While reading this paper, please note the issues raised toward the end of the paper and the means that Ruash Ha’ Kodesh used to break the tension in me and bring back the Joy and Hope. The Lord must have a bit of a light side. Problems that seem insurmountable to us, are easy for God.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Paper by: Ralph Thoren Submitted: February 27, 2020
INTRODUCTION
The price, what is “the price”?
Now with a little background from the previous courses, I decide to pick this course and get right into it. These questions came up after completing lesson 1 and reading Ladd’s Book quickly and completely. This book is hard to put down once you start. The questions I will cover are:
- What is “The Kingdom of God” and its value?
- Where are we at this time toward reaching the kingdom?
- Price, what is the price?
What is “The Kingdom of God?”
Perhaps we can start this discussion by answering what it is not. When Pilate questioned Jesus about his Kingdom, Jesus replied “My kingdom is not of this world” John 18:36
Not of this world, hum yet we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. It seems the realm of “Gods Kingdom is not on earth as of yet.” Yet the reign of Gods Kingdom could certainly include the subjects (re-born Christians) who are now on earth. The reign of
Gods kingdom must come first, ushering in the realm. The age we are in certainly affects the stage of the realm. Gods Kingdom refers to an “age” to come. Paul say’s “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God” It is obvious that we must be of a new body, perhaps a spiritual body. We have Christ to show us this probability. As he returned, so will we.
In the Kingdom all evil and sin of this world will be destroyed. It will be an age of righteousness for eternity. We will exist under Gods reign doing God’s work without sin knocking at our door, without the need of flesh and blood functions. What are all the blessings of God that will come to those under his reign? The end of death is the final mission of Gods Kingdom coming to earth. (Heb 2:14) Only when death, sin, and Satan are destroyed will redeemed men know the perfect blessings of God’s reign. Wow, so what is the Kingdom? Let’s talk about what it is not:
No more death
No more bodily or psychological pain
No more anxiety about anything, money, relationships, food, health, prosperity etc. etc. for eternity.
What it is:
Happiness, love, peace and Joy for eternity
We as reborn Christians already have just a piece of Heaven. A small piece of “pie in the sky” has came to us in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It feels good, doesn’t it? No more fear of death, a spiritual helper every day for all of our earthly problems and the promise of eternity down the road. If this little piece tastes this good, imagine what the whole pie will be like.
VALUE
What has been described in the preceding paragraph has a value beyond anything known of this world.
If we are talking about infinite life, we are also talking about infinite value. The value in world terms would be infinite money. Oops, there
Is no such thing.
If we were to play a game for infinite Money, we would have to be able to risk an infinite loss of money, which is impossible as we know. Therefore the value is higher than any worldly value we know of.
Christ said this about the value, (Mathew 13:44-46)
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 13:46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
That’s a very very high value, the highest value possible.
Where are we on the Kingdom Timeline?
Ok, firstly let’s talk about a term often used while discussing the end of times. “Inaugurated eschatology”. Boy, big and difficult words. Let’s see what they mean.
in·au·gu·rate
/iˈnôɡ(y)əˌrāt/
Learn to pronounce
verb
past tense: inaugurated; past participle: inaugurated
begin or introduce (a system, policy, or period).
“he inaugurated a new policy of trade and exploration”
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology dealing with the “last things.” Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning “last” (ἔσχατος) and “study” (-λογία), is the study of ‘end things’, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, the end of the world or the nature of the …
Yes, than inaugurated eschatology could simply mean a beginning or introduction to the end of the age. In short the beginning of the end.
Christ started the beginning of the end with his life, death and resurrection.
It’s easy to conclude we are in the end of times, but where?
Luke 20:34-36 New International Version (NIV)
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.
Thank you Lord, that clears it up a bit. The age to come, another age, when does that one start? Oops here is another of those big unknown words, “Parousia” Shows up in Ladd’s book and certainly has something to do with this next age. Let’s get the definition:
Par·ou·si·a
/pəˈro͞ozēə,ˌpäro͞oˈsēə/
Learn to pronounce
Noun CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
another term for Second Coming.
It is the second coming of Christ that is at the heart of this word. Promised by Christ himself. When will that happen?
There is a multitude of scripture about worldly events, predictions and more. Enough for a paper on its own merits. I want to concentrate on a couple of predictors:
Another sign of the last days is that the “gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14; ). All people will hear the fulness of the gospel in their own language. Ever since the Restoration of the Church, missionaries have preached the gospel. The missionary effort has increased until now tens of thousands of missionaries preach in many countries of the world in many languages. Before the Second Coming and during the Millennium, the Lord will provide ways to bring the truth to all nations.
Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples from every nation meaning every ethnic people group.
Has the Gospel of Our Blessed Lord reached the entire world? Actually, this is from St. Matthew 24:24 where Our Blessed Lord states “This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come” Jesus went on to say “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2Timothy 3:1-4)
Many now say, I see this and I see that, the end must surely be close. Yet we are commissioned to be diligent and persistant, for it’s our diligence and persistence that in part helps usher in the end.
We have all these predictors, so we must be close, But this is what Jesus said on the exact time of his return:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father.” (Mathew 24:36)
The important message here is for us to concentrate on the surety of the event, rather than on the time.
Price, What is the Price
Is there any way that I (we) can ever pay the price for inclusion to the Kingdom? We have already established unlimited value.
It’s free, money wise, and actually much more expensive for a man that has wealth and possessions than one who has not.
There are many areas of interest in the decision to repent and turn. Let’s talk about a couple that seem to show up in all of our lives these days.
- Money, wealth, achievement ,possessions, success. Isn’t this what were taught from youth. What does Christ say about this:
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27; ESV)
Scary isn’t it. Seems to go against everything we have been raised to do. Only if we love money and possessions more than God. Look at the value, look at the price.
God might want you to have money for his works. But not for our own works or enjoyment. Money is not a problem, it’s the heart that can be a problem.
Can you live with or without money if you still have God and Jesus Christs promises. Ladd best addressed this issue in his book “The Kingdom of God” as follows:
Because Paul had experienced the life of the Kingdom of God, he had acquired a new conception of the place and importance of possessions. “I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4: II-13). Paul had been initiated into a secret of contentment, because his happiness and his security did not depend upon externals. If he was in want, he did not feel God had forsaken him. If he experienced abundance, he did not become so attached to his abundance that his happiness depended upon it. His security was in “him who strengthens me” -in the Lord.
- Family ties. We are taught to love our families and care for our families. Here is what Christ says about family.
The following again comes out of Ladds book “The Kingdom of God”.
Sometimes this decision may cost the affection of loved ones.
This is apparent from the instructions Jesus gave his disciples as he prepared them for their ministry. They were to announce that the Kingdom of God had come near in their own proclamation (Matt. 10: 7). A demand was laid upon their audience: to receive the emissaries of the Kingdom and thereby to receive the message of the Kingdom, indeed, the King Himself. “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me” (Matt. 10: 40). In some instances, this would be a costly decision; for it would cause the rupture of normal family ties. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth: I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. “ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10: 34-37). Does this mean that when one becomes a Christian, human affection has no further place in his life? When one follows Christ, must he sever all his family ties? Surely this is not required. In fact, the opposite is often true. When a man and a woman have shared a human affection which is in turn sanctified by a mutual love for God and His Kingdom, they are the happiest people on earth. There is, however, a stern truth here. When a human relationship stands in the way of the demand of God’s Kingdom, there can be but one choice. If the demand of the Kingdom has confronted you, but your father or your mother, or even if your husband or your wife says, “No, I’ll not have it; you cannot follow Christ and have my affection,” then there is only one decision which can be made: for God and His Kingdom. Even if human affection and family ties are shattered, the claims of God’s Kingdom have priority.
Boy this is heavy stuff!! I had to think about this a bit and go to prayer. I love my family and my children very much, does this put me at odds against them? The answer to that prayer came quickly. No, not at all, only if they try to put themselves above or between My Lord and myself. If that happens we are at odds . Meaning, I can have non-believing family members as long as they respect my beliefs.
Ladd states it very well “We are thankful to God that in our culture with its Christian heritage, we are infrequently called upon to pay such a price. Fortunate is the child who has Christian parents praying for his salvation from birth, indeed from before birth. Blessed is the man, blessed is the woman, who has a wife or husband who shares a deep faith in the Lord, who can pray together and who share a common love for the things of God.
Unfortunately, it is not always so. Sometimes, there comes a crisis. A decision must be made: for God or for family. In such times of decision, Jesus says that it must be a costly decision.”
So we see that even though the price is “free” there are questions, concerns and many areas that the King of this world can attack you with. Pride, achievement, ego, money, family and on and on. The old statement “Lord, it’s hard to be humble” is certainly true.
By now my head is spinning, and I am kinda mixed up and concerned if indeed I can ever pay the price. How can something free be so expensive. Can I even finish this paper let alone enter “The Kingdom”? Then this little tune kept entering my thoughts.
Conclusion
I am struggling with all this wealth of new wisdom, information and keys to the Kingdom. A little fear coming in and doubt about the immensity of the price when this tune keeps popping in my head. Sort of like knock, knock can you hear me. Slowly I listen to the tune to pick up the lyrics. I hear “High hopes, you’ve got high hopes” Ok I remember a tune back in the 60’s or so like that. Go to the internet and there it was. Below will be the lyrics. While you are reading the lyrics, you can start the music and listen while we finish.
Next time you’re found, with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned, so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant
But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time you’re gettin’ low
‘stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant
When troubles call, and your back’s to the wall
There’s a lot to be learned, that wall could fall
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam
Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time you’re feelin’ bad
‘stead of feelin’ sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam
All problems just a toy balloon
They’ll be bursted soon
They’re just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop
Again the Lord is saying “All Things are possible”
Take it easy, hold the course, persevere and enjoy the ride.
“Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27; ESV)
Thank you Lord
P.S. High Hopes has now become my “go to song” to bring me around on a cloudy day. May the Lord help you find your “Go To song” as well. Blessings on your continued journey.