The Kingdom of God.  Is it now, or is it yet to come?  Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.  This wasn’t a future statement, but rather it was fulfilled then.  Compare this to a popular scripture from the book of Daniel.

 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Daniel 7:18, emphasis added

Clearly, the Law and the Prophets were until John (the baptist), and since that time the Kingdom of God is being preached (Luke 16:16).

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For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:3 NASB

Now, we have seen, Christ came to satisfy the righteous requirement of the law for us, and, in completely fulfilling it in His own flesh, we, in our belief in His work, are baptized into His work, His death, burial, and resurrection.

There is, however, a working out of the process of our faith.  As Paul called those who were new to the faith “babes”, and “carnal”  (1 Corinthians 3:1), he also wrote to the Galatians, who were yet learning, of how he was in great labor of prayer until Christ was formed within them.

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Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Matthew 19:16

The man came to the Master, asking for Eternal life.  Jesus, the truth, never told any lies, or exaggerated anything, but told Him the honest answer.  He had to sell everything.

We know, of course, the Teacher never was interested in our possessions, per se, but rather, our hearts.  Obviously, the man had issues in his heart, for he valued the treasures of this world above that of the world.  But, these were Jesus’ words, that the man might be perfect.

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If Jesus, in three and a half years of being anointed with the Spirit, produced such fruit, shouldn’t we, in a generation or two in the Lord, be able, as a body, to produce similar results, that is, if we are truly living after His Spirit?

The Spiritual Man, Christ, must live with us individually, as well as corporately.  We must be the feet upon the Earth, whose head is in the highest heavens, namely Christ, where also we are seated.  It is His call, the same as it was in the beginning, for His Word has not returned void.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:28

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Through the blood, we enter in through the torn body of Christ into perfection.  Not merely living in the faith of the outward works, nor even abiding in the flow of the Spirit, but pressing on to complete consummation and indwelling of Him.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Hosea 6:3

It is here that no one need to teach us, saying, Know the Lord.  It may come at other places, but here, there is a knowing in the cloud, and a revelation in the glory.

Above the ark, between the cherubim, the only light of the Holiest of all was God Himself.  No source and no supply, no beginning nor end.

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Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:12-25

There were three feasts in the Old Covenant during which every adult male was required to make the trip to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). In all, there were seven feasts, each pointing to different aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry, but three were particularly required.  No matter where any man lived in that day, they were required to travel to the city God had chosen, Jerusalem.

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For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

Who cares what this life will bring?  Why do we involve ourselves with what will come in this life?

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:16

For surely, whether I live, I live for the Lord, and whether I die, I die for the Lord.

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For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For everything of man must be recognized as of no value, for all flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers and the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are like grass.  The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:5-7).  Every word of God is sure.  It is tested and tried in the furnace.  Every word is refined as by fire, tested in the fire seven times.

The Gospel is not of this realm, it is of another.  The Kingdom is not of this world, but of Heaven.  The Word of Faith is not the word of man, but it is Spirit!
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The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:6 NIV, portion

The Kingdom consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).  It is seen only through the eyes of faith (John 3:3).  There is a way that seems right, but it’s name is really religion. Let us consider two similar looking scenarios.

Suppose a man understands by the Word of God that laying down everything in this life is worth it, and that God is a rewarder of those who diligently pursue Him.  This is a basic truth, and whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  But, there are two ways to approach this, ultimately.

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Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Mark 16:14

After the most dramatic day in history, and probably one of the most traumatic to the disciples, the Lord’s passion, the Lord appeared to the twelve.  Yet, the recorded portion of the content of His message on that day was not the substance of most sermons today.  Instead, He rebuked them for unbelief and hardness of heart.

Today, these are two of the things we must not have in our midst.  Unbelief, the belief in the natural over the Spirit, is the “un”-faith that will not see the things of God.  When Jesus ministered on the Earth, this was the thing that stood in the way of His mighty works (Mark 6:5).  Hardness of heart, however, is translated as “stiffness of heart” by the YLT.

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