Who Can Enter The Kingdom Of God?
2009-04-04 21:44
Only Christ Jesus, the one mediator between God and men, exactly knows who can enter the eternal kingdom of God. It is written, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5).
He himself said, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man." (John 3:13).
Salvation means entering the eternal kingdom of God. Therefore without knowing of the way and the gate to the kingdom of God, no one can enter it. All Scripture is about the way and the gate.
The way and the gate is Jesus Christ whom God sent in the Father's name into the world. And so Jesus himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ). And again, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10:9).
Therefore, he himself said, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me." (John 5:39).
And then, let's listen to his saying so as to know who can enter the kingdom of God. "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:3-7).
"Again" means that something happens a second time. And so, "unless one is born again" means "unless one is born twice." It is as if in the Bible Abraham gave birth to two sons one after another. Starting from Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham gave birth to Ishmael, and also gave birth to Isaac. Being born again, that is, being born twice is the mystery of the Bible.
The Bible says about it, "But Abram said, 'O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" (Genesis 15:2). And then, "So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne." (Genesis 16:15). And then, "Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 'And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.' Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.'" (Genesis 17:15-19).
There are three steps to salvation as inheritance from Abraham was completed through three steps. The first step is Eliezer of Damascus who is irrelevant to salvation. And the second is Ishmael who is relevant to salvation but cannot reach it because he does not obey the gospel. And lastly the third is Isaac who surely reaches salvation by obeying the gospel according to the words of the covenant.
Therefore the Bible says about it, "'In the whole land,' declares the LORD, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9). And also, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
In the end, Ishamel, who thought he would be the heir alone and acted arrogantly and violently, was cast out. But Isaac, who was mocked and persecuted by him, became the heir. Entering the kingdom of God is the same.
Therefore, one must be born twice to enter the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul also said about it, seeing the church of Galatia that had been being born twice by him.
It is written, "As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: 'Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.' Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? 'Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son.' Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." (Galatians 4:13-32).
Therefore the son by the slave woman--the natural--cannot enter the kingdom of God. It is written, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders." (1 Corinthians 6:9).
"So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual." (1 Corinthians 15:45-46). Only the spiritual who have been born again can enter the kingdom of God.
And it is written, "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Hebrews 3:1). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
He himself said, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man." (John 3:13).
Salvation means entering the eternal kingdom of God. Therefore without knowing of the way and the gate to the kingdom of God, no one can enter it. All Scripture is about the way and the gate.
The way and the gate is Jesus Christ whom God sent in the Father's name into the world. And so Jesus himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ). And again, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10:9).
Therefore, he himself said, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me." (John 5:39).
And then, let's listen to his saying so as to know who can enter the kingdom of God. "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:3-7).
"Again" means that something happens a second time. And so, "unless one is born again" means "unless one is born twice." It is as if in the Bible Abraham gave birth to two sons one after another. Starting from Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham gave birth to Ishmael, and also gave birth to Isaac. Being born again, that is, being born twice is the mystery of the Bible.
The Bible says about it, "But Abram said, 'O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" (Genesis 15:2). And then, "So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne." (Genesis 16:15). And then, "Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 'And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.' Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.'" (Genesis 17:15-19).
There are three steps to salvation as inheritance from Abraham was completed through three steps. The first step is Eliezer of Damascus who is irrelevant to salvation. And the second is Ishmael who is relevant to salvation but cannot reach it because he does not obey the gospel. And lastly the third is Isaac who surely reaches salvation by obeying the gospel according to the words of the covenant.
Therefore the Bible says about it, "'In the whole land,' declares the LORD, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9). And also, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
In the end, Ishamel, who thought he would be the heir alone and acted arrogantly and violently, was cast out. But Isaac, who was mocked and persecuted by him, became the heir. Entering the kingdom of God is the same.
Therefore, one must be born twice to enter the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul also said about it, seeing the church of Galatia that had been being born twice by him.
It is written, "As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: 'Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.' Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? 'Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son.' Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." (Galatians 4:13-32).
Therefore the son by the slave woman--the natural--cannot enter the kingdom of God. It is written, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders." (1 Corinthians 6:9).
"So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual." (1 Corinthians 15:45-46). Only the spiritual who have been born again can enter the kingdom of God.
And it is written, "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Hebrews 3:1). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
