Inverse

Every believer lives between two competing kingdoms. The earthly kingdom continually pulls us toward our needs, desires, security, recognition, comfort, and self-fulfillment. The Kingdom of God calls us in the opposite direction—to seek God first, deny self, obey Christ, and surrender our lives in service to others.

This struggle can be compared to gravity. Gravity constantly pulls everything downward. In the same way, our natural human needs and desires can continually pull our hearts toward earthly things. We naturally seek food, security, acceptance, achievement, recognition, comfort, and personal fulfillment. None of these needs are necessarily wrong, but when they become our ultimate pursuit, they can pull us away from God's purpose, vision, and mission.

An Example

Imagine a believer who feels called by God to serve others, but at the same time wants financial security and recognition.

• Basic need: “I need a comfortable life - Food, Water, Shelter etc.,”

• Safety need: “I need financial security & stability.”

• Belonging: “I need people to accept me.”

• Esteem: “I need recognition for what I accomplish.”

• Self-actualization: “I want to achieve my full potential.”

These desires can gradually become the believer's purpose.

But Jesus says: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33

Think of a rocket launching from Earth. Gravity pulls downward, but the rocket must continually generate enough upward thrust to overcome that pull.

Likewise, earthly needs and desires naturally pull us downward toward ourselves, while God's Word, the Holy Spirit, faith, obedience, and surrender continually direct us upward toward Christ.

Earthly pull:
Needs → Desires → Self → Comfort → Security → Recognition → Achievement

Heavenly direction:
Christ → Kingdom → Obedience → Surrender → Servanthood → God's Purpose

The goal is not to eliminate legitimate human needs. Jesus Himself taught that the Father knows that we need them (Matthew 6:31–32). The issue is which kingdom is controlling our priorities.

Earthly needs should become God's provision, not our purpose.
Earthly desires should become surrendered to God's will, not become our master.

Ultimately, Christian maturity is learning to live on earth without being governed by earthly values.

The world asks: “What do I need to become fulfilled?”
Jesus asks: “What does God want me to become for His Kingdom?”

The world pulls us toward self.
The Kingdom calls us toward Christ.

Earthly needs pull downward; Heavenly purpose calls upward.
The mature believer learns to overcome the downward pull by continually seeking, following, obeying, and reflecting Christ.

Jesus repeatedly taught principles that turn the values of the world upside down. In God's Kingdom, greatness, reward, leadership, recognition, and status are measured very differently from how the world measures them.

1. First will be last; last will be first
   “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” — Matthew 20:16
   World: Get ahead of others.
   Kingdom: Humble yourself and let God exalt you.

2. Love your enemies
   “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44
   World: Love those who love you; fight your enemies.
   Kingdom: Love, bless, and pray for your enemies.

3. Reward is not based simply on length of service — Vineyard Workers
   — Matthew 20:1–16
   World: More time worked = greater reward.
   Kingdom: God gives according to His grace and generosity, not merely human calculations of merit.

4. Give in secret, not for recognition
   — Matthew 6:1–4
   World: Make your good works visible so people recognize you.
   Kingdom: Give without seeking applause; God sees what is hidden.

5. Pray in secret, not for public recognition
   — Matthew 6:5–6
   World: Public appearance and recognition matter.
   Kingdom: Your relationship with God matters more than being seen by people.

6. Invite the lowly, not only the influential
   — Luke 14:12–14
   World: Invite people who can invite you back or increase your status.
   Kingdom: Invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind—those who cannot repay you.

7. The servant becomes the leader
   “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” — Matthew 20:26
   World: Leaders are served by others.
   Kingdom: Great leaders serve others.

8. The greatest becomes like the servant
   — Luke 22:26
   World: The oldest or highest-ranking person deserves prominence.
   Kingdom: The greatest should take the position of the servant and serve.

9. To save your life, you must lose it
   — Matthew 16:25
   World: Preserve yourself, pursue your interests.
   Kingdom: Surrender yourself to Christ and you will find true life.

10. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted
    — Matthew 23:12
    World: Promote yourself.
    Kingdom: Humble yourself and let God lift you up.

11. The poor can be rich in God's Kingdom
    — Luke 6:20; James 2:5
    World: Wealth means blessing and poverty means failure.
    Kingdom: Spiritual riches are more important than material wealth.

12. The meek inherit the earth
    — Matthew 5:5
    World: The powerful take control.
    Kingdom: The meek ultimately receive God's inheritance.

13. The persecuted are blessed
    — Matthew 5:10–12
    World: Being rejected or persecuted means you have lost.
    Kingdom: Faithfulness in persecution can be a sign of Kingdom blessing.

14. The poor in spirit are blessed
    — Matthew 5:3
    World: Independence and self-sufficiency are strengths.
    Kingdom: Recognizing your spiritual poverty and dependence on God is the beginning of blessing.

15. The weak & foolish are chosen
    — 1 Corinthians 1:27–29
    World: Strength, intelligence, influence, and status determine significance.
    Kingdom: God often chooses what the world considers weak and insignificant.

16. Things done is private / secret matters the most
    — Matthew 6:4, 6, 18; Luke 12:2–3
    World: What matters is what people see outside.
    Kingdom: God sees what is hidden, and ultimately hidden things will be brought to light.

17. Greatness in Heaven is measured by Humility
    — Matthew 18:1–4
    World: Greatness means becoming more powerful and important.
    Kingdom: Becoming humble like a child is the path to greatness.

18. Store up treasures in Heaven and not on earth
    — Matthew 6:19-24
    World: Keep what you receive and accumulate more. Accumulate possessions and earthly security.
    Kingdom: Store up treasure in heaven. Freely you have received; freely give.

One of the greatest struggles in the Christian life is that not every stumbling block is a sinful thing. Sometimes, even good and legitimate things—family, career, money, education, comfort, relationships, success, reputation, health, hobbies, and even ministry—can become obstacles when they take first place in our hearts.

Jesus did not say that these things were necessarily wrong. Instead, He gave us the Kingdom priority:

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33

The issue is therefore not simply “Is this good or bad?” but “Is this God's will and priority for my life?”

A good thing becomes a stumbling block when the gift becomes more important than the Giver, the blessing becomes more important than the Blesser, or our personal desire becomes more important than God's purpose.

Martha is a good example. She was not doing something sinful—she was serving Jesus. Yet her good activity became a distraction from the “one thing” that was needed (Luke 10:38–42). The rich young ruler was another example. His possessions were not necessarily sinful, but he could not surrender them when Jesus called him to follow (Matthew 19:16–22). His good possession became a Kingdom obstacle because he valued it more than Christ.

Paul gives us another important principle:

“I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. — 1 Corinthians 10:23

Therefore, God's Kingdom maturity means learning to distinguish between what is good, what is beneficial, and what is God's will.

God's Kingdom reverses this: 

Family is good, but God must come first.
Career is good, but career must serve God's purpose.
Money is good, but money must remain a tool rather than become our security.
Knowledge is good, but knowledge must produce love rather than pride.
Success is good, but success must not replace faithfulness.
Ministry is good, but ministry must never replace relationship with Christ.
Comfort is good, but comfort must not prevent obedience.

The ultimate test is surrender: “Can I give this back to God if He asks me to?”

If we cannot surrender something, even though it is good, it may have become more important to us than God's Kingdom.

Therefore, Kingdom living is not about removing every good thing from our lives; it is about putting every good thing in its proper place. We do not have to reject God's blessings—we must refuse to allow His blessings to replace Him.

A sinful thing must be rejected.
A good thing may need to be reordered.
A Kingdom thing must be prioritized.

The mature believer is not one who has nothing, but one who allows nothing to have a greater place in the heart than Christ.

The question is not merely, “Is it good?”
The deeper question is, “Does it help me seek God's Kingdom, follow Christ, obey His will, and fulfill His purpose?”

Total depravity describes the condition of humanity after the Fall. It does not mean that every person is as evil as possible, but that sin has affected every part of human nature—heart, mind, will, desires, relationships, and actions. Because humanity turned away from God, people cannot restore themselves to God through their own goodness or ability.

This fallen condition can be understood through three dimensions:

1. Fallen People – Humanity is spiritually separated from God and naturally inclined toward self-rule rather than God’s will. Our thoughts, desires, motives, and choices are affected by sin.
   “There is no one righteous, not even one.” — Romans 3:10
   “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

2. Fallen World – Creation itself has been affected by humanity’s rebellion. Suffering, death, corruption, broken relationships, injustice, and disorder are realities of living in a world subjected to the consequences of sin.
   “The whole creation has been groaning…” — Romans 8:22
   Genesis 3:17–19 describes the curse that affected the created order.

3. Fallen System – Human societies, cultures, institutions, values, and systems are also influenced by sin. Even things created for good purposes can become instruments of pride, greed, oppression, self-interest, or rebellion against God. Scripture therefore warns believers not to be conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2).
   “The whole world is under the control of the evil one.” — 1 John 5:19

The Big Picture

Fallen People create and participate in a Fallen System within a Fallen World. Therefore, the problem is deeper than individual sinful actions. Humanity lives within a cycle where sinful hearts produce sinful choices, sinful choices shape sinful systems, and sinful systems influence people toward further rebellion against God.

Yet the Gospel addresses all three dimensions. Christ transforms fallen people, His Kingdom provides a new way of living, and ultimately God will restore creation itself. Salvation therefore is not merely escaping a fallen world; it is becoming a new creation in Christ and learning to live according to the values of God's Kingdom while awaiting the restoration of all things.

Fallen People → Fallen Systems → Fallen World
Christ → Transformed People → Kingdom Living → Restored Creation

Simple Example of AIDA in Marketing

Imagine a company is selling a new smartphone:

• A — Attention: You see an advertisement showing a beautiful new phone with a powerful camera. “Look at this!”

• I — Interest: The advertisement explains, “Take professional-quality photos even at night.” Now you become interested.

• D — Desire: The ad shows someone taking amazing family photos and says, “Capture every special moment.” You begin wanting the phone.

• A — Action: The advertisement ends with “Buy now—20% off this week.” You decide to purchase it.

The temptation of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1–6 can be viewed through the modern marketing framework AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. The serpent did not simply tell Eve to disobey God; he progressively influenced her thinking until the forbidden fruit appeared desirable and she acted upon it. 

The Pattern of  Temptation follows a progression:

A — Attention → Look at it
I — Interest → Think about it
D — Desire → Want it
A — Action → Take it      

1. Attention — The Temptation Gets Our Focus

The serpent first captured Eve’s attention by questioning what God had said:

“Did God really say…?” — Genesis 3:1

Eve’s focus shifted from everything God had provided to the one thing God had forbidden.

Principle: What captures our attention can eventually influence our direction.

2. Interest — The Temptation Challenges God’s Word

The serpent then created interest by contradicting God and presenting an alternative:

“You will not surely die.” — Genesis 3:4

He made disobedience appear reasonable and suggested that God was withholding something valuable from them.

Principle: Temptation becomes powerful when we begin entertaining an alternative to God’s truth.

3. Desire — The Temptation Becomes Attractive

Eve then saw the fruit differently:

• Good for food

• Pleasing to the eyes

• Desirable for gaining wisdom

What God had forbidden now appeared desirable.

“She saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye…” — Genesis 3:6

Principle: When temptation is entertained long enough, attention can become desire.

4. Action — Desire Produces Disobedience

Finally, Eve took the fruit and ate it. She then gave it to Adam, and he ate.

“She took some and ate it.” — Genesis 3:6

The internal temptation became an external act of disobedience.

Principle: Uncontrolled desire eventually seeks expression through action.

The important lesson is that sinful action is often the final stage of a process that began much earlier in the mind and heart. James 1:14–15 describes a similar progression: desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin ultimately produces death.

Therefore, the strongest place to resist temptation is not only at the point of action, but at the beginning—when temptation first captures our attention.

The contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant can be understood as a movement from external actions to internal transformation. Under the Old Covenant, God's commandments clearly addressed what a person does—the visible actions of obedience or disobedience. The New Covenant goes deeper: God promises to put His law within His people, write it on their hearts, and transform their minds (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10; Romans 12:2).

Jesus repeatedly demonstrated this deeper dimension in His teaching. He did not merely ask, “What did you do?” but addressed what captured your attention, what you entertained in your mind, and what you desired in your heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, for example, Jesus moved from murder to anger, adultery to lust, and outward religious behavior to the motives of the heart (Matthew 5:21–48).

This can be viewed as a progression of spiritual maturity:

As we grow spiritually, faith becomes stronger at recognizing and resisting temptation earlier in the AIDA process. As new converts, we may miss the Attention, Interest, and Desire stages because our minds and hearts are still strongly influenced by earthly things; however, we may eventually recognize the temptation when it reaches the Action stage and wake up before committing the wrong action. As we grow into Believers, our faith becomes more sensitive, and although we may still miss the Attention and Interest stages, we begin to experience conviction during the Desire stage, recognizing that what we want may not be pleasing to God. As Disciples, our spiritual discernment becomes deeper, allowing us to recognize and correct ourselves during the Interest stage, before an earthly interest develops into a strong desire. Finally, as Servants, our faith becomes watchful and discerning even at the Attention stage—we recognize what is beginning to capture our attention and immediately bring it under God's will. Thus, spiritual maturity means recognizing temptation earlier and earlier: Convert—Action; Believer—Desire; Disciple—Interest; Servant—Attention. 

Faith does not remain merely at the level of what we do. As we grow spiritually, faith progressively governs our actions, desires, interests, and attention.

Convert → Action
“I want my actions to be right before God.”
My faith begins to govern my actions, but my desires, interests, and attention are still largely focused on earthly things.

Believer → Desire
“I want both my actions and my desires to be right before God.”
My faith begins to transform not only what I do, but also what I desire. However, my interests and attention may still remain primarily earthly focused.

Disciple → Interest
“I want my actions, desires, and interests to be pleasing to God.”
My faith now begins to shape what interests me—what I pursue, value, learn, and invest my life in. Yet my attention may still be easily drawn toward earthly things.

Servant → Attention
“I want my actions, desires, interests, and attention to be completely fixed on what pleases God.”
My faith reaches a deeper level of surrender, where even my attention is directed toward God and His Kingdom. I seek to see, hear, and respond to what God is doing rather than being controlled by earthly distractions.

Thus, deeper faith produces deeper transformation. God is not merely interested in correcting our actions; He desires to transform the heart, mind, desires, interests, and attention from which our actions ultimately flow.

Faith begins by changing what we do, but maturity changes what we desire, what interests us, and ultimately what captures our attention.

As faith grows, our ability to recognize what is pleasing to God becomes deeper and more refined. Converts begin by discovering what actions please God through hearing the Word of God—the Word teaches them what God desires. Believers grow deeper by discerning which actions please God through meditating on the Word, allowing His truth to shape their choices and motives. Disciples go further by discerning which interests please God through practicing the Word; as they live out God's truth, they become increasingly sensitive to the things they pursue and value. Servants reach a deeper level by discerning even what captures their attention through submitting to the Word of God—they continually surrender their thoughts, focus, and priorities to God's will.

Convert → Hear → Sesnsitive to Discover Actions that Please God
Believer → Meditate → Sesnsitive to Dersires that Please God
Disciple → Practice → Sesnsitive to Interests that Please God
Servant → Submit → Sesnsitive to Attentions that Please God

Thus, spiritual maturity is not simply knowing God's Word; it is allowing His Word to increasingly govern every level of our lives—from what we do, to what interests us, and ultimately to what captures our attention.

One foggy morning, a person was driving along a mountainous road. The road was steep, winding, and difficult to see through the thick fog. Sharp turns and dangerous bends appeared without much warning. The destination was somewhere beyond the mountains, but the driver could not clearly see the way ahead.

As the person continued driving, he suddenly saw Jesus standing by the roadside.

He stopped the car and invited Jesus inside.

Converts — Seeing Jesus and Inviting Him In

At first, the person was simply happy that Jesus was in the car.

Every few minutes, he looked over to make sure Jesus was still there.

“Jesus, are You still with me?”

When the road became confusing, he asked,

“Which way should I go?”

Jesus gently gave directions.

The driver began following His instructions. As he continued to listen and obey, he slowly discovered something important:

Jesus knew the road better than he did.

The more he followed Jesus' directions, the more he trusted Him.

Yet, he was still the one driving.

Believers — Trusting Jesus but Keeping Control

After traveling farther, the person became convinced:

“Jesus knows how to reach the destination better than I do.”

He truly believed Jesus could lead him safely.

He frequently asked,

“Jesus, are we going the right way?”

Jesus would assure him and point him in the right direction.

But there was one thing the driver was not willing to do:

He would not give Jesus the steering wheel.

“I trust You, Jesus,” he said, “but I think I should continue driving.”

Whenever he made a wrong turn, missed a turn, or struggled through a dangerous section of the road, he became frustrated.

After many failures, he began thinking:

“Maybe it really would be better if Jesus were driving.”

He believed Jesus could drive better.

But he still wanted to remain in control.

Disciples — Giving Jesus the Steering Wheel

Eventually, the driver came to a particularly dangerous mountain bend.

The road was narrow. The fog was thick. There was a steep drop on one side.

He finally stopped the car.

He looked at Jesus and said,

“Jesus, You drive.”

He moved from the driver's seat and allowed Jesus to take control.

For the first time, he was no longer responsible for deciding every turn.

Jesus began driving.

At first, the passenger was nervous.

When Jesus approached a sharp bend, the passenger instinctively reached toward the steering wheel.

“Careful, Jesus! I think we should turn now!”

Sometimes, when the road looked dangerous, he even tried to grab the steering wheel.

He still thought,

“Maybe I know how to handle this better.”

But every time Jesus navigated another difficult turn safely, the passenger learned something new.

He gradually realized:

Jesus sees what I cannot see.
    Jesus understands the road better than I do.
    Jesus knows exactly where He is taking me.

Little by little, the passenger stopped reaching for the steering wheel.

His confidence in Jesus grew.

Servants — Resting While Jesus Drives

Finally, something beautiful happened.

The person completely surrendered control.

He no longer watched the steering wheel.

He no longer questioned every turn.

He no longer tried to tell Jesus how to drive.

He simply sat back and rested.

The fog was still there.

The mountain roads were still steep.

There were still sharp turns and unexpected bends.

But he was no longer afraid.

Jesus was driving.

Instead of worrying about the road, he began looking through the windows.

He noticed the beauty he had completely missed while he was driving:

the mountains covered with mist,
the valleys beneath the clouds,
the trees along the cliffs,
the streams flowing through the valleys,
and the breathtaking scenery surrounding the road.

He smiled and thought:

“All this time, I was so busy trying to drive that I never stopped to enjoy the journey.”

Jesus continued driving toward the destination.

Conclusion:

The passenger finally understood:

The goal was not merely to have Jesus in the car.
The goal was not merely to believe Jesus knew the way.
The goal was not merely to occasionally ask Jesus for directions.
The goal was to surrender the steering wheel completely.

He had moved from seeing Jesus, to believing Jesus, to following Jesus, and finally to surrendering to Jesus.

And now, with Jesus driving, he could finally rest, trust, and enjoy the journey.

Jesus knew the road.
Jesus knew the destination.
Jesus knew every turn.
And Jesus was the best driver.

Discover — Seeing Jesus

Jesus spent time with His disciples — Be with Him - Mark 3:14; John 1:35–39

Jesus first called them to be with Him. They moved from merely knowing about Jesus to personally knowing Him. Converts became companions through time spent in His presence. As Acts 4:13 says, people recognized that they “had been with Jesus.” 

As we travel through the foggy and mountainous road of life, we suddenly see Jesus and invite Him into our journey. We begin to hear His Word and discover that many of our thoughts, desires, and actions do not align with God's way. We start looking to Jesus for direction, asking, “Lord, which way should I go?” As we listen and follow His instructions, we experience the beginning of transformation—we discover that God's way is better than our way.

Embrace — Trusting Jesus

Jesus taught them to watch Him closely — Observe His Life

He allowed His disciples to see how He lived, prayed, taught, served, responded to people, and obeyed the Father. They learned not only from what He said, but by watching how He lived. 

As we continue the journey, we believe and embrace the truth that Jesus knows the road better than we do. We trust that He knows the right direction and will lead us toward the right destination. Yet, we still want to hold the steering wheel. We listen to His instructions but often choose to drive according to our own understanding. Through mistakes, failures, and wrong turns, we experience the limitations of our own control and gradually realize, “Jesus knows better than I do.”

Practice — Following Jesus

Jesus engaged them in ministry — Practice His Way

Jesus gradually involved His disciples in His work. They moved from watching Him minister to participating in ministry, learning to serve, care for people, proclaim truth, and depend on God. 

Eventually, we become willing to let Jesus drive. We begin practicing His Word through obedience, even when the road ahead looks difficult or we do not understand the reason for a particular turn. Yet, when we encounter a dangerous bend, we may still reach for the steering wheel, thinking we can handle it better. Through repeated experiences of following and trusting Him, we learn that Jesus sees what we cannot see and knows what we cannot know. Our faith moves from simply believing His way is better to actually living and following His way.

Surrender — Resting in Jesus

Jesus empowered them to continue His mission — Make Disciples

Jesus eventually entrusted His disciples with the Gospel and empowered them to preach, serve, and make disciples. They moved from being with Jesus, to learning from Jesus, to working with Jesus, and finally to being sent by Jesus. 

Finally, we surrender the steering wheel completely. We stop trying to control every turn, stop questioning every direction, and place our journey entirely in Jesus' hands. The fog may still remain and the mountain road may still be steep, but our fear is replaced by trust. We can finally rest, enjoy the scenery, and experience the journey instead of constantly worrying about controlling it. We realize that the greatest freedom is not found in driving our own way, but in surrendering to the One who knows the road, the destination, and every turn along the way.