Outworking of the Kingdom of God

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Outworking of the Kingdom of God  

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

First and foremost, the kingdom of God builds character ... the character of Christ. That character includes righteousness, goodness, truth, humility, meekness, a purity of heart, a penitent spirit, faithfulness, peace, responsibility, honesty, love, joy, temperance, maturity, liberality to others, and obedience, among others (Galatians 5:22). 

To touch briefly on all of these characteristics would take volumes. We mention a few other thoughts. 

(1) The Church Will Be in One Accord

If every member of the true Church identifies with Christ in every aspect: in His baptism, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, His intercession, His weeping over Jerusalem, His will to do the Father's will, His zeal to do only the works that He sees the Father doing, His zeal to speak only the words that He hears from His Father, His compassion for the lost, etc., then of necessity of the Church must be in one accord. 

Five times in John 17, Jesus prayed that we (the Church) might be one, even as the Father and the Son are one. Jesus, in those verses (Verses 11, 21, 21, 22, and 23) also told us why He prayed that ... that we might be one, or in one accord: (1) that the world may believe that the Father hast sent the Son (John 17:21); and (2) that we may be made perfect in one (John 17:23). 

One result of being in one accord (which does not speak of doctrine) is that the Lord will add to the Church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14, 11:24). We do not have to "beat the bushes" or knock on doors to try to convert one soul. That is true evangelism. 

(2) Led by the Spirit 

Matthew 3:17, 4:1

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

The Spirit not only led Him into the wilderness but guided Him when He was there. 

Luke 4:1

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Immediately after His anointing as Messiah, "the second man", "the last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15), must be tried like "the first man Adam", and in the same 3 ways (1 John 2:16 & Genesis 3:6). Two sets of 3 temptations, under different circumstances, with different words and expressions, and in a different order are recorded in Matthew 4 from that in Luke 4. Thus Jesus was tempted 6 times as a Man, 6 being symbolic of man. 

The first man, Adam, was in the garden when his trial came. Because of his disobedience, he died and was banished to the wilderness. Trial of the last Adam, Jesus Christ, was in the wilderness, and His agony in a garden. Because of His obedience, He was resurrected and glorified. When Israel came out of Egypt they were fed with manna and were disobedient. Christ hungered after His temptations but was obedient. 

(3) Get Out of That Comfort Zone!

When Jesus came to the earth as a Man, He set aside His full glory for a season. He had to experience everything that you and I experience ... the temptations, the disappointments, the hunger, the physical tiredness. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. In a sense, He willingly got out of His comfort zone for a season ... all for you and me! He learned obedience (as a Man) by the things that He suffered. His greatest suffering came when, just before His death at Calvary, He experienced a separation from the Father; because He who knew no sin became sin for us and sin was crucified in the flesh. Through it all He always depended on and trusted the Father. It is by His faith in the Father that we now live.

Any Christian who is indeed led by the Spirit will inevitably be led into places and circumstances where they have no idea what to do or say. That is because we must all learn to totally depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide us. 

Isaiah 54:2 is intended for every Christian who is serious about his walk with the Lord.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.

Why should we enlarge the place of our tent, stretch forth the curtains of our habitations, and lengthen our cords? so that we, out of necessity, must cry out, "Help, Lord! We have not walked this way before; we must trust in the Lord. He is faithful, but we must step out of our comfort zone.

Most Christians (as well as non-believers) rather enjoy that comfort zone. 

We: 

have jobs with which we are comfortable.

have a nice car to take us to the same places every day 

have a place to live with which we are comfortable 

eat the same types of food with which we are comfortable 

read the same types of books and magazines 

watch the same types of television shows 

go to a church with which we are very comfortable

do not like anything or anyone who tries to get us out of our comfort zone 

are creatures of habit

do not like change of any kind

Matthew 14:25-32

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Undoubtedly a multitude of sermons have been preached on those Verses. In effect, Jesus bade Peter to get out of the boat or to get out of his comfort zone. However, we need to be careful here. Jesus was not telling all believers to go and literally walk on water. The key to walking on water is in Verse 29. When the Lord tells us to "come" then we can do whatever He says. Those Verses are another example of the critical need to hear the voice of the Lord for our self.

One of the most sobering words in the Bible are in a parable that Jesus spoke.

Matthew 25:24-30

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We dare not try to maintain the status quo! Actually, as a believer, there is no such thing as the status quo. Either we are daily pressing into the kingdom of God or we are not. We are either dying daily to self or we are not. Paul said,

1 Corinthians 15:31 I die daily.

Do you remember how excited you became when the Lord first apprehended you? You wanted to go out and tell everybody about the good news you first experienced. Do you remember the zeal you had when you began to experience new things in a Christian fellowship? You were baptized in the Holy Spirit, you heard some wonderful new truths at "church," you met a new set of wonderful, like-minded believers, you learned some new spiritual songs that delighted your soul. Do you know that we can maintain that same excitement and zeal in our spirit, even after 40 years of being a believer? But to experience that we must take a step of faith outside of our comfort zone. We must step out of our box.

(4) His Will Becomes My Will

Every person is born with a will, which is part of our soul. We have what is called "free will," which means that we can do whatsoever we desire. We can choose to do our own will or we can, by the power of the Holy Ghost, do the will of the Father. Scripture is abundantly clear that Jesus, when He walked the face of the earth as a man, likewise had a will of His own. He prayed,

Matthew 26:39

And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.

John 4:34 Jesus said, 

My meat is to do the will of Him That sent Me, and to finish His work.

John 5:30

I can of Mine own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father Which hath sent Me.

John 6:38 

For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him That sent Me.

(5) Rest Hebrews 4:1-11

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

 

The rest which God calls us to enter is not our rest, but His rest, which He invites us to share, through and in Christ. 

Colossians 3:1-3 

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Scripture says we are dead. If that be true, and of course it is true, then we can rest in peace while this mortal body is still alive in time. Jesus only "did" that which He saw His Father doing. It is NOT acceptable to do good works simply because we see a need. There is no rest in works of the flesh.

Luke 4:25-27

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Note that many widows and many lepers were in Israel at that time, but none of the rest were healed. In both cases the Lord sent His prophet all the way out of the country to what represents a heathen nation. The Lord asks the question, Where is the place of My rest? the rest is in Christ! Christ is the rest of God! That does not mean that we never "do" anything. It simply means that we only "do" the works that have been foreordained for us to walk in from before the foundation of the world. Like Jesus, we only "do" the works that we see our Father doing. Jesus said,

John 9:4

I must work the works of Him That sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can.

John 17:4

I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. 

Therefore, for a Christian who is abiding in the Vine, there is an apparent paradox, which is no paradox at all, of resting while working.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Work of the Lord is His work, not my work. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Praise God! May we all enter into His rest as we do only the works He has ordained for us! And may His kingdom come and His will be done in earth as it is in heaven! For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Amen!

In The Final Analysis

In effect, after we accept His great grace and become born-again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, all we can do is to hear His voice and be obedient. If we are obedient, we automatically will walk in the works that He has foreordained for us from before the foundation of the world. Since every new day is a new adventure and since we have not been this way before, we can only cry out to Him for help.

Last time we shared from Colossians 1:27-28, which speaks of Christ in you the hope of glory. Now we want to look at somewhat the opposite perspective, being in Christ. The phrase in Christ describes the essence of the Christian life. What does it mean to be in Christ?

Ephesians 1:1 -23

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

The phrase, in Christ or a similar one, occurs 12 times in Verses 1-13. It refers to the spiritual union of Christ with His body, the body of Christ. Ephesians brings out the full light of our position in Christ. The secret to fellowship and fruitfulness in the Christian life is abiding in Christ. We can never do better than look at the example given by the Lord Jesus.

John 14:8-12

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Now let us consider the life of a typical Christian.

John 10:9

I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

What does in and out mean?

Revelation 3:12

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name.

John 15:4-8

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

This is not salvation; it is communion. We are to live our lives such that Christ will continue to abide in us. This is our responsibility. Both of these 2 abidings are necessary for this vital union in Christ. Now, how do we abide in Him? we abide by being available and obedient to Him and to His Word (not to what we think is His word).

The Holy Spirit applies His word to our daily lives and the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us of all sin. This is the Father's pruning effort upon our daily lives. Without Christ the most eloquent preaching and Bible discussion will be like a mist that quickly evaporates into thin air. Without Him we can do nothing ... we cannot even take our next breath. I am nothing; Christ is everything. To abide in Christ takes work on our part.

The fact that our lives are producing the fruit of the Spirit demonstrates that we are in Christ and abiding in Him. When our Lord says: Abide in Me, He is talking about our will, about the choices and the decisions we make. It is a choice we make whereby we decide to do that which exposes us to Him and keeps us in contact with Him. We have been placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Now we must choose to maintain that fellowship by the decisions we make. We choose to expose ourselves to His Word in order to learn about Him and to relate to Him, to remain in union with Christ, to abide in Christ; to dwell or continue in Him means we are already in Him. To abide in Christ is for those who are in Christ.

Progressive sanctification is an ever putting off all that belongs to the old man, and putting on all that belongs to the new man in Christ. We cannot be a mature believer and live anyway we choose. Our old nature, though judged and condemned in the death of Christ, forever revolts against the sentence of death.

The believer who is in Christ not only has died with Christ, but is bound to "die daily" with Him so long as he is in the flesh. The believer is always bearing about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus. We are new creatures in Christ whose inward man is renewed day by day. We must have the same mind of Christ. Anything that is opposed to Christ in our lives must die.

However, no amount of self-denial of the old nature will make us holier, unless we are brought at the same time into a deeper intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful day it will be when the battle is over and we cease from our putting off and putting on and we are presented spotless in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:53-54 

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.