by
Keith Hunt
THE KINGDOM AND FAMILY OF GOD
Those who have come to see the truth about God, that the Godhead
is at present only the Father and Christ Jesus, that THEY(two
Eternal Elohim beings, who are also both YHVH) are through human
kind re-producing Themselves, so many sons and daughters will
enter their plane, position, status, elevation of eternal life
above the angel beings into the very God being family. Those who
have come to see this wonderful plain truth of the Bible as
expounded in dozens of passages, especially all over the NT.
Those who know the truth about HOW God is FIRST begetting
children and then later having them born into His very kind or
Kingdom at the last trump, when Jesus returns and the
resurrection takes place. They really have believed God's Kingdom
is present NOW today and yet is to come in the future, but didn't
have it taught to them in easy to understand terms as should have
been done.
So let's get to it and really see that the truth of the matter is
plain.
There is what we often call the "reptile kingdom," and there is a
"bird kingdom," also the various fishes we may call the "fish
kingdom." There is the "animal kingdom" and the"human kingdom."
There is the kingdom of the angelic beings, and there is the
KINGDOM OF GOD!
All within these classes of kingdoms are of the SAME type and
nature.
Some times we speak of the "dog family" or the "horse family" or
the "bird family" or the "human family." Again, all within those
families are of the same type and nature. Those who have many
horses to take care of and raise, may in talking to friends about
what they work at, say, "I look after a family of horses."
The Bible over and over again talks about the FAMILY OF GOD, the
KINGDOM OF GOD.
The Bible, especially the New Testament, shows very clearly that
in the PERFECT, HOLY, SINLESS, ETERNAL SPIRIT FORM OF THE FAMILY
OF GOD, there are at present only TWO BEINGS ON THAT PLANE OF
EXISTENCE. In the NT one is known as THE FATHER, and the other is
known as Jesus Christ.
Does the NT show that the Father God is wanting and having
CHILDREN of His kind, being a part of the God family or kingdom,
from those in the present physical human family?
Yes, indeed! There are dozens of verses in the Bible to prove
that is so.
A human child is first begotten or conceived. It grows inside the
mother for about 9 months and then it is born.
The NT shows that God the Father will have children enter His
family by first of all a begettal and then a birth.
Do physical human parents call their begotten(not yet born) baby
"our child" or "our baby " or "our baby child."? Sure they do!
Do these human parents recognize this begotten but not yet born
child as part of themselves and part of their family? Do they
plan ahead and look forward to when their child will be as they
are? Sure they do!
I was once talking to a man who was expecting his first born son.
He was so excited. He said to me, "would you like to see my son"
and pulled out a photo of an "ultra-sound." His son had not yet
been born but it was already his child, his son, a part of him, a
part of his family.
Physical living, air breathing human beings, who repent of their
sins, who accept Christ as their savior, who go under the waters
of baptism, can have the very Spirit and nature of God come into
them. Again the NT is full of verses to show that wonderful
truth.
When this happens, and the Spirit of God unites with the spirit
of man, he then becomes a BEGOTTEN child of God.
It is written, "Of His own will BEGAT he us with the word of
truth..." (KJV). And, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath BEGOTTEN
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead" (James 1:18; 1 Pet.l: 3 KJV).
We were first begotten by our physical parents, then on becoming
a Christian with the Spirit of God in us, we are AGAIN begotten.
This begettal means we partake of the very DIVINE NATURE of God,
not the nature of someone else, not the nature of angels, but the
actual nature of the God family.
Notice, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the
KNOWLEDGE of God and of Jesus our Lord(repenting of sins,
accepting Christ as our savior, being converted, being baptized,
receiving the Holy Spirit), According as His DIVINE POWER has
given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him that has CALLED us to glory and
virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises: that by these you might be partakers of the DIVINE
NATURE....." (2 Pet.1:2-4 KJV).
Those who become true Christians are promised that they shall
receive the very Holy Spirit nature of God - Acts 2:38; 5:32.
What does having the Spirit of God make us? What does it mean
that we become NOW even in this physical life?
The word of the Lord tells us. Turn to Romans 8 and mark verses
14 through to 16.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they ARE(today,
now, presently) THE SONS of God. For you have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit
of SONSHIP(as the Greek should have been rendered) whereby we cry
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we ARE(now, in the present) the CHILDREN OF GOD" (KJV,
amplification mine).
Christians BEGOTTEN with the divine nature of God, not yet BORN,
but NOW begotten, are in this physical life called the SONS and
the CHILDREN of God.
As verse 17 shows physical Christians have NOT YET INHERITED the
Perfect, Sinless, Spirit Glory plane of existence that God and
Christ have, but are HEIRS to it all. Yet such Christians are
STILL THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
To living physical Christians that needed to be reminded WHO THEY
WERE and from what they had been redeemed from, Paul had this to
say:
"And what accord has Christ with Belial...... what agreement has
the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the
living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among
them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Therefore, come out from among them and be separate,says the Lord
.....I will be a Father to you,and you shall be My SONS and
DAUGHTERS, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor.6:15-18 NKJV).
How clear, NOW, in the PRESENT, while in the flesh, Christians
have God dwelling within them, and they are already called by Him
His sons and His daughters. He already says that He is their
Father!
As we have seen those Christians while still flesh and blood are
BEGOTTEN AGAIN, this time by very God Himself, through His divine
power (Holy Spirit) by putting within Christians His divine
nature.
The Apostle John was also inspired to tell us this truth and
added still more wonderful truth.
Turn to FIRST John and chapter 3. Note verses 1-2 well.
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that
we (Christians now,today) should be called the children of
God.....Beloved, NOW ARE WE CHILDREN of God(not just when Jesus
returns); and it has not yet been revealed what we SHALL BE(in
the future, when Christ returns), but we know that when He is
revealed(at His glorious second coming), we shall be LIKE HIM,
for we shall see Him as He is" (NKJV, added comments mine).
Christians today, while in the flesh and blood body, are CHILDREN
of God, they are part of the very God family. God says He is our
Father NOW and we are His begotten, but not yet born, sons and
daughters.
But something else is YET to happen to us, something else is yet
to be revealed in us, BUT NOT UNTIL Christ is revealed, not until
we literally see Him as He is today in Spirit Glory form, then,
at that time, we Christians shall be like Him!
Paul spoke about this same transformation time to the church at
Corinth in his well known resurrection chapter - 1 Corinthians
15.
Please turn to this book and chapter and read verses 50 through
54. Paul tells us in verse 50 that flesh and blood can not
INHERIT the Kingdom of God. He does not say that flesh and blood
can not be an HEIR of the Kingdom, of course he did not, because
in Romans 8:17 he told us that Christians today, while in this
body of flesh and blood, were already children of God and heirs
of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
But to INHERIT the Kingdom, be on the same plane of bodily and
spirit perfection as God and Christ are, THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE
in us. This change he goes on to talk about in verses 51 to 53.
To inherit the Kingdom this corruptible must PUT ON incorruption
AND this mortal must put on immortality.
To be fully born into the God family plane of existence, the
begotten physical children of God, whether asleep in death or
alive must be CHANGED, from human to Divine, from being
corruptible to being Incorruptible.
When will this take place?
Paul gives us the answer in verse 52. At the last trumpet, when
the resurrection of the saints takes place. He talked about this
event even more to the church at Thessalonica(2 Thes.4:13-18).
There in those verses Paul shows this resurrection of the dead
and instant change of the living Christians into Glory, will be
at the coming of the Lord from heaven, accompanied among other
things with a trumpet sound. The saints will all be caught up
together into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so be
with Him forever. Paul does not state in 2 Thes.4 where the Lord
and the glorified saints will go after this gathering in the
clouds, but the prophet Zechariah did. The Lord and the changed
saints who have now INHERITED the Kingdom, will come down to the
mount of Olives at Jerusalem to start to rule the world - see
Zech.14: 19.
Jesus also spoke about this same event in Matthew 24 and verses
30,31. And again Jesus inspired the apostle John to record this
happening in the book of Revelation, chapter 11 verses 11 through
19. The 7th angel sounding is the 7th trumpet of Revelation,
which is the last trumpet of that end time prophecy book.
Job, also knew that mortal children of God, had to be CHANGED in
order to inherit the Kingdom of God, for he said:
"If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed
time will I wait, till my CHANGE come. You shall call, and I will
answer You, you will have a desire to the work of your hands"
(Job.14:14,15 KJV).
He knew one day God would call and the dead children of the Lord
would rise and answer. We have seen when that will be.
Jesus also spoke of this same time when the Son of God would call
and the dead would hear and rise up in a resurrection - see John
5:25-29.
Ah, do you see how simple and plain the words of the Bible can
be. No degree in theology needed, just a putting together the
scriptures and just a child like belief.
To INHERIT the Kingdom there must be a CHANGE in the literal
composition of the begotten children of God. And that is exactly
what Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:1-8.
Jesus told Nicodemus that those who would inherit (see) the
Kingdom of God, would need to be BORN again(verse 3). No physical
person could enter(inherit)the Kingdom without first being BORN
....of the Spirit - BORN once more.
Notice verses 6-8.
That which is born of the flesh - physical parents produce
physical children - IS flesh - they are physical flesh and blood.
That which is born of the Spirit - IS spirit! God is Spirit,
composed of Spirit(John 4: 24),so His born children will also be
like Him - composed of Eternal Holy Spirit - they will be of the
divine God essence and dimension. And as the wind can do things
yet not be seen with the human eye, so it will be with those born
of the Spirit, they will be INVISIBLE to the human eye.
The God world and the angelic world are invisible to humans
unless God works a miracle in the human eye, to see that world of
Spirit.
Jesus was telling Nicodemus about THE CHANGE(that Paul talked
about in 1 Cor.15 and Job also in chapter 14 of his book) that
all flesh and blood humans must have, a change from human to
divine, from flesh and blood to Eternal Spirit, in order to
INHERIT the Kingdom of God. Jesus was talking about a BIRTH not a
begettal. He was talking about ENTERING(seeing) the Kingdom,
INHERITING the Kingdom. The words "see" and "enter" in verses 3
and 5 equal = INHERIT.
Jesus was talking about being CHANGED or born again at the
resurrection day, at the last trump, at His return in glory when
He brings the literal Spirit Kingdom to rule the entire earth for
a thousand years. He was NOT talking about the present begotten
children of God and their NOW, PRESENT relationship to the
Kingdom in its present form or reality.
He was talking about the born again CHANGE into Spirit form for
those who would INHERIT the Kingdom.
Jesus of all humans is the only one SO FAR to experience that
change and be born again into the divine Spirit world, but others
....to follow - see Rom.1:3,4; Co1.1:15,18; Rev.1:5("begotten"
should have been rendered "born" from the Greek in KJV);Heb.2:10.
So now, back to our main thought of WHO Christians are while in
this body of flesh and blood while this PRESENT age is here. They
are as we have clearly seen from the inspired word, the CHILDREN,
the SONS and DAUGHTERS of God now, in the present, yes begotten
and not yet born children, but nevertheless they are the children
of God.
We now see the simplicity of it all. If Christians today, in this
body of flesh and blood are CHILDREN of God via the Holy Spirit,
the divine nature of God coming into and uniting with their
spirit, then they ARE NOW IN THE PRESENT, PART OF THE FAMILY OF
GOD are they not? Yes, of course they are, that is just plain
logic - two plus two = 4.
The Family of God is also the Kingdom of God, the word "family"
or "kingdom" being synonyms.
God has now, today, impregnated humans with His Spirit or seed to
create begotten children and so has a FAMILY or KINGDOM that
extends BEYOND that of Himself and Christ Jesus. This fact is in
the PRESENT reality, not just for the future reality when those
children will be BORN at the resurrection day.
So then, does the Kingdom or Family of God exist TODAY? Why OF
COURSE IT DOES!! Is the Kingdom of God present on earth NOW? Yes,
of course it is! Ah, the Family or Kingdom of God may be
in-vitro(in-glass, looking through a glass darkly, but then face
to face - 1 Cor.13:12), it may be in the womb, it may be in
embryonic form, in fetus form, BUT IT IS STILL THE FAMILY OR
KINGDOM OF GOD NOW and it is WITHIN (via the Holy Spirit) His
begotten sons and daughters, for it is written, we Christians
today are the children, the family, and so the kingdom of God.
NOW WE ARE READY FOR THE QUESTION AND ANSWER:
IS THE CHURCH THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
The true Church of God is made up of CALLED and CHOSEN physical
flesh and blood persons(1 Cor.1:23-27). The word in the Greek NT
that was translated "church" by the KJV scholars, means called
out ones.
Paul further explained to the Corinthians that all members of the
Church in whom is the Spirit of God are baptized of Christ. The
Holy Spirit comes from the Christ and God the Father, it flows
out of their bodies like it is an extension of themselves. By
this, God's nature is implanted into physical humans. in
Christians(John 14:15-23).
To be a Christian means that this Spirit of Christ's, that which
belongs to Him and comes forth from Him, must come WITHIN the
person. You can not be Christ's - a part of Him, unless you have
His Spirit(Rom.8:9).
Having Christ's Spirit makes you a part of Him. By allegory
Christ has e x t e n d e d and ENLARGED His own body. This is
what Paul is talking about in 1 Cor.12 verses 12 to 27. Notice
verse 27, "Now you(living physical Christians) are the body of
Christ, and members in particular" (KJV added comment mine).
Many Church of God ministers in this last century have WAXED
STRONG AND ELOQUENT in preaching(from the pulpit, radio, and TV)
and writing, to the world and church members that "the Church is
NOT the Kingdom of God!"
I believe I understand why they did this. Their zeal was to be
admired, but their zeal was often unbalanced which led them to
often "harp on" over and over again from "one side of the coin"
only, while completely ignoring the other side of the coin, which
others would "harp on" as they "did away" with the side the
Church of God taught.
Getting specific. There have always, from the first century A.D.
been preachers and religious groups who have taught that the
Kingdom of God will NEVER BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN the Spirit of
God in the hearts of men. They have taught that there will be NO
literal bodily return of Christ from heaven to this earth to rule
and reign for a thousand years. There will be NO millennium reign
of Christ literally ruling the nations of this earth from the
city of Jerusalem, they say. The Kingdom of God will only ever be
the Holy Spirit of God coming into the minds of physical mankind,
is what they teach. They do not believe in the literal
fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, or chapters
19,20 of Revelation, nor in the literal second coming of Christ.
These teachers and religious organizations say the Kingdom of God
IS and will ONLY EVER BE - the Christian CHURCH!
It was to combat this unscriptural and false doctrine that many
ministers of the Church of God EMPHASIZED to the point of
imbalance the truth about Christ's literal second coming and the
Kingdom of God being established on this earth, ruling all
nations, as Daniel 2 and many other passages of the Bible plainly
expound and set forth.
In some circles of the Church of God, it was practically and
literally "laughed at" for anyone to say that the Kingdom of God
could be here NOW, in the present, in the form of "the Church."
It just seemed impossible to think there could be ANOTHER SIDE to
this doctrine of the word of God. It seemed hard for many,
especially some ministers (who had spent so much time and energy
in debunking the false idea that the Kingdom was only,and never
would be anything but,the Church in this age) to even be willing
to listen, let alone study, the point that God's Kingdom was a
"present reality" in this age.
Oh, such passages as we have already studied, like 1 Cor.15:50
was immediately and loudly proclaimed. "Ah, you see," it was
said, "flesh and blood is not in God's Kingdom. The Church is
made up of flesh and blood people, so there it is, the Kingdom
can not be the Church!"
Then John 3 verses 3 and 5 were also used. "We can see people in
the Church. Jesus said the Kingdom will comprise those who have
become like the wind - invisible, so the physical members of the
Church can not be the Kingdom" it was argued.
The error that was made by these sincere and well meaning
ministers was the error of not understanding the CONTEXT and the
"time frame" that Paul and Jesus were addressing when they were
speaking about the Kingdom.
Paul was speaking about the time frame of Christians being
RESURRECTED and CHANGED from human to divine, from mortal to
immortal, from flesh to Spirit. He was speaking about the
the FUTURE! He was speaking about, note it, mark it, verse 50,
INHERITING the Kingdom of God - "flesh and blood cannot INHERIT
the Kingdom of God."
Paul was not speaking about a Christian's part in and
relationship to the Kingdom of God NOW, TODAY, in the present,
but he was speaking about what MUST take place for the Christian
to INHERIT the Kingdom of God at the LAST TRUMP(the return of
Christ - the second coming),on the RESURRECTION DAY!
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING ABOUT WITH
NICODEMUS!!
Jesus was not speaking about the Kingdom of God in the PRESENT
age and a Christian's part in it, or relationship to it now. He
was telling Nicodemus about the CHANGE that a physical person
must have, about being born AGAIN the second time, born of the
Spirit(God), becoming like God - invisible to the human eye, as
the wind is, in order to ENTER - SEE God in His Glory state(1
John 3:1-3) - enter or INHERIT the Kingdom of God.
Paul and Jesus spoke about the SAME TIME FRAME - the day the
Christian will INHERIT the immortal, un-corruptible, invisible,
Spirit composed and Spirit bodied, glorified Kingdom of God.
The Church - the members of the body of Christ - Christians
filled with the Spirit and divine nature of God and Christ Jesus
are NOW THE CHILDREN OF GOD, begotten not yet born, yet they are
now the FAMILY of God, they are an extension of God, they are the
Kingdom of God!
Is the Church the Kingdom of God? Oh, you bet IT IS! It is not
what it SHALL BECOME at the last trump - glorious ETERNAL SPIRIT
BEINGS. The Church and its members(the members being "the
church") are NOW the Kingdom of God in the womb, in the embryonic
form, in fetus form. The Church is the Kingdom of God in-vitro,
waiting to be INHERITORS and not just heirs
The true Church composed of true Spirit filled Christians are
NOW, TODAY, the children of God, the FAMILY of God, the Kingdom
of God, but those members of that Kingdom or Family are to
undergo a metamorphic CHANGE into the full "glorious liberty of
the children of God."
Paul put it all together for us, can we accept this complete and
WHOLE Truth of God, can we put aside our past slanted views,
pre-conceived ideas, half truths, and jump for joy with BOTH
SIDES of the wonderful truth of the matter.
"For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF God(having the Spirit
within them thus being of the body of Christ), these ARE(now,
today,in the present) SONS(and daughters) of God. For you did not
receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of adoption(Greek - sonship) by whom we cry out, 'Abba,
Father.' The Spirit Himself(Greek should be 'itself') bears
witness with our spirit that we ARE children of God, and if
children, then heirs - heirs of God(not yet INheritors, which
will come at the last trump) and joint heirs with Christ(one day
to be fully like Him - 1 John 3), if indeed we suffer with Him,
that we may also be glorified together(when He returns and we see
Him as He is).
" For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which SHALL BE revealed in
us(at the resurrection day). For the earnest expectation of the
creation eagerly waits for the revealing(the future glory) of the
sons of God. For the creation was subject to futility, not
willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope(the will
and plan of God is two sided for His children - this life and
that to come); because the creation itself will also be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the children
of God(our full and final state of being is yet to be manifested
when we are born of God into beings like Himself). For we know
that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs
together until NOW(the present members of the body of Christ, the
family, or kingdom of God, are in the womb stage, the fetus form,
laboring towards being born).
"Not only that, but we also who have the FIRSTFRUITS (more of the
Kingdom is yet to be manifest) of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption(Greek -
sonship),the redemption of our body(the full and final end result
of being redeemed or bought back from sin and death through
Christ - our glorification when we inherit the Kingdom).
" For we were saved in this hope(to see the end result),but hope
that is seen(having the end result now) is not hope; for why does
one still hope for what he sees?(being a part of the family or
kingdom of God now,is not all that is to come,there is much more
we must yet inherit).
"But if we hope for what we do not see(looking forward to the day
of our spiritual birth at Christ's coming), we eagerly wait for
it with perseverance(remaining faithful and enduring to the end
as Christians in this life, so we will be with Christ at His
second glorious coming, which will be worth eagerly waiting for)"
[Romans 8:14-25 NKJV with added comments by myself].
"When you see the caterpillar slithering over the branch: What do
you see when you glance? Just a wiggly larval? Or do you see the
marvel: The potential locked within? The larva weaves its
chrysalis and lies quietly within: Soon metamorphosis will begin:
And the ugly little caterpillar that wiggled on the ground,
becomes a beautiful Butterfly, With wings to soar around.
You my friend have potential locked within: And someday you will
take wing. You'll soar beyond this hemisphere and leave this
sickness and sin! And you like the beautiful Butterfly in shades
of every hue, will forget the past, and live your life anew."
(Poem by Ruth Rayburn)
.............
Written in January 1995
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