How is one able to enter into the kingdom of God? I did this post while waiting for my flight back to Singapore. The bible tells us in this verse:
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
A key phrase to note in this verse is "born again." Jesus tells us that except a man is born again, he can't even "see" the kingdom of God. Of course, the kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom we can see with our natural eyes. Therefore, when a man is born again, God will also at the same time open his eyes to behold spiritual things.
Luke 24:31 "And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight."
The context of this verse is about two men who met the risen Christ while on their way to Emmaus. Notice their eyes were "opened" and they knew the Lord. That happened after Jesus expounded scriptures to them:
Luke 24:27 "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."
That was an example of soul-winning by the Lord Jesus. Notice the sequence of how Jesus expounded from scriptures: "beginning at Moses and all the prophets," he expounded unto them all things concerning himself from scripture. That was Jesus giving them the gospel, and how scripture is to be expounded to hearers, beginning at Moses and the prophets.
Luke 24:32 "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"
When the Lord Jesus Christ "opened" the scriptures to them, something happened within them. Notice the words "did not our heart BURN within us?"
Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"
Jeremiah tells us that the word of God is as a fire in this verse. That's why when the word of God is received in the heart, it will "burn." Not only that, but the word of God is also like a hammer that will break the rock in pieces. It is going to soften your heart.
Psalms 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
That is the law of the LORD converting the soul, converting it from what it used to be. It is the soul that needed to be saved.
Job 33:22 "Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers."
Job tells us that each day a man's life draws near to his day of death, his soul is also drawing near to the destroyers.
Job 33:23 "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:"
A sinner is without hope except there be a “messenger” with him, a soul-winner (one among a thousand) to interpret the scriptures for him, to shew unto him God’s righteousness, so that his eyes may be opened to see the kingdom of God.
Job 33:24 "Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."
It was then, after the scriptures were expounded to him: beginning at Moses and the prophets in the things concerning Jesus, is a man’s eyes opened to the kingdom of God. That was also the point when his soul is delivered from going down into hell, because God the Father has found a "ransom" for that sinner.
Matthew 20:28 "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
The "ransom" is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God the Father hath made to be the sin offering for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21. There is something that God that Father was looking for, however.
Job 33:27 "He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;"
God the Father was looking for an "honest and good heart." (Luke 8:15) The response of an honest and good heart to the gospel of Jesus Christ is to repent: "I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not."
Job 33:28 "He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light."
The response from an "honest and good heart" (Luke 8:15) to scriptures was what God the Father was looking for, after which he will deliver the man's soul from going down into hell, and his life shall “see the light."
Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:"
To “see the light” is God opening a man's eyes to see the kingdom of God. The law of God which converts the soul is "light" according to this verse.
Job 33:29-30 "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."
These things worketh God oftentimes with man, to deliver his soul from going into hell, and to enlighten the man with the light of the living. When God opens the 66 books of the Holy Bible to you, your eyes are also at the same time opened to see the kingdom of God. That's how it works.
Ecclesiastes 1:18
“For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”
Proverbs 31:6
“Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.”
Luke 1:22
"And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless."