Matthew 13:40,41

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

We know at some point in time, somewhere, and by some method, the Lord is going to remove sin from His Kingdom. It often is taught that when the Lord returns He will instantly remove sin from us without any effort on our part. Another point of view is that the bondages of sin will all be removed when we die.

Neither of these ideas seems to be entirely scriptural. The true answer is given in the above verse.

When will sin be removed from the Kingdom of God?

The answer is given: "at the end of the age."

Probably most Christians believe we are pretty near the end of the age. So it is entirely possible, and scriptural, that we are drawing close to the time when sin will be removed from the Kingdom of God.

Where will we be when sin is removed from the Kingdom of God?

My thought is that when the time comes to remove sin from His Kingdom it does not matter where the believer is.

Is this what the following passage is stating?

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (I Peter 4:5,6)

First of all, it is clear from the above that God will judge those who are alive on the earth and those who are dead and in the spirit realm.

Second, the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached to those who have died and are living before God in the spirit realm. These people are judged as though they were still living on the earth in a physical body, although they no longer are alive on the earth.

If my understanding is accurate, then we can say that when the Lord gets ready to remove sin from His Kingdom it does not matter whether we are dead, or alive in the physical world.

When is the end of the age. Where is wherever we are when the Lord is ready to remove sin from us.

The one remaining question is, how will the Lord remove sin from us?

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Matthew 13:40,41)

The Son of Man will send out His angels and they will weed out of His Kingdom everything that causes sin.

The Son of Man will send out His angels and they will weed out of His Kingdom all who do evil.

Everything that causes sin. All who do evil. These are two different issues.

The term "angels" can refer to spirit-angels or human-angels. "Angel" in the Greek language means messenger. So the above passage may mean simply that the Lord will send forth ministers who will proclaim the Jubilee of release from sin.

The idea is, the Lake of Fire has jurisdiction over eight specific behaviors, whether or not these behaviors are found in a believer or an unbeliever.

None of these eight behaviors will be permitted to exist in the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians tells us we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit for the Day of Redemption.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

It is our point of view that the Day of Redemption, the time of the removal of sin, has begun. The Day of Redemption is portrayed by the Old Testament Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement follows the feast of Pentecost. We have been celebrating the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Pentecost for a century or so. Now it is time to observe the solemn Day of Atonement as the Judge, who is standing at the door, begins to baptize us with the fire of Divine judgment.

The issue is simple: either we work with the Lord in getting rid of the sins that are in us, or else our destiny will be residence in the Lake of Fire.

First the sins are removed from the Kingdom. Then the sinners are removed from the Kingdom.

No sin of any kind is permitted in the Kingdom of God.

Now, how does this work out in practice?

The Holy Spirit convicts us of a sin.

There are several lists of sins found in various books of the New Testament. Almost all of them are included in the following description:

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; Idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions And envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

If a Christian continues in these behaviors he or she will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

As soon as one of these behaviors is pointed out to us we are to confess it as sin, denounce it as sin, renounce it such that we want nothing to do with it ever again, and then in the future resist it with the strength God gives.

We will find that if we confess the behavior clearly, vigorously denounce it as sin, fiercely renounce it, we will have the ability to resist it in the future.

Try this procedure out and see if it works. You may be surprised. We are in a new day.

One venerable concept that clouds our thinking is the traditional teaching that our goal is eternal residence in the spirit Paradise, in Heaven. This is what we mean by "being saved."

This concept is not scriptural. The issue is not residence in the spirit Paradise, the issue is that of inheriting the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is not a place, such as Heaven. The Kingdom of God is Christ in us.

The more of Christ we have the more of the Kingdom we have.

The more of Christ we have the more eternal life we have.

The more of Christ we have the more we are able to behave righteously.

The more of Christ we have the more resurrection we have.

The more of Christ we have the more truth we have.

The more of Christ we have the more of God we have.

Do you get the impression the important thing is Christ: to gain Christ; to win Christ; to know Christ; to have Christ formed in us? If you do, you are on the scriptural track.

Paul was not trying to gain Heaven, He was trying to gain Christ.

We have made a place our goal. Our goal is not a place, it is a Person. It is Christ.

The Kingdom of God is within us. We will not find it in Heaven. It is Christ we desire—more of Christ every day. He Himself is the Kingdom!

When we speak of sin being removed from the Kingdom of God we mean sin is removed from the personalities of those in whom the Kingdom is being formed.

The reason we have to be born again to enter the Kingdom is that it is the Kingdom, Christ, that is born in us.

We say people have to be born again to enter Heaven. This is not scriptural. People have to be born once of woman, then of God, in order to see and enter the Kingdom of God.

The parables of Christ concern the Kingdom of God. There cannot be sin in the Kingdom of God because the Kingdom is the doing of God’s will in the earth as it is in Heaven.

Perhaps you may have become discouraged at this point because you are considering your own body now dead in sin.

Well, are you going to consider your sin or are you going to consider Christ?

When you read in the Bible that God is going to have a Church without blemish of any kind, then you have a choice. You can believe God and present yourself as a candidate for cleansing, or you can continue in the traditional unbelief that as long as we are in this world we have to sin.

Do we think God cannot remove sin from us while we are in the world? Where did we get this idea? On what passage of Scripture are we basing our belief?

Have you ever been delivered from a sinful practice? Probably so. Then this is all we are speaking of. We are not referring to some magical event in which we suddenly are without sin. We are pointing out that the Holy Spirit wants us to be sensitive to Him so when He is ready to deal with a specific sin in our personality we are ready to confess it, denounce it, renounce it, and resist it.

This is how sin is removed from the Kingdom of God.

I suppose, from the words of Peter, that this program is taking place in the spirit realm as well as on the earth.

Sometimes believers are under the impression once we die and enter the spirit realm, things will be different. This impression is neither scriptural nor logical.

Sin began around the Throne of God when Satan decided to rebel against the Father. It is true also that we wrestle against fallen spiritual lords presently located in the spirit realm, in the heavens.

Why, then, do we imagine when we die and enter the spirit realm it will be easier for God to deal with our sinful, self-willed behavior? This is not a sensible or scriptural position.

Our sinful nature is only a collection of nasty bondages. Our physical body is morally neutral, being nothing more than an organism made up of water, carbon, and other compounds and elements. It is the sin that dwells in us that causes us to violate the moral laws of God.

This sin can be removed by the power of Christ. It is our job to confess our sins as they are pointed out to us. It is the task of the Spirit of God to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The only wall that stands between us and deliverance from sin is our own unbelief and disobedience.

We need not despair. As someone said, "we cannot gaze at our problem and at Christ at the same time." Either we are looking to Christ or else we are despairing because of our bondages.

Once we find an aspect of redemption in the Bible we are to look to God to fulfill it in our life.

But what about Heaven? Can we go to Heaven in our sin?

The issue is not Heaven, it is the Kingdom of God. You can pass into the spirit realm believing in Christ and yet be bound with sin. But then you will be judged. If you have had an opportunity to be delivered from sin, and have not taken advantage of it, you will be judged as a lazy, disobedient servant. You can call on Christ all you wish, but you will be judged as a lazy, disobedient servant.

If you have never known the Lord’s will but have sinned, you will be beaten with few lashes. If you have known the Lord’s will, but have continued to sin, you will be beaten with many lashes.

"But will I be saved?"

What do you mean by "saved"?

If you mean will you be cast into Hell, this depends on the judgment of Christ. If you have been selfish, as was the rich man, you will be cast into Hell. Divine grace is not a means by which the selfish are permitted to enter Paradise.

If you have not been diligent with the Kingdom opportunities God has given you, you will be cast into the outer darkness—whether or not you "believe in Christ."

What about the individual who never heard the Gospel until it was time for him to die?

He will be judged accordingly. We are not condemned on the basis of light we do not have.

But at some point, whether now or then, we must respond when the messenger comes to us and we are convicted of sin. If we do not we will be judged as an unbeliever. If we do not repent, our destiny well may be the Lake of Fire.

Somehow we have gained the idea that Christ came to save us from Hell. Find this in the New Testament, if you can.

The Lord Jesus told us how to avoid Hell. He told us if our eye offended us to cut it out of our head and hurl it away from us. Then we will enter life.

No, Jesus did not come so sinners can enter Heaven. He came so sinners can enter the Kingdom of God. But sinners enter the Kingdom of God only as they turn away from their sins, not because they received a ticket to Heaven by "accepting Christ."

If there were one sinner in the Kingdom of God, I mean, someone who continued in sin after having been reproved by the Lord, then the entire Kingdom would be unacceptable. God simply will not dwell with sin.

But, we claim, "He sees us through Christ". This is not a scriptural concept.

"But we are covered with the blood!"

Let me explain. The concept of being "covered with the blood" comes from the Old Testament celebration of the Passover. "When I see the blood I will pass over you."

The Passover blood was not for the purpose of forgiving sin. It was protection when God came forth to judge the gods of this world.

When we receive Christ as our Savior, God protects us from judgment when God comes to judge our nation. But this protection lasts only as long as we are obeying God.

When Israel disobeyed God, then the protection was lifted and they were destroyed by every kind of calamity one could imagine. Witness the curses pronounced from Mount Ebal.

It is precisely so with us Christians. When we place our faith in Christ we are protected by the blood of the Passover Lamb. But the idea is that then we will commence our life as a disciple, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus.

If we do not do this but continue to live according to our sinful nature, we will come under Divine judgment. If we persist in our sinful behavior, not repenting, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

This so clearly is scriptural that when someone protests that we still will be "saved by grace," then it is true that either he does not know the Scriptures or else he is willfully ignorant and disobedient. Such are not bearing the fruit the heavenly Farmer is expecting, and consequently are not far from the fire that will burn up the branches that have been cut from the Vine, from Christ.

We have many false doctrines among our Christian traditions. They have succeeded in keeping numerous believers in a state of eternal babyhood.

What is God doing about this moral catastrophe?

First, He is sending the most wonderful praise and pageantry! This is such a blessing. Some are saying the coming revival is one of worship. This is only partly true.

Judah (praise) always goes out in front of the army of God.

The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. Nahshon son of Amminadab was in command. (Numbers 10:14)

But God was not bringing only worship into the land of Canaan. The army was bringing the Ark of the Covenant containing the two tables of the Law.The Ten Commandments are a judgment against Satan and his demons.

Praise and pageantry must come first. Exuberant praise and worship must mount in intensity until the congregation is on its feet, abandoned to the Presence of God.

But then will come the twoedged sword. When Solomon’s Temple was completed, all that was found in the Ark were the two tables of the Covenant. Aaron’s rod that budded, and the memorial jar of manna, had disappeared.

When the tabernacle of God, the new Jerusalem, has been made ready, the eternal moral law of God, of which the Ten Commandments are an abridged, covenantal version, will shine forever as the light of the holy city.

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. (I Kings 8:9)

When God is finished perfecting His saints the scaffolding that has been employed, all of our religious activities, will be seen no more. Instead we will discover the moral law will have been inscribed on our mind and heart for eternity.

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