Dirtdiver,
Thanks for watching the video! I also appreciate the feedback and discussion. I'll try to explain my thoughts a little bit better.
I don't think we have substantial disagreement here. In my reading, the kingdom of heaven consists of God, his angels, and saved people whether alive or dead. Since you can't get eternal life without a membership in the Kingdom and vice versa, I often read them interchangeably.
The other point is a little trickier. Count me as someone who thinks the Bible teaches that faith saves, but that faith is more than just mental acknowledgement that the whole story of Christ is true. For instance, a person could mentally acknowledge the story of Jesus as truth in all regards and implications and then purposefully reject salvation and act contrary to God's will. I would not consider that person to be saved or have faith despite the fact they have some type of "belief".
Then at what point past mental acknowledgement is someone saved? I would argue, and did in the referenced video, that salvation and the gift of the Spirit occurs when someone makes the decision to submit themselves entirely to God's Will.
The two parables invoked show the attitude we should have. We should be enthusiastic to gain the Kingdom, even if it means giving up everything we have. Which it sort of does, considering we have to die at some point.
I didn't tell people to go sell their belongings. First, people couldn't buy into the Kingdom with that money anyway. Second, God has a different plan for every person, but we need to be willing to use whatever we have to do whatever He wants.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full
Medical Disclaimer.