Entrance to The Kingdom

Posted on by BETH

Jesus gave Peter the keys to open the doors of this kingdom.  Those who believe that the kingdom has not come believe Jesus gave Peter some keys that were of no value to Peter at all.  Keys open doors.  If the kingdom did not come, there were no doors for Peter to open with those keys.  Jesus gift to Peter would have been a vanity.  But Peter did open the doors to the kingdom on the day of Pentecost.  One of the keys that opened the door to the kingdom was of humility–a spiritual key.

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven  (Matt. 18:3-4).

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5).  Those he opposes are not able to enter into the kingdom.

The question is, who are the spiritual children, and how did they get to become spiritual children?  Jesus showed Nicodemas how to enter this kingdom.  First Jesus said “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  We noted that the kingdom can not even be seen without a spiritual birth. How can we enter it?  “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).  Many different interpretations have been given to this vision.  They cannot all be correct.  Jesus explained that this birth is not a physical birth but a spiritual birth. (John 3:5-8).  Generally speaking, a physical birth puts a person into the physical nation in which he is born.  It is understandable that a spiritual birth would put a person into God’s spiritual kingdom.  This sounds easy enough.  Why would we need to strive to enter it?  The reason is that there are other requirements to get into the kingdom besides seeking.  “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3).  Not even these apostles were able to enter the kingdom of heaven unless they were converted and became as little children.  How were they to become ‘as little children?’  The next verse tells us: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4).  Humility is not easy to gain!  Humility is one of the things that men must ‘strive’ for, if they are going to enter the kingdom.  Entering the kingdom of God is to be born into it to, and thus to become alive to God by a spiritual birth.  Those who are alive to God are spiritual children.

Seeing the Spiritual Kingdom

Posted on by BETH

The Pharisees were blind.  They could not see spiritually (Matt. 23:16-28).  Nicodemas could not get his mind off of a physical birth (John 3:1-8). Some have sight but not others (Matt. 13:13-16).  God opens the eyes of the humble and shuts the eyes of the proud (Matt. 11:25,26). The blind can not see the entrance to the kingdom because it is a birth of the spirit, not of the flesh (John 3:6-8). “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  Without being born of God the person remains a natural man and can not see spiritually (1 Cor. 2:14).  He describes the initial seeking after God as feeling after Him like blind men (Acts 17:26).  One reason that not everyone who seeks to enter will be able (Luke 13:24) is that they can not see it.  Jesus told them apostles “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Matt. 13:16).  God sends a strong delusion when a man does not love his truth (2 Thess. 2:10-12).  Thus not everyone can see it.  The kingdom is spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).  It is not possible to see a spiritual birth with physical eyes.  No one would be able to say Lo the kingdom is here! or, lo the kingdom is there!  Why?  Because Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21).  God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, not a physical one.  And so today, as then, there are many who are not able to see the spiritual kingdom because they are spiritually blind.

COVETOUSNESS: First Review

Posted on by BETH

We all know that discipline of unrighteous members should be carried out within the body of Christ.  There are certain things that a man may do which not only make him repugnant to God but also would corrupt the body of Christ, the church.

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person (1 Cor. 5:10-13).

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph. 5:3-5).

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

Examples from scripture show how covetousness affects the work and ultimately the destiny of specific men and women.  We have studied these accounts to find out how we compare and how we can avoid being caught up in the same traps.

EXAMPLES WE HAVE STUDIED

  1. Eve, in desiring the forbidden fruit
  2. Lot, in choosing the plain of the Jordan
  3. Laban
    • In giving Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife
    • In deceiving Jacob when he served him seven years for Rachel
    • In deceiving Jacob in his wages
  4. Esau
    • Coveted food
    • Gave away his birthright
  5. Pharaoh and the Egyptians
    • Coveted slaves (human bodies to serve them)
    • Coveted their property during the famine
  6. Ahab covets the vineyard of Naboth
  7. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha coveted clothing and money (2 Kings 5)
  8. Ahaz in coveting an altar of a heathen (conquered) nation (2 Kings 16:9-20)
    • Required Urijah to build one like it before the temple in Jerusalem
    • Worshipped at the new altar every evening
  9. Balaam, in loving the wages of unrighteousness
  10. Achan, in hiding the treasure
  11. Eli’s sons, in taking the flesh of the sacrifice, and Samuel’s sons, in taking bribes
  12. Saul, in sparing, Agag and the booty
  13. David coveted Bathsheba

DIFFERENT WORDS USED FOR COVETOUSNESS:

OT:2530 chamad (khaw-mad’); a primitive root; to delight in: KJV – beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

OT:183 ‘avah (aw-vaw’); a primitive root; to wish for: KJV – covet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).

NT:1937 epithumeo (ep-ee-thoo-meh’-o); from NT:1909 and NT:2372; to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise):KJV – covet, desire, would fain, lust (after).

NT:2206 zeloo (dzay-lo’-o) or zeleuo (dzay-loo’-o); from NT:2205; to have warmth of feeling for or against: KJV – affect, covet (earnestly), (have) desire, (move with) envy, be jealous over, (be) zealous (-ly affect)

GREEK DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

pleonexia (pleh-on-ex-ee’-ah); from NT:4123; avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion: covetous (-ness) practices, greediness.

beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

cov•et “k€-v€t verb [ME coveiten, fr. OF coveitier, fr. coveitié desire, modif. of L cupiditat-, cupiditas, fr. cupidus desirous, fr. cupere to desire] (14c)

verb transitive

1 : to wish for enviously

2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

verb intransitive

: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

: to wish for enviously

: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

verb intransitive: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another syn see desire

cov•et•ous  adjective

1 : marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possessions

2 : having a craving for possession <covetous of power>

Synonyms

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious mean having or showing a strong desire for esp. material possessions.

covetous implies inordinate desire often for another’s possessions <covetous of his brother’s country estate>.

greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire <greedy for status symbols>.

acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep <an eagerly acquisitive mind>.

grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means <a hard grasping trader who cheated the natives>.

avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness esp. of money and strongly suggests stinginess <an avaricious miser>.

ALL KINGDOMS HAVE FOUR ESSENTIAL PARTS

Posted on by BETH

Every kingdom must have four parts to be a kingdom – It must have 1) a King, 2) a Law, 3) Citizens and 4) a Place to reign.  If it lacks any of these parts, it is not a kingdom.  In physical kingdoms all of these parts are physical.  For example, King James was the king who translated the King James version of the Bible.  During his reign the law was the British Commonwealth law, the citizens were the British people, and the place was England.  This kingdom was not eternal, for when king James died he was no longer king and when the people died they were no longer in that kingdom.  That kingdom was then left to other people – the next generation.

The spiritual kingdom of God consists of these four parts but they are all spiritual: namely  1) a spiritual King,   2)  a spiritual law,   3) spiritual citizens, and 4). a spiritual territory.  The king: is Christ.  He is not on earth and does not have a physical form.  He is a spiritual king in a spirit form (John 4:24).  He is at the right hand of his Father in his throne at this time (Rev. 3:21).  Its citizens: The kingdom is made up of souls, not bodies, for Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).  The Colossians were delivered “from the power of darkness” and translated “into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).  Being translated into the kingdom made them citizens (Eph. 2:19).  The law: the kingdom is governed by an eternal law that will never pass away (Matt. 24:35) which deals primarily with spiritual laws for hearts and minds (Heb. 8:8-10).  (For example, the beatitudes deal with purity, meekness, righteousness, peace, etc.). Place: Jesus rules in the heart, a spiritual place (1 Cor. 13:1-3).  If he does not reign in our hearts he will not accept us.  Thus  the laws of the kingdom of God are laws governing the inner man – the eternal nature of man. The kingdom was cut out of the mountain, without hands, because it is a spiritual kingdom.

THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND

Posted on by BETH

For three years Jesus had preached that the kingdom was at hand.  However, after three years of preaching, the kingdom had not come.  When the Pharisees attacked Jesus and demanded to know when it would come Jesus told them where and  how it would come.

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 (Luke 17:20-21).

The kingdom of God was nothing like what the Pharisees imagined.  They were looking for a world ruling physical kingdom like the nation of Rome which would fight and conquer Rome and rule the world.  Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world.  There are only two worlds–God’s and man’s.  If Jesus’ kingdom is not of this physical material world, it must be of the eternal spirit world.  His servants were not called to fight a physical battle, but a spiritual battle against Satan and all spiritual wickedness (Eph. 6:12).  Paul was fighting the same spiritual battle.  He said “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling dowan of strong holds” (2 Cor. 10:3-4).  The kingdom of God is not something that could be seen (observed) with physical eyes.  Jesus 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” (Luke 17:20-21). By this we understand the kingdom of God can not be a physical kingdom.  It is eternal and thus can not be physical, for “. . . the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).  Daniel foretold there would be no end to the kingdom God would set up during the Roman rule.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever  (Dan. 2:44).

God informs us the earth itself is not eternal (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-13). The angel Gabriel predicted there would be no end to Jesus kingdom (Luke 1:30-33).  His kingdom must be an unseen spiritual kingdom for no physical kingdom can be eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).

Physical kingdoms are made up of physical bodies, physical laws and physical places which will be destroyed.  God’s eternal kingdom is made up of souls, spiritual laws and spiritual places which will never be destroyed.  The stone was cut out of the mountain without hands (Dan. 2:34).  God, not man, set up this kingdom.  God’s kingdom “shall never be destroyed . . . but it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).