God's Culture in the Earth
Matthew records the words Jesus shared with His disciples found in chapter 6:9-10:
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus has always been aware of His Father’s Kingdom. Jesus knew that everything in heaven was perfectly aligned with His Father ‘s will and His ways. Nothing existed in heaven contrary to the character and mentality of God. God was the King of Heaven, and all who abide within its gates represent the heart and vision of the Creator. Heaven is a spiritual place void of any of the limitations of this world. None of the world’s mentalities can dwell in heaven. Jesus came from heaven to the earth to reconcile mankind again to the Father.
Every kingdom has a culture. This world has many cultures that represent the beliefs and faiths of a diverse multitude of nations and people. Not only does this world host many different cultures, but it also recognizes numerous leaders who maintain rule and reign over those who dwell in their respective kingdoms. It is evident that those who dwell in the kingdoms of this world have taken on the characteristics of its leadership. History has recorded that often these cultures experience conflict with each other. One apparent thing is the divided nature of men and women on this earth.
One of the priorities of God has been to see unity in the earth. In a spiritual context, God sent His Son into the world to reconcile all nations and cultures to Himself. Sin had and still does, separate mankind from God, their Creator. If there is to be a real change in the nations, there must first be a change in the hearts and lives of people. If God’s will is to be realized in the earth, the kingdoms of this world must be exposed to the Kingdom of Heaven. Heaven’s culture must become the culture of all the kingdoms of the earth.
Jesus came to this world to expose the rulers of this world to the culture of heaven. In short, the Father intended that the world would be one even as the Kingdom of Heaven is one. This was the Father’s intention from the beginning and His Son’s prayer at the end of His life on earth. What would be the impact of heaven’s culture upon the lives of all men and women on the earth? Because there is no sin in God’s Kingdom, the immediate result would be no sin in the earth. What a glorious difference this would make. The Bible tells us that God is God over the heavens and the earth. The earth is still the Lord’s! This also includes every human being living on earth. The challenge is not that the earth and all who dwell on it are not under the covering of the Lord, but rather that they are not under His influence.
God realized that this would be a challenge that would not come without sacrifice. Jesus paid the price required to atone for the sins of humanity. Jesus lived His life on earth in a way that testified of what the culture of heaven could be like in the earth. God appeals to every person to strive for unity in every context of life. God knew that the witness of unity of all mankind would also be the realization of His Lordship in the earth. Let us pray that all would strive to become one in their respective contexts—whether that be relationships, marriages, families, or communities. May the influence of the Father and His culture transform the lives and experiences of every man, woman, boy and girl to the point that the cultures of this world become the cultures of our Lord. To God be the glory.