The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God
(What it is and is not)
by James M. Renihan

    My procedure will be as follows: after we read two passages of scripture, I want to try to survey some of the information in the word of God that pertains to the kingdom. There is just too much to cover in anything but survey fashion. Then, I want to speak at more length about an issue that may trouble us. The brochure for the conference says that our theme is "Hope for the future: A Biblical Perspective." I have taken that theme quite literally in highlighting one crucial aspect of the Bible’s teaching on the Kingdom, believing that it is very much pertinent to our lives today.

Please turn to Habakkuk 3: 1-19 "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 2 O LORD, I have heard your speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was like the light; he had rays flashing from his hand: and there his power was hidden. 5 Before him went pestilence, and fever followed at his feet. 6 He stood and measured the earth: he looked, and startled the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed: his ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. 8 O LORD, were you displeased with the rivers? was your anger against the rivers? was your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, your chariots of salvation? 9 Your bow was made quite ready, oaths were sworn over your arrows. Selah. You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw you and trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered its voice, and lifted its hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of your arrows they went, and at the shining of your glittering spear. 12 You marched through the land in indignation, you trampled the nations in anger. 13 You went forth for the salvation of your people, for salvation with your anointed; you struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah. 14 You thrust through with his own arrows the head of his villages: they came out like a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. 15 You walked through the sea with your horses, through the heap of great waters. 16 When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields shall yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like deer’s feet, and he will make me to walk on my high hills. To the chief musician. With my stringed instruments."

And now please turn to: Hebrews 2:5-9 "For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying, "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that you take care of him? 7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things 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 do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." Please keep a marker at both of these places in your Bibles.



1. A Survey of the Scripture’s Teaching about the Kingdom of God

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." With these words, John the Baptist preached to the nation of Israel in order to prepare the way for the Messiah. Matthew tells us, in the next chapter of his gospel, that Jesus went forth proclaiming the identical message: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (4:17). And in chapter 10(:7), when Jesus sends out the twelve, he tells them that the message they are to preach is the same: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." The synoptic gospels are permeated with teaching about the kingdom of God. It was a central theme in the earthly ministry of Jesus. But, not there alone. In the interval between His resurrection and ascension, Luke tells us that our Savior was with his disciples over a period of forty days "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3). The words at the beginning of the Great Commission, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" point to this truth. Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost follows this same theme: Jesus, having been raised up, has been "exalted to the right hand of God." He said, "let all the house of Israel assuredly know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (2:36) This is the language of the kingdom of God. When a persecution arose in Jerusalem, scattering the disciples, Luke tells us that Philip went down to Samaria and "preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." As Paul returned to several newly planted churches to strengthen and encourage them, Luke gives us one sentence in summary of the Apostle’s message to those young assemblies: "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." (14:22) When Paul came to Ephesus, we are told that "he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God," (19:8) and when he says his final farewell to the Ephesian elders, he reminds them that his preaching has been about "the kingdom of God." (20:25). At the conclusion of his history, Luke portrays Paul at Rome, expounding and testifying to Jews, and anyone else who would hear him, about the kingdom of God. (28:23, 31). Even John the apostle, on the isle of Patmos, could speak of the brotherhood of the kingdom of Christ that he shared with his readers. The idea of the Kingdom of God is deeply entwined with the gospel itself. It was the message proclaimed by John and Jesus and his disciples, and continued to be the theme of the apostles throughout the New Testament era.

We must assert that the kingdom of God is central to the message of the Scriptures. Its language is woven into the fabric of both the Old and New Testaments. Every time that we read of God as the Great King, of the Lordship of Christ, of divine sovereignty, authority and dominion, of command and obedience, of worship and honor, we are reading the language of the Kingdom. We cannot reduce the notion of God’s kingship simply to the occurrences of the Greek word basilea and its cognates or the Hebrew term malak and its derivatives. This topic is one of the pivotal themes of the whole Bible.

 


A. Defining the Kingdom of God: What the Kingdom of God is

What is the Kingdom of God? The idea is so pervasive in Scripture that it is very difficult to be comprehensive. There is much that can be said in trying to give a definition. It must be asserted that the kingdom of God is not a place—though we usually think of kingdoms in geographic terms. It is better understood in terms of the dynamic reign of God. Geerhardus Vos identified three strands which he called its essence: (1) the supremacy of God in the sphere of saving power; (2) the sphere of righteousness; and (3) the state of blessedness. Paul says, "The kingdom of God is . . . in power" (1 Cor. 4:20). The sermon on the mount is, in many ways, an explication of the nature of the righteousness of the kingdom, evident even in the blessedness promised in the beatitudes. The kingdom of God is the sphere in which he reigns—that is—the place where his sovereignty and dominion express themselves. When the Pharisees came to him and asked him when the kingdom was to come, Jesus could tell his hearers, that the Kingdom of God was in their midst. Imagine how confused they must have been when he said "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is in your midst." It was present in the ministry of Jesus—his teaching, his acts of compassion, his miracles. Isn’t this what Jesus was intending when, after his temptations in the wilderness, he sat in the synagogue in Nazareth and read on the Sabbath Day from Isaiah the prophet: "18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18&19? These are the acts of the reign of God—proof that he had come on a divine mission—that he was the unique son, who fulfills the words of Scripture. The Pharisees were confused, because they did not expect this kind of kingdom.

We said that the message preached by John the Baptist and Jesus was the same. But we must assert an important difference in perspective between them. John preached as the forerunner, in a sense as the last sentinel of the night, proclaiming the dawn of a new day. Jesus was himself the light; he brought the day into existence. Was the kingdom present in John’s ministry? Certainly. But not in the same way that it was with Jesus. John was glad to point to the greater one—great David’s greater son—who was in himself the embodiment of the reign of God.

It is interesting to note that when the kingdom is preached, it is often associated with verbs of motion. Just in Matthew’s Gospel we read verbs such as enter, seek, cast out, suffers violence, come upon, gather out, and come (translating three different Greek verbs). The metaphoric language of a physical kingdom helps us to conceptualize the relationship humans have to God’s reign.

 


B. Defining the Kingdom of God: What it is not

One of the most helpful ways of defining something is by negation—demonstrating what something is not. The word of God does this in several places: We are told that the kingdom of God is not of this world. (John 18:36) Jesus clearly teaches us that his reign does not have its origin or primary definition in terms of this world. His own teaching on the kingdom was terribly misunderstood by his religious opponents precisely because they interpreted his teaching in terrestrial terms. His reign is heavenly. It has a divine origin and existence.

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Cor. 4:20). Paul did not merely have some fine sounding religious words—puffs of air audible to those who listen. When he came to the Corinthians, he could demonstrate to them the true spiritual power of the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is not meat and drink—food (Rom. 14:17)—but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Paul wants this understood—the passing things of this life, such as food (which by the way is to be consumed to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10:31) do not make up the substance of the kingdom. When Christians divide over such matters, when they cause others to stumble, they have misunderstood the very nature of what the kingdom is all about. They must pursue righteousness: conformity to the covenant standard, the Law of God; peace, the wholeness and wellness attending the presence of God; and joy in the Holy Spirit, the only demeanor appropriate for those who have been cleansed and adopted into the family of God. These things belong together, and are of the very essence of the kingdom. Listen to Hebrews 1:8&9: "To the Son he says, ‘Your throne, o God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions." The son of God sits on an eternal throne, with righteousness in his hand. Because he himself has loved righteousness, because he has made it the object of his affection, he knows joy beyond his companions. Truly, holiness is happiness.

Six times, the kingdom is spoken of as an inheritance, but interestingly, only one of those times is the inheritance couched in positive terms, in Matthew 25:34. In that place, Jesus describes the great day of judgment, and welcomes his people into their inheritance. But in the other 5 occurrences (1 Cor. 6:9&10, 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5), we are told that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom, and that those who commit a variety of sins will not inherit the kingdom. Similarly, we are told that there is another group who will not enter the kingdom: certain kinds of religious men. Listen to Jesus words, "Assuredly I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him . . . the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it . . . woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matt. 21:31, 43, 13:13). These are part of an interesting cluster of verses in Matthew’s account of Holy Week, in which Jesus emphasizes the exclusion of religious formalists from the kingdom.

 


C. Defining the Kingdom of God: Its citizens

But if some are shut out or receive no inheritance, then who are the proper citizens and heirs? In reply to the disciples query about greatness in the kingdom, Jesus states that we must become like little children in order to enter. One of the key values of the kingdom is humility: "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The disciples missed it with their interest in greatness. In Matthew 19, Jesus rebukes his disciples for keeping the children away, and immediately uses an incident with a young man to teach his disciples that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The famous interview between Jesus and Nicodemus provides us with some insight: only those who have been born from above, or born again, may see and enter the kingdom. The sons of the kingdom are not naturally born, but supernaturally born. This is the great point of Paul’s ministry as recorded in the book of Acts. When Luke highlights his preaching about the kingdom, it is most often to persuade Jews (and Gentiles) to believe its message. Acts 19:8 "And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God." 28:23 "And when they [i.e. the Jews of Rome] had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning till evening." Again, Acts 28:30-31 "Paul . . . received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no one forbidding him." Believers enter the kingdom. As we noted before, at the day of judgment Jesus welcomes the sheep on his right hand, those who have done the will of the father, into his kingdom. James puts it like this: "Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?" (James 2:5). That is the bottom line: the citizens of the kingdom are those who have been chosen by God, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, those who are rich in faith and whose lives demonstrate that the work of God in them is real. Age, social status, race are irrelevant. Not everyone who says to Jesus "Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of his father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21). The difference between the tax collectors and harlots who entered the kingdom and the religious formalists who were shut out is very simple. The former believed, the latter did not.

 


D. Defining the Kingdom: Declaring a mystery

It is important to note that although the message of the kingdom is to be preached, it is still a hidden message. Jesus himself frequently spoke of the kingdom in parables—explicitly stating that he did so because the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" have been given to his disciples, but not to outsiders. It is in some sense a secret kingdom, not like Tolkien’s hidden kingdom of Gondolin, rumored to exist but sealed to visitors, but rather present in a very real sense, though invisible to the eyes of those without knowledge. Many understand its truths, because their eyes have been opened to understand them. But many others will hear the same words and walk away shaking their heads, wondering why some seem so interested and willing to take these words seriously. At root, we are thrown back to the sovereignty of God in this. He has chosen to reveal the nature of his reign to some, and allow them to participate, while others are on the outside. The Lord Jesus himself could rejoice that his sovereign father, lord of heaven and earth, had hidden the truth from the wise and prudent while revealing it to babes. Tax collectors and sinners crowd in, while the self-righteous are left out.

The gospel of the kingdom is something that is to be preached throughout this age. When Jesus’ disciples were looking for information on the future, our savior included in his reply some teaching about the present—the gospel of the kingdom must be preached throughout this age—in all the world as a witness to all nations—before the end will come. Men and women live their lives as if there were no kingdom, as if in Peter’s words, nothing has changed "since the fathers fell asleep." They marry and are given in marriage, they work and play and eat and drink as if there were nothing beyond the tedium of their existence. But they must be called to see that they are fallen creatures in a fallen world, rebels against their rightful Lord, at every moment deepening their condemnation by failing to bow the knee before him. The nations rage, the people plot in vain. And all the while the King in heaven laughs, for his purposes can not be resisted, and his work shall conquer. This is what we must preach. God reigns. He is sovereign over all. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. Unless men and women and boys and girls repent, they will perish. The kingdom of God exists. It is real. While it is not visible to the human eye, it may be discerned with the eye of faith. And that believing vision ought to captivate us for the service of God. We are his children, we are his representatives, we are his servants. All that we do, and all that we say, ought to be governed by this perspective. We must occupy until he comes. We must press on, confronting men with this message: God reigns. He is gracious, he is longsuffering, he is kind, and he commands you to leave your selfishness and become his servant. Are you weary and burdened? He will give you rest. This is true hope for the future.

  2. The Kingdom of God is Always at Work, even when we do not perceive it to be so

Having said all these things, there is still one more fact that we must remember. It is found in the words of Hebrews 2 that we read earlier. While we know all of this truth about the kingdom of God, we do not yet see it in its final and consummate form. It is still, "the world to come." In fact, as we look around, we can hardly say that we see pervasive evidence of the presence and power of the kingdom of God in its glory. Neither did the writer of Hebrews. He said, "we do not yet see all things put under him." We live in a day of increasing wickedness, of the open toleration and even promotion of the most vile kinds of sin. Our society is saturated with addictions to pleasure, profit and power. The evening news and the daily newspaper recount over and over the terrible reality of sin in the world.

But it is not just out there. The professing church is departing, or in many cases, has departed, from any semblance of sober, Scripture-based religion. Post-modernism is invading even the evangelical church. Truth is not truth, sin is not sin, God is not God. Religion is based on emotion, truth is determined by opinion polls, sin is excused as a kind of psychological peccadillo, while God is becoming whatever He will be. We face everything from the blab and grab televangelists to Evangelicals and Catholics Together to the Jesus Seminar. When the news media reports on religion, it often does so in a mocking way. And, there is false religion, especially resurgent Islam. Someone has said that the greatest world-wide threat to the church is Islam. In a column published earlier this week, George Will stated that in any given week, there are more people in England who attend mosques than attend Church of England services. Here in America, there is a growing acceptance of Islam, and other non-western religions into the holy pantheon. Mormonism is also on the upsurge. The most recent fascicle of the Trinity Journal includes an important article on the lack of interaction between evangelicals and a growing number of well-trained and highly-equipped Mormon apologists. They are winning the battle. Don’t these things trouble you? They are an utter contradiction of all that we have said. We seem to be regressing. Where is the kingdom of God? we ask.

This is not unusual. In every age, even since Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God, the church has lived in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation on earth. To the eye of the casual observer, and perhaps even sometimes to the Christian believer, the reality of the kingdom of God may seem like a pipe dream—a lot of nice religious slogans without any substance in the world of space and time. If we grapple with this, we should not be surprised. We are not alone, nor are we the first to wrestle with the contradictions present. Asaph struggled deeply with this in Psalm 73, as did the preacher in Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah in Lamentations, and the Psalmist who sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept in Psalm 137. Perhaps most instructive is the experience of Habakkuk.

 


A. Habakkuk’s trouble summarized: Where is the kingdom of God?

His name means "embracer" or "wrestler" and that is what he did. He lived in a day of outward religion, but he knew that most of it was just a show and a sham. At the beginning of his book, he comes before God with a complaint full of strong emotion. He is perplexed, because he sees the holy city inhabited by idolaters, deceivers, adulterers, thieves, and murderers—treacherous, violent men. His perplexity might be reduced to this question: "Where is the kingdom of God?" And so he cries out to the LORD, asking him how long he will allow this to endure.

God responds, but not in the way that Habakkuk expected. The LORD tells him that he has plans to judge the wicked in the city—and he will do so by sending an invading army of Babylonians to sack it. The receipt of this information causes Habakkuk to be even more perplexed. Since God is a holy God, how could he possibly use such an unholy instrument to achieve his purposes? After asking his second question, he waits, knowing that the Lord will correct him.

The reply, recorded in chapter 2, has three threads: (1) God will judge Israel, and punish Babylon, while saving a remnant of his people ("the Just shall live by his faith," 2:4); (2) the kingdom of God will ultimately triumph—"the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (2:14); and (3) most basically, the Lord is free to do whatever he pleases—"the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him" (2:20).

Throughout these encounters, Habakkuk is wrestling with the nature of the Kingdom of God. He knows that it is one thing, but what he sees is something quite different, and he cannot put these things together. In chapter 3, we see how he puts his perplexity into perspective. Please turn there briefly.

 


B. Habakkuk’s Worship: The Kingdom of God is real

The inscription to the chapter is of great importance. Notice that our English translations call this a prayer of Habakkuk. It is a special kind of prayer, a tephillah. This is a word describing a special kind of composition, in which the theme is proposed at the beginning, and then opened up in the following verses. Verse 2 provides the two-fold theme: revive your work in the midst of the years, in wrath remember mercy. Verses 3-15 expound the first of these ideas: God’s work in history; and verses 16-19 pick up the latter notion: mercy in the midst of wrath. Habakkuk humbly bows before the Lord, having heard His speech. Now he prays. His wrestling is over.

Notice how this works in the two parts of the prayer. In the first section, the prophet reviews the work of God in history, highlighting three great events: creation in verses 3b-6, the exodus in verses 7-9a, and the conquest in verses 9b-15. God rules over the earth as its creator, and he ruled over the exodus and the conquest in both judgment and redemption. Habakkuk is seeking to remind God’s people (this is a liturgical prayer—apparently for public worship) that God has been active for Israel—and this is what he asks him to "revive." To carry on this work whatever it may be—whether redemption or judgment—to show his holy power and his might.

In the second part of the prayer, the "wrestler" bows down before the Lord, accepting the reality of his wrath, knowing that it will be mixed with mercy. Notice how he expresses his fear in verse 16. He uses four expressions to describe the depth of his emotion: "my body trembled," "my lips quivered," rottenness entered my bones," and "I trembled in myself." We would say, "I was shaking from head to toe." Outside and inside, throughout all that he was, there was a tremendous fear. Why?

Notice the first words of 16a, "when I heard." Heard what? NOT the words of 3-15, but rather of 16b—judgment—the terrible destruction of Jerusalem. He understood what was going to happen, and he was overwhelmed with emotion at the prospect. Can you blame him? How would you feel if you knew that a nuclear bomb would soon detonate near the home of your loved ones? Or if you looked up and saw a tornado on the horizon? Our author could envision the events of the future. Perhaps he imagined himself standing outside of the city, surveying its destruction. Plumes of smoke rising up to heaven; the walls breached and broken; the city gates smashed or hanging uselessly on their hinges. He sees dead bodies lying in the streets, hears the cry of the wounded and bereaved, and worst of all, contemplates pagans invading and desecrating the sanctuary of God. As he brings these things to his mind, his body is convulsed in reaction. What else but profound fear would be appropriate for a godly Jew?

The prophet does not stop with his fear. In verses 17-19 he says some amazing things about the work of God. Verse 17 is of great importance. We must not miss its significance. At first glance, it may only appear to be some words about agricultural failure—but it is really much more—these words have tremendous covenantal significance. Listen to Deuteronomy 8:7-10: "7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 A land in which you shall eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which he has given you." Here, the same type of terminology is used to describe the good blessings that belong to the land of promise. God intended that his people enjoy all the benefits of the land when they entered in. When Habakkuk used these terms, every Jew would have understood immediately his meaning. He was contemplating the end of all the good blessings of the land of milk and honey. Notice the "though" at the beginning of verse 17, and the "yet" of verse 18. Habakkuk is brought to the place in which he has changed—though all the holy land becomes a desert, yet, he will rejoice in the LORD. Nothing else matters: God is always the same God—he is always Habakkuk’s God. He has taken his eyes off of others, and off of the confusion of the events of this earth, and has placed them on God. He can rejoice in the LORD, because he is God. He will do as he pleases—he will always be our God—even when we don’t understand his purposes.

Verse 19 returns again to covenantal language. (CF. 2 Sam. 22:1, 33&34). The high hills were the places of triumph in the land. This was a figure in the OT for victorious possession of the land. The high places were the last and most difficult to conquer. Those able to walk on the high hills like deer are those who have conquered and who rule the land in peace. The prophet knows what God will do.

But, doesn’t this contradict verse 17? NO! Here Habakkuk is enabled to look beyond the judgment of Judah by the Chaldeans—he sees the ultimate triumph of God and his people over all oppression from the powers of this world. He comes to see that temporal judgments are only part of God’s plan—but they point to and ensure his victory. Though everything else may seem to fall to pieces, the LORD God will be his strength, and will make him a victor. Habakkuk is no longer a wrestler, now he is a worshipper, and a convinced believer in the ultimate victory of the kingdom of God.

Habakkuk reminds us that the reign of God works in two ways. While we tend to think of it in terms of visible expressions of his glory, it is just as much evident in the judicial judgments he sends upon men. Whether he calls them out of their darkness or allows them to proceed deeper and deeper into their sin, he is acting as he pleases. And our response is to bow down before him and worship. We must not interpret the greatness of the kingdom of heaven simply in terms of our own perception of its triumph. It is much more than that. The eye of faith sees a picture much different from the eye of doubt.

This is essentially the same thing that the writer to the Hebrews tells us. Turn again to chapter 2 of that book. We do not now see what we would like—all things placed under Jesus’ feet. But, with the eye of faith we see Him, and that ought to be enough. And this author immediately sets the work of Christ in a similar context: the son of man humbled himself "for the suffering of death." He had to be made perfect through sufferings. God’s plan was far different from anything that we might concoct. His experience sets the pattern for our own. In theology, or more properly Christology, we speak about the two states of Christ—suffering and glory. He learned obedience through suffering, and then rose from the dead in great glory. Our experience is the same. Now, we suffer. We endure the opposition of the world, the flesh and the devil. But all the while, we focus our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He endured the cross that was set before him, despising its shame, and now sits at God’s right hand. As we focus our attention on him—as we become more and more Christ-centered, we will lose the confusion to which we fall prey. Do we see everything now the way that we think it should be? No. But that does not mean that the kingdom of God is inactive or impotent. To the contrary, we know that He is doing as he pleases. The opposition of the men of the earth is nothing to him.

The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Christ. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. While we may not see all that is happening, we need not fear that he is asleep, or uninterested, or has been deposed. God is on the throne, and His plan is proceeding as he desires. We need not fear, but be comforted. Take your eyes off of the world, and place them on Jesus Christ. Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns.

So let us take comfort in the fact that we serve a great king. We may not see all that he is doing. The writer to the Hebrews frankly admits "we do not yet see all things put under him." But we see Jesus, conquering his enemies, one day to be recognized and confessed by all. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Our task is to bring this message to the people of our generation—the secular academics, the religious formalists, the party-loving beach ‘dudes’, all of our neighbors and co-workers and schoolmates—as well as the lost in other places. To preach the Kingdom of Heaven is to preach the Lord Jesus. It is to turn men and women and boys and girls away from themselves and their self-centered lives. It is to call them to turn from their sins—to receive forgiveness in Christ—to bow down before His lordship. His kingdom is real—it is active—his enemies are being conquered. This is true hope for the future. Let us go forth with this message to a lost and dying world: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Amen.

   James M. Renihan
   Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary in California
   Reformed Baptist Church of North San Diego County
   Escondido, CA.

Man A Trinity (Spirit, Soul, Body)

by Lehman Strauss

The Christian doctrine of immortality cannot be understood apart from the right conception of the tripartite nature of men. Many think that man is a physical being only. There is a great danger of any man thinking thus of himself. In his desire to satisfy the needs of the body there is the tendency on man’s part to lose sight of the fact that he is immortal. There have been persons who have lived all of their lives either in ignorance or willful neglect of a life after death, but upon their death-bed they suddenly realized that they were more than physical beings.

There is an idea also that prevails largely today that man consists of only two component parts: namely, body and spirit. In the thinking of the writer this view appears to be one that might create confusion in the minds of any Christians. While soul and spirit are so closely related that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish accurately between them, there seems to be only one logical conclusion: namely, that “soul” and “spirit” are not the same. The Bible does make a distinction.

Man is a triune being because he is created in the image of God. “God said, Let us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26). We know that God is a Trinity. The Holy Trinity is clearly set forth in the Apostle Paul’s benediction that closed his Second Corinthian Epistle: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Our Lord Himself said, in what we call “The Great Commission”: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Created in the image of God, man is likewise a trinity. He has a spiritual nature that is separate and distinct from the body in which it dwells.

The two following passages from the Bible clearly establish the fact that man is a triune being composed of spirit, soul, and body:

I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

In spite of the erroneous teaching of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and of other false sects that “no man has a soul,” the Bible states emphatically that man was created a trinity of spirit, soul, and body even as the eternal God is Himself a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The trinity of man is an essential part of the image relationship between him and God. Life is not ultimately physical and the body is not the whole man. And we might add that neither the body in itself, nor the soul in itself, nor the spirit in itself makes up the whole man, but he is “spirit and soul and body.” This must be seriously considered and definitely agreed to before we can comprehend with any accuracy the subject of life after death. In this opening chapter we shall confine our material to the spirit and the soul inasmuch as the body will be considered in succeeding chapters on the resurrection.

The Spirit

The word “spirit” when used in the Scriptures has several meanings. Whenever the word “Spirit” appears used with a capital letter, it has but one meaning. It is the name of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit of God. The word “spirit” spelled with a small letter may have one of several different meanings. It can have direct reference to the spirit of man which is as much a part of the tripartite nature of man as the Spirit of the living God is a Person of the Holy Trinity. Or it can indicate an evil spirit such as any agent of the Devil. We will confine ourselves here to the Biblical usage of the word only as it relates to the spirit of man, one of the three constituent parts of his being.

The threefold nature of man might be illustrated in several ways. Dr. Clarence Larkin uses three circles (Rightly Dividing The Word, page 86). The outer circle stands for the body of man, the middle circle for the soul, and the inner for the spirit. At this point it will be well to quote a portion from Dr. Larkin’s book:

In the outer circle the ‘Body’ is shown as touching the Material world through the five senses of ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste’ and ‘Touch.’

The Gates to the ‘Soul’ are ‘Imagination,’ ‘Conscience,’ ‘Memory,’ ‘Reason’ and the ‘Affections.’

The “Spirit” receives impressions of outward and material things through the soul. The spiritual faculties of the ‘Spirit’ are ‘Faith,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Reverence,’ ‘Prayer’ and ‘Worship.’

In his unfallen state the ‘Spirit’ of man was illuminated from Heaven, but when the human race fell in Adam, sin closed the window of the Spirit, pulled down the curtain, and the chamber of the spirit became a death chamber and remains so in every unregenerate heart, until the Life and Light giving power of the Holy Spirit floods that chamber with the Life and Light giving power of the new life in Christ Jesus.

It develops then that the spirit of man, being the sphere of God-consciousness, is the inner or private office of man where the work of regeneration takes place. Dr. James R. Graham says that the main theatre of the Holy Spirit’s activity in man, and the part of man’s nature with which He has peculiar affinity, is the spirit of man. The Apostle Paul gives us the Word of God on this, a passage that is sadly neglected. Quoting from the sixty-fourth chapter of the book of the Prophet Isaiah, Paul wrote:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

A great many people stop here, content to remain in ignorance. However, Paul continues:

But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-11).

Man in his unregenerate state comes to know the things of man by the operator of “the spirit of man” which is in him. If I have a will to know certain scientific facts, by my human spirit I am enabled to investigate, think, and weigh evidence. If I set myself to the task, I may become a scientist of world-renown and of great accomplishments. However, my human spirit is “limited to the things of man.” If I want to know about the things of God, my dead and dormant spirit is not able to know them.

The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The human spirit requires “the spark of regeneration” before there is an understanding of the things of God. Man’s spiritual nature must be renewed before there is a true conception of Godliness. Only one thing stands as a guard at the door of man’s spirit, and that is his own will. When the will is surrendered, the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the spirit of man. And when that transaction takes place we will know it, for, says Paul:

The Spirit Himself (meaning the Holy Spirit) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God (Romans 8:16 R.V.).

Many people confess that they get nothing out of the Bible even though they attend church and read their Bibles regularly. Perhaps they do not know that they are not regenerated and that they need to yield their will to the Spirit of God so that He can renew their human spirits. The deep things of God never will be understood by the world outside of Jesus Christ. Our Lord warned His disciples,

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).

The spirit of the unregenerate man has no more capacity to appreciate the things of God than a dog has to appreciate holy things, or a hog a genuine pearl necklace. We read that “The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22). This they did because the dog was a dog and the sow was a sow. No amount of religion or church activity can change the spirit of the unregenerate man. “Remember,” says Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, “if out of false charity or pity you allow men of material ideals and worldly wisdom to touch holy things, to handle the pearls of the Kingdom, presently they will turn and rend you. This is the whole history of Christendom’s ruin, in the measure in which Christendom is ruined. We gave holy things to dogs. We cast the pearls of the Kingdom before swine.” The ministry of Christ’s Church dare not be entrusted to any man who has not been born again, for “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).

The Bible says; “There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8). Here we are told that it is the spirit of man that is given understanding. The materialist tells us that the spirit of man is the air that he breathes, and that man’s body is all there is to his personality. Such is not the case. The spirit of man is his personality and it is that which differentiates him from the lower animal creation. If “spirit” meant merely “breath,” God certainly would not deal with it as a personality. He is called “The God of the spirits of all flesh” (Numbers 16:22), and “the Father of spirits” (Hebrews 12:9). It is by his spirit that the Christian both serves and worships God. Paul testified: “For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel” (Romans 1:9). Jesus said: “God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

The Soul

Man not only has a living soul but he is a living soul. The Bible says: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). We must be careful not to confound that which is truly spiritual and that which is merely soulish or psychical. We have seen that the spirit of man is the sphere of activity where the Holy Spirit operates in regeneration. Just so is the soul the sphere of activity where Satan operates making his appeal to the affections and emotions of man.

Satan knows full well that he dominates the psychical or the soulish man. Therefore he does not care if a man goes to a church where the Spirit of God is not in evidence. He knows that his victim is a creature of emotions, and it matters not if the emotions are stirred to sentimentalism or even to tears, just so long as man’s spirit does not come in contact with God’s Holy Spirit. Personally, I believe that Satan would rather have man go to a modernistic church where there is false worship than he would have him go to a house of prostitution. The soul is the seat of the passions, the feelings, and the desires of man; and Satan is satisfied if he can master these. F. W. Grant has said that the soul is the seat of the affections, right or wrong, of love, hate, lusts, and even the appetites of the body.

Hamor said to Jacob, “The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter” (Genesis 34:8). Of David and Jonathan it is written: “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1). These passages show the soul to be the seat of the affections. But as the soul loves, so it also hates. We read of those “that are hated of David’s soul” (2 Samuel 5:8).

It is in the soul where fleshly lusts, desires, and appetites arise:

Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul (Peter 2:11).

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country (Proverbs 25:25).

It shall be even as when a hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite (Isaiah 29:8).

The soul of man, that is, his affections and desires, are never directed Godward until after the spirit has become regenerated. Man can never love God nor the things of God until he is born from above. He may have a troubled conscience or be so stirred emotionally that he may weep bitterly, and still remain dead in trespasses and in sins. We do not feel that we are guilty of judging men when we state that some who have answered an altar call and shed tears never were born again. Man’s desires and affections are turned toward God when he realizes his sinful condition and God’s grace in salvation. When the Spirit of God illuminates the spirit of a man with divine light and life, that man begins to yield his affections and faculties to God.

The Virgin Mary said; “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46, 47). She could not extol the Lord in her soul until she had recognized God in her spirit as her Saviour. The initial triumph is in the spirit when Jesus Christ is acknowledged as personal Saviour.

In that immortal classic of the Psalms, David says: “He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:3). The Hebrew word translated “restoreth” is said to mean quite literally “turneth back.” At no time had David lost his salvation, but there were times when his affections and desires were turned from the Lord, as in the case of his sin with Bathsheba. Having become one of the Divine Shepherd’s flock, he testified: “The Lord turneth back my soul.” The Christian who is enjoying unbroken communion with his Lord will then be able to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God
(What it is and is not)
by James M. Renihan

    My procedure will be as follows: after we read two passages of scripture, I want to try to survey some of the information in the word of God that pertains to the kingdom. There is just too much to cover in anything but survey fashion. Then, I want to speak at more length about an issue that may trouble us. The brochure for the conference says that our theme is "Hope for the future: A Biblical Perspective." I have taken that theme quite literally in highlighting one crucial aspect of the Bible’s teaching on the Kingdom, believing that it is very much pertinent to our lives today.

Please turn to Habakkuk 3: 1-19 "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 2 O LORD, I have heard your speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was like the light; he had rays flashing from his hand: and there his power was hidden. 5 Before him went pestilence, and fever followed at his feet. 6 He stood and measured the earth: he looked, and startled the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed: his ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. 8 O LORD, were you displeased with the rivers? was your anger against the rivers? was your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, your chariots of salvation? 9 Your bow was made quite ready, oaths were sworn over your arrows. Selah. You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw you and trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered its voice, and lifted its hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of your arrows they went, and at the shining of your glittering spear. 12 You marched through the land in indignation, you trampled the nations in anger. 13 You went forth for the salvation of your people, for salvation with your anointed; you struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah. 14 You thrust through with his own arrows the head of his villages: they came out like a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. 15 You walked through the sea with your horses, through the heap of great waters. 16 When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields shall yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like deer’s feet, and he will make me to walk on my high hills. To the chief musician. With my stringed instruments."

And now please turn to: Hebrews 2:5-9 "For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying, "What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that you take care of him? 7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things 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 do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." Please keep a marker at both of these places in your Bibles.



1. A Survey of the Scripture’s Teaching about the Kingdom of God

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." With these words, John the Baptist preached to the nation of Israel in order to prepare the way for the Messiah. Matthew tells us, in the next chapter of his gospel, that Jesus went forth proclaiming the identical message: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (4:17). And in chapter 10(:7), when Jesus sends out the twelve, he tells them that the message they are to preach is the same: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." The synoptic gospels are permeated with teaching about the kingdom of God. It was a central theme in the earthly ministry of Jesus. But, not there alone. In the interval between His resurrection and ascension, Luke tells us that our Savior was with his disciples over a period of forty days "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3). The words at the beginning of the Great Commission, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" point to this truth. Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost follows this same theme: Jesus, having been raised up, has been "exalted to the right hand of God." He said, "let all the house of Israel assuredly know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (2:36) This is the language of the kingdom of God. When a persecution arose in Jerusalem, scattering the disciples, Luke tells us that Philip went down to Samaria and "preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." As Paul returned to several newly planted churches to strengthen and encourage them, Luke gives us one sentence in summary of the Apostle’s message to those young assemblies: "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." (14:22) When Paul came to Ephesus, we are told that "he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God," (19:8) and when he says his final farewell to the Ephesian elders, he reminds them that his preaching has been about "the kingdom of God." (20:25). At the conclusion of his history, Luke portrays Paul at Rome, expounding and testifying to Jews, and anyone else who would hear him, about the kingdom of God. (28:23, 31). Even John the apostle, on the isle of Patmos, could speak of the brotherhood of the kingdom of Christ that he shared with his readers. The idea of the Kingdom of God is deeply entwined with the gospel itself. It was the message proclaimed by John and Jesus and his disciples, and continued to be the theme of the apostles throughout the New Testament era.

We must assert that the kingdom of God is central to the message of the Scriptures. Its language is woven into the fabric of both the Old and New Testaments. Every time that we read of God as the Great King, of the Lordship of Christ, of divine sovereignty, authority and dominion, of command and obedience, of worship and honor, we are reading the language of the Kingdom. We cannot reduce the notion of God’s kingship simply to the occurrences of the Greek word basilea and its cognates or the Hebrew term malak and its derivatives. This topic is one of the pivotal themes of the whole Bible.

 


A. Defining the Kingdom of God: What the Kingdom of God is

What is the Kingdom of God? The idea is so pervasive in Scripture that it is very difficult to be comprehensive. There is much that can be said in trying to give a definition. It must be asserted that the kingdom of God is not a place—though we usually think of kingdoms in geographic terms. It is better understood in terms of the dynamic reign of God. Geerhardus Vos identified three strands which he called its essence: (1) the supremacy of God in the sphere of saving power; (2) the sphere of righteousness; and (3) the state of blessedness. Paul says, "The kingdom of God is . . . in power" (1 Cor. 4:20). The sermon on the mount is, in many ways, an explication of the nature of the righteousness of the kingdom, evident even in the blessedness promised in the beatitudes. The kingdom of God is the sphere in which he reigns—that is—the place where his sovereignty and dominion express themselves. When the Pharisees came to him and asked him when the kingdom was to come, Jesus could tell his hearers, that the Kingdom of God was in their midst. Imagine how confused they must have been when he said "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is in your midst." It was present in the ministry of Jesus—his teaching, his acts of compassion, his miracles. Isn’t this what Jesus was intending when, after his temptations in the wilderness, he sat in the synagogue in Nazareth and read on the Sabbath Day from Isaiah the prophet: "18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18&19? These are the acts of the reign of God—proof that he had come on a divine mission—that he was the unique son, who fulfills the words of Scripture. The Pharisees were confused, because they did not expect this kind of kingdom.

We said that the message preached by John the Baptist and Jesus was the same. But we must assert an important difference in perspective between them. John preached as the forerunner, in a sense as the last sentinel of the night, proclaiming the dawn of a new day. Jesus was himself the light; he brought the day into existence. Was the kingdom present in John’s ministry? Certainly. But not in the same way that it was with Jesus. John was glad to point to the greater one—great David’s greater son—who was in himself the embodiment of the reign of God.

It is interesting to note that when the kingdom is preached, it is often associated with verbs of motion. Just in Matthew’s Gospel we read verbs such as enter, seek, cast out, suffers violence, come upon, gather out, and come (translating three different Greek verbs). The metaphoric language of a physical kingdom helps us to conceptualize the relationship humans have to God’s reign.

 


B. Defining the Kingdom of God: What it is not

One of the most helpful ways of defining something is by negation—demonstrating what something is not. The word of God does this in several places: We are told that the kingdom of God is not of this world. (John 18:36) Jesus clearly teaches us that his reign does not have its origin or primary definition in terms of this world. His own teaching on the kingdom was terribly misunderstood by his religious opponents precisely because they interpreted his teaching in terrestrial terms. His reign is heavenly. It has a divine origin and existence.

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Cor. 4:20). Paul did not merely have some fine sounding religious words—puffs of air audible to those who listen. When he came to the Corinthians, he could demonstrate to them the true spiritual power of the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is not meat and drink—food (Rom. 14:17)—but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Paul wants this understood—the passing things of this life, such as food (which by the way is to be consumed to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10:31) do not make up the substance of the kingdom. When Christians divide over such matters, when they cause others to stumble, they have misunderstood the very nature of what the kingdom is all about. They must pursue righteousness: conformity to the covenant standard, the Law of God; peace, the wholeness and wellness attending the presence of God; and joy in the Holy Spirit, the only demeanor appropriate for those who have been cleansed and adopted into the family of God. These things belong together, and are of the very essence of the kingdom. Listen to Hebrews 1:8&9: "To the Son he says, ‘Your throne, o God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions." The son of God sits on an eternal throne, with righteousness in his hand. Because he himself has loved righteousness, because he has made it the object of his affection, he knows joy beyond his companions. Truly, holiness is happiness.

Six times, the kingdom is spoken of as an inheritance, but interestingly, only one of those times is the inheritance couched in positive terms, in Matthew 25:34. In that place, Jesus describes the great day of judgment, and welcomes his people into their inheritance. But in the other 5 occurrences (1 Cor. 6:9&10, 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5), we are told that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom, and that those who commit a variety of sins will not inherit the kingdom. Similarly, we are told that there is another group who will not enter the kingdom: certain kinds of religious men. Listen to Jesus words, "Assuredly I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him . . . the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it . . . woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matt. 21:31, 43, 13:13). These are part of an interesting cluster of verses in Matthew’s account of Holy Week, in which Jesus emphasizes the exclusion of religious formalists from the kingdom.

 


C. Defining the Kingdom of God: Its citizens

But if some are shut out or receive no inheritance, then who are the proper citizens and heirs? In reply to the disciples query about greatness in the kingdom, Jesus states that we must become like little children in order to enter. One of the key values of the kingdom is humility: "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The disciples missed it with their interest in greatness. In Matthew 19, Jesus rebukes his disciples for keeping the children away, and immediately uses an incident with a young man to teach his disciples that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The famous interview between Jesus and Nicodemus provides us with some insight: only those who have been born from above, or born again, may see and enter the kingdom. The sons of the kingdom are not naturally born, but supernaturally born. This is the great point of Paul’s ministry as recorded in the book of Acts. When Luke highlights his preaching about the kingdom, it is most often to persuade Jews (and Gentiles) to believe its message. Acts 19:8 "And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God." 28:23 "And when they [i.e. the Jews of Rome] had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning till evening." Again, Acts 28:30-31 "Paul . . . received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no one forbidding him." Believers enter the kingdom. As we noted before, at the day of judgment Jesus welcomes the sheep on his right hand, those who have done the will of the father, into his kingdom. James puts it like this: "Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?" (James 2:5). That is the bottom line: the citizens of the kingdom are those who have been chosen by God, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, those who are rich in faith and whose lives demonstrate that the work of God in them is real. Age, social status, race are irrelevant. Not everyone who says to Jesus "Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of his father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21). The difference between the tax collectors and harlots who entered the kingdom and the religious formalists who were shut out is very simple. The former believed, the latter did not.

 


D. Defining the Kingdom: Declaring a mystery

It is important to note that although the message of the kingdom is to be preached, it is still a hidden message. Jesus himself frequently spoke of the kingdom in parables—explicitly stating that he did so because the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" have been given to his disciples, but not to outsiders. It is in some sense a secret kingdom, not like Tolkien’s hidden kingdom of Gondolin, rumored to exist but sealed to visitors, but rather present in a very real sense, though invisible to the eyes of those without knowledge. Many understand its truths, because their eyes have been opened to understand them. But many others will hear the same words and walk away shaking their heads, wondering why some seem so interested and willing to take these words seriously. At root, we are thrown back to the sovereignty of God in this. He has chosen to reveal the nature of his reign to some, and allow them to participate, while others are on the outside. The Lord Jesus himself could rejoice that his sovereign father, lord of heaven and earth, had hidden the truth from the wise and prudent while revealing it to babes. Tax collectors and sinners crowd in, while the self-righteous are left out.

The gospel of the kingdom is something that is to be preached throughout this age. When Jesus’ disciples were looking for information on the future, our savior included in his reply some teaching about the present—the gospel of the kingdom must be preached throughout this age—in all the world as a witness to all nations—before the end will come. Men and women live their lives as if there were no kingdom, as if in Peter’s words, nothing has changed "since the fathers fell asleep." They marry and are given in marriage, they work and play and eat and drink as if there were nothing beyond the tedium of their existence. But they must be called to see that they are fallen creatures in a fallen world, rebels against their rightful Lord, at every moment deepening their condemnation by failing to bow the knee before him. The nations rage, the people plot in vain. And all the while the King in heaven laughs, for his purposes can not be resisted, and his work shall conquer. This is what we must preach. God reigns. He is sovereign over all. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. Unless men and women and boys and girls repent, they will perish. The kingdom of God exists. It is real. While it is not visible to the human eye, it may be discerned with the eye of faith. And that believing vision ought to captivate us for the service of God. We are his children, we are his representatives, we are his servants. All that we do, and all that we say, ought to be governed by this perspective. We must occupy until he comes. We must press on, confronting men with this message: God reigns. He is gracious, he is longsuffering, he is kind, and he commands you to leave your selfishness and become his servant. Are you weary and burdened? He will give you rest. This is true hope for the future.

  2. The Kingdom of God is Always at Work, even when we do not perceive it to be so

Having said all these things, there is still one more fact that we must remember. It is found in the words of Hebrews 2 that we read earlier. While we know all of this truth about the kingdom of God, we do not yet see it in its final and consummate form. It is still, "the world to come." In fact, as we look around, we can hardly say that we see pervasive evidence of the presence and power of the kingdom of God in its glory. Neither did the writer of Hebrews. He said, "we do not yet see all things put under him." We live in a day of increasing wickedness, of the open toleration and even promotion of the most vile kinds of sin. Our society is saturated with addictions to pleasure, profit and power. The evening news and the daily newspaper recount over and over the terrible reality of sin in the world.

But it is not just out there. The professing church is departing, or in many cases, has departed, from any semblance of sober, Scripture-based religion. Post-modernism is invading even the evangelical church. Truth is not truth, sin is not sin, God is not God. Religion is based on emotion, truth is determined by opinion polls, sin is excused as a kind of psychological peccadillo, while God is becoming whatever He will be. We face everything from the blab and grab televangelists to Evangelicals and Catholics Together to the Jesus Seminar. When the news media reports on religion, it often does so in a mocking way. And, there is false religion, especially resurgent Islam. Someone has said that the greatest world-wide threat to the church is Islam. In a column published earlier this week, George Will stated that in any given week, there are more people in England who attend mosques than attend Church of England services. Here in America, there is a growing acceptance of Islam, and other non-western religions into the holy pantheon. Mormonism is also on the upsurge. The most recent fascicle of the Trinity Journal includes an important article on the lack of interaction between evangelicals and a growing number of well-trained and highly-equipped Mormon apologists. They are winning the battle. Don’t these things trouble you? They are an utter contradiction of all that we have said. We seem to be regressing. Where is the kingdom of God? we ask.

This is not unusual. In every age, even since Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God, the church has lived in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation on earth. To the eye of the casual observer, and perhaps even sometimes to the Christian believer, the reality of the kingdom of God may seem like a pipe dream—a lot of nice religious slogans without any substance in the world of space and time. If we grapple with this, we should not be surprised. We are not alone, nor are we the first to wrestle with the contradictions present. Asaph struggled deeply with this in Psalm 73, as did the preacher in Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah in Lamentations, and the Psalmist who sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept in Psalm 137. Perhaps most instructive is the experience of Habakkuk.

 


A. Habakkuk’s trouble summarized: Where is the kingdom of God?

His name means "embracer" or "wrestler" and that is what he did. He lived in a day of outward religion, but he knew that most of it was just a show and a sham. At the beginning of his book, he comes before God with a complaint full of strong emotion. He is perplexed, because he sees the holy city inhabited by idolaters, deceivers, adulterers, thieves, and murderers—treacherous, violent men. His perplexity might be reduced to this question: "Where is the kingdom of God?" And so he cries out to the LORD, asking him how long he will allow this to endure.

God responds, but not in the way that Habakkuk expected. The LORD tells him that he has plans to judge the wicked in the city—and he will do so by sending an invading army of Babylonians to sack it. The receipt of this information causes Habakkuk to be even more perplexed. Since God is a holy God, how could he possibly use such an unholy instrument to achieve his purposes? After asking his second question, he waits, knowing that the Lord will correct him.

The reply, recorded in chapter 2, has three threads: (1) God will judge Israel, and punish Babylon, while saving a remnant of his people ("the Just shall live by his faith," 2:4); (2) the kingdom of God will ultimately triumph—"the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (2:14); and (3) most basically, the Lord is free to do whatever he pleases—"the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him" (2:20).

Throughout these encounters, Habakkuk is wrestling with the nature of the Kingdom of God. He knows that it is one thing, but what he sees is something quite different, and he cannot put these things together. In chapter 3, we see how he puts his perplexity into perspective. Please turn there briefly.

 


B. Habakkuk’s Worship: The Kingdom of God is real

The inscription to the chapter is of great importance. Notice that our English translations call this a prayer of Habakkuk. It is a special kind of prayer, a tephillah. This is a word describing a special kind of composition, in which the theme is proposed at the beginning, and then opened up in the following verses. Verse 2 provides the two-fold theme: revive your work in the midst of the years, in wrath remember mercy. Verses 3-15 expound the first of these ideas: God’s work in history; and verses 16-19 pick up the latter notion: mercy in the midst of wrath. Habakkuk humbly bows before the Lord, having heard His speech. Now he prays. His wrestling is over.

Notice how this works in the two parts of the prayer. In the first section, the prophet reviews the work of God in history, highlighting three great events: creation in verses 3b-6, the exodus in verses 7-9a, and the conquest in verses 9b-15. God rules over the earth as its creator, and he ruled over the exodus and the conquest in both judgment and redemption. Habakkuk is seeking to remind God’s people (this is a liturgical prayer—apparently for public worship) that God has been active for Israel—and this is what he asks him to "revive." To carry on this work whatever it may be—whether redemption or judgment—to show his holy power and his might.

In the second part of the prayer, the "wrestler" bows down before the Lord, accepting the reality of his wrath, knowing that it will be mixed with mercy. Notice how he expresses his fear in verse 16. He uses four expressions to describe the depth of his emotion: "my body trembled," "my lips quivered," rottenness entered my bones," and "I trembled in myself." We would say, "I was shaking from head to toe." Outside and inside, throughout all that he was, there was a tremendous fear. Why?

Notice the first words of 16a, "when I heard." Heard what? NOT the words of 3-15, but rather of 16b—judgment—the terrible destruction of Jerusalem. He understood what was going to happen, and he was overwhelmed with emotion at the prospect. Can you blame him? How would you feel if you knew that a nuclear bomb would soon detonate near the home of your loved ones? Or if you looked up and saw a tornado on the horizon? Our author could envision the events of the future. Perhaps he imagined himself standing outside of the city, surveying its destruction. Plumes of smoke rising up to heaven; the walls breached and broken; the city gates smashed or hanging uselessly on their hinges. He sees dead bodies lying in the streets, hears the cry of the wounded and bereaved, and worst of all, contemplates pagans invading and desecrating the sanctuary of God. As he brings these things to his mind, his body is convulsed in reaction. What else but profound fear would be appropriate for a godly Jew?

The prophet does not stop with his fear. In verses 17-19 he says some amazing things about the work of God. Verse 17 is of great importance. We must not miss its significance. At first glance, it may only appear to be some words about agricultural failure—but it is really much more—these words have tremendous covenantal significance. Listen to Deuteronomy 8:7-10: "7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 A land in which you shall eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which he has given you." Here, the same type of terminology is used to describe the good blessings that belong to the land of promise. God intended that his people enjoy all the benefits of the land when they entered in. When Habakkuk used these terms, every Jew would have understood immediately his meaning. He was contemplating the end of all the good blessings of the land of milk and honey. Notice the "though" at the beginning of verse 17, and the "yet" of verse 18. Habakkuk is brought to the place in which he has changed—though all the holy land becomes a desert, yet, he will rejoice in the LORD. Nothing else matters: God is always the same God—he is always Habakkuk’s God. He has taken his eyes off of others, and off of the confusion of the events of this earth, and has placed them on God. He can rejoice in the LORD, because he is God. He will do as he pleases—he will always be our God—even when we don’t understand his purposes.

Verse 19 returns again to covenantal language. (CF. 2 Sam. 22:1, 33&34). The high hills were the places of triumph in the land. This was a figure in the OT for victorious possession of the land. The high places were the last and most difficult to conquer. Those able to walk on the high hills like deer are those who have conquered and who rule the land in peace. The prophet knows what God will do.

But, doesn’t this contradict verse 17? NO! Here Habakkuk is enabled to look beyond the judgment of Judah by the Chaldeans—he sees the ultimate triumph of God and his people over all oppression from the powers of this world. He comes to see that temporal judgments are only part of God’s plan—but they point to and ensure his victory. Though everything else may seem to fall to pieces, the LORD God will be his strength, and will make him a victor. Habakkuk is no longer a wrestler, now he is a worshipper, and a convinced believer in the ultimate victory of the kingdom of God.

Habakkuk reminds us that the reign of God works in two ways. While we tend to think of it in terms of visible expressions of his glory, it is just as much evident in the judicial judgments he sends upon men. Whether he calls them out of their darkness or allows them to proceed deeper and deeper into their sin, he is acting as he pleases. And our response is to bow down before him and worship. We must not interpret the greatness of the kingdom of heaven simply in terms of our own perception of its triumph. It is much more than that. The eye of faith sees a picture much different from the eye of doubt.

This is essentially the same thing that the writer to the Hebrews tells us. Turn again to chapter 2 of that book. We do not now see what we would like—all things placed under Jesus’ feet. But, with the eye of faith we see Him, and that ought to be enough. And this author immediately sets the work of Christ in a similar context: the son of man humbled himself "for the suffering of death." He had to be made perfect through sufferings. God’s plan was far different from anything that we might concoct. His experience sets the pattern for our own. In theology, or more properly Christology, we speak about the two states of Christ—suffering and glory. He learned obedience through suffering, and then rose from the dead in great glory. Our experience is the same. Now, we suffer. We endure the opposition of the world, the flesh and the devil. But all the while, we focus our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He endured the cross that was set before him, despising its shame, and now sits at God’s right hand. As we focus our attention on him—as we become more and more Christ-centered, we will lose the confusion to which we fall prey. Do we see everything now the way that we think it should be? No. But that does not mean that the kingdom of God is inactive or impotent. To the contrary, we know that He is doing as he pleases. The opposition of the men of the earth is nothing to him.

The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Christ. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. While we may not see all that is happening, we need not fear that he is asleep, or uninterested, or has been deposed. God is on the throne, and His plan is proceeding as he desires. We need not fear, but be comforted. Take your eyes off of the world, and place them on Jesus Christ. Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns.

So let us take comfort in the fact that we serve a great king. We may not see all that he is doing. The writer to the Hebrews frankly admits "we do not yet see all things put under him." But we see Jesus, conquering his enemies, one day to be recognized and confessed by all. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Our task is to bring this message to the people of our generation—the secular academics, the religious formalists, the party-loving beach ‘dudes’, all of our neighbors and co-workers and schoolmates—as well as the lost in other places. To preach the Kingdom of Heaven is to preach the Lord Jesus. It is to turn men and women and boys and girls away from themselves and their self-centered lives. It is to call them to turn from their sins—to receive forgiveness in Christ—to bow down before His lordship. His kingdom is real—it is active—his enemies are being conquered. This is true hope for the future. Let us go forth with this message to a lost and dying world: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Amen.

   James M. Renihan
   Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary in California
   Reformed Baptist Church of North San Diego County
   Escondido, CA.

The Very Nature of God is Love

Volumes have been written about the characteristics of God, but when it is distilled to the most basic categories, He is love (1 John 4:8), life (Jeremiah 10:10; Revelation 22:1), and holiness (Psalms 99:9). And in reality, His life and holiness are based upon and are an expression of His love: love gives, so He gives life; love desires the best, so holiness proceeds from Him.
Love is not something he chooses to do or give. It is the very essence of who He is. He doesn't just love-He is love (1 John 4:16). It motivates His every action, directs His activities, and reflects His desires (1 John 4:10). Love is the greatest and purest essence of who a person is and its proper expression brings fulfillment.
However, God's love is not like the love expressed by many in our culture today: a love of convenience and ego. That is, "I will love you as long as you add value to my life and please me. When that ceases, so does my love for you." For many, love is conditional. The conditions may be different depending upon the relationship, but there are still conditions to be met in order to "earn" our love.
William Bennett, former Secretary of Education and author of The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories(1993), once said that he attended a wedding where the vows had been changed to reflect this love of convenience. He decided to send a gift to the couple that reflected their commitment to the marriage-a package of paper plates! He said he figured the package would last as long as the marriage.
This attitude stands in stark contrast to God's unconditional love, which never fails (Psalms 52:8), endures forever (Psalms 106:1), is uncalculating (Proverbs 30:5), and not motivated by personal gain (1 John 3:16). Unconditional love does not mean that God loves everything we do, but rather His love is so intense that He loves every sinner, no matter how vile and despicable he or she may be in the eyes of humanity, so much that He provides a way for them to find love, life, and holiness (John 3:16). "Intense love does not measure, it just gives" (Mother Teresa).
The Focus of God's Love is Redemption
Daily, Adam and Eve walked with God, until the desire for pleasure overcame their love for God (see Genesis 3). This break in the relationship required redemption.
God's love (and our own!) is not an abstract ideal, but a concrete reality that finds expression. Love that is not expressed through the giving of self, practical action and sacrifice is not love. Love must meet the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of those loved. It is costly, brings vulnerability, and seeks the person's highest good (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
God's unconditional and intense love for fallen humanity motivated the plan of salvation (Revelation 1:5). Simply, salvation is God making us whole or complete. It is a healing of the soul, bringing us back to the state of Adam when God breathed life into him and made him a living soul. Separation from God, caused by sin, is separation from life. A person might have biological life, but not the quality of life God envisions for us.
God's love brings cleansing, freedom, and wholeness. True love is liberating, not restrictive. This does not give us a license to sin, but the freedom to serve God completely, motivated by love, and empowered by the Spirit.
God's love motivates His compassion and mercy (love in action). His love brings transformation. Usually at baptism, the minister will quote from Matthew 28:19 and baptize the person "in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." We clap, raise our hands, and miss the truth of the event. It is more than a public expression of one's faith. At baptism, we are baptized (immersed) into the very character of the Father (love), the character of the Son (grace), and the character of the Holy Spirit (fellowship; see2 Corinthians 13:13).
Salvation is based on God's fervent love and mercy, not our worthiness (Titus 3:4-5). One response (in the image of Jesus Christ's offering on the Cross) is that we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Rom 12:1).
The Goal of God's Love is Relationship
Love requires relationship, as love is a dynamic force or presence that naturally seeks expression. Simply put, love loves! And in order to do that there must be an object of that love or it is incomplete.
God's love is revealed in that He created us in His own image (a position of responsibility before God) and likeness (moral freedom; Genesis 1:26-27; Job 33:4). Part of that image/likeness is freedom of choice. We can choose to accept and embrace God's love or we can choose to ignore or reject it. We were formed from dust, but because of God's great love for us, we received the breath of God, with its intrinsic and inherent life. This life gives us the capacity and desire to be in relationship (understanding; self-awareness; communicative; ability to have fellowship) and to love in return. To live in God is to live in love (1 John 4:16).
Our relationship with God is an intimate one. There is a sacred knowledge and expression that takes place. To know Him intimately is to open the door for revelation and fulfillment. It brings change or transformation-change of essence, expression, behavior, desires, identity, and security. The bond is so strong that God says a nursing mother may abandon her child, but He will never abandon us (Isaiah 49:15-16). He becomes the ultimate Father!
When we reflect upon the intensity of our relationship with God, self-doubt often arises. Can we keep our end of the bargain? Of great comfort (and a pressing challenge) is the thought that our relationship with God is not the sum of our activity directed toward God, but the intensity of our relationship with God as expressed through our devotion to him, our obedience to his wishes, and our attitudes toward his will and best desires for us. He loved us first, enabling us to respond properly to His love (1 John 4:10-11). And His love (and ability) never fails.
A young student asked Karl Barth to share the most significant theological truth he had discovered in all of his years of study. Barth, one of the most prolific theologians of the 20th century, wrote approximately sixty volumes of commentaries and theological studies. This brilliant man that many call the most important theologian of modern times thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Nothing-absolutely nothing-can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:35-39)!

7 Ways God Loves Us



1) God loves us with Atoning love.
"God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (Jhn 3:16-17)
God's love for us is what motivated Him to send Christ into the world to save us. Christ paid for our sins, which had separated us from Him. This sacrifice not only brings us peace with God, it also brings us into a personal, loving relationship with Him. (Rom 5:1-5)
God's atoning love through Christ is the source of all our spiritual blessings.
2) God loves us with Calling love.
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9)
Another way God shows His love for us is by calling us out of the darkness of sin and into the light of fellowship with Him.
Even more, because God has called us to Himself, He promises to protect that relationship (Jhn 10:28) and never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5, 1 Thes 5:23-25)
God's calling love is a promise to always be with us.
3) God loves us with Redeeming love.
"God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:3-4)
Because of our sinful nature, we have no power to fulfill God's law. But God's love is shown through Christ who redeemed, or paid, the price we owed for our rebellion. (Gal 3:13)
God's redeeming love frees us from guilt and fear.
4) God loves us with Justifying love.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." (Rom 3:23-25)
God's love is shown by justifying us (or declaring us innocent) by grace through faith in Christ. Christ is treated as if he were the sinner, and the sinner is treated as if he were the righteous one. God now sees us through Christ's righteousness instead of through our sin.
God's justifying love allows us to stand accepted before Him.
5) God loves us with Adopting love.
"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"" (Rom 8:15)
God shows His love for us by not only forgiving us of our sins, but by going even further and bringing us into His family. He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. (Col 1:12) This inheritance includes salvation, strength, hope, peace, comfort, providence, fellowship and so much more!
God's adopting love allows us to call Him "Father".
6) God loves us with Sanctifying love.
"We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb 10:10)
Still another way God also shows His love is by sanctifying, or setting us apart, for His purpose. We're sanctified in two ways: positionally and progressively.
We're sanctified "positionally" when we come to Christ. In the Old Testament the priests would continually make sacrifices because they never permanently paid for sin. But Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice and has paid for our sins once and for all. So we've sanctified, or set apart, to obtain salvation through Christ.
We're also sanctified "progressively" throughout our Christian lives. Progressive sanctification isn't about our salvation - we're saved by grace and not by works (Eph 2:8-9) - it's about how we live after we've been saved.
Progressive sanctification is the process of dying to sin and living for Christ by becoming more like Him. It's about producing the fruits of the Spirit as opposed to producing the fruits of the flesh. (Gal 5:19-23)
God's sanctifying love sets us apart for His special plans.
7) God loves us with Glorifying love.
"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:1-2)
Finally, God shows His love by glorifying us. Throughout our lives we'll wrestle with sin, but we're promised that the good work God begins in us will be completed. (Phil 1:6) When we go to be with the Lord our sinful nature will be left behind and we'll like Him, and with Him, forever.
God's glorifying love is the ultimate destination for Christians.

Sources
Biblestudyplanet.com
Biblestudytools.com

Conflict Among Christians

Conflict Among Christians:

We will begin with our traditional opening Youtube video:

I was talking last night to a member of the Church I currently attend about some things. He was telling me about some of the Church's history, and how the Church had lost a few dozen members when one of the Associate Pastors played divide and conquer with the Congregation. He sent out e-mails to just the people who he thought he could trust to not tip off the Lead Pastor about his plan to draw away members after himself. Division is [i]not[/i] a Fruit of the Spirit.

A similar thing happened during the Apostle Paul's ministry. As he was about to leave Ephesus to go to Jerusalem, he called the elders of the Church together to bid them farewell. We read his farewell to them beginning in Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

Of this Matthew Henry writes, in part: “If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge...”

But it is not just the leadership of the Church that must be concerned with this. Every member must make it his or her personal responsibility to preserve and protect the Body of Christ, and every member of that Body.

What was the sign, the sign that Jesus said would identify who his true followers were? Was it how much Greek or Hebrew they knew? How much of the Bible they could quote, blindfolded? Perhaps it was how many Church Committees they serve on, or how many solos they sang with the choir?

No... it's much more simple than the above. But it is also much more difficult than the above. Jesus said in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

There are two Greek words that were translated in to English as “love.” One is the Greek word, philèo, which Strong's Concordance defines as: “to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling;)

The other Greek word is agape`. Agape` In Paul's list in Galatians 5, of the God-given Fruit of the Spirit, love (agape`) is listed as the first Fruit. It is not something just to comes to us. Agape` love has One Source, and that Source is God. It outstrips, outlasts, outperforms, and supersedes any human-level emotion. Agape` is translated into English as “charity” in the following verses written by the Apostle Paul. It clearly rises far above the “friendship or fondness” level of love. Let's read how it differs from human filèo,  beginning in 1 Corinthians 13:1  ¶Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4  ¶Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8  ¶Charity never faileth:

Loving one another as Jesus said we should, is not possible to fulfill with just human emotions. If anything, human emotions are volatile, unpredictable, usually vengeful and self-serving. That is not agape` love. But Jesus said agape` love would be the identifying sign to men, of true discipleship. More than that, Jesus actually presented this identifying sign as a prerequisite to our loving and worshiping God in a way He would find acceptable. Let's notice His words, very early in His sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew 5:23: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

Matthew Henry comments: “We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances. And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and self-examination. What is here said is very applicable to our being reconciled to God through Christ. While we are alive, we are in the way to his judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late. When we consider the importance of the case, and the uncertainty of life, how needful it is to seek peace with God, without delay!”

Worshiping God inextricably involves our seeking peace with fellow believers, in Jesus words, as a prerequisite. This is not always possible when someone who has been offended by a real or imagined offense, will not forgive you. But that is not your problem if you attempt to apologize and make things right. A person refusing to forgive you will have to answer to God about their unforgiveness. Where each of us in concerned, the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:18: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

In another part of the Book of Matthew, Jesus spoke again about how to address and resolve conflict with a fellow believer: We read beginning in Matthew 18:15: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

Matthew Henry comments: “If a professed Christian is wronged by another, he ought not to complain of it to others, as is often done merely upon report, but to go to the offender privately, state the matter kindly, and show him his conduct. This would generally have all the desired effect with a true Christian, and the parties would be reconciled. The principles of these rules may be practised every where, and under all circumstances, though they are too much neglected by all. But how few try the method which Christ has expressly enjoined to all his disciples! In all our proceedings we should seek direction in prayer; we cannot too highly prize the promises of God. Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we should consider him as present in the midst of us.”

But let's look at this, again: There are some ancient manuscripts that omit the two words “against thee,” and have Christ saying: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass... go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” In the verse written that way, the trespass need not have been committed [i]against[/i] the person witnessing it.

Notice Paul's words for that situation in Galatians 6:1  ¶Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

But why did Paul include a warning about being tempted?  What temptation is there in discovering a fault or a sin in a brother or sister? And who, while we're on the subject, is the [i]source[/i] of temptation? The temptation is to react to such a discovery in an ungodly manner, with unthinking and irrational human emotions, and not the love of God that only He can provide. If you become aware of a brother or sister sinning in some capacity, God would have you react by going [u]to that person[/u], [b]alone[/b], and bring it to his or her attention, and [u]only[/u]  to his or her attention. To do so is not a Biblical suggestion, it is a Command. And it also must be kept a matter of strict privacy between the two of you. A true follower of Christ  will not seize it as an opportunity to light up the phone lines, or text lines, or chat room lines, or e-mail lines, to report to other believers or members, or to anybody else what their brother or sister did or said, to poison their reputation.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 26:20: “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”

To repeat a real or imagined fault or a sin of a brother is a very serious matter to God. We read in Proverbs 6, seven activities that are abominations that God hates are listed: Four of the seven are characterisitic of talebearers: A proud look, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

Reacting to offenses is a test we will all face at some time or another. Jesus said in Luke 17:1: “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”

And when we are faced with them, God commands us to act and react according to His Guidelines. But to do that, you have to know what those Guidelines are. If you don't actually read the Bible, and know what God requires, or which reactions that seem good to us God hates, then you cannot act and react within those prescribed Guidelines. But too many of us [b]do not read[/b] Scripture, and, too often, we respond with emotional knee-jerk reactions  to certain circumstances in ways that may seem right and justified to us, but oppose God's Laws. Talebearing and spreading gossip are ungodly emotional reactions that do no good to anyone. Whispering is an abomination to God! God hates backbiting! These reactions are divisive, and are not how God would have us respond to the discovery of sin in a brother or sister in Christ. As Solomon said in Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” We need to be able to route out behavior that [i]seems right[/i] to us, and behavior that God hates. We need to follow His Ways, and [u]only[/u] His Ways!

In either case, if we witness a brother or sister in Christ commit a sin in word or in deed, we have, as witnesses, several  commands from God as to how to react. [i]If it is directed against us[/i], accidentally or intentionally, we are commanded to forgive that  individual. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
 
Becoming the town crier regarding their sin, and gossiping about it behind their backs to anyone else, is NOT what Jesus said to do! How can talebearing be a “good” reaction when God calls it an “abomination” to Him? How can whispering about what a brother or sister did wrong be “blessing them,” when God said He hates when someone “soweth discord among brethren”?

Consider: In [u]both[/u] cases, if the sin committed is or is not against us personally, it is definitely against the one who committed it. Whatever the sin was, it must be repented of! For that to happen, it must be brought to the attention of the sinner, and NO ONE ELSE! Notice Paul's words to Timothy as he spoke about the obligation we each have to go to the sinner, and [i]how[/i] to approach him or her: We read in 2 Timothy 2:24: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25  In meekness instructing those that [u]oppose themselves[/u]; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (emphasis added).

In another area of Christian conflict, the Apostle Paul responded to the situation where brothers and sisters in Christ were taking each other to court, in order to get what they thought was rightfully theirs: Paul issued them a scathing rebuke beginning in 1 Corinthians 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”

On another subject, where offenses are concerned, ministers and Bible teachers are not magically exempt from sin. No honest minister or Bible teacher would ever say that  he or she does not or cannot or will not sin.  Speaking for myself, I have said on many occasions that when I present these Discussions, I do not present them from the perspective of not needing to apply to my own life the things I am teaching. Paul said in Romans 2:21: “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?” My answer is is an unequivocal and enthusiastic “Yes!”  I need every word of the things I teach you.

We all sin every day. As John wrote in  1 John 1:10: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We may not sin the same sins, but the bottom line is, that all sin brings with it a death penalty. That means we are all tied for last place. But being a Bible teacher holds me, in God's eyes, to a stricter standard. James writes the very sobering words to those who teach the Word of God, in James 3:1  ¶My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

I take this responsibility very serious. But I also need you to know that I am not perfect, nor have I ever pretended to be, claimed to be, or even implied to be. I get things wrong because I am human, but I do not willfully or intentionally offend or mislead. If you think I have said something wrong, I invite, no... I urge you, and Christ commands you to come to me, and me alone, and tell me what I did or said. That is the Bible's prescription for correcting a fellow-believer who has done something offensive.

If a brother or sister in Christ, says or does something that was, or appeared to be inappropriate or ungodly, becoming a gossip, or a talebearer or a whisperer in response to that situation is condemned in both the Old and New Testament. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:28: “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.” Such activity will be answerable to God. If you think this is a minor matter with God, let's take a look at the sins that Paul lists, in which he includes whispering. Look at the sins that surround “whisperers”! Romans 1:28: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

The correct response to a brother or sister that sins is love, mercy, reconciliation and forgiveness. To do anything less, anything more, or anything different is to cut one's own throat. Jesus made a statement to all who would think themselves above the need to forgive, that removes all doubt on the subject. He said this  at the end of the Parable where a king forgave an incredible sum, and the one who was forgiven refused to forgive a fellow-servant: Matthew 18:33: “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

We also need to look at another important facet of forgiveness, and that is repeat offenders:
Do we impose a ceiling on how many times we can or should forgive an offending brother or sister? We read in Luke 17:3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.”

Forgiveness does not come easy. Jesus said it must be more than mere words... it must be from the heart. Only then will God acknowledge a forgiving attitude. If He does not recognize whole-hearted forgiveness, He will not forgive us when we ask for it. If that does not scare the living daylights out of you, nothing will.

Matthew Henry comments: “Faith in God's pardoning mercy, will enable us to get over the greatest difficulties in the way of forgiving our brethren. As with God nothing is impossible, so all things are possible to him that can believe. Our Lord showed his disciples their need of deep humility. The Lord has such a property in every creature, as no man can have in another; he cannot be in debt to them for their services, nor do they deserve any return from him.”

In another place, Peter thought that he could max out forgiving offenses at the seventh offense, and was stunned to learn that he was wrong: We read in  Matthew 18:21  ¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

T0 love our bothers and sisters in Christ, as God would have us love them, to forgive them from the heart, and to forgive on an unlimited basis, without counting the number of times, without seeking revenge, all the while being willing to suffer loss is not humanly possible. But it can and must be a part of our lives through, and only through, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And the Fruit of that Spirit, that makes it all possible, is found in Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

This concludes this evening's Discussion, “Conflict Among Christians, Part 1”
This Discussion was conducted “live” by Romans on June 5th, 2014