1- Truths You Must Understand to Enter the Kingdom of God
1- Truths You Must Understand to Enter The Kingdom of God
This is the first of a series that will talk about some of the less popular truths found in scripture that we must understand and follow if we expect to find our name in the book of life when we stand before God at the great white throne on the day of judgment.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
If you are not born again according to all that scripture says is part of the package then you are NOT born again and cannot see the kingdom of God. I will post an article soon that explains in detail.
WE are going to look at the scriptures relating to the end of The final age of Mankind that we are currently living in. This current age in which Jesus Christ the Son of God is LORD. The end of which is at the great white throne Judgment. When Jesus returns all authority back to His Father and God becomes the omega and for eternity remains all in all. The time and place where God once again and for the last time cleanses the earth from ALL unrighteousness. After which those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter eternity and all whose names are not found there have been cast into the lake of fire for their destruction.
These things are keys to eternity
There are several things the Holy Spirit is now saying it is now time to look at and fully understand, because much of what is believed in most of what professes to be Christianity is incorrect. Much is assumed that must not be. There are to be NO ASSUMPTIONS in our understanding of scripture, we MUST correctly understand the character and nature of God, and what scripture expects of those who are truly disciples of Christ. Not what some believe, not what we may have been taught, not what feels good to us, but what GOD says is truth if we are to be sure our name is written in the 'book'. And as we are surely closer to the day of His return we must understand and do all that God requires of us if we expect to enter the eternal kingdom of God.
The recurring reference to “as it was in the days of Noah” in scripture is there for a reason. The Holy Spirit has caused me to recently study all the related scriptures over and over. I am going to share some conclusions I have come to understand from these studies with the Holy Spirit. These conclusions are in some ways very heartening and in others extremely disheartening.
Read and study them for yourself with the aid of the Holy Spirit and make your own conclusions.
Two sets of scripture have become especially important to me to understand and share with all who desire to be true disciples of Christ and enjoy the eternal benefits in His kingdom..
Matt 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Luke 13:23-25 And He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
We start with these two scriptures that are seldom taught in depth these days as they have been in days gone by. These are key to several things relating to your name being found in “the book”.
We must understand the importance of these two gates and not only is it all these things it is also their paths. The gates signify entering into a place that is capable of being closed to prevent entry. One gate, the wide one, is set up so that many can enter at once, it is wide open, the path it leads you onto is also wide and it is well kept, easy traveling, nice clean rest stops, much traffic, looks like it the best choice, enticing to those that do not understand the significance of the two gates (discernment). Then if you read what else it says you find where it leads you, TO DESTRUCTION. Scripture is clear here the wide easy gate and road will lead you to destruction. Is that where you want to go? If not then you cannot take this route, you must reject it.
The other gate is different it is narrow, not many can enter at once, maybe only one at a time. Then we find the path is DIFFICULT, not easy, hard, uncomfortable, not very desirable, no rest stops, briars and brambles along the way, in other words we must choose to have a nice comfortable stroll or a quite uncomfortable trip. Before you try to find and walk this one you have to count the cost as Jesus said to do. As we read on we also see that this difficult way leads to LIFE, eternal life. And then we see that it warns us THAT FEW WILL FIND IT. And finally we see that many will seek it but NOT BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
Wow that sounds like a different road than so many teach is ours.
So we must look and see what Jesus says to those that would be His disciples.
Matt 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it
Matt 19:23-24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 14:25-33 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
2 Tim 3:12 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
It is important to correctly understand these scriptures. In these scriptures Jesus describes what He expects of His disciples. No He is not, as some suppose, saying to hate your family, or that a rich man cannot enter His kingdom. He is saying that to enter His kingdom you must have a greater love for God, His Son and their eternal kingdom than ANYTHING or ANYONE ELSE in this temporary life. If ANYTHING OR ANYONE is more important to you than the kingdom of God, eternal life, then you cannot enter in.
“whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
Do you see it? You must forsake all, all your desires that are not part of His plan for your life. If anything including the following are more important to you than the kingdom of God you CANNOT be His disciple and cannot enter the eternal kingdom of God, money, a fancy home, your wife, or your children, or an expensive car, or your church, or-- , ANYTHING. These scriptures confirm and explain the narrow Gate and the DIFFICULT way that those that are true disciples of Christ must journey on..
NOTE this, nowhere in scripture does it say we cannot have these things, it says that cannot be our first love. God takes care of His children, His way. God allows some to have all of them, some have none, but we must not put anything before our relationship to God and His Son, if we do we cannot enter His eternal kingdom. We are told in scripture to learn to be satisfied with what we have, and if we do not appreciate what we have even that may be taken from us. We are not to look at what others have, but in this age, to Jesus for what He wants us to have and be thankful for it.
Can you see how these scriptures are contrary to so many things that are taught by men that have not the Spirit of God. The false doctrines of men that say god wants you to be rich, that god requires you to be a church member, that god will overlook your shortcomings that you have not repented from? The sugar daddy all loving god is not the creator of the universe, he is a product of satan, designed to make you miss out on the eternal life that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected to make available to ALL mankind, yes you too. There is not one scripture that confirms that the wide gate and wide easy path lead anywhere but to destruction. But these and many more show the only way to LIFE is through the narrow gate that is hard to find and down the narrow and difficult path that ends at the judgment seat of God and a smile and well done my son, you have inherited the earth, enter my eternity. But we must also remember there are many warnings in scripture that cannot be taken lightly, though many do. Ignorance of the truth is no excuse, God sent you His Holy Spirit to teach you all truth. If you neglect being filled with His Spirit then you CANNOT correctly understand scripture, there is no other source for all truth. And remember once you are filled with His Holy Spirit you must learn to rely on Him to teach you all truth. You must also understand that you and you alone are responsible for what you believe and for discerning what is truth and what is not. You cannot trust any man to lead you, you must compare all that you see and hear to scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to show you all truth about all things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
The Most Important Thing And Highest Honor That Can be Spoken of Any Man
There is something we find in scripture that we see about every man that God has used in delivering His people. It was true of Noah, the only man that God saved, and delivered, through the flood. It was true of every man of Israel in Goshen when God passed over their homes and killed every other firstborn in the country. It is true of Moses who God used to lead His people into the promised land. And it is true of Jesus when He defeated death on the cross (or stake) to make eternal life that Adam's disobedience took from us in the garden, once again available to us.. AND if we expect to enter the eternity of God must also be true of us. What is it?
This statement Gen 6:22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
These Warnings that Many People Seem to Ignore ARE MOST IMPORTANT
There is a warning that appears more than 15 times in scripture. WE must pay special attention to anything that appears 2 or more times in scripture as it must have an important message for us. This message is a warning that is not taught very often and it is why I always include in every thing I write or teach in any format the following statement. I believe in light of scripture that anyone teaching in any form, about the things of God that does not include this warning is doing a disservice to all that read or hear it.. It is simply this “do not believe anything that I or any other man tries to teach you unless and until if has been confirmed to you as truth by scripture and the Holy Spirit”. We who teach will answer for what we teach but ONLY YOU will answer for what you believe. Here are a few of these scriptures that you must take to heart if you truly desire to enter the eternity of God.
Luke 21:8-9 And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. 9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."
1 Cor 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 15:33-34 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame
2 Tim 3:12-14 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
You see it is your responsibility to “ not be deceived”. It is not my responsibility, not another man's, not God's responsibility, it is YOUR responsibility to see that you are not deceived. God gives us discernment to do this and you can always ask for more if you need it. But the only sure way to not be deceived is to only believe that which scripture and the Holy Spirit (the only source of all truth) confirm as truth. Not a bible, the scriptures. If you want to know why not a bible why read my article “Your Bible”.
What is The End Result of Allowing Yourself to be Deceived
There is a scripture that many ignore because they think it has only one application, but it in fact is part of the nature of God and applies to all deception. This scripture says that those that “have not a love for the truth (above all else) and would rather believe the comfortable lie and not check to be sure whether or not it is truth, are given strong delusion so they cannot believe the truth.
2 Thess 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Many people that cannot believe that this could happen to them are already deceived and in this place. If you do not check all that you receive or have received against scripture and with the help of the Holy Spirit this WILL happen to you. Remember the only man that was saved in the flood did ALL that God required of Him. Can we expect to be held to a lesser measure to get through this final cleansing of unrighteousness from the earth? Let me explain how to not be deceived. First you must as noted above, not put anything above your love of the truths of God. Second you MUST take everything you believe, if you have not yet done this, And check it against scripture and with the aid of the Holy Spirit. While doing this you must be looking for TRUTH only, even it it proves your previous belief is error. Then if it is confirmed that you have error you simply Go to the Lord and repent of your unbelief. Unbelief, in believing man instead of God, who told us that the Holy Spirit is sent to teach us all truth. Not believing what God has said and acting on it, is sin. The only way to get free from sin is to repent. Then you must find the scriptural truth about that subject. You do this with all you believe and from now on before you believe anything. Then when something new is given to you, no matter who gives it to you, do the same and accept or reject it on the basis of whether or not it is scripture truth, not on what you or someone would like you to believe. If you are truly born again, baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit of GOD and truly desiring only truth, you will not be deceived. The church system has become untrustworthy and you cannot trust ANY MAN, you must learn to rely on the only way Jesus tells us to confirm truth, through the Holy Spirit. You must understand that error is to be confronted if proven wrong with scripture in context and properly translated. Most of those that are deceived can not believe that God would let them be deceived, because they do not understand that it is their personal responsibility to not be deceived. Look at the scriptures, They say “do not be deceived”. That means it is up to you whether or not you are. It is not a problem if you have been deceived if you change and follow scripture, learn the truth, repent for allowing yourself to be deceived and do not let it continue to happen. But if you have doctrines (beliefs) that you have not tested for yourself and do not test them, you will, if you do not already, be sent a spirit that will not allow you to see truth. Your choice. That is the wonderful thing about this age of Christ, we can always repent , turn around and get right with the Lord as long as we are on the green side of the grass. But do not forget when you die (or Jesus returns) it will be too late to change.
2 Tim 3:13-14 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of
Have you done ALL that God requires of you? Will you continue to do so?
Charles LaFoe
copyright 9/26/2017
