Based on Mark 10:35-45 (New King James Version)
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.’ And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’ So Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.’ And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In general, we often fail to grasp, or are not sufficiently zealous, that there should be a separation between the things of God and the things of the world, or our own opinions (which will be explained later). We often allow ourselves to be swayed by worldly opinions when making decisions and conducting our own affairs, and even when managing things within ministries themselves—things that should be entirely dedicated to God, as His Word indicates. There should be no mixing of the things of God with the things of the world, because that brings together the holy with the profane.
In the Word, as we saw today, we saw very clearly that there are great differences between the two kingdoms. We already saw that the Lord explained to His disciples that whoever wants to be great in the kingdom of God, then they must serve, by following the example He Himself set. The Lord Jesus Christ came because God sent Him, and He came to serve to such an extent that He even became the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. On a related note, our soldiers and public servants risk their lives every day for the well-being of the people they serve; and many of them have also sacrificed their lives for the good of others, so that we could enjoy the many beautiful freedoms we enjoy today, as well as the relative security in which we can live. But despite the great value of this public and national service, the Son of God did far more, because He was perfect, holy, and He did it not for some people or nations, but for the whole world. All our sins were placed upon Him. This is how the Lord served humanity, in obedience and for the glory of God the Father. So, there is a big difference between God's way and the way of natural man.
The curious thing is that John and James themselves had this problem of mixing things up on more than one occasion. In the Gospel of Luke, we read the following: “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’ But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.” Luke 9:51-56. So, what was John and James's mistake in their way of thinking? The world always thinks of revenge, displays of power, and inflicting some kind of harm in response to evil. The Lord didn't need John and James to call down fire from heaven. The Lord, as the Almighty God He was (and is), could have done that and much more, but He chose not to. Instead, He proclaimed the grace of God. His mission in His earthly ministry as the God He was (and is) was not to consume His enemies as in the Old Testament, but to extend grace, to give opportunity for repentance and conversion so that there may be salvation. What we must keep in mind is that God's grace does have limits though. His grace is not a license to sin, as many take it today, and some see God's mercy and grace as signs of weakness or nonexistence. The Lord will again be that consuming fire in the coming judgment.
What else is so different about God and the things of the world (and here we enter into the explanation of our opinion, and how we must also avoid that)? It is very common to hear the advice: “let yourself be guided by your heart.” According to God, this is a grave error. We, not even as Christians, should never let ourselves be led by our hearts because our hearts, even though the Lord dwells in them, still have serious problems. The heart is ultimately the center of a person's being, and as such, it remains corrupted by sin, and that is why we must not let ourselves be led by it. This is what the Word says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. And the Lord said this also: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:18-19. So, it's not good to let our hearts lead us because only bad decisions will result, and no bad decision brings good consequences, especially when it comes to the things of God.
So, what should we let ourselves be led by and use as the basis for everything in our lives if we want to be right in the eternal things of God? It is necessary to be born again in Christ so that the Holy Spirit can enter our lives. He is the One who should guide us, and not the world, and not even ourselves. The Lord said: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14. And what does the Holy Spirit use to guide us? He uses the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If you wish to do God's will and be right in the things of God, you must set aside worldly things and even your own ideas and embrace what God says, for your own good in this present world, and even more importantly, for your eternal future. So, do you follow God's ways or what seems right to you? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!