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More on the kingdom
In this world, the kingdom is the supreme desire to do the will of God, the unselfish love of your fellow man which yields the good fruits of improved ethical and moral conduct.
In heaven, the kingdom is the goal of mortal believers wherein their love of God is perfected.
Jesus taught that we enter the kingdom by faith. Two things only are essential, firstly to come with the faith-sincerity of a little child to receive our entry as a gift while submitting to the Father's will unconditionally, and secondly, truth hunger, the thirst for righteousness--the acquirement of the motive to find God and to be like him.
The receipt of God's forgiveness involves a four step process:
1. God's forgiveness is actually made available and is personally experienced just in so far as we have forgiven our neighbor.
2. We will not truly forgive our neighbors unless we love them as ourselves.
3.To thus love our neighbor is the highest ethics.
4. Moral conduct, true righteousness, becomes then, the natural result of such love.
The righteousness of any act must be measured by the motive.
Graciousness
Jesus spread good cheer everywhere he went. He was full of grace and truth. His associates never ceased to wonder at the gracious words that proceeded from his mouth. You can cultivate gracefulness, but graciousness is the aroma of friendliness which emanates from a love-saturated soul.
Goodness is attractive only when it is gracious--and is effective only when it is attractive.
Jesus was always ready and willing to stop or detain a multitude while he ministered to the needs of a single person or to a little child. Most of the really important things that Jesus said or did seemed to happen casually, 'as he passed by.' He dispensed health and happiness naturally and gracefully as he journeyed though life. It was literally true, 'he went about doing good.'
And so it behooves the Master's followers in all ages to learn to minister 'as they pass by' -to do unselfish good as they go about their daily duties.
Loving your neighbor
When the wise understand the inner impulses of others, they will love them. And when you love your neighbors, you have already forgiven them. This capacity to understand human nature and to forgive apparent wrongdoing is Godlike.
Your inability or unwillingness to forgive your neighbor is the measure of your immaturity, your failure to attain adult sympathy, understanding, and love. You hold grudges and nurse vengefulness in direct proportion to your ignorance of the inner nature and true longings of your fellow human beings.
Love is the outworking of the divine and inner urge of life. It is founded on understanding, nurtured by unselfish service and perfected in wisdom. Seek not in your daily lives, self-glorification, but seek rather the glory of God.
You cannot stand still in the affairs of the eternal kingdom. My father requires all his children to grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth. You who know these truths must yield the increase of the fruits of the spirit and manifest a growing devotion to the unselfish service of your fellows. In faithfulness do what is entrusted to you, and thereby shall you be ready for the reckoning call of death.
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