The culture of the kingdom.... It's a series we will be starting... God bless you!
The Gospel of the Kingdom is an invitation for man to return to the realm of life God originally intended. But God does not set up a standard of morality and declare that when you have achieved it you can enter the Kingdom. There is one requirement for entrance: Repenting from sin and spiritual rebirth. Through repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior you are born into the Kingdom and become a Kingdom resident.
Residency in the Kingdom of God requires a new lifestyle governed by the laws of the Kingdom. Life in the spiritual Kingdom affects the quality of life in the visible world. The lifestyle of the Kingdom is exactly opposite of the lifestyle of the kingdoms of the world. It is different in both structure and principles. When you enter the Kingdom of God it is like immigrating to a new country. You must learn a different culture.
In the natural world, "culture" is the behavior patterns which govern life in a given society. In this and the following lesson you will learn about the culture of the Kingdom of God. In a later lesson, additional truths about the Kingdom revealed through parables will be presented.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KINGDOM PRINCIPLES
It is important to know the principles which govern life in the Kingdom of God because:
YOU MUST LIVE BY KINGDOM PRINCIPLES TO MAINTAIN RESIDENCY:
Although repentance is the only requirement for entrance to the Kingdom, there are definite requirements to maintain residency after being born into this spiritual realm. Jesus said:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
The will of the Father, revealed by Jesus Christ, was that believers be governed by the laws of the Kingdom.
JESUS SAID KINGDOM PRINCIPLES ARE IMPORTANT:
In Luke 12:22-31 Jesus taught that the Kingdom should be the primary concern of life. He concluded with this statement:
But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Luke 12:31)
If you seek the Kingdom first...its principles, its lifestyle, its Gospel...then all other necessary things in life will be provided.
FRUITS OF THE KINGDOM ARE THE TEST OF POSSESSION:
Jesus told the Jews that the test of possessing the Kingdom was bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matthew 21:43). The fruit of the Kingdom is that which is outwardly produced by the inward life flow, just as fruit on a natural tree is the outward product of the flow of life within. If you are a resident of the Kingdom of God it will be apparent in your visible lifestyle.
TO REIGN IN THE FUTURE KINGDOM WE MUST KNOW ITS PRINCIPLES:
II Timothy 2:12 indicates that believers will reign with Jesus in the future Kingdom of God. To "reign" means to "rule with power and authority." If you are to reign with Him, you must know the laws which govern the Kingdom.
THE FOUNDATION OF KINGDOM PRINCIPLES
A foundation in the natural world is the underlying structure on which something is built. Whenever men erect a building they must first lay a proper foundation. The foundation supports the superstructure or the visible building. The foundation of the Kingdom of God and its governing principles is righteousness:
But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy Kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)
A scepter is a rod or wand held in the hand as an emblem of power or authority. The authority or power of the Kingdom of God is righteousness. It is not the righteousness of self-improvement or religion. Jesus said:
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:20)
The Scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders in the time of Christ's earthly ministry. Their spiritual experience was founded in their own attempts to be righteous. They had many rules, regulations, and traditions which governed every area of life.
The righteousness upon which the Kingdom is built is the righteousness of God. We are told:
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
The foundation of God's Kingdom stands on righteous men living righteous lives:
But the firm foundation laid by God stand sure and unshaken, being this seal and inscription: The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who names himself by the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. (II Timothy 2:19 Amplified Bible )
The Foundation of God's Kingdom
Righteous Men -----------> The Lord knows those who are His
Living righteous lives ---> Let everyone who names himself by the name of the
Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it
There are two levels of commitment to this righteousness. These are evident in the following passage:
And behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
And He (Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
The young man saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-17; 20-22)
There is one level of righteousness necessary to "enter into life." This is the righteousness that comes through the new birth experience when man is cleansed from sin and begins to live by God's commandments. But there is another level of righteousness known as perfection (spiritual maturity). To achieve perfection requires total consecration of worldly values, standards, or possessions which are precious to you.
This does not mean we all have to sell what we own and give it to the poor. Jesus required this of this man only because his riches were more important to him than God. Nothing in the world can be more important to us than the King. To achieve perfection we must abandon the principles of the world and embrace the principles of God's Kingdom.
THE TWO GREATEST KINGDOM PRINCIPLES
There are two great Kingdom principles upon which all other principles are based. When asked what were the greatest commandments, Jesus replied:
...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Mark recorded the same statement in the following way:
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31)
Jesus stated the second commandment in another way:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31)
To summarize, the two greatest principles of God's Kingdom are:
1. Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
2. Loving and doing to others as you love yourself and want others to do to you.
All other Kingdom principles are based upon these two key principles. Each Kingdom principle relates either to your relationship with God or others.
THE KINGDOM INTRODUCED
From the time of the introduction of the Kingdom, it was apparent that its structure was exactly opposite to the structure of the kingdoms of this world. After the angel appeared to the virgin Mary and proclaimed her to be the mother of the coming King, Mary praised God. The words of her worship were prophetic and revealed the new world order of the Kingdom of God:
For He that is mighty hath done to me great things: and holy is His name.
And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. (Luke 1:49-53)
The proud and mighty of the world were to be brought down, and those of low degree exalted. The hungry were to be filled, while the rich were to be sent away empty.
When John introduced the Kingdom of God, this same order was revealed:
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:5-6)
The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine. This illustrated that laws governing the Kingdom would be contrary to those of the natural kingdoms of the world.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES: CULTURE OF THE KINGDOM
The basic principles upon which the Kingdom of God operates are exactly opposite of the common thinking of man and the accepted structure of earthly kingdoms. These principles include:
"IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU":
Jesus established this basic Kingdom principle:
But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant;
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. (Luke 22:26)
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister, And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. (Mark 10:43-44)
Although Jesus was dealing with a specific matter of leadership here, He also established a general principle of the Kingdom: "It shall not be so among you." Although worldly standards and earthly kingdoms accept certain principles, the principles of God's Kingdom are different..."It shall not be so among you."
THE PRINCIPLE OF UNITY:
There are many earthly kingdoms, all divided from one another. There are also divisions within earthly kingdoms which result in coups and revolutions. God's Kingdom is a united Kingdom. It is described as one spiritual body with many parts:
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. (I Corinthians 12:12-14)
The residents of God's Kingdom are united together in God and Jesus:
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also many be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:21-23)
God's Kingdom has no relationships with the kingdom of Satan:
...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:25-28. See also Mark 3:23-26 and Luke 11:17-20)
One of the main purposes of unity in the Kingdom of God is the unlimited power it produces. Jesus promised:
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:19-20)
Because the residents of God's Kingdom are still in fleshly bodies, division may arise from time to time. Jesus gave instructions for handling such divisions in Matthew 18:15-35.
THE PRINCIPLE OF PENETRATION:
The Kingdom of God is to penetrate the world in two ways: As light and as salt:
Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. (Luke 11:33-36)
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 14:34-35)
And He said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick? (Mark 4:21)
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. (Mark 9:50)
In the natural world, salt works silently. It is used to preserve food, heal wounds, and add flavor. A little salt affects a great amount of food.
In the spiritual world, Kingdom residents are to penetrate the world as salt. They are to preserve the values and quality of the Kingdom, be a healing balm to others, and like the flavor of life. They are to spread the Kingdom steadily. As salt, they can affect a great mass of humanity. In another passage, Jesus compared the penetration of the Kingdom to leaven (Matthew 13:33). Like salt, a little leaven works silently to penetrate a great lump of bread.
In the natural world, light exposes darkness. It shows the way out of darkness. Light in darkness cannot escape notice. The Kingdom resident is to be a spiritual light in the world. He is to expose and show the way out of darkness. He is not to allow anything in his life (bushel) to blow out the light of the Kingdom. Believers are to live the life of the Kingdom in a visible way, steadily penetrating the kingdoms of the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom.
PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER:
Prayer in the Kingdom is based on three principles: Asking, seeking, and knocking:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Each level of prayer speaks of greater intensity in seeking God. Jesus also gave a model prayer for Kingdom residents. You can read it in Matthew 6:9-1. and Luke 11:2-4.
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP:
The basic principles of worship in the Kingdom are described in Matthew 6:1-18. Read this passage in your Bible. The basic principles of worship include:
Giving:Outward look Matthew 6:1-4
Prayer: look Matthew 6:5-15
Fasting:Inward look Matthew 6:16-18
All three areas of worship are to be done in secret in order to be blessed of God.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SINGLENESS OF VISION:
The single vision of Kingdom residents is to seek first the Kingdom of God. Read Matthew 6:19-34 and compare it to Luke 12:22-34:
Jesus speaks of singleness of heart in Matthew 6:19-21.
He speaks of singleness of vision in Matthew 6:22-23.
He speaks of singleness of devotion in Luke 16:13.
He speaks of singleness of service in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 9:60 and 62.
He speaks of singleness in thought in Matthew 6:25-32 and 34.
The following verse summarizes this principle of singleness of vision:
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these thing shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
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