God designed the relational covenants for kingdom culture. They operate on principles, processes, and protocols consistent with the King’s leadership. He is a King. He is completely involved. He designed and defined these relational dynamics. He operates within His kingdom with them in mind. He does not shift kingdom culture to accommodate existing culture. That is the whole point of kingdom culture.
Kingdom influences existing cultures through influence, not infiltration. If the kingdom culture fails to function, it fails to influence. Citizens can live by the principals, processes, and protocols of kingdom culture. In not, kingdom culture fails to represent the King. Kingdom culture is not even “kingdom” if unless it represents the right behaviors of the King.
Jesus provides a platform of cultural norms for His kingdom. Moses shared what God revealed to him in the mountain and the Tent of Meeting. Moses had elders to assist him in applying these dynamics to the entire culture. The culture applied God’s rules, so God could rule.
The Law and Prophets
Oddly enough , we reject the very thing Jesus establishes. We make the broad-brush assumption that no principles, processes, and protocols apply. Even worse, we substitute norms from opposing cultures for those He provides. He asks us to transform those cultures. We adapt those cultures.
Jesus establishes kingdom. Jesus establishes the right behaviors of the kingdom. Jesus has expectations and anticipations. Jesus has law and prophets in His kingdom that bring the previous efforts at kingdom culture to fullness and fulfillment.
The Message: “Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom.”
Jesus says, “Do not think that I have arrived to destroy Law and Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to bring them to fullness and fulfillment.”
They said, “Do not commit adultery.”
I say, “Reach a point of oneness that excludes all entertainments for others. Make marriage all I designed it to be, from the beginning of the Creation. One man. One woman. For life. Leave and cleave.”
They said, “Do not provide false witness.”
I say, “Keep your word. Do so at your own expense. Give words meaning and honor the meaning of your truth or be accountable for lying.”
They said, “Do not murder.”
I say, “Do not murder with your mouth. Your heart overflows through your mouth. If your words diminish, your heart reveals its level of authenticity.”
They said, “Love you friends. Hate your enemies.”
The Message: “I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone.”
The culture of the kingdom is good for everyone. Nobody loses in the kingdom unless the oppose God’s goodness.
