Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become citizens of the kingdom of God. How, then, should we live in this world? Peter tells us, 1 Peter 2:11-12, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:" He not only tells us to obey the laws of this world; He tells us why we should abide by those laws.
Once we understand who Jesus is, the why becomes simple because He told us. He speaks from the authority of the Creator, John 1:3, "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." To disobey is to deny Him before others. And we know how that ends, Matthew 10:33, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." and Matthew 7:21-23, " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
The amazing thing about obeying Jesus is that it produces the best possible life in this world, John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Looking around this world, we see stealing, killing, and destroying. This is being done by those who have chosen to disobey. Those obeying Jesus produce the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." This is how we know who is obeying and following Jesus. This is how we know we are aliens and strangers in this land. This is how we know what heaven will be like, Revelation 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
So, how are we to live? We are to live like we are already in heaven, by the Spirit who leads us to the fruit. Love separates Jesus' followers from everyone else, Matthew 7:16-17, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." The love that Jesus calls us to is unlike the love we witness in this world. It is a selfless love that drives us to care for other people more than ourselves, Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Jesus asks us to love as He did when He walked this earth, John 15:12, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
This is not an intellectual process. It is an experiential process. We live it, and then we understand it. When someone who truly loves us hugs us, we know that they love us. We must move down the eighteen inches from the head to the heart to fully understand Jesus' love. Once understood, it is easy to live, for we are no longer striving for the things of this world. The funny thing about it is that He will give us what we need, Matthew 6:33, " But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." that is why it is the abundant life He calls us to live, which is as aliens and strangers in this world.
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