The “Reign of Christ” is celebrated on
the last Sunday of the Church Year. The Reign of Christ, which began with the
Resurrection continues on until the end of time. This Reign is breaking into
the physical world in our time as more and more people” listen to Jesus” and
decide to come under His divine spiritual authority (John 18.37c). These are
the ones who are “on the side of truth”. The point is that there is another
side, made up of those who oppose (i.e. Islam) or chose not to listen to Jesus;
and who have no part in His eternal Kingdom. Those who do chose to listen to
Jesus are moving “from error into truth, from sin into right-relationship and
from death to spiritual life” (Eucharistic Prayer 3, Book of Alternative Services).
1.
Listening to Jesus moves us from error into spiritual truth
Jesus has revealed spiritual truth to
us through the example of His life on Earth, His teachings as recorded in the
Bible and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that those who listen receive:
- Wisdom and
understanding open our spiritual eyes to the Bible
- Knowledge
that we need for a life of joy and peace with God
- Comfort and
healing – that authenticate the healing miracles of the Bible as truth
- Discernment
of spirits that protects us from deceiving spirits
Many people in our time are not
listening to Jesus, have been deceived by false teachers, are not on the side
of truth and are not part of His Kingdom. Common false teachings include:
- Pelagianism
– we can save ourselves by good behaviour
- All
religions are the same vs Jesus
the way, truth and life
- Baptism /
belonging to a particular
church ensures salvation
- Dispensationalism – Gifts of the Holy Spirit for
time of Jesus
- God is love and could not exclude anyone
– half-true also holy
2.
Listening to Jesus moves us from sin into right-relationship
We pray “Your Kingdom Come, Your will
be done”. When we fail to do God’s will – really loving God, Neighbour and
self; we rebel or sin against God’s rule. This rebellion pollutes our soul and
makes it impossible for God, who is holy, to be in a right-relationship
to us. Those who listen to Jesus – read and study the Bible, pray and join a
Christian community for worship and teaching; discover Jesus is the only way back into a right-relationship
with God. This “way” is the way of the Cross as summarized in John 3.16 - “For
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is the “New Covenant of
Jesus that we celebrate in the Eucharist. This is the Good News, the central
truth that all Christians believe and try to live out.
- Many people
have trouble believing this – how could one man die as payment for the rebellion and guilt of all men
- Answer is
Jesus clearly claimed to be both human and divine – and as God could give His life as an
appropriate sacrifice
- Listening
to Jesus carefully helps us see the truth in spite of all the lies and
half-truths we have heard
3.
Listening to Jesus moves us from death to new spiritual life
As biological beings we all die. By
His death and Resurrection Jesus showed us that there is something more – that
God can raise us to a new kind of life. We need to be clear that the
Resurrection is a real, historical event witnessed by many people in different
places. It’s authenticity is proven by the radically changed lives and courage
of First Century Christians in the face of persecution and death. We can all
experience the Risen Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit that He sends to
those who listen to Him. The Holy Spirit gives us new eternal spiritual life in
the form of spiritual gifts that help us listen to Jesus:
- Gift of
love, joy and peace with God
- Gift of Knowledge
and wisdom to understand the Bible
- Gifts of Comfort
and Healing enrich our lives and assure us we are personally loved by
God and in right-relationship.
Those who are on the side of truth listen to
Jesus!
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