The Household of God

^{Ephesians2:19}So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰And are built upon the foundation (θεμελιω , themeliō) of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

The household of God is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ was the chief corner stone. The prophets came first, and Jesus came later. Themeliō, the Greek word for foundation, denoted the concept of laying down a foundation.

The foundation could not be laid down until Jesus laid down his life. Until that happened, the foundation could not be laid.

^{Hebrews 1:1}God, who at various times (πολυμερως, polymerōs)and in various ways (πολυτροπως, polytropōs) spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Polymerōs, the Greek word for various times, has nothing to do with time, but what they spoke was piecemeal. Polymerōs means many parts: poly meaning many, and merōs meaning part. They could not be assembled until the cornerstone was laid.

These piecemeal parts were connected to each other through the one piece that was missing: the cornerstone. Until the cornerstone was laid, the parts provided by the prophets could not be assembled into a recognizable foundation.

In these last days, Jesus spoke. He was the piece that was missing: the piece through which all the other pieces connected. He was the cornerstone.

^{1 Corinthians 3:11} For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The foundation of the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ, and he is the foundation of the model that will be developed in this chapter: the piece that must be put in place, upon which all the other pieces can be laid in place.

The True Vine

^John 15:1“I am the true (αληθινη, alethine) vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹²This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Alethine, the Greek word for true, means to reveal that which has been hidden. Alpha, a negative particle, negates lanthano, meaning hidden. A chapter is devoted to this term to reveal the true meaning of true.

The vine is true because it reveals that which had been hidden from ages and generations. This vine connects all the pieces spoken by the prophets. This is the cornerstone upon which the foundation can be laid.

The figure shown illustrates the true vine, as Jesus described it.

There are four characters in this script: the Father, Jesus, you, and another. They are characterized by the vinedresser: the Father, the vine: Jesus, and two of the branches: you, and another. In this description, love flows from one to the next to the next.

It is surprising that something so simple could be the stone that was missing in the foundation, the stone without which none of the pieces of the puzzle given to us  by the prophets could be assembled.

The law of the kingdom is the New Commandment. This law is similar to the law under Melcizedek, in that commandments are specific to the individual. This law is different, however, differing in the manner in which the laws are received. Rather than the Lord telling individuals what to do, in this kingdom, commandments are passed as love letters: as I have loved you, love one another. We follow Jesus by loving one another the way he loved us.

He loves us with the power of the Spirit, and we are to love others in the same way, and with the same power. Because of the involvement of the Spirit, this is also referred to as the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It is distinctly different from the law of Moses, where we are to love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (but no Spirit). The law of Moses was to be kept through the weakness of the flesh. The law of the Spirit of life was to be kept through the power of the Spirit.

Laying the Foundation

Having put the cornerstone in place, the remainder of the foundation can now be laid by adding details from the prophets in the Old Testament.

Now that the cornerstone is put in place, the building of the foundation can resume by adding the pieces provided by the prophets.

A New Heart and a New Spirit

^{Ezekiel 36:26}And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We are born with a heart of stone. When we enter into the kingdom of God, our heart of stone is removed, and we are given a heart of flesh. As you will see, this plays a critical role in the plan of salvation.

We also receive a new Spirit. Instead of depending on the weakness of the flesh, the Spirit of Christ is now the source of our strength. There is more to us than meets the eye. Christ is in us.

The figure below adds the heart of flesh and the Spirit of Christ, shown as a flame of fire.

The Natures of Sin and Righteousness

The Greek word for sin, αμαρτια (hamartia), is composed of two parts: alpha, a negative particle, and meros, meaning part (as we saw earlier). Sin is what one does apart from God.

^{Romans 8:28}And we know that all things work together (συνεργει, sunergei) for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Sunergei, the Greek word for work together is where we get synergy from: ergo is work, and sun is together.

What we know is that things do not perform work. It is God who works, not things. We also know that God works with people, not things. What this verse is saying is that everything we do together with God is good: righteous.

^{John 15:5}“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

We can only bear fruit if we remain in Christ. Like in nature, fruit requires two parents. Without him, we cannot bear fruit. And without us, he cannot bear fruit. It takes two to bear fruit.

The “all things” in Romans 8:28 do not include the nothings we do apart from Christ in John 15:5.

In summary, sin is everything we do apart from God, and righteousness is everything we do together with God.

^{Romans 3:10}as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; ¹¹no one understands; no one seeks for God. ¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Righteousness is fruit. No one is righteous because it takes two to bear fruit.

Sin Remembered No More

^{Jeremiah 31:34}And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

When we enter into the New Covenant, past sins are taken away, and future sins are not counted against us. Our past sins were written on the tables of our heart. They were taken away when he took our heart of stone.

When we were given a heart of flesh, it came with a clean slate, but it is better than that. Our sins are remembered no more.

^{Romans 4:8}Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

We saw where the production of fruit requires two parents.

^{Genesis 4:1}And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

When Adam knew Eve, they bore fruit. When we bear fruit with the Lord, we know each other. Everyone will Know the Lord in the kingdom of heaven because everyone will have born the fruit of righteousness. Without righteousness, no one will enter the kingdom of heaven.

There is a distinction between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. When one enters the kingdom of God, there is no righteousness credited to our account. Recall that Abraham was credited with righteousness when he obeyed the commandment that was given to him.

We are not credited with things done by Christ apart from us. We are not credited with things done by us apart from Christ. We are only credited with things done by us together with Christ. This probably contradicts what you have learned as a Christian, but let’s keep this in the hypothetical for now.

The Account

^{Matthew 12:35}The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account (λογον, logon) for every careless word they speak, ³⁷for by your words (λογων, logōn) you will be justified, and by your words (λογων, logōn) you will be condemned.

Logon is the Greek word for account. This is the account that all will give on judgment day. It is the content of the account, the logōn, that will justify or condemn us. This account contains all the evidence that will be considered on that day.

The treasure that is brought forth on that day will either be all good, or all evil. The person bringing forth good treasure is the one in partnership with God. The one evil person is the one who lived his life apart from God.

Laws Written on the Heart

^{Jeremiah 31:33}For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (ESV)

Laws are based on commandments. The New Commandment is Love one another as I have loved you. Each time he loves you a law is written on your heart.

^John 15:10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Because of the indirect nature of this commandment, this one commandment becomes many: his commandments are based on multiple future events.

This allows laws to be directed to individuals, just like they were under Melchizedek. His love is personal; his laws are personal.

Righteousness

^{Romans 4:3}For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted (ελογισθη, elogisthe)unto him for righteousness.

The base of the Greek word for counted is logos. It is the same base as the word for account. Righteousness is counted when it entered in the account.

When you receive love from Jesus, the power of the love comes from the strength of the Spirit. When you love another as Jesus loved you, the power of the love comes from the Spirit. Righteousness is God’s power using your resources for his purpose, and it is credited to your account.

I do not get credit for deeds Christ does without me. I do not get credit for deeds I do without God. I only get credit for things we do together, and everything we do together is good.

Justification

^Romans 5:18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness (δικαιωματος, dikaiōmatos) one the free gift came upon all men unto justification (δικαιωσιν, dikaiōsin) of life.

I am using this verse to show the relationship between righteousness and justification: both Greek words share the same root. We will be justified if righteousness is found in our account on judgment day.

The good treasure that is brought forth from our heart on judgment day includes both the law and the fulfillment of the law: righteousness. Laws that are not fulfilled will be consumed by fire on that day.

Justification includes past, present, and future aspects. We have been justified if righteousness has been added to our account. Righteousness is the steadfast love of the Lord. Once it is entered into your account, it is permanent.

Justification is ongoing as we fulfill the laws written on our heart, and righteousness is credited to our account. Consider Abraham:

^{Romans 4:9}Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

Abraham was justified before he was circumcised.

^{James 2:21}Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Abraham was justified again after he was circumcised.

^{Matthew 12:37}for by your words (λογων, logōn) you will be justified, and by your words (λογων, logōn) you will be condemned.

Justification will be finalized in the future when our account is given and the righteousness that was previously entered is revealed.

Things Seen and Things Not Seen

^Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Man can only see the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. The concept of things not seen requires a reorganization of the model.

This detail is critical to the model because things not seen plays a major role in the kingdom of God. This concept is foundational to the understanding of faith, for example, the second element of which is the evidence of things not seen.

This concept complicates the model because Jesus has played roles on both sides of the line: when on earth, he was visible, but now he has moved to the other side where he is no longer visible.

You in Me; Me in You

^John 15:4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

God works in partnership with people. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, but it is the vine that bears the fruit. Both parts are necessary. We cannot produce fruit apart from him, but he cannot bear fruit apart from us.

God works through people. When he loves you, he is loving you using the resources of someone else.

The Servant Model

^{Isaiah 9:6}For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be uponhis shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This is the condensed version of the model. It diagrams the kingdom of God as it exists now. While Jesus was on earth, he was on the right where he could be seen. God the Father was on the left empowering Jesus, the Son.

Now that he is in heaven, Jesus is in the realm of things not seen. In the kingdom of God, Jesus is in the role of the Father. In that role, he is able to love us as the Father had loved him: through others.

^{Matthew 23:11}But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

In the kingdom of God, there is a hierarchy, and in this hierarchy, the servant is greater, as you can see from the model.

There are several contexts in which the servant is found. If one is a servant of sin, for example. Is sin the master he is serving? Or is sin the one receiving his service? Or is sin the thing being served?

^{Romans 6:18}Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Servants of righteousness are the ones who deliver righteousness to others, planting seeds of righteousness in the hearts of others.

We are free from sin when there is no sin in our account.

^{Romans 6:20}For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Servants of sin are the ones who deliver sin to others, planting seeds of sin in the hearts of others.

We are free from righteousness when there is no righteousness in our account.

The Kingdom of Heaven

There is a distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.

^{Matthew 7:21}“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

In this passage, those who did the mighty works in his name were in the kingdom of God, but they did not enter the kingdom of heaven because they were not justified: they never fulfilled the law, and there was no righteousness in their account.

^{Jeremiah 31:34}And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

We saw this passage before, but there the concept of everyone knowing the Lord was not addressed. This passage references the kingdom of heaven, where everyone already knows the Lord. Anyone who never knew the Lord has been dismissed at this point. They never made it to heaven.

Producing fruit is a partnership between you and Jesus. When Adam knew Eve, they had kids. When Jesus knows you, you bear the fruit of righteousness, and it is credited to your account.

The works that were done in his name were performed by the Holy Spirit, but not the Spirit of Christ.

^{1 Corinthians 12:4}Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

The works referred to were works performed under the varieties of gifts category. Works counted as righteousness are performed under the varieties of service category. Salvation is by Jesus alone. Jesus is the one who paid the price, not the Holy Spirit.