Establishing the Kingdom of God
A kingdom is a king’s dominion - the place where a king’s will is carried out. Wherever God’s will is being accomplished, God’s Kingdom exists.
Now, there are two perspectives on the Kingdom of God that seem to contradict one another.
On one hand, we have those who recognize that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. This is true.
Jesus tells us so:
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36, NLT)
On the other hand, we have those who recognize that we are to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth. That is definitely true. For when teaching on prayer, Jesus said this:
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10, NLT)
The Bible clearly teaches that the Kingdom of God is both other-worldly and something that should be established on earth. Do we have a contradiction here? By no means. Both realities of the Kingdom can be true at the same time. The Kingdom of God is both then and there, and here and now. In fact, the Kingdom is also within you.
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21, NLT)
Because the Kingdom of God is then and there, we don’t need to worry - we know our futures are secure. Because the Kingdom of God is here and now, we don’t need to wait - we know our authority works here too.
The Kingdom of God isn’t supposed to stay anywhere; it’s supposed to go everywhere.
It’s tempting to sit idly by, to become discouraged and say, “There’s nothing we can do; we know the world will inevitably get darker.” But it’s precisely because the Kingdom of God is not of this world that we ought to work to establish it in this world. That’s what God desires - otherwise, why would Jesus pray for it to be so?
So how do we establish God’s Kingdom? It’s through the preaching of the gospel.
When a soul is saved, the heart and mind are transformed. When the heart and mind are transformed, character is transformed. When character is transformed, behavior is transformed. Change the individual, and you change the family. Change the family, and you change society. Change society, and you change the world.
But the eternal soul is the priority. Focus on the main thing, and everything else follows. Salvation must come first. Our message is Jesus.
Then, as a person begins to truly understand and know the Word, they adapt to Kingdom Culture. Kingdom Culture brings forth things like a sense of personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, honor for authority, order in the family unit, harmonious marriage, compassion for the weak, the sick, and the suffering, and love for one another. Kingdom Culture also rids us of worldly mindsets like envy of and hatred toward the successful, all forms of racism (which is demonic), moral relativism, hedonism, elitism, and even the disregard for human life. Under Kingdom Culture, nations thrive and prosper.
But remember, it’s about souls; it’s about people. The Kingdom of God is established in people, and people shape the world around them.
So we must stay focused on the gospel. The preaching of the gospel keeps us focused on the eternal while also establishing God’s Kingdom in the earth. The preaching of the gospel cuts right to the root of human evil - which is sin.
Establish the Kingdom by spreading the gospel. May God have dominion - in heaven, in earth, and in you.