NEW BIRTH

The salvation of the soul is not only the redemption after confessing Christ as personal Savior (Romans 10:9,13) but also the end and the fruit of faith (Romans 13:11, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 1:6, 1 Timothy 4:16, James 5:20, Hebrews 5:9, 9:28, 1 Peter 1:5,9,10, Matthew 10:22, 24:13).

Salvation is also called deliverance from suffering (Matthew 8:25, 14:30) and diseases (James 5:15, Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, 10:52, Luke 8:48, 18:42). An important aspect of salvation is the new birth (James 1:21, Titus 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Luke 19:9, Psalm 51:12,14). It is not a momentary experience that occurs upon conversion, but an ongoing experience with the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit through the Word. The result is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), the spiritual man.

When we accept Christ, we are sanctified only by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10,14,29, 12:24, 13:12), that is, we are redeemed from sin, but we are still carnal and serve the world. We see the results of the new birth in the Bible. The man born of God works righteousness (1 John 2:29) but not sin (1 John 3:9, 5:18), loves his brother (1 John 4:7,8), believes that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:15) as revealed by the Father through the experience of Peter (Matthew 16:16,17) and finally overcomes the world (1 John 5:4) as the Greek etymology of the name Nicodemus also implies. In Greek the verb niko means win or beat, and demos in ancient Greek means the people.

The first epistle of John refers to the man who knows God, has fellowship with him, walks in the light, obeys God's commandments, does his will, loves his brother in Christ, and overcomes the world. They are all identical concepts that define the same person. Could it be the man who recently accepted Jesus in his life? The answer is an emphatic no. If we look at 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Christians are carnal, infants, given to envy, strife and divisions. Paul himself mentions that he was a child (1 Corinthians 13:11) and after his conversion, while he had a revelation of gospel, quarreled with the Hellenists.

Joseph, the son of Jacob, is the type of believer who serves the world. The world is symbolized by Egypt, the land he lived in from his youth until his death. When God crushed his pride, he brought him out of prison and lifted him up. He served Pharaoh who is a type of the world. When he took it upon himself to save the people of Egypt, he did so, but by doing injustice to the people, after he seized their wealth and gave it to the pharaoh (Genesis 47:13-22). The reason was the bitterness that had accumulated in his heart, for what happened to him in Egypt, and according to the logic of the flesh, someone had to pay. His victim was of course the people of Egypt. With the same logic, he tormented mentally and physically his brothers and his father to avenge what he suffered from them (Genesis 42-44), before revealing himself to them. He had an emotional attachment to his brother Benjamin (Genesis 43:30) who later Jacob, blessing him, called him a "ravenous wolf" (Genesis 49:27-NIV) while his other brothers, for example Judah, pleased God more. Joseph never had the opportunity in Egypt to build an altar to the Lord or visit one of those Abraham and Jacob built. So he didn't have the chance to build a new heart within him that is full of love and righteousness. Through the mental tragedy of Joseph, who was a man who "suffers and makes suffer", the need for the salvation of the soul is manifested.

Salvation in the form of new birth is symbolized with the crossing of the Jordan river. The Word of God describes 5 baptisms.

The first is the preparatory baptism of John, which has passed.

The second baptism in water (1 Corinthians 10:2, 1 Peter 3:21) is a testimony of a good conscience to God, an antitype of salvation. It is symbolized with the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14).

The first two baptisms are simply ritual without real spiritual value.

The third is the actual baptism with water or fire (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). It is the sanctification of the soul through the Holy Spirit. The water symbolically cleanses the impurities of one’s body and the fire cleanses the impurities of metals, especially gold. It is two different pictures but the actual meaning is the same, water and fire purify the soul and body.

The fourth baptism is called baptism into Christ (Romans 6:3,4, Galatians 3:27). It is the death of the flesh or circumcision of heart. It’s the new birth with the Spirit. The believer is clothed with Christ, he is a new creature.

The last two baptisms are symbolized with the crossing of the Jordan river, or baptism in the Jordan river.

The final baptism is when God's people were baptized into one body on the day of Pentecost. This day is the beginning of the church (Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12:13) and the baptism is valid since then. The other goal of the Pentecost was the confirmation of the message of Christ. People who were baptized were speaking foreign languages they didn’t know before, that is, speaking in tongues, and were prophesying. The Holy Spirit coming with power, verified the people that had the experience as the chosen ones by God.

The topic of discussion is the sanctification and the new birth, through the Holy Spirit.

God's Word describes two examples of people who had the experience of new birth, unfortunately buried in obscurity in every teaching on this subject.

The first is Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2-10). Zacchaeus, because of sin, he didn’t have, in his mind, the stature to stand before Christ, while he had already believed in him. He climbed a tree to see him when he was passing by. Christ, in his mercy, called him by his name. He does it personally to each of us. We have worth for Christ, we were bought with a price. Christ will leave the flock with the ninety-nine sheep to look for that which was lost. He does not want any of them to be lost. Seeing Zacchaeus he told him that "for to day I must abide at thy house" (Luke 19:5). The day of his visit had arrived, the invitation had already been done in Zacchaeus' heart, probably weeks or months ago.

Zacchaeus unfortunately is an example of a man who was never ministered to by any man, because of his character and his previous conduct (Luke 19:7) and maybe because of his profession. They failed to see him as a sinner who wanted to change. Jesus remained at his home, and Zacchaeus listened attentively to the Word of God that cleansed his heart. The results of his sanctification were revealed in the words of his mouth (Luke 19:8). Jesus said “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:9), meaning, salvation of his soul, not redemption from past sin, but new birth, salvation from the flesh. Zacchaeus was a new creation, a son of God (Luke 19:9). His sanctification had an immediate impact on his whole house, because through one member of the family the rest are sanctified (1 Corinthians 7:19, Luke 19:9). Jesus saved the lost sheep (Luke 19:10). In Matthew 18:11 and Luke 19:10 it appears that lost sheep are infants in Christ who were not properly taught or were not ministered to at all, for reasons of human wisdom, as with Zacchaeus.

The second man to be reborn was the Syrian Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19). Naaman was a leper, as a result of sin (Leviticus 13). He was asking to be healed from his leprosy and was the only leper who was healed in the days of Elisha the prophet (Luke 4:27). He was the only leper who pleased the Lord with uprightness and integrity of heart. He had a fervent desire to be cleansed in the Lord's way when human means were exhausted. The question who will receive the Lord's blessing and justice, is clearly answered in Psalms 15:1-2 24:4,5, Isaiah 33:14-16, as well as in Genesis 20:6, Deuteronomy 10:12, 28:47, Joshua 24:14, 1 Samuel 12:24, 1 Kings 3:6, 1 Chronicles 29:17, 28:9, Jeremiah 29:13. God in his grace, brought in Naaman's path the right circumstances to attract him to himself. Many times we think that we need intense efforts to meet the Lord, but the Lord brings us to him in his own way. Jesus seeks to find the lost sheep more than the lost sheep finds Jesus. God, who can do all things, will find a way to draw us to him when he sees in our hearts a genuine desire to meet him. Naaman looked for the man of God in the court of the king, symbol of the famous and well-known "ministries" of the Lord, but he did not find him there, and of course he didn’t find the guidance he was looking for.

When Naaman finally found Elisha, the man of God didn’t do anything of his own strength but instructed him what to do, to be baptized in the Jordan seven times. No one else can cleanse our flesh and impurities (John 1:13). It is our responsibility to present ourselves a living sacrifice before the Lord (Romans 12:1) to save us from the body of sin and clothe us with Christ. God asks for tearing of our heart and not of our clothes (Joel 2:13) to reveal the heart of flesh, a new heart (Jeremiah 32:39, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26). It’s the new heart and new nature that is pleasing to the Lord, to carry out his decrees and to serve with righteousness. Naaman, after being instructed by Elisha, had to humble himself to carry out the instruction. At first his flesh reacted. He mentioned the two rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar, he considered best for his baptism. Abana in Hebrew means perennial, and Pharpar means swift. The new birth is not a never-ending process but neither is it an instant experience. Naaman had to be baptized in the Jordan seven times, which reveals a duration of his purification, not instant but not perennial. After humbling himself before the Lord, he was baptized in the Jordan river seven times. Seven is the perfect number of the Lord, indicating the perfect work in the heart of man. Naaman's flesh was now restored like a flesh of a little child.

The first thing he did, naturally, was to express his gratitude to God and to the man who guided him (1 Kings 5:15). How easily today we forget those who have benefited us. Jesus in his ministry healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank him (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus healed everyone without discrimination, as long as they believed in his healing (Matthew 8:16, 14:36, Mark 6:56, Luke 4:40, 6:19). His ministry as well as the first days of the church (Acts 5:16, 28:9), the period of the apostles, was the period of signs for the sake of evangelism. Those who believed were later healed if they were sick. The period of the prophets and the later days of the church were different. The healing belonged to the people who had uprightness and integrity of heart, like Naaman, and sought the Lord's guidance for their healing, as “by whose stripes ye were healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24).

The epistles give us one more piece of information why believers do not receive healing, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31). Are you asking for healing while believing in another gospel? Are you asking for healing by leaving the root of your illness intact? Why are you sick? These are questions that only the Lord can answer for us. The Jews could not conquer a small city, Ai, because one of them had a Babylonian garment. Babylon is the false church, including part of today's Protestantism. Adhering to a false gospel will not give you victory. The story of Ai shows the need for personal guidance from the Lord. Did Joshua ask God what was wrong? Continuing the story of Naaman, we see him as a new creation that pleases the Lord (Naaman in Hebrew means pleasant). The Lord is not pleased with the flesh (Romans 8:8) but with the Spirit.

Naaman asks Elisha about his future life in the world but he already had the answer inside him. Elisha only adds "Go in peace" (2 Kings 5:19). Naaman's reflection is what his interaction with the world should be, now that he has overcome the world. It is the question of a new clean heart. It's the motives of the heart that matter, not your actions. Naaman could go back to the temple with his master to assist in performing the ceremonies but typically, without putting his soul in them.

The desire and passions of the heart lead to sin (James 1:15). Sinning comes from the heart that is not clean.

The world is further described in 1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

After the new birth you continue to live in the world (John 17:15) but with the heart turned to the Lord, with your works done for the glory of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:21). If the Gentile king worships other gods leaning on the hand of Naaman and being in a pagan temple, Naaman remains genuine. He continues his previous activity dealing with the public, being an official, without scandalizing those around him for the sake of the gospel.

Daniel was an important figure in the political life of an empire (Daniel 2:48) and kept his spiritual life private. He was praying at his home. Mordecai in Esther 8:1,2 served the Persian king. Contamination from the world in our daily life is inevitable. Our “washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5) serves this purpose, to keep us undefiled until the day of Jesus Christ. In Exodus 30:10-21, Aaron and his sons were required to wash their hands and feet in the bronze laver (the copper symbolizes sin) before approaching God's altar to serve. Accordingly the believers, as priests of the Lord (Revelation 1:6) we must sanctify ourselves daily from the pollution of the world, in order to serve the Lord with justice and truth.

What happens with the new birth? We are joined to Christ by baptism into death, in order to be reunited with him to walk a new life now free from death (Romans 6:4, 12:1, 2 Corinthians 1:9,10, 4:11, 5:17, Colossians 2:12,13,20, 3:1,9-11, Ephesians 2:5,6, Galatians 4:27). The life of Jesus is reflected in us. The baptism in the Jordan river is the bath of regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:22,23, Ephesians 5:26,27, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, John 3:3-5). The Word of God cleanses the heart (John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Peter 1:23) in truth (John 17:17). We put off the flesh and clothe ourselves with Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 3:27, 5:24, Colossians 3:9-12). The deliverance from the heart of stone is also described as the circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6,8, 10:16, Jeremiah 4 Romans 2:29). God gives us a heart of flesh that is subject to His will. (Jeremiah 32:39, Ezekiel 11:39, 36:26). Then we are no longer carnal but we walk according to the Spirit in righteousness, we obey the commandments of God and do his will (Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 13:11-14, Philippians 2:1, Romans 8, Ezekiel 36:27). God expresses his will to give to his people who lived in sin, a new heart, in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 11:17-20, 16:1-14, 36:26-28, Jeremiah 32:37-44, Malachi 3:1-4).

The Lord gave Saul a new heart (1 Samuel 10:9), but then Saul fell from grace because he left fellowship with the Lord his God and lived in apostasy. He distanced himself from God because of pride. David asks God to give Solomon a perfect heart to keep God’s commandments and statutes (1 Chronicles 29:19). “And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.”

In Psalm 51, a man prays to God to create in him a new clean heart. God cannot offer such a work if you don’t ask for it and believe it. (Acts 15:9, 26:18, Romans 12:1). Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21 directs a prayer to God to regenerate believers who live according to the flesh. He also mentions his own experience of new birth in Galatians 2:20. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a man who was expected to serve the Lord, but he did not recognize in the person of Jesus, the son of God, because he did not experience new birth (John 3:2). Jesus saw in Nicodemus a man who would serve him in the future, according to the Spirit. He separated him among numerous Pharisees, types of the present-day deacons and elders of Christ that the Lord rejected from his kingdom. It is not by chance that Jesus brings the teaching of the new birth to an elder of the time.

It is of primary importance, those who consider themselves the servants of the Lord to be renewed by the Spirit in order to bear fruit in their work, in addition to saving their own souls.

The same is not expected of the thief on the cross, who, while he believed in Jesus and was saved, was neither born again nor baptized in water even though both are mentioned as a prerequisite to see the kingdom of God (Mark 16:16, John 3:3,5). Jesus did not deliver any sermon to him, or any teaching as he had done with Zacchaeus who was sanctified by him (Luke 23:39-43). God does not expect the same fruit from all people (Matthew 20:1-16, 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-27). Some don’t have the ability to serve him, some others are saved at the last moment of their lives and didn’t have the chance to offer good works. But they are not shut out of the doors. Some other people have a Bible in their possession, have received an original teaching, they have time to grow, and they have the ability to serve as elders and deacons. For them the bar is set high. They must be born again to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). God has greater demands from them.

Let us now see the results of the new birth. Those who have been born again have received adoption (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:5, Romans 8:15,23) and are called children of God (1 John 3:1,2, John 1:12, Romans 8:14,16,19,21, 2 Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 3:26, 4:6,7), and even more than his children (Isaiah 56:5), friends (John 15:14,15), brothers (Romans 8:29), and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) of Christ. They belong to God (1 John 4:4,6, John 8:47), to Christ (Romans 8:1,9 2 Corinthians 5:17, 10:7, Galatians 3:29, 5:24). They are in unity with Christ (1 John 3:24, 4:13,15,16, 5:12, John 15:4-7,27, 16:33, 17:21,23, 14:20), they remain in His love (John 15:10, 1 John 4:16), they do not sin (1 John 5:18), because they are free from sin and death (Romans 6,7,18,22, 8:21, 2 Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 5:1,13). They are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15, Ephesians 1:10, 4:24), spiritual (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 2:15, 14:37), heirs of the promise (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 1:11, Titus 3:7, 1 Peter 1:4). They have overcome the world (1 John 2:14, 5:4, John 15:19, 16:33, Revelation 3:21). God dwells in them, and they have life. Through a pure heart they have seen God (Matthew 5:8), and they have known him (John 14:7,9, 1 John 2:3,4,13,14,21, 3:6, 4:6-8). God is pleased with them, as he was pleased with his son, when he was baptized in the Jordan river (Matthew 3:17, 17:5, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, 2 Peter 1:17).

A natural result of the new birth is the overflow of love towards one's neighbor. In the epistles, sanctification and love to others and philanthropy are usually dictated in the same chapter. 1 Peter 1:22 tells us to love fervently from a pure heart. Similarly Romans 13:8 and Galatians 5:14 place special emphasis on overflowing ourselves with love and this can only be done through a pure heart. Paul directs a prayer that believers may abound in love (Philippians 1:9-11). The epistle of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 glorifies love. Let’s work diligently and with the fear of God to save our souls and inherit the promise (Philippians 2:12), in order not to fall to unbelief (Hebrews 4:11). Through the example of Jesus (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22) and the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:15), God anoints us with the Holy Spirit and power, seals us with life and then we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 1:13,14, 4:30). The anointing of Jesus by the Father is mentioned in Luke 4:8 and Acts 10:38 and our anointing in 2 Corinthians 1:21.

The New Testament makes special mention of the new birth. The entire first epistle of John is dedicated to it. John in his epistle avoids presenting himself as an elder, unlike the other two letters, because he is clearly speaking to Christians who matured spiritually, most of whom were probably already elders.

John seemed the most suitable to speak on this subject, he was the beloved disciple of Christ (John 21:7,20), he knew Him more than the other apostles, probably because he never stopped being focused on his person and his love. He is the first disciple who recognized him after the resurrection, when the disciples were fishing on the boat (John 21:7). It is strange that he did not fulfill the apostolic work assigned to him by the Lord and limited himself to the role of elder. He acted like Lot who after the destruction of Sodom, the Lord wanted to send him to the mountain but he wanted instead to take refuge in a small town. The Lord listened to him (Genesis 19:17-22). The epistle to Romans chapters 6,7,8 refer to the baptism in Christ, the carnal and spiritual man. Also much of the epistle to the Ephesians, addressed to mature Christians, refers to the new birth, and to a lesser degree the other epistles.

The new birth is the prerequisite for entering the kingdom of God (John 3:3,5). In order to see what the kingdom of God is, it would be better to first exclude what it isn’t.

a) It is not the victory of Jesus with the crucifixion and resurrection. The kingdom of God is a personal goal sought in prayer (Matthew 6:10,33, Luke 11:2, 12:31), and preceded the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 5:20, 23:13). Jesus instructs a Pharisee, Nicodemus, how to enter it, relying exclusively on the knowledge of the Old Testament. Jesus with his work will simply fulfill the kingdom of God (Luke 22:16,17,29).

b) It is not identified with the confession of belief in Jesus. The kingdom of God is a request in the prayers of the believer (Matthew 6:10,33, Luke 11:2, 12:31). In other words it is the goal of the true Christian. Paul and Barnabas taught their students that through many hardships they will enter the kingdom of God. They clearly hadn't entered yet (Acts 14:22).

c) It does not begin with the physical death of the believer. It would be absurd for Jesus to give a prayer (the Lord’s prayer) requesting "thy kingdom come" so that the believer would receive a reward after his death. The parables of Jesus tell us about the coexistence of the righteous and the wicked during the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:24-29, 13:47-50, 18:23-35, 22:2-14, Luke 14:15-24). In the parables (Matthew 13:44-46), the reactions of the people who found the treasure - the kingdom, refer to this life. In the kingdom of God the believer receives authority (Matthew 12:28, 16:19, Luke 11:20), which certainly has no meaning in the afterlife. Matthew 12:28 says “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you”. It means deliverance from demons coexists with the Kingdom of God, therefore it is about this life. Also Jesus said some would not taste death unless they see his kingdom (Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27). It doesn’t sound like the day of the Pentecost that was weeks or months away.

What is the kingdom of God?

In the New Testament, including the Lord’s Prayer, the Greek term vasileia occurs and can mean kingdom or royal power, kingship, rule by the king.

The kingdom of God in Matthew 26:29 is called the kingdom of the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer, the believer is expected to ask "our Father… thy  kingdom come". In Ephesians 5:5 it is called the kingdom of Christ and of God (the Father). In Colossians 1:13 it is called the kingdom of the Son. Since the kingdom of God on earth is in fact manifested through the Holy Spirit, we would certainly expect at least one reference in the Bible to the kingdom of the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit was a person. But this thing never happens and the one who reigns is the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. But the question remains, what is the kingdom of God? God's kingdom is inherited after death (Matthew 8:11, 25:34) but it is also inherited during the believer's life. (Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27). Kingdom of God means that God reigns over people who enter it.

In the New Testament the kingdom of God is likened to a treasure (Matthew 13:44-46) and to the Lord's supper (Matthew 22:2-14, Luke 14:15-24, Revelation 3:20). As we said, it existed in the Old Testament, but it is never mentioned by that name. The goal of God's people is the promised land, which is also the completion of their journey. In the promised land, the people are expected to fear, worship and bless the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:13, 8:10). Here, trials and tribulations come to an end and the people are invited to enjoy the land flowing with milk and honey. In the New Testament, Jesus said "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on… But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:25-34).

The challenge of the Lord in Malachi 3:10 “prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” seems like a bad joke, especially in poor countries. Is the prosperity that the Lord promises in these two passages a reality, or a mockery? The book of Malachi is mostly directed to the people of God who are in a position of service. Prosperity is clearly included in the blessings of God and it is the right of every poor person to seek to escape from his condition (2 Kings 7:3-8, 4:1-7). God from the beginning blessed Abraham with many riches. Jacob lived in austerity for twenty years near his uncle Laban, and was blessed not initially, but in the end with much livestock. Job lost everything in his known calamity, to gain in the end twice of what he had lost. When the people of Israel would come out of Egypt, God supplied them with the riches of Egypt (Exodus 12:35,36) to offer back to God a large part of them, later in the wilderness (Exodus 35:21-24). God told Jeremiah to buy a field (Jeremiah 32:7-9). Jesus blessed his disciples twice when they were fishing (Luke 5:4-7, John 21:6), and they filled the nets with fish.

In his kingdom, God guarantees you material security, based first in his blessings. We see the contrast symbolically, between Egypt and the promised land (Deuteronomy 11:10-12). Secondly, blessings would be the product of your wisdom and prudence. You are expected to ask for wisdom if you do not possess (James 1:5, Proverbs 4:5,7), but the most expected thing to happen is that the wisdom will be added to you once you are in the Father’s kingdom. It is self-evident that in God’s kingdom, wisdom from above will flow to the believer’s heart freely.

In conclusion, the passage in Matthew 6, which is related to the kingdom of God, and the passage from Malachi 3, a book with instructions to the priests and Levites, are literally or symbolically about believers who are already in the kingdom of God and enjoy the abundant life of the Lord. The believer who enters the kingdom dines with Jesus at the same table (Matthew 22:2-14, Luke 14:15,24, Revelation 3:20) This is what Mephibosheth did symbolically. After accepting David's invitation, who is a type of Jesus, he dined with him at the same table (2 Samuel 9:11-13). David had ordered Mephibosheth to be brought from the house of Saul, which symbolized Christianity in apostasy. Later, Mephibosheth's servant wanted to steal all his belongings by deception. In the end David offered the solution to divide them and Meriphibosheth answered “let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house" (2 Samuel 19:30). Isn’t it the right response of a believer who dines with Jesus and puts him above material goods? Jesus tells his disciples that they will eat and drink at his table in his kingdom (Luke 22:30).

There are some requirements to enter the kingdom. Man must become like a child (Matthew 18:3, 19:14, Mark 10:14,15, Luke 18:16,17). The rich don’t enter easily because they rely on their riches and not on God (Matthew 19:23,24, Mark 10:23-25, Luke 18:24,25). Those who enter are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) the meek (5:5) the pure in heart (5:8) the peacemakers (5:9) those who endure persecution for the sake of God's justice (Matthew 5:10, Revelation 2:10), those who do the will of God (Matthew 7:21), they do not put relatives above God (Luke 10:61,62), and they love God (James 2:5). Sinners will not inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9,10, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5). In the parable of the ten virgins, their characteristic was the purity of their souls, this is why they were called virgins. The purity of the wise five virgins was a result of sanctification - they had oil with them, which means they were previously cleansed. Concerning the five foolish virgins, the purity was superficial, as a result of submission to the law. They had no oil, and they could not enter into a marriage of Jesus, into his kingdom. Understanding the Word is an indication that you are near the kingdom (Mark 12:34). Once a person who believes in God is righteous, he ought to pursue knowledge through the understanding of the Word, and that is the most crucial requirement for God to start sanctifying the believer.

In the kingdom of God the believer receives authority. Jesus said "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” (Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20). Jesus' ability to cast out demons is not examined here, it is not disputed. What he means is, if the believer has authority from God to cast out demons, it means he has entered the kingdom of God. The keys of the kingdom are synonymous with authority (Matthew 16:19, Revelation 2:26). Having spiritual authority is extremely responsible, it cannot be given to the believer who does not meet all the conditions of the new birth that I have mentioned, and mostly knowledge.

Elisha applies authority soon after his new birth with disastrous consequences. (2 Kings 1:10). Elijah in a moment of foolishness kills innocents (2 Kings 1:10). The disciples of Jesus, not having received a complete revelation of the Word of God, wanted to repeat the foolishness of Elijah (Luke 9:54). Authority presupposes a good knowledge of Jesus and his Word and obedience to his will.

Jesus makes a harmless demonstration of authority to his disciples by cursing the fig tree that did not bear fruit (Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). The Kingdom of God comes with power (Mark 9:1, 1 Corinthians 4:20). meaning, you know when you enter it. You enter the kingdom diligently as we see in 2 Peter 1:10,11, and it is described in Romans 14:17 as justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual gift and not food and drink (Romans 14:17, Luke 17:20,21). The kingdom of God is also referred to as a future kingdom, continuation of the kingdom in this life (Matthew 8:11, 25:34, Luke 13:28,29, 21:31). Then there will be a hierarchy of God's children (Matthew 5:19, 11:11, 18:4, 20:1-16, Luke 7:28, 13:30). This may seem a contradiction. How God uses the Kingdom of God to describe two different things, your life after the circumcision of the heart, and the state of affairs after Satan is bound, in the end of days. In actual fact the same thing is described. If you are righteous you will enter the kingdom of God after the death and resurrection. The message of God is that you don’t have to wait that long and you can free yourself from the influences of the devil and his armies and fully enjoy the rule of God in your life, with the sanctification and the death of the flesh.

The kingdom of God is the goal of the believer, included in the Lord’s Prayer. No other proof is needed that it is the right of every believer. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” is directly related to the achievement of this goal. Then the service to the Lord reaches a perfect degree. The believer carries out the will of God, fulfilling his law (Matthew 22:37-40) having deep knowledge of the Word, and authority in his hands. Seeking the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:10,33, Luke 11:2, 12:31) does not mean that you have to utter these words for the kingdom to come. You have to follow Jesus all the way and not abandon the Lord as the Israelites did in the wilderness (John 6:66). The verb "come" emphasizes that the kingdom of God is not the result of personal efforts and abilities, but the result of God's grace alone. God gives you at the beginning a small seed of faith. The perfect fruition of faith is the kingdom of God. The seed will bear fruit, and the conclusion will be the great position God prepared for you. This is the meaning of the verses in Matthew 13:31-33, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-21.

The final instructions to the seven churches of the book of Revelation describe the kingdom of God. It should be noted that the kingdom is not offered generously simply because they are churches of Christ. They will have to resist temptation, persecution and foreign teachings to be rewarded with the kingdom. In other words they will have to overcome the world. If the churches are victorious they will 1. eat from the tree of life which is in the middle of Paradise (Revelation 2:7). 2. they will not be hurt in the second death (Revelation 2:11, 21:8) 3. they will eat from the hidden manna and get a white stone with a name written in it (Revelation 2:17) 4. they will receive power (Revelation 2:26-28) 5. they will be dressed in white and will not be blotted out of the book of life (Revelation 3:5) 6. they will become pillars in the temple of God (Revelation 3:12) 7. they will sit with Jesus on the throne (Revelation 3:21).