Some who claim allegiance to Jesus are content with a simple faith. They admit that they are sinners. They know that Jesus died so that they might be forgiven. They trust they will make it into heaven. Some might feel this is all they need to know--and perhaps are just too busy to study the Scriptures in depth to find out what it all means for life in the meantime.

But how might Jesus challenge us beyond some of the conventional notions that fit into our theological comfort-zone?

(1) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "Love you neighbor as you love yourself." Jesus went way beyond that. He taught,"Love one another as I have loved you." Note the difference! The life of Jesus the Servant Messiah--not some set of law-codes or human notions about fair play--is the model for the godly life. There is but one commandment--one guideline for life in the Kingdom.

(2) "Religion and politics must be kept separate! After all, did Jesus not say, 'My Kingdom is not of this world' (suggesting that His Kingdom is only about the life to come--not this life)?" No! Jesus was saying,"My Kingdom (authority and dominion) is altogether different from the kingdoms that have risen and fallen throughout human history--but My Kingdom is nonetheless present and active in the world. My Kingdom is all about serving My Father by serving humanity-at-large. And I call My brothers and sisters to do the same— here and now."

(3) "We need to display the Ten Commandments more widely." Jewish scholars point out that the Ten Commandments (more accurately, the 10 plus the other 603 in Exodus-Deuteronomy) were given only to Jews--and they are right! They also point out that, according to Scripture, non-Jews were given seven commandments, the commandments of Noah (which are referred to several times in both the Old and New Testaments). Jesus, however, gives His brothers and sisters only one all-encompassing guideline for life (see point 1, above).

(4) When Jesus said, "I have not come to destroy the law or the prophets" (Matthew 5:17), He did not mean, "I endorse every law-code in your sacred writings (all 613 of them!), and fulfill all the predictions they contain." He meant, "I have come to explain and live out My Father's original design for humanity, and to make clear what the Old Testament prophets said and taught about My Father's forgiving grace and mercy, and His will for His covenant people."

(5) During recent days, there has been debate over which sacred book (i.e., the Qur'an vs. the Bible) those voted into political office should place their hands on when sworn in. Those who insist on using the Christian Bible do well to ponder the message contained within it. To swear on the New Testament books is to commit oneself to the following:

I dwell in a body in a country on a planet that God made and owns. I commit myself to see beyond borders, flags, ethnicity, and skin color. I will submit to no pressure group, but only to God's will. I commit myself to working to achieve the peace plan that God defines in His Word and that Jesus demonstrated in His life, and to seek the well-being of all within and beyond this nation's borders.

(6) Some Bibles translate Mark 1:15 (and parallel references) with "the kingdom of God has come near"--which gives the impression that the kingdom of God is on its way and will show up soon. That's a poor translation of the Greek verb tense where Jesus is saying, in effect, "The Kingdom of God has come. It has broken into history, and My ministry is what that Kingdom is all about. I am its King and its first citizen." If Jesus was right (and He was!), we who are mere tenants on Planet Earth may follow the lead of either Jesus the Servant Messiah, or what the Reformation Fathers referred to as the "deadly trio"--the demonic, the world order, and our sinful flesh. There is no such thing as a secular realm.

The world is paying a big price for failing to think through the wisdom and wonder of Jesus' Kingdom, and the reality and seductions of the demonic. So, it's not all that simple! What Jesus said and continues to say is nothing short of staggering! Rest assured that Crossways International stands ready to work with you, your church, your group, your friends, and your family to understand, believe, and live out what Jesus was, and is, really saying.

In Him,

Harry Wendt, President