By Tyson Thorne

April 9, 2019
 

KingdomPt1 Large

Dr. Samuel Lamerson, a professor at Knox Seminary, said something like, "There is no Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent politician that has the answers to the problems that plague humanity. Only Jesus has those answers and will one day resolve those problems when he ushers in his Kingdom." His statement started me thinking once more about the relationship Christians have with their fallen, earthly governments and the perfect (if incomplete) kingdom that we serve in Christ Jesus. It seems that while Jesus taught a lot about the Kingdom of God, to his followers today its barely an afterthought.

Maybe we don't think about the Kingdom because we don't understand it. A brief introduction to the topic isn't enough to satisfy, but it may be enough to generate a new interest in the topic. To that end, we will start with understanding three aspects of the kingdom, its timeline, and it's impact on Jesus-followers today.

After Adam and Eve rebelled against God through their sin, the Earth was lost to Satan. The fallen angel became the god of this world, and all of humanity was captured and placed under his rule. From the fallen world God started to build his kingdom again, starting with Abraham, to make a people that would be loyal to him. Already we've touched on the essential aspects of the kingdom, (1) the realm inside of which God's authority is recognized, (2) the people who enter that realm, and (3) the effect that authority has upon the people and the realm.

The Bible recognizes that most world leaders do not recognize God's authority and serve instead the kingdom of Satan. This is as true today as it was during the thousands of years during which the Bible was being written. There is a sense in which all people enjoy some of the benefits of God's rule, but it is felt mostly by those who belong to him. This is the cause for hatred of Jesus-followers by those that represent the fallen world.

As a side note, this is why evangelism is so important. Through evangelism we expand the Kingdom of God and shrink the Kingdom of Satan and its influence. It's more than saving people from the fires of hell, it is bringing people under the blessings of God's rule. God offers humanity more than any other religion can; the peace of Christ, the assurance of eternal life, the equality of all peoples regardless of skin color or economic class, are only a few of the effects God's authority has for his people.

Tomorrow we'll look at some of Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of God to help modern believers understand why it is so important to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it s in heaven."

 
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