Lesson 13 for June 28, 2014

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, all
this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered
to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:5-6)
Since Adam and Eves fall, every human being has
decided between being loyal to Christs Kingdom
(Eph. 5:5) or being subject to the power of Satan.
(Acts 26:18)
In Christs victory we find assurance and the promise of an eternal
life in Gods everlasting Kingdom. For the God of heaven will set
up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed (Dan. 2:44)
Jesus also had to decide
between getting all the
kingdoms of this world
from Satan and being
faithful to Gods law.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from
which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)
There is no dual citizenship in a spiritual way; just
citizen of this world or citizen of the Kingdom of
Heaven.
God asks us to make a decision, I call heaven and earth
as witnesses today against you, that I have set before
you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both you and your descendants may
live. (Dt. 30:19)
Therefore, our
behavior must
agree the moral
law of the
Kingdom of
Heaven, and not
the morals of this
earth.
Those who have decided to be citizens of
the Kingdom of Heaven are strangers
and pilgrims on the earth. (Heb. 11:13).
We desire a better, that is, a heavenly
country. (Heb. 11:16)
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, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were
some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified,
but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by
the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
According to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Revelation 22:14-15,
who can become a citizen of Gods Kingdom?
Cannot become citizens:
Unrepentant sinners (unrighteous,
fornicators, idolaters, adulterers,
homosexuals, thieves, covetous,
drunkards, revilers, extortioners,
murderers)
Can become citizens:
Those who have been washed (their
sins have been forgiven)
Those who have been justified (they
have been declared righteous)
Those who have been sanctified (they
have been transformed by the power of
the Holy Spirit)
Gods Law is our guide to live as citizens of Heaven. Only by
Gods grace, power and love we can be made citizens if we
want to.
Gods love and justice have provided one way,
and one only, whereby man can be saved from
eternal separation from Heaven and alienation
from God, and that is by faith in Christ and
obedience to his law. The Spirit of God operating
upon the human heart never leads men to
belittle the law of Jehovah. Enlightened by this
divine influence, we will see with awe the
majesty of its requirements, the heinousness of
sin, and feel the terror of its inevitable penalties
upon the transgressor.
E.G.W. (The Signs of the Times, December 15, 1887)
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. (Daniel 7:18)
The Bible teaches about a perpetual sleep; we
cannot awake from it until the resurrection (Jer.
51:57; Rev. 20:4-5). It also teaches about an
everlasting fire that will never quench until it
is consumed (Mt. 25:41; Jude 7; Mal. 4:1)
How can we be sure that the everlasting
Kingdom will last forever?
God is the only eternal Being (1Tim. 6:16). All the
created being can only be everlasting if they stay
faithful to God.
Satan, his angels and humankind rebelled against
God, so we lost that eternity.
We will have that eternity back forever when
Jesus will give us everlasting life in his Second
Coming. Forever?
Yes, forever. For God has promised that rebellion
will not rise up a second time (Nahum 1:9)
E.G.W. (The Great Controversy, cp. 29, pg. 504)
The last enemy that will be
destroyed is death.
(1 Corinthians 15:26)
For the wages of sin is death
(Romans 6:23)
Why will death not exist anymore in
the everlasting Kingdom?
Death is a natural consequence of
transgressing Gods moral Law.
The principles of Gods moral Law
will exist in the eternal Kingdom.
They will still be written on our
hearts (Heb. 8:8-13)
The difference, of course, is that
those principles will never be
violated there as they have been
here.
And God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There
shall be no more pain, for the former
things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
And the Lord will deliver
me from every evil work
and preserve me for His
heavenly kingdom. To Him
be glory forever and
ever. Amen! 2 Timothy 4:18