“The Gospel of the Kingdom” (Part 5)

“The Gospel of the Kingdom”

(Part 5)

 

Review:

     In part 4 of this series we learned that Christ’s death destroyed sin’s control over us, “IF” we except it, and walk in it by the Spirit.  In Christ we are now able to walk in obedience to our heavenly Father.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.  When we repent of our sin and except Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes in and dwells within us to empower us to walk like Christ!  We are now “Born Again” of the Spirit of God.  This is what a Christian means when they say they have been “Saved”.  The chains and bondage of sin have been broken off of us through the blood of Jesus, and we have been set free from sin!

     This is “The Gospel of the Kingdom”.  The fact that right here, and right now, we can live according to God’s will.  We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven!  God is a “right now” God! – not a “some time in the sweet bye and bye” God.

*Now, let’s return to where we left off in part #4 of this series on the Gospel of the Kingdom, about our needing to depart from iniquity:

 

74. II Timothy 2:19b (KJV)

… Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

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*The Kingdom of God is not a place where sin is expected, accepted or tolerated.  Christ died to set us free from sin!  As The King’s kids here on earth – Christians – we need to learn how to:

Confess Sin, Repent of Sin & Forsake Sin!

“Not walk in it while trying to hide it from others, and wondering why the power of God isn’t flowing through us mightily!”

 

*We need to allow God to purge the sin out of our lives.  We ought to pray Just as David of old prayed:

75. Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)

       23) Search me, O God, and know my heart:  try me, and know my

              thoughts:

       24) And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the

              way everlasting.

 

76. II Timothy 2:21 (KJV)

        If a man therefore purge himself from these , he shall be a vessel

        unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and

        prepared unto every good work.

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77. I John 1:5-7 (KJV)

       5) This then is the message we have heard of Him, and declare to

            you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

       6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in

            darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

       7) But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have

            fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His

            Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

78. I John 1:9 (KJV)

       If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,

       and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

79. I John 2:1a (KJV)

        My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

 

80. I John 2:3-6 (KJV)

        3) And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His

             commandments.     *(Knowing personally! -vs- Knowing about.)

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        4) He that saith, I know Him and keepeth not His

             commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

        5) But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God

             perfected:  hereby know we that we are in Him.

        6) He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk,

             even as He walked.

 

81. I John 3:5-6a, 7 (KJV)

        5) And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins;

             and in Him is no sin.

        6a) Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not:  …

        7) Little children, let no man deceive you:  he that doeth

             righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.

 

82. I John 3:10b (KJV)

       … whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he

       that loveth not his brother.

 

 

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83. Matthew 7:19-23 (KJV)

       19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,

              and cast into the fire.

       20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

       21) Not everyone 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.

       22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not

              prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out

              devils?   And in thy name done many wonderful works?

       23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:  depart

              from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

84. II Thessalonians 2:10 (ERV)

       The Man of Evil will use every kind of evil to fool those who are

       lost.  They are lost because they refused to love the truth and be

       saved.

“IT IS A CHOICE!”

 

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85. I John 1:6 (ERV)

       So if we say that we share in life with God, but continue living in

       darkness, we are liars, who don’t follow the truth.

86. I John 3:3 (ERV)

       He is pure, and everyone who has this hope in him keeps

       themselves pure like Christ.

 

87. I John 3:9 (ERV)

       Those who are God’s children do not continue to sin, because the

       new life God gave them stays in them.   They cannot keep sinning,

       because they have become children of God.

 

88. I John 5:18 (ERV)

       We know that those who have been made God’s children do not

       continue to sin.  The Son of God keeps them safe.  The Evil One

        cannot hurt them.

 

 

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89. Jude 24 (ERV)

       God is strong and can keep you from falling.  He can bring you

       before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy.

 

90. I John 3:7 (ERV)

       Dear children, don’t let anyone lead you into the wrong way.

       Christ always did what was right.  So to be good like Christ, you

       must do what is right.

 

91. I John 2:3-4 (ERV)

       3) If we obey what God has told us to do, then we are sure that

           we know Him.

       4) If we say we know God but do not obey His commands, we are

            lying.  The truth is not in us.

 

92. Genesis 4:7 (ERV)    “From the very beginning!”

       You know that if you do what is right, I will accept you.  But if you

      don’t, sin is ready to attack you.  That sin will want to control you,

       but you must control it.

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93. Galatians 5:16, 19-21 (ERV)

       16) So I tell you, live the way the Spirit leads you.  Then you will

              not do the evil things your sinful self wants.

       19) The wrong things the sinful self wants are clear:  committing

              sexual sin, being morally bad, doing all kinds of shameful

              things,

       20) worshiping false gods, taking part in witchcraft, hating

              people, causing trouble, being jealous, angry or selfish,

              causing people to argue and divide into separate groups,

       21) being filled with envy, getting drunk, having wild parties, and

              doing other things like this.  I warn you now as I warned you

              before:  The people who do these things will not have a part in

              God’s kingdom.

 

94. Revelation 21:8, 27a (ERV)

       8) But those who are cowards, those who refuse to believe, those

           who do terrible things, those who kill, those who sin sexually,

           those who do evil magic, those who worship idols, and those

 

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           who tell lies – they will all have a place in the lake of burning

           sulfur.   This is the second death.

       27a) Nothing unclean will ever enter the city.  No one who does

                shameful things or tells lies will ever enter the city.

 

     *All throughout scripture, God’s word clearly states that sin isn’t something that He welcomes into His Kingdom.  It also points out that those people who continually practice sin as a way of life aren’t really alive.  They may claim to be Christians, but they haven’t truly been converted.  They are dead in their trespasses and sins.  Christ came to raise the spiritually dead to newness of life.  God wants to save you from your sin and welcome you into His Kingdom. 

     Confess your sins to God today.  Be truly sorry for how you have treated Him.  Ask God to forgive you, and you forgive anyone else that you have been holding a grudge against.  Then repent of your sin.  Make an act of your own will to stop doing things against God.  Ask the Holy Spirit to come and dwell inside of you, and impower you to change from the inside out.  Ask God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, to save you from sin today.  Now is the day of salvation!