传神的国为福音
在路加四章四十三节有另一个辞：传神的国为福音。这节说主耶稣和祂的门徒，传神的国为福音。你有没有注意到，传神的国就是传福音？国度就是新约的福音，新约的福音就是国度。
有些人也许争辩说，新约说到生命的福音、恩典的福音、和得救的福音。然而，这一切都是国度的不同方面。国度是中心、轮轴，一切别的项目可视为轮辐。所有的轮辐都以轮轴为中心。生命的福音是为着国度，得救的福音是为着国度，赦罪的福音也是为着国度。福音这一切不同的项目，都是为着国度。国度乃是真正的福音。我们的观念需要改变。从前我们也许以为福音就是福音，国度是另一回事。我们知道我们需要福音，但可能把国度归为将来的事。这绝对是错的。国度就是福音。如果你不认识国度，你就没有完全的认识福音。我们若要完全的认识福音，就必须认识国度乃是包罗万有的福音。主耶稣和祂的门徒都传神的国为福音。
重生进入国度
让我们思想约翰三章三节、五节。主耶稣是否说，‘你若不是从水和灵生，就绝不能见天堂或进入天堂’？不！重生的目的并不是为着上天堂，但我年轻时曾明确的受到这样的教导。人告诉我说，我有罪的生命不够好，使我不能上天堂，并且我若要上天堂，就必须得着更好的生命。人告诉我说，天堂是光明的，毫无黑暗；天堂是圣洁的，毫无罪恶；天堂也是美好的，毫无邪恶。但是人告诉我说，我是邪恶的、黑暗的、并且有罪的－完全不够资格上天堂。人告诉我说，我若要上天堂，就需要另一个生命。我需要重生。这仍然是今天一般的观念。严格的说，重生不是为着上天堂；重生乃是为着使我们进国度。
如果我们要进某种国度，就需要某种生命。如果我们没有动物的生命，我们就绝不能进入动物的国度。如果我能接受狗的生命，成为一只狗，我立刻就在动物的国度里。照样，我们若没有神圣的生命，就是神的生命，我们就绝不能进神的国。如果我们要进神的国，就必须有神的生命。因此，重生是为使我们进入另一个国度，就是神的国里。这比仅仅一个时代要真实多了；这是神的国，是我们藉着重生进入的。
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Regeneration into the Kingdom — Matt. 24:14
Preaching the Kingdom of God as the Gospel
There is another word in Luke 4:43: announcing the kingdom of God as the gospel. This verse says that the Lord Jesus and His disciples announced the kingdom of God as the gospel. Have you ever noticed that announcing the kingdom of God means preaching the gospel? The kingdom is the gospel of the New Testament, and the gospel of the New Testament is the kingdom.
Some may argue that the New Testament speaks of the gospel of life, the gospel of grace and the gospel of salvation. However, these are all different aspects of the kingdom. The kingdom is the center, the hub, and all other items can be considered spokes. The gospel of life is for the kingdom, the gospel of salvation is for the kingdom, and the gospel of forgiveness is also for the kingdom. All these different items of the gospel are for the kingdom. The kingdom is the true gospel. Our mindset needs to change. In the past, we may have thought that the gospel was just the gospel and the kingdom was another matter. We know we need the gospel but may relegate the kingdom to a future event. This is absolutely wrong. The kingdom is the gospel. If you don’t know the kingdom, you don’t fully know the gospel. If we want to fully understand the gospel, we must understand that the kingdom is the all-inclusive gospel. The Lord Jesus and His disciples announced the kingdom of God as the gospel.
Regeneration into the Kingdom
Let us consider John 3:3 and 5. Did the Lord Jesus say, “If you were not born of water and spirit, you would never see heaven or enter heaven”? No! The purpose of being born again is not to go to heaven, but I was clearly taught this when I was young. I was told that my sinful life was not good enough for me to go to heaven and that if I wanted to go to heaven I had to have a better life. People told me that heaven is bright and there is no darkness at all; heaven is holy and there is no sin; heaven is also good and there is no evil at all. But I was told that I was evil, dark and sinful – totally unqualified for heaven. I was told that if I wanted to go to heaven, I would need another life. I need to be born again. This is still a general idea today. Strictly speaking, regeneration is not for going to heaven; regeneration is for us to enter into the kingdom.
If we want to enter a certain kind of kingdom, we need a certain kind of life. We can never enter the kingdom of animals if we do not have animal life. If I could take the life of a dog and become a dog, I would immediately be in the kingdom of animals. Likewise, if we do not have the divine life, which is the life of God, we can never enter the kingdom of God. If we want to enter the kingdom of God, we must have the life of God. Therefore, regeneration is for us to enter another kingdom, the kingdom of God. This is much more truthful than just a dispensation; it is the kingdom of God that we enter through regeneration.