CONTRASTING THE GOSPEL OF GRACE WITH THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

(An introduction/preface to our forthcoming study on the Book of Romans)

THE NEW TESTAMENT, referred to as the Gospel (good news) answers to the Old Testament. It is made up of 27 separate accounts of Jesus the Christ’s Atonement. (The word atonement in Hebrew, when translated to Greek, is  redemption, ransom, restoration, and propitiation). The New Testament was written by 9 or 10 authors. The Gospel Message HAS TWO PARTS. Most Christians only understand the first part of the atonement, which is: THE GOSPEL CALLING OF ETERNAL LIFE through faith in Jesus Christ; with His imputed righteousness being our redemption from the wrath of God; the gift of eternal life. (Romans 3:21 & 6:23) The less understood second part of the Gospel Message is: THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST (the further calling to share in the eternal glory of God through our faithful conformance to Christ.) See the following verses which speak more clearly to the second part of the atonement as opposed to just eternal life. 1st Peter 5:10… “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” See also 2nd Thessalonians 1:11-12… “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  And 1st Thessalonians 2:12… “…That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”)

{The Mosaic Law was a step or period towards Christ. In that the Law was presented for the One Who would fill it with meaning; Jesus. Its meaning being that God intended to bridge the realms of fallen mankind (a nature given to darkness) with that of the spirit realm (with its nature of light) through Him. In that He would be the prototype that would fully answer (and go beyond) the demands of the Law to an unearthly type of man, able to walk in the fullness of the Character of God described and demanded in the Law. The Law of Moses was “parenthetical” in that it filled in the gap from the time of Abraham until the time of John the Baptist. Christ, during His ministry, was to renew and expound upon the Kingdom of heavens. This gap being bridged answers to resuming the Gospel of the Kingdom of heavens (to which it could be said had ceased or was lost after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hebrews 11 shows us that these men had the heavenly kingdom in mind) in this dispensation leading to God’s day of vengeance and the Millennial Kingdom to follow.}  

THE GOSPEL OF GRACE

(This can be summed up as the righteousness of God granted outside of the Law. See Galatians 1:6)
“Christ died for our sins according to the (Old Testament) scriptures…”[1st Corinthians 15:3b] “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” [John 3:14-15] The simple ‘believing’ or having faith in Christ’s Blood Sacrifice (“…without shedding of blood is no remission” (of sin) on the Cross is typed in Numbers 21:8. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it, shall live.” This is a type foreshadowing the Son of Man being lifted up on a cross and how when we look upon Him, we are saved. John 3, Verse 16 says, “For God so loved the World…” (..so..not sooo greatly or sooo much; but as God had given provision, but left the snakes or cause of the death in their midst, SO, OR EVEN SO or AS…He leaves the cause of our condition, the fallen nature, like the snakes, but makes provision for living eternally). To live eternally is simply looking submissively upon the Cross of Christ and then being “born-again” instantly. There is nothing additive. (In the type, serpents were the cause of death to the Israelites and so a brass serpent was hung up. And so it is in the anti-type, that because it was a man that brought the curse of God upon us; it was the Son of Man who was brought forth as our remedy). Looking to Christ is all God requires in the Gospel of Grace. Christ’s death on the Cross completely satisfies God’s justness and we thereby are imputed justification. 

There is nothing more we can add, nor could we. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9] Calvary is a finished Work. So therefore as far as we go, we would have to conclude that a man is entirely justified by faith. But what of other Scriptures like James who wrote: “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only….”? [James 2:24] So it is that Scripture holds forth both as Truth. There’s been so much division over the years with the Armenians on one side and the Calvinists on the other. But there can be unity in that both have an element of truth. The one set of doctrines answers to the Gospel of eternal life, and the other answers to the Gospel of the Kingdom inheritance. (Both the gospel of grace and the gospel of the Kingdom are brought out in the Book of Romans. The Gospel of grace being by faith only and the Gospel of the Kingdom being by faith and works.) We don’t want to deviate from GOD’S PATH…. “neither to right hand nor to the left” 2nd Chronicles 34:2). A man must first pass from death unto life (be regenerated/redeemed/born again) before Christ’s LORDSHIP enters in.  The Gospel of Grace is the necessary FIRST step in the Salvation Plan of God.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…” [Isaiah 46:9-10]

Genesis 1 lays the groundwork for understanding this gift of (or gospel of) eternal life in the RE-Birth of our spirit. The pattern/formula for redemption, restoration, regeneration is set forth in Genesis verses 2-4… “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw — the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” Clearly it can be seen by those with eyes to comprehend that in accord with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit moved upon the ruined heart of man, and there manifest the light/the Son of God anew. And this speaks to God’s declaration that He separated the light that He declared “good” from the darkness. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5) Nor can darkness ever comprehend light. This original type of light versus darkness speaks to the dynamic of the flesh and the spirit that are set in enmity one with the other, and will always remain that way. (Romans 8:6-8 amplifies this) Now as in the type set out in Genesis, the restorative work after the rebirth of the spirit upon the soul where there was previously no life, may now continue unto completion. (Genesis 1:2b-2:3 is exampled to us in Exodus 11 and 12 in the death of the first-born, where vicarious blood provision and deliverance types the passive work of man in re-birth, which is a sovereign work of God…but the calling out of Egypt/being redeemed is contrasted against the higher calling of inheritance by works of obedience. After deliverance we are called unto maturity, just as the Israelites were.)  

The PRINCIPLE OF REBIRTH and its necessity in order for men to enter the Kingdom is declared by Christ in John 3 to Nicodemus, and is typed in the Re-creation of Genesis 1 which could not have progressed had there not been a separation between light and darkness. Re-birth, as in birth, is to be understood in the principle of the “seed”. God has established that maturity comes first from a seed. As all natural life stems from seed, so does spiritual life. (John 6:63) Now RE-Birth is contingent upon the seed of God’s Word received in the thought life. A spiritual seed received into the heart, where that seed is received (believed/acted upon) is brought forth by the Holy Spirit in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, on which all Creation and re-Creation depend. For without Him nothing was or will be created nor exists. Christ’s declared purpose for re-birth to Nicodemus is that without it one is incapable of seeing or having a place in the Kingdom. So it is, we see that the pattern set forth in Genesis 1 answers to the means of rebirth/recreation that Christ declared without which no one would be able to see or enter into the Kingdom of God. (The RE-creation of our dead spirit answering to the RE-creation of the “ruined” creation spoken of in Genesis 1.)

UNDERSTANDING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS AN ADVANCE ON THE GOSPEL OF ETERNAL LIFE

There are different material kingdoms or realms: mineral, vegetable, animal, and above them is the human kingdom. And above all those kingdoms is the Kingdom of God, which is spirit. (John 4:24) Mankind’s current existence, due to Adam’s sin, without ‘rebirthed’ spirit is the state of death and thereby is limited to the earthly material kingdom and its darkness. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A NATURAL MAN TO BRIDGE THE GREAT ABYSS between the Kingdom of God and the human kingdom (Luke 16, Romans 8) and answers to Christ’s Words to Nicodemus in John 3:5… “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Sspirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (kingdom of heavens, kingdom of Christ).” Notice that in the Greek, the article ‘the’ should not come before the word spirit, and spirit should not be capitalized because it is referring to the spirit of man that needs to be re-born. Thus the necessity of RE-Birth of his spirit should be understood; in that positionally, having received the gift of divine eternal life, he may now commune and further develop. Using the seed reference again, the Word of God is the seed planted in our hearts and under the right conditions, it will germinate/mature.)

It is a given that man had once a spiritual element to his being made in the image of God, but that was lost due to sin “…in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. This is then the state of man seen in type in Genesis 1:2a “….without form and void; and darkness…” These two kingdoms or realms; that of spirit and and that of flesh are as far apart in natural comprehension one of another as the animal kingdom is from the kingdom of man. This can be seen from the experience of Nebuchadnezzar. 

“Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.…till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.”  (“for all the earth is mine” Exodus 19:5b) … And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none — can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.” [Daniel 4] What Scripture declares is God Almighty, the Most High, ruleth over all; as the heavens rule over the earth. So it is that we understand God rules over this world as satan is but the under-ruler. Satan only has the authority God has allowed him to have. The changing from the nature of one kingdom to another in the story of Nebuchadnezzar is clearly seen possible and solely a result of the power on high. And as abruptly as Nebuchadnezzar went from one nature to another, so shall the experience be of those worthies of Jesus who in the “twinkling of an eye” in the action of the Holy Spirit at the first resurrection see the worthies of Jesus gloriously changed into the spiritual being of the New Creature. (1st Corinthians 15, Galatians 6:15)

The King and Kingdom of Christ manifest answers to Daniel’s prophecy… “And there was given him (Christ) dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” [Daniel 7:14] Jesus said in Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God (the kingdom of heavens) is preached… ” (See also Galatians 3:19) It was concerning this Kingdom Gospel that John was privileged to make this new pronouncement: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heavens is at hand.” [Matthew 3:2] That message Jesus Christ continued after John’s imprisonment… “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [Matthew 4:17] But of great note is that rather than the announcement to the anticipating Jews being “behold your King Jesus”,  John’s declaration was… “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29] So it should be understood that the manifestation of the everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ, portrayed in the Prophets before John, was never in view per se. But the initiating of this calling into this previously revealed but obscure two-part mystery was seen in: (1) the raising up of a new commonwealth whose citizens are to be made up of both the Jew and Gentile (2) that their inheritance promise is an eternal residence in the heavens in an existing unseen Kingdom in which Christ is to be King. (Ephesians 2&3, Philippians 3:14)

The idea was completely foreign to Israel as the understanding of Scripture’s prophecies were limited to a future earthly Kingdom wherein they would have preeminence over the Gentiles (the reality sure to be seen also in Christ’s future Millennial Kingdom when manifest). The Kingdom of heavens calling of John the Baptist and Christ coincided with Israel’s restoration understanding of the fulfilling of Daniel’s 70th week time line. This mysterious Kingdom of heavens calling that John had the privilege to introduce was answered primarily by the commoners whose faith in John’s anointed Message led unto baptism, with genuine repentance unto the remission of their sins in God- granted forgiveness. (This being a new way for forgiveness, in lieu of the Mosaic Law.) John, the forerunner of Christ’s Message was foundational to the heavenly Kingdom calling, that is in the believing in the Lamb of God unto eternal life, wherein the Jewish believer in Christ may enter into the dynamic calling; being then enrolled as a “new man” citizen in the register of heaven. (Hebrews 12:23) Where additionally, out of this enrolled “Body” of believers, He had/has determined to have His select Bride, who fully answers the call unto the realization of the promise of inheritance in co-rulership in that future Kingdom of heavens. (See Luke 20:34-35 and also the type found in Genesis 24 of Abraham sending out his servant to search for a Bride for his son which types the Holy Spirit searching out the earth for a Bride for the Son.) This is all to be manifest in due course according to the Prophets of both Old and New Testaments. (See Revelation 19:9; 21:2) Also read John 14:2-3… “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”  This speaks of the New Jerusalem and is an example of a promise given to the Bride (those mature believers counted worthy) but this promise is almost always misappropriated to the merely born-again believers in modern Christendom.  

When Jesus declared that “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near” (Mark 1:15), He did not mean that His actual time of ruling in His Kingdom would be set up. (That is portrayed in Daniel 7:13, when He shall come victoriously in the clouds of the heavens to claim His Kingdom.) Instead, it is the time of His appointed humbling and sufferings (Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 53) with promise of Glory to follow. (Hebrews 12:2) That shame- filled work could not be completed short of the Cross; where He declared in the last moments before He gave up His spirit to God, “it is finished.” [John 19:30] “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested (in His First Coming), that he might destroy the works of the devil.” [1st John 3:8] What were the works of the devil? Christ said “…the devil sinneth from the beginning.” He was the cause of the ruin of this place in God’s Creation. (Genesis 1:2a; with Isaiah 14, and Ezekiel 28) He was the cause of the fall of man and his wife, from God-given authority in Re-Creation. He was the cause of man’s spiritual death and current state of darkness; the loss of spiritual presence and comprehension in the Kingdom of God.

See Isaiah 61:1-2… “1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God…’’

That work which was declared finished, which was written in the prophets, (see Luke 4:18 where Christ only quotes the first verse and a portion of the 2nd of Isaiah 61 and then closes the Book because He would not fulfill the rest of the prophecy until His 2nd Coming) was essential to God’s Plan for redemption of mankind, and was realized in His First Coming Incarnation; by the Blood Sacrifice of His Son, the Lamb of God (Genesis 22) unto assurance of eternal life (1st part of the atonement) with promise of eternal glory held out for the mature believer (the manifestation of the 2nd part of the atonement). 

But God’s complete Plan of Salvation was fuller and more stealth and goes far beyond dead men receiving eternal life… (1) in that in Christ’s 2^nd Coming as Son of Man and King, He takes possession of His Kingdom (Revelation 11:15) (2) eternally saved men judged at the *Judgment Seat of Christ found worthy to be the Bride and Co-Rulers are then **glorified in the first resurrection and made whole in spirit, soul and body (Revelation 20:4-6) and (3) the latter part of where Christ had stopped reading in Isaiah 61:2b will be accomplished in His Second Coming… “And to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God…”  So this future day of victory over God’s enemies is based on the atonement as well.  (Revelation 14:19; 19:11-20:3) 

This setting up of Christ’s millennial kingdom is typed in the 6 DAYS of Re-Creation and is reflective of the 6000 YEARS OF WORK in the realizing of God’s plan IN RESTORING THIS FALLEN KINGDOM, which is to replace the existing Government of the World with His only Begotten Son and Bride. (Hebrews 2:5, 1st Corinthians 6:2-3) God’s formula/method of restoring His fallen Creation (earth/beings) and removing one government and replacing it with another REALLY IS THE MESSAGE OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE. In that God’s Holy Written Word both opens and closes with the appointment of Man as the replacing ruler over His Creation. (Revelation chapters 1-19) It was the key reason for the conspiracy of his fall, and the central purpose for his salvation. It is an understanding which is key to rightly dividing the entire Word of God and to open our eyes to the Truth recorded in the Book of Romans. Scripture holds forth that presently God is dealing with servants of His household in relation to a Kingdom which Christ has gone away to receive. 

*The Holy Spirit threatens Christians who hate the sanctifying work of maturing light with the just consequence of the outer darkness. (John 3:19-20, Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30)

**How is it that Christ spoke these Words of John the Baptist?… “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” [Matthew 11:9-11] He could declare this because he that is found worthy (Luke 20:34-35) of the kingdom of heavens will have risen into the glory of the new nature of a higher realm of consciousness. (Even so much changed into a nature that a glorified person will even be able to judge angels! God changing the nature of Nebuchadnezzar to that of an animal and then back to a man is an example of how God can change our natures in an instant from one kingdom/realm to another.) So the point of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 was the contrasting between the two realms in that the least of those in the new nature of the spirit realm will be greater than he that remains but born of a woman (John at that time being of the earthly realm). The point stressed is the high calling (of course John, when resurrected, will have his place in the Kingdom of heavens…being a martyr of Christ).  (Revelation 20:4)