“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
Summary: Today, we take an imaginary trip back in time to a little country far, far away.
Reading Scripture, I find the meaning of the words “kingdom of God” a bit elusive. Where is this kingdom, exactly? Who is in it? Can we go there? Can we be part of it?
Join me in a little thought experiment to see if we can better understand what a kingdom is.
—//—
Let’s imagine that we lived a long time ago in a country surrounded by mountains on three sides; north, east, and south. To the west, on the fourth side, is a sea. It is a time before technology. Life is simple. Not easy, but simple.
There is a king who rules this country. The king is neither good nor cruel. He does what other kings do. He takes what he wants and takes who he wants. He views all the people who live between the mountains and the sea as his people. They are a part of his kingdom and are subject to his will.
Now imagine that one day a small boat appears on the horizon. The boat arrives at the shore and a man gets out. People gather around to hear what the man has to say. They are full of questions. Where did he come from? Who is he? What is he doing here? Does he bring news from outside?
The man explains that he is from another country on the other side of the sea. He tells the people about a new king who lives across the sea. The king is called Jesus. He has two rules in his kingdom: Love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself.
After a short time, the man gets back into his boat and leaves.
You and I are fascinated by the stories the man in the boat told. We decide that we are going to obey the king called Jesus and love God above all else and our neighbor as ourselves.
We still live in the country by the sea. We still pay taxes to the king and if he calls on us to build a city or fight a war for him we know we will have to go. Yet, we choose to love God and love our neighbors.
—//—
Q 1: If we love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, whose kingdom do we belong to?
Q 2: If we serve a king we cannot see does that mean we are his subjects?
Q 3: If we are his subjects, does that mean we are part of his kingdom?
—//—
The king of the country by the sea hears about the man in the boat. Some people have told the king the stories that this man told his people. The king is angry that his people should listen to another king.
We are brought before the king’s judges. They ask us if it is true that we serve this other king. We admit that we do. Before we can explain that all that means is that we love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, we are thrown into prison.
—//—
Q 4: If the king across the sea does not come to save us, does that mean we are not his subjects?
Q 5: If we die in prison and discover that we are still alive without our body, and then the king called Jesus comes and saves us, does that mean we are his subjects?
Q 6: If in death we discover life in Jesus, at what point did we enter into his kingdom? Was it: (A) When we first believed? (B) When we began to serve Jesus by loving God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves? (C) When we died and were gathered to Jesus in the next life?
—//—
Application: Think about what it means to be part of a kingdom that nobody can see.
Food for Thought: Why does it matter whether or not we are living in God’s kingdom now?
If my goal is to do His will and love Him, then I can do that today. I don’t have to wait. Since every knee will bow (Philippians 2: 9 – 11), why not do so now. We can serve the King and let Him rule in our heart today, even though we have to wait to see Him face to face.
Rich,
I agree, we CAN serve the King and let him rule in our hearts today.
Yay!
11-26-2022, Why does it matter whether or not we are living in God’s kingdom now?
Mark 10:15, Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” The kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven, as referenced in the Bible and spoken of directly by Jesus, is actually now.
Ask, is God the creator of all things, does He hold all things together, is His kingdom confined within boundaries or is it endless, does He dwell in the hearts of all believers or is He limited to a select few, does God convict all of sin, righteousness and judgement to come, does He hear the prayers of all His people and respond according to His will.
2 Corinthians 1:22, Colossians 1:17, Psalm 139:7-10, Ephesians 3:17,
Galatians 4:1, John 16:8, 1 Peter 3:12
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking ( Not of this physical world ), but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 -18.
The Kingdom of God is not a territory with boundaries. It is not a particular people or ethnic group. It is not linked to a particular point in history. Instead it is like a completely new way of living and thinking, where serving God becomes the priority in a person’s life and we begin to think and behave differently. It is as if God has become our King and every aspect of our life has changed. Instead of living as we want, we follow God’s ways and promptings.
We step into the kingdom of God when we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and ask Jesus Christ to come into our hearts. We experience the Kingdom of God in our lives as we in obedience allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate Christ’s characteristics such as forgiveness and humility; sacrifice and selflessness; compassion and love, even for our enemies; as we thirst for justice.
Access to the Kingdom of God is a gift from God. It is open to people from all nations, all classes, all cultures and all backgrounds. But is given and received by only those who in repentance accept Christ as their Savior. Life controlled by The Spirit rather than our flesh. A life long journey to end when we stand before Christ and are fully sanctified.
Well said, Ron! Well said.
🙂
👍