Kingdom

Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

What does that mean? What comes to mind when you hear the term?
If we're honest, most times when we think of The Kingdom of Heaven, we’re just as naïve as the Jews in Christ’s day that wanted The Kingdom of Heaven to mean something that it didn’t …at least yet.
Something in me keeps wanting to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is the eternal rulership of Christ. I want it to mean swift judgement for sin. I want it to mean glory, peace and a burden-free existence for those who are IN Christ, who have the seal of His Spirit.
It doesn’t mean that now and it didn’t mean that when John the Baptist first said it over two thousand years ago.

Here’s The Word:

Matthew 3:1-3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

So then, what DID it mean “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”?
Did you know that the Book of Matthew is the only book of The Bible where the phrase “kingdom of Heaven” is found? Check it out. Furthermore, when you consider Matthew’s gospel, he spends a good bit of effort saying exactly what the kingdom of Heaven is like, and not once does He say that it’s like a mighty king who comes to crush his foes and give glory to his servants…nope, not once.

He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to several distinctly different things, yet that all fall within a common theme: It’s now, it’s real and the way you respond to it matters greatly.
The kingdom of Heaven has an approval rating based on a heart of servitude: Those who serve and teach are called great, those who disobey and lead others to disobedience are called least. (Mt 5:19) Now I know what you’re thinking; Firstly, something along the lines of "I thought we were all equal." Secondly, how can someone break a commandment and still be IN the kingdom?
First answer presents the need to clarify a misunderstanding between justified and approved. We're all justified the same way, through Christ and no other merit. But approval is something different. Tthe Bible tells us in Timothy to "Study to show ourselves approved"(not justified). Approved is based on an embracing of diligence and that's based on us.
For the second matter, reckoning that we’re saved by grace through faith and not works implies that it’s not what we do, but what Christ did. And in that, we can still tend toward a choice of diligent obedience or not. The Bible talks about the difference between the world and Heaven and how it’s possible and therefore necessary for someone to be chastised(even to death) in the flesh due to bad choices, but not forfeit their salvation.

1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The kingdom of Heaven is a growing thing; Like a mustard seed, like leaven mixed in dough to fully permeate the mixture, and seeds scattered by a sower, of which some will grow to varying displays of fruitfulness. But just like there are wheat and tares in the field, there are also different types of soil that range from fully receptive to not receptive at all. Because of that wildly dynamic set of circumstances, we are well warned, and are called to preach the immediacy of the kingdom of Heaven.
"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Mt 10:7)"
The kingdom of Heaven is something that God is doing now and only He knows the time when the harvest will be ready. It is then, that He will send out the reapers that will gather His produce and all else will be lost and cast out.

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

We need to realize the truth of the matter. The truth is that Heaven is calling in a reckoning. The world was never just some wayward thing that God washed His hands of once it fell from grace. It has never simply been idle and unchecked, waiting for judgement. There has always been a plan to step in and start the process of identifying, sanctifying and reconciling His children of promise. Those who misunderstand this are probably thinking that a more clear warning will come, allowing them one final opportunity to make a choice. They're sadly mistaken.

Galatians 4:3-5 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Does this help? Hopefully we can stop putting expectations on an idea that’s inconsistent with Scripture.

So we repent and we proclaim repentance to any and everyone (The Lord knows those who are His). The Kingdom of Heaven is already underway, fulfilling its purposes and identifying its peoples. It’s more valuable than the pearl of a great price and worth more than anything else the world has to offer. It requires a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees meaning as good as meticulous as they were, it wasn’t enough. None of us are righteous. It’s impossible for any of us to merit a place in God’s presence. But we can be justified. We can be imputed with Christ’s righteousness….actually, we must be, there is no other way. (John 14:6) IN this, we hide our lives in His and thusly, live by faith that the kingdom of Heaven is now and forever will be, our eternal home.


In Him,
Cros