A KINGDOM HEART - XIX

WBS.049

FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

A KINGDOM HEART – XIX

---

Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance of the will of IAUE.

---

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of Elohim should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of Elohim cometh not with observation:
21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Elohim is within you.

  

It was necessary that we spent much time breaking down doctrinal building blocks in order to build upon a solid foundation.  Having a Baptist background, I know only too well how the doctrinal platforms of mainline denominations can take the place both of study and of hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Also, should you take the time to study the Scriptures, you read them expecting to see them confirm what you already have been taught to believe.  If you read something that conflicts with your denominational credo, your mind bypasses it so that you do not even realize you have read something that challenged your doctrinal beliefs. 

This lack of integrity with the Scripture, more often than not, is not a willful act.  It is an automatic function of the brain. We generally do not even know we are doing it; because we have allowed a program to be written in our mind that fully expects the Scripture to endorse what we are taught to believe.  For this reason, it is imperative that all would-be disciples relinquish their loyalty to a denominational credo, and place their lives in the hands of IAUE to be taught by His Spirit.

Proverbs 14:12 (and 16:25) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Remember Paul’s instruction to the “living sacrifices” that we are to be (Romans 12:1-2).  He told us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we become able to think correctly, and to understand the will of IAUE.  This does not happen by accident.  It takes commitment and perseverance to rewrite worldly thinking, to change the thought processes we have programmed into our minds.

I recall, vividly, an experience I had with IAUE 42 years ago.  I had been earnestly studying the Scripture all day long (about 17 hours per day), every day for months.  About four months into this intense study time, it seemed as though everything I read disagreed with doctrines I had been lead to believe as a Baptist.  Quite honestly, I began to feel very insecure.  On one hand, I could clearly see what the Holy Spirit was showing me; but on the other hand, I also knew there were six million Baptists who understood it differently.  I remember even wondering if I should stop studying the Scripture; because, surely, if I did I would just keep seeing more things that altered the belief system programmed by my spiritual heritage. It was at that point the Spirit of IAUE spoke to my heart and asked, “Are you going to stand before six million Baptists in the Day of Judgment?”  I literally collapsed prostrate before Him and said, “No sir.  I will stand before you; and from this day forward, whatever you reveal to me in your Word I will accept and embrace, even if I am the only person on the planet who believes it.”  Having established that purpose of heart before Him, IAUE began opening up the Scriptures to me with abandon.  I could feel His pleasure and delight in the delivery of every revelation I was now able to receive.

IAUE knows man's weaknesses.  He knows our frailties.  He is fully aware of our propensity for self-will.  He knows better than we, the defense mechanisms that we engage for the purpose of emotional survival in this world.  So, when He addresses our corrupt humanity with frank observations and provides correction, we should not pretend that He does not understand us, does not know us, or does not have our best interests at heart.  He did create us, after all; and He designed us that we should know and do His will; and in that obedience, discover our greatest joy.

Yahushua commanded that repentance be preached in his name.  Why?  Because IAUE wanted to rescue man from his weaknesses, his frailties, his defense mechanisms, and his self-will; and repentance is the first dose of the cure.  This brings us to our verse for today.

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of Elohim should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of Elohim cometh not with observation:
21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Elohim is within you.

The Pharisees believed in the promise of Messiah; but their expectations were that he would appear in regal fashion with power and glory, and would strike debilitating fear in the hearts of all Israel’s enemies; and He would make the Jews co-regents with Him in a reign that would rule the world.  With Rome currently occupying Jerusalem, the Pharisees would have seen Messiah as one who would effortlessly overthrow this unwelcome Gentile power.  This was their mental program of Messiah.  This thought process made it next to impossible to see who Yahushua really was.  It was undeniable that Yahushua was a miracle worker.  He seemed to live beyond the constraints of the laws of nature and of physics; and everything he touched was healed, cured, blessed or delivered.  They had to wonder if he was, in fact, the Messiah; but the manner of his speech puzzled them; the philosophy of his words perplexed them; and his kindness toward the Romans enraged them; so the way they decided to ascertain out of Yahushua’s own mouth whether or not he was the Messiah; was to ask when the Kingdom of Elohim would come.  They were not prepared for his answer.  It would not come with observation??  What a preposterous thing for him to say. 

Were it not for their religious programming, they would have been able to have much of the Scripture open up to them right then and there.  When Yahushua said that “the kingdom of Elohim is within you,” they would have connected this statement with what the Tanak (Old Testament Scriptures) taught about the heart of man.  They would have recognized that the first step to being able to “see” the kingdom of Elohim is the producing of its citizens…developing a people whose hearts have been prepared to serve the King.

Every single Jew in Yahushua’s day knew “the first and great commandment.”

Matthew 22:36 Yahushua said unto him, Thou shalt love IAUE thy Elohim with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (Deuteronomy 6:5)
37 This is the first and great commandment.

This passage of Scripture had become overly familiar and trite to the Jews, much in the same way that Christians today are overly familiar with John 3:16.  The depth of meaning behind the words had been lost; and the importance of obeying this commandment had been replaced with a meaningless mantra of repetition, much like “the Lord’s prayer” has become, today. 

IAUE wants our hearts to want Him.  This is the key to the kingdom of Elohim.

Matthew 11:19 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

It is one thing to “say” you love IAUE with all your heart; but he KNOWS our hearts.  He KNOWS the truth of what is inside of us. 

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

This is the condition of the contemporary Christian church.  Their heads are full of programs of wrong thinking; and they are doing nothing to learn how to think with the thoughts of IAUE that they might know and do His will.  They are doing nothing to become transformed by the renewing of their minds; because they are quite satisfied with “having their cake and eating it too.”  They believe they have Heaven secured for tomorrow, and the world their playground for today; and yet, “their heart is far from me.” 

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

A pure heart is the objective.  This is what we must pursue.

A KINGDOM HEART - XVIII

WBS.048

FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

A KINGDOM HEART – XVIII

---

Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance of the will of IAUE.

---

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua Messiah our Master.

Last week, I made the following statement:

“Salvation is not the offering of a free gift to mankind; such that all man has to do is believe in the availability of the gift and express a willingness to receive the gift; and that will result in a condition of a blissful life forever in the presence of IAUE.  Nowhere in the Scripture is an invitation given to accept such a free gift.”

In response to this, a friend asked me how this can be explained to believers of fundamental denominations who espouse the basic doctrinal belief that salvation is, indeed, a “free gift.”  I consider this a viable question; so I am dedicating this week’s post to answer this question.

First, let’s look at the passages of Scripture that contain this word “gift” or “free gift” in a context that could be understood as relating to “salvation” or “eternal life.”  Both “gift” and “free gift” are the translation of the singular Greek word, “charisma.” (Which is to say, the word “free” is not the translation of a Greek word.  It is supplied by the translator.)  It is found 17 times in the New Testament; but only five times is it used within this context; and all five are found in just three verses.

Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.  For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of IAUE, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Yahushua Messiah, hath abounded unto many.

16  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua Messiah our Master.

The rest of the usages of “charisma” in the New Testament pertain to the “charismatic” gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12; supernaturally endowed enablements), and the Holy Spirit as the gift of Elohim (2 Timothy 1:6). 

So, let us look at our relevant usages of “charisma” in Romans 5 and 6.  What is the gift being identified? 

1. Romans 5:15 says it is “the gift BY grace;” so we may deduce that the gift is a product of grace. 
2. Romans 5:16 says “the free gift” is of many offences unto justification; so we may deduce that the gift results in justification.  Justification is the imputation of the righteousness of Yahushua to his disciples.
3. Romans 6 plainly states the “the gift of IAUE is eternal life through Yahushua.”

Thus, we may conclude with this simple observation that eternal life is the gift.  It comes to man through the agency of grace; and it results in justification (the declaring of one being righteous). Lastly, it is through Yahushua. 

It is important, here, to make the distinction between eternal life and salvation.  It is traditional religious thinking that makes these two words to be synonyms; but in reality they refer to distinctively different matters.  Salvation pertains to our life on earth, now.  Eternal life pertains to the endless experience of living beyond our current physical life.

The Scripture defines salvation as being rescued out of the hands of all our enemies that have hindered us from being able to obey the will of IAUE, thereby being freed to do His will now and forever (Luke 1:68-75).   This liberty comes to us free of charge; but that does not mean it has not already been purchased with a price; nor does it mean that our response in receiving it, i.e., that we are expected to walk in that liberty, should be considered a purchase price.   If we fail to walk in obedience to the will of IAUE, “salvation” is not a function of our experience, no matter what we choose to believe doctrinally.  What would be the point of a champion procuring liberty for us, if we still choose to walk in bondage?  Though the liberty has been purchased by our warrior champion; it is unto no effective result.

Let me try to illustrate this truth.  Imagine that you live in an oriental village from centuries ago.  There is a king who rules over the nation, who prizes honesty and integrity above all else; but your particular village suffers under the oppressive control of a warlord.  This warlord has everyone in the village robbing, cheating and stealing in order to pay his tribute.  They must serve him or be killed.  The good king knows this is happening so he sends a samurai to defeat the warlord.  Once the king’s samurai defeats the warlord, the victory is proclaimed to the people of the village.  It is now the responsibility of the villagers to cease robbing, cheating and stealing and restore honesty and integrity to their lives.  Failure to do so has no bearing on whether or not the victory has been won.  That is an accomplished fact.  Failure to walk in the king’s virtues, now, is failure to walk in the victory he has provided for you.  Walking in the king’s virtues in no way can be perceived as paying for the victory.  Rather, it is glorying in the victory.

This is where grace enters the picture.  Our future enjoyment of the “gift” of eternal life is predicated upon our experience with grace in the present.  Grace is given to empower us to do the will of IAUE.  If we walk in His grace, we will actively obey His will and experience His deliverance (salvation) from that which heretofore had prevented that obedience.  If we resist His grace and choose instead to do our own will, we will fail to experience the salvation provided for us to enjoy, now; and we will fail to receive the gift of eternal life predicated upon that salvation.  This is plainly stated in the verse immediately preceding our key verse, today.

Romans 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to IAUE, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Becoming a servant to IAUE is a consistently proclaimed condition for this “free gift,” and only one thing characterizes one who is a servant.  He is one who obeys a master.

Romans 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto IAUE through Yahushua Messiah our Master.
12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

There is virtual paranoia surrounding this doctrine of the “free gift of salvation.”  It has resulted in thinking that is alien to the Scriptures in order to protect the sanctity of this cardinal doctrine.  Here, however, is the problem.  Many in the church believe that if you connect anything at all with the receiving of the “free gift,” aside from faith, aside from merely believing in it, you are attempting to be “saved by works.”  They quote the following in support of this thinking:

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Yahushua Messiah, even we have believed in Yahushua Messiah, that we might be justified by the faith of Messiah, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of IAUE:
9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

James, the brother of Yahushua and the first pastor of the church in Jerusalem, dispels this erroneous conclusion in his epistle.

James 2: 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Rather than attempt to reconcile this epistle with their doctrine, many in the church, instead, attempt to explain how the book of James really should not have been included in the canon, that it was a mistake to make it a part of the New Testament Scripture.  Let me say, plainly, that when once bows his knee to the Master Yahushua, the Master absolutely expects that you will learn from him how to be obedient to his Father; and to demonstrate the legitimacy of your faith by living in the power of the grace of IAUE.  If one refuses to behave as an honorable disciple to the Master Yahushua and follow his instruction to obey the will of his Father, there is nothing that separates that person from the heathen of this world. 

Is obedience to the will of IAUE payment for eternal life?  No, it is not payment. It is a condition.  The payment to make eternal life available was already paid by the Master Yahushua. It has been purchased; and it is no longer for sale.  It cannot be purchased again by the actions of any man; however, the one who has procured it may lay down conditions for it being given. 

Imagine you had a very wealthy relative who passed away.  During the course of his life, he amassed much property and great wealth.  On the day the executor calls the heirs together to read his last will and testament, you discover that all of your relative’s wealth and property are to be given to you; but in order for you to receive them, you must remain in your own home while running the day-to-day affairs of your relative’s business for the next five years.  Would you regard this as payment for your relative’s property and riches?  Would you say that after five years of managing the business you deserved all of his property and wealth?  Of course you wouldn’t.  What you would have done in five years’ time would have paled into insignificance in the face of the value of your relative’s magnificent estate.  It is merely a condition to receive that which will be bestowed freely upon you if you are obedient to your relative’s will.

This illustration is exactly what has happened for us.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to IAUE, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?
15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Yahushua died to bring into force his “last will and testament;” and he was raised from the dead in order to become the executor of his own will.  In bringing his will into effect, he made it possible for us to become joint heirs together with him of his Father’s estate (Romans 8:17).  His life, death and resurrection accomplished deliverance from our enemies that had prevented our obedience to his Father.  That act provided for the deliverance/salvation of all men everywhere; but only those who disciple themselves to the Master and learn of the conditions and obey them will receive the ultimate inheritance.