Lance Lambert Ministries Podcast

The Foundation of the Kingdom — The Grace of God

I think you all know that the theme of this time is 'Thy Kingdom Come.' And I think you also know that my responsibility in this wonderful theme is the gospel of the kingdom — that good news of the kingdom of God that Jesus Himself preached and which in Himself Jesus brought.

That's my theme, and I'm very conscious of my inability when it really comes to it. But what I want to talk about this morning by His enabling power is this: the good news of the kingdom of God is all of His grace from beginning to end. It is all the grace of God.

Its foundation is the grace of God. Its top stone is the grace of God. Our introduction into this kingdom is by the grace of God. Our reaching the goal of this kingdom is by the grace of God. And every development within it, every step taken by faith, every new discovery of the Lord Jesus, every new experience of His power and of His fullness is by the grace of God. This is the gospel of the kingdom.

The Missing Note in Gospel Preaching

I have no idea why it is that in Christian circles they seem to have reduced this word 'gospel' to something very introductory, something almost we could call kindergarten. They have called it 'a simple gospel.' The Scripture speaks of no such thing. It is described again and again and again as the gospel of the kingdom of God. And I must say I believe that that is the missing note in our gospel preaching.

The Necessity of the New Birth

Brother Stephen has already mentioned that amazing talk that Nicodemus, one of the great rabbis of his day, had with the Lord Jesus in the night. And you remember those marvellous words in John's Gospel 3:3. Jesus answered and said unto him:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born anew or born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Now, this second birth is something beyond fallen man in himself. The greatest scientists cannot produce a second birth. The greatest doctors of medicine cannot produce a second birth. The greatest doctors of theology — and we have many of them — cannot produce a second birth.

Only the grace of God can bring a man or a woman to a second birth. Only the abounding grace of God can bring a man or a woman, whoever he or she is, whatever their background, whatever their cultural context, whatever their pedigree or lack of it — whatever — only the grace of God can bring us to the kingdom of God.

God Alone Has Done the Impossible

Now, what I'm saying is, the good news of the kingdom is that God alone has done the impossible. That is the good news of the kingdom. Let me try to explain what I mean. This really is good news.

What is impossible to fallen man, what is impossible to the best of fallen man, to the most educated of fallen man, the most religious fallen man, what is impossible to fallen man, whether he is bad or good, ignoble or noble, God has made possible through His grace.

Fallen man — man born of Adam, however clever, however resourceful, however knowledgeable, however gifted, however religious — is barred from the kingdom of God.

The Divine Veto on Flesh and Blood

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. — 1 Corinthians 15:50

This is flesh and blood — this includes Shakespeare, it includes Goethe, it includes Schiller, it includes all the great poets, all the great painters, all the great composers with all their magnificent gifts to mankind. This is flesh and blood which cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Not because God doesn't like the creativity that is in us. Not that God doesn't like the genius that He's placed within us, but because there is a poison in fallen man which can never be trusted, not now, neither in the age to come.

The Standard Required for Entry

Only those who are as righteous — listen carefully, please — only those who are as righteous, as pure, as holy, and as perfect as the Lord Jesus can enter the kingdom of God.

This disqualifies us all, does it not? It disqualifies us all. We're disqualified.

The Mystery of Calvary

All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. — Isaiah 53:6

From Adam, right the way through all the great figures of history, every single person ever known — all their iniquity came upon the Lord Jesus. Into one single human frame was compressed the iniquity of the whole world from its beginning to its end.

There is nothing more beautiful than a lamb, nothing more innocent, nothing more sweet — a newborn lamb. But then we have a most amazing thing. Even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

And now we suddenly find that this Lamb of God upon the cross became the uplifted serpent — as if into Himself He took the very poison of Satan, as if He took into Himself that venom which has poisoned the whole of mankind and barred us from the kingdom of God.

The Great Exchange

He who knew no sin God made to be our sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. — 2 Corinthians 5:21

For my sin was not only cancelled, it was not only blotted out, it is not only remembered no more. It has been transferred. Jesus, upon His perfect frame, all my sin was placed, and His righteousness was transferred to me.

This is what it means to be justified. Just as if you'd never sinned.

The Spirit of Adoption

For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear, but ye received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. — Romans 8:15–17

Not merely saved to be a subject or a minion in the kingdom of God. Not merely born again of His Spirit and brought into a family, the family of God, but the Spirit of the Lord shed abroad in our heart, establishing a practical, relevant, living, day-to-day experience with the eternal God, the Most High.

Grace in Every Stage of Growth

The basis of all God's dealings in the Kingdom of God are His grace. Not your pedigree, not your background, not your knowledge, not your zeal, not your good works. It is the grace of God from beginning to end.

If it really was a question of pedigree, if it really was a question of our background, if it really was a question of our studies, if it really was a question of our zeal, where would we be?

The Vision of Zechariah

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. And his hand shall bring forth the top stone with shouts of Grace, grace unto it. — Zechariah 4:6–7

The work began in the grace of God, it developed by the grace of God, and it would end by the grace of God.

Here then is the good news of the Kingdom of God. Any man or woman who finally comes to the throne of the Lamb, who finally overcomes and sits down with the Lord Jesus in His throne, who is part of that bride of that city that will reign with Him forever, it will be all of grace.