Jesus could have ended these principles of Kingdom life on the seventh. Seven being a perfect number would have given me something significant to write about. I could have tied this in with creation or something! But there are eight principles. Why? The eighth principle is the hinge which causes this cycle to repeat itself. Note the wording in the eighth Kingdom principle:
"Blesssed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven".
Principles four and one are repeated. Being persecuted for righteousness brings the reader's attention back to the righteousness for which they were hungering and thirsting. There is nothing worse than genuinely growing in Christ and then having someone misjudge your motives; especially those you love. But this brings us back to where we began. It is a test to see if this Kingdom walk is real! The next repeated word is Kingdom. Do you see where this Kingdom principle is repeated? Yes, the first one—Blessed are the poor in spirit; the broken; those who are willing to walk in humility because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So there you have it. The cycle of spiritual growth starts all over again as we are tested and persecuted by the same righteousness for which we have been hungering and thirsting.
In my twenty-four years as a Christian, I have not come across a more thorough understanding of the steps that lead to spiritual maturity than these. Thank you, Dr. Patrick, for sharing your understanding of Kingdom life with me. May God Bless you all and may these Kingdom principles allow you to be a blessing to all! |
