoming obedient to thepoint of death, even deathon a cross (Phil. 2:3-8).Success in the kingdom

is measured by our serviceto others. The final divinecompliment will be reservedonly for those travelers who are “good and faithful[servants]” as they traveltoward home (Mt. 25:21).

The Promise Keepersmovement, mass gatheringsof men who worship andcommit themselves to basicbiblical principles, has beenso successful that it hasdrawn the attention of thesecular press. It is clear thatthe kingdom commitmentsof Promise Keepers to lovingGod and growing strong

families fly in the face of thevalues of this present world.One television documentarycovered the PromiseKeepers movement. At theclose of the documentarywas an interview with anavowed Promise Keeper. He said at the close of hiscomments that while he wasa leader in his family, hewas a servant to his wife.

The news anchors, in their wrap-up discussionof the documentary,commented on thatstatement. One of themsaid, “I thought that wasvery interesting that he saidhe was the servant of hiswife. Isn’t it an anomalythat one could be a leaderand a servant?”

Well, it is—if all youhave is the mind-set of thispresent world. But if youknow Christ, then you knowthat that’s exactly who Hewas. And it’s what He calls us to be as well. ThePromise Keeper in that

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interview adorned his lifewith the likeness of HisKing.

5. Self-Control. As wewill note later, this world’smost powerful urges flowfrom the passions of oursouls: “the lust of the fleshand the lust of the eyes andthe boastful pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16). All of thesehave to do with theseductive power of oursenses. We are built to besensual in the right sense.In fact, if we didn’t havethese sensual capacities, we wouldn’t want to eat,procreate, succeed in our work, or relate well to others. A life withoutthese impulses would be a life of vegetation.

The problem with oursenses is not that we havethem, but that this world’ssystem encourages us touse them solely for our own pleasure and gain,regardless of the righteouscontext in which they are

intended to be enjoyed.Kingdom people are notcontrolled by their sensualurges but bring them underthe control of the King, whoguides them to productiveends for His glory and thegain of the kingdom. And asa bonus, we find fulfillmentand joy in our sensualexperiences without the guilt and destructiveerosion that takes place inour world when we spendour passions on ourselves.

Nowhere did the King more dramaticallydemonstrate this kingdomvirtue of self-control thanwhen He came face-to-facewith the prince of the domain of darkness in the wilderness when Hisbasic instincts were mostvulnerable (Mt. 4:1-11).After Jesus had fasted for 40 days, Satan lured Him tosatisfy Himself by followingthe adversary’s promptings.Satan tempted Him withfood, self-authentication,

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power, fame, and position.Yet Christ put Himselfunder a higher moralauthority than Satan, used the power of the Word of God to direct Hisresponses, and, as a result,said no to His impulses sothat He could say yes to the honor and glory of HisFather.

The issue for those of us who occupy Hiskingdom is: Under whosemoral authority do we live?And to whom will we beloyal, regardless of ourinner impulses? Will it bethe prince of this planet,our own inner urges, or theclear Word of God, whichdirects and protects us aswe travel toward home?

The virtue of self-controlstands as a clear mark ofthe kingdom in the face ofthe phenomenal pressure of the sensualism of ourday. Our senses areseduced to be self-directedat every turn. Yet kingdom

travelers place their senses under the Spirit’scontrol through the moralauthority of the righteousdirectives of the Word ofGod. As Christ resisted the seductive impulses of His senses, He becameour High Priest, able tounderstand and empathizewith us as we are tempted.As One who can identifywith us, He readily gives us grace (His power andenablement) to guaranteeour success as well (Heb.4:14-16). When we yieldour urgings to His control,our character assumes an obvious purity, bothinternally and externally,that is a unique display ofkingdom righteousness.

Control is the keyconcept. This present world encourages us to stay personally in control of relationships,destiny, wealth, power,and passion. But if we are concerned with

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virtue, the issue is not whatwe control but who or whatcontrols us. If it is oursenses and environment,then we are earthlings atheart. If it is the Word andHis Spirit, then we areauthentic kingdomadherents.

6. Justice. Justice is the sixth kingdom virtue.Kingdom justice stands in sharp contrast to theblatant and prevalentoppression and treacherytoward which permanentresidents on this planet areso prone. If all that we haveis this world and what wecan get and gain here, thenwe’ll do whatever we can to advance and empowerourselves, even if it is at the expense of others. As a result, the weaker, lessfortunate elements ofsociety become pawns to be used and discarded forpersonal gain.

These oppressivetendencies are denounced

throughout Scripture. Infact, God distanced Himselffrom Israel who, thoughfaithful in terms of theirritual practices, had failed to justly deal withoppressive behavior. InIsaiah chapter 58, Israelpled for a greater sense ofGod’s presence and power,and He responded:

If you remove the yokefrom your midst, thepointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfythe desire of the afflicted,then your light will rise in darkness and yourgloom will become likemidday. And the Lordwill continually guideyou, and satisfy yourdesire in scorched places,and give strength to yourbones; and you will belike a watered garden,and like a spring of waterwhose waters do not fail(vv.9-11).

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It’s interesting how quiet we are, as kingdombelievers, about oppressionand the oppressive systemsof this present world. Fewvoices are raised againstracist structures thatintentionally denyempowerment, worth, and dignity to gifted andprecious persons because of passport or pigment.Slavery was a blatantexpression of injustice topeople of worth and dignity.Apartheid was an injusticein recent times. Ethniccleansing is a violation ofthe just rights of humanity.

In 1955, an African-American Christian womanin her forties refused tosurrender her seat to awhite man on a bus inMontgomery, Alabama.Many now call Rosa Parksthe mother of the civil rightsmovement and consider heract one of courage. ButRosa called her action one of faith.

“I felt the Lord wouldgive me strength to endurewhatever I had to face,”Rosa said. “It was time forsomeone to stand up—or,in my case, to sit down. Irefused to move.”

Kingdom people must be willing to stand, or sit,for what is right and just.We will not oppress,control, or prey on theweaker ones around us for our own gain. In fact,kingdom grace seeks toprotect and empower them.Not only are we just in allour dealings with others, we cry out against injusticeand seek to loosen thebonds of wickedness andlet the oppressed go freeand divide our bread withthe hungry.

While Christ our Kingoften raised the standard ofjustice against oppression,nowhere is this virtue moredramatically depicted thanwhen He cleansed thetemple (Mk. 11:15-17).

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Many have thought that theoffense was selling things inthe temple (and as a resultsome have concluded weshould never sell things atchurch, certainly not onSunday). The actualproblem has to do with theselling of animals and thechanging of currency thatwas carried on as a serviceto pilgrims who had comefrom far countries. Becausethey had traveled adistance, they were not ableto bring sacrificial animalswith them to the temple.The offense was that themoneychangers and thosewho sold animals werecharging exorbitant rates tohelpless pilgrims who hadno choice but to buy theirsacrifices. These merchantswere running an oppressiveeconomic enterprise. Inorder to buy a dove, youhad to change your moneyfor temple currency atunjust rates and then payseveral times the market

value for your sacrifice. Andthe text indicates that thereligious leaders of the daywere all part of the scheme.That’s why Christ called the merchants thieves androbbers. They were unjustlycharging helpless pilgrimsfor their own gain.

There is no scam moreblatantly unjust than onethat plays on a person’sinstincts to please andserve God. As Christ said,“Is it not written, ‘My houseshall be called a house ofprayer for all the nations’?But you have made it arobbers’ den” (Mk. 11:17).Injustice in the name of a just God is a seriousoffense to the kingdom.

The King became ourchampion all the way to the cross when we wereoppressed in sin andhopelessly doomed by thetreachery of this presentdark domain. The crossstands as a symbol ofjustice where the price

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of sin was paid and theoppressed were set eternallyfree. Justice stands at theheart of the righteousnessof His kingdom. It is guidedby truth, empowered bygrace, motivated by love,activated by a servant’sheart, and governed by thecontrol of the Spirit. It is theculmination of kingdomvirtues. All of them cometogether at the cross.

Few have exemplifiedjustice in action on behalfof God more than WilliamWilberforce. As a youngman he rose in Britishpolitics and became one ofthe youngest people ever tohold a seat in Parliament.Though slight of build and somewhat anemic inappearance, his oratory andrhetoric powerfully movedthe British populace. Hebecame a dear friend ofWilliam Pitt, the primeminister. In fact, word on the street was thatWilberforce would himself

someday be prime ministerof Britain.

His heart, however, wastroubled by the fact thatBritain had become one ofthe leading slave-tradingnations in the world. Theslave trade was a greateconomic boon to powerfuland wealthy businessmenin England. They heldmuch sway in politics, andWilberforce knew that itwould be political suicide tofight for the abolition of theslave trade in England. Butas a true kingdom citizen,he put kingdom virtues overpersonal gain and dedicatedhis life to eliminating slavetrade from the Britishmarketplace. After longyears of concentrated effort,he succeeded. He neverbecame prime minister ofEngland, but his namestands larger today than allthe prime ministers of hisday. And more than that, hedemonstrated for the entireworld to see that there are

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virtues that transcendpower, fame, wealth, andearthly acclaim. He was an admirable kingdomrepresentative.

7. Humility. Theseventh principle ofkingdom living thatbecomes a virtuousexpression of our allegiance to the King is humility instead ofhaughty self-exaltation.Again the King dramaticallydemonstrated this kingdomvirtue for us, since ifanyone didn’t need to behumble, it was He. Yet theKing of glory, the Creator of the universe, humbledHimself to maximize Hiseffectiveness in fulfilling His Father’s plan.

The first thing to note about this particularkingdom virtue is that it is achoice, not a state of being.So often we envision truehumility as a temperamentor a particular persona thatwe carry around with us. If

we are quiet, unassuming,undemanding, frail, andeasily victimized, and wecarry all of this with a kind and sweet spirit, then we are consideredtruly humble. In fact, somepeople who assume thistype of humility are quiteproud of how humble they have become. Yet it’s actually possible forsomeone to be rather bold, courageous, clearlyarticulate, and highlyeffective, and at the same time manifest a truespirit of humility. In fact,isn’t that an exact profile of our King?

True humility relates to two basic choices wemake. The first is a choiceto recognize that all we areand all we accomplish isdue only to the fact thatSomeone else has made itpossible for us to succeed.True humility gives credit toSomeone who is above andbeyond ourselves, without

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whose assistance andprovision we could donothing. Second, truehumility chooses to humbleits will in submission to ahigher moral authority. Insimple terms, truly humblepeople obey not only in therealm of active choices butalso in their acceptance of the places, positions, and lots in life that our Supreme Authority, in His sovereignty, assigns for His divine purposes.

Christ consistently spoke of doing all that He did forthe glory of His Father inheaven. In John 9, as Hewas getting ready to healthe blind beggar, Heproclaimed that the manhad been born blind “thatthe works of God might be displayed in him” (v.3).Jesus could have beentempted to glorify Himselfthrough the miracle, butinstead He focused theattention on the power of God the Father through

His life. In fact, Christ gaveup His own glory to cometo this earth where He was misrepresented,marginalized, rejected,impoverished, andcriminalized in order that His Father might be glorified through theredemptive rescue of thosewhom Satan had capturedfor his own domain. So evident to Christ was this loss of personal glorythat He prayed in His highpriestly prayer (Jn. 17) thatthe Father might eventuallyrestore the glory that Hehad forfeited to come toearth.

Our King demonstratedtrue humility by not onlygiving His Father the gloryand accepting God’sassignment for Him in Hishomeless circumstance onthis planet, but He also waswilling to obey His Fatherall the way to the cross.Paul underscored thisaspect of true humility

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when he wrote that Christ“humbled Himself bybecoming obedient to thepoint of death, even deathon a cross” (Phil. 2:8).

What then do we makeof our search for exaltation?The domain through whichwe are passing in a senseallows for exaltation tocome when we demand it by haughtily promotingourselves. In the world ofthe kingdom, exaltationcomes in God’s time and in God’s way. After Paul, in Philippians 2, stated that Christ humbledHimself, he assured hisreaders that God the Fatherultimately will exalt HisSon. For those of us whoare kingdom travelers, Peter admonished us to“humble yourselves underthe mighty hand of God,that He may exalt you atthe proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him,because He cares for you”(1 Pet. 5:6-7). Interestingly,

this was written just before the famous verseabout our adversary, thedevil, who goes aboutseeking to devour us. Thenthe passage goes on to say that those to whom Peterwas writing were sufferinggreat persecution and that they were to be careful not to seek toremove themselves fromtheir plight out of a desirefor self-enhancement butmust humbly continue to be used of God.

True humility, living forGod’s glory and the gain ofHis kingdom in a spirit ofunquestioned obedience, is a principle that affectsour behavior and movesour attitudes and responsestoward that which is trulyrighteous. We live for theglory of a righteous Godand follow the directives of One who cannot tell us to do anything but that which is trulyrighteous.

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A CONCERT OF VIRTUOUSLIVING

AAll seven of thekingdom virtues

blend in a beautifulconcert of character andimpact for the King. Rarely do they standindependently and alone.Love will motivate grace,justice, and servanthood.Justice will need truth,grace, humility, and love to guard it from becomingcold, cruel, and misdirected.Self-control will need truthto guide it and humility toprotect it from pride andjudgmental attitudes. Andwhile all of these producethe righteous style of thekingdom, they are rooted in an unwavering allegianceto Christ, who exemplifiestheir application in thispresent world.

These are the virtues bywhich kingdom travelers aremeasured. They create the

grid through which all our decisions are made.They are the essence ofeternity in us expressedthrough us. They are thekey to character and our

insulation from theconsequences of the earth-side values thatconstantly seek to erodeand deteriorate personalstability, satisfaction, andmeaningful relationships.

Note the contrastbetween the principles of the kingdom and theprinciples of this presentworld system by reviewingthe chart “Kingdom Virtuesvs. Earth-side Values” onthe next two pages.

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Kingdom virtuesare the essence

of eternity in us expressed

through us.



CHARACTER

• Opposed to falsehood and sin• Committed to biblical

absolutes• Open to conviction• Confident in what is true• Uses power and resources to

empower others to succeed• Generous• Merciful• Forgiving• Caring toward others• Compassionate• Shares goods and resources• Sacrificial and patient• Uses position to enhance and

advance others• Attentive to others’ needs• Seeks to serve others• Views resources as means of

helping others• Discerning and disciplined• Determined• Peaceful, safe• Seeks to relieve the oppressed• Protects others• Promotes equality of mankind• Gives credit where due• Accepts assigned place• Obedient• Grateful

KINGDOM VIRTUE

TRUTH

GRACE

LOVE

SERVANTHOOD

SELF-CONTROL

JUSTICE

HUMILITY

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EARTH-SIDE VALUE

TOLERANCE

GREED

SELF-CENTEREDNESS

SIGNIFICANCE

SENSUALISM

OPPRESSION

HAUGHTINESS

CONSEQUENCES

• Tolerance of falsehood and sin

• Pragmatic• Closed to conviction• Vacillating• Uses power and resources

for personal gain at others’expense

• Ruthless• Vengeful• Preoccupied with self• Compassionless• Hoards goods and resources• Resists sacrifice and suffering• Seeks noticeable and

affirmed significance• Insensitive to others’ needs• Expects others to

serve self• Materialistic• Vulnerable to impulse/addiction• Irresolute• Victimized by results of sin• Victimizes weak for personal gain• Ruins others to enhance self• Promotes racial/ethnic strife• Takes credit to self• Envious, jealous• Arrogant, assertive• Insubordinate, grumbling

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The sign that we haveindeed been delivered fromthe domain of darkness anddeposited into the kingdomof His dear Son is theincreasing evidence that we have embraced thesevirtues that are so clearly

expressed by our King.Christlikeness is the resultof an inner world managedby the King. The ultimatecompliment we can receivein this life is for others tonotice that we are like theKing.

Though these virtues areprinciples that govern anddirect all that we do, Christour King extends their

application to specificperspectives and practicesthat characterize a pilgrimwhose heart is fixed onparadise. In the Sermon onthe Mount, He answers thequestion, “What does mydaily routine look like inattitude and action when I live by kingdom virtues?”We will look at this in acompanion to this booklet:Kingdom Living: FollowingThe Perspectives AndPractices Of The King(HP092).

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hThis booklet is excerpted from Eternity: Reclaiming A Passion For WhatEndures by Joe Stowell, which ispublished by Discovery HousePublishers, a member of the RBCMinistries family. Joe served for 18years as the president of MoodyBible Institute. Currently he is thepresident of Cornerstone Universityin Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is alsopartnering with RBC MInistries inradio, writing, and televisionproductions.

If this booklet has been helpful toyou, check out Joe’s ministry onlineat www.getmorestrength.org for hisweekly thought-provoking messagesor his Daily Strength devotionals.

The ultimatecompliment we

can receive in thislife is for others tonotice that we are

like the King.



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Kingdom Living Part 1 - Our Daily Bread...

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