by Daniel Dangoor
Xerxes passed a decree that required all virgin women to present themselves before the King so that he could chose his bride. Our God also invites us to come to His palace so that Christ can choose His bride. Xerxes’ eunuch trained Esther on etiquettes – how to behave, what to wear, etc., so that she could please the King. In the same way, the Holiest of Spirits trains us to be as beautiful as the Architect of the Universe has planned His New Jerusalem to be. We are also called upon, at the sound of the shofar, to the feast of the Messiah; we are also invited to be His bride.
“Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2)
This is the invitation that the Angels long to sing!
This is the invitation that God had spoken through the lips of the prophets!
This is the invitation by which we shall reach Eternal Glory as Christ’s Bride!
The Name above all names has called us into His Kingdom, despite our sins, despite our deeds or our supposed self-righteousness. He has summoned mankind towards Him, so that he can choose His bride from amongst them.
As the blood of the Eternal Son was shed, as the waters flowed from within our Passover , the very Gates of Heaven were opened, and the veil was torn. All this to be owed to His death on the cross! Now we can see the eternal light of the Everlasting Kingdom shining on our faces. “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the Life.”
However, something would be lacking if only so much got done, for our God is a God of “complete” works. The Gates were open, but the moat of self-righteousness still separated us from the Kingdom entrance. To understand the fullness of the sacrifice of Christ we MUST understand the GODHEAD’s role in our Salvation.
We were completely separate from God because “our iniquities have separated us from our God” (Isaiah 59:2). But as the Father willed, “He gave us His only begotten Son, so that all who believe in Him may not die, but have Eternal Life.” (John 3:16). So, it was the Father’s choice, it was His will that we be saved. But in order to be saved we needed to be made righteous once more. But, how could this get accomplished in light of the mortal sin we committed? It was an unforgivable sin, worthy of eternal death! How then could we be saved? Not only that, He also had to figure out “how to save us in a way that glorifies the Name, which is above all names, and does not glorify us (mankind)”? Because we aren’t worthy of glory, we receive it through Grace, but are we “worthy” of grace!? We shan’t dare think so high and mighty about ourselves. If we esteem ourselves worthy of something through our works, in His eyes we are worthy of only the depths of hell. But the unfathomable King of kings had a plan. Indeed! He had a plan above all plans: I shall justify men, but NOT by their works, for in my eyes “their righteousness is as filthy rags”. I shall justify them by the Faith they have in my Name. But, isn’t having faith a work in itself? NO! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8)
The will of the Father was that we be saved, so He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice opened the gates so that we could be re-inserted into the Kingdom! But to be able to accept all this, Faith is needed! And faith is a gift, a gift of the Holy Spirit. When He gave us the ability to believe (through His Spirit) – when He poured His faithfulness into us, and gave us the Faith needed to believe – the Bridge was drawn down, and the moat of self-righteousness was trespassed. Finally, this song was heard in the Heavens: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.” Thus, as we were given the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19), we saw the Lofty Gates of heaven opening, and the Bridge of Righteousness soaring into the heavens and establishing itself between us and the Kingdom. We finally were able to say: “Hallelujah! Now I can walk in!” But as we start walking into the bridge, we see a Knight, nay, a King, mounted on a White horse, with eyes like fire, and a double-edged sword in His mouth and on His thigh is written the words: “King of Kings, Lord of Lords”. And He starts galloping towards us, just as a father rushes to his long lost child who has found his way back. Even before we can walk into the Kingdom, the King walks into us, and establishes Himself King forever! (2 Samuel 7:16)
“That is why the King of Glory shall come in”! He comes into you, through grace, and not through merit. We really need to hammer this fact into our minds – we are saved by grace! He is the WAY (Bridge), He is the TRUTH (Gates), and He is the LIFE (as the King comes to live in us!). – (I will not go into the explanation of the Tabernacle’s veils.)
If faith is a gift, then we must SEEK it (1 Corinthians 14:1), and He shall give it to us through grace. Through faith we shall reach repentance, which also is through grace. Repentance and Faith walk hand in hand, and through these the Kingdom comes into us. The Kingdom entry truly happens when the Kingdom enters you. And that happens by a change in mindset through Faith that is imparted by the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit wishes to establish the Kingdom of God within us, for we are His temple. (1Corinthians 3:6)
Let us seek Him, so that He might enter into our hearts and change us from the inside out! Don’t be conformed to the world! (Romans 12:2) but be conformed to the image of the Son! (Romans 8:29) Babylon wants to change us from the outside in, make us dress (outside) in certain ways so that we feel better (inside). It also makes us buy things (on the outside) so that we feel accepted (inside). The holiest of strategies beats all of them – He called us out of the Empire of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Love of His Son. He has chosen to change us from our inside, our spirit first and then our soul, so that we can change the outside. We are History Makers, and we shall change this world and the next! Let us seek Faith and Repentance and let the Holy Spirit establish the Kingdom and the King IN US so that we can establish it on earth!
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21).
All for the King.
