Yes—to be a member of the kingdom of God is to be translated by God the Father through salvation into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Les Feldick teaches that believers become members of the kingdom when they become members of the body of Christ. Since Christ, the head of that body, is in heaven, the kingdom is presently in heaven. Colossians 1:13 says God the Father has delivered believers from darkness and translated them into the kingdom of His dear Son, and when Christ returns to set up His earthly kingdom, believers will be with Him.
Colossians 1:12-13 — Paul states that God the Father has already translated believers into the kingdom of His dear Son, directly answering what makes someone a member of the kingdom.
John 3:3 — Jesus links seeing the kingdom of God with being born again, showing that kingdom membership begins with God's work of new birth.
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, Scripture tells believers that God the Father has already made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, and that He has delivered them from the power of darkness and translated them into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:12-13). The language is past tense—God has done it. Jesus also ties the kingdom of God to the new birth. He told Nicodemus in John 3:3, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Thus, the Bible presents kingdom membership as something God does for the believer at salvation, not something earned by human effort.
'The kingdom is the kingdom is the kingdom is the kingdom,' Les Feldick says. He teaches that there is only one kingdom in Scripture, and it is the kingdom Christ will set up on earth when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. Yet for the present, that kingdom is in heaven because Christ, the King, is in heaven. When a person becomes a member of the body of Christ, he also becomes a member of the kingdom. Colossians 1:13 is Les's key verse: God the Father has already translated believers out of the power of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. This translation happens at salvation and applies only to believers. It means believers are already citizens of the kingdom even though the kingdom is not yet visible on earth. When Christ returns and brings the heavenly kingdom with Him, believers will be with Him and will be part of that visible, governmental, political kingdom. Les also corrects what he calls a twisting of Jesus' words, 'the kingdom is within you.' He says Jesus meant that an inner spiritual relationship with God is necessary to become part of the literal, physical, political kingdom that is coming. As Jesus told Nicodemus, a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God.
Les Feldick repeatedly says, 'The kingdom is the kingdom is the kingdom is the kingdom.' All through Scripture there is only one kingdom, and it is the kingdom Christ will set up on earth when He returns to become King of kings and Lord of lords. When Jesus said the kingdom is within you, Les says theologians have twisted it out of shape. His point is that a person must have an inner spiritual relationship with God in order to become part of that future literal, physical, political kingdom.
Since Christ is the very epitome of the kingdom and the head of the body is in heaven, the kingdom is in heaven. Grace-age believers have their citizenship in heaven and have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. That kingdom is located in heaven in the person of Christ. When God the Son leaves heaven, He will bring the heavenly kingdom with Him to set up the earthly kingdom.
Paul, in Colossians 1, says the Father has delivered us from the power of darkness and already translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Les applies this only to believers—Paul always speaks to or on behalf of believers, never an unbeliever. Jesus also told Nicodemus that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So kingdom membership is the result of God's saving work, not something a person achieves.
When Christ returns at His second coming and sets up the kingdom on the earth, believers will be with Him. They are already members of that kingdom by virtue of salvation, and they will rule and reign with Christ. The kingdom, which is spiritual and heavenly tonight, will become a visible, viable, governmental, political kingdom when Christ becomes King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Church Is His Body
Les explains that because the head of the body (Christ) is in heaven, and Christ is the epitome of the kingdom, the kingdom is in heaven; therefore believers who become members of the body of Christ also become members of the kingdom through the translation described in Colossians 1.
One Kingdom
Les stresses there is only one kingdom in Scripture, the one Christ will set up on earth; believers are already citizens and members of that kingdom, and when the Son returns they will be part of it.
Citizenship in Heaven
Les teaches that grace-age believers are citizens of heaven, already translated into the kingdom of His dear Son, and when the heavenly kingdom comes to earth at Christ's return, believers will be part of that visible governmental kingdom.
The Kingdom Is in Glory
Les roots kingdom membership in Colossians 1:12-13, where the Father has already translated us into the kingdom, which is presently in glory in the person of Christ.
The Inner Spiritual Requirement
Les says the one kingdom is the future earthly kingdom, and becoming part of it requires an inner spiritual relationship with God, just as Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again to see the kingdom.
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All through Scripture there is only one kingdom, and it's the kingdom that Christ will set up on earth when He returns to become King of kings and Lord of lords. Now you see, even in His earthly ministry when He said, "...the kingdom is within you," my theologians have taken that and they have so twisted it out of shape that nobody can recognize it, but literally what He was saying is that in orde…
Translated at Salvation
Les emphasizes that at salvation the Father has already, past tense, delivered us from spiritual darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; believers are members now and will one day rule and reign with Christ over that kingdom on earth.
Already in the Kingdom
Les applies Colossians 1:13 to every child of God: if you are a believer you are already in the kingdom, and when Christ returns you will be with Him in His earthly kingdom.
Colossians 1:12: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
This verse shows that God the Father is the one who prepares believers to share in the inheritance of the saints, setting the stage for their translation into the kingdom.
Colossians 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
This is the key verse Les Feldick uses to show that believers have already been made members of the kingdom of His dear Son.
John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus directly connects the new birth with seeing the kingdom of God, which Les refers to when explaining the inner spiritual requirement for kingdom membership.
Yes. Les Feldick points to Colossians 1:13, which says God the Father has already translated believers into the kingdom of His dear Son. Since Christ is in heaven, the kingdom is presently in heaven, but believers are already members of it.
Les says theologians have twisted that phrase. He believes Jesus was teaching that a person needs an inner spiritual relationship with God in order to become part of the literal, physical, political kingdom that Christ will set up on earth at His return.
Yes. Les teaches that believers are already members of the kingdom and when Christ returns to set up His earthly kingdom, believers will be with Him and will rule and reign with Him.
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