a The Gift of God	3Back to Home

4 Navigation --------------- Homepage St. Matthew St. Matthew 2 St. Mark St. Luke St. Luke 2 St. John St. John 2 Acts of Apostles Acts of Apostles 2 --------------- The Letters --- Romans --- 1. Corinthias --- 2. Corinthias --- Galatians --- Ephesians --- Philippians --- Colossians --- 1. Thessalonians --- 2. Thessalonians --- 1. Timothy --- 2. Timothy --- Titus --- Philemon --- Hebrews --- James --- 1. Peter --- 2. Peter --- 1. John --- 2. John --- 3. John --- Jude --------------- The Apocalypse

The Kingdom is represented in the Bible as the work of God. It is not something we can earn or "build"; it is only something we can receive. The "coming" of the Kingdom is not our doing. Jesus says, for example: "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself . . ." ( Mark 4: 26-28). Man can take no credit for "building" the Kingdom of God. It is God's Kingdom and not something we have achieved. There is, however, a condition attached to our living under God's sovereign sway. That condition is one that we have encountered many times before in this book. We are to repent. Jesus' first recorded message concludes, "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" ( Mark 1: 15). Nothing in life is more important than this. If your eye is a hindrance to accepting the gift of the Kingdom, pluck it out! It is like finding that there is treasure buried in a field. You must sell everything you have in order to gain that treasure ( Matt. 13: 44). It is like seeing a pearl of surpassing beauty, for which you give up everything you own in order that you may possess it ( Matt. 13: 45). There must be fixity of purpose about life-to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. God conquers death God gives us the power to conquer The Only Real "Answer" A Question You Can't Avoid Some Current Answers -- a Dime a Dozen The First Part of the Biblical Answer What Is the "Image of God"? Some Consequences The Second Part of the Biblical Answer What Sin Is Supplying Some Documentation What Sin Is Not Getting Straightened Out How Can I Be Changed? The Third Part of the Biblical Answer The First Step After the First Step The Heart of the Matter Not Once and for All Some Hints for Growing -- Tried and Tested A Final Warning Why Isn't "Individual Religion" Enough? The Case Against the Church -a Bagful of Objections When Did the Church Get Started? Just What Is a "Covenant"? The "New Covenant" Becomes a Possibility Those Words of Jesus to Peter Those "Upsetters of the World" A Rebuttal of the Case Against the Church Why the Church? Last Judgment? Second Coming? What Do They Mean? The Inescapability of Eschatology The Point of Biblical Eschatology: History Is Going Somewhere The Dangers of Literalism Exploring New Testament Eschatology The Kingdom of God A Few Bits of Help The Gift of God Schatology and "What I Do Today" What Happens When I Die? Sheol -- Where God Is Not Present The Community of the Resurrection Paul's Attempt to Describe the Christian Fact A "Spiritual Body" The Facts of the Case I Try to Live a Good Life. Why Isn't That Enough? The "Micah" Variation The "Worship and Action" Variation The "Therefore" Variation The Biblical faith that God is the Creator