How does rejecting Christ's rule affect our relationship with God and others? Setting the Scene – Luke 19:14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’” Jesus tells the parable of the minas. The citizens’ cry captures the heart of all sin: a refusal to let Christ rule. --- The Heart of Rejection • It is active hatred, not mere indifference (Luke 19:14). • It resists rightful authority, echoing Psalm 2:1-3—“Let us tear off their chains and cast away their cords from us.” • It ultimately targets God Himself (1 Samuel 8:7). --- Effects on Our Relationship with God • Separation: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). • Loss of fellowship: 1 John 1:6 shows that claiming intimacy while rejecting His rule is self-deception. • Abiding wrath: “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). • Hardened heart: Repeated refusal dulls the conscience (Hebrews 3:13). --- Effects on Our Relationships with Others • Fractured unity: Refusing Christ’s peace produces hostility (Ephesians 2:14-16). • Works of the flesh dominate—“hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage…” (Galatians 5:19-21). • Love grows cold; we cannot love neighbor rightly if we will not love God first (Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 4:20). • Society spirals toward self-interest, seen in 2 Timothy 3:2-4—“lovers of self… without self-control, brutal, without love for good.” --- Christ’s Antidote to Rejection • Repentance: “Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19). • Submission brings life: “Take My yoke upon you… For My yoke is easy” (Matthew 11:29-30). • Spirit-produced fruit—love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22-23) replace the chaos of rebellion. --- Living Under His Lordship Today • Acknowledge His ownership: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). • Daily obedience safeguards fellowship (John 15:10). • Relational healing flows outward—“Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). • Hope in His return: unlike the rebels in Luke 19:14, believers await the King’s arrival with joy (Revelation 22:20). |
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