The journey into the Kingdom of God starts with repentance; it is a turning point from our world, to His Kingdom. Salvation starts with repentance and is fully realized by continuous repentance.
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15
We enter the kingdom through repentance and believing the Gospel. The first step is repentance and it is a continuous experience; it must become a way of life. The attitude of repentance needs to be built into our lives as an ongoing experience. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to continue to bring us to repentance.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; John 16:8-10
The First Foundation is Repentance from dead works
if we are to walk in continuous fellowship with the Lord we have to walk a life of constant repentance.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10
As we walk into the Kingdom of God, He begins to require of us a greater level of purity and this involves the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin.
As we begin to walk in greater light and understanding of God’s ways and requirements, we become aware through the conviction of the Holy Spirit of areas in our lives which God requires of us to make changes.
Up to this point we were not aware that many of these things in our lives are sin. It is then we become accountable for those sins; to whom much is given much is required.
This is a process that we need to cooperate with. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Isaiah 26:7
And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:47-48
In order to walk in the light and have ongoing fellowship with the Lord we have to have a lifestyle of repentance.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
As God begins to convict us of sin we have to repent. The further we walk into the Kingdom the more of the way of purity He requires of us in order for us to walk in the Spirit with Him.
The way becomes narrower as we proceed and as the Lord brings holiness and purity into our lives. This is not to limit us in any way, but to free us from the pull of this world so that we may walk in the realm of the Lord; which is a spirit realm.
Sovereign experiences in God are not a sign or indicator of our spirituality or purity.
Sovereign experiences are usually one of our experiences, but to walk in that realm requires a pure heart.
Sovereign experiences are like the grapes from the Promised Land; they reveal what is possible for us. But to actual walk in that realm requires circumcision of heart. Joshua 5:1-9
It is God’s intention that we walk with Him in the Spirit and not just have sovereign experiences of, and with the Lord.
To walk in the light and have fellowship with the Lord continuously requires that we embrace a lifestyle of repentance.
Sovereign experiences in God are not a sign or indicator of our spirituality or purity.
The closer we walk with God the more purity there must be in our lives. This process of conviction of sin and repentance needs to be a way of life.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20-22
This purifying process requires our co-operation with the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin. We must choose either to repent and go on, or resist and stay where we are; the choice is ours.
Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not set his mind om what is false. and who has not sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:3-4
This journey begins with the new birth and the forgiveness of every sin in our past and continues on with a daily cleansing from sin as we learn to walk in obedience and light.
We start the journey in the outer court and we are meant to continue on into the Holiest of all. We don’t have to lay the foundation of salvation again, but we do have to walk daily with an attitude of repentance.
There are levels of repentance; the closer we get to the Lord the more sin that is exposed in our lives. We must not allow sin to accumulate in our lives since it will stop us from walking in the light with Jesus.
When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: Exodus 30:20
There was a time when Jesus decided to wash the disciples’ feet but Peter objected to it.
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. John 13:8-10
Jesus responded to Peter by saying he that is washed need not be washed again except for his feet. We don’t lose our salvation because we have sinned during the day, but we need daily cleansing in order to walk in the light.
Our feet represent our daily walk in this world; it is our feet that touch this earth and pick up the dirt and filth of this world.
At the end of the day we come before the Lord in the spirit of repentance and allow him to search our heart and receive cleansing through the blood of Jesus. We need to keep short accounts with the Lord putting things right, quickly.
When the nation of Israel left Egypt they were on a journey to the Promised Land. This was not a journey that would take several years — they could have made this journey to the promise land in twelve months!
Wilderness experiences do not have to last for years. God’s purpose in taking Israel through the wilderness was to strip them from the ways of Egypt and bring them into total dependence upon him.
The purpose of testing is to prove and qualify us.
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, with its poisonous snakes , and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and test thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; Deuteronomy 8:15-16
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for exsamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthains 10:5-11
Israel could have made this journey relatively quickly but they did not pass the tests.
A new generation is about to arise, a Joshua generation that will cross over into the Promised Land.
We are supposed to mature in God to the place where we have entered the Promised Land having kept and experienced the Feast of Tabernacles.
However a whole generation of Spirit-filled Christians have remained and died in the wilderness. This is about to change: God is moving on and those who are pursuing the Lord with all their hearts are about to move on from Pentecost and keep the Feast of Tabernacles, walking in the manifest presence of the Lord.
As we learn to walk in a lifestyle of repentance, we continue to walk in the light on a pathway that leads to the very heart of God; a place of the manifest presence of God in the holiest of all!
As we lay this first stone in our lives, we embark on a journey that can quickly bring us into the Promised Land and a place of intimacy in walking with the Lord.