The Kingdom of God..

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It actually is amazing, given that Christianity has existed for two thousand years, and the Bible has been widely available for several hundred years, that no scholar (that I know of) has recognized that we have changed the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gospel of going to Heaven when we die. Although from Matthew forward, the emphasis is on the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven, as Matthew calls it). Yet we teach that to be saved means to go to another place, that is, to live forever in the part of the spirit world where God and Christ are.

(2/4/2007) Being eighty-one years of age, I am looking forward to being released from the constraints of the physical body and to be at home in the spirit world with the Lord. The spirit world is quite real to me, and my attention is turned their increasingly. Sometimes it seems it is given to me to see people after they pass away, but I do not cultivate this or attempt to communicate with them. However it is comforting to know that people really are alive and identifiable after they die, and we do not have to mourn as do the unbelievers.

I can see from the Bible, and what our traditions suggest, that we have created an imaginary "Heaven," a heaven in some ways reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. What we Christians picture concerning Heaven is not found in the Scriptures, only in our imagination. We do not know what we will experience after we die, except that those who have served Christ with their whole heart will go to be with Jesus.

In spite of what we may assume, the subject of the New Testament is not that of going to Heaven when we die. Neither John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, nor the Apostles of Christ preached about going to Heaven. They preached and taught about the Kingdom of God.

It is not true that Heaven and the Kingdom of God are basically the same thing. Go through your New Testament and substitute "Heaven" for "Kingdom of God." You soon will discover the difference between Heaven and the Kingdom of God.

You will notice also that the New Testament does not speak of going to the Kingdom of God. It refers to "inheriting" the Kingdom of God. Conversely, the New Testament never speaks of inheriting Heaven. Heaven and the Kingdom of God simply are two different things. Heaven is a place. The Kingdom of God is a realm of authority that operates wherever the believer is, whether he is in Heaven, on the earth, or someplace else.

If we envision our destiny as eternal residence in Heaven, then we must wait to die until we get there. But if we envision our destiny, our goal, to be inheriting the Kingdom of God, we commence entering the Kingdom right now. If we wait until we die we will find that we have missed God's plan for our life.

The most prominent feature of the Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will, especially in the earth. "Thy will be done in earth," we pray. Let me state at this point that there is nothing else as important to an individual as that of doing God's will perfectly.

If we do not do God's will diligently at all times, as it is made known to us, we can forget about being resurrected when the Lord returns. It is not going to happen. He is coming for those obedient soldiers who will help Him establish His kingdom, the doing of God's will, on the earth

As for the idea of an any-moment "rapture," this is unscriptural foolishness and should not be taught. If the present crop of American Christians were to be caught up to Heaven, it would be a disaster for the inhabitants of Heaven. The Lord Jesus had best remain a bachelor!

Now, what about inheriting the Kingdom? If we use the phrase "be given" in place of "inherit," it may be clearer in our mind.

The most important fact to understand about the Kingdom of God is that the Kingdom is Jesus Christ Himself. As He is formed in us we are given the Kingdom. This is why we must be born again to see and enter the Kingdom. There are three primary phases of the Kingdom, we might say. All three are given to us as Christ increases in our personality until He dominates our old nature.

The first and most important phase of the Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will. It is written in the Psalms that Christ delights to do the Father's will. This fact was validated in Gethsemane, although it was not a delight at that time. Christ learned obedience by the things He suffered on the earth.

Because of the spirit of obedience that has been brought to perfection in Christ, when He is formed in us that same spirit of obedience is formed in us. This is how we are given, or inherit, the Kingdom of God.

The second phase of the Kingdom of God is eternal life. Jesus Christ Himself is Eternal Life and the Resurrection from the dead. As Christ is formed in us, eternal life and the resurrection from the dead are formed in us. This also is how we are given, or inherit, the Kingdom of God.

These two phases having been brought to maturity in us, we are ready for the third phase of inheriting the Kingdom of God. The third phase consist of all that God is making new in Christ: in other words, all that is described in the last two chapters of the Bible. The overcomer, he who presses through the world spirit, Satan, and his own fallen nature, will be given all that God is making new in Christ. This also is how we are given, or inherit, the Kingdom of God.

Is the Kingdom of God in Heaven or on the earth in the present hour? The Kingdom of God exists wherever there is an individual who is inheriting the desire and power to do God's will in every circumstance, and who is being filled with eternal life and the resurrection from the dead. The fullness of the inheritance will come from Heaven with the Lord and His obedient saints.

When I speak of living the victorious life, of overcoming sin, of doing God's will in every instance, people easily can become discouraged. There is no need whatever to be discouraged. When you receive Christ, the Divine Seed is implanted in your personality. Your task is to pray, read your Bible, gather with the saints, give, serve, and otherwise live a practical Christian life, looking always to Christ for wisdom and strength. It is God's task to bring Christ to maturity in your personality.

Christ was revealed in order that He might destroy the works of the devil. This He always is ready to do. Christ has enough power to destroy the work of Satan in your life and in my life. What is at issue is our willingness to believe that God will do this for us. Christ has all the power necessary to deliver you from worldliness, lust, and self-will.

We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God. It is not a party. It requires all the integrity we can bring to the struggle. But victory always is assured, because through Christ we are more than conquerors.

Our supreme goal is to have fellowship with the Father and the Son. Such fellowship is possible for us only as we permit God to redeem us, that is, to deliver us from all that is found in the personality of Satan and to fill us with His Divine Nature.

Such transformation is possible for you. Don't come short of it. It is here now, waiting for you to believe and receive.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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