Читать книгу MYSTERIES OF GOD'S KINGDOM - Kenneth B. Alexander - Страница 14

GOD’S PROMISES

God’s ultimate plan is that Believers become Sons of God, like Christ the first-fruits. God didn’t limit the number of Sons that He intends to bring to birth. It is his plan to bring many Sons to glory. Hebrews 2:10 says: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing MANY SONS TO GLORY, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings”.

John talks about being like Christ: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, because we will see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2).

What we have received from God so far is not enough. He must meet us so that we can be like Him and have His righteousness written on our hearts. Let us demand an end of partial fulfillment—of seeing through a glass darkly, of knowing in part, and of speaking in part. We must put away the childish incompleteness (I Corinthians 13:11–12).

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48; Deut 18:13). As Christ was perfect before the Father, so we too are to be perfect like Christ and like the Father.

“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4)

Christ came to make us perfect like Him. He is the author and PERFECTOR of our faith.

“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-12:2).

Christ has provided the means wherein we achieve this perfection.

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-15).

Note that we grow up “into Him” in that our old flesh nature is completely done away with and we become His righteousness. He is the head and we are His body. Together we are made perfect before the Father.

This doesn’t happen automatically happen only when you die and “go to heaven”. This is to happen right here, right now on this earth. Matthew 6:10 states, as part of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

What we call Heaven is the spiritual realm where God, Christ and the angelic beings reside. It is a realm largely invisible to us. God wants to merge the natural and spiritual realms together and thus bring forth His spiritual Kingdom on earth. Nothing in so-called “heaven” is imperfect now that Satan has been cast out. That same perfection is to come to earth to those who are perfected and to all those who believe. To those He reckons righteousness as He did to Abraham. (Genesis 15:6).

In Revelation John speaks of the Holy City New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea [of humanity].

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:1-2).

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God having the glory of God” (v. 21:10-11).“and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (v. 21:27).

The Holy City comes down to earth from God’s spiritual Kingdom and is set up here on earth with no unclean thing in it. Many believe that a new physical temple will be rebuilt in Israel heralding this new day but that is not the case. It will be a spiritual temple comprised of the mystical Body of Christ wherein God can tabernacle (dwell). “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22).

Here are only some of the real promises of God:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle [presence] of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev 21: 3-40.

“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son (Rev 21:7).

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;

And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it” (Rev 21:22-26).

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear [bright] as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads (Rev 22: 1-4).

This same Kingdom was prophesied by Isaiah 3000 years ago and 1000 years before Christ: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;

And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;

For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing

And her people for gladness.

“I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;

And there will no longer be heard in her

The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

“No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,

Or an old man who does not live out his days;

For the youth will die at the age of one hundred

And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred

Will be thought accursed.

“They will build houses and inhabit them;

They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

“They will not build and another inhabit,

They will not plant and another eat;

For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,

And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.

“They will not labor in vain,

Or bear children for calamity;

For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,

And their descendants with them. “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in My entire holy mountain,” says the Lord (Isaiah 65: 17-25).

In case you are thinking that this fulfillment is for the Jews only, think again. These promises and hundreds more documented in the scriptures are available for all, Gentiles and Jews alike. Under the New Covenant initiated by Christ the Jews are in the same footing as are all human beings (see also Romans chapters 9-11). .

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). The Sons of the Kingdom are the true “Spiritual Israel” that will inherit God’s promises – Jews and Gentiles alike.

Therefore, our purpose in God, and His promises to us are that we become like Christ, in the earth. Without that we have little righteousness to give. God does not honor human righteousness; in fact He says it is to Him as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). All our good works, acting like we think Christ would act, philanthropic gestures, sermons etc. are of no delight to Him. He only delights in those who do the will of Him, not those who are doing what they think His will is. And if we walk in the Spirit with God we will inherit promises beyond our comprehension, those of which it is said: “eye has not seen, ear has not heard”.