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!

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 15

There is, in virtually every human heart, a great hunger for life. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God," and Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 2:3, 5). God offers to every man a life that is so much higher than the physical life which men attempt to enjoy through all manner of means, and to which men tend to cling tenaciously, even at the end. This is the "abundant life" which Christ came to give us - the life of God's Kingdom. (John 10:10) Old Testament saints had been expecting Messiah to bring about a manifestation of the Kingdom by changing the political order and displacing all human rule and authority (Isaiah 2:1-4). This has not yet happened, but when it does, there will also come to pass a transformation of the very physical order of things on planet Earth (Isaiah 11:6-9).

Yet the Mystery of the Kingdom has occurred, and it is this: The Kingdom that will change the entire external order has entered This Age now to bring the blessings of God's Kingdom to men and women without changing the external order. The Old Age continues, yet men may already experience and enjoy some of the powers of the Age to Come, mainly a vital relationship with God as Father, through the New Birth. When the New Birth occurs, Kingdom life (life eternal and abundant) become available, although they belong, in unrestricted fullness, to the Age to Come. Eternal life, which we looked at in the context of Matthew 19:16 is the same eternal life into which the righteous will go at the separation of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:46). This is all future.

Yes, much of salvation and eternal life is future. Today we have a hope (confidence) that when Christ returns, then we shall enter the Kingdom. We look forward to a day when we shall receive "a building from God, a house not made with hands" while in our present mortal bodies, we sigh with anxiety" (2 Corinthians 5:1, 4). We all, along with the Apostle Paul, long to be "clothed upon" i.e., to put on our resurrection bodies, so "that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Corinthians 5:4). Eternal life has to do with the total man, spirit, soul and body. When we finally inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50) our bodies will be redeemed, no longer consisting of flesh and blood. Until then, we are all dying creatures....whether slowly and painfully, of enjoying a large measure of vigour until the end. Either way, God has something better when that which is mortal (our physical bodies) shall be swallowed up in life.

The future aspect of eternal life is again taught in Revelation. The "river of the water of life...flowing from the throne of God" and "the tree of life" are mentioned in Revelation 22:1-2. The revelation goes beyond this, as glorious as the salvation of the body is, to the greater reality that in our midst shall be "the throne of God and of the Lamb.....and His servants shall worship Him.....they shall see His face" (Revelation 22:3-4). All barriers of the flesh and sin will be swept away. We shall enjoy unhindered and untroubled fellowship with God. This is life; this is life eternal; this is life of the Kingdom of God.

In the next installment of this study, we will discover that there is a "now" aspect to life of the Kingdom of God. Somehow, God has managed to deliver some of the first installments of life in the Age to Come to us here and now, while we are living in this Present Evil Age, in our mortal bodies. Jesus said, "He who believes in the Son HAS eternal life" (John 3:36) and "He who hears my word and believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but HAS passed from death to life" (John 5:24). These words are more true and powerful to me today than ever before, as I consider my father-in-laws frail body - lungs filled with fluid from pneumonia and kidneys that are working at about 30% efficiency. He is still living in his earthly tent, which is just a shadow of its former self when it could carry 2 bags of cement at a time.....but he is preparing to leave. I shared these Scriptures with him today, along with others which reminded us both of his simple faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, exercised about 27 years ago. Because of that he can leave this life for that life, with confidence. Can you?

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 8

To what extent is the Kingdom of God manifest today?

It's taken a while (longer than I originally anticipated) but so far a foundational truth has been established: The Word of God divides the course of God's redemptive purpose into two ages: This Age and The Age to Come. These two ages are separated by the Second Coming of Christ and the first resurrection. The fullness of the Kingdom of God belongs to The Age to Come, and if that were all there was to the Kingdom, then the gospel of the Kingdom would be strictly that of promise. Salvation would be little more than an insurance policy to provide against a future day of trouble. It's present value would be little more than to provide a sense of security for deliverance on the day of judgment.

However, the bible makes it clear that there is a transition from This Age to The Age to Come which lasts 1000 years, called the Millennium. At the beginning of the Millennium, Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss. The earth will then enjoy a new measure of the life and blessings of the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 65:20-25). At the end of the Millennium, the devil is released from the abyss, and amazingly he again deceives multitudes and incites them to rebel against God. God visits the earth with fire and devours all His enemies and Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, joining the beast and the false prophet where the unholy trinity will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10).

Then the fullness of the Kingdom of God will finally be realized in a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21). Again, if this were the complete program of redemption, we would have merely a religion of hope and promise. Please don't get me wrong - Christianity is full of hope and promise, but Christianity (The Gospel of the Kingdom) is not a religion, but a relationship, so it goes beyond hope and promise. There is a further overlap of the two ages, beyond the Millennium. The New Testament is full of explicit statements compelling us to conclude that the blessings of The Kingdom are not exclusive to He Age to Come. The theology of the New Testament as a whole supports this as well. Hebrews 6:5 speaks of those who "tasted.....the powers of the coming age." Something has happened causing the powers of The Age to Come to penetrate This Age. And while a "taste" is not a seven-course banquet, a taste is still real; more than a promise it is something to be experienced.

Paul says in Galatians 1:3-4 "Grace and peace to you (virtually every epistle begins this way; grace first, followed by peace) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." Hallelujah! Satan may still be the god of this world (This Age) but the power of The Age to Come has projected itself back into This Age in the person of Jesus Christ, so that we might be delivered from this present evil Age. "Glory to God forever and ever! Amen!" (Galatians 1:5). Paul gives an amazing theological exposition in his letter to the Roman Christians, and the last verse in chapter 11 reads, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:36).

He then begins chapter 12 with the words "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy...." What are we to do? Present our bodies as living sacrifices.....Do not be conformed to the patter of this world (This Age) but be transformed by the renewing of our mind... It is only by undergoing an inner transformation, which is the result of the power of The Age to Come penetrating back into this present evil Age that we can keep from being conformed to This Age. By this new power we are able to test and approve that which is God's perfect will.

What does this mean? The follower of Christ is now caught up in the conflict of the ages, as the Kingdom of God which belongs to The Age to Come has overlapped with This Age. Therefore, we may be delivered from This Age and no longer live in conformity to it. This is not easy, and it is not complete and it is a struggle. It helps to know that God has a plan and a purpose. The plan (which includes the order of things) is outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:22-26. This passage declares that the Kingdom of God is the reign of God through Christ destroying the enemies of God's reign. The highest expression of the Kingdom is the defeat of death. "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (v. 26). This does not happen at once, but in three stages: "Christ the first fruits; after that they which are Christ's at His coming. After that comes the end, when He delivers up the Kingdom to God the Father." (v. 20-24 paraphrased).

This all begins with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is history; not something to be anticipated in the future. That is our assurance of our own resurrection (or sudden transformation) - a resurrection has already happened. Jesus said, "Because I live, you will live also" (John 14:19). This is the meaning of the power of His resurrection, in that it enables us also to partake of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10). Jesus in His human body, died for our sins and rose on the third day, "so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14-15). It is only when we enter into the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that we experience the power of The Age to Come in This Age. When we no longer fear death, to paraphrase William Carey, the "Father of the Modern Missionary Movement," there is nothing we won't attempt for God, nothing we won't expect from God.

Take a look at Galatians 2:20, for that is where we will begin the next time. Good stuff with which to end one year and begin another. Be encouraged in Christ.

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Part 4

The Kingdom of God is Tomorrow. This is not meant to encourage you to adopt the slogan of the grasshopper as your own: "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" Remember our basic description of the Kingdom of God? It is basically the rule of God; or divine sovereignty in action. It is helpful, however, to remember that God's reign is manifested in several realms, and the Gospels speak of entering into the Kingdom of God both today and tomorrow. There is both a future realm and a present realm in which men may experience the blessings of God's reign. For the moment, we are going to focus on the future realm.

It is a clear teaching of the New testament that God's will (and the accompanying enjoyment of blessings) is not to be perfectly realized in this realm. Central to Biblical Theology is the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This doctrine, and what Scripture says what must transpire on planet Earth before the Lord's return is central the ministry of Encouragement for End-Times Endurance http://www.endtimesencouragement.com/ Just as there are two advents of Christ, one in the flesh which we call the Incarnation, and the other in glory, which may be called the Parousia, so there are two manifestations of God's Kingdom: one which is present now because God's Son has appeared among men, and one in power and glory when Christ returns. For now we will look at the final realization of God's Kingdom in the realm "beyond history"

Properly understood, the Bible does not present a view of time, and then eternity. The Bible really presents the linear concept of eternity simply as unending time. There are two Greek word in the New Testament translated by the single English word "world." The first is kosmos, which in its most common usage means the world as the sum and total of everything constituting an orderly universe. (Oscar Cullmann, Christ and Time, S.C.M. Press, London, 1951). The other Greek word translated "world" is aion, which is better translated "age" as in a period of time. The entire sweep of man's existence is set forth in terms of this age and the age which is to come.

In Ephesians 1:21, Paul speaks of the exaltation of Christ, not only in this age (aion) but in the age to come. The blessing eternal life Christ speaks of for those who have left earthly comforts for His sake will come in the age to come. Over and over the New Testament speaks of two different ages, separated by the Second Coming of Christ and the First Resurrection. This present age will end with the Parousia and it will be followed by the age to come. In Luke 20:34-36 Jesus speaks of "those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead...." Reading through the passage you discover that in this age, marriage is a necessary (and honorable) institution, but that a different state of affairs will exist in the age to come. The "sons of the resurrection" will be immortal, and thus this present age will be separated from the age to come will be separated by the First Resurrection.

We read that Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father," (Galatians 1:4). A more detailed presentation to the order of this present evil age is given in Ephesians 2:1-2, and all believers once walked in accordance with this order. The New Testament is full of non-exhaustive lists describing our attitudes and activities as we walked in ways displeasing to God. For example: "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21).

Whew! Is there any hope of inheriting the Kingdom of God; is there any hope of ever entering it? I know this is rather a down place to stop; but I promise you: It is not the end of the story. Please keep in mind that the title of this blog series is "The Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom. So stay tuned..........