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     Since Jesus is the King of His kingdom and reigning from heaven, we ask “How does He instruct His citizens (Christians) regarding being an loyal citizen?”  Jesus announced to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, He would send the Holy Spirit who would “...guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14; cf 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-9).

     The disciples (followers) would become the apostles (those sent by Jesus) who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Their writings would eventually become encyclicals sent from one congregation to another (e.g. Colossians 4:16) and later into a compilation known as the New Testament which we are most fortunate to have readily available to everyone for personal study.  The NT is King Jesus royal edict to all of mankind.  One’s eternal destiny depends upon its instruction.

     In the last article we began to consider that instruction.  Christians are to be the light to the world by glorifying Jesus in their lives (Matthew 5:14,16).  The crux is “What does it mean to be a light for Him and how does a Christian glorify Him?”  Many folks believe it is their good works outweighing their bad deeds.  Erroneously that is a meritorious works salvation.  True Christians glorify Jesus out of gratitude for His grace to offer salvation to mankind, but realize they can not earn their salvation nor repay Jesus for His self-sacrifice.  Our thankfulness for Him stirs our zeal to glorify Jesus as Lord and Savior, but how do we do that?

     The Christian life begins with fruits of repentance.  Repentance is the resolve to change one’s life.  The fruit is the changed life.  The NT tells us how to do that.  The apostle Paul informed the congregations in Galatia, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21; cf Romans 1:18-32).  One can’t continue in these sins and go to heaven.
     The current American PC* attitude and drift into Humanistic amorality utterly spits in the face of God by sanctifying homosexuality.  The NT clearly states those who practice homosexuality will not go to heaven “No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:8-10; cf Colossians 3:5-9).

     The Christian’s first challenge to glorify Jesus is to stop committing these sins.  The Jesus-believing world long ago called them sins of commission, things folks do which are contrary to Jesus royal edicts and which prevent a person from entering heaven.

* “Politically Correct”

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