Some Principles of Kingdom

1. Love

A. Love is the greatest Commandment

MATTHEW 22:37-39   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

  1. Loving God

  John 14:15, 21,24    Vs.15   If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he
  that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest
  myself to him.
  24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not
  mine, but the Father's which sent me.

  2. Loving people

  John 13:35   By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
  another.

  John 15:12   This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

  1 John 3:11,14,16-18   Vs.11   For this is the message that ye heard from the
   beginning, that we should love one another.
  14. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
  He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
  16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we
  ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
  17. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up
  his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
  18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
  truth.

  3. Love your enemies

  Matthew 5:44-46   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?

  Proverbs 25:21   If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty,
  give him water to drink:

  4. The excellence of Love

  1 Corinthians 13:4-8   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast,
  it is not proud.
  5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of
  wrongs.
  6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
  7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
  8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are
  tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (NIV)

  5. Love is the Royal Law

  Romans 13:8-10   Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth
  another hath fulfilled the law.
  9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal,
  Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other
  commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
  neighbour as thyself.
  10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

6. God gave us his Love

  Romans 5:5   And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
  in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

2. FAITH

* As a child of God and a citizen of his Kingdom; the Lord teaches us not to worry about the things of this life, but to trust in God; who as our Father will meet our need, as we seek him and his Kingdom ( Matthew 6:33-34 ). This involves the subject of faith, which has many facets to it.

A. Faith as trusting in Jesus for salvation

  John 3:16   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
  whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  Ephesians 2:8-9   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
  is the gift of God:
  9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

B. By faith in Jesus we are justified

  Romans 5:1   Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
  Lord Jesus Christ:

C. By faith in Jesus, His righteousness is ours

  Romans 3:21-22   But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
  being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
  22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
  all them that believe: for there is no difference:

  Romans 4:3   For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
  unto him for righteousness.

  Phiippians 3:9   And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of
  the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
  by faith:

D. Faith comes by hearing God’s word

  Romans 1:16   For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
  unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

  Romans 10:17   So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

E. A definition of faith

  Hebrews 11:1   Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
  not seen.

F. Living by faith, a way of life

  Hebrews 10:38   Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul
  shall have no pleasure in him.

  Romans 1:17   For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it
  is written, The just shall live by faith.

G. Faith pleases God

  Hebrews 11:6   But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
  God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

H. Walk by faith

  2 Corinthians 5:7   (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

I. Two types of faith contrasted

  1. Abraham’s faith

     Romans 4:17-20    Vs.20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief;
     but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

  2. Thomas’s faith

     John 20:24-29   Vs.29   Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me,
     thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

3. FORGIVING

A. God’s forgiveness for salvation

1. Based on the blood of Christ

     Matthew 26:28   For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many
     for the remission of sins.

     Ephesians 1:7   In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
     sins, according to the riches of his grace;

2. Based on man’s Repentance

     Acts 2:38   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
     the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
     Holy Ghost.

3. Based on faith in Christ

     Acts 10:43   To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever
     believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

B. God’s forgiveness of a Christian’s sins

1. Based on confessing our sins

     1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
     cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

  2. Based on our Advocate, Jesus Christ

     1 John 2:1-2   My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if
     any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
     2. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins
     of the whole world.

3. Based on our forgiving others

     Matthew 6:14-15   For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
     also forgive you:
     15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
     trespasses.

C. Forgiving others

  1. How often?

     Luke 17:3-4   Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke
     him; and if he repent, forgive him.
     4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn
     again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

     Matthew 18: 21-35   Vs.21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall
     my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
     22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy
     times seven.

     Ephesians 4:32   And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
     another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

     Colossians 3:13   Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have
     a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

D. Examples of forgiving

  1. Jesus forgiving his tormenters

     Luke 23:34   Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
     And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

  2. Steven asking God to forgive his murderers

     Acts 7:59-60   And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus,
     receive my spirit.
     60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their
     charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

4. JUDGING

The Principle of:

MATTHEW 7:1-3   Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

* The judgment Jesus is talking about in the above scripture, is one that comes from a
  self-righteous attitude, this kind of judgment only tears down, it never builds up.
  Christians are not to pass an unrighteous judgment, based on outward appearances.
  From time to time, the leaders in the church may have to discipline a member, based on
  a righteous judgment, for the good of the church.

1. Outward appearances

* In 1 Samuel ch.16, Samuel is sent to the household of Jesse, to anoint the next king of
  Israel; when Samuel sees Eliab, he thinks surely this must be God’s choice, based on
  Eliab’s appearance but God says in Vs.7 “ look not on his countenance, or on the
  height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth;
  for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”.

2. Righteous judgment within the church

1 CORINTHIANS 5:3-5   For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1 CORINTHIANS 6: 1-4    Vs.2    Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

3. Unrighteous judgment

ROMANS 14:13   Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:5   Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

4. The example of Jesus

JOHN 8:3-11   And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4. They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

HOSEA 6:6   For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

5. PRAYER

The Principle of:

  JAMES 5:16....The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1. For Answered prayer

  1 JOHN 5:14-15   And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
  thing according to his will, he heareth us:
  15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
  petitions that we desired of him.

  1 JOHN 3:22   And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his
  commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

  JOHN 14:13   And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
  may be glorified in the Son.

  JOHN 15:7   If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
  and it shall be done unto you.

  MARK 11:24   Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
  believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

  2 CHRONICLES 7:14   If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
  themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
  hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2. Some answered prayers

  Of Moses   Exodus 15:24-25

  Of Hannah   1 Samuel 1:27

  Of Solomon 1 Kings 9:3

  Of Elijah   1 Kings 18:37-38

  Of Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles

3. Prayer of agreement

  MATTHEW 18:19   Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
  touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in
  heaven.

  ACTS 4:24   And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one
  accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
  and all that in them is:

4. Intercessory prayer

  1 TIMOTHY 2:1-21   I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
  intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
  2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
  life in all godliness and honesty.

  Examples of Intercession

  Abraham of Sodom, for Lot’s sake - Genesis ch.18

  Moses for Israel - Exodus 32:32   Numbers 14:17 Deuteronomy 9:26

  Samuel for Israel - 1 Samuel 7:5

  David for Israel - 1 Chronicles 21:17

5. Hindrances to prayer

  1 PETER 3:7   Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving
  honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the
  grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

  JAMES 1:6-7   But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
  wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
  7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

  JAMES 4:2-3   Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye
  fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
  3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
  lusts.

6. GIVING

The Principle of:

  LUKE 6:38   Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
  shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
  measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you

* Giving is an attitude of the heart, that is willing to give not only material possessions
  but ones very life for the purpose and cause of the Lord Jesus.

1. The Promise of the Lord

  MATTHEW 19:29   And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters,
  or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an
  hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

2. Giving to the poor

  PROVERBS 11:25   The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be
  watered also himself.

  PROVERBS 22:9   He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his
  bread to the poor.

  PROVERBS 28:27   He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his
  eyes shall have many a curse.

3. Giving to the Christian brethren

  2 CORINTHIANS 8:14-15   But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance
  may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your
  want: that there may be equality:
  15. As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had
  gathered little had no lack.

  ACTS 4:34-35   Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were
  possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were
  sold,
  35. And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every
  man according as he had need.

4. Giving to God

  PROVERBS 3:9-10   Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all
  thine increase:
  10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new
  wine.

  MALACHI3:10-11   Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat
  in mine house,
  and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
  of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
  11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of
  your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the
  Lord of hosts.

5. Giving without show

  MATTHEW 6:3-4   But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy
  right hand doeth:
  4. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall
  reward thee openly.

  ROMANS 12:8   Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with
  simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

6. General scriptures concerning giving

  MATTHEW 5:42   Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of
  thee turn not thou away.

  2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-7   But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
  sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
  7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or
  of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

7. Warnings about greed

  1 TIMOTHY 6:10   For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some
  coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
  sorrows.

  LUKE 12:33   Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not
  old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth
  corrupteth.
                     ( See Matthew 6:19-34   Luke 12:15-21 parable of the rich man )

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