We are speaking only of those who are considered to be in the Kingdom of God. The messengers of God shall gather out of the Kingdom of God all things that offend. The separation described above has to do with people who assemble with believers, who make a profession of Christ, who consider themselves members of the Kingdom of God.

The Lord does not define the good seed as those who practice righteousness but as the sons of the Kingdom. The Lord does not define the tares as those who practice wickedness but as the sons of the wicked one.

This distinction is important. The purpose of the present booklet is to help us understand what it means to be a son of the Kingdom and what it means to be a son of the wicked one.

We can understand readily that Hitler and Stalin were sons of the wicked one. We can understand readily that Paul and Peter were sons of the Kingdom of God.

However, when it comes to those who seemingly are of God's people, those who are active in the churches, it is not as apparent who is a son of the Kingdom and who is a son of the wicked one.

Consider the following:

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? (John 8:31-33)

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (John 8:37-40)

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

And this:

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matthew 16:23)

The Jews who believed in Him, and His beloved Peter, had not been converted as yet. They still were being moved by Satan. There were tares residing in them, tares whose father is Satan. To believe in Jesus is not the mark of conversion. The sign that we no longer are sons of Satan but sons of the Kingdom is that we are performing the works of God.

To be continued.