Disciples Digital Library

À la fin de son sermon, Jésus a revendiqué une autorité absolue pour ses paroles. Si nous les ignorons, nous risquons d'être rejetés par lui - Matthieu 7:21-28. “ Je ne t'ai jamais connu!  Retirez-vous de moi ! ” Ce sont les paroles les plus effrayantes que nous puissions jamais entendre de Jésus. Son avertissement démontre que les enseignements du Christ ne sont pas facultatifs. Les commandements du ‘Sermon sur la Montagne’ nous enseignent comment nous devons vivre en citoyens fidèles du Royaume de Dieu.

Human society and institutions are part of Babylon’s domain, but God is summoning His children to separate from her while there is time . ‘Come out from her and be separate, and do not touch the unholy thing!’ This is the command of Scripture to the followers of Jesus Christ, to leave the Great Whore, Babylon, not to rush into the defiled city and embrace her evil ways. Without holiness, we will never see the Lord!

La société humaine et les institutions font partie du domaine de Babylone, mais Dieu appelle Ses enfants à se séparer d'elle pendant qu'il en est temps . ‘Sortez d'elle et soyez séparés, et ne touchez pas à la chose impie!’ C'est le commandement de l'Écriture aux disciples de Jésus-Christ, de quitter la Grande Prostituée, Babylone, de ne pas se précipiter dans la ville souillée et d'embrasser ses mauvaises voies. Sans sainteté, nous ne verrons jamais le Seigneur!

Babylon is the source of the ideologies and structures of this world. God is calling His saints to come out of the defiled city before it is too late . The Bible teaches disciples of Jesus to live holy lives separated from the existing world order, not physically, but morally and spiritually. They are “ in the world but not of it ,” and the mission of the Church is to call others to “ save themselves from this crooked generation ” before judgment comes.

Babylone est la source des idéologies et des structures de ce monde. Dieu appelle Ses saints à sortir de la ville souillée avant qu'il ne soit trop tard . La Bible enseigne aux disciples de Jésus à mener une vie sainte séparés de l'ordre mondial existant, non pas physiquement, mais moralement et spirituellement. Ils sont “ dans le monde mais n'en font pas partie ”, et la mission de l'Église est d'appeler les autres à “ se sauver de cette génération tordue ” avant que le jugement ne vienne.

Why do church leaders excuse lying, adultery, extortion, and even worse acts when they are committed by their political allies? Early in my Christian life, I was taught to pursue holiness in every area of life, and as a disciple of Jesus, I must separate myself from the ways and ideologies of this sinful world. Not physically, but spiritually and morally. Holiness before God and conformity to the life and teachings of Jesus are not optional:

Pourquoi les dirigeants de l'Église excusent-ils le mensonge, l'adultère, l'extorsion et des actes encore pires lorsqu'ils sont commis par leurs alliés politiques? Au début de ma vie chrétienne, on m'a appris à rechercher la sainteté dans tous les domaines de la vie, et en tant que disciple de Jésus, que je devais me séparer des manières et des idéologies de ce monde pécheur. Pas physiquement, mais spirituellement et moralement. La sainteté devant Dieu et la conformité à la vie et aux enseignements de Jésus ne sont pas facultatives:

Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News to every nation, and to give complete allegiance to him and his kingdom . The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about reforming society or taking over governments. The man from Nazareth summons all men to repent and join a radically new social order and political reality, the Kingdom of God. His message is contrary to the beliefs and practices of the present world order, and it subverts all human philosophies and political ideologies.

Jésus a appelé ses disciples à proclamer la Bonne Nouvelle à chaque nation et à lui prêter une allégeance totale à lui et à son royaume . L'Évangile de Jésus-Christ ne consiste pas à réformer la société ou à prendre le contrôle des gouvernements. L'homme de Nazareth appelle tous les hommes à se repentir et à rejoindre un ordre social et une réalité politique radicalement nouveaux, le Royaume de Dieu. Son message est contraire aux croyances et aux pratiques de l'ordre mondial actuel, et il subvertit toutes les philosophies humaines et idéologies politiques.

Following Jesus means a life of self-denial and service, and a willingness to suffer persecution and loss for his sake . Rage and retaliation are inappropriate reactions to hostility if we are disciples of Jesus. His instructions about this certainly are contrary to “ the wisdom of this age ” and human experience. Nevertheless, responding in anger to violations of our political, civil, and individual “rights” only demonstrates how far we have strayed from his teachings and examples, especially his sacrificial death on the Cross for friend and foe alike.

Jesus submitted to a shameful death on the Cross, and he summons us to follow his example and path . Jesus tells us that if we wish to be his disciple, we must “ d eny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him .” This was more than metaphorical language when he made this pronouncement on his final journey to Jerusalem. In the City of David,  he would demonstrate just what it means “ to take up the cross .”

Paul summoned believers to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life “unto death” for others – Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus fulfilled the role of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ from the  Book of Isaiah . Unlike Adam, Christ did not attempt to grasp the “ likeness of God .” Instead, he humbled himself and submitted to a shameful death on the Roman cross. Therefore, God exalted him and made him “ Lord ” over all things. His exaltation did not precede his death; his enthronement followed it, and he died utterly alone.

The followers of Jesus are called to rejoice when they are found worthy to suffer for him and his Gospel . Persecution is always a possibility for the Church. We may face hostility from employers, neighbors, the government, and our family members because of our beliefs and practices. So, how should we react when the possibility becomes reality? Jesus and the Apostles provided clear instructions and examples of how we must respond when faced with persecution.

The power and wisdom of God are revealed in the proclamation of the Messiah who was crucified to save the World . Jesus performed miracles and taught with great authority, and for a time, he attracted large crowds. But his contemporaries failed to recognize who he was despite his displays of supernatural power. Only the Roman centurion at Golgotha perceived that the Nazarene was God’s Son when Jesus breathed his last.

La puissance et la sagesse de Dieu sont révélées dans la proclamation du Messie qui a été crucifié pour sauver le monde . Jésus a accompli des miracles et a enseigné avec une grande autorité, et pendant un certain temps, il a attiré de grandes foules. Mais ses contemporains n'ont pas réussi à reconnaître qui il était malgré ses démonstrations de pouvoir surnaturel. Seul le centurion romain du Golgotha a perçu que l'homme de Nazareth était le Fils de Dieu lorsque Jésus a rendu son dernier soupir.

The disciples of Jesus reign with him as priestly kings who mediate His light and proclaim His Good News to the world . At Mount Sinai, Yahweh summoned Israel to become His priestly kingdom that would reflect His light and holiness before the nations of the Earth. If the Nation of Israel kept God’s covenant, she would become “ my own possession  from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. And you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ” - (Exodus 19:5).

The man with the mind of the Spirit understands that Christ Crucified, the Word of the Cross, is the Power and Wisdom of God . Overused by the Church and society, the English term ‘spiritual’ has become meaningless. To some, it is synonymous with  religion . To be  religious  is to be  spiritual . To others, it refers to supernatural things not of this physical universe, creatures that are otherworldly, noncorporeal, invisible, and live beyond the realm of time.

Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17. When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “ forgiven ,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees, and he alienated them by  showing mercy  to “ sinners ” considered unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “ tax collectors ” and “ sinners ,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that Christ also was a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).

We are called to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life even unto death for the sake of others – Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus fulfilled the role of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ described in the  Book of Isaiah . He did not attempt to grasp the “ likeness of God ” as Adam did. Instead, Christ humbled himself and submitted to a shameful death on the Roman Cross. Therefore, God exalted him and made him sovereign over all things. His exaltation did not precede his death; his enthronement followed it.

Jésus a refusé le pouvoir politique de Rome lorsque Satan l'a offert. Alors, pourquoi insistons-nous pour chercher la chose même que notre Maître a rejetée? Les enseignements de Jésus et de ses apôtres appellent les chrétiens à ne pas être “ sous un joug inégal ” avec ce monde et ses valeurs. Ce dont l'humanité a besoin, c'est de la Bonne Nouvelle du Royaume de Dieu et du salut fourni par Jésus-Christ. Puisque les “ formes ” de cet âge actuel “ disparaissent ”, l'Église devrait-elle cesser de gaspiller ses efforts à “ travailler pour la viande qui périt ”?