I. The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of satan
- In Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus healed a man who was blind, mute, and also demon-possessed. When the crowd saw this, they were amazed and wondered if He was the son of David that the old scriptures were talking about. The Pharisees, not liking what they heard, told them that He was actually a follower of Beelzebub or satan himself. Jesus replied by saying that the spirit of God is who is working in Him. He told the Pharisees that "you're either with me or against me. there is no in between or maybe". He also told them that they are not slandering Him but the Spirit that God sent and this will not be forgiven for eternity. He, then, said that if you had the Holy Spirit, then you will bear good fruit. But if you have evil, in you, you will never bear good fruit or do good things. With Jesus, He healed many, casted out demons, and brought back lives because God gave Him the power to do so. This itself, is proof that He is the son of David that was promised to save us from our sins. Who else would have the power to do all these.
- When we are demon-possessed (obsessed with the things and lusts in this world such as money, cars, houses, electronics, ourselves), we are sometimes blinded and cannot see the love of God. We are also blinded because of traditions that were made by men and not by God. Traditions like the black Nazarene, the Sto. Nino, rosary, idols and praying to the saints. Second, we are mute because we can't openly proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. We are embarrassed to say that "I am a Christian" because of fear of what others might say, fear of what your friends and families might think. This means that you don't have faith in Jesus because you'll rather please sinners than God and His Son. This is the reason why God sent Jesus to us so we can build a relationship with our Father in heaven. When we believe, you will see how the Holy Spirit will work in your life. You will become guilty in things that you have done all the time before. This is a reason why we can't just follow the law (religious traditions, customs) and think that we will be saved. Anybody can follow the Law but not everything has faith in God and Jesus (Like the Pharisees). But if you have faith and devoted your life to God, He will send you the Holy Spirit that will guide you and change you dramatically to do good things and bear good fruit.
II. Reconciliation to God through Faith
- In Romans 10:1-13, Paul knew that the Jews need to establish their faith and relationship with God again so they may be saved. The Jews had the desire to know God but they lack the knowledge and he mentioned that this knowledge can be obtained by the good news that Jesus Christ has given us. The righteousness will be received through faith in Jesus and the grace of God and not by good deeds. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that being a good person, by itself, will get anyone into heaven but if you have faith in God, the goodness in your heart will reflect upon you and you will show love and kindness to others. One way to show your faith is by professing and confessing to others that you chose to follow Jesus. Next, is actually doing it and following the ways of the Lord because once we proclaim to be Christians we become living testimonies, like it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:20,
"20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God."
III. Proverbs for Today/6:1-5
6 My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.[a]
