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Desiring to make it into God's Kingdom is an
admirable goal-but it is not enough. There is a still
higher goal than this!
ha
t
sho u ld
the real
Chr i st i an
g o a 1 be?
Most long–
time readers of
The Plain Truth
will answer, "Why,
my goal is to enter the Kingdom of
God!"
Isn' t this what Christ said the
Christian goal should be? He admon–
ished, " But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and a l!
these things [material necessities]
shall be added unto you" (Matt.
6:33).
Content to Be a Doorkeeper?
But is this goal sufficient? Should
zea lous Chr ist ians have an even
higher goal, within the overall goal of
entering God's Kingdom?
Should the Christian seek more
than just entering the Kingdom of
God- just making it into God's
Kingdom?
Or should a Christian be quite con–
tent to seek no higher goal in the King–
dom ofGod than mere!y to be a "door–
keeper"? Didn't King David say, " 1
had rather be a doorkeeper in the
house of my God, than to dwell in the
34
by
Raymond F. McNair
tents of wickedness"? (Ps. 84:10.)
Did David mean that he was con–
tent to seek the lowest place or posi–
tion in God's Kingdom? No, this is
not what David said or meant! He
merely showed it would be far more
desirable to be a mere doorkeeper in
the
Ki~gdom
of God than to have
what sorne might think to be a more
honored position in this world.
God's Word clearly revea ls that
He is not pleased to see us seeking
merely to enter His Kingdom. He
wants to see us enter with flying
colors! He hopes we wi ll lawfully
strive for more than just making it
into H is Kingdom!
The apostle Peter made this point
very clear.
"Wherefore the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling
and election sure: for if ye do these
things, ye shal l never fall: For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting king–
dom of our Lord and Saviour J esus
Christ" (1 1 Pet. 1:10- 11).
The apostle Paul clearly showed
that at the judgment God will re–
ward every man "according to bis
deeds" ( Rom. 2:5-6).
Seek for Glo ry?
But should a Christian seek more
than eternal life? More than a place
in God's Kingdom? Notice the apos–
tle Paul's answer: "To them who by
patient cont inuance in well doing
seek for glory and honor and immor–
tality, eterna! life" (Rom. 2:7).
God Almighty promises He will
give us much more than immortali–
ty- more than eterna! life in His
Kingdom! In addition to eterna( life
He will give us "glory, honor , and
peace, to every man that worketh
good, to the J ew first, and also to the
Gentile" (verse 1
O).
Yes, God's Word clearly reveals
that we should seek for more than
eternal life.
Sorne will make it into God' s
Kingdom, but will not receive a very
great reward- because they have not
diligently served God to the utmost
of their ability! They have not served
Him with all their might- have not
sought, lawfully, for a greater reward
in God's Kingdom!
God wants us to receive a full re–
ward . "Look to yourselves, that we
lose not those things which we have
wrought, but that we receive a full
reward"
(ll
John 8).
Yes, God Almighty will reward us
according to tbe actual fruits which
we have produced- according to our
works! At the second coming of J esus
Christ every Christian is going to
stand before H im to personally re-
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1979