Jesus came to earth to deliver man from the power of the devil, sin, and death and to reconcile man back to God and restore the position of fallen man. By faith in Jesus Christ and through regeneration man would no longer belong to the generation of fallen man; the old man, but to the generation of the new man; sons God. But the salvation of fallen man and the transfer from the kingdom of the darkness to the Kingdom of God had consequences for the life of the new man on earth. Because Jesus came not to send peace on earth, but Jesus came to send a sword. What did Jesus mean by not sending peace but sending a sword on earth?
Jesus brought division
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household (Mat 10:32-36, Lu 12:51)
Jesus said, that He didn’t come to bring peace on earth, as the world defines peace, but to bring the sword.
Jesus came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law and someone’s enemies would be those of his own household.
Jesus meant, that His coming and His redemption through regeneration and His life in the new creation, would cause division between the old man (fallen man) and the new man.
Through regeneration, the new man would no longer belong to the world, but to the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the salvation of man would cause a separation between those, who belong to the world; the kingdom of darkness (sons of the devil) and those, who belong to the Kingdom of God (sons of God).
The result of regeneration
The world cannot hate you; but Me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil (Jn 7:7)
When the disciples of Jesus were not born again and were still the old creation, who belonged to the generation of fallen man, Jesus said, that the world could not hate them, because they still belonged to the world. But when they would be born again and the Holy Spirit would dwell in them and Jesus Christ would be in them, that would all change.
His life and His righteousness in the new creation would cause agitation, angriness, hate, resistance, and persecution.
The old carnal man, who has the nature of the devil and the spirit of the antichrist wouldn’t stand the new man, who has the nature of God and the Spirit of Christ.
Since the Holy Spirit, Who lives in the new man, would reprove those, who belong to the world, of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8)
Jesus was hated by the world, because He testified that her works were evil. Therefore the new creations would also be hated by the world, because they would also testify that her works are evil (Jn 15:18-27; 16:1-12).
The regeneration in Jesus Christ and living in Him would divide the soulish people, who are born of the seed of Adam and the spiritual people, who are born of the Seed of God (Jesus).
The Word is powerful and shaper than any two-edged Sword
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Heb 4:11-13)
The sword, that Jesus brought not only referred to the relationships between people on earth and the separation between the generation of the old man and the generation of the new man, but the sword also referred to the life of the new man.
Because the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and it pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul (old man) and spirit (new man) and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word deals with the old man
The Word is the truth of God and is holy and righteous. When you study the Word through the Holy Spirit and renew your mind, you will get to know the will of God. The truth of God shall expose the lies of the world and shall bring the works of darkness into the light.
The Word shall, among others, confront you with the deeds of your flesh, and then it’s up to you, to obey the Word or not. When you obey the Word of God and do what He says, you shall mortify the deeds of your flesh and put off the old man.
The Word not only deals with the old man, but the Word also reveals who you have become in Jesus Christ.
The Word builds the new man up in holiness
The Word feeds the spirit of the new creation with the truth of God. The Word shall reveal, who you are in Christ and what inheritance you have been given in Him. Without the Word you will never find out.
Only through obedience to the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword you shall kill the works of the flesh and shall do the works of the spirit.
By renewing your mind with the Word and by obeying the Word, the new man shall arise and shall walk in the light; the truth of God as the new creation; son of God. The new man shall be build up in holiness through the Word and shall do the will of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit on earth.
Count the cost
Therefore, Jesus said, that before you make a choice to follow Him you should count the cost. Because many people are not willing to lay down their old life and kill the works of the old carnal man through obedience to the Word (the Sword).
Many people are not able to run the race of faith and finish it. They want to be partakers of the race to receive the price, but they are not willing to pay the price. They assume that you won’t have to make any effort to be rewarded. But that’s not true.
Every professional athlete knows, what you have to give up to perform at top level and what it cost to win and be rewarded. If you didn’t have to give up anything and didn’t have to make any effort, then everyone would be a professional athlete. But only those, who are willing to pay the price and give up their own lives, their time and social lives and activities for a disciplined training schedule with the right nutrition and a full dedication, will be rewarded.
The same applies to the sons of God. If you wouldn’t have to make any effort, then Jesus wouldn’t have said that you should first count the cost before making the choice to follow Him
Jesus wouldn’t have said either: He that loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it (Mat 10:37-39)
But these are the words of Jesus. And Jesus said many more things, which are nowadays twisted and preached in such a manner, that many believers think that you don’t have to do anything and don’t have to make any effort, that everything will be thrown in your lap and you can live like the world; as those who still belong to the generation of fallen man and keep doing those things that go against the will of God.
But when you decide to follow Jesus, it means to give up yourself and put off your flesh. You may even lose friends and/or family members, because they are not able to bear the Truth of God.
Because the Truth of God; the Sword pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and brings division between soulish people and spiritual people on earth.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
