Friday, April 6, 2012

A Scribe of the Kingdom of Heaven

"Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew 13: 52)

To find old and new in a treasure, is that not the greatest desire of every believer?

We have an incredible, unsearchable treasure by grace through faith, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit:

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11: 33)

then

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4: 7)

and

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" (Ephesians 3: 8)

This treasure is synonymous with the Kingdom of Heaven. First of all, what is the Kingdom of Heaven?

Jesus says that we are to seek this Kingdom above all else:

"But seek [lit. desire] ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

In Luke, Jesus tells us that His Father will fulfill this desire:

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12: 32)

But what is it?

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)

The Holy Spirit lives and dwells in us. As we walk in the Spirit, we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5: 16), and we reign in life (Romans 5: 17).

Righteousness is a gift:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5: 17)

Peace is a Person:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14: 27)

Paul affirms that the person who affirms our peace is firmly in place within us:

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Ephesians 2: 14)

and

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1: 27)

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (not something that we create, but what the Spirit brings forth in us as we walk by faith: " (cf Galatians 5: 22)

When we receive God's word within us, we receive His joy, and our joy is made full (lit. πληρόω, pléroó, complete and fulfilled)

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15: 11)

The element of Christ's Word in us is a crucial, nay the crucial element in understanding the wealth and wonder of being scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So by the Power of the Holy Spirit, Christ lives and reign in us, and through Him we reign in life.

His presence in us is all things for us:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

Christ as our wisdom we tend to overlook. Christ lives within us, and by the Power of His Holy Spirit we can discern new truth from the scriptures, His Word.

For example, pastor Joseph Prince of Singapore teaches his congregants to see Jesus in the Scriptures. This understanding is confirmed by Christ Jesus:

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 27)

That is a prime example of being a scribe instructed in the Kingdom of heaven.

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