"Believing into God's Kingdom VS Entering God's Kingdom VS Being Born into God's Kingdom"
John 3:15 "That whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Luke 17:20-21 "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, ... because the kingdom of God is in your midst.'"
1 John 5:11-12 "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Item |
Believing into God's Kingdom |
Entering God's Kingdom |
Being Born into God's Kingdom |
---|---|---|---|
Meaning |
Subjectively believing and entering into God |
Accepting God as life and gaining God Himself |
Obtaining divine life through regeneration |
Distinction |
Emphasizes the action of faith and union with God |
Emphasizes the process and requirements of entering God's kingdom |
Emphasizes the essential change of obtaining God's life |
Explanation |
Through believing into the Lord, we enter into Him, become one with Him, enjoy Him, and partake of all He has accomplished for us |
Entering God's kingdom requires regeneration and receiving divine life |
Through regeneration, we receive divine life and become part of God's kingdom |
Example |
Believers enter into Christ through faith, having an organic union with Him |
Nicodemus' conversation with Jesus, where Jesus explains the necessity of rebirth to see God's kingdom |
Believers experience regeneration and receive new spiritual life |
Application |
Continuously trust in God in daily life, maintaining an intimate relationship with Him |
Pursue spiritual growth and live out the reality of God's kingdom |
Live out the new life of regeneration, manifesting the characteristics of God's kingdom |
Related Scriptures |
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 15:4-5 "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. ... If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." |
Acts 1:3 "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." |
John 3:3, 3:5-6 "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.' ... 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.'" |
This table synthesizes the biblical scriptures, comparing the three concepts of 'believing into God's kingdom,' 'entering God's kingdom,' and 'being born into God's kingdom.' All of these concepts are related to the believer's relationship with God and the process of entering God's kingdom, but each emphasizes different aspects. 'Believing into' emphasizes the action of faith, 'entering' emphasizes the process and requirements, while 'being born into' emphasizes the essential change. These three concepts are interconnected and collectively describe the believer's relationship with God's kingdom.
*Please refer to the International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones, October 2024 General Subject: Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God Message One: The Kingdom of God—The Realm of the Divine Life and the Realm of the Divine Species