Kingdom Principles To Live By

Mat 5:44-46

Did you ever notice that the way Jesus teaches us to live our lives is the exact opposite of how we usually live our lives? Who doesn't want to get revenge on someone who cut them off in traffic? But, in the passages of Scripture above, Jesus gives us some important principles to live by. Let's break it down.

1. Love Your Enemies
Let us be honest here. There are people you just don't like, for whatever the reason. Maybe it is someone in your neighborhood that always keeps blowing their leaves on your lawn. Maybe it is a coworker who always "kisses up" to the boss. Maybe it is someone in church who always gets the lead in the choir cantata. We just love to hate those people, and may even consider them an enemy. Jesus teaches us to love them. I'm certain that you do something that just irritates someone else.

2. Bless Them That Curse You
Have you ever reached for that last can of beans that is on sale at the grocery store and had someone curse you out for grabbing it first? Maybe you're searching for a parking space at the mall, when you finally find one, someone stops behind you and curses you out for taking their parking space. What should we do? Jesus tells us to bless them. I'm sure he doesn't mean to "bless" them with a response that involves a certain bodily gesture or certain words. What's wrong with saying, "Oh, I'm sorry." Jesus teaches us to bless them. One of the definitions I've found for bless is this, "To confer well-being or prosperity on.

3. Do Good To Them That Hate You
Hate is such a strong word in our society today. There is hate between religious beliefs, between political groups, between races and classes of people. Many people feel that you repay hate with hate. People have the idea that "I'm a republican, I can't stand democrates." But Jesus tells us to do good to those that hate us. When you're at the grocery store and there is someone confined to a wheelchair that needs something off the top shelf, you don't ask them how they vote, we just do it. We need to see people, not races, religious beliefs, race or social status.

4. Pray For Them Which Despitefully Use You
Let's face it, some people are users and will use you for whatever they can. Others are truly in need of you. No one wants to be made a joke of, but Jesus teaches us to pray for those that use you.

Verse 45 tells us why living by these kingdom principles is so important. (Mat 5:45)That we may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.  Living by these principles tells others of our relationship with God through Jesus. But the second part of this verse is just as important. God makes the sun rise and sends the rain on both the good and the evil people.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.


Finally, verse 46 says,
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
If you just love those that love you, if you just bless them that bless you, if you just do good to those who do good to you, and if you just help people that help you, what good is it. Think of the people that Jesus ministered to during His time on earth. Could any of them pay Him back in any way? No. Jesus asked what reward we have if we only love them that love us. We don't get any rewards for theat. He goes on to say, do not even the evil people do the same?

Friends, take the principles that Jesus taught, and make sure they are part of your life. Think about it. (Mat 5:46) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?