Reuben Walter emphasizes that Jesus calls Christians to be 'game changers' in society, urging them to live radically different lives that reflect His teachings. He highlights the importance of loving enemies, forgiving without conditions, and embodying the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven, which are contrary to human nature. Walter explains that true change comes not from sheer determination but through the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to break free from bitterness and self-pity. He stresses that Christians must shine their light brightly in a dark world, demonstrating a love that surpasses worldly expectations. Ultimately, Walter encourages believers to embrace their calling to reflect Christ's love and mercy, which can lead others to seek God.

These words of our Savior, you know we hear a lot these days about what has Christ done, and yes, he has done everything. But it seems to me in this chapter here, Matthew 5 to 7, and even in Luke here, which I'll read from, he seems to put the ball into our court. Here, I've supplied you with tools, what are you doing with them? I've given you the equipment, now be ye therefore as I was. You see, Christians, it takes a long time for us to realize most of the time people won't get saved because they want to get out of hell. It's still a selfish motive. They want to go into heaven. But Christ saves us for a far different purpose. We are saved to be game changers on this earth. That's what he saved us for. To change, to alter the course of the direction that society is going. To be game changers. That's why we were saved. Totally to bring on a whole new set of perspectives, a whole new realm and a reality into this age of darkness. And like the brother said here, some people want to become like the world to maybe save them. That's one of the biggest ironies there is. It's like there's light and there's darkness. What shall we do? Become dark so we can bring light? There's no, it is illogical, irrational and impossible. The only way God's people would make a change in this world is by shining the light ever so brighter. In other words, being more and more radically different than the rest of society. That's what's going to change and alter the course of what's going on. But what Jesus said here, we can also read a similar passage in Luke. I'd like to focus on that one. It's very similar, but it adds a couple of other points. Luke chapter 6 and verse 27. Very similar to what the brother read here. But I say unto you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smites thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. Him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also unto them likewise. For if you love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners do even the same. And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again. Just look how revolutionary these statements are that Jesus made here. But love your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great. You shall be the children of the highest for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful even as your father also is merciful. Here we can see there's a whole a complete new realm that Christ is trying to portray here for his children. And brothers and sisters I can tell you right now this is not something we can do by sheer determination. We can, but I tell you one thing it doesn't give you joy and peace and happiness. That can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit working in a child of God. It is not self-control, it is death of self. And yes, Jesus clearly points to our direction. Almost as if he said, now I'm expecting you to do the same thing. You see God, Jesus is not unrighteous and he's not unjust. And every word, every commandment, every word he gave us is true and right. And if he said we could do it and we should do it that means we can do it. Christ would not ask this of us if it were impossible. Christ would never ask the impossible from his children. But as I said at the start here, he has empowered us with the tools to do it. It is contrary to human nature, it is totally against everything that man knows. Our tendencies are like the brother already said, if you do this, I'll do that. Business transactions, lending, forgiving, giving, all these points come with a clause and come with a condition. And Christ says, don't worry about conditions. The onus is on us, on every single child of God, not to expect the other person to do what is right, but to do what is right. That's going to change the course of history and the course of this world. How can you, how can you, how, I mean, by sheer determination we cannot smite back when we get smitten. That means with words, it doesn't have to be a physical slap. That can be with a word, that can be with a body language, or with some other motive. Sure, you can hold yourself back from retaliating, but is our heart so clear inside that we absolutely, as if it never happened? That takes more than a human being has. That's why he said it. He said it because he has given us the power and the ability to do it. On the fact of, you know, smiling on one cheek and then loving them which love you and doing good to those who do good to us, often the enemy fools us, as he has for thousands of years. And Christians are guilty of it just like the rest of the world. Fools us is to think, you know, if we hold on to some grudge maybe, hold on to some selfish feeling, hold on to some bitterness or self-pity, and it gives us, it somehow gives us power over that person. But the exact opposite is the truth. The exact opposite is true. It's the other person that's holding power over you. When we don't forgive or when we don't give, if somebody has shortchanged us and we are refusing to let go until he pays back, one way or the other, we think we hold a advantage over him. No, we don't. We're simply just portraying what the rest of the world does. That's why Jesus said, what are you doing more than others? The world has its system, its legal system, all set up for this kind of stuff. It's got its justice system, its judicial system. When somebody harms me or hurts me in some way, that's what the courts are for and the police to take care of that situation. That's the kingdom of this world, dealing with situations of this world. And they deal with them as it seems right for the injured party as well as the injured. Fair trials, that's what it's all about. But Jesus seems to disregard it here. It almost seems like, nope, don't even look there, brothers and sisters. Don't even look to the judicial system. Look to me. If you want to have your rights, if you want to keep your wealth or you want to protect your investments and your self-interests by using the way of the world, go ahead and do it. But don't come to me then. Don't want me and the rest. You know, there are several reasons why Jesus wants us to be this way. There's a reason for it. There's a purpose for it. I already mentioned a little bit here. The purpose, brother already made it quite clear, is to shine forth the praises of him, to bring glory to his name. But I think we can't forget this one as well. And that's for our sake. That we, like he said, to forgive and to give and to lend and to love the enemies and hoping for nothing, he does it for our sake. Just think about it, brothers and sisters, how free we could walk with God when these chains have been snapped in our lives. He says it for our sake so that we can portray an accurate representation of the kingdom of heaven on this earth. For example, if you want to only be kind to someone that is kind to us, it turns us into miserable rats and we become mistrustful of people and we're always thinking, well, what is the other person's got something against me or he's out to get me? And you never walk freely. You're always wondering. You know, when that other person is not quite the way I thought it should be and expect him and you're always wondering, you're not walking freely. We're not walking in true liberty in Christ. We're not, we're more concerned about what the other person is doing or not doing than what we ought to do. If we only give when we expect a return, it makes us mistrustful of other people. Very simple. And to forgive only after someone asks makes us a prisoner of self-pity and bitterness. It's an old saying, if you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free and the prisoner is you. One of the most hated feelings I know of in my own life that I've had to be dealt with are self-pity and bitterness. There's no freedom there. There is no joy in the Holy Spirit. And God tells us, through these circumstances, points us, I'm worried about, I'm concerned about you. If we as God's people choose to hold on to something, nurse an old feeling or an insult, someone has insulted us or trespassed against us or a grudge, I believe we deserve to be miserable and defeated because we're not better than the rest of the world. We're not doing anything special. We deserve to have a defeated Christian life. Jesus Christ has told us and given us the tools and the word to say, lay it on me. I am here. And think about it. Has anyone ever felt good after expressing his anger and his selfish ambitions? Ever felt good afterwards? You're not a Christian. I think even non-Christians don't feel good afterwards. Has it ever brought peace in our hearts, joy in our lives? Has a negative thought about a person ever made you love that person more or make you feel better about him or her? You see, Jesus knows what brings us peace, happiness, and blessings. And that's why he gave us this word. And here in these chapters, he's trying to make us see this simple but most vital truth. We are to be so different from the world that people think we either lost it, lost our mind, or we really are living by a higher power. You see, our Savior, when he walked on this earth, and to this very day, there's only two, there's no middle ground when it comes to Jesus. To this very day, people say, either Jesus was who he said he was, or he was a lunatic. There's no middle ground. Either Jesus was who he said he was, or he had lost it. You know, when Noah built that ark, what do you think the people thought? What do you think they thought of him working away and hammering away and sawing away at this big box out in the middle of nowhere? It was radical. It was revolutionary. It changed the game. And that's what God is waiting for to this very day. And God's people are not catching on fast enough. He has to hold off with destruction for the sake of his people. He waited till Noah had finished the boat completely before sending the destruction to the rest of the world. To this very day, God is waiting for the people of God to catch on to these simple truths, so he can finally come and do away with evil, and set up his righteousness, and his justice, and his holiness in this world. 1 Peter 3.8, he mirrors those same words. He clearly shows us here, finally, 1 Peter 3.8, finally be ye all of one mind, have compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing, knowing that ye are there unto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. And soon, a new version says, pursue it, for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. His ears are open unto their prayers. So there's a big reason, and I believe it's a big enough reason, that Christ gave us his word. And the second, another reason is, when we portray that type of a life, when we walk with that humility, that brokenness, that is an instrumental in setting others free. That is instrumental in causing others to covet what God has given us. I believe to this very day, the Jews have not accepted Christ, because the Christians have not made them jealous. To this very day, Jews are rejecting their Messiah, because they don't see much, that they don't see anything they want. God's people are not radically different enough from everyone else, to cause them to turn. So we are ministering. When we are living by that standard, as Christ gave and set forth here, giving and forgiving and loving, we are ministering. We are ministering to ourselves, and others, of the wonderful power of God. And like I said at the beginning, it cannot be done by sheer determination. It must be done by a release, giving over, surrender life, and Lord, you said it, therefore it is possible. And then taking that step of faith, believing that he will supply any needed strength, to stand in the face of adversity. The true test of a Christian is not, when things are going well. The true test of our character and our Christianity is in the face of adversity. That's where we find, if we're really serving God, or ourselves. So let us abide by that word, meditate on it, and realize it is only for our blessedness, that Jesus gave us those hard sayings, so that we can walk truly and freely. As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, many passages there, but one that always stands out to me is, love keeps no record of wrongs. It's amazing.