The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Greatest Lie Ever Told, #20

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Matthew 9:35)

The Kingdom is mentioned one hundred twenty-seven times in the four Gospel accounts (KJV). The phrase "go to Heaven" is used but once in the entire New Testament, and that is in the Greek text of First Peter where it speaks of Jesus returning to Heaven. Competent scholarship demands that we emphasize the Kingdom of God rather than a flight of Christians to Heaven.

Jesus spoke no parable concerning going to Heaven when we die. Every parable of the Lord concerns the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven. This fact alone renders contemporary Christian theology irrelevant.

The Kingdom of God is a Seed that comes from God Himself. Some people never understand it. In others it does not find sufficient soil. In yet others there are too many other interests competing for the individual's attention.

Of the four kinds of ground, three bear no lasting fruit. The Kingdom of God is not formed in them permanently.

What does this say concerning the hopelessly inappropriate discussion concerning "once saved always saved"?

In the fourth kind of ground, that of adamic personalities with integrity (without integrity no person can make a success of the Divine redemption), the believers bring forth the Kingdom of God in varying degrees. What is brought forth in the personality is Christ, the Kingdom of God. The new personality is Divine in nature. It is a new creation.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)

"Until Christ be formed in you." The saints in Galatia were saved and filled with the Spirit of God. Now the task was to form Christ in them, corresponding to the fourth kind of ground in the parable of the sower.

The parable of the sower is the most important of the parables of the Kingdom of God given by the Lord Jesus. When we do not understand the parable of the sower it is impossible to comprehend the Kingdom of God—the Kingdom announced by John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? (Mark 4:13)

What is the purpose of the return of the Lord Jesus to the world? The Christian churches are continuing in a misunderstanding concerning the return of the Lord to the earth. They suppose that the purpose of Christ's coming is to catch up His Bride to Heaven. However, this is not the reason for the Lord's return.

The purpose for the Lord's coming is to separate the righteous from the wicked in the earth, to deliver the wicked to judgment, and to reward and exalt the righteous. The meek shall inherit the earth.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:40-43)

To be continued.