PILGRIMS PASSING THROUGH

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM

A. THEY SOUGHT ANOTHER COUNTRY

It is simply amazing as to the distance the Body of Christ is from experiencing the riches of God’s glory. Most of the Body of Christ are not walking in our inheritance as sons of God. Because of this, we are not able to be that presentation of Christ that is ordained by the Father. There is a Kingdom that we have been born into, yet know nothing about. We do not even fellowship with the other citizens of that Kingdom who may be a part of the same local assembly. The Body of Christ here on earth is fragmented and divided on issues and doctrines. There can be no unity of the faith because we are not all in agreement with the Father. This must change. Let us go back in the Word and see the real intent of the Father for the Body of Christ while we are here on earth.

Hebrews 11:13-14

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. They sought another country.

This is a literal seeking of a literal place. However, the country they sought after was spiritual, but they were natural men. These were all men of the flesh seeking after a spiritual kingdom. It was impossible for them to inherit such a kingdom in their natural state.1 Corinthians 15:50; Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. The best they could do was to visualize that kingdom through the word of the prophets, or obtain glimpses of it in dreams and visions given by God. They never obtained the promises, but they did embrace them in the hearts, and for that cause, they were allowed to see them afar off. In other words, they believed God. They believed in the hope of the Gospel. The Kingdom of God was real to them. They died holding fast to faith in what God had promised. They believed beyond the grave.

Now let us go back to Hebrews 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. It is important to note here that the fleshy mind was in agreement with God. Their fleshy minds believed in the promises of God. “If they had been mindful,” means they never considered anything contrary to the promises of God. They trusted that God was able to deliver what He promised. Now, had their mind been influenced by unbelief, they would no doubt have left off seeking the promise that motivated them to become pilgrims and sojourners here on the earth. They lived as strangers in a foreign land. Why? Their belief and trust made the promise real to them. They actually believed that a heavenly city existed somewhere for them. This belief is what motivated them to take the posture necessary to perform all the acts of faith listed in Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:16

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:39-40

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Now the Lord had prepared for them a city that they never reached in their lifetime. However, Paul goes on to say that they could not be made perfect without us. In saying so, he reiterates that God had provided us with a greater salvation experience in our lifetime than what He provided for them. That greater experience is the fact that we received the promise they believed in. We actually arrived at the city that was prepared for them and us. It is a place of fellowship for both the houses of Moses and Christ. I do not know if you realize at this point the awesomeness of this Word. Until the Lord spoke to me recently, I had no idea of the impact of this scripture on the lives of the sons of God. We have actually come to that city. Nevertheless, in order to understand this totally, a new mindset must be formed in the sons of God. Consider the following:

Hebrews 12:14-17

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

The first part of these passages seems to deal with a completely different subject matter than the latter verses of this chapter, but I want us to really hear the mind of the Father here. First of all, verses 14-17 are a warning. Paul reminds us to walk in the peace of God, as we interact with the people of this world. He challenges us also to walk in holiness or we will cause others to be defiled and fall short of the grace of God. Paul goes on to site us the example of Esau, rendering that he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. He warns that afterwards Esau sought repentance, but could not find it. In other words, he never repented for the sin of disrespecting the birthright, but was simply sorry for having lost it. Paul warns that we can acquire the same heart, if we do not remain diligent and steadfast in the faith. Saints are denying themselves of their birthright everyday. But the remorse in doing so is due to the loss of benefits that come with the birthright, not the dishonoring of the Father or the disrespect for the inheritance.

Do not miss all that is implied here. Paul is describing the fact that we have a birthright that is set before us right now. It is the Kingdom of God. It is the heavenly city located in a heavenly country, prepared for the redeemed of the Lord. The warning here is that we, too, can trade our inheritance for the pleasures and sins of this world. Consider the root of bitterness he mentions here. This root of bitterness springs up or grows out of the impurity of the heart. Paul is very clear here. The heart must be pure in order to bring closure to sin in our lives. Otherwise, that which we allow to remain in us will cheat us out of entering into the peace of God. That peace can only be found in the Kingdom of God. The bottom line is that sin will rob us of the birthright promises due the sons of God. Likewise, it also becomes impossible to see the Kingdom when we walk in the flesh. Paul sets the stage for his description of our resident city by comparing it to Israel’s encounter with God.

Hebrews 12:18-21

18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

THE RESIDENT CITY

Hebrews 12:22-23

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

We are come to this place. We have arrived at heavenly Jerusalem, unto a company of angels, the general assembly of the Church, unto the Father Himself, and the spirits of those who did not receive the promise in their lifetime but are now made perfect. Remember, they could not be made so without us. Now we all make up the general assembly of the first-born.

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

Walking in the Spirit has been very vital in our spiritual development; it is a landmark. We learned that God purposed to take us above our situations and cause us to see as He sees. Some can truly say that they did not understand the real meaning of that statement until the Father brought us into the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is what took us above the situations that we encounter every day. Walking in the Spirit is abiding in Christ (being led by the Spirit). Before this teaching, all that we had learned only brought us to the threshold but it was that Word that ushered us in. Some of us believed that perfection could be accomplished. Walking in the Spirit will allow Christ to continue His ministry in the earth.

St.John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Here, I think it is necessary to reiterate or explain what I mean by “to accomplish” this mind. I truly believe that the Body of Christ and even those who have been privy to the revelation of the “Walk in the Spirit” have not fully understood the method by which the mind of Christ becomes evident in our daily walk.

St. Matthew 22:37-38

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

This passage is the first time the Lord mentions the mind in any of His teachings. Note that the Lord declares one must love God the Father with all their heart, which for the sons of God includes the hidden man of the heart, and/or the spirit or conscience (the new creature). The soul also, which is the spirit of the mind, and the fleshy mind itself must be consumed with love for the Father. If we are to walk in the Spirit, we must obey this commandment. There is no other way to accomplish the will of God in this body of vanity.

Now if you ask any born-again believer if he or she loves the Father, I am sure that each of them would say, “Yes.” Nevertheless, the Lord said that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. The truth is most of us, have not kept the commandments. We have sinned, and walked in the vanity of this flesh. Why? Why have we found it so hard to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind? Well, once again, we need to dissect the facts here.

1. We are born-again; therefore, our life (being) is in Christ.

2. Christ is the Master. He is the life who has pleased the Father. He is the only one who can love the Father according to the above commandment.

3. If we never submit to Him as the Master, then we will never overcome opposition to righteousness.

You see the problem is that most try very hard to submit to a far-away Christ. We focus on the words of Christ who walked the earth two thousand years ago. However, that Christ lives in us right now. He is the same today as He was yesterday. He is the one who loves the Father and refuses to disobey Him. He is the Christ who gave His life for the sins of others. He is ready and able to do the same today. We, however, want to serve the Christ who sits on the right hand of God. We find it difficult to submit to the Jesus who lives within.

Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Satan’s intent is to cause us to focus on the things pertaining to the flesh. He knows that the carnal mind is enmity against God. He knows that the child of God who follows after the dictates and appetites of the fleshy mind walks in death. If Satan can get the New Creature, who is a spiritual being, with the mind of Christ, to follow after the mind of his flesh, or carnal mind, then the mind will gender a desire that will cause the flesh to wax wanton against the Spirit. This is death. But this does not stop with you. Satan’s objective is to bring death to everything connected to you. When a man or woman of God backslides, many lives are affected. So many people are lost today because someone in the household of faith lived like the world. They have become stumbling blocks to those who might have come to know the Lord. Their end becomes death, hell and destruction. Any mind other than that of Christ is death. Any thought, action or deed, outside of the Spirit is death. Therefore, the Spirit of Christ must lead us.

PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Now that we have learned the teachings of Christ, it is time to make a decision as to whether or not we intend to walk in those teachings. The natural man cannot please God, unless he takes on the mind of Christ. It is the responsibility of the New Man to bring the body into submission to the Word of God. The work God did in us is complete. We are complete in Christ Jesus. We must walk in that completeness. We are the sons of God. We can manifest that sonship if we would just agree with God. Our souls are at stake here, for it is the soul, which is the spirit of the mind that must agree with God. If we choose not to obey the Christ within, we will be damned throughout eternity. Now how does this all relate to belief or unbelief? Well, belief is the acceptance of known and proven facts; “To be fully persuaded” of God's revealed truth. I think this can be better explained in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions, which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

We cannot be established in every good word or work without first believing the truth. We must agree with the Word of God. We must conclude that what God has said about the sons is true. We are supernatural in nature. We have the mind, heart and spirit of Christ Jesus. We think as He thinks. We feel as He feels. We are as He is.

1 John 4:17

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

This is the glory that the sons of God walk in right now. As Christ Jesus is, so are we. For in Him, we live, and move, and have our being. God has truly brought us to the Spirit. His hand has led us every step of the way. We are, without a doubt, the sons of God. We have been established, settled and strengthened by the leading of the Spirit. If God is speaking to His people, then He expects us to hear. The promise that God will lead and guide His people is true for all who are partakers of the Holy Ghost. If such is the case, why is it common for most of the Body of Christ to confess that they are not sure as to when the Lord is speaking to them? This seems to be a major issue in the Body.

The people of God are not sure as to when God is speaking, neither are they sure as to what to do. Where is the leading? Where is the guidance He promised?

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

SUP Spiritual communion between Christ and the faithful believer.

The Lord promised to sup with those in whom He lives. This supping is spiritual communion. It is fellowship with Christ in the Spirit. I will commune with Him and He will commune with me. This is the promise. God is indeed speaking to His people and we have heard. That is why it is of vital importance that we believe every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and that we believe on Him the way the scriptures have said. God’s Word has been a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway. He has never led us wrong and therefore we will continue to follow Him to the end. We have so much more work to accomplish, many more battles to fight and rivers to cross, but we are well equipped. Our Commander and Chief, the Holy Ghost, is working with us. We have comprehended with all the saints the breadth, length, depth and height of God (Ephesians 3:18). No more are we tossed to and fro by every wind and doctrine, but have recognized and overcome sin and its issues. We are ready for the Master’s use!