The Kingdom of Heaven, Part One

Listen to the message of Jesus: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).” From the mouth of John we heard the same words (Matthew 3:2). Now, in the mouth of Jesus, the King of the kingdom, we hear it again and again. In Matthew we hear the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” thirty-two times. In all but one time it is Jesus Himself that makes the announcement. There is no kingdom without a king. With Jesus' presence on earth we have the coming of the kingdom of heaven. The same is true with the kingdom of heaven. Who is the king? The King is the Son of God, for God has so promised the Son. “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (Psalms 2:7-8).” If we are going to understand the kingdom of heaven then we must first understand the entrance requirement to enter into the kingdom. So then, the first thing that we should do is look at the word “Repent...”. “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”


What does it mean to repent? The strict meaning of the Greek word metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o) is that we are to reconsider or change our minds, but the Bible goes beyond that strict definition. Yes, when we repent we have a change of mind, but we it its a change of mind that results in change of action, direction, and desire. I once followed the leanings of my flesh and the world, but now I have so changed my mind that I now follow Christ my Lord which results in wanting to please Him in every way. The only way to describe this is the way Jesus did. We are born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).” “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).”


Some of you may say, “I thought that we are saved by faith.” We are saved by faith and we are born again by faith, but faith is intimately tied to repentance. In fact, faith and repentance are so united that there's no true faith without repentance. Neither is there true repentance without faith. Both are together in the one that is born again. We have turned from idols to serve the living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Our faith is no longer in the world, religion, or our own self-righteousness. We are no longer working to get to heaven, but, because we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, we are working on our way to heaven. “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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).”


Repentance is the prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of Christ. No one is a part of the kingdom of heaven by merit. All have entered into the kingdom of Christ by repentance and faith in Christ. None can say that they deserve to be a part of the kingdom, for all who are in the kingdom have fled from the wrath of God and entered in by faith in Christ Jesus. By repentance we have turned from our madness and foolish rebellion against God. We have turned from the way of death and entered in to the way of life. We have turned from sin, death, and hell through Christ Jesus to righteousness, life, and heaven. And we look for the coming of our Lord and Savior from Heaven to establish His kingdom on this earth.


I encourage you to repent. Let go of all that holds you back from Christ. Cast your sins in repentance behind your back and run to the Savior. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).”