The Gospel of the Kingdom, Part 20

Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

It's interesting to note that the last installment of this series was written seven months ago......evidence of a lack of commitment to the craft of blogging. I can assure you, though, that during that time my commitment to the Kingdom of God has only increased. I'm sure that in these troubled times, with the re-election of a pro-choice, pro-"gay rights", Constitution-side-stepping president, you like me have fervently prayed "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

I have found myself, by the grace of God, being caught up in a concerted effort to see abortion on demand be remove from the legal fabric of our nation. Many, if not all, of our national problems can be linked to the unrighteous foundation of  genocide that forty years ago replaced the righteous foundation of the God-given right to life. Much of my time has been spent both speaking to congressmen about this issue, and trying to rally Christians across the land to do the same. Life at Conception Acts have been introduced to the House and the Senate for each session over the last 24 years, where they just languish in committee. Obviously the people, either out of ignorance, apathy, or discouragement, have failed to apply sufficient pressure to their elected representatives to force one of these bills out of committee for an up or down vote.

So what does this have to do with the Gospel of the Kingdom? It's this. There is both a "present age" and an "age to come" aspect of the Kingdom. Remember, the Kingdom of God is God's redemptive reign, where through Christ the enemies of sin, Satan, and death have been conquered. At the Second Coming of Christ, His Kingdom will appear in power and glory. But the Kingdom has already entered the present age without the outward glory. It would not be a demonstration of glory to see the killing of babies in the womb; it would just be a return to the respect for life that was common in our country a generation or two ago. I say that to make it clear that I am not a proponent of Kingdom Now, or a Dominion theology. I do not expect righteousness to fill the earth until Christ returns.

That does not keep me from being an advocate for life, and a voice for those who have no life. I pray that you, the reader, would be of the same opinion. I want to see every person, every family, every church, and perhaps even our nation (if it is not too late) taste the blessings of the Age to Come in this Present Age. On both a personal level and a national level, the way to do that is simple, yet involves a profound difficulty. The simplicity on a personal level is summed up in these few Scriptures:


Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 3:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 20:31 (NKJV)
³¹ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The simplicity is in the verbal confession - a decision for the moment, if you will. The profound difficulty is continuing to meet the Kingdom's demand for a decision throughout one's life. Repentance is a decision which produces more than just the right words, but, connected to the heart, the whole direction and destiny of one's life is changed.

Similarly, if there really are millions of people in this country who have accepted the Kingdom's demand for a decision, who have yielded to the King's rule in their hearts, then there should be millions of points of light and millions of grains of salt in the land. Reliable polls indicate that there are over 80,000,000 such people in the USA. If that is true, why has the inalienable, God-given, right to life been replaced by the right to kill the most vulnerable in our midst?

This bog is an attempt to reach those who have already entered the Kingdom. The standard for entrance is beyond our ability to achieve, so we believe in the merits of the One who has achieved it for us.......Jesus the Christ. Such belief involves repentance; turning from our old ways and deciding to follow Him. If you have resolutely and firmly made such a decision, then the Kingdom is in you. The power of that kingdom is in you. There is no excuse for not being salt and light. If the decision was made accompanied by qualifications, such as taking care of business or family needs first (Luke 9:57-62); then the one making such a decision is declared "unfit for the Kingdom of God."

Eighty million citizens of the Kingdom of God is a powerful force in a country of 320 million citizens. If even 25% of them would speak with one voice to those who represent us in the earthly kingdom, then there is strong hope that the earthly kingdom would again begin to reflect the light of the heavenly. Just as entrance to God's Kingdom requires a radical decision, followed by radical actions; so to radical action is required for the earthly to be impacted by the heavenly.

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV)
¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Luke 16:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

Matthew 10:34 (NKJV)
³⁴ "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

Luke 13:24 tells us to "strive to enter by the narrow door." Strive, in the Greek, means "to strain every nerve." A whole-hearted effort to defend life in a country where it is considered legal to kill will not necessarily make you the most popular person on the block. It may even cause members of your own family to hate you (Luke 14:26). But it is a righteous cause. It will give you an opportunity to shine as a light, to love your enemies, and to count it all joy when persecuted for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The Gospel of the Kingdom, Part 19

 

In the last installment, we looked at how a requirement to enter the Kingdom of God is a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

We saw that such a requirement is beyond human attainment, but discouragement quickly changed from despair to joy when we discovered that the One making the requirement also provides it. So that we can appreciate just how much the righteousness of Jesus Christ elevates beyond the abilities of self-righteousness, Jesus continues with more examples in His Sermon of the Mount.

The Law of Honesty.
"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV)

Some people feel that they satisfy this requirement by refusing to take an oath in a court of law. This was not the context of Jesus' point. Two thousand years ago Jews were quite ready to swear an oath as a sign of good will and fidelity. However, they placed varying values of different objects with respect to their holiness. In many minds, a whole string of oaths, sworn to objects of lesser holiness could be broken without guilt. This entire practice had made a mockery of the basic ethic of honesty. Jesus' point was this: the righteousness of the Kingdom of God requires no oath - a man's naked word should be valid. People who subscribe to Kingdom righteousness are not looking for loopholes, and their testimony is born not just by their words, but by how they live.

The Law of Love

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' Matthew 5:38-43 (NKJV)

In this evil and corrupt world, how can anyone live by this standard. Don't we have to "do unto others before they do unto you?" It would be unwise to reject Jesus' teaching here by applying the antithesis. Perhaps Jesus once again is speaking in a radical metaphor. For even Jesus did not personally apply this standard literally in his own life. When struck on the cheek during His inquisition before the high priest, he rebuked His assailant (John 18:19-23). There are some situations where on will fulfill the letter of this teaching, such as when a follower of Jesus meets persecution because he is a disciple. However, Jesus is again speaking of a righteousness which demands an attitude of the heart, not motivated by selfishness or personal rights. Its a heart attitude motivated by love, even for those who do you wrong. Complete freedom from the spirit of revenge and self-vindication, returning love for hatred, repaying kindness for evil - this is the righteousness of God's Kingdom.

Love always seeks the best for the beloved. Sometimes this must include chastisement and discipline(Hebrews 12:6), or even the administration of justice. Our problem as humans is in removing personal anger and vindication from the process and leaving it to God (and the authorities He has put in place - Romans 13:4). The supreme manifestation of this law of love is found in forgiveness. You can truly forgive only if you do it in love, and we do not - by our nature - possess such love. So once again, God supplies us with that which He demands. Read all of 1 John, compare it with Matthew 18:21-35, and draw your own conclusion.

The law of love and the Gospel of the Kingdom are one in the same. The righteousness of the Kingdom is a righteousness which only God Himself can give: perfect purity, perfect honesty, perfect love, perfect forgiveness. No one, Jew or Gentile can attain such high standards. I can only receive it by faith as a gift (grace) from God. I can love only as I have received love. I can forgive, only as I have received forgiveness. That was the man's problem in Jesus parable (Matthew 18:21-35). He had been given the gift of forgiveness, but he did not receive it as such, thinking that he could somehow earn it. Consequently, not having received it as a gift, he could not offer it as a gift. The latter was evidence of the former, thus he was turned over to the torturers.

Just as we are able to partake of the fullness of life that belongs to the Age to Come, so the righteousness of the Kingdom, which belongs to the Age to Come has been imparted to the children of the Kingdom through Christ and the holy Spirit. Praise God for that which we now have in part, for it signifies that which is to come. Stay the course and receive the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 17

In the event that we might have forgotten, if, when we say "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" we mean the gospel which Jesus preached, we are talking about The Gospel of the Kingdom! Last time we talked briefly about eternal life as being an integral part of God's Kingdom. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). So eternal life begins by being brought into a personal knowledge of and relationship with Almighty God, through faith in His Son, Jesus the Christ.

A second meaning of eternal life is the life of God's Spirit dwelling within us. This happens in the Present Age and prepares us for the Age to Come. Jesus said, "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of god....he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5). This happens while we yet inhabit these bodies of flesh and blood which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). Thus, inhabited by, filled with, led by the Spirit of god, we await the transformation of our mortal bodies into glorified spiritual bodies (Romans 8:17, 24; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44). This body is real, in the sense that we understand matter. Jesus, when His body had been thus glorified was able to walk right through a locked door, and then say, "...Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). A spiritual body is not spirit, but real, tangible and objective, yet completely and perfectly energized and empowered by the holy Spirit.


This spiritual body is a promised inheritance, and the Holy Spirit is the seal of that promise (2 Corinthians 5:4-5; Ephesians 1:14). While we do not yet possess this inheritance (it belongs to the Age to Come) we have a guarantee of it in this Present Age. A partial understanding of this is gained when you look at earnest money being paid as a deposit on the purchase of a house. That deposit guarantees future possession of the house, assuming other conditions of the contract are met. Thus the Holy Spirit is our guarantee that a redeemed and glorified body will be our possession at the proper time. So what can we conclude from this? The new birth is the beginning-partial but real-of the life of The Age to Come. We already have within us the life of heaven. It means we already participate in the life that belongs to God's future Kingdom; not its fullness, but nevertheless its reality. As Romans 8:23 says, the Holy Spirit has been given us as the firstfruits of the life to come in the resurrection. When Christ comes, we will receive the harvest - the fullness of life from God's Spirit!


Yes, the very best is yet to be; and yet we are not to live just waiting for the future. The future has already begun. It's like the words spoken by Jesus to the woman at the well in Samaria, "But the hour is coming, and now is..." (John 4:23). Because of the Holy Spirit it is now possible to worship God in spirit and in truth. This worship is far superior to the old manner of just form and function, but is just a glimpse of that which is yet to be revealed. Life in the Spirit (eternal life) is far superior to life lived just in the flesh. It means we can live in the present evil Age living the life of heaven, at least in part, while we await the Age to Come. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom!

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 16

In the last installment of this series, the spectre of death was hanging in the air. Since then my father-in-law went home to be with the Lord as did a former ministry colleague of mine in CT. These personal experiences as well as many others reported in the various media serve as proof that Christian and pagan, believer and unbeliever, all die. Yet the Word of God says, He who believes in the Son has everlasting life." Obviously this life is both present and future, but how?

Eternal life belongs to the Kingdom of God, to the Age to Come; but it too, has entered into the present evil Age that men may experience eternal life in the midst of death and decay. We enter into this experience of life by the new birth, by being born again. So what is this eternal life? First, it means the knowledge of God. "And this is eternal life, that they know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). This is far more than intellectual apprehension; it means experience, personal relationship; it means fellowship. The verse says that we know Him, not just know about Him! That is eternal life!

In the Age to Come, that eternal life is wonderfully described in the last chapter in the Bible. "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:3-4). Before the new birth, we knew Him not; born again we now know in part. But in that day of further grace, we'll be like Him as we gaze upon His face. (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12) Thus the knowledge of God will be fully established in the Age to Come and Jeremiah's prophecy will be fulfilled "...for they shall know me, from the least to the greatest, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 31: 31). No more Sunday Schools or Bible Colleges.

The blessing of the Age to Come has been made available to men now, yet not in its perfection or fullness. Don't be deceived by the TV preaching which promises that it is all available in this present Age ("Your Best Life Now". For sure the promise of John 17:3 is realized now, but it will be wonderfully enlarged and perfected in the Age to Come. What limitations and disappointments are you willing to endure in this present Age, knowing what will be yours in the Age to Come?

Knowledge of God includes an apprehension of God's truth. This goes beyond the intellectual as the Scripture speaks of "doing the truth" (John 3:21). In the Age to Come there shall be no Presbyterian or Baptist, no Calvinist or Arminian understanding of the truth, but a shared perfect understanding of the truth of God, for we shall be taught of God. How wonderful is the truth that has been revealed, for it brings man into fellowship with God; a truth expressed by the hymn writer...."Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine; O what a foretaste of glory divine." In the meantime the Scriptures make it clear that our present knowledge is partial.

Because we know in part, the Holy Spirit has imparted gifts to us, such as prophecy, words of wisdom and knowledge, healings and the working of miracles. But when that which is perfect (the Lord Jesus) has come, and we see Him face to face, we will have no more need of these gifts. They will pass away and only faith, hope and love will remain...the greatest being love. Love will forever characterize our perfected fellowship, with God and with one another in the Age to Come.

This love will be tested and perfected in the days ahead like never before in history. This love is much more than the hearts and flowers of Valentine's Day. Scripture tells us that a day is coming when "...many will betray one another and hate one another...the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:10-11). So today's admonition is: "Beloved, let us love one another, for [this kind of] love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).