Beloved, the Kingdom system of God is founded on the Person of Jesus who is its King. As we discussed in chapter one, this system is built on and thrives only on the revelation of Jesus.
This revelation is the ultimate goal of the five-fold ministry gift of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors and Teac-hers. They are to mature and unite the saints to together form the exact stature or looks of Jesus, after the revelation of Him that they have.
Like Jesus like His believers
So, just as Jesus is hidden like a puzzle or mystery in the Old Testament, presentday believers are like jigsaw pieces that should be put together to clearly manifest to the blind world the exact looks of Jesus. This way, Jesus would no longer remain hidden to the most spiritually blind of humans – Jn. 17:20-23,
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent Me…. that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent Me…”
And, to achieve this man-date, we must first discern or recognize Jesus as fivefold ministry gifts and as believers.
Then the Holy Spirit can transform us into the image of Jesus that we all see with an “open face” – 2 Cor. 3:18.
Fully recognizing Jesus
Indeed, God wants the whole church to come to a place where they fully acknowledge or recognize Jesus – “ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” – Eph. 4:13.
The Greek word that is translated into “knowledge” is the word ‘epignosis’.
This word is actually referring to a full discernment, re-cognition or acknowledgement. Believers must go beyond knowing Jesus to a place of recognizing Him in spite of how He is concealed – Eph. 1:17.
So, the knowledge you have about Jesus is not enough.
You must have a full discernment of Him i.e. a revelation or spiritual understanding and wisdom concerning that knowledge of Jesus.
Then, you can acknowledge Him or live out your knowledge of Him in practical life; and so inspire believers to conform to that, as a five-fold ministry gift.
The mandate of the New Testament
Beloved, the New Testament is about revealing Jesus.
This is why it climaxes with the Book of Revelations that is dedicated to the revealing of Jesus and His peculiar grace – Rev. 1:1; 22:21.
The revealing of Jesus by the five-fold ministry gifts is therefore foundational to the calling we have received, since we are ministers in the New Testament.
You know, the church is founded on the revelation of Jesus as the Chief cornerstone; as Apostle Peter received of God – Matt. 16:16; Eph. 2:20-22.
And, it is because of His revelation or light that Jesus was excited and confident that His Kingdom would come – Matt. 16:15-19.
Jesus’ Kingdom is one of light or revelation. So, when you make out the Son, then you can minister Him, according to that revelation.
You know, the lack of revelation of Jesus makes the Kingdom of darkness or ignorance thrive and causes people to self-destruct – Hos. 4:6.
So, able ministers of the New Testament are to deliver on the mandate of the New covenant, which is the revelation of our Jesus Christ who was hitherto concealed in the Old Testament – 2 Cor. 3:6, 18.
Holy Spirit does not over-shadow Jesus
There are some people who think the church is founded on the coming of the Holy Spirit in Himself, as in Acts 2:1-3. This is not so.
The Holy Spirit came primarily to replace and reveal Jesus.
He does this by testifying of Jesus, glorifying Him and making people to be like Him – Jn. 14:16-17; 15:26; 2 Cor. 3:18. Yes, the revealing of Jesus is the basic reason why Holy Spirit came.
In other words, He did not come to basically reveal you, empower you, make you an effective witness or make you speak in other tongues.
Dear Minister of God, these and other functions that the Holy Spirit performs for you are all geared towards the revelation of Jesus.
So, the revealing of Jesus is basic to church life; and the first work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal or make us know Him – 1 Cor. 2:11-12; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27.
Beloved, till now and generally speaking, Jesus stands concealed behind the door of the Last-day church, asking to come into His own church, to be revealed to them.
It is because He has been ‘put out’ of the current church, and replaced with His shadows and silhouettes, who are the past and present-day heroes of faith – Rev. 3:20.
The look-alikes of Jesus
But, people who look like Jesus are not the same as the Person of Jesus. Yes my friend, you may look and act exactly like somebody, but the truth is that you are not that person.
Therefore, we cannot re-place Jesus with His look-alikes. Yes, there must be lookalikes but the Original cannot be replaced by them.
This was the mistake the church in Corinth made when they failed to differentiate Jesus, but put Him in the same bracket with look-alikes like Apostles Paul, Peter, Apollos etc. – 1 Cor. 1:12-13. Apostle Paul had to correct themsharply because it should not be so.
King’s, re-search and re-discovery
In the Kingdom system, God honours us by giving us an opportunity to seek and rediscover hidden treasure. Thus, after the resurrection of Jesus, even people who were closest to Him could hardly recognize Him literally – Lk. 24:13-31; Mk. 16:12.
It is because they had to discern Him. My friend, to discern goes beyond literally looking at somebody, walking for long with the person, or talking much to the person.
All these things were done by some two disciples of Jesus, but they still could not discern Jesus with them. To discern is to recognize somebody or something about a person that is not clear on the face of it.
Therefore, no matter how close you are to Jesus, and how you have seen Him literally before, walked with Him for long in the Christian life, talked with Him for long as a minister or church, you still have to discern Jesus.
It is because after Jesus’ resurrection, God wants us to seek Him after the Kingdom-order.
The Kingdom-order
Dear Minister-of-the-gospel, in the Kingdom system, it is to the glory of God to hide things and to our honour as believers (who are all kings) to search for it and thoroughly know it – Prov. 25:2.
This is how the Kingdom system is designed to work – Acts 17:27-28. God operates this Kingdom arrangement Himself.
So, He searches in order to know us, as an example for us to seek and find hidden treasures – Ps. 139:1.
The Holy Spirit also searches the things of God the Father in order to know it – 1Cor. 2:10. Please do not be surprised, that is how the Kingdom system works.
God likes to hide
Therefore, God likes to hide when He wants to save us. He does this by first testing us to know what is in our hearts, (since He searches to know) and what we will do when we cannot discern Him – Is. 45:15; 2 Chron. 32:31; Job 23:8-10; 1Sam. 13:5-14.
Are we going to strive to seek Jesus or we are going to give up on seeking Him when we cannot make Him out in the circumstances of our lives?
Please understand that the heart of kings is to be a seeking one.
Both secular and spiritual kings (leaders) are to be researchers of hidden treasures. This is why God tells us in the Kingdom system to seek Him and His kingdom order – Heb. 11:6; Matt. 6:33.
Although God and the Kingdom-order is not far away from us, because we already live in, move in and have our being in Him, we still have to seek Him –Acts 17:27-28.
Searching what you are in already
So, seeking God and His Kingdom-order is not negated even when you are in them already. Once again, that is how God has designed the Kingdom system.
You know, it is so easy to take for granted and assume that, you know and understand what you are in already. That is the weakness of humans.
Yes, we are often blind to what we are in and what we are and have already. So, the eyes of your heart have to be spiritually opened to discern the resurrected Jesus and His Kingdom system – Lk. 24:31; 44-45; Acts 16:14. This is especially needed when you have matured in the old-order of God.
