120216 - Matthew 25 - the lowest brother's identification with the great King

Thursday SOAP: Jesus identifies with His people so much that caring for us IS caring for Him. Neglecting us IS neglecting Him. Persecuting us IS persecuting Him. For the very least believer, the great honor is to have this guarantee by the very King of Creation. For the unbeliever, the warning is the personal way He takes mistreatment of His beloved children.

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S: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40).

O: Here's another of Jesus' prophetic pronouncements which may technically have a specific application, said to be the judgment of nations according to how they have treated Israel. But I believe in principle, it applies to all followers of Christ (Luke 8:21), as shown in Acts 9:4. The Lord so identifies with His people that He regards feeding, clothing and visiting brothers and sisters in need as caring for Him. He regards persecution of His people as persecution of Himself.

A: Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Church is the Body of Christ in a literal sense, not just a figurative one when we look at it that way, an en-flesh-ment (incarnation) of God. He takes blessings and cursings toward His people personally because He loves us -- but also for this reason. God experiences what we experience. That's why we can grieve or quench the Holy Spirit, and why receiving me as I declare Christ is like receiving Him (John 13:20)... and why blessing His children is blessing Him. What a comforting thought His identification with us is - He commands me to put His Kingdom first, to make His interests my own; and then He makes what is in my best interests His own.

P: Lord, thank you so much for your complete identification with your children. What an honor it is to be called the children of the living God.

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