SEEING THE KINGDOM VS ENTERING THE KINGDOM
If an area is dark and we need to see into that area, it is often better we not spend too much of our time discussing the darkness. We could just do what is necessary to turn on the light. The light will dispel the darkness.
Seeing and entering into the kingdom or government of God is for Christians only.
People who; confess with their mouth, the Lord Jesus, and will; believe in their heart, that God has raised Him from the dead. These are the people who are born of flesh and then born again of the Spirit of God. These are the people who Jesus was describing to Nicodemus when He told him; you must be born again, to see the Kingdom and
to enter the Kingdom.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved.
John 3:3; Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.
John 3:5-6; Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Note that; “seeing” and “entering” are two separate issues. Jesus made a clear distinction between the two as he was teaching Nicodemus;
John 3: verse 3 Jesus talks of seeing the kingdom.
verse 5 Jesus talks of entering into the kingdom.
Not clearly understanding this distinction has created a minefield of errors in the truth of the good news about the Kingdom of Heaven, ever since the first recorded mention of it by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent; for the KINGDOM of heaven is at hand.
Some have erred, also, by believing that the “Kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven” are somehow different. Others have erred, believing the Kingdom of Heaven is Heaven. The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven is not Heaven. However, the “Kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven” are synonymous terms. Let’s not get off the track and take the time to sort that out here, it is quite another project.
My four daughters were born of their mother, each a natural birth. I am their Father. They must of necessity have been born, of my seed and their Mothers egg to become a natural child of our household. That will never change, no matter how obedient or disobedient they may have been. There is a spiritual parallel here also with the Christian, birth in the Spirit.
1 Peter 1:23; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever
The birth of our four daughters did not automatically make them obedient to every rule of our household government (Dad & Mom’s Domain or Kingdom if you will). Their obedience to household rules, would be a process, and would involve each of them making daily individual choices and reaping the fruit of those choices, good or bad. That process, we would hope, would also have involved some loving and appropriate parental instruction and discipline. Barbara & I made a lot of mistakes in that regard, God does not. Here, again, the natural principals are pointing to Spiritual principals.
So, being born of the flesh and born again of incorruptible seed by the spirit is necessary to become a child of God the Father’s household. However, being a child in God the Father’s household does not take away your free will. After you are born again of the Spirit, you now, for the first time in your natural life, can choose to enter in and participate in the household rules of Father God or you can choose not too. Before you were born of the Spirit, you did not have a choice. Like the Children of Israel in Egypt, you were slaves, with no choice but to do the bidding of a wicked master.
Jesus said in effect; you must be born of the spirit of God and of a woman in order
to see the Kingdom of God. He went on to say, in effect; you must be born of the Spirit of God and of a woman to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3 and 3:5)
So then, in order to see, ……or….. to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be both flesh and blood and born of the Spirit.
Remember,… the Kingdom of God is not in heaven, so don’t look for it here or there, it is the government or rule of God within you.
Luke 17:20-21 And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the
kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said,
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say,
Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Remember; the “Kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven” are synonymous terms and the “Kingdom of God” is not heaven.
This Kingdom or government of God is inside of born again Christians. However, His government in us can function at its best only when we Christians will give room and choose to submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We can not do the clean up and renovation ourselves, anymore than we can effect our new birth in the Spirit. Only the work of the Holy Spirit can affect a new birth, in the Spirit and only the Holy Spirit is able to change the desires of our hearts to coincide with Gods will.
We enter into or participate in the Kingdom of God by first seeing and knowing the will of God thru our new relationship, once we are born again. If this relationship is properly nourished, the Holy Spirit will do His work to change the desires of our hearts. We will then, from the heart, want to choose to die to the lusts of the flesh and further seek and rely on the Holy Spirit by faith, to change our hearts even more to further conform to the will of God (the Kingdom of God).
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Notice, the Holy Spirit does all the work, we just make the choices. This is the rest the scripture speaks of. You may agonize over your daily decisions to die to self, to one degree or another but you are in good company. Remember, Jesus in the garden? He agonized over his decision to submit to Fathers will, which was to allow the Romans to crucify him. Aren’t we glad he said…..” Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Mt 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things………
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Phil. 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
A key word in Matthew 5:16, above, is; “LET”, indicating Christian choice or option in this regard. God’s Will or Government will not be manifest to the world through Christians, as it could be, unless these choices or options are affected by us. Jesus, the pattern son, made choices regarding the will of the flesh or the will of God, and so must we.
For those who do not have the Spirit of God, there is no possibility of seeing or entering into the rule of God in this life or ever. They are doomed to continue to sin and to an eternity without God, except they turn to Him through Jesus Christ.
For “born again Christians”, however, we are in the household or family of God. That will never change for all eternity. God will not allow you to return to Egypt. You may die in the wilderness of testing. However, you will always be a child of God, and your eternal destiny is assured. There is more about this in a later chapter.
All true Christians have the capability, through the Spirit of God in them to see, and understand the rules of Father God’s household. Yet, not all Christians will enter in to full obedience. All Christians are born of incorruptible seed, yet, they may not always choose to humble themselves and seek to enter into or come under the rule of God.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
Incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Incorruptible means it is impossible to corrupt. Therefore, as a born again Christian, humble and seeking the rule of God or to the Christian, not very humble, not seeking the rule of God, your new spirit man, the new creation in Christ is eternally secure. Does that give all Christians the license to be disobedient (sin) without consequences? Paul said no way!
not under the law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the
law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants
to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we sin willfully after that we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for
sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
For the Christian who can now see the Kingdom of God or in other words, knows the will of God and chooses not to enter in, is like a man who builds his house upon the sand;
Matthew 7:26-27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The born again Christian may now see the Kingdom or rule of God, yet, in their immaturity, they may choose not to enter into or come under the rule of God. Take a look at some of the immature Christians who made poor choices in the early church;
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto
spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Corinthians5:1-5 It is reported commonly that there is
fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named
among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 5:9 -10 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed
together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them
which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee
out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded
up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and,
carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
1 Corinthians 11:30-32 For this cause many are weak and sickly among
you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
These are a few examples of immature Christians, who choose to engage in disobedient acts, which resulted in consequences in life, even to include physical death. In one case we read that the destruction of the flesh was in order that the disobedient Christians spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 11:30, this is reinforced, with indication that Christians should judge themselves, and if not, sickness and even death could be a chastening from the Lord, in order that this Christian not be condemned with the world.
1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not
unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin
not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
Now, we can better understand that a Christian, seeing (knowing) the will of God, or the Kingdom or rule of God and failing to do the will of God, will not shut themselves off from eternal life in Christ. However, they may become like the man who built his house upon the sand, and in due time, when the storm came, his house fell, and was no longer able to perform it’s intended function of service as God intended.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20; What? Know ye not that your body is the temple (abode, dwelling, house) of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
A Christian might see (know) the will of God in a given situation, but deliberately choose not to obey or not seek the aid of the Holy Spirit to overcome the flesh. That is called; disobedience. The result of willful disobedience is always the same.
Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesians in chapter 5 and exhorted them to be God like as beloved children; to walk in love; and not let things like immorality, uncleanness, covetousness, cursing, foolish words, flattery, be heard among them. He went on to say; no one guilty of fornication, no unclean person, no covetous man who serves idols, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Keep in mind Paul is writing this to Christians, Gods children, not to unregenerate (non-Christian) people.
Ephesians 5:6-7 Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the anger of God comes on the children of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers in them. (Peshitta text)
1 Corinthians 6:8-10 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that
your brethren .Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortionist, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap.
A Christian may see the way to do what is good, to obey God, to inherit or come under His government (Kingdom of God). However, it is no more possible for any Christian to enter into and participate in doing the will of God than it is for non-Christians, unless it is the work of the Spirit God in them. Trying to obey Gods laws without seeking by faith the work of the Holy Spirit to change the desires of the heart is futile. This is nothing more than a work of the flesh. This is a leavened mixture of law and grace which some Christians have tried to do from almost the beginning. Christians that do this, frustrate the true grace of God.
Galatians 3: 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2. This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
The Children of Israel, before Christ, could not keep the law, and we Christians can not keep it either, without the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
In Chapter 4 we will look at the true definition of grace and more of the “good news” about the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
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