"Believe the Eternal Gospel" (Rev. 14:6-13) - Living in the Kingdom of God III -

Boling Frog Syndrome

Have you heard the story of a boiling frog? It describes a frog slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for those who are unwilling to react or be aware of the upcoming gradual threats or challenges. C.S. Lewis said, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestone, without signposts.” In the days of Noah, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered the ark. They knew nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away. So, Jesus says to his disciples and us, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matt 24:42 ESV). In Revelation 22 Jesus says three times, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (7, 12, 20) Jesus wants us to stay awake and have a sense of urgency. Then, as the bride of Christ, how may we – as a church and as individuals – be prepared for the Day of the Lord? Today’s passage gives us an answer to this question.

Worship God

In the passage the Apostle John sees an angel who has the eternal gospel. This gospel prepares and equips us for the Day. Basically, the eternal gospel has three messages. The first angel proclaims, “Worship God alone!” In verse 7 the angel says, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” The top chronic disease of humankind is idol worship. John Calvin said, “The human heart is a factory of idols… Every of us is, from his or her mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.” Our problem today is the same as the one in the day of Elijah. At that time the Israelites thought they believed and worshiped God rightly. But it was not true. When Elijah confronted Baal’s prophets, he said to the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is god, follow him!” (1Kg 18:21). If we are willing to follow God, we must get rid of our idols first. We cannot worship God with divided hearts. When I was in Thailand as an exchange student, I was surprised that the people there accepted Christ rather easily than I expected. But, the problem was that they didn’t want to give up their other beliefs. They said, “I believe in Christ. But I still believe in Buddha. Both of them are all good for me.” Many Christians today have the same attitude. They sit on the fence. They stay in the gray zone. But the Book of Revelation clearly says that in the last days only two groups of people will exist: “Those who have the seal of God” (Those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes) vs. “Those who have the mark of the beast (Those who follow the ways of Babylon).” We belong to one of the two groups. We cannot belong to the both groups at the same time. Love for Babylon and love for God cannot coexist. Love for Babylon pushes out love for God. Then, what does mean to love “Babylon”? The message of the second angel gives us a clue to this question.

Don’t Worship Babylon 

The second message is this: “Don’t worship Babylon!” In verse 8 the angel proclaims, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” Here “Babylon” refers to “the kingdom of the devil.” The Book of Revelation, especially chapter 13-19, describes what the devil’s kingdom is like with detail. The devil parodies the Holy Trinity and establishes his own false trinity: “the beast out of the sea,’ ‘the beast out of the earth,’ and ‘Babylon the prostitute.’ They are three enemies of the church. First, the beast out of the sea represents physical persecution (13:1-10). He has an impressive show of power. He is given a mouth to blaspheme God. He is also given power to persecute the church. Second, the beast out of the earth represents intellectual false teaching (13:11-18). He has two horns like a lamb, masquerading as a counterpart to Christ the Lamb. He performs miraculous signs, deceives the people on earth, and made them worship the first beast. Third, Babylon the prostitute represents moral compromise (14:8; ch. 17-18). She is described as seductive prostitute who devours the church and its saints. In the early church the devil tried to crush the church by force. He tried to mislead the church by false teaching and by distracting the apostles from their ministry of the Word and so exposing the church to heresy. He tried to corrupt the church by the moral hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira. All over the world today the same threefold assault on the church – physical, intellectual, and moral attacks – is still mounted by the devil.

The difficult part is that the strategy of Satan is so subtle, so mixed. It is so hard to perceive it. So, many people, even many Christians are deceived because not only does Satan persecute the church, but also he provides some kind of distorted comfort, rest, pleasures and happiness to the people. So, in Revelation 18 when Babylon is fallen, many people on earth weep and mourn over her because their hope of pleasures is gone. But the word of God, particularly the Book of Revelation, enables us to see this Satan’s subtle deception. It also enables us to see the conclusion of Babylon, the devil’s kingdom. It will be destroyed completely, suddenly and eternally. So today God proclaims his eternal gospel to John and to us through the angel. Don't worship the wealth of Babylon, don't worship the power of Babylon, and don't worship the pleasures of Babylon. But worship God and Jesus the Lamb! (cf. 19:10; 22:9)

Choose Today 

The third message of the eternal gospel is, “Choose today for yourselves!” The angel contrasts between two groups of people. First, in verse 11 the angel warns those who worship Babylon that they will have no rest day or night. They might have temporary distorted pleasures and happiness, but their end will come like a thief. But, in verse 13 the angel of God blesses those who worship God alone, remain faithful to Jesus, and even die in the Lord. The Spirit promises, “Yes, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” The conclusion of the eternal gospel is crystal clear, that is, “Choose today for yourselves whom you will worship and follow! Don’t sit on the fence any longer!” We know whom we must choose today. We “know” the answer, but the problem is that we don’t have “power” to follow God because we are made of flesh and blood, because the enemy’s physical, intellectual, and moral attacks and temptations are too strong to defeat. That’s why Jesus became flesh and blood. By his death he broke the power of the devil, who has the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who put their hope in this world and have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying (Heb 2:14-15). Jesus opened the door for us to clearly see the two things: the eternity of the kingdom of God and the vanity of the kingdom of the world. The Book of Revelation is all about this. The more our eyes are open for the hope of the kingdom of God, the more we will risk death for God’s kingdom and his righteousness, the more we will hate sin and compromise, and the more we will devote ourselves to the work of God without reserve.

Scottish missionary David Livingstone in his last days had been “lost” to the outside world. Henry Stanley was sent out to find Livingstone. Finally, he found Livingstone who was suffering from tropical disease in the small village in Zambia. Stanley urged Livingstone to return to England with him. He said, “You’ve dedicated yourself to this mission for 30 years. I think that is enough. So now, why don’t you go back with me and have some rest and see your children?” Then, Livingstone answered, “Thank you, but no. For me the ministry here is not a sacrifice, but a great privilege. Every time I think about this honorable ministry my heart is full.” But after Stanley left, Livingstone was thoroughly homesick. In his journal he wrote: "19th March, 1872. Birthday. Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, save the tie that binds me to Thy heart. My Jesus, my King, my life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self to Thee." About a year later he died while kneeling in prayer at his bedside. Livingstone truly believed and lived out the eternal gospel. He lived in the kingdom of God.

Your Last Words 

For me personally, I have made my “Ten Commandments of Preaching.” I read this before preaching every single week as a reminder. The very first commandment is this: “Remember this sermon that I am going to preach would be my last message on earth.” For all of us in this room, the Day will come soon.

D.L. Moody’s last words were, “Earth recedes, Heaven opens before me! It is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.” John Bunyan said, “Weep not for me, but for yourselves. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the mediation of His blessed Son, receives me, though a sinner. We shall meet to sing the new song, and remain everlastingly happy.” Richard Baxter said, “I have pain; but I have peace, I have peace!” As I was preparing this message, I kept asking to myself, ‘If this is my last sermon, what would I preach?’ My last message would be this: “Let us flee from Babylon! Worship God and Jesus alone! And Live for eternity!” How about you? What would be your last words?

“See You at the Finish Line!” (Heb 12:1-3)

Keep on Swimming

Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. On the Fourth of July in 1951, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. The challenge was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. To complicate matters, a dense fog lay over the entire area, making it impossible for her to see land. After about 15 hours in the water, and within a half mile of her goal, Chadwick gave up. Later she told a reporter, "Look, I'm not excusing myself. But if I could have seen land, I might have made it." Not long afterward she attempted the feat again. Once more a misty veil obscured the coastline and she couldn't see the shore. But this time she made it because she kept reminding herself that land was there. With that confidence she bravely swam on and achieved her goal. In fact, she broke the men's record by 2 hours!

Today’s passage says that our spiritual journey is like running a race. But it’s not a 100 yard dash. It is a marathon. In the short distance race, speed is important. In the long distance race, endurance is what leads to success. That is why Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with endurance…” Victory in the Christian life comes through endurance. Since our race set before us is like a marathon, we don’t see the whole path. We don’t see the finish line. So oftentimes, on the journey we may feel like we make no progress and will never make it. We may feel like the loneliness and hopelessness will settle like a foggy mist upon us forever. But praise God! Thankfully, we are not left jogging in the dark. The author of Hebrews provides two or three proven ways to stay the course and to finish the race.

Look to the Cloud of Witnesses
First, we are to look to the cloud of witnesses. We are to remember that we’re not alone in our race. Today’s passage begins in this way: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” (12:1a) We’re not the only ones to take this journey. In the previous chapter, Hebrews 11, often called the “hall of faith,” we meet so great a cloud of witnesses who have run this race before us. Our spiritual ancestors did live by faith, not by sight. Think about Abraham! By faith Abraham answered God’s call and went out when he was 75, not knowing where he was going. He had to wait for another 25 years until he had a son of promise. By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. Think about Noah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, David! All of them have fought the good fight, have finished the race, and kept the faith! Their example gives us encouragement. And now, like spectators watching an athletic contest in an arena, these heroes of the faith are watching our race and cheer us on!

But we don’t have to look back to OT to find “heroes of the faith.” We can find them today right around us— right in our family, right in our small groups, right in the pews on any given Sunday morning. We Christians are meant to make this journey together. We fight the same good fight and run the same race set before us. As we see the powerful examples of faithfulness around us, we are encouraged and empowered. For me personally, I am so grateful and blessed to have a good dad and a good pastor who are running the same race before me and with me. One time his church faced the time of greatest trial in the process of the church growth. I was so upset watching him suffer. So I said to him, “Dad, why don’t you just move on and serve another church?” He said, “No, we need to endure this trial and opposition. If we move now, the sheep will be scattered. If we have to move, let us move when the church becomes strong and prosperous.” The time passed, and he has been serving that church for 26 years up to this day. All of us in this room are surrounded by the cloud of witnesses. And we are called to be “witnesses” to one another. The author of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (10:24-25, ESV) Let us encourage one another. Let us run our race with endurance!

Look to Jesus, the Beginner of Faith
Second, we are to look to Jesus as the Author of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith” (NIV). The word “author” comes from the Greek word, ἀρχηγὸν which means founder, captain, leader, or pioneer. The idea of this word refers to someone who makes a new track through wild country, someone who blazes a trail for others to follow. I would say Jesus is the Trailblazer of our faith. Then, what does it mean by that? How did Jesus blaze a trail for us? The answer is described in these words: “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” Jesus has endured the suffering and shame which were due to us. We can never even start on the race to heaven unless we do look to Jesus who “endured the cross” on our behalf.

Look to Jesus, the Beginner of our race of faith! By his suffering Jesus removed our heaviest weights – all our shame and guilt and anxious conscience. By his death he destroyed our entangling sin. By his resurrection he can renew our nature. By looking to Jesus, we start well. Jesus is the beginner of our faith. All our righteousness, good works, morality mean nothing unless we begin by looking to Jesus. In John Bunyan’s book, Pilgrim’s Progress, we often meet those who tumbled over the wall, or came in by other irregular ways, but they all missed the end. As they came in without Christ, so they went out without hope. At the end of the story, Christian and Hopeful meet another pilgrim, whose name is Ignorance right before the Celestial City. When he knocked on the gate, the men asked for his certificate which he should have received at the beginning of the narrow gate. But since Ignorance didn’t start his journey at the narrow gate, he didn’t have a certificate. So the King said, “Take him out, bind him hand and foot and take him away.” Let us start our race of faith well by looking to Jesus, the Beginner of our faith!

Look to Jesus, the Finisher of Faith
Third, we are to look to Jesus as the Finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” He “endured the cross” and now “is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” The shame of Christ was our shame, and the triumph of Christ is our triumph. Jesus doesn’t just pave a road and say, “Come on.” Instead, he leads us, he helps us, he sustains us, and most importantly he walks alongside us from the beginning to the end. In Philippians 1:6 Paul says to his fellow Christians, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the Beginner and Finisher of our race of faith. It is Jesus who began our faith journey. It is Jesus who will finish our race. Jesus came and blazed a salvation road for us, and now he is walking along with us. Let us run, looking to Jesus. Let us finish well by looking to Jesus, the Perfecter of our faith!

In 1992 the Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona, Spain. One of the runners in the 400-meter race was an English athlete named Derek Redmond. He had trained for years to compete in the Olympics. But while sprinting in a qualifying heat, he suddenly pulled a hamstring and crumpled to the track in pain. Determined to go on, Derek struggled to his feet. He was hobbling toward the finish line when his father scaled the retaining wall and jumped onto the track. Before anyone could stop him, Jim Redmond reached his son. The young runner leaned on his father's shoulder as he staggered to complete the race. The entire crowd stood and cheered the two men on. When they crossed the finish line, it was as if the runner, his father, and the spectators had done it together. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to run the race of faith with endurance to the end, following the example of those who have gone before us. It takes all of our spiritual stamina to complete it, but we don't run the course alone. Christ Himself helps us toward the finish line.

Until You See His Face 
We do not know how near to Jesus on the throne we may now be. The sea fog is around our vessel. Some of our brothers and sisters are already with our King. Some of us perhaps will spend next Sunday in heaven! Then, all our sweat and tears of the race will be wiped away, and the joy of the triumph will begin. He will crown us and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Now we are much nearer the finish line than we think. Therefore, let us not grow weary. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us keep on looking and running until we see Jesus face to face! Amen.

“Jesus Christ in You” (2 Corinthians 13:5) - Living in the Kingdom of God II –

The Mother Love of God

It’s Mother’s Day. Our hearts and minds are filled with thoughts about the love of mothers and our love for mothers. I still remember when I newly got assigned to Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Korea, as a military police after boot camp training. At that time I was 20. Everything was new, and I was kind of nervous. In the early days I had hard times to adjust to a totally new environment. One Saturday afternoon I got notice that I had a visitor. I was surprised because I didn’t expect any visitors. I went to the visiting room. Guess who? It was my mom who was waiting and waving her hands. She just got her driver’s license at that time and had never driven out of town. But her love for the son compelled her to drive that far without fear or reservation, in order to encourage her son and deliver special homemade food. This is mother’s love!

A mother gives life. She goes through so much to give birth to a child. She gives food from her own body. She gives of herself for the sake of the child. In many ways God’s love is like a mother’s love. In Isaiah 66:13 God says, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you!” And he even goes further, saying, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (49:15) God promised, “I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand!” (41:10) He also promised, “I will dwell in you and walk in you; and I will be your God and you will be my people!” (Lev 26:11-12; 2 Cor 6:16) I will be your father/mother and you will be my children! (2 Cor 6:18) Here is a question. How is God going to be my father and my mother? How is he going to strengthen me and help me? Many Christians believe God as Almighty and distant God, outside of me and separate from me, who lives somewhere in the heaven above and helps them from time to time. Is it true? How is God going to be our father and our mother? How is He going to be our God? We can find the answer in the one of God’s promises that we have just read: “God said, “I will dwell in you, and walk in you; and I will be your God, and you will be my people!” (2 Cor 6:6 KJV). The indwelling of God! This is how He will be our God. This is God’s divine plan for us before the foundation of the world.

The Indwelling of God

God created man and woman in his own image. God made them not because he needed them. God made the human beings because he wanted them to taste and see his holiness and his goodness. He wanted them as holy and as good as He is.

He wanted to give them all he had himself. He wanted them to share his divine nature, his life, and his joy (cf. 2 Peter 1:4). How could it be possible? How could He do that? There is no other way for God to do this than dwelling in them. But during the Old Testament times the indwelling of God was spoken of and promised, but it had not happened yet. God dwelt in the midst of his people, the camp, but he didn’t dwell within the people in general. God’s Spirit worked in certain people – priest, prophets, and kings – for certain period of time for special purposes. In Ezekiel 36: 27 God promised, “I will place my Spirit within you, empowering you to live according to my regulations and to keep my just decrees” (ISV). This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he said to his disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you!” (John 14:18) And on the day of Pentecost Jesus did come back to them in the Spirit, now to dwell in them, not just with them. In the Book of Acts we read of the wondrous change that happened to the disciples. They were so selfish, childish and proud, but now they are selfless, humble and mature. They were afraid, feeble and doubtful, but now they are full of faith, joy and power, because of one thing, one change, that is, now Christ Jesus himself dwells within them as their life! For many Christians, this promise, “I will live in you” has never been understood, or believed, or claimed. So I ask you: Have you claimed this promise? Do you seek to live it out?

Examine Yourselves!

Today’s scripture is 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (ESV) At that time the church of Corinth was filled with all kinds of problems. They were divided over many issues, judged each other harshly, committed adultery, initiated lawsuits, divorced without biblical grounds, and some of them even accused Paul of being a false apostle. At the end of his second letter to them, Paul sums up all his exhortations in this verse: “Do you not know? I am afraid you do not, or you would live differently. Do you not know that if you are not entirely backslider, Jesus Christ is in you?” Why are so many Christians fail and live a powerless life? It is because they do not know or believe aright that Jesus Christ is actually in them! If they did, they would think differently, act differently, live differently!

So Paul commends this great truth to the people of Corinthian church and all of us in this room today: Believe in and accept the indwelling Christ. And believe this truth not as a doctrine, but as an experience – Jesus Christ is in me! On April 5, 2010 as I was reading E.M. Bounds’ Power through Prayer, I was struck by one sentence. That was the statement of David Brainerd, who was an American missionary to the Native Americans. He said, “I love to be alone in my cottage, where I can spend much time in prayer.”[1] Then, I saw myself. I was afraid of being alone, because I was often tempted when I was alone. So I asked myself, “What is the difference between him and me?” Later I realized the difference between the two was the knowledge, the consciousness that Jesus Christ is in me. So I prayed, “Lord, let me love to be alone and spend much time with you. Let it not be the time of temptation!” My prayer was answered. Now I came to believe and experience Jesus Christ who has become my life and lives in me. And all my thoughts and tempers and dispositions and actions now have his life! And how about you? Do you really believe in the indwelling Christ?

Believe in “whole” Jesus!

The Apostle Paul also exhorts us to accept the “whole” Christ, not to be content with only half a Christ. What does it mean by that? Many Christians believe in and accept Christ who lived and died for their sins, but they never think of giving up their own will wholly and entirely to him as their king. They come to Christ for comfort and happiness, but not for holiness and transformation. Let us believe and accept the whole Christ! First, believe in the incarnate Christ, who became human and lived among us. Christ emptied himself for you. But do you know that you are called to humble yourself and give yourself for others? Second, believe in the crucified Christ, who died on Calvary for our sins. Yes, it is true. Christ was crucified for you, but do you believe that you are crucified with Christ? Third, believe in the risen and glorified Christ, who was raised from the dead and now is sitting on the throne of heaven. Jesus was exalted and declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead. But do you believe that you are also sons and daughters of God and called to live the resurrected, powerful, victorious life? Lastly, believe in the indwelling Christ, who is in us all the time. When he comes to dwell in us, he cannot change his nature. His redeeming love, his love for souls, his willingness to give up all, has taken possession of us! So listen to him who speaks to your heart with a gentle and soft voice. Yield yourself to him. Trust in him. Let him lead!

Jesus Christ in You!

When Paul was writing his first and second letter to the church of Corinth, the church was still a mess. But Paul had hope. He had confidence that the church would pass the test. His confidence, his hope was from one great truth – Jesus Christ in you! So he closes his letter with these last words: “Beloved brothers and sisters, remember that Jesus Christ is in you! And you will rejoice, aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, and live in peace!” (5, 11)

As we look around – our own personal life, our family, our church, our nation, our world, we may feel like we are troubled on every side. And we may ask, “Where is Jesus?” “Where is the kingdom of God?” The Apostle Paul says to us in the Spirit. “Jesus Christ is within you. Where there is Jesus, there is hope. Where there is Jesus, there is the kingdom of God. So the kingdom of God is among you and within you!” And now let me close today’s message with Charles F. Butler’s “Where Jesus Is, Tis Heaven.” If you know this song, please feel free to sing with me:

What matters where on earth we dwell?

On mountain top, or in the dell,

In cottage, or a mansion fair,

Where Jesus is, ‘tis Heaven there.

O hallelujah, yes, ’tis Heaven,

‘Tis Heaven to know my sins forgiven;

On land or sea, what matters where?

Where Jesus is, ‘tis Heaven there!

[1] E.M. Bounds, Power through Prayer (Whitaker House: New Kensington, 1982), 61.

“Here and Now” (Acts 1:1-3) - Living in the Kingdom of God I -

The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God. This is the central message of Jesus from beginning to end. Jesus begins his ministry with this message: “Change your life. The kingdom of God is here!” (Matt 4:17, MSG) He travels to town after town, village to village, preaching the Good News about the kingdom of God (Luke 8:1). Then he sends his twelve disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal (9:2). After his death, he appears to his disciples during forty days and talks to them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The expression “the kingdom of God” is used at least 68 times in the New Testament. Apparently, the kingdom of God was a central part of Jesus Christ’s message. He came to tell us about the good news of the kingdom of God.

What Is the Kingdom of God?

So the question we must first ask is: what is the kingdom of God? By definition the kingdom of God means the reign of God. It means the spiritual state that God reigns. It means that evil is controlled and defeated. It means the coming of righteousness, peace and joy (Rom 14:17). It means that we are set free from our slavery to sin and become children and heirs of God with a hope of everlasting bliss. During the Old Testament times the kingdom of God had been spoken of and promised, but it had not come. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God’s promise (Gal 4:4). And Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15 NRSV). Here Jesus does not mean that it is about to come. He says the kingdom of God has come! It has arrived among you! In his early ministry Jesus went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stoop up to read the Scriptures. He read Isaiah 61, the coming of the kingdom of God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he began to say to people there, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!” (Luke 4:21) Here Jesus is saying, “The kingdom of God has come, and now it is accessible to everyone!”

Living in the kingdom of God

Now we know the kingdom of God has already come and among us by the first coming of Jesus Christ. And it is accessible to everyone. Then, our next question to ask ourselves is: “Has the kingdom of God come in me? How can God’s kingdom come in me?” One of the important Bible verses to answer this question is Mark 10:15. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” I want to draw your attention to the two verves used in this verse: receiving the kingdom and entering the kingdom. One is passive and the other is active. One is God’s part, and the other is our part.

First, we receive the kingdom of God as God’s gift. What does it mean to receive the kingdom? Negatively, it means that we cannot create or make the kingdom of God. It is not just an addition to something we already have. It is not a little bit of improvement on what we were before. Self-effort, self-help, self-improvement does not work. Positively, it means that the kingdom of God must come from outside. It has to be given to us. Before we can enter the kingdom, it must first enter into us. Martin Luther wanted to be a good man, he wanted to be a Christian. He didn’t want to go to hell. He thought he had to do it himself, trying hard, giving up, denying, fasting, giving alms, studying the Bible, confessing everyday, finally going to Rome and kissing the steps of Saint Peter’s Church. But no joy, no freedom, no peace, no happiness! Instead, he was hopeless and even angry with God. But as he was reading Romans, the words “the righteousness of God” stood out. He realized all he had been doing was man’s righteousness – just filthy rags. Then, he realized there is another kind of righteousness, completely apart from, different from man’s righteousness. It is “passive” righteousness from outside, from God, that is given to all who believe. Romans 3:22 says, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (NLT). The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone! Luther believed this good news. He received the kingdom of God as God’s gift. And all the burdens in his soul were removed. Unspeakable joy and peace just flooded his soul. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). Have you received the kingdom of God?

Second, we enter the kingdom of God by faith. What does mean to enter the kingdom? From God’s side, he makes his kingdom accessible to everyone. From our side, we must enter it by faith. Entering the kingdom is our response to God’s grace. Entering the kingdom means coming into full possession, full enjoyment of it. We Christians, who received Jesus, may know about the kingdom, we may taste some of its powers, we may work for it and occasionally rejoice in it. But God wants us to enter in fully and entirely, not just partially and occasionally. There are many Christians who are content with a heaven after death. Their understanding of salvation is mere forgiveness of sins, leading to heaven beyond this life. A ticket to heaven. Their understanding of God’s kingdom is to live with him in heaven after death. But Jesus died for our sins not just for us to get to heaven after death, but that we might live in his kingdom here and now! Colossians 1:13 says, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (NLT). We are saved, so that we may live in a different world, different kingdom now. Salvation is not just forgiveness of sins, but it is a life, new life, new way of life, new order of life now.

So how do we enter the kingdom? How can we live in God’s kingdom now? 2000 years ago there was a man named Nicodemus, a good man and religious leader of Israel. Although he was a teacher of Israel, he felt something was missing. Then, he saw Jesus who was something different. So Nicodemus came to see Jesus and said something like this, “Teacher, I have admired you. You are in a class above us What is it? I want to have what you have. Tell me what do to!” Jesus said to him, “You must be born again!” Here Jesus is saying, “You need to tear down completely what you are and what you have. Demolition! Then, erection! You need an entirely new start. You need a new foundation. You need an absolutely new nature. It is like a birth.” What we need to live in God’s kingdom today is life, a new nature. Martin Lloyd-Jones said, “God does not renovate us. He does not improve us or make a little bit better. Instead, he puts new life into us. He infuses a principle of life, a new disposition.”[1] 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV) To enter the kingdom we need to die with Christ first. We need to crucify our sinful nature – self-will, self-effort, self-confidence, self-righteousness, our old self (cf. Gal 5:24). And with men this is impossible. But with God all things are possible!

A Parable of the Twins

I want to share the story of the twins to help our understanding of the mystery of “born again.” One day a mother conceived twins. One child was a girl; the other a boy. Months passed, and they developed. As they grew they sang for joy: “Isn’t it great to be alive!” Together they explored their mother’s womb. When they found their mother’s life cord, They shouted for joy: “How great is our mother’s love, That she shares her life with us!” Soon the twins began to change drastically. “What does this mean?: asked the boy. “It means that our life in the womb Is coming to an end,” said the girl. “But I don’t want to leave the womb,” said the boy. “I want to stay here forever.” “We have no choice,” said the girl. “But maybe there is life after birth.” “How can there be?” asked the boy. “We will shed our mother’s cord, and how is life possible without it? Besides, there’s evidence in the womb that others were here before us, and none of them ever came back to tell us that there is life after birth. No, this is the end.” And so the boy fell into despair, saying, “If life in the womb ends in death, What’s its purpose? What’s its meaning? Maybe we don’t even have a mother. Maybe we made her up just to feel good.” “But we must have a mother,” said the girl. “How else did we get here? How else do we stay alive?” And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear. Finally, the moment of birth arrived. When the twins opened their eyes, They cried for joy. What they saw exceeded their wildest dreams.

Here and Now

We don’t need to wait to experience this unspeakable joy until we get to heaven. The kingdom of God has come and now is accessible to everyone. How do we live in his kingdom now? There is only one way. The Son of Man must come down and must be lifted up as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness (John 3:14). There is nothing we can add. There is nothing we can do. All we can do is to look to Jesus, the originator and perfecter of our faith. Every morning, receive God’s kingdom as his gift. Every morning, enter his kingdom by faith. Repent and believe the good news of the kingdom of God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life now and forever. Amen.  

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[1] Martin Lloyd-Jones, “Born Again,” The Kingdom of God (Crossway Books: Wheaton, Illinois, 2010), 194.