Jesus came to earth to deliver man from the power of the devil, 罪, and death and to 使人与神和好 和 恢复倒下的人的位置. By faith in Jesus Christ and through regeneration man would no longer belong to the generation of fallen man; 那个老人, 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
不要以为我是来给地球带来和平的: 我来不是为了送去和平, 但有一把剑. 因为我来是要叫一个人与他的父亲不和, 和女儿对抗她的母亲, 儿媳妇反对她的婆婆. 一个人的敌人就是他自己的家人 (垫 10:32-36, 鲁 12:51)
耶稣说, 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.
耶稣的意思是, that His coming and His redemption through regeneration and His life in the new creation, would cause division between the 老人 (你跌倒了) and the new man.
Through regeneration, the new man would no longer belong to the world, but to the Kingdom of God. 所以, the salvation of man would cause a separation between those, 谁属于世界; 黑暗王国 (魔鬼之子) 和那些, who belong to the Kingdom of God (sons of God).
The result of regeneration
世界不能恨你; 但它讨厌我, 因为我作证, 其行为是邪恶的 (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, 耶稣说, 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, 生气, 恨, 反抗, 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, 谁属于世界, 罪恶的, 义, 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).
这 再生 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 (耶稣).
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. 因为神的话是快捷的, 和强大的, 比任何双刃剑都锋利, 甚至刺入灵魂与精神的分裂, 以及关节和骨髓, 并且能洞察内心的想法和意图. 也没有一个生物不在他的眼前显现: 但万物都是赤身露体的，向我们必须与之同行的神的眼前 (赫布 4:11-13)
剑, 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 (老人) 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 神的旨意. The truth of God shall expose the lies of the world and shall bring the works of darkness into the light.
The Word shall, 除其他外, 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 赶走老人.
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, 你是谁 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; 神之子. 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.
算算成本
所以, 耶稣说, that before you make a choice to follow Him you should 计算成本. 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.
这同样适用于神的儿子们. If you wouldn’t have to make any effort, then Jesus wouldn’t have said that you should first 计算成本 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. 那些不背起十字架的人, and follows after Me, 不配我. 找到生命的人将失去它: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it (垫 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.
但是当你决定跟随耶稣时, 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.
‘成为地球之盐’
