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#522    The Normalcy of The Kingdom of God!

            God’s Government Is the Typical and Standard Expectation FOR the Church!

                        The Kingdom Obedience; The Normal State And Condition of Believers

                        The Priesthood and The Body of the High Priest; One Unit/ Character

                        Identifying The Danger of Traditional Religious Concepts


July 21, 2012


Our purpose in these studies is to present the Kingdom Government of God and our total obedience and transformation to be our normal Personal Experience and this Kingdom transformation to be the Normal Christian Life of every believer. This view presents God’s Expectation for us and to equip us to fully do His will and to fulfill His Eternal Purpose! Growth and obedience IS required of those who are fully redeemed. Why is this “message” important at this time? It is simply because the tendency of the visible church, in general, has been to totally ignore God’s Government and treat the Laws of the Kingdom of God as irrelevant in the church age. Why is this evil doctrine accepted? Because of a perception that God’s Grace and our Faith, in some miraculous way, has set us free from any expectation, requirement or function that accompanies “salvation.”


It is assumed that these “blessings” have annulled the Laws of the Kingdom of God during the church age, and frees us from all requirements and standards or any responsibility to obey God. All this “Kingdom stuff” is rejected because it requires more “legalism of obedience” and is dismissed as “just more works that can never save you.” It is boldly declared that full salvation is totally free and nothing is required except to believe. Why has this concept crept into the doctrines of the visible church? Simply because “salvation” is preached as a gift we can receive outside the Kingdom Government of God! However, we present the Kingdom as a journey or pilgrimage into the eternal realms rather that a one unit experience. It is this “pilgrimage of obedience” that we call “full salvation.” Is this “journey within His Kingdom” a requirement? Yes!


Mat 21:40 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They *said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” 42 Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?


Mat 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”


Even a half - hearted attempt to find truth in the scriptures dealing with the Kingdom should clearly reveal the seriousness of the Kingdom requirements. We must either produce the fruit of the Kingdom or lose the Kingdom itself! Both the Lord and the Kingdom may fall on us and grind us to dust. The only rational response to this threat is to fall on the Stone which was rejected and be personally broken to pieces, now! But, brother, isn’t that much too radical? Not at all!


Both the King and the Kingdom were rejected 2000 years ago and this “falling Stone that scatters like dust” should be avoided at all cost. The best advise is to fall on the Stone while it is stationary and be personally broken to pieces by it. To be broken to pieces OR to be ground to dust seems to be the option open to us.


But we believe that our faith and God’s grace has done away with the Stone or any danger of being ground to dust. Then you may also believe that the vine-growers have no responsibility to pay the owner of the vineyard what is due to Him! The general response is; That is correct because EVERYTHING is free to us now and Jesus’ sacrifice has freed us from any responsibility or debt left to pay. He died so that we could be free of any responsibility, except to believe it.


This perversion of Eternal Truth is not difficult to disprove with just a few scriptures!


2Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.


Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you {the church} walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you {the church} have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.


Eph 4:25 Therefore, {the church} laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH, EACH ONE of you, WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we {the church} are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let him {in the church} who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you {the church} were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (those in the church) 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you {the church}.


It should be clear, just from the Book of Ephesians, that there is an expectation of a manifested Christian Life that follows forgiveness of sins. As we understand more and more about the Christian Life, it is clear that the Kingdom Life and the Christian Life carry the same


Zoe - Life expectation. However, there may be a distinction of degrees and growth (perfection) but this progressive development, the journey, is not optional. Therefore, there should be no rejection of the Kingdom Life simply because it is so demanding because it is just the Christian Life lived under the Sovereign Government of God. It is certainly true that the Christian Life was only received by Grace through Faith and these blessings are a gift from God. Nevertheless, this “grace for forgiveness of sins” does not annul the progressive requirements connected to the developing Christian Life! This is what we are calling “the Pilgrimage.”


Now that we have received that Zoe- Life- the question is how do we live that Life in the visible realm. Our theme suggests that the Christian Life MUST be lived within the Kingdom Government of God. This includes the Laws of God and LIVED within the Character, Integrity, Honesty and Righteousness of the King / High Priest of that Kingdom. Why? It is because we are supposed to be living within His body and His body should be of the same maturity and integrity as the Head.


Regardless of how we view the “body of Christ” within the context of the visible church, the “Body of the High Priest” presents to us a more stringent and higher standard of Life and maturity. Why? The High Priest must NOT have defects in His Body or He will be prevented from completing His Function within the Eternal Purpose of God.


In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul identifies the “believers” as the body of Christ.


1Cor 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.


1Co 12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness, 24 whereas our seemly members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.


While Paul doesn’t identify how he classifies “a member” or the requirements, the context suggests that not everybody who attends church today qualifies as a “member.” We should at least assume that every member is “saved.” Within the context of 1 Corinthians it seems clear that what Paul calls the “body of Christ” still has a lot of problems, is quite immature and is full of defects. Still, this group of mis-fits is called the “body of Christ.” How can that possibly be true?


1Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.


It seems obvious that EVERYBODY who is included in the “body of Christ” must be BORN of God by the indwelling of the living and Abiding Word of God which IS CHRIST in you your hope of yet attaining to the Glory of God. Therefore, Christ ( the Eternal Word of God that was with the Father) must be actively dwelling in each member identified with this group, called “members.” If “CHRIST” ( the Living and Abiding Word of God) is in each “member” then this assembly can logically be called “the body of Christ.” This is NOT the body of Jesus which is “seated” at the right hand of God!


Nevertheless, this is not yet the same as being members of the Body of the High Priest. These “members” are also Sons of God that have grown up in all things into “CHRIST” and are conformed to His Image! These are the “Sons of the High Priest” and because of the six foundational experiences and the Full Consecration Offering and by the discipline of God, and their obedience to the Kingdom Laws of God, have been delivered from their defects. These “seven” foundational experiences are what we are calling “our journey through the first heaven.”


Heb 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.


Because of this Character development, they can become members of the Body of the High Priest and fully function under His Sovereign Headship. Since He is the King of this Kingdom of Priests, all in His body must function under the Kingdom Laws of God and walk in obedience to the Head, the High Priest.


None of this is complicated or difficult to understand. However, growing up from the “body of Christ” to the “Body of the High Priest” (who is a King / Priest after the Order of Melchizedek) is not optional to those who expect to rule with Christ during the Millennial age and in the World Yet to Come! These will, also, have ascended to Zion, the Mountain of God which IS the Mountain of His Holiness!


When we apply ALL the scriptures that relate us to the Kingdom now and the Eternal Purpose of God in eternity, it seems clear that full growth and obedience is just rational and should be judged as the Normal Christian Life! This is what we are calling the “pilgrimage” through the Outer Court and into the Holy Place! If the church that has grown to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Jesus is “normal,” then the casual, unconcerned and lukewarm lifestyle of the visible church system could surely be judged as an abomination.

 

To announce that the church is failing if she is not constantly growing up in all things into Christ seems to agree with God’s expectation for the Church He is building. If this is true, then the stagnant churches that men are building have become irrelevant! This, of course, is my evaluation and I could be wrong because it is just my opinion based upon how I read scripture.

 

But, brother, why can’t we just evaluate forgiveness of sins and full salvation based upon a few scriptures? Isn’t Romans 10: 9 & 10 true? They are certainly true but must be set within the context of the Kingdom Government of God. For me these “few scriptures” must be adjusted by including all the other scriptures that apply to that subject. For example; Is it true that He saves those who obey Him? But, brother you seem to forget about the “sprinkled Blood” that was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat. No, not at all, but I have modified the popular concept of the sprinkled blood and the many cliches by adding the other scriptures concerning this subject.

 

1Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.

 

When we modify the “doctrine of the sprinkled blood” by the “doctrine of Obedience” we have more of the truth concerning the blood and expose the cliches about the blood covering everything as being questionable.

 

Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

 

Justified by the blood relates us to Egypt and their deliverance from the Wrath of God by putting the blood on the doorways. However, “Being saved by His Life” modifies this concept of full salvation by the shed blood rather than by understanding that the entrance into “Life- Zoe” is through the blood.

 

Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

 

Heb 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

 

Heb 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? :8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

 

Heb 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

 

There appears to be “a sonship” and a “righteousness” that is related to a personal discipline. There also, appears to be illegitimate “children” who are not sons. Who are these “phony children” that are among us? Those who are without the disciplining hand of God upon them! But, brother, that appears to be 90% of the visible church! This IS the problem we are addressing!

 

Of course, these are just a very few of the scriptures that modify the “say these words and believe this doctrine” promoted by many groups that preach the “one verse salvation.” We could add many more scriptures to show how deceptive that concept really is when we read more of the Bible. Of course these “other verses” that present requirements that are associated with salvation are NOT acceptable to those that preach a “gospel of salvation” that multitudes are accepting as total truth.

 

But why is this important? Why can’t we just accept what the majority are saying? When we investigate what the “majority” in Israel wanted it seems clear that the “majority was fatally wrong.”

 

If the Gospel of the Kingdom of God really is the true “gospel” then what is being preached as “normal church life” should, at least, be suspect, questionable and subject to review. Why do we have to accept this “doctrine of men” as absolute truth when it is not compatible with ALL the scripture? Then , is there a true salvation that is a “free gift?” Yes! There certainly is!

 

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Is it true that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them? Yes! This is certainly true but the question is this; Does His act of faithfulness absolve us of any need for our personal response or give us “absolution” from any responsibility except to believe it? Does it also require that we act upon it and obey its laws of the Spirit of Life that accompanies salvation?

 

According to the “gospel salvation” this “reconciliation” completes God’s purpose for man and everything is just a free gift from God. Any further development, growth or obedience is already covered in our reconciliation to God through Christ. In other words; The concept contained in this word “reconciliation” covers every situation and requirement of the New Covenant or the Kingdom of God because God is not counting our sins or rebellion against us and we and the whole world are already reconciled to God. This “reconciliation” constitutes our full salvation. Then what does it mean that “we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

righteous >adjective morally right or justifiable.

 

reconcile >verb 1 restore friendly relations between. 2 make or show to be compatible. (reconcile to) make (someone) accept (a disagreeable thing). -‘bring together’

 

It is certainly true that while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us and became our sacrifice for sin before God. God has fully accepted this “sacrifice” of Calvary as justification and reconciliation and has declared us righteous when we, by faith, believe that free gift of grace.

 

When this TRUTH is firmly set within the Kingdom Government of God and received under His absolute Sovereignty it will certainly result in “eternal salvation.” We certainly have NO PROBLEM with that “gospel.”

 

Rom 5:17 Jamison, Faucet and Brown explanation.

For if by - “the” one man’s offence death reigned by one - “through the one.” much more shall they which receive - “the” abundance of grace and of the gift of - justifying righteousness ... reign in life by one Jesus Christ - “through the one.”

 

We have here the two ideas of Rom_5:15 and Rom_5:16 sublimely combined into one, as if the subject had grown upon the apostle as he advanced in his comparison of the two cases. Here, for the first time in this section, he speaks of that LIFE which springs out of justification, in contrast with the death which springs from sin and follows condemnation. The proper idea of it therefore is, “Right to live” -(or a “Righteous life”) - life possessed and enjoyed with the good will, and in conformity with the eternal law, of “Him that sitteth on the Throne”; life therefore in its widest sense

 

It is worthy of note, too, that while he says death “reigned over” us through Adam, he does not say Life “reigns over us” through Christ; lest he should seem to invest this new life with the very attribute of death - that of ferocity and malignant tyranny, of which we were the hapless victims. Nor does he say Life reigns in us, which would have been a scriptural enough idea; but, which is much more pregnant, “We shall reign in life.” While freedom and might are implied in the figure of “reigning,” “life” is represented as the glorious territory or atmosphere of that reign. And by recurring to the idea of Rom_5:16, as to the “many offenses” whose complete pardon shows “the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” the whole statement is to this effect: “If one man’s one offense let loose against us the tyrant power of Death, to hold us as its victims in helpless bondage, ‘much more,’ when we stand forth enriched with God’s ‘abounding grace’ and in the beauty of a complete absolution from countless offenses, shall we expatiate in a life divinely owned and legally secured, ‘reigning’ in exultant freedom and unchallenged might, through that other matchless ‘One,’ Jesus Christ!”

 

It is obvious that when we really understand the constrast between these two men, Adam and Christ Jesus, that the contrast is between Life and death. However, we are also faced with “death, burial and resurrection” which still deals with “sin” which results in the normal Christian Life.

 

Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

 

If we are declared Righteous before God and have been reconciled to God through Christ, why is this death, burial and resurrection even necessary? Of course many who preach a one verse salvation confirm that this “death, burial and resurrection” is not necessary because we are saved by grace through faith, not by Baptism.

 

This is the danger of taking a few verses as the WHOLE plan of God and assuming that ALL God has provided through Christ and Calvary is JUST for man’s salvation from hell and to make heaven his home. If that was ALL that God purposed then this death, burial and resurrection would be redundant.

 

However, as soon as we understand Paul’s argument in Roman s 5 about the universal death attributed to all men because of Adam and the universal Life attributed to all those of Faith and Grace in Christ Jesus, then the necessity a Universal death, burial and resurrection makes sense. Escaping from Adam by death, burial and resurrection, to take our place in Christ by a new Resurrection Life seems reasonable. Our theme contains this thesis;

 

Living Within God’s Government Is the Typical and Standard Expectation FOR the Church! Living Within The Laws of the Kingdom By Obedience Should Be The Normal State And Condition of True Believers.

 

If “saying certain words and believing certain church doctrine” results in this kind of Christian Life then that is sufficient to be a “true believer.” If it doesn’t result in this transformed Life then the whole concept of this kind of “salvation” should be questioned. Why? Because, the eternal destiny of the multitudes rests upon experiencing a “total and full salvation! To be half-saved also means to be half-lost. Half-lost people may be in jeopardy! Why take a chance? Just preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and see who responds and manifests the Christian Life. These will be the keepers.

 

But what if we don’t believe in God’s Kingdom Government or in the Laws of the Kingdom or that our obedience is required? Then try to find a fire proof suit and garments that can stand the Everlasting Burnings.

 

Luke 19:27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

 

Rev 21:7 “He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”