What does it take to enter the Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is coming when all human governments will be put down and Jesus Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now, that’s our hope. If you don’t like the way things are going in the world right now, just hang on a while, before long, all of these governments will be put aside.

We’ve seen that several different times in the prophecies. It happens over and over again, that the thrones are going to be cast down, that the governments are coming down, and will be replaced with the government of Almighty God Himself, with Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But the most critical question is:  What does it take to enter the kingdom of God? For the answer to that question again we have to turn to the words of Jesus Christ Himself:

Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles—and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. (John 3:1-3 AMP)

So, the Bible teaches us that the plan of salvation was accomplished by Jesus Christ on Calvary, and we must accept what He did there. We accept the work of Jesus Christ by obeying the gospel. Now, the gospel of the kingdom is the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, resulting in entering the kingdom of God. But, how do we obey the gospel? Paul tells us in tells us there the consequences of not obeying the gospel.

 [It is a fair decision] since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with distress and affliction those who distress and afflict you, and to [recompense] you who are so distressed and afflicted [by granting you] relief and rest along with us [your fellow sufferers] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire, to deal out retribution (chastisement and vengeance) upon those who do not know or perceive or become acquainted with God, and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 AMP)

Not knowing God is equivalent to not obeying the gospel. We are told the gospel is “the good news.” The Bible does describes this for us. Again the apostle Paul wrote, concerning the gospel:

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV)

In his letter to Timothy Paul continued to assert to him to preach this Gospel of the Kingdom. It was noted that in Paul’s day many believed that Jesus Christ was divine but not human—God but not man. So Paul firmly instructs, encourages and strengthens Timothy to preach that Jesus Christ is fully man- a descendant of King David and was fully raised from the dead:

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.(2 Timothy 2:8-10 KJV)

So, the gospel isn’t just “the good news.” The good news is more than that. The good news is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The good news is that we can have eternal life. The gospel not only tells us that we can have eternal life, but how to have eternal life. And that gospel is that we have been redeemed and can be born again through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This gospel contains a central core of revealed truth that has been accepted and upheld by the general church throughout all generations, which may be summed up as follows: Jesus Christ is the divine, eternal Son of God, who became a member of the human race by a virgin birth. He led a sinless life, died on the cross as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of humanity, was buried, and rose again in bodily form from the grave on the third day. He ascended into heaven, whence He will return to earth in person to judge the living and the dead.

Everyone who repents of sin and trusts in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ receives forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. If you are willing to repent of your sins and become a member of God’s family, following, knowing, and serving Him as your Lord and Savior, then pray with me:

Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that You died for my sins, that You were buried, and that You rose again on the third day. I now repent of my sins and come to You for mercy and forgiveness. By faith in Your promise, I receive You personally as my Savior and confess You as my Lord. Come into my heart. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Give me eternal life and make me a child of God. Amen.

This is how we start the journey of entering the Kingdom of God.

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