Re: James 1:26

Getting into that scripture could cause a big ole debate, but I believe believers are in the Kingdom of Heaven now, so that scripture takes on a different meaning when understood that way.

Take for example this parable of the wheat and tares:

Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

That's not talking about a future Kingdom of Heaven as I see it, that's talking about now. And at the end of this age, on the last day, the tares will be burned up.

Only those who have faith in Christ, are in the Kingdom of Heaven, not those still under the law, seeking to be justified by their own good works, who have broken the whole law if they've failed in even one point. But in the Kingdom of Heaven, those breaking one of the least of the commandments and teaching others to do so, the commandments that Christ went on to give in the Sermon of the Mount after he said that, are going to be considered least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but they are still in it.




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