There Are Conditions to Entering the Kingdom

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We read in several places where Christ said only those who overcome will inherit the kingdom and rule with Him. There is more to being in the kingdom of God than just desiring it. There are qualifying CONDITIONS that must be met.

Jesus said to a young rich man who inquired about eternal life, “… if you will enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:17). He explained that one must keep the Ten Commandments to be saved, and specifically cited five of them.

Now what is sin? Since committing it results in death (Rom. 6:23), should you not know what it is? 1 John 3:4 records, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” This is the same law that the young rich man was told he must obey to inherit eternal life.

Many claim to be Christian—to be followers of Christ. They claim to “believe on Christ” and claim to be “seekers of truth,” when they do not want the real truth of the Bible at all. Notice this long exchange that Jesus Christ had with the Pharisees: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him [these were “believers”], If you continue in MY WORD, then are you My disciples indeed; and you shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall make you free.… but you seek to kill Me, because MY WORD has no place in you.… But now you seek to kill Me, a man that has told you THE TRUTH, which I have heard of God.… If God were your Father, you would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God.… Why do you not understand My speech? Even because you cannot hear MY WORD.… And because I tell you THE TRUTH, you believe Me not [yet it says they believed “on” Him].… And if I say THE TRUTH, why do you not believe Me?” (John 8:31-32, 37, 40, 42-46). Jesus continues in the account by bluntly indicting those who would claim to be Christians when they are really “of (their) father the devil.”

Many assert that they “know Jesus” when they know virtually nothing of the true Christ of the Bible. As He said, they literally cannot hear Christ’s words—the TRUTH—though they may think that they do: “He that says, I KNOW HIM, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and THE TRUTH is not in him” (1 John 2:4). The world is filled with hundreds of millions of such “Christians,” professing a Jesus, but ignorant of the truth.

Many who are not practicing Christianity find their way into the true Church. But eventually they all leave. John continued, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19). I have seen this too often. Many seem to only believe “on” Christ, not really believing Him—that is believing what He said, and said to DO!

Recall Christ’s words in Mark 1:15: “REPENT you, and believe the gospel.” Repentance is from sin (Acts 3:19). A Christian is one who has turned from—repented of—his sins, and been baptized (Acts 2:38) and converted (Acts 3:19). Through a lifetime of overcoming sin, the Christian qualifies for (though he can never earn) salvation and spiritual birth into the kingdom of God.

Your Awesome Potential

Recall that God said that He made human beings in His “image” and “likeness.” This verse means what it says. God created you to become “like” Him in every way. Through His Spirit entering the mind of each of His newly converted children, a literal, brand new spirit life is begotten. At that moment, a tiny spirit-begotten “embryo” comes into existence, ready to grow and develop in overall spiritual appearance, in a sense we could say, first to “fetus,” then to birth.

Both the Old and New Testaments make this point absolutely plain! While many have some vague understanding that Christians might, in some way, be “sons of God,” few consider this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be LIKE Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Comprehend this staggering knowledge, unknown to almost all who consider themselves Christian! We will one day have the very likeness of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:16 states that we are “children” of God and “heirs” with Christ.

King David also understood this a thousand years earlier when he wrote, “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with YOUR LIKENESS” (Ps. 17:15). Incidentally, this verse dispels the delusion of the “beatific vision” idea made popular by the Catholic church—that people will not actually see God’s face in the afterlife. David understood that we will see God—and face to face. So did John. Both knew that at the Resurrection—when we “awake”—we will be exactly like God, in form and character.

So then, God is actually reproducing Himself in human beings who have received His Holy Spirit. He is creating children that will resemble Him in every way!

But Peter wrote that Christians must “GROW in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Christians are to—and must—grow in this lifetime. In order to be given divine authority and power, as joint-heirs with Christ, they must qualify, through the building of God’s holy, righteous character in their lives.

Paul explained that the role of faithful ministers in the Church is to feed the flock. Jesus said, “I will build My Church” (Matt. 16:18). It is the Church—THAT Church—which is “Jerusalem above … the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22-23). Like any mother, the Church nurtures and feeds her children—and she has been doing this for 2,000 years. (More about the Church’s role as our mother will be explained in Chapter Ten.)

An Astonishing Scripture

The book of Hebrews reveals God’s awesome purpose with crystal clarity. The context begins in chapter 1. Watch the picture of salvation unfold.

First, understand that God created angels to be “ministering spirits” to assist the “heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14). This is their role within God’s Plan. Angels are not offered membership in the Family of God. This is why Satan (as a fallen angel) so hates the idea that puny, little, fleshly men can receive what he has never been offered nor can achieve.

Paul quotes two places in the Psalms: “For unto which of the angels said He at any time, You are My Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?” (Heb. 1:5). God has never said this to any angel!

Paul then quotes another psalm, explaining what has always been God’s purpose: “Your THRONE, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your KINGDOM” (Heb. 1:8). A sceptre is a rod or staff used as a symbol of rulership or authority—and in His kingdom it is God who has all power.

Finally, Paul re-frames the same question about angels: “But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb. 1:13-14).

This sets the stage for what we must understand! Let’s really comprehend the incredible future that God has prepared for all those who serve Him.

An amazing series of verses continues in chapter 2. Paul quoted David (from Psalm 8:4-6) when he asked the all-important question, “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (Heb. 2:6). Since God is eternal, and sits over the entire universe and has all power under His control, it is no wonder David asked, and Paul repeated, this most central question of life.

The astounding answer begins in the next verse: “You made him [man] a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of Your hands” (Heb. 2:7).

God will eventually share rulership of His entire creation with His Sons. Again, Christ is merely the first of many Sons. The birth of a firstborn son does not preclude the birth of additional sons (and daughters) to that same family. I have two sons and am a firstborn son with a younger brother. My father was a second born son, having an elder brother and so on.

Paul goes on to explain that God plans to give enormous power and authority to His Sons: “You have put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left NOTHING that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him” (Heb. 2:8). This has not yet happened—but it will soon.

When God says that “all things” will be put under the feet of man, that is what He means! The vast universe, with all of its quadrillions of stars and one trillion galaxies, will be put under the authority of men who have been born into the Family of God. In fact, the Moffatt translation of the Bible renders the Greek word for “all things” as “THE UNIVERSE.”

This is truly staggering knowledge! Take time to grasp it. Savour what can be YOUR future!

Before continuing, consider a fascinating verse about another related aspect of salvation many have not yet understood. We have seen that Christians await a truly awesome salvation. But the entirety of creation is also intensely awaiting the appearing of those new sons to be added to God’s Family. Carefully read the following verses from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation[all things in the known universe] was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the CHILDREN OF GOD. We know that the whole creation[everything] has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves [Christians], who have the firstfruits of the Spirit [the FEW now called], groan inwardly as we wait for [birth] as sons” (Rom. 8:19-23).

All future “sons of God” will eventually be liberators of a creation now in bondage, and foretold to grow much worse. A decayed and wounded Earth, sun, moon, and stars—the universe!—will soon be renewed and returned to a state of beauty, harmony, and tranquillity under the leadership of Christ and the resurrected saints.

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