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And I appoint you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.

Luke 22:29

The Gospel of the Kingdom is an invitation for man to return to the realm of life God originally intended. But God does not set up a standard of morality and declare that when you have achieved it you can enter the Kingdom. There are two requirements for entrance: repenting from sin and spiritual rebirth. Through repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior you are born into the Kingdom and become a Kingdom resident.

Residency in the Kingdom of God requires a new lifestyle governed by the laws of the Kingdom not by the standards of this world. 

 Life in the spiritual Kingdom affects the quality of life in the visible world. The lifestyle of the Kingdom is exactly opposite of the lifestyle of the kingdoms of the world. It is different in both structure and principles. When you enter the Kingdom of God, it is like immigrating to a new country. You must learn a different culture.

 In the natural world, "culture" is the behavior patterns which govern life in a given society.   It is important to know the principles which govern life in the Kingdom of God.

 §  You must live by kingdom principles to maintain residency:

 Although repentance and rebirth are the only requirement for entrance to the Kingdom, there are definite requirements to maintain residency after being born into this spiritual realm. Jesus said:

 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.   Matthew 7:21

The will of the Father, revealed by Jesus Christ, was that believers be governed by the laws of the Kingdom.

Jesus taught that the Kingdom should be the primary concern of life. He concluded with this statement:

But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Luke 12:31

If you seek the Kingdom first... its principles, its lifestyle, its Gospel... then all other necessary things in life will be provided.

Jesus told the Jews that the test of possessing the Kingdom was bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.    Matthew 21:43

The fruit of the Kingdom is that which is outwardly produced by the inward life flow, just as fruit on a natural tree is the outward product of the flow of life within. If you are a resident of the Kingdom of God it will be apparent in your visible lifestyle.

§  To reign in the future kingdom we must know its principles:

Believers will reign with Jesus in the future Kingdom of God. To "reign" means to "rule with power and authority." If you are to reign with Him, you must know the laws which govern the Kingdom.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Timothy 2:12

A foundation in the natural world is the underlying structure on which something is built. Whenever men erect a building they must first lay a proper foundation. The foundation supports the superstructure or the visible building.

§  The foundation of the Kingdom of God and its governing principles is righteousness:

But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom.   Hebrews 1:8

A scepter is a rod or wand held in the hand as an emblem of power or authority. The authority or power of the Kingdom of God is righteousness. It is not the righteousness of self-improvement or religion. Jesus said:

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.   Matthew 5:20

The Scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders in the time of Christ's earthly ministry. Their spiritual experience was founded in their own attempts to be righteous. They had many rules, regulations, and traditions which governed every area of life.

The righteousness upon which the Kingdom is built is the righteousness of God. We are told:

But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

The foundation of God's Kingdom stands on righteous men living righteous lives:

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.   2 Timothy 2:19  

The Foundation Of God's Kingdom consists of righteous Men (the Lord knows those who are His) living righteous lives (let everyone who names himself by the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it).

There are two levels of commitment to this righteousness. These are evident in the following passage:

And behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He (Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

The young man saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-17; 20-22

There is one level of righteousness necessary to "enter into life." This is the righteousness that comes through the new birth experience when man is cleansed from sin and begins to live by God's commandments. But there is another level of righteousness known as perfection (spiritual maturity). To achieve perfection requires total consecration from worldly values, standards, or possessions which are precious to you.

This does not mean we all have to sell what we own and give it to the poor. Jesus required this of this man only because his riches were more important to him than God. Nothing in the world can be more important to us than the King. To achieve perfection we must abandon the principles of the world and embrace the principles of God's Kingdom.

Bible Study



10/05/19

04//09/21