The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 13

Just as the message of universal or ultimate reconciliation is a perversion of Scripture, so is the composite message of T.U.L.I.P. (Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints). The doctrine, known as the five points of Calvinism (but whose roots go all the way back to Augustine) is very complicated. To try and unravel it would be way beyond the scope of this blog project. In summary it states that because of the fall, man is totally depraved, possessing not one bit of desire or ability to seek God. This seems to make God a liar in that He acknowledged the righteousness of several people (The seed of Seth, Enoch, Abraham, Job, et al), not declaring that they were perfect or sinless, but they were men who sought after God.

The witness of God in the creation (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-23, et al) would be invalidated if there were none capable of responding. Supposedly, out of this total wreck of humanity, God elected some to be saved (conditioned upon nothing - all God's sovereign election), while all others were condemned from birth. This would be the same God who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), and who would that all men would repent, come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

Coupled with this is the "LIP" part of the doctrine. Limited atonement would mean that Jesus did not die for everyone, but only for a limited number (the elect). While Isaiah says that Jesus bore the sins of "many" (Isaiah 53:12), he also says that the Lord "has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). John says, "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). Irresistible grace would mean that God has overwhelmed the elect with His grace and they have thus responded to the Gospel, with no action on their part since their depravity made them incapable of such action. This flies up in the face of more Scripture than I could quote in a day. There are a number of Old Testament passages containing the conditional word "if" (such as Ezekiel 33:1-9), which are pregnant with the concept of man choosing. Choice is stressed in passages like Deuteronomy 30:19-20, as well as in a myriad of New Testament passages utilizing the inspired words "whosoever", or "whoever" (John 3:16, et al).

Finally, the perseverance of the saints has been capsulized in the statement, "Once saved, always saved." The entire T.U.L.I.P. theology would have to end with this point, because it has always been God from the beginning and will continue to be God forever. Now wait! Don't hang me just yet. I actually believe that last statement myself, but not in the way Calvinists have summarized it. I believe this statement in the context of a plain sense, face value hermeneutic. This approach seeks to discover the author's intended meaning. If the plain sense makes sense, you have the right sense but not necessarily the whole sense. This approach recognizes the importance of context and relies heavily upon Scripture interpreting Scripture. What the "P" in Calvinism ignores are all the warnings in both the Old Testament and the New Testament concerning backsliding and ultimately apostasy and the need to persevere (Matthew 24:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Hebrews 6:4-6, et al).

So, why this little foray into a dangerous, yet popular doctrine? It is because to fall under the influence of such doctrine is to make it extremely difficult to understand the Kingdom of God. The chief parable concerning the Kingdom, referenced in the last installment, is the Parable of the Sower. We saw that the Kingdom has come, but not with irresistible power. Until the Son of Man returns, the wicked and the righteous will live together. The parable of the sower reveals that the Gospel of the kingdom is received by many different soil types (heart conditions). The reception varies from shallow and unfruitful in the face of persecution to deep and fertile, producing various levels of fruit in return. People make decisions in these illustrations. There is no inference that the people represented by the good soil never face persecution or are never tempted by the deceitfulness of riches and the things of the world. (Just look at the church described in 1 Thessalonians and that will be clear).

The two parables of the mustard seed and of the leaven (Matthew 13:31-33) illustrate this unforeseen character of the Kingdom among men in this Age. The parables have nothing to do with the growth of the Kingdom, but rather the fact that it appears small and insignificant. Nevertheless, it is not to be despised. These are parables, and we must be careful not to look for significance in every single detail. A parable is neither a fabricated story, nor is it an allegory. It is a story fashioned form daily experience which necessarily contains details which, while part of the story, don't contain spiritual truth. It's like the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told this story to answer one question: "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:30-37). Another is the parable of the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1-13). Was Jesus teaching that the end justifies the means? Of course not. He was teaching that we should be wise with our substance, investing it so that it will be of help in the day of our spiritual need. Everything else in the parables is local color.

So, and we will conclude here, the Kingdom of God has come, in insignificant form (such as a mustard seed or leaven) in One who is meek and mild. From the world's point of view, His person and mission could be ignored. But we should not be deceived; someday the whole earth will be filled with the Kingdom of God. The means by which this end is accomplished is not a part of these parables. Even though its form is insignificant, it is the Kingdom of God and is therefore of inestimable value. God's purposes will not be frustrated. And that is the really important point of this installment. It was not to ping on people of the Calvinistic or reformed traditions, although that little detour should serve to show that in these last days, many will come in Christ's name, deceiving many (Matthew 24:15). Jesus' words just before He said that were, "Take heed that no one deceives you." "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 12

The most important parable Jesus ever spoke concerning the Kingdom of God is the parable of the sower, as recorded in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. Jesus said, concerning this parable, "...Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?" (Mark 4:13). I won't reiterate here the passages, or their immediate meaning. Jesus did a most excellent job of this. Preceding His explanation of the parable, He said to His disciples, "...The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you..." (Mark 4:11a).

What secret is revealed here? The Kingdom of God is here but not with irresistible power. It is not now destroying wickedness, but to the contrary it is like a man sowing seed. Seed does not force itself on the soil; neither does the Gospel (Good News) of the Kingdom force itself on the hearts of men. Jesus goes on to use the imagery of soil types to illustrate the various conditions of men's hearts to whom the Gospel is preached. Some never receive the message at all, allowing Satan to snatch it away immediately. Some receive it, but with no depth. Perhaps intellect or emotions have been stirred, but there is no real life. Consequently, when the inevitable trouble or persecution arise for the very reason that they received the message of the Kingdom, they wither and die because there is no life.

Others, like the thorny ground, appear to have received the word of the Kingdom, even evidencing a sort of life. However, they are not prepared to accept the humble form of the God's Kingdom, and the cares of the world, materialism, the desire for worldly riches and the pressures to conform choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful. So the mystery (revealed secret) of the Kingdom is that it has come among men and yet men can reject it. Please don't get me wrong - it's a wonderful thing when the Kingdom of God shows up with power. However, let us give pause for a moment: Jesus demonstrated the power of the Kingdom more than any other, yet He was despised and rejected by men (Acts 10:38 and Isaiah 53:3); the apostles whose words were confirmed by signs (Mark 16:20), according to tradition all died a martyrs death, except John.

Those who knew of the Kingdom of God only through Old Testament revelation believed the Kingdom of God would come with power. Who would be able to withstand God? Yet the mystery is precisely that the Kingdom has come yet men can reject it. There is a power at work now - power to witness and to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, yet God will not compel (in this Age) men to bow before it. They must receive it in a willing heart of faith with a submissive will. Now we proclaim the Kingdom as emissaries of God, pleading, not demanding; persuading, not driving. Until harvest time, the weeds and the wheat must grow together, in the world (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43). The ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of the evil one will be at the end of the Age. Until then the sons of the Kingdom - those who have received the Gospel of the Kingdom - and the sons of the evil one will live together in the world.

Until then, as long as one is drawing a breath, reconciliation unto God is possible by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. After death, and certainly after the final harvest, reconciliation is no longer possible. So much for those who preach the heretical message of universal or ultimate reconciliation. As the Scriptures declare: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation [meaning the fullness of our salvation, even the redemption of our bodies c.f Romans 8:23] to those who are waiting for Him" (Hebrews 9:27-28). Don't put off receiving the Gospel of the Kingdom. By the time the Kingdom manifests itself in irresistible power, it will be too late.

Be encouraged while it is yet today. As one of God's fellow workers, I urge you to not receive God's grace in vain. "...I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

www.endtimesencouragement.com

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 11

Because the last installment of this series was written seven weeks ago, a review is advisable. It is so important to realize that the Kingdom of God means the divine conquest over His enemies, a conquest which is to be accomplished in three stages. While the world appears little changed (other than to perhaps get worse), the Kingdom of God has already come among men and those who receive it will be prepared to enter the kingdom of Glory when Christ comes to finish the good work He has already begun. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom.

The three stages of the Kingdom, as summarized by Scripture are:

Stage 1 - "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-13).
Stage 2 - "Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
Stage 3 - "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'" (Revelation 21:3-4).

The fourth chapter of Mark and the thirteenth chapter of Matthew contain a group of parables which set forth the "mystery of the kingdom of God" (Mark 4:11). This is the central truth illustrated in all these parables. However, we must first establish that in the Bible, the term "mystery" does not mean something deep, dark, profound or difficult. The biblical idea of "mystery" is often a technical concept whose meaning is set forth in Romans 16:25-26. Here we find that biblically a mystery is something that has been kept secret throughout time, but is now revealed. In other words, a mystery is a divine purpose, hidden in the counsels of God for long ages, but finally disclosed in a new revelation of God's redemptive work.

The Mark 4 and Matthew 13 parables set forth new truth about the Kingdom of God which was not revealed in the Old Testament. And what is that mystery? A look at a familiar Old Testament prophecy will help. In Daniel 2:31-35 we get to see Nebuchadnezzar's dream, a
and in verses 44 and 45, the interpretation is given. After a series if nations successively dominate the course of world history, we are told that the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. From an Old Testament perspective, there is coming a day when God will set up His reign (Kingdom) on the earth, displacing all other kingdoms and authorities. The coming of God's Kingdom, from this perspective, is viewed as a single great event.

When John the Baptist announced (Matthew 3:2) the coming of the Kingdom of God, he understood it to be as foretold in the Old Testament. John understood that the Messiah who would usher in the Kingdom would bring a twofold baptism: with the Holy Spirit for those who would experience salvation and with the fire of judgment for all others (Matthew 3:11-12). John's later doubt from prison was no doubt caused by the fact that Jesus was not acting like the Messiah whom he had announced. Where was the baptism of the Spirit? Where was the judgment of the wicked by fire? How could Jesus be the bearer of the Kingdom while sin and sinful institutions remained unpunished? Troubling questions then - and now.

Jesus said, "Blessed is he who takes no offence at me" (Matthew 11:6). The Kingdom of God had arrived, but here is the mystery - the new revelation - instead of destroying human sovereignty, it had attacked the sovereignty of Satan; instead of making changes in the external, political order of things, it was making changes in the spiritual order and in the hearts of men and women. The Kingdom is yet to come in the form prophesied by Daniel. The world has yet to behold the coming of God's Kingdom with power and glory. The Kingdom is now here with persuasion, quietly working in among men in ways often not seen by the crowds. Yes, there are some exceptions, but for the most part, it is as Jesus said, "....the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).

Each of the parables in Matthew 13 illustrates this mystery of the Kingdom, which is yet to come in power and great glory, but is actually present among men in an unexpected form to bring to men in the present evil Age the blessings of the Age to Come. Next time we will look at some of the the specific revelations of the Kingdom. Until then, God bless and keep looking up!

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