Why then did the scope of these three parts become different? Why is the scope of the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens wider than the scope of the church and the kingdom of God? And why is the scope of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens narrower than the scope of the church and the kingdom of God? These differences are due to the confusion of Satan and the degradation of the believers. If Satan had not brought in the false believers and if the real believers had not become degraded, then the scope of the kingdom of the heavens, the kingdom of God, and the church would be the same.

The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens is wider in scope than the church and the kingdom of God because Satan has put many tares, false believers, into Christianity. These false believers are apparently different from the worldly people, but actually they are not. They are still worldly people with no change; they have merely outwardly put on the name of a Christian. Apparently they are in the church, but actually they are outside the church. The church differs from them just like she differs from the worldly people. Because these false ones have joined Christianity, Christianity has grown enormous and has become wider in scope than the church and the kingdom of God.

The scope of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is narrower than that of the church and the kingdom of God because a great number of the believers in the church, that is, in the kingdom of God, have become degraded and have not met the standard of the kingdom of the heavens. Although all of the saved believers are in the church and in the kingdom of God, many have fallen from the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Although the defeated ones and the believers who are in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens are both in the church and in the kingdom of God, and are inseparable, yet the defeated ones have lost the heavenly position of the church and have neglected the divine life of the kingdom of God. The salvation of God has delivered them into the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, placing them on such an exalted position; yet due to their insubordination to the ruling of the kingdom of the heavens and their disobedience to the heavenly ruling and discipline, they have fallen away from God's salvation. The heavenly position of the church is as exalted as that of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is the heavenly position of the church. Their falling away from the reality of the kingdom of the heavens cannot reverse the fact that they are in the church, but it can cause them to lose the heavenly position of the church. Although they are still children of God, they are children who have fallen away from God's standard—the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Although they are the heavenly people, they do not live like the heavenly people. They are the heavenly people who have fallen away from the heavenly ruling. Oh, how many fallen Christians there are today! Believers who have fallen away from God's salvation, from the level of God's salvation, from the heavenly position of the church, and from the reality of the kingdom of the heavens can be found everywhere. How many among the saved ones have not lost the position of God's salvation, the heavenly position of the church, and the nature of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens? A great number of Christians have fallen away from these. Therefore, the scope of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens has become narrower than the scope of the church and the kingdom of God.

May the Lord be gracious to us that we may stand on or return to the level of His salvation to be the Christians of His original intention. May we not lose the heavenly position of the church nor neglect the divine life of the kingdom of God, but be disciplined in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today so that we may reign with Him in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the future.