Tag Archives: kingdom of God

The Christian Kingdom

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“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

(1 Peter 2:9)

What would change if the Kingdom of God became visible, if we could clearly identify its borders and recognize its citizens? What if the Kingdom were a nation like the other nations of this world, with passports and citizenship and the works?

How would we view our loyalty to that nation compared to other loyalties in our lives? Would our obligations and duties be somehow made more obvious?

The Kingdom of God is a nation, in a very real sense, even if we can’t see it with our physical eyes. Believers are co-citizens of a holy nation. Beyond that, we are members of the same family, part of the same body. The ties that bind Christians go far beyond all other affiliations we may have.

When fear leads us away from God, Pt. II

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scaredThe book of 1 Samuel offers us another lesson about the effects of fear. In chapter 13, Saul has his armies gathered to fight the Philistines. They are waiting for Samuel, the priest, to come and offer a sacrifice, beseeching God’s favor. They waited and waited, but Samuel didn’t come. The Israelites grew scared and began to scatter. Saul, seeing that he was losing his army, decided to wait no longer. He offered the sacrifice, even though he knew that wasn’t his job. Samuel arrived soon after and rebuked him for what he’d done.

Why did Saul offer the sacrifice? The immediate catalyst was fear. He was losing his army and didn’t think he could win without that military power.

Now look at chapter 14. Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a different perspective on things. He was willing to attack the Philistines, going into battle with only his armor bearer by his side. How could he attack like that when his father was afraid to do it without the help of an entire army? He remembered what his father didn’t. “Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6)

That’s the thought that can drive out fear. When we depend on men, fear will be a natural part of our lives. And it will lead us to ungodly actions. But if we can remember that all that matters is whether or not the Lord is on our side, fear will no longer be a part of our lives. Saul feared because he focused on his army. That fear led him to sin against God. Jonathan was brave, not because of his own skill, but because of his trust in God. And he did great things by God’s power.

Kingdom chronology

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castle

Growing up in the church of Christ, many of us heard that the kingdom of God was established on the Day of Pentecost. There is a very real sense in which this is true, and I do believe that Pentecost was the fulfillment of this saying of Jesus: “And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”” (Mark 9:1)

Yet, at the same time, it’s not that simple. For Jesus spoke of the kingdom as existing during his lifetime:

  • “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20)
  • “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of yo” (Matthew 21:31-32)
  • “Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”” (Luke 17:20-21)

And, just to complicate things, the New Testament writers, writing after Pentecost, could also speak of the kingdom in a future sense:

  • “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
  • “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.” (2Timothy 4:18)
  • “and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 1:11)

The kingdom of God came with power on the Day of Pentecost, but any attempts to limit its existence to what happened on that day are in error. It comes down to the fallacy of finite humans trying to define the infinite, time-bound man trying to place a timeless God on a man-made timeline. God’s kingdom existed long before Pentecost. And will exist forever. We entered that kingdom when we became Christians… and we long for the day when we will enter the kingdom.

Tell me about the kingdom of God

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castleAll right, dear readers, I’m wanting to work on understanding better the kingdom of God. So let me hear from you: what is the kingdom of God? How would you describe it/define it? How can we see it in the world today?

Tell me about the kingdom of God.