The kingdom of God is one of the central themes of the whole Bible. Right in Genesis 1, we see that God is the King of Creation who creates his kingdom. He creates man and woman as his image to proclaim his kingdom in all the world by filling creation with his image and participating in his rule. Yet, in Adam, we have rebelled against God’s kingdom, and the story of the Bible is the story of God restoring his kingdom through his Son, Jesus.
In the New Testament, Jesus and his disciples proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. In Luke 4:43, Jesus declares “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” At the end of the book of Acts, Paul likewise is busy “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance,” (Acts 28:31). The good news that Jesus brings and that the apostles proclaim includes the restoration of the kingdom of God.
What is the kingdom of God?
God’s kingdom is not something that we can really define, but through looking at the whole Bible, we can describe it. Graeme Goldsworthy describes God’s kingdom as “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule.” So, for example, Adam and Eve were God’s people living in the Garden (God’s place), and God gave them a word to believe and obey (God’s rule). In a similar way, Israel too was God’s people living in the land under God’s old covenant word.
Each of these aspects of God’s kingdom culminates in Jesus. He fulfills God’s plan for his people. He is the perfect Son of God—the true and better Adam. The kingdom is located in his person—he is the true temple and the place where people come to know God. Furthermore, he perfectly obeyed his Father’s word, and he is the Word of God. Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and ushers in the kingdom of God.
In Jesus, we become God’s people destined for the new creation who believe and obey God’s word. The New Testament teaches us that this kingdom is both already here, and yet still in the future.
Jesus declared to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you,” (Luke 17:20–21). The kingdom of God is located in Jesus, and we receive this kingdom initially by trusting in him for salvation and submitting to his rule. The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is seen in God’s people who submit to God’s Word in Jesus.
Yet, Jesus would also promise his disciples thrones to rule with him in his kingdom, which clearly refers to the future reign of Jesus in the new creation (Luke 22:28–30). Therefore, while we can taste the kingdom now when we trust in Jesus, we also look forward to the day when our King will return, defeat those who oppose his rule, and establish his Kingdom once and for all.
How do we live as kingdom-minded disciples of Jesus?
Through Jesus, we belong to God’s kingdom, and this should define how we live here on earth now. We should seek to live as kingdom-minded disciples of Jesus through prayer, proclamation, and practice.
Prayer
Jesus taught us to pray “Let your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). Our prayers should be filled with praises to God our King and petitions to see more and more people enter his kingdom. Our requests should have a kingdom-bent to them. We pray that we would live with kingdom values according to God’s word. We pray for those in need that in their difficulties and sufferings they would find hope and strength to face them as those who belong to the kingdom of God.
Proclamation
In Acts 8:12, we read about the spread of the gospel in Samaria: “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women,” (Acts 8:12). We will live as kingdom-minded disciples when we are ready to tell others about Jesus and his kingdom. The gospel is not only the message that if you believe in Jesus you will go to heaven when you die. The gospel is the good news that Jesus is the true Prophet, Priest, and King who paid the price for our sins so that we can be forgiven before God, rescued from the kingdom of darkness, and belong to his eternal kingdom of peace and righteousness.
Practice
Seeking to be a kingdom-minded disciple will affect the way we live. Paul writes that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17). Those who belong to God’s people are justified before God by faith alone in Christ alone. We do not enter the kingdom through our effort, but as citizens of his kingdom, we seek to live holy lives full of peace and joy through the Holy Spirit. We should want to live with the values of God’s kingdom, not the values of the world. In every area of our lives, we want to bring glory to Christ, our King.
In Jesus, we now belong to God’s kingdom. That should affect the choices we make today. God’s kingdom should be a grid through which we see the world, make decisions, and live faithfully for God.
So, let’s seek to live this week as a kingdom-minded people, a kingdom-bent people, and a kingdom-seeking people. We should rejoice in the promise Jesus has given his people: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” (Luke 12:32).
