UNLEARNING THE LIES ABOUT HEAVEN - 4

ENTERING THE KINGDOM IS SAME AS SALVATION

Jesus told Nicodemus "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit"

Entering the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God is the same as salvation!

Anyone who has believed the finished works of the lamb has been translated into the kingdom of God.

Believers are not travelling to the Kingdom of God! There is no travelling, neither is there any race involved at all! Believers are already in the Kingdom of God and are doing all things from there!

See how Paul puts it to the Colossian Church …

who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM of his dear son” – KJV, and has BROUGHT US INTO THE KINGDOM of the son he loves – NIV, and has TRANSFERRED US INTO THE KINGDOM of his son of his love – AMP

You see how that HE HAS BROUGHT US INTO THE KINGDOM AND THAT WE DID NOT BRING OURSELVES THERE OR THAT WE ARE GOING THERE! No one can bring his or herself into the kingdom; it must be by God himself. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH in Jesus Christ ONLY! There is no addition, no subtraction! So we are not just going into the kingdom, we are there already!

ALL BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

Oh but you may say, we are talking about making heaven – a location we go after we die. We have said it over and over again in the previous lesson that, going to heaven is not in the list of the believer’s goal. That the believer will visit the location called heaven was not emphasized by Jesus Christ at all. Paul never emphasized it too. All of those verses or passages of the scripture that has been coined by legal and heavenly-minded teachers will be dealt with one by one before the end of this teaching. What the bible teaches is the coming of the kingdom to earth, not the going of the believers to stay in heaven forever. Even if the believer would go, it is yet not a big deal, because servants of God like Elijah, Moses, Enoch among others have been there, so what’s the big deal with the SONS?

Let’s see some scriptures now…

Paul said in Philippians “but we are CITIZENS of the state which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently AWAIT the lord Jesus Christ”…can you see how that we AWAIT and that we are going there to live forever?

Ok see how Jesus Christ puts it …

“Behold I AM COMING soon, and I SHALL BRING my wages and rewards with me…” can you see how that we are not GOING THERE to get the reward but that HE IS COMING WITH THE REWARDS?

This is plain scriptures! This is the word of God!

Forget about those bible passages that have been interpreted to mean that we shall go to heaven to eat food and live in mansions. They are all MISINTERPRETATIONS which we will do our best to attend to before the end of this teaching series.

ALL BELIEVERS ARE CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

THERE IS NO BELIEVER THAT IS NOT A CITIZEN!

NOT ONE BELIEVER!

The day you became born again is the day you enter the Kingdom of God. You remember Jesus’ word to Nicodemus? Good! The born again experience is the ONLY requirement for entering the Kingdom!

There is no other requirement! Not even your Holiness and your Righteousness! Many have taught falsely that holiness is the requirement for the kingdom of heaven MISINTERPRETING THE SCRIPTURE IN HEBREWS 12, don’t fall for it. This is the next lie we shall attend to in the next lesson.

One common scripture again that is used to defend the saying that not all Christians will live eternally is Matthew 7:21-23, we would just take a few important part of this passage because of space…

“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, lord, will ENTER the kingdom of heaven … And then I will say openly I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from me …”

Now this same scripture is what we have in Psalm 6:8, a scripture under the old covenant … it is important to note that this scripture is referring to UNBELIEVERS not BELIEVERS.

It says not everyone who says to me lord, will ENTER…believers have entered already. We are citizens!

Again Jesus said I NEVER KNEW YOU! He didn’t say I KNEW YOU BEFORE or THAT YOU HAVE BACKSLIDE. The word was “NEVER’, so he never knew them, they have never been saved before. They are pure unbelievers!

Don’t ever harbor the thought that a believer will go to hell

NO BELIEVER WILL GO TO HELL

EVERYONE WHO HAS RECEIVED ETERNAL LIFE ARE SAVED FOREVER AND ARE PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD FOREVER

NOTHING CAN UNSAVE YOU

A person can go astray but is still part of the kingdom!

Have you read the parable of the prodigal son? That’s a typical illustration for anyone who you think has been removed from the kingdom because of one thing or the other. Aren’t you surprised how Jesus calls him PRODIGAL and still retains the identity SON? Let alone, they later end of his story.

Don’t live a life of fear!

You can enter the kingdom of God by believing the Gospel and by believing ONLY! NOTHING ELSE!

Jesus said “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL” Mark 1:15…just note the keywords, that’s how to enter into the kingdom, very simple!

No works is required

No struggle

No strive

No holiness

No righteousness

Except ALL THE BLESSINGS IMPUTED AND MADE AVAILABLE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS!

Remain blessed!