First Step of Entering the Kingdom
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your Truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. Psalm 25:4-5 NLT
Now here is the beginning process. Through Jesus we can enter the door of the Kingdom and begin to live, think and act like who we really are--children of the King. In God's Constitution in the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to the beginning process as being born again. He makes this statement: Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God". Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8
We were first born of flesh, but to be born again is a spiritual birth. We repent (turn away from) and renounce our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask Him to be Lord of our life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 This is exactly what being born again is--it is an indispensable step, because we cannot enter the Kingdom without it. Being born again is the first step of a whole new life, a journey of learning to know, appreciate, and experience our rights, privileges and responsibilities as Kingdom Citizens. Far too many spend most of their time on the first step, focusing on that alone. They never look beyond and miss many of the joys and blessings that lie beyond the door.
There is an abundant Kingdom life available to us but we will miss experiencing the wonders of His Kingdom if we choose to go no further than the front door!
To live a Kingdom life, you must go through the door of the Kingdom and beyond!
So many believers get completely fixated on Jesus Christ as Savior and being "born again" that as soon as they are inside the Kingdom, they camp on the doorstep and never go further. Jesus is the doorway to the Kingdom, but there are more riches that await inside. Jesus Himself made this statement:
Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, If any enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:7-10
Remember that life is a journey and life in the Kingdom will require that you move beyond your original experiences with God and mature and grow as a true son of the Kingdom. If you camp at the door, you will never fulfill the Lord God's purpose for your life!
Please note: Claiming our inheritance is not about joining a particular church or denomination or even calling yourself a Christian. Jesus never referred to His disciples as Christians. The world called them Christians. The Kingdom of God has nothing to do with being religious. It has everything to do with understanding that we are citizens of a Kingdom established and ruled by God, which will endure forever. As Kingdom Citizens, we have legal rights to the government. The reason so many of us receive so little from God is because we do not recognize ourselves as citizens of the Kingdom, do not understand our rights as citizens and therefore, lack the confidence or boldness to ask. Kingdom citizenship is a spiritual reality, but it is also a mentality. Know your position in God's Kingdom. You aren't a beggar on the street. You are sons and daughters of your Father God. You have been given access by being born again through His Son, Jesus Christ.
I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it! John 14:12-14 NLT
As believers, we already have the Spirit of God by the Holy Spirit--our Governor, but we need to learn the mind and the heart of God. We need training in thinking and living as God's children. Creating that Kingdom mindset takes time if we have had a religious mindset. We must unlearn the old beliefs and traditions that really have nothing to do with the Kingdom at all. Begin to see the difference between what is religious doctrine and what is God's Kingdom government.
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your Truth. Your Word is truth. John 17:15-17
W.R. Luchie & D. Arlene Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
Now here is the beginning process. Through Jesus we can enter the door of the Kingdom and begin to live, think and act like who we really are--children of the King. In God's Constitution in the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to the beginning process as being born again. He makes this statement: Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God". Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8
We were first born of flesh, but to be born again is a spiritual birth. We repent (turn away from) and renounce our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask Him to be Lord of our life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 This is exactly what being born again is--it is an indispensable step, because we cannot enter the Kingdom without it. Being born again is the first step of a whole new life, a journey of learning to know, appreciate, and experience our rights, privileges and responsibilities as Kingdom Citizens. Far too many spend most of their time on the first step, focusing on that alone. They never look beyond and miss many of the joys and blessings that lie beyond the door.
There is an abundant Kingdom life available to us but we will miss experiencing the wonders of His Kingdom if we choose to go no further than the front door!
To live a Kingdom life, you must go through the door of the Kingdom and beyond!
So many believers get completely fixated on Jesus Christ as Savior and being "born again" that as soon as they are inside the Kingdom, they camp on the doorstep and never go further. Jesus is the doorway to the Kingdom, but there are more riches that await inside. Jesus Himself made this statement:
Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, If any enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:7-10
Remember that life is a journey and life in the Kingdom will require that you move beyond your original experiences with God and mature and grow as a true son of the Kingdom. If you camp at the door, you will never fulfill the Lord God's purpose for your life!
Please note: Claiming our inheritance is not about joining a particular church or denomination or even calling yourself a Christian. Jesus never referred to His disciples as Christians. The world called them Christians. The Kingdom of God has nothing to do with being religious. It has everything to do with understanding that we are citizens of a Kingdom established and ruled by God, which will endure forever. As Kingdom Citizens, we have legal rights to the government. The reason so many of us receive so little from God is because we do not recognize ourselves as citizens of the Kingdom, do not understand our rights as citizens and therefore, lack the confidence or boldness to ask. Kingdom citizenship is a spiritual reality, but it is also a mentality. Know your position in God's Kingdom. You aren't a beggar on the street. You are sons and daughters of your Father God. You have been given access by being born again through His Son, Jesus Christ.
I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it! John 14:12-14 NLT
As believers, we already have the Spirit of God by the Holy Spirit--our Governor, but we need to learn the mind and the heart of God. We need training in thinking and living as God's children. Creating that Kingdom mindset takes time if we have had a religious mindset. We must unlearn the old beliefs and traditions that really have nothing to do with the Kingdom at all. Begin to see the difference between what is religious doctrine and what is God's Kingdom government.
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your Truth. Your Word is truth. John 17:15-17
W.R. Luchie & D. Arlene Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
