“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Nearly 2,000 years ago a man walked the earth—a man that changed the way we think about life. He brought forth a message so radical, so mind bending, so intense that the world is still swirling from the message He brought. That man is the most influential figure in world history-even to this day. That man of course, is Jesus Christ. He was and is the Son of God. The message He brought was simply this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
But what is this “kingdom of heaven”? What was Jesus telling us? He was telling us that this world in its present form is passing away. And that a new world-- a new realm-- a new creation, far superior to the present one-- will over take it. This present world as we know it will be completely destroyed—and that by fire--and a new one will replace it-- one in which Almighty God Himself lives and dwells with Man. In this new “kingdom”, or world, or realm—whatever you wish to call it, there will be no more pain or suffering; there will be no more death or disease. This eternal kingdom will never perish, spoil, or fade (1Peter 1:4). There will be no more crying or pain. There will be no more anguish or shame. There will be no more anger or hate or war. There will be no more fighting and discord-- for the old order of things will have passed away. There will be no more sin. It will be a kingdom not bound by time—it will be eternal and man shall live forever and ever in peace and tranquility. There will be no end of days or time. There will be peace, rest and joy—and it will never, ever end. We will have brand new bodies—ones that will not suffer from the effects of aging or disease or sickness. They will not be able to be injured or wounded. Our bodies will be indestructible, eternal, and immortal—never to die-- but only filled with life and vitality and energy and health. God Himself will make us new and will live with us and walk amongst us.
The evil of this world will be no more.
Jesus plainly taught us about this kingdom. He died for this kingdom—and He rose from the dead for the sake of this kingdom. Jesus taught us that there is nothing else in all of life that is so important as entering into and remaining within His eternal kingdom for which He shed His blood. He said that the price for obtaining and possessing this kingdom is worth even giving up your own life here on earth. There is no price too great to pay in order to possess this eternal life. Many times throughout history it has indeed cost men their lives upon earth. But it is still a price that is small to pay in comparison to what is gained. Men have been murdered and killed, executed and tortured because of their faith and hope in Christ and His kingdom. People have had their loved ones killed because they would not renounce their faith in the living Christ. They have been eaten by wild animals, stoned, burned, crushed, drown, stabbed, beheaded, cut and sawed in two. They have been tortured and put to death in the most devious and evil ways in which men can dream up—all because of their faith in a sinless man who died upon a cross on a hill just outside Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago; All because they hoped in a world better than the present one.
Their faith testifies to God’s Word—that it is true and correct. Their faith tells us that the evil in this world has been judged and is condemned. We must accept God at His Word and turn from our sinful, self-centered lives and live in a new manner, with a new mindset—one that is focused not on this world, but on Jesus Christ and on His eternal world to come. We must surrender our lives and our will to the Lord who bought us with His own blood—who gave up His own life so that we might live. What we give up here, will be far surpassed by the eternal life that only Jesus Christ can give. What good would it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?
The Scriptures teach that there is a very specific path to follow in order to get into His kingdom. Jesus warned that many people will try to enter His kingdom and will not be able to (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23). He said one of the greatest obstacles of getting into heaven will be false teachers—those who mislead people, those who do not obey God’s will and who teach God’s plan of salvation incorrectly (Matthew 7:15-20).
Have you been taught how to be saved? Does it match the plan of salvation found in God’s Word—the Bible? If not, don't be deceived. To see the biblical plan of salvation and to find out how to get into Christ’s kingdom and go to heaven, click here.
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