Is Salvation Enough?

Before you write me off as an eccentric or heretic...

I am quite aware of such Scriptures as - 
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. "
John 3:16 (ESV)
 "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV) 

and I believe them to be completely true. However, I believe that biblical salvation is based more on the whole counsel of God than by one or two proof-texts. In the Romans passage, it is understood that confessing Jesus as Lord means doing it with a measure of revelation and understanding. That is why the Scriptures say, "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. "
1 Corinthians 12:3 (ESV) Otherwise anybody can say just about anything. And "believing in one's heart that God raised Jesus from the dead" is a belief that is so pregnant with meaning that it must continuously be pursued. I don't believe any of us will get it all in this lifetime.John 3:16, the verb "believes" is the Greek word pistueo (Strong's G4100). As such, the verse and the two follow

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever “continues or goes on believing” in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever “continues believing” in him is not condemned, but whoever does not “continue believing” stands condemned already because they have not “continued believing” in the name of God’s one and only Son.

“Throughout this passage an important truth is presented that again might be missed by many English translations.  When Jesus describes the one who comes to him and who believes in him [3:16, 5:24, 6:35, 37, 40, 47, etc.], he uses the present tense to describe this coming, believing , or, in other passages, hearing or seeing.   The present tense refers to a continuous, on-going action.  The Greek contrasts this kind of action against the aorist tense, which is a point action, a single action in time that is not on-going……  The wonderful promises that are provided by Christ are not for those who do not truly and continuously believe.  The faith that saves is living faith, a faith that always looks to Christ as Lord and Savior.”[1]

As a result, any idea of "once save - always saved" can only be properly understood in the context of the some 130-140 times the phrase "in Christ" is used in the New Testament. Fortunately for us, being (remaining) in Christ is not based upon our perfection. Sincerely confessing sin and repenting thereof (1 John 1:9) is part of being (remaining) in Christ. Although God puts no limit on the number of times a believer can come back to 2 John 1:9 (OT counterpart Proverbs 28:13), Satan (the "accuser of the brethren") will plant a deceiving lie in the minds of some that they have used this as a Band-Aid too often and it won't work any more. That is a LIE! At the same time, we are not taught that we should do whatever the flesh desires and then come back to 1 John 1:9 for a quick fix. There is a tension presented here that every believer must work out with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

We must understand that the Bible nowhere supports the idea that if you just say a quick prayer you are saved, or cleansed from all unrighteousness. This may be the first step but it is not an automatic ticket into the Kingdom of God (or, as John Bunyan put it, "The Celestial City").

Salvation is no haphazard afterthought, but a carefully thought-through, well-planned and precisely executed program. We might say that salvation was designed by the Father, effectuated by the Son, and applied by the Spirit. This is a great and awesome salvation and the Scripture asks rhetorically, "...how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3a (ESV)

Let's take a summary look at what biblical salvation involves, in addition to continuously believing in Jesus Christ. First of all, there are three tenses of salvation:

          Past: We are saved from the penalty of sin (justification)

          Present: We are being saved from the power of sin (sanctification)

          Future: We shall be saved from the presence of sin (glorification)

This great salvation is multi-dimensional and it may be approached from any one or combination of its facets. For example, there is the God side (atonement, regeneration, etc.) and the human side (what the Holy Spirit enables us to do - repent, believe, etc. and with which we must cooperate). Christians are saved unto a hope (something sure, something certain, that just hasn't happened yet) based on the fact that Jehovah is a covenant-keeping God.

I've always felt that a person coming to the point of saving faith is such a magnificent work of the Triune God that to break it down in theological terms diminishes the awe somewhat. That said, it is still important to understand what true salvation entails. Remember, the devil is very accomplished at perverting the truth. SO let's continue.

Salvation includes five different things that have been labeled by Bible scholars as: Regeneration, Conversion, Justification, and Sanctification. Regeneration is an unmerited, instantaneous change where the heart is quickened (made alive) to hear the Word (the true Gospel). "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins," Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV) God alone is responsible for this. Conversion happens when a man exercises faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and repentance occurs. Man does this as he is empowered by God. Since man has a cooperating role, many fail to repent and exercise faith. For those who do, the next thing which happens is justification. This is also an instantaneous act. God alone is responsible for this as He declares the repentant, believing sinner cleared of all charges before Him. God the Almighty Judge says, "Not guilty!" When you put Regeneration, Conversion, and Justification together, the result is a person who has been born again. Jesus says, in John 3, that this person is now able to "see the Kingdom of God," and "enter the Kingdom of God."

Sanctification is the only one of the five which is a process. The process invariably involves the exercise of faith and repentance throughout a believer's natural life. It involves good days and bad days, spiritual seasons and carnal seasons. Through it all the true believer persists, never abandoning his relationship with and position in Christ. Jesus said in His most important parable - the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) - covers these first four concepts of Salvation.

The seed (Word of God) is sown. The seed which lands on the hard path is the Word landing on a hard heart - a heart either never quickened by the Spirit or quickened but never brought to the place where faith and repentance are exercised.

The seed which lands on the stony soil represents the person who receives Word with joy. However, when the cost of following Jesus as Lord is understood, they become offended and wither. They give up on the process of sanctification and return to the world and the flesh.

The seed which lands among the thorns represents another category of people who receive the Word with joy. In this case the Sanctification process is stunted by worldly cares, the deceitfulness of riches (beware of the prosperity preaching), and materialism. They produce no fruit and are most likely those described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:15 as barely saved, just escaping the judgment fire.

The seed which lands on fertile soil represents people who also receive Word, but with understanding. When one understands the Gospel, which includes both the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Gospel of Salvation, they remain in Christ and His Word, no matter what, and bear much fruit. They have counted the cost and have determined that it is worth paying. Now this is not paying for salvation, for we all know that salvation is by grace, which is the gift of God. It is having faith and hope in the promises of salvation yet to be experienced or revealed to the extent that no weapon/test/trial presented by the flesh, the world system, or the devil will cause the believer to give up. Having been born again by the imperishable seed of God's Word (1 Peter 1:25), the true believer looks forward to his imperishable inheritance kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). With understanding he allows himself to be guarded by God for (that part of) salvation yet to be revealed. He rejoices when trials and tests come, knowing that these will be the proving ground of genuine faith. He realizes that genuine faith which brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. He rejoices knowing that faith which is genuine will produce the salvation of his soul. (1 Peter 1:5-9).

The true believer will desire to be a witness of God's love and mercy. He will be involved in a life-long love affair with God's Word. He will always be grateful that his eternal security is bound up in his relationship with Christ. He will be grateful for 1 John 1:9 but will never want to abuse it. He will desire to please his Savior and obey His Lord. He will walk gladly in the tension between the reverent fear of the Lord and the spirit of adoption which cries out, "Abba, Daddy!"

In closing (I must close now or run the risk of trying to writ another book) allow me to share a few more Scriptures that speak to dimensions of grace and love not often mentioned.

Grace:
While it is most definitely a gift of unmerited favor, bestowed upon the recipient by God, here is something which grace produces when properly understood: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age," (Titus 2:11-12 ESV)

Love:
While the love of God referred to in Romans 5:8 is most definitely unconditional, there is a conditional aspect to His love as well. If man does not respond properly to the unconditional love of God, demonstrated in the unmerited gift of His Son, then man reaps no benefit. It's there in John 3:16. The first part is unconditional; the second part (beginning with "whosoever) is conditional. Here are two more verses demonstrating a conditional aspect of God's love. The benefit of meeting the condition is clearly stated.

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." (John 14:21 ESV)

"Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23 ESV)

One concluding comment: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," (Philippians 2:12 ESV)

References: [1] https://psalmfiftyone.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/the-continuous-present-tense-of-john-316/

I Am Thankful For...

I am thankful for....

Some families will be following an annual tradition tomorrow by having those gathered finish the above statement. Some will be greatly challenged to come up with something for which they are thankful; others will give short, safe answers without much thought behind them (friends, family, my country, salvation, etc). And that's the problem - many of us spend precious little time thinking about things for which we are thankful.


The flip side of that is that we also spend little time thinking about those things which threaten the thing for which we are thankful. In a nut shell, much of our lives are spent working hard for things we need and things we want, always wanting more. So I ask you to slow down for a moment and think with me about this thing called salvation.

Some theologians have broken salvation down into 6, 7, or even 8 parts. I won't try to refute or defend any of them. I just know that salvation, the unspeakable gift of grace which God has given to us is something for which we should all be thankful (2 Cor. 9:15). And this salvation is so great that not neglecting its greatness is a necessary aspect of our being able to escape both the corruption that is in the world and the eternal punishment of those who prefer the kingdoms of this world to the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. (Hebrews 2:3; Revelation 11:15).

To be properly thankful for salvation, we must arrive at an understanding of what it is. What have we been saved from? What are we being saved from? What will we be saved to?
Many are grateful that they have been saved from the penalty of their sins, which is right and proper. We are told that this is an undeserved gift from God, and that there is nothing we can do to earn it, which is also right and proper. We are told that should we sin again (and again) we should repent and confess our sins, and that God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (Proverbs 28:3; 1 John 1:9). This is true. Where we get in trouble is when this becomes our all-encompassing, yet limited, view of salvation. Eventually the yo-yo life of sinning and repenting becomes wearisome and we may begin to doubt whether we are really forgiven.

The equally dangerous counter point to this view is one that sees God as a doting and benevolent grandfather who indulges us no matter what we do, think, or say. The person blinded by this view sees God's love as being comparable to the world's view of tolerance. God, to this person, is not seen as holy or just. God becomes the "Man Upstairs" with whom they can get comfortable when they want. or ignore when they want.

To keep this post from becoming so long that no one will read it, let me say that the degree of our thankfulness for salvation will parallel our understanding of salvation. Yes, we have been saved from the penalty of our sins, but we are also being saved from the power of sin's control of our lives; and one day we will be saved even from the effects and presence of sin. Each one of the three tenses of our salvation is great and is worthy of our study.

So this Thanksgiving let us say with one voice "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! " (2 Corinthians 9:15) And then let us continue our study of what that gift is, living out our understanding on a daily basis.

Trifocals, Scripture, and Prophecy

 

Several years ago I received my first pair of prescription trifocal glasses. It was a sign of aging which I could no longer postpone or deny. And if that wasn't traumatic enough...

 

The first obstacle I had to negotiate upon leaving the opticians office was the escalator in the mall. That was so successful (not) that I seriously considered groping my way back to the opticians for a refund. However I decided to press on, knowing that I still had my old distance lens glasses as a backup in case the drive home proved to be more of a challenge than I or my fellow travelers were willing to bear. Amazingly, as I exited the mall I noticed that little by little my eyes were adjusting. I was able to spot my car in the parking lot without the benefit of pressing the panic button on the remote. Most of the drive home I was able focus on objects in the distance, looking through the upper part of the lenses. Switching to intermediate objects, like the speedometer, was a bit dicey but my temporary fix was to use cruise control.

 

Little by little my eyes learned where to focus, depending on the need. After a while, my tennis game even improved as a result of my newly improved vision, even though that little yellow ball would change from being a far object to an intermediate object to a near object in less than a second. It has been the same way with my study of prophecy in the Word of God. Admittedly, just as it was with my vision, at first I had to turn to the professional to guide me. I am, and always will be, grateful for anointed teachers, who faithfully share their gifts with the saints, helping to equip them for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). Those who do their jobs well are never interested in building for themselves an adoring fan base; rather their goal is to develop Bereans, who check the Scriptures themselves and who, able to digest solid food, are able to teach themselves (Acts 17:11, Hebrews 5:12).

 

The best teachers I had helped me to recognize my visual impairments with respect to seeing the truth contained in Scripture, and equipped me with tools to improve my spiritual vision. This has been especially true of prophecy. So much of Scripture is prophecy that fulfilled prophecy stands as the stalwart proof of this fact "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," ( 2 Timothy 3:16). Accurate hindsight is important in the understanding of God's Word. But what of prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled?

 

That's where the trifocals (or at least bifocals) come into play. Much of prophecy that is still future has also enjoyed a fulfillment in the past. For example, there is an event in Scripture called "the abomination which causes desolation." This event is mentioned by Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John, so it must be important (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13). Daniel wrote of this event some 550 years before Christ. There was actually a fulfillment of this prophecy in 168 B.C., yet in the last few days of Jesus' earthly ministry He refers to it as yet future, as does Paul. John, in 95 or 96, while he also refers to this as a yet future event could also have looked in his rear view mirror and declared it fulfilled. The truth is - he didn't, although some Bible "scholars" have declared everything in Revelation as having been fulfilled centuries ago. I don't know where they get that from; perhaps they need some new glasses.

 

You see, "...we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation," ( 2 Peter 1:19-20). The "abomination which causes desolation" is one of those prophetic passages which has a near, (perhaps intermediate), and far application. We'll talk more about that, and its implications as we view this event through the proper prescription trifocals. Until then, be encouraged.



4 X 4 Love

In the year 2014, many people sense that something of apocalyptic proportions is on the horizon, even if they don't agree about what and when. 4 X 4 Love explores the four dimensions of God's love about which Paul wrote and prayed in Ephesians 3:14-21. This great love is illustrated by real life experiences from both the present and the past. Only having the power to experientially know this love will carry us through life's off-road experiences. The "Big One," no matter how bad it gets, will be no match for God's love because it never fails!


Les Young's latest book, "4 X 4 Love for Life's Off-road Experiences (Especially the Big One" will encourage you to study your Bible and to prepare spiritually for the days ahead.
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  (1 John 3:2) As the Kingdom of God is about to violently transition from This Present Age to The Age to Come, the children of God have nothing to fear. His love has motivated Him to tell us what will happen, and His love will sustain us. It will be worth it all when we see Him and become like Him. Read about it by getting your copy of 4 X 4 Love at...

http://amzn.com/1500552291

The Hated Christian

A recent issue of Zion's Fire magazine begins with these words:

"Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have a deep and intense love for their Redeemer, His Word (the Bible), and proclaiming to a lost and dying world its need for salvation." The Scriptures do an excellent job of succinctly pointing out the problem, the price, and the provision. The Problem: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23 (NKJV) The Price: "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a (NKJV) The Provision: "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b (NKJV) This is the gospel in a nut shell.

The apostle Paul succinctly presents the gospel using somewhat different words when writing to the church in Corinth.
¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NKJV)

I have no intention of trying to repackage the gospel here. One could say that these few verses are the Cliff-notes version of what Christians have believed, by faith, which results in the forgiveness of their sins and being promised eternal life in heaven. There is nothing hateful about this message, yet it engenders hate from many who hear it. I wish to examine briefly a few reasons why some people hate those who bring such good news.

First, some Christians (both real and pretend) are just plain hateful. They can't seem to get off the band-wagon of things they are against long enough to ever catch anyone's attention with "..but the gift of God" part of Romans 6:23b. Yes - abortion is wrong and it's evil. Yes, homosexual practices and same-sex marriages are abominations to God. Yes, we need to take a stand against them, especially as powerful forces have succeeded in declaring such evils good, and cloaking them in legality. Yes, legal does not always equal moral. However, Christians must be known by what they are for as well as what they are against. I point to my friends in Operation Save America and Personhood USA as shining examples of people who take uncompromising stands against the popular sins of our day, and still proclaim the love of God through the person of Jesus the Christ.

Second, some professing Christians, while not portraying an attitude of hate towards others, have still stirred up hatred by putting hypocrisy on display. Whether it has been done by presenting Christianity as a side show and preachers as con-artists, or making promises to the masses which are never met, many have been left with bad tastes in their mouths because of the gospel being presented with impure motives. As the apostle Peter warned: "For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:17 (NKJV)

But what about those who present the gospel accurately with loving hearts and pure motives? Are they guaranteed that they will be received gladly, as bearers of good news? No! It is possible that all manner of preambles to the gospel will be accepted by many. Some conservatives even have a knack for paraphrasing Scripture without even knowing it. Many non-Christians are staunchly pro-life and others even believe in and practice the biblical model of marriage. But whether you are engaging a liberal or a conservative, an atheist or a pagan, you can proceed only so far with the gospel until you are compelled to deal with two issues which are potentially offensive: 1) universal and personal sin, and 2) Jesus as the only remedy.

Many people will tolerate the fact that you believe in God. After all, the Scriptures declare, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!" James 2:19 (NKJV) Some unbelievers will even tolerate the viewpoint that you believe Jesus is God, but once you say that Christ is the only way to Heaven, most will get angry. Very angry. So what is a believer to do? In keeping with the pattern of short answers: "Speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15).

Jesus prepared His disciples, and through them He prepares us. He declared that men love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19) and it is the gospel which is light and exposes the darkness (John 8:12, 12:46). Those who love truth will be convicted, will repent from their sins, and turn towards Jesus as Savior and Lord. That is why we continue to preach the truth in love. Those who love the lie (including the lie that darkness is better than light) will hate the message, and sometimes hate the messenger. Yet if our goal is just to not offend, we will back off from the truth, which is not an act of love at all, but one of self-preservation.

Jesus said:
¹⁸ "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. John 15:18-21 (NKJV)

So Christian, do what you have been called to do. Check your motives and be sure that love (both for God and for people) is at the center, and leave the results to the Holy Spirit. Some will hate you, but others will love you eternally, and your Heavenly Father will say, "Well done!"

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Part 22

 
 

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. Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)


Almost three years ago I embarked on a mission to share aspects of the "Gospel of the Kingdom" on this blog. I may come back to this subject, as God directs, but for now, this will be the 22nd and final installment on this subject. To do so, I want to touch briefly on two relevant sub-topics: 1) The Kingdom, Israel, and the Church, and 2) When Will the Kingdom Come?

The Kingdom, Israel, and the Church

There is no doubt about the fact that Jesus offered the Kingdom to Israel. When He sent the disciples on their preaching mission He told them to not go among the Gentiles, but to "go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mark 10:6) When Israel rejected the Kingdom, the blessings which should have been theirs were given to those who would accept them. They refused John the Baptist's  message of repentance in anticipation of the Kingdom and they rejected the blessings of the Kingdom offered by Jesus. They were like children, refusing to play either wedding or funeral (Matthew 11:16-17). Whereas under the Old Covenant God had dealt with Israel primarily as a family and a nation, under the New Covenant the Kingdom and its blessings are given to those who will accept it on an individual basis. The offer was not of a political or materialistic kingdom, offering instead a relationship with God Himself (grace) through a personal decision (faith). Just being the natural offspring of Abraham did not qualify one for the blessings of the new kingdom (Matthew 3:7-10; Romans 4).

Although the first Christian believers were almost exclusively Jews, the Jews as a whole refused this new relationship and the Gospel of the Kingdom was then taken to the Gentiles. Confession of Jesus as Messiah and confession of the Kingdom are in essence the same. Yet the primary expectation was that with the coming of the Messiah would mean the end of This Age and the appearance of the Kingdom in power. They did NOT expect the Kingdom to come in mystery form. In bringing the powers of the Age to Come into the midst of This Present Age, Messiah would die and three days later rise from the dead. Knowledge of this would and does come, only by divine revelation. Upon the rock of that divine revelation Christ would build His church (Matthew 16:16-19). The restoration of Israel would be at a future time, not yet disclosed (Acts 1:7).

So now the church has the keys of the Kingdom and it is in and through the church that the redemptive activity and rule of God among men is at work and where men experience the blessings of His rule. These keys open the door to the Age to Come aspect of the Kingdom of God. In the Present Age aspect of the Kingdom, God is dealing with a holy nation after the spirit and not a physical nation after the flesh (1 Peter 2:9). The church is not the Kingdom of God, God has created the church and works in the world through the church. Wherever the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached, some receive it and are loosed; delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of the Son of God's love (Colossians 1:13). Others reject the Kingdom and remain in darkness.

Paul illustrates that there is, and always has been, but one people of God. Not an Old Testament people and a New Testament people. The natural olive tree (which was Israel) in Romans 11 is this people. Because of unbelief, some branches were broken off and then others from a wild olive tree (Gentiles) were grafted in. The tree remained one tree, the present state of which does not represent god's last work. Some of the natural branches which were broken off because of unbelief will yet believe and be grafted again into the olive tree (v. 23, 25). When God's purposes with the Gentiles is fulfilled, there will come the salvation of Israel. The church has not replaced Israel. And until Christ comes again, ushering in the Age to Come, we will be engaged in the struggle with evil in this world. The church will not usher in the Age to Come by overcoming all evil, but she will be an instrument of salt and light, shining like stars in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 2:15).

When Will the Kingdom Come?

The Kingdom of God has come, is coming, and will come. It initially entered this present evil Age in the person and work of Christ, continuing through His church. It will come: 1) at the Second Coming of Christ which will include the Rapture/Resurrection; fulfillment of the Mystery of God in the salvation of Israel; as the Word of God battles and defeats the two beasts; and as the Millennium begins and the devil is chained in the bottomless pit, and 2) at the end of the Millennium when death and Satan and sin are totally and completely defeated and the Kingdom is realized in its ultimate perfection.

So when will it come? The answer is in the first Scripture cited above (Matthew 24:14). And the context in which this preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be accomplished is chaos: physical trauma like the world has never seen; persecution, betrayal and deception like the world has never seen. These will be days so bad that for the sake of the elect, they will be amputated (Matthew 24: 21-22). Jesus will be with the church, even in these times, for He said He would be with us, even to the end of the Present Age (Matthew 28:19-20). It will be just as it was at the birth of the church, with the Word being confirmed with signs and wonders (Mark 16:20). Daniel says of these dark days that those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits, shining like the brightness of the firmament (Daniel 11:32; 12:3). Through the technological wonders of today (Internet, social media, smart phones, satellite phones, TV, radio, etc.) the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to all people groups may come sooner rather than later. With it shall come the Great Tribulation, but the Great Tribulation will be cut short by the return of our Blessed Lord.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 (NKJV)

The Gospel of the Kingdom, Part 21

We may be tempted to disregard Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler because..............

We are not rich.
We are not young.
We've never ruled anything longer than 12 inches.

But wait! The account in Matthew 19 is pertinent to each of us because it has to do with Jesus' invitation for us to enter His Kingdom (v.21), and the things that keep us from entering. In the case of the rich young ruler, his attachment to his wealth stood in the way. For others it's shame of Jesus that holds us back (Luke 9:26); not being willing to carry our cross (Luke 9:23); affinity for creature comforts (Matthew 8:20), or perceived family obligations (Matthew 8:22). If you put these all together, you can hear Jesus saying, "Your decision for the Kingdom of God must be unqualified." Poverty itself is no virtue. Jesus' demand is for a decision to submit to God and His Kingdom. All other affections must give way to this higher loyalty.

The question is, "Are all other claims and interests subservient  and secondary to the rule of God?" "Have we really been delivered from the dominion of all that is dark and transferred to the kingdom of the beloved Son?" (Colossians 1:13) "Have we learned the secret of being content in all situations, both want and plenty, so that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength?" (Philippians 4:11-13) We must progress to the place where we can answer such questions with a resounding "Yes!" before we can know the blessings of God's Kingdom. We dare not trust anything or anyone more than God!

While God is certainly for the family, He warned us that such wholehearted acceptance of His Kingdom might cause rupture of normal family ties (Matthew 10:34-37). Family members need to be infused with the love of God before they can understand that loving God supremely in no way diminishes our love for one another. Without that divine impartation, love for God will be viewed as competing for human love, rather than enhancing human love. How wonderful it is when family members, especially spouses, join in pursuit of Kingdom priorities. But whether or not they do, the claims of God's Kingdom still have priority. Fortunate is the family that realizes that together.

When Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily, we must remember that the cross is not a burden; it is a place of death. It's not self denial, which is self-centered; but denial of self, which is Christ-centered. Obviously it does not mean that daily we go to the cross and experience physical death, but it does mean that every disciple of Christ must be prepared to die, especially if and when loyalty to the Kingdom is on the line. Not to negate the great sacrifices of martyrs over the ages, but often it is more challenging to daily present oneself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). The problem with living sacrifices, as someone once said, is "they keep trying to crawl off the altar."

That said, once we finally cross the great divide when we can say, with the apostle Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (NKJV), the cross bearing has finally taken place in the depths of our spirits. Our relationship with Christ becomes settled, and He alone is ruler, lord, and king. Our mantra becomes, "nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done."

This is a kingdom decision, and the next is like unto it. It is one we must practice here and now, while it is yet relatively easy to do......while the stakes are yet relatively low. Jeremiah gives us the pattern when he says, "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?" Jeremiah 12:5 (NKJV) Our decisions for or against the Kingdom of God ultimately will determine our eternal destiny. Jesus said,  "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
⁹ But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." Luke 12:8-9 (NKJV) We have probably all stumbled over this at times, but if you're able to read this, get up, dust yourself off, and get it right next time. The way things are going in this world, in terms of personal comfort and safety, it will become more and more costly to confess Christ. We must get this matter settled before the Lord returns. "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38 (NKJV)

Christ one day (soon) will appear as the Lion of the tribe of Judah to bring (the completeness of) salvation to the sons of the Kingdom and a just condemnation to the sons of darkness. In His grace, at His first advent, He confronted us with the demands of the Kingdom. He shouted (and still does), "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near." Repent! Enter the Kingdom through the only door that is available - the shed blood of Jesus, the Passover Lamb. Repent! Quit counting on lesser things to bring you to glory. Repent! Surrender to the rule of the King, and thereby enter the Kingdom.

A Happy and Blessed Resurrection Sunday to all!