B.KeithChadwell
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Joined: 08/27/2013
Location: United States
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Posts: 18
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Posted: 09/16/2016 at 7:47pm
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Entry to "The City"
B. Keith Chadwell
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that
they may have right to
the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into
the city.
"The City"....whose gates shall not be shut at
all........yet, no entry into "the City" is
allowed that will defile .....nothing abominable, nothing
that makes a lie...
The gates are never shut, indicating one could "enter" at
any time, yet entry is conditional. Inside "the City" we
find healing and light for the nations and no more curse but
rather; an eternity of reigning with God.
Perhaps another description for "the City" would be:
"righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost. For he, that in these things, serves
Christ is acceptable to God
and approved of men."
Then again, a more familiar description of "the City"
might be: that place "Where the
King (God and His Christ) has dominion" or "Where the King
has complete and total rule over His people". Or, more
commonly reffered to as; "The Kingdom of God",
which is not, actually, a physical place to be observed or
looked for, because it is.....
...“WITHIN YOU“.
By contrast, just outside "the City" are still to be found,
those who love a lie and do lie, also; whoremongers and
murderers.....etc., etc. These are not allowed into "the
City", yet, these are still around outside the gate. This
might lead one to ask; "with gates to "the City" that are
never closed ... what is to prevent those on the outside
from coming in? Or, for that matter, those that are on the
inside from going back out, if they so choose?
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and
such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit (enter into) the kingdom of God.
Ever know a Christian who lied? How about a Christian who
was envious?
Sorry, no entry to "the City"....not yet. A work in
progress you say. A citizen of "the
City" by faith (the substance of things hoped for) you say.
Yes and yes, but... there remains, out there, righteousness
in fact. This is that which Christians Hope for but have
not, yet, attained to or else why do they yet hope for it.
So then, perfection in Christ, by and through the work of
the Spirit of Christ, in us, is the goal and contrary to
some thinking, it IS attainable. Attainable but only
through the work of the Spirit in us as we, daily, choose
His narrow way. This is the ONLY "way" to enter into..."The
City". For self-produced righteousness, is not acceptable.
Mat 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the
gate, and broad is the way,that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat: Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth
unto life,and few there be that find it.
We can read of those Christians in the early church that
could "SEE" but did not "DO" his commandments and then came
a judgment upon them. A judgment for chastening and for
correction. A judgment, sometimes even for the total
destruction of the flesh, in order that the "incorruptible"
seed that had been placed within them would remain
uncorrupte in the "Day of Christ".
So it has been and so it is with Christians today. (see
Chapter 3: Seeing the Kingdom vs Entering the Kingdom from
the e-book; "The Kingdom of Heaven's at hand" at;
www.highcountryministry.com
Jesus told Nicodemus, in effect, that one must be "born
again" to SEE ("the City") and to ENTER ("the City").
"Seeing" is not enough. A choice to "ENTER" must then also
be made. The "entering" will require full obedience to the
Master. Anything less will not be allowed inside the gates
of "the City"......."born again" or not.
Caution: Do not confuse being able to See with Entering.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that
they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house
upon the sand:
Still, we know that; to DO His, perfect, will, all of the
time, is not even within our capability, even as Christians.
So, we must humble ourselves and submit to His work
in us. As Christians we still must make choices, daily, to
die to self and choose to enter into "His Rest" and allow
Him to work "His righteousness" in us. Thereby, we
Christians, allow Him to work in us; to both "will and to do
of His good pleasure".
Even as Christians, without Him, we can do nothing, not even
walk through an open gate to enter... "the City".
~ ~ ~
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Topic: Entry to "The City"
