1. THE TWO KINGDOMS

Are you aware that there are only two kingdoms in this world?

• The Kingdom of God /Kingdom of Heaven and
• The kingdom of darkness

2. WHO ARE THE CITIZENS OF THESE TWO KINGDOMS?

• Everyone on this earth, with the exception of those who have been washed by the Blood of the Lamb of God, is a citizen of the world—a world that is under the control of Satan, the king of the kingdom of darkness. And all citizens of the world are in bondage, i.e., they are being held captive by the evil one.

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world
is under the control of the evil one"
— 1 John 5:19 NIV.

• Those who have been washed by the Blood of the Lamb of God are citizens of the Kingdom of God. God delivered them from bondage and control of Satan when they confessed that Jesus is Lord and believed in their heart that God had raised Him from the dead.

"For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus"
— Eph 2:6 NLT.

3. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE A HEAVENLY CITIZEN

You have to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved (Rom 10:9).

Immediately you make the above confession and acknowledge that Christ died for your sins, two things happen simultaneously:

• God delivers you from Satan's control and
• The Holy Spirit recreates a new spirit from the previously dead one; this renewed spirit is alive to the things of God.

As heaven rejoices, darkness wails.

Satan begins to plot how to ensnare you and bring you back into his bondage almost immediately. He will use family and friends to dissuade you at first. Where that fails, and you begin to attend a church, he will use false brethren in that church to mislead you through feeding you false doctrines. However, Satan will not bother you if you choose to attend a counterfeit church (any church that does not follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ is a counterfeit. Counterfeit churches belong to the kingdom of darkness).

Be prepared for shunning by family and friends and spiritual attacks as you grow in faith.

4. CHRISTIAN, BORN AGAIN AND OR FOLLOWER OF CHRIST?

Estimates put the number of Christians in the world at about 2.2 billion. Out of this number, more than 600 million Christians belong to the so-called “Pentecostal-Charismatic” Movement.

QUESTIONS:

• How many of the about 2.2 billion who identify as Christians are "born again" (John 3:3) and followers of Christ?
• How many of the more than 600 million Pentecostal-Charismatics are "born again" (where "born again" is as taught by Pentecostal-Charismatics groups) and therefore true followers of Christ (1 Thess 1:6)?

Using God's word (Rom (9:6), we can say that not all who identify themselves as Christians are followers of Christ and not all who claim to be "born again" are "born again" and therefore true followers of Christ.

5.0  WHO THEN ARE THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST?

True followers of Christ understand that they must obey their Lord and Saviour in all matters. And for them to "walk the walk", they must surrender their will to God just as He (Christ) did while on earth.

"I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will"
— John 5:30 NLT.

Many, after confessing "Jesus is Lord"  erroneously believe that they don't have to make drastic lifestyle changes. They fail to understand that the new life has been purchased with the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and that it now belongs to God. Therefore, they can no longer live as they like.

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them"
— 2 Cor. 5:15 NLT.

It is impossible to be united with the world and be a true follower of Christ. True followers of Christ have cut off the umbilical cord linking them with the world, not minding the consequences. God commands His followers to come out of the world system; it is a command that all who desire to live holy lives in Christ Jesus must heed.

"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? . . .Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty "
— 2 Cor 6:14-18 NLT.

Separation from the world (Egypt) is very difficult. It has been, and continues to be, a stumbling block for many who otherwise could have led spiritually fulfilling lives. These backslidden brethren, like Demas, are unwilling to make that radical change. Therefore, they make compromises and justify it by saying that it is impossible to live like Christ did while earth. After all, the time of Christ is not the same as now, some argue.  

"Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did"
— 1 John 2:6 NLT.

QUESTION: Is God asking His children to do the impossible?

I submit the answer is a resounding NO.

Christ surrendered His will to God. Those who have surrendered their will to God are able to live as Christ did. Oh, by the way, God knew then that we will have aircraft, computers, race cars, etc when He, through His servant, urged Christ's followers to live as Christ did.  

God's grace is more than sufficient for whoever puts her trust in Him (2 Cor 3:5).

Followers of Christ love reading God's word. Right from their birth (the day they accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour), they, like newborn babies, desired the sincere milk of the word (1Pet 2:2). They read the Bible even when they didn't understand everything. But they knew that the Helper promised by their Lord and Saviour will help them to grow. For them, attending church services and even going to Sunday school was not enough. They thought over whatever they heard from the pulpits, Sunday schools and other Christians. At the beginning of their journey, many accepted whatever they were told by their church elders. But the more they read the Bible, they more they came to realise that they must verify everything they are told with the word of God. Therefore, when "wolves in sheep clothing" (false brothers and sisters) tried to take advantage of their seeming naiveté, they remained steadfast in their belief that God's word is the final authority on all matters of doctrine and practice. And God, seeing their persistence and trust in Him, continues to enlighten their hearts to know Him more and more.

Contrast the mind-set of true followers of Christ above with that of those that take the word of human beings above that of God who are satisfied with going to church and soaking in the words of church leaders pastors, general overseers, etc but neglect to crosscheck what they hear with the Bible. That accounts for their failure to grow in the faith since faith comes through hearing the Good News about Christ (Rom 10:17).

True followers of Christ know that they must continue to grow in faith. As workers in the Lord's vineyard, they must continue to study for them to be able to correctly explain the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).

They understand that forsaking the world (worldly relationships, norms and way of life) and obedience learnt through meditative study of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is sine qua non for those who desire to live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed life where Father, Son and Spirit make their home with them.

Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them
— John 14:23 NLT

"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him"
— Act 5:32