The phrase kingdom of God (also kingdom of Heaven or kingdom of Light) appears more than eighty times in the biblical New Testament. Most of these references occur in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. While the term kingdom of God is not found in the Old Testament, the thought of it is expressed there. The simplest way to understand the kingdom of God is the realm where Jesus Christ reigns as King, and God’s authority is supreme. This kingdom exists here and now (in part) in the lives and hearts of Christians.
The
word kingdom is a combination of two words: king and domain. Put in another
way, a kingdom is the domain of the king. When Jesus is talking about God’s
kingdom, He’s talking about the realm, the sphere or territory God rules. And
within that domain, there are people. The kingdom of God then is not
necessarily a reign over a space or an area, but a people.
These
people, who recognize God as their king, are proud citizens who intend to
extend God’s rule and reign. God’s people are the representatives of God’s
kingdom who makes God’s kingdom come. God’s people make God’s kingdom manifest.
The kingdom of God is a mission-oriented people scattered abroad. God’s people
are God’s elected agents for God’s mission of global restoration. Consider the following:
God’s People-God
the Creator-King reigns over
all his creatures, but he also reigns
through His people. This was his design from the beginning. Adam and Eve
were commissioned as royal representatives of the king, called to rule over his
creation and spread the blessings of his reign throughout the earth. Instead,
they chose to seek their own path to power and glory apart from God. Their
rebellion fractured humanity’s relationship with God and shattered the goodness
of his creation.
Ever
since sin entered the world, God’s kingdom project has at its heart a rescue
mission for rebellious sinners, drawing them into his renewing work. God’s
reign is a saving reign. The kingdom of God provides a holistic understanding
of salvation, including not only what we are saved from, but also what we are saved for: We are saved from
death and for life. We are saved from shame and for
glory. We are saved from
slavery and for freedom. We are
saved from sin and for following our Savior. We are
saved from the kingdom of
darkness and for the kingdom of
light. To be saved into God’s kingdom is to embrace God’s comprehensive rule
over every aspect of life. This is a far cry from merely “asking Jesus into my
heart.” It means a new life, a new identity, and a new kingdom.
God’s Place-The
Bible is the story of God making his
good creation a glorious kingdom. It all started in the garden. After the fall,
making the world God’s glorious kingdom would require a reversal of the curse
and a renewal by grace. That’s exactly what God set out to do. The Bible is a rescue story not about God
rescuing sinners from a broken creation but about him rescuing them for a new
creation. God’s reign begins in the human heart, but it will one day extend to
the ends of the earth.
Many
Christians today think of salvation as leaving earth for heaven, but the story
of Scripture is quite the opposite. The message of the kingdom is not an escape
from earth to heaven but God’s reign coming from heaven to earth. The focus of
God’s reign is his people, but the scope of God’s reign is all of creation. The mission of God’s
kingdom demands your action.
God’s
Reign-The
kingdom is first and foremost a statement about God. God is king, and he is coming as king to set right what our sin
made wrong. The phrase “kingdom of God” could just as easily be translated
“reign of God” or “kingship of God.” The message of the kingdom is about God’s
royal power directed by his self-giving love.
The
kingdom of God is the vision of the world reordered around the powerful love of
God in Christ. After Adam and Eve’s rebellion, God’s reign is revealed as redemptive. He’s the king who is
reclaiming his creation. His kingdom is not the culmination of human potential
and effort, but the intervention of his royal grace into a sinful and broken
world.
“Nothing matters in the kingdom, but the grace of God…God has a
different way of looking at things. He does not see as men do. He does not
compute as they do. It is all grace from beginning to end…Stop looking at what
you have not done and the years you have missed and realize that in His kingdom
it is His grace alone that matters.” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“The Kingdom of God in 8 Words” by Beto’s Post
·
“What Is the
Kingdom of God?” By Mary
Fairchild
· “What Is the Kingdom of God?” by David Treybig
Inspired by the sermon “Kingdom:
Threads” (installment six) Sunday April 5, 2020, Pastor Dave Jansen,
CenterPoint Church Lewis Center (All CenterPoint churches are closed due to the
Coronavirus, and are meeting online.)
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