When we read Jesus refer to “the word of the Kingdom” think about it as if He said “the message of another world.” When we see a reference in the Book of Acts to “the good news of the Kingdom of God” think about it as if Luke wrote “the good news of the other world of God.” When we read the Apostle Paul say “we have been translated from the kingdom of this darkness into the Kingdom of the beloved Son” think about it as if Paul wrote “we have been translated from this fallen world to another world where the beloved Son is now.”
We literally have died to this world and live in another world within through the miracle of the indwelling Spirit. This is the apostolic teaching that rocked the planet. Paul said we have been crucified to this world and live now in a different reality. Paul said why do you subject yourself to rules like “touch not” or “taste not” as if you were still living in this world?
The Spirit renews the mind to see the unseen and experience Heaven on earth within.
I think this is what Jesus was referring to in the parable of the pearl of great price or the treasure found buried in a field. He said these were like the Kingdom of Heaven. He was saying that if you find the door that opens up to Heaven on Earth so that you could have the reality of Heaven within you every day while you lived on Earth then that would be the greatest pearl and the greatest treasure. Jacob saw it. Jacob saw the Door and the House of God. Jesus fulfilled it. Jesus is the Door. Jesus is the House of God that He raised in three days. In Jesus we are seated with Him in this other world. Seated. With Him.
The whole scene of Jesus coming to them on the lake, walking on water, as they in fear were sinking in the boat in the violent storm, is a picture of Jesus calling us to see Him and go to Him to walk with Him in another world. Peter walking on water with eyes on Jesus is the picture of all believers walking with God in another world where sinking boats, violent storms and devastating waves have no power.
I love how Paul said “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard and neither has it entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for us in Christ, BUT the Spirit is given to us that we might know these things!” Most teach this verse to mean “in the sweet by and by” we will finally see and know all this great stuff but Paul is not talking about an after death experience but a present living experience through the Spirit giving us revelation to see the unseen reality.
The Gospel is really a radical revelation. It is not only radical because grace is given to sinners but also because it is the revelation of the death of all men from the first Adam and the creation of a new man from the last Adam, a new man who lives in another heavenly realm in union with God while he walks the earth in these bodies. So radical. People who want to just hear sermons on five ways to become a better person or read books on ten steps to be more holy are missing out on the most amazing truth this earth has ever heard, God’s mystery which is Christ Jesus.
James Barron
Hello Jim,
Just an encouragement and thankyou for the blog posts. They are noted and appreciated
Thank you Dave. Always good to hear from you and thanks for the encouragement. You can always email me directly at:
james@jamesbarronlaw.com
“For all things are for your sakes, so that GRACE, having spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” II Cor. 4:15