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The Two Kingdoms (7)
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MESSAGE: AR138
Preached: 6 Mar 94 ▪ Edited: 4 Aug 02 (Revised Nov 11)
Worldly approaches to success | God's way to true success | How to attain true success | True success manifested in different forms | What motivates us to serve God? | Desire for spiritual success | Concluding remarks | Questions for reflection and discussion
In the previous message, we considered an area that preoccupies the
hearts and minds of the people of the world - the issue of success,
ambition and accomplishment. This area is very important and has a
proper place in the lives of believers. For the people of the world,
this is often associated with wealth, status and recognition in society.
However, as believers, we must understand and approach this area from
the perspective, values and principles of God's kingdom.
In this message, we will continue to reflect on this subject,
particularly from the angle of attaining true success and the different
manifestations of true success.
Believers are constantly confronted with worldly ideas and concepts.
There is a very strong influence and, often, subtle pressure in the
direction of worldly success.
Many books have been written, and many courses conducted, to help people
succeed in life, but they are mostly from the worldly perspective. They
provide instructions, suggesting ways and means on how to be successful
in career and in business, how to be wealthy, and how to make a mark in
this world.
Some of the ways in which the world pursues success and prosperity are
obviously wrong. For example, dishonest or unscrupulous means of
achieving personal goals, or the pursuit of personal gain in utter
disregard for the interests and welfare of others. Christians can easily
recognise these to be clearly wrong. Some of us may think that as long
as we do not use such methods, our pursuit of success and prosperity
would be acceptable. However, this should not be the way we judge
whether the approach is acceptable. We have to see beyond the
obviously wrong and the obviously unethical and learn to perceive
the underlying issues in these approaches.
Even though some of the world's methods of achieving success may not be
obviously wrong or unethical, they are basically of the flesh. The
motivation, goal, meaning, approach and the spirit behind these methods
often stem from self-interest and a desire for self-glory. The spirit of
the world permeates them.
If worldly success is wrong, and there is a place for true success, what
then does it mean to truly succeed and prosper?
We can view God's way to true success from three angles.
To understand what a truly successful life is, we have to view it from
the perspective of God's kingdom. Such a life is vitally linked to God's
purpose for us on earth.
We have seen in Message 5 that there are two basic reasons for our time
on earth. One reason is to learn and grow well and prepare for eternity
and the other, which flows forth from the earlier reason, is to
effectively contribute to the advancement of God's kingdom.
To the degree we grow well and contribute to the advancement of God's
kingdom, to that degree our lives will be successful.
We can also understand the truly successful life as one in which God's
perfect will for our lives is being lived out.
God has a perfect will for our lives. His will is that which is most
meaningful and it will lead us towards the fullest life we can live. The
Lord Jesus tells us He has come so that we may have life, and have it
abundantly (John 10:10).
The Lord Jesus also teaches us to pray: “Your will be done”. This would
include God's perfect will being accomplished in our lives. We should
live in line with the thrust of this prayer; it must be our constant
longing and prayer. To the degree God's perfect will has been
fulfilled in our lives, to that degree we would have lived a successful
life, one of spiritual abundance and true accomplishment.
The truly successful life may also be viewed from yet another angle, which is that of the victorious Christian life, the overcoming life, the life of spiritual fruitfulness. It is a life that is true to God, one in which we enjoy God's blessings, His guidance, enabling and undertaking.
The question that we would have to ask then is this: How can such a life of success be attained? In a nutshell, we can say that the attainment of true success involves two fundamental spiritual principles - that of “dying to self” and “walking according to the Spirit”.
The meaning and reality of such a life is covered in greater detail in the next message when we look at the life of the apostle Paul.
Every child of God should earnestly seek to live out the successful
Christian life. It is therefore important to understand what true
success is, and that such a life can be manifested in different forms.
Some forms are obvious, while others hardly appear successful at all.
What is important is not how it is manifested, but that we concentrate
on doing the will of God regardless of the outward manifestations. If we
are doing God's will, we will be living a truly successful life, even if
it does not appear to be so to others or even to ourselves.
Unless we are clear about this point, we may become unduly perturbed or
distressed, especially when we see others living what seems a very
successful life, thinking that we are ineffective in our own life and in
our service to God. We may then try to achieve success that is of a more
obvious form. When we do that, we would be misdirecting our energy and
efforts, striving to achieve that which is not the Lord's will for our
lives.
When we read the Scriptures, we are invariably impressed by the lives of
people like Moses and the apostle Paul. We can see clearly that they
were very effective in service and contributed much to God's kingdom.
God performed many great miracles through Moses. Moses confronted
Pharaoh, overcame his many obstructions, and led the people of Israel
out of Egypt.
The apostle Paul, by his faithful ministry, helped many to turn to the
Lord. He founded local churches and, through his preaching, teaching and
epistles, helped believers to grow.
Christians can readily recognise the achievements of people like Moses
and Paul and the fact that they lived successful lives.
There are, however, many successful
lives whose meaningful and effective
contributions to God's kingdom are not immediately obvious. The supreme
example is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and what took place at the
Cross.<2>
What the onlookers saw was a dismal picture of the lonely Lord
Jesus dying a very cruel and painful death on the cross. The whole
situation appeared an utter failure - there was nothing obvious to suggest
otherwise. Yet, it is the greatest triumph and the most significant
contribution to mankind and to the fulfilment of God's eternal purpose.
The very foundation for the building of God's kingdom was laid at the
Cross.<3>
We will look at four other examples from the Scriptures of successful
lives whose contributions to God's kingdom are not immediately apparent.
God deeply appreciated Daniel, but it is not obvious from scriptural
records how much Daniel has contributed to the kingdom of God. He lived
in exile in an idolatrous land and served in the court of the tyrannical
King Nebuchadnezzar, together with sorcerers, conjurers, diviners, and
astrologers whom the king turned to for advice. These were men steeped
in idolatrous worship and superstition. He later served under another
arrogant king, Belshazzar, and, subsequently, the Persians.
Although not obvious,
Daniel's contribution to God's kingdom was, in
reality, very significant.<4>
His high standard of moral qualities and
character, together with his careful and faithful discharge of
responsibilities in high office, would have been a powerful testimony in
the spiritual realm. And it would have significant positive impact on
all those he came in contact with and beyond. So too would his
unwavering and uncompromising faith in God and calmness even in the face
of imminent death. His effective prayer life would also have contributed
to the fulfilment of God's purposes. Likewise, the remarkable,
significant and deep insights and revelations of the future and the
unfolding of God's plans and advancement of His kingdom, which the Lord
was pleased to reveal to and through Daniel, would also have contributed
significantly to the fulfilment of God's purposes.
<5>
It would be even more difficult to see how effectively Simeon and Anna have contributed, but the Scriptures highlights their lives favourably. Simeon and Anna were not noted for being very “active” or for doing what many would regard as “mighty works” for God. Nor were they among the religious leaders of the day. Yet, they were specifically singled out as two people in the whole nation of Israel who were ready for the First Coming of Christ.
Luke 2:25-35
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man
was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the
Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not
see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,
28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being
said about Him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this
Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a
sign to be opposed -
35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul - to the end that thoughts
from many hearts may be revealed.”
Without any fanfare, the Scriptures introduced Simeon simply as “a man
in Jerusalem”. He apparently led a quiet life and would probably have
been unnoticed by many had it not been for this inspired account in the
Scriptures.
God, through the Scriptures, highlighted the moral and spiritual
qualities of this man and the longings of his heart. He was described as
devout and righteous and one who was looking forward to the coming of
the Messiah, the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and
as he was sensitive to the Holy Spirit, God had the freedom to speak to
him and to indicate to him that he would see the Messiah. When the Lord
Jesus was brought into the temple as a child, God guided Simeon to
testify that this Child was the Messiah. Evidently, within the heart of
Simeon, there was a meaningful identification with the heart of the Lord
and a desire for the fulfilment of God's purposes.
Not many people would be conscious of the effectiveness of a life such
as Simeon's because there was hardly any obvious outward manifestation.
Yet, this scriptural record highlights to us that what may not appear to
be a successful life can indeed be so. This is because positive impact
on the spiritual realm and effectiveness of contribution to God's
kingdom basically arise from what is within a person's heart.
The Scriptures paints a similar picture of the life of Anna the
prophetess.
Luke 2:36-38
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband
seven years after her marriage,
37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the
temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and
continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the
redemption of Jerusalem.
This passage describes Anna in very favourable terms. For many years of
her life, Anna served God day and night with fastings and prayers. God
approved of her life and used her to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the scriptural presentation, we can say that Anna lived a
successful life and that she would have contributed significantly to
God's kingdom. But such a life is not easily recognised as a life of
great achievement, not even by Christians.
May we learn well from the lives of Simeon and Anna so that we will be
among those who are ready for the Second Coming of Christ.
The effectiveness and significance of the life and contribution of the poor widow who offered two small copper coins are even less obvious than those of Simeon and Anna. The story of the poor widow is recorded in Mark 12:41-44.
Mark 12:41-44
41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the
people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were
putting in large sums.
42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to
a cent.
43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you,
this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;
44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her
poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."
What the poor widow had contributed may seem an insignificant amount,
but the Lord Jesus made the remarkable statement that she gave more than
all the other contributors, which included many rich people who put in
large sums of money. How could this be possible? The significance of her
contribution was not because of anything special about her two copper
coins. It was because of the meaning in her heart. That made the act
meaningful and her contribution significant in the eyes of the Lord.
If the Lord Jesus had not highlighted it, it could well be that no one
else would have realised the significance of her contribution or even
noticed it. Even the poor widow herself, when she put in the two small
copper coins, might not be conscious that she was contributing anything
significant.
There are important lessons for us to learn from the remark of the Lord
Jesus concerning service and significance of contribution to His
kingdom.
If a person's heart is right, and he is living a faithful life, then God
will appreciate all that he does in fellowship with Him and in obedience
to Him. His contributions would be significant in God's eyes, even
though they may appear unimportant.
Like the poor widow, such a person could very well be living a life that
hardly anyone would notice or would regard as significant.
Likewise, there are believers all over the world who live faithfully and
effectively for the Lord, in simplicity and quietness, with hardly any
outward sign to attest to the value of their contribution to the kingdom
of God. We therefore need not be unduly concerned about the relative
absence of contribution in obvious forms.
So then, let us ask ourselves: Is it our longing and prayer that
God's perfect will be fulfilled in our lives, whatever form it may take
and whatever it may involve? Are we prepared to fulfil His will
without any desire for personal recognition or appreciation by others?
Would we be fully contented with such a life, even if it means hardly
anyone notices us or recognises us as being effective? Are we able to
continue living according to God's perfect will in such a context,
without flagging in our zeal and fervour? Or do we need visible,
obvious accomplishments and men's recognition in order to persevere in
our walk with God and service for Him? If we seek accomplishments so
that we may be noticed and praised, it is an indication that within us
there is a wrong spirit, fleshly desires, pride, and a tendency to make
unhealthy comparisons.
We have to resolve this area of our lives decisively. Failure in this
area has resulted in various complications and negative consequences in
many lives and in the outworking of church life and the Lord's work
generally.
A healthy spirit and attitude is very important for true spirituality.
We must progress in the direction where our basic desire is for the
Lord's will to be fulfilled, and we live lives of truth and
faithfulness. These realities in the heart must form the basic
motivating force in our lives. This is the way to attain true
spirituality and godliness, and the way for the Lord to have much
freedom to work deeply and effectively in and through our lives.
Failure to adopt this kind of posture will hinder God's working in our
lives and will keep us from experiencing His blessings. We will then
fail to attain to a life of spiritual abundance.
Many Christians would like to emulate Moses and Paul. They want to
accomplish great things for God. Such sentiments may appear very
positive and spiritual and may be regarded by believers as commendable.
But such aspirations can easily be mixed up with an undesirable and
unwholesome spirit and attitude of fleshly desire for a sense of
accomplishment, recognition by others, status, power and authority.
This kind of spirit is similar to the desire for worldly accomplishments
and recognition. It is the spirit of the world being transferred to the
Christian context - a desire for spiritual success motivated by fleshly
desires.
This is a serious danger to our development and service, and it opens
the way for the evil one to work in us, to deceive us and to make use of
us for his evil ends. We must deal decisively with any trace of its
presence in our lives and prayerfully guard against its emergence and
growth. This kind of spirit is not what we find in Moses and Paul. If
we want to be like these two giants of the Christian faith, we need to
learn to be truly like them in motivation, spirit and attitude.
We will reflect further on this issue of right motivation in service in
the next and final message, where we will continue to consider the
examples of Moses and Paul in their service to God.
We must be wary of the subtle influence and pressure towards worldly
success. The spirit of the world can easily influence our thinking and
approach. We may be seeking to attain worldly success and prosperity and
still think that it is all right. Or we may be seeking to attain
spiritual success but with an unwholesome spirit.
On the other hand, we should not neglect to fulfil our responsibilities
in this world or be deterred from seeking to do well in our career or
studies or in spiritual service. The critical issue is: What is it that
motivates us, what is the reality in our hearts, what are our true goals
and values? Are we honestly and sincerely longing, praying and seeking
that God's perfect will be fulfilled in our lives, whatever form it may
take?
A life of success cannot be divorced from the fundamental issues of the
Christian faith. A life of spiritual abundance, of God's presence and
blessings, entails walking in the Spirit and death to the self-life.
The successful life can be manifested in many different forms, some
easily recognisable, whereas others may be inconspicuous. Whatever form
it may take, it does not matter. The deep longing of our hearts must
constantly be to remain faithful to the Lord and to fulfil His perfect
will for our lives.
So what does it mean to truly succeed and prosper during our time on
earth? It means growing well and contributing effectively to the
advancement of His kingdom according to His guidance and enabling. To
the degree God's perfect will has been fulfilled in our lives, to that
degree we have truly succeeded and prospered.
And as we have seen in the examples of Daniel, Simeon, Anna and the poor
widow, positive impact on the spiritual realm and contribution to God's
kingdom cannot be measured by outward manifestations. It arises from the
quality within one's heart. It is therefore vital that we pay much
attention to nurturing the quality of our heart.
(Endnotes)
1. The meaning and outworking of the
principle of death is considered in detail in two messages on “Identification
with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection”
(AR120-121) posted on the website
www.godandtruth.com.
2. The perfectly successful life of the Lord
Jesus is described in Message 6.
3. Appearance and reality pertaining to the
death of Christ are covered in detail in messages
AR173-274
in the series on Appearance and Reality under the section: Reflections on
the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The meaning and significance of Daniel's
life and his contributions are considered in detail in messages
AR31-44.
5. For a fuller appreciation of Daniel's
contribution through God's revelations to him, please refer to
AR40.
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Scripture Quotations
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Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
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The Two Kingdoms (7)
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