Matthew 4:12-17 (NIV) 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Colossians 1:9-13 (NIV) 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Our environment influences us, this much we know. From our environment we learn a language, even an accent. We gain both our sense of being an individual and a part of a group. We learn many of our skills in relating to people from our environment.
Christians also believe that Jesus seeks to influence and shape our life, and that the faculty to receive that influence is called faith. Faith is a kind of communication between ourselves and Christ. It is a personal link that makes His influence possible by surrounding us with a whole new environment where He is King and where the continuing work of His spirit makes His rule real and effective in our life. Granted, there are destructive elements in our environment that need to be resisted, but the flip side is also true. Our lives are constantly being bombarded by the infinite energies of a world unseen where Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings.
Our lives are often a sham and shabby, and we do not appear to be products of a “good home.” Thank goodness, or more appropriately, thank God, that our failure does not change the truth of the new environment in Christ, one where we are delivered from the environment of darkness and placed in a new home where God is host, parent, and king. Faith is a willingness to see ourselves and our world with the mind of Christ, and let heaven fill our thoughts, though it certainly is a distortion of the gospel to preach about mansions in heaven and to ignore those who live in poverty on earth. But, think about it for a moment. When are our perceptions most accurate and constructive – when we are wallowing in worry, down in the dumps, harried with hassles, aggravated, frustrated and mad, or when we are able to rise above it to get a more objective view of our life and our world? This is the spirit of Paul’s words, that we should keep seeking the things that are above, seeking to gain the perspective that comes from life with God in Christ. That is the faith we are called to believe.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope April 13, 1986
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
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