What WILL Dwell into the Kingdom of God?

By Brother R. Michel Lankford
 
The Biblical concept of repentance is much different than what is often defined in modern-day religion. The popular version of repentance today is generally viewed as feeling sorry for one's sin and accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. I have heard and seen this definition explained and modeled in churches. While there are some components of those dynamics included in repentance, the modern religious view of repentance is often far lacking and it comes far short when one looks at how repentance truly functions Biblically. The problem with the modern church’s approach to grace is that it does not properly take into account the biblical warning that it is entirely possible to know Jesus Christ, and still become barren, unproductive, and unfruitful in our knowledge of Him and so be condemned, and that's written in the New Testament.
Godly sorrow can produce or lead to repentance, but from the Biblical perspective, godly sorrow is NOT the same thing as repentance, and we should not define it as such (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow can be the beginning of repentance, but it's not the same as finishing the job. That's like saying that all of those who began the Boston Marathon won the race. No, the ones who completed the whole course, and particularly the one who finished the entire course first actually won the race. There is a difference. Starting to repent is not the same thing as successfully repenting. Modern Christianity often does a huge disservice to the young up-and-coming disciples when we treat feeling sorry for sin as though it is the same thing to actually completing the job of repentance. This is something that I've often seen and to which I strenuously object.
True Biblical repentance actually has a couple of functioning dynamics. It does involve internal changes. That is the turning of one's mind, the turning of one's will and desires, the turning of one's thinking, choices and decisions, AWAY FROM WHAT GOD DEFINES AS SIN, and TOWARD WHAT GOD SAYS PLEASES HIM. That's the internal change. Next, we must then TURN OUR ACTIONS AWAY FROM SIN and TOWARD WHAT GOD SAYS HONORS, PLEASES, AND OBEYS HIM. That is the physical external change which must coincide with our internal change away from sin and toward what pleases God. It's only when the internal changes in the external changes away from sin and toward what is God pleasing both occur that repentance is complete.
If we change our behavior without the internal change, it is basically only behavioral modification that does not change our internal being, and is therefore not permanent. It becomes dead works. At the same time, if we have had a true internal change away from sin and toward what is pleasing to God, but our physical actions do not steadily grow to match our internal changes and thus reinforce them by physically obeying God's Commandments, then our internal faith dies in its infancy. That's why it is rightly said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26). So, good works without the internal change is dead works, but the internal change of faith that does not grow to produce physical actions that coincide with biblical faith, is equally dead. So works without faith is dead works, and faith without works is dead faith. Neither is alive, and both are dead and useless.
Therefore, in order for true repentance to be complete, it is the actual internal and external turning away from what God considers sin, and turning toward what God says is righteous and pleasing to Him. In the last blog entry, we gave a detailed list of what will not enter the kingdom of heaven. In that blog entry, we presented a detailed list of the things from which God says we must turn away if we hope to dwell in His Kingdom. So the wise person would diligently inspect the list and make sure that they are turning away from those things which God specifically says will not inherit His Kingdom. That's the turning away phase of repentance. In this latest blog entry we will concentrate on the second phase. So while we are making sure to be diligent to turn away from what does not enter the kingdom of God, in order to complete the job, we must then actively turn toward those things which God says will in fact live in His Kingdom. So to complete the act of repentance we must turn away from the sin that displeases God, and toward the love, righteousness and obedience that pleases Him.
Interestingly, while the Scriptural list of things which God says will not enter The Kingdom of Heaven is considerably long, by contrast the various lists of things that will enter the kingdom of God are very short. They are as follows:

1. Those who DO the will of Almighty God the Father will enter (Matthew 7:21). So then the question becomes, what is Almighty God the Father's will, and how do we know it? Obviously finding out makes a difference, because ONLY those who LEARN and then DO the Father's will, will enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus the Messiah Himself said this in the New Testament.
2. Psalm 15, asks and answers the question whom and what may dwell in the presence of the Almighty God (Psalm 15:1-5). So those characteristics must be thoroughly established within us if we are going to live in the presence of Almighty God.
3. The apostle Peter also gives us a list of necessary characteristics and behaviors which must be a part of our lives in order for us to enter into and inherit The Kingdom of God. In fact, at the end, the Holy Spirit working through Peter gives a specific promise that if those characteristics are growing and increasing within us we will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom of heaven (2 Peter 3:1-15). So if God makes it clear that if certain characteristics are present in increasing within us, this guarantees a rich welcome for us in the kingdom of God, then we should be all the more eager and diligent to cooperate with God as he re-creates us to produce those kinds of characteristics, attitudes and behaviors.
4. Those who overcome the things which will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Revelation 21:7; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
5. As a matter of cross reference, the list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit might also be added because the kingdom of God is made up of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17; cf. Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Ezekiel 36:25-27; which is all part of the proof that the Holy Spirit is truly living in us, (Matthew 7:15-20). However, by itself these particular references do not contain an explicit promise of entering the kingdom, or presence of God, as do the previous four items.

Basically, Scripturally, other than a list of Scriptures which detail the will of God (which we have covered in other studies), this is the entire list of the characteristics required to enter God's Eternal Kingdom. In other words, if our lives are truly full of the characteristics listed in the references above, then we are truly growing and thriving into true citizens of God's eternal Kingdom. If our lives are not full of those characteristics, then obviously we are either not growing or not thriving as His children or as citizens of God's kingdom, and we still have some serious repenting to do.

Who Will Dwell with the Lord?

1. Those who does God the Father's will (Matthew 7:21).
2. The ones who walk up rightly (Psalm 15:2).
3. The ones who work righteousness (Psalm 15:2).
4. Those who speak the truth from their heart (Psalm 15:2).
5. Those who do not slander with their tongue (Psalm 15:3).
6. Those who do not do evil against their neighbors (Psalm 15:3).
7. Those who do not listen to or delight in spiteful gossip against their friends (Psalm 15:3).
8. Those who despise the reprobate. So please notice that as citizens of the Kingdom of God we are actually called to despise certain people and things (Psalm 15:4; Proverbs 8:13). Note: Basically a reprobate is one who is so turned against God that they insist on holding onto, praising, and delighting in those things which God calls an abomination (Isaiah 5:20-24, for example). Part of being a true child and citizen of the kingdom of God is that we must learn to love and delight in what God loves, and to hate what God says He hates.
9. Those who do not lend their money at interest
10. Those who do not take bribes (especially to deny the justice and the liberty of the innocent; Psalm 15:5). Those who develop these characteristics will never stumble.
11. Those who diligently cooperate with God's grace in their lives to produce godly faith (Romans 10:17; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 14:23; Hebrews 12:1-2).
12. Those who diligently cooperate with God's grace in their lives to fulfill the conditions attached to obtaining God's promises so that they can obtain the promises of God, so they can become partakers of the divine nature, and also escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:1-4).
13. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their faith the characteristic of virtue, moral excellence or goodness (2 Peter 1:5).
14. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to virtue, moral excellence or goodness, they add a growing knowledge particularly of godly things (2 Peter 1:5).
15. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their growing godly knowledge, they diligently add self-control (2 Peter 1:6).
16. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their growing self-control, they diligently add perseverance (2 Peter 1:6).
17. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their growing perseverance, they add a growing godliness (2 Peter 1:6).
18. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their growing godliness, we grow in brotherly kindness (2 Peter 1:7).
19. Those who give all diligence to cooperate with God's work of grace in their lives, and add to their growing brotherly kindness, we add a growing godly love (2 Peter 1:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Note: Let's remember why it is so critical to cooperate with God's work of grace in our lives. First, did you notice that God's Word tells us that IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY to APPLY DILIGENCE in creating these characteristics? He said it twice (2 Peter 1:5; 2 Peter 1:10). Did you notice what cooperating with God to create and grow in these characteristics will guarantee us, (2 Peter 1:8-11)?

1. Being diligent to cooperate with God's work of grace to create and increasing these characteristics guarantees that we WILL NOT BECOME BARREN OR UNFRUITFUL in our knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8). That's critical, because where do those who do not produce good fruit in Jesus Christ end up going? I'll give you a hint. It's not heaven (John 15:1-6; in contrast to John 15:7-10).
2. Being diligent to cooperate with God's work of grace and increasing in these characteristics guarantees that we will not become shortsighted or blind, because lacking these characteristics will make us spiritually shortsighted even to blindness (2 Peter 1:9).
3. Being diligent to cooperate with God’s work of grace and increasing in these characteristics guarantees and ensures our calling as Saints of God (2 Peter 1:10).
4. Being diligent to cooperate with God’s work of grace and increasing in these characteristics guarantees and ensures that we will not stumble (2 Peter 1:10). The same guarantee as in (Psalm 15:5).
5. Being diligent to cooperate with God’s work of grace and increasing in these characteristics guarantees and ensures that we will receive a rich welcome and entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11). Remember that applying these great principles will also guarantee that we will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:3-4). This means that we will overcome the world. And what does God promise to those who overcome (Revelation 21:7)?
6. God guarantees that if we overcome we will inherit all good things, He will be our God, and He will consider us His children (Revelation 21:7). If obtaining such a great promise matters to you, then we must apply all diligence in learning to overcome.

If that's not enough, God gives us another list of instructions and similar promises, basically describing what we must do to overcome the world. It's called separation from what is unclean in God's eyes:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
"And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves) from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NASB)
Did you notice our responsibility in the passage? It's our responsibility to make sure that we don't bind ourselves together with ungodliness. It's our responsibility not to have partnership with what God considers lawlessness. If we are going to successfully walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7), then it's our responsibility to make sure that we do not agree with and combine ourselves with what God considers darkness. It is our responsibility as temples of the living God that we do not combine ourselves with any form of idolatry. It is our responsibility to come out and separate ourselves from what God declares and considers to be unclean, and not to touch these things. It is our responsibility to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and it is our responsibility to perfect holiness and a reverential fear of God.
If we cooperate with God and we do those things, God promises to welcome us into His presence. He promises that he will be a Father to us and He will consider us His children.
So, does it matter to you whether Almighty God welcomes you into His presence? Does it matter to you whether or not the Almighty God who made heaven and earth considers you one of His children? Does it matter to you whether you overcome the world and will inherit all good things? Does it matter to you whether you are unfruitful, or whether you are truly productive and bearing good fruit in your knowledge of Almighty God and Jesus Christ? Does having a guarantee of a rich welcome into God's Heavenly Kingdom matter to you? If it does, then we must diligently cooperate with God's work of grace in our lives, we must progressively separate ourselves from what God considers unclean, and we must be diligent to cooperate with God to create and increase in those characteristics which God says He's looking for from His children.
Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
(ESV)

What kind of reputation and name do you want in God's house? (Isaiah 56:1-7). Are you willing to choose what pleases Him? (Isaiah 56:1-7). - - - Brother R. Michel Lankford