The Moral Character Of The Kingdom

by PRASHER, G. | Category: The Kingdom Of God | Oct 1957

The moral character of the kingdom of God is clearly seen in the Old Testament Scriptures. Prior to the establishment of the kingdom in Israel God gave His law, an instrument for the government of the nation. This was the moral law, the statutes of which are found in Exodus 20, and the judgements in following chapters.

We should note that the moral law was basic in regard to the kingdom, and the willingness of the people to accept its obligations was required by the LORD before the covenant could be ratified and sealed by blood. See Exodus 19 and 24. "The law," we read, "is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good" (Romans 7.12). God designed that the holiness of the law should be displayed in His people. The holy law was given to a people to whom God said, Ye shall ... be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11.45). It was His standard, and where He governs He can set no standard of a lower character.

There was another aspect of law given to Israel-the ceremonial, which followed the moral aspect, and came after the establishment of the kingdom. It was of a different. natare, and was secondary in importance, Being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation" (Hebrews 9. 10).

It is sad that in Israel's history the lesser aspect of the law was often given a place of greater importance than it should have had, and the tradition of the elders even made void the word of God. This the Lord had occasion to expose when the Pharisees and certain of the scribes complained that His disciples ate their bread with unwashed hands. He said:

Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

This people honoureth Me with their lips.

But their heart is far from Me.

But in vain do they worship Me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men."

"For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: but ye say, if a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do" (Mark 7.6-18).

Then He went on to show how they made void God's word, and rejected the commandment of God.

In these words He rebuked the Pharisees and the scribes, then He taught the multitudes, saying, "Hear Me all of you, and understand: There is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him: but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man." To the disciples He explained,

" Whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught. This He said, making all meats clean" (Mark 7.14-19).

Here we find all the force of the Lord's authority directed against exalting man's tradition to take the place of the moral law of God. We judge this is something to which we need to pay attention in our day. Who that has any measure of spiritual discernment can fail to see that in so many instances man's tradition has made void the law of God? Very largely today man's fear of God "is a commandment of men which hath been learned by rote" (Isaiah 29.18, R.V.M.).

The moral law of God then had two sides, that which was Godward, and that which was manward, and it has been, with one exception, incorporated in the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. It regulates the conduct of the disciple towards God and man. We should guard against the error that the moral requirements of the law have no bearing on believers in this dispensation. So far as our salvation from hell is concerned the law has no place, since we are saved by grace, and not by works, but God expects "that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit" (Romans 8.4).

Let us place the ten words of the law over against the words of the faith, or apostles' teaching.

(1)"Thou shalt have none other gods before Me" (Exodus 20. 3).

" Neither be ye idolaters."

" Flee from idolatry " (1 Corinthians 10.7.14).

(2)"Thou shalt not make ... a graven image ... Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20.4,5).

" My little children, guard yourselves from idols " (1 John 5.21).

(3)"Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain (vanity or falsehood)" (Exodus 20.7).

Whilst Israel were commanded not to take the LORD'S glorious and fearful name in vain, or for falsehood, the teaching of the New Testament is, " Swear not at all

(Matthew 5. 84). See also James 5.12.

(4)"Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy" (Exodus 20.8).

The Lord did good deeds on the sabbath day, and we read, "Let no man ... judge you in respect of ... a sabbath day " (Colossians 2.16). The sabbath is one of many types. Of the ten commandments this is the only one which is excepted from the faith. Our Lord rose from the tomb on the first day of the week, and this day (not the sabbath) is marked as the day on which the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20.7).

(5)"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20.12).

We have already seen the Lord's reference to this matter in Mark 7. Besides this we have Paul's words in Ephesians

6.1-8, "Children. obey your parents in the Lord : for this is right. Honour thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth."

(6)"Thou shalt do no murder" (Exodus 20.18).

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer : and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3.15).

He that loveth not abideth in death" (1 John 3.14).

(7)"Thou shalt not commit adultery "(Exodus 20.14).

Among those who shall not inherit the kingdom of God are "fornicators... adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men " (1 Corinthians 6.9).

"Let marriage be had in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13.4).

Says the Lord Jesus, "But I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5.28).

(8)" Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20.15).

Let him that stole steal no more : but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need"

(Ephesians 4.28). This person Will find it more blessed to give than to steal.

(9) "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" (Exodus 20.16).

But speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him, which is the Head Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbour: for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4.

15.25).

(10)"Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbour's (Exodus 20.17).

"Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12. 15). See also 1 Timothy 6.6-10.

When the Lord was asked by a lawyer, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? " He said unto him,

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy

soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment.

And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets

(Matthew 22.85-40).

This is further emphasized in the words of Paul in Romans 13.9, 10, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour : love therefore is the fulfilment of the law."

This throws into relief the saying of the Lord in John 14.15, " If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments." This is that love that never faileth.

"Love suffereth long, and is kind; ... envieth not...flaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth... beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth " (1 Corinthians 13.4-8).

If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the Scripture," says James, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well." Then he goes on to say, "So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty" (2.8, 12); and in chapter 1.25 he terms this law of liberty the perfect law. It is this that is prominent when we consider the moral character of the kingdom of God. The "thou shalt-nots " are present, but not with the same emphasis, because against the fruit of the Spirit ' there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof" (Galatians 5.23, 24).

One little girl wanted another to join in doing something wrong, but the latter objected because, said she, "Father would not like me to do that." "But father would not know," rejoined the first girl. The knowledge of her father's will, however, was sufficient to cause this little person to abstain from what she knew he would not allow, though she had no commandment from him as to this particular act. Here is the law of love in operation.

There is a story told of a gentleman who took his collie to the city. For a while, each time he went out, the lead was attached to the neck of the dog. Then one day as Jock held up his head to have the lead put on his master said, "No Jock, you are to have your liberty today". When on the street the dog darted off in great excitement and the owner wondered, as he bounded out of sight, Will I ever see him again? Very soon, however, Jock reappeared and bounced towards his master's side. He was bound by a lead that was stronger than leather

-the perfect law of liberty. He loved his master.

"The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14.17). The moral character of the kingdom has righteousness to the front. In some kingdoms, "Does it pay"? or, "Is it good policy"? is first and foremost, and whether or not it is right does not weigh heavily. But "the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6.9).We should be seekers of His kingdom, and His righteousness, for they must go together. Pious expressions and use of the title, Lord, Lord, is no warrant either for entrance into or assurance that one is in the kingdom. What can be more solemn and sad than the fact that many engage in prophecy, and doing mighty works by the name of Christ, and yet in the coming day He will protest saying, "I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" ? Then the Lord says, "Every one therefore which heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, which built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock " (Matthew 7.22-25).

"He that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men. So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and the things whereby we may edify one another" (Romans 14.18,19). But in writing on the moral character of the kingdom we are reminded of the immoral world in which we live. Perhaps as never before in the world's history violence and sexual vice prevail. Those who desire to bear the character of the kingdom need to have deep exercise of heart before God to the end that the word of Christ may dwell richly within. This will be necessary if we are to escape the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1.4). "Be not ye partakers with them," says Paul to the Ephesians, "for ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them ; for the things that are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of" (Ephesians 5.7-12). We would indeed be ashamed to speak of these things, but in the holy Scriptures these matters are dealt with in Spirit-restrained terms, and we can use the words of the Spirit to draw the attention of believers, especially young believers, to the need for us to be like Joseph who fled in the hour of temptation. "Flee fornication " (1 Corinthians 6. 18), is Paul's injunction to the saints. All forms of uncleanness should be eschewed by the disciple of the Lord Jesus. " Keep thyself pure (hagnog pure, chaste, modest, innocent, blameless) (1 Timothy 5.22), were the apostle's words to his child Timothy; and the Lord Jesus says, Blessed are the pure (katharoi clean, pure, unsoiled) in heart: for they shall see God " (Matthew 5.8).

The city of Corinth is said to have been a cesspool of iniquity, and the gospel of God having reached men and women there, reached them in their condition as fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate and abusers of themselves with men, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners, " but ye washed yourselves " (1 Corinthians 6.9-11, R.V.M.) was the testimony of Paul concerning those that had received the grace of God. As they had been sanctified eternally in Christ Jesus they then realized that their part was to wash themselves from the uncleanness of their former lives. This is the intention of the Holy Spirit.

"For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodlinsss and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present 'world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; 'who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works " (Titus 2.11-14).

It is in the midst of this purified people that the kingdom of God can be found. This does not mean that the saints within the kingdom are always blameless, or that they do not often fail and commit sin. It is still true that" if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," but there is divine provision for the failures of God's people in the blood of Jesus His Son which cleanseth us from all sin and unrighteousness. (1 John 1.8, 9).

In Psalm 144.12-15 there is a pen picture of those who form God's kingdom. We quote the verses because of their beauty:

" When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth;

And our daughters as corner stones hewn after the fashion of a palace;

When our garners are full, affording all manner of store;

And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

When our oxen are well ladan;

When there is no breaking in, and no going forth,

And no outcry in our streets:

Happy is the people, that is in such a case:

Yea, happy is the people, whose God is the LORD."

PRASHER, G. | Oct 1957
The Kingdom Of God