X. THE PATHWAY TO THE FINISH LINE

Posted on by BETH

Jesus told the apostles that there was a way to go to the Father.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” (John 14:3-4). The early Christians thought of Christianity as the way.  After Paul had been a Christian for many years he said “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women” (Acts 22:4).  The Ephesian Jews “spake evil of that way” (Acts 19:9).  Demetrius and the other Ephesians caused “no small stir about that way” (Acts 19:23), Apollos “was instructed in the way of the Lord,” (Acts 18:25-26) and the devils knew it as “the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17).  The way of salvation includes the five steps and the five acts of worship, but it is much more than that.  Felix had “more perfect knowledge of that way.”  What is this way?

The pathway of the race that leads to the finish line is narrow. Jesus said “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). The narrow way is the Greek word ‘thlipsis,’ which is generally translated affliction or trouble.  This pathway is the afflicted or troubled way.  It is no wonder that there are only a few who find the strait gate and narrow pathway.  Jesus is the author and finisher of this race (He 12:2).  He made this race and he ran it ahead of us.

The pathway that leads to life is described as being “through much tribulation.” Paul was “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). If God’s children are going to reign with Christ, they must be willing to suffer with him (2 Tim. 2:12).  The godly will inherit eternal life but “. . . all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12). The disciples at Thessalonica knew they were called to suffer much persecution. Paul sent Timothy to encourage them so “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know” (1 Thess. 3:3-4).  Paul warned these disciples that the persecution would come for they were preparing to walk on that narrow way with all other faithful Christians.

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.

Where is the Kingdom?

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John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2), the apostles (Matt. 10:7) and Jesus (Matt. 4:17), all predicted that “the kingdom of heaven was at hand.”  Jesus told some of his disciples they would not die till they had seen the kingdom of God come.   “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). The expression ‘at hand’ indicates a short time.  It is supremely sad that most believe Jesus’ prediction failed.  Moses said:

And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?  When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him (Deut. 18:21-23).

If Jesus’ prediction failed, he is a false prophet. If he were not wrong, then the kingdom has already come. His prediction did not fail.  The kingdom came in the lifetime of some of those who were standing there as he predicted.  If the kingdom came, why do men not find it?  Most Christians, like the Jews, are still looking for the kingdom.  Strange, but most believe Jesus is the king of the kingdom, and they believe he has been a king for 2000 years, but with no citizens to be king over!  What a pitiful king that would be!  But Jesus does have citizens in his kingdom.  Paul testified that the kingdom had already come. He said that God: “… hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13).  Paul and the Colossians had been translated into the kingdom of Christ.  The apostle John testifies: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9).  The kingdom must have come because Paul, John and the Colossians were in it. Where is the kingdom now and when did it come?

VII. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN: God’s Future Plans for His Children

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He also commands us to labor to enter into his rest.  He does not plan for us to retire, but “. . . he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Heb. 4:10).  “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works” (Heb. 4:4). Rather than retire, he plans for his servants to serve him (Rev. 22:3) and to reign with him forever and ever (Rev. 22:5).  He plans for us to reign as kings (Rev. 1:6).  There is a great deal of work in reigning as kings.  Kings need to be faithful and strong. If we suffer with him according to his will now, we will reign with him (2 Tim. 2:12).  He illustrates this point in the two parables of the talents tells what he has in mind for his children.  The conclusions were:

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”  (Matt 25:23).

And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17).

Jesus has now received authority over the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth, and all things in heaven as well (Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:25), to the point of working all things together for good for those who 1) love him and 2) are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).  He promises that those who overcome will be given power over the nations as he has received of his Father (Rev. 2:26,27).   This scripture is a quotation of Psalms 2:

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Psa. 2:7-9)

Our Father judges according to our faithfulness.  If we are faithful to him in the use of the unrighteous mammon here on earth, we will be faithful to reign with him in the new heaven and the new earth (Luke 16:10-12).

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:1, 2).

We can not earn these things, nor do they come free.  We must win the crown by running the race according to all things he has commanded us (Matt. 28:20). “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).  God commands us to be perfect.[1]

[1] Some argue that this is not a command because this form of the Greek word is in the future tense.  This conclusion can not be substantiated.  The future is frequently used as the imperative.  Barbara and Timothy Friberg, Analytical Greek New Testament, Baker Book House, 1981, state: “The future, like the subjunctive, is frequently used as imperative. This is limited to second and third person forms of the future and thus corresponds with the imperative forms. While the subjunctive used as imperative shows a correspondence between tenses, the future indicative used as imperative does not. So for every future used imperativally, we had to determine the tense of the imperative function.  We did this item by item, deciding in each case the aspectual sense (punctiliar action, durative action, etc.) of the command.”   pp. 810, 811.

Can we obey all of God’s commands?

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Which of the commands of God is too grievous (literally, weighty – 1 John 5:3) to obey?  Is there any command that is more than we can bear?  He says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).  If we can bear it, why would we not bear it?  Which one of the commands of God can we not obey?   Someone argues that we can obey all the commands from time to time, but we will never come to the point where we obey all the commands all of the time.  Is it that we can not obey God’s commands or is it that some folks do not want to obey God’s commands?  He has not given us impossible commandments.  Which thought can we not take captive with his weapons?  His weapons are powerful, to  the  “. . .bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:4,5).  If his weapons can take every thought captive, why do we not do it?  Which fiery dart can Satan throw that the complete shield of faith can not quench?  The shield of faith can make us able to quench all of Satan’s fiery darts.  In fact, this is one of the chief commandments.  He says: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph. 6:16).  If we are able (though his weapons) to quench all the fiery darts of Satan, why do we not do it?  Is it not lack of faith that causes some to say that we can not obey all of the commands of God?  The power is not in us, but “. . . the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God”  (2 Cor. 10:3,4). He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20).  What is left beyond what we can ask or think?  Notice the context of that statement.  Paul is praying that the brethren will be filled with all the fulness of God – the heart of God or Christ.  Our Father is ready to help us in all we ask or think if our purpose is to fulfill his purpose.  Through Christ we can obey all of the commands of God.  Now we want to consider the “power that worketh in us.”