The Key to the Kingdom of God

When I was a biology student we had a tool called a key to sort systematically through identifying characteristics to arrive at genus and species of the individual we were trying to identify. Each step was a filter. If the characteristic passed through the filter, you were told to proceed to step x. If the characteristic did not pass through, you were directed to step y.

So you could, for example, determine that your specimen was of the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, and so on down to genus and species of Homo sapiens.

But we are not finished, there is another filter to be applied. Jesus stated, "Not everyone that says to me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. For many will come to me on that day and say, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out devils in your name, and do many wonderful works in your name?' Then I will say to them, 'depart from me you who work iniquity. I never knew you.'"

There is a connection between "does the will of my Father" and "I know you" that is part of this "Key" to the kingdom.

Many people claim to be Christian. What does that term mean "Christian"? The meaning of the word is to be like Christ. How are you like Christ? Jesus stated, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing, for whatsoever he does, the Son does likewise." Jesus stated, "I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." What Jesus spoke and did was according to the will of the Father.

Return to our key. Does what you do and what you speak pass through the filter of doing the will of the Father who is in Heaven and being known by Jesus? Are you Christ like?

In the 10th chapter of Hebrews, the author contrasts the old and the new--the old which only heightens our consciousness of sin vs the new which removes offence. The old reminds us of sin through the rite of sacrifice. In the new, God declares that he would not have sacrifice and offering, in burnt offering and sacrifice for sin he had no pleasure. Instead of sacrifice and burnt offering, the new consists of "I am come to do thy will, O God."

How are we to know the will of the Father? How are we to be known by Jesus? These are the questions humanity must find answers to if we are to pass through the final filter in the key.

To answer, we must start in Deuteronomy. The Israelites were gathered before the mountain, which was covered with fire, cloud, and thick darkness. Out of all this God spoke to the people, and they were terrified. The people came to Moses and said, "Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that Jehovah our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it." (Deut. 5:24-27)

God answered this saying: "They have well said that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee [Moses]; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." (Deut. 18:17-19)

Moses' function was to be God's mouthpiece, to speak to the people the word of the Lord that they may know the will of God. The prophet like Moses not only speaks the words of God, he is the Word to all mankind.

Eight times Jesus claims that the words he speaks are the words of the Father and thus that he is the promised prophet. One time Jesus states that to receive his word is to receive life. At the mount of transfiguration God spoke saying that Jesus is the chosen one and we should hear him.

In Matthew, Jesus invites all weary and heavy laden to take his yoke and be his disciple. In John Jesus points to our permanent dwelling in contrast with the temporary dwellings of the feast of tabernacles saying, "If you would be my disciples, abide in my teaching and you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free [from slavery to sin]."

As disciples of Jesus, what are we to learn that is going to set us free from sin? "Behold, I come, O God, to do thy will." We are going to learn, moment by moment (abide is a constant condition) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Now, consider this mystery. You do not yoke a Clydesdale to a donkey and expect to have a workable team. It just won't work. You must have a matched pair. If you are yoked with Christ, you are pulling together in the work of "I am come to do thy will, O God." You are Christ-like. "I am the vine, you are the branch. Apart from me you can do nothing," said Jesus. And Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." How did you get to be a matched pair, you and Christ?

Return to the Hebrews passage. God has taken away the first, the shadow of good things to come, that he may establish the second, the substance of those good things. That substance is "Behold, I come to do thy will, O God."

The author then goes on to state: "By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." The author has just established that God neither desires nor delights in blood sacrifice, so what is this "offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all?" Is it his death on the cross? No. "The offering" that sanctifies is Jesus offering his body to do the will of God. Is the cross God's will? No. The cross is the will of Satan, the liar and murderer from the beginning. What was God's will? That Jesus be faithful to that purpose "I am come to do thy will" regardless of how he was received by the world. "Not my will, but thine be done." Satan destroyed the First Adam through deceit and subtlety. He sought to destroy the Second Adam through murder. The First Adam was created a living being; the Second a quickening spirit. It didn't work! Satan's moment of victory in Jesus' death on the cross turned into his utter defeat in the resurrection. The seed of the woman bruised [crushed] his head.

Now, how are we to be made partakers of this sanctification? Paul wrote, "I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Thus we are joined in the sacrifice of I am come to do thy will, O God. And thus we pass through the filter into the Kingdom.