The Kingdom – 11
This week we will look at what happens when we enter the Kingdom of God. We have already seen that the only way to enter the Kingdom of God is through the born again experience – John 3:6.
What benefits do you get by being born again?
Psalm 103:2-3 tells us not to forget His benefits. He forgives us all our iniquities and heals all our diseases.
It is imperative to understand that it is way more than eternal life. Sharing the Gospel with people, we all have focused on the fact that you can have eternal life(living forever) if you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I am not trying to diminish the fact that you will live forever, but eternal life is a person. John clearly states in 1 John 5:11-13.
And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have His Son does not have life.
What are some of the other benefits of being in the Kingdom?
Col. 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Apart from having eternal life, you are also a partaker of an inheritance. God promised Abraham that he would make him the father of many nations. The heritage is that through Abrahams’s seed, who is Jesus, God will bless the earth’s nations. We are children of God through faith, just like Abraham, and we are the seed or offspring of Christ.
Furthermore, we are His inheritance. Of all the things that God has or that God can make, He chooses us as His inheritance. That will help you understand your significance much better.
Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
1Pet. 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.
Secondly, we have been delivered from the power of darkness.
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son:
The enemy operates through deceit, lies, intimidation, and fear. These are the things that empower him. So what does this mean to you who has been transferred into the Kingdom of God? The word “translated” in the text means: to accompany and stand together with someone. God accompanied us and is now standing with us in the Kingdom of his dear Son.
You are not subject to fear, intimidation, lies, and deceit. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind – 2 Tim 1:7. You are now subject to the Kingdom of God’s things like love, joy, peace, faith, hope, love, kindness, self-control.
Thirdly we have redemption from all our sins in the Kingdom.
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Do you understand what God did with your sin? Can you fathom the extent of being reconciled to God? How much does it impact your life concerning the fact that God no longer imputes or holds your sins against you?
In redemption, God not only removed your sins, but he also removed the consequences of those sins. You have experienced forgiveness, but you also experienced His mercy and His grace. Mercy is the fact that we didn’t get what we deserved, while grace gives us the ability to live as a new creation.
You have and are His inheritance. He translated us into His Kingdom by delivering you from the power of darkness. He forgave you all your sins. You are now a son and daughter of God, and He is your father.
1 John 3:1-3. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
