Kingdom 103: Your Legacy and the Kingdom
What is a legacy and what part does it have in the lives of Kingdom citizens? First, a legacy is:
1) any special privilege accorded to a firstborn.
2) legacy also means something immaterial, as a style or philosophy, that is passed from one generation to another. Also, the word accorded, in this instance means to agree or harmonize or to reconcile. It also may mean to grant or concede; bestow; to be in agreement or harmony. By the way, that is exactly what the Father and Son are. They are one.
Remember Jesus' promise to those who are poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Also, to those who are persecuted for His name on His behalf: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. These are promises from our Lord and Savior. He also made this statement: Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So many people are seeking to establish a legacy of themselves, but there is only one legacy that will withstand this earth's destruction. God's Word tells us that it will be destroyed with a melting fire. The ambassador Peter tells us here in his second letter to the Jews and Gentiles. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The only thing that will remain is His Word. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. While writing to the believers of the Kingdom at Philippi, he made this statement concerning their selfish motivation. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. We are in the business of spreading the Kingdom of God around the world. We are not in the business of spreading our own agenda. Your primary goal is to learn the Gospel of the Kingdom and then teach it to others. In this way, you speed up the coming of our Lord and King.
Your legacy comes down to this: We should follow John the Baptist's example. "He must increase, but I must decrease."
In case you haven't realized it, the Lord Jesus didn't come here to earth to create a legacy for Himself. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Jesus Himself didn't come here to make a reputation for Himself. Why are there so many who claim to know Jesus striving to create a legacy for themselves? The Lord Jesus obeyed His Father to the end of His time on earth. Because of that, here is what His Father did: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In summary, we all have a desire to leave something behind after we are gone. We want to be remembered for what we did and who we were. But our greatest legacy--our only legacy--should be that we helped to advance the Kingdom of God around the world. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Always remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the Lord Jesus the Christ!
Matthew 5:3, 10, 12 II Peter 3:10-13 Mark 13:31 Philippians 2:3-4 John 3:30
Philippians 2:5-8, 9-11 Matthew 24:14
~~W.R. Luchie
1) any special privilege accorded to a firstborn.
2) legacy also means something immaterial, as a style or philosophy, that is passed from one generation to another. Also, the word accorded, in this instance means to agree or harmonize or to reconcile. It also may mean to grant or concede; bestow; to be in agreement or harmony. By the way, that is exactly what the Father and Son are. They are one.
Remember Jesus' promise to those who are poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Also, to those who are persecuted for His name on His behalf: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. These are promises from our Lord and Savior. He also made this statement: Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So many people are seeking to establish a legacy of themselves, but there is only one legacy that will withstand this earth's destruction. God's Word tells us that it will be destroyed with a melting fire. The ambassador Peter tells us here in his second letter to the Jews and Gentiles. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The only thing that will remain is His Word. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. While writing to the believers of the Kingdom at Philippi, he made this statement concerning their selfish motivation. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. We are in the business of spreading the Kingdom of God around the world. We are not in the business of spreading our own agenda. Your primary goal is to learn the Gospel of the Kingdom and then teach it to others. In this way, you speed up the coming of our Lord and King.
Your legacy comes down to this: We should follow John the Baptist's example. "He must increase, but I must decrease."
In case you haven't realized it, the Lord Jesus didn't come here to earth to create a legacy for Himself. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Jesus Himself didn't come here to make a reputation for Himself. Why are there so many who claim to know Jesus striving to create a legacy for themselves? The Lord Jesus obeyed His Father to the end of His time on earth. Because of that, here is what His Father did: Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In summary, we all have a desire to leave something behind after we are gone. We want to be remembered for what we did and who we were. But our greatest legacy--our only legacy--should be that we helped to advance the Kingdom of God around the world. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Always remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the Lord Jesus the Christ!
Matthew 5:3, 10, 12 II Peter 3:10-13 Mark 13:31 Philippians 2:3-4 John 3:30
Philippians 2:5-8, 9-11 Matthew 24:14
~~W.R. Luchie
