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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Heaven, or the Kingdom of God?, #2
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30,31—NIV)
Moses and Elijah were in Heaven, apparently, when they were speaking with the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Yet we know they were not born again at that time because no individual ever was born again of Jesus Christ until Christ rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus is the Firstborn of the new creation, the Kingdom of God.
We preach today that we must be born again to enter Heaven. This is unscriptural, misleading, and has, as I mentioned previously, a negative effect on our Christian growth.
When we preach that people must be born again in order to enter Heaven we are preaching error—a destructive error at that. I will explain in a moment. First I want you to see that the Kingdom of God and the place called Heaven are not at all the same thing.
The Lord Jesus told many parables. The parables of the Lord have to do with the Kingdom of God. No parable has to do with Heaven as a place.
The Apostles did not preach about going to Heaven. They did preach about the Kingdom of God, about the importance of inheriting the Kingdom of God. They did not preach about the importance of going to Heaven.
We do not enter the Kingdom of God in order to go to Heaven. This idea is not scriptural.
How in the world can we prosper when we have departed from God's Word?
Notice carefully:
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21—NIV)
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:5—NIV)
"Will not inherit the kingdom of God." "Has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Now look at the above two passages carefully. Do you see anything in them about going to Heaven?
The two passages are not isolated verses, they are characteristic of Paul's preaching.
What does it mean to inherit the Kingdom of God. Do we know?
What is the Kingdom of God? Is it the place called Heaven?
Paul says the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom is not a place but a condition of our personality.
Now, why is it important that we understand the difference?
When we preach that our destiny is to go to Heaven as to a place, our Christian life becomes primarily one of waiting. When we advocate the usual Christian teaching that accepting Christ is a "ticket" that guarantees our entrance into Heaven when we die we have a philosophy that works against our growth as a Christian.
To be continued.