“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NIV
Imagine the CEO of a large company, on the eve of a long trip overseas on business, gathering his entire staff around him, including janitors and cleaners, to give them instructions on running his enterprise while he is away.
How will he ensure that his company will continue to flourish during his absence? Will he install CCTV cameras throughout the building to monitor their behaviour? Will he employ security guards to watch their every move and report on their actions?
Jesus is the CEO of God’s great eternal business enterprise, His kingdom on earth. He has a representative to whom He has delegated the task of administering the kingdom until He returns, His own “other self”, the one just like Him…the Holy Sprit.
What was Jesus’ method of ensuring that His ministry would continue exactly as He had initiated it?
None of the above, according to the world’s way even if it were possible! Jesus required one condition that would ensure the continuation of His business during His “absence”…our love for Him. He promised to give us one overseer to keep His business on track until His return…His Spirit in us.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3-5 NIV
How unlike the ways of the world! No CEO requires his staff to love him as the guarantee of their faithfulness. No CEO promises another person, with the same goals and modus operandi exactly like his own, to help them run his business efficiently during his absence because they love Him!
Jesus promised His people that relationship…the love-bond between Himself and us and our response of love to Him…is all that is needed to keep us in union with His “business plan”, extending God’s rule in the hearts of His people everywhere. More than that, He promised never to leave us to carry out the task alone. He would replace His own physical presence with His counterpart, the Holy Spirit.
For Jesus, God’s kingdom is much more than the Father’s business in which we are His “employees”. The kingdom of God is a family business in which we all have a share.
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:31-32 NIV
Our faithful involvement in spreading the good news of the kingdom and ensuring that its citizens adhere to its constitution, also guarantees God’s provision for us, His co-workers.
“But seek his kingdom, and these things (our everyday needs) will be given to you as well.”
Luke 12:31 NIV
This “family business” of the kingdom means that we are all in it together. There’s no place for private interpretation of the constitution, personal ambition, conflicts, or differences of opinion. We are one, we have one CEO, Jesus, one Administrator, the Holy Spirit, and we are all subject to one authority.
When we keep these facts in mind, our role in the spread of God’s rule in people’s hearts and in our faithful living and teaching the principles of God’s rule, Jesus said that we would no longer be orphans, homeless waifs. We are sons…those who, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are intimately and personally involved in the family business of the kingdom.
To be continued…