Although my intention isn’t to go into elaborate
details about all the Bible has to say about these two expressions, no. Nevertheless,
I want to urgently highlight some very beneficial truths about the Kingdom of
GOD. Which is the focus here.
While it is true that both terms; the Kingdom of
Heaven and the Kingdom of GOD speak of the reign of Christ. Notwithstanding,
this doesn’t mean they are the same thing. Both unveil truths about two different
aspects of Jesus' reign. While one speaks of the physical aspect of His reign, over
the Jewish nation as their king and over the nations of the earth during His
millennial reign, the other i.e. the Kingdom of GOD speaks of His spiritual
reign in the lives of everyone who is Born Again. The striking thing is that both
are connected to Grace. This is because everything about Jesus Christ is Grace
based.
So here I want us to focus on the realities of the
Kingdom of GOD, to show forth the truths that pertain to it. The purpose of
doing this is to destroy the lies that religion has cast around it, which the
adversary uses to deceive many.
THE PAULINE MESSAGE AS THE
MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH
Let’s understand that the kingdom of GOD is
spiritual in its dimension, unlike the Kingdom of Heaven which has to do with
His physical reign in His second advent, the Kingdom of GOD concerns itself
with His spiritual reign and glory.
One big difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and
the Kingdom of GOD is that in the former, Jesus is going to reign as a physical
King over the nation of Israel and over the nations of the earth in His second
advent. (Revelations 19: 16) And this is still futuristic. And eventually,
after the millennial reign of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven will be brought
under the eternal reign of the Kingdom of GOD, so that the Kingdom of GOD
reigns supreme over all.
However, in the latter, which is already ongoing,
Jesus already reigns. Understand also that according to scripture, the Kingdom
of GOD is another name for the Kingdom of GOD’S Grace. This is why Paul
explains that the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD is the Grace Gospel (Acts 20:
24, 25).
We recognize that the Gospel of Grace was not
committed to the early twelve apostles of Christ, but to the apostle Paul
himself, as he confirms in Ephesians 3: 1, 2 – 13. Although Jesus had spoken about
the Kingdom of GOD both to the Jews (Mark 1: 14; Matthew 6: 33), and even to
His disciples (Luke 8: 10), in His first advent. Yet none of them could truly understand
what was being told them because no one was Born Again at that time. Not until Paul the thirteenth
apostle of Christ, came on board and began to unveil the truths of the Kingdom
of GOD.
This explains why anyone who undermines the Pauline
revelation can hardly understand the Grace Gospel. Notice that Paul preached
the Kingdom of GOD, not the Kingdom of Heaven (see Acts 20: 24, 25; 28: 30,
31).
GOD revealed the resurrected Christ to Paul “that
he might preach Him among the Gentiles.” (Galatians 1: 15, 16). Notice that
this revelation is about the resurrected Christ. Not Christ after the flesh. Christ
after the flesh pertained to the natural man, the Jews, not to the spiritual
man.
This is why the Gospel committed to the Church among
the Gentiles is concerning the resurrected Christ. i.e. “Christ no more known
after the flesh,” but as the Divine person of the GODHEAD (2 Corinthians 5: 16,
19). Everything about the Kingdom of GOD is about the resurrected Christ (Acts
28: 30, 31).
Therefore, Christ known after the flesh (2
Corinthians 5: 16) is not the message of the Church. The message of the Church
is not Christ after the flesh, as He once related to the Jews in His first
advent. To us He is not just Christ as the Son or Seed of David, as the King of
Israel, the root and offspring of David, or as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and
so forth, even though we know He is all of these to the Jewish nation. But not
to us – the Church. All of such are titles of Christ concerning His
dealings with the Jews or nation of Israel, not to the Church. To the Church, the
Christ we preach and teach is not after the flesh (2 Corinthians 5: 19), but
after the Spirit. The Church does not know Christ in the flesh but as the resurrected
LORD in His resurrected body. Big difference!
Not knowing these things has kept many legalistic in
their approach towards GOD, and difficult to comprehend Grace truths.
Now in the Kingdom of GOD, i.e. the Grace Kingdom,
because the Kingdom of GOD is founded on His Grace. All that GOD is, does, and
all of His activities, etc. is founded upon Grace. In this Kingdom of Grace,
Jesus is the King, but then He isn’t the only king. We are Kings together with
Him (Revelations 1: 6; 5: 10). This is where we break the first seal of hard
truth. In the Kingdom of GOD, Jesus isn’t a King over the Church. This may
sound crazy to you, but it’s one of the many realities of the Kingdom of GOD.
Jesus is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 4: 15; 5: 23; Colossians 1: 18), but His headship isn’t that of superiority. The Church is not inferior to Jesus in any way. Likewise, He is not a King over the Church, instead, He is a King with the Church, which is also a King, because everyone in the Church is equally a King (Revelations 1: 6). Moreover, the Bible tells us that we share equal position or privileges with Jesus Christ. We are seated together with Him on the throne of Glory (Ephesians 2: 6). More also, we are joint heirs together with Him (Romans 8: 17). Knowing these things is not pride, and can never make us proud, but rather truly humble, because we know that we have not obtained these privileges on our own effort nor of our own making. Rather, all we are now, we are because of Him. He made us everything we are, and this is why He forever deserves our worship as GOD.
When the Bible speaks of Jesus as the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6: 15; Revelations 19: 16), this is not to say that the Church is inferior to Jesus. What it means is that the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords emphasizes the supreme sovereignty and ultimate authority of Jesus Christ. It signifies that He is the sovereign ruler over all other earthly or spiritual rulers. This position or office of Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords is something He passionately shares with the Church. You cannot separate Jesus Christ from His Church. The role of the Church now is to acknowledge, bear witness, proclaim, and promote the worship of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
THE
HOLY SPIRIT AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Actually many Believers are unaware that the Holy
Spirit through Paul reveals to us that the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD refers
to the Grace Gospel. And that entry into the Kingdom of GOD is through the New
Birth.
Hence the Kingdom of GOD speaks of all that the Holy
Spirit has done for us, in us, and to us in the New Birth. This speaks of the
reign of Christ, the installation of His nature, realm, authority, and dominion
in the heart of everyone who believes in Christ.
About this, Paul has the following to say;
Rom
14:17 [After all] the kingdom of God is
not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is
righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart]
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (AMP)
From the verse above we see that the Kingdom of GOD
is in the Holy Spirit. In other words, to have the Holy Spirit is to have the
realities of the Kingdom of GOD. The Kingdom of GOD is about life in the Holy
Spirit and expressed through the Spirit.
Contrary to what religion teaches, it’s never about control or about a set of rules that
one must keep or follow regarding what to eat and what not to eat, what to
drink or not to drink in order to please GOD or win His favor. It has nothing
to do with externalities.
Many who’ve been
confused by religion have been going around teaching people what they must do
to enter the Kingdom of GOD. Their emphasis has always been on doing, outward
performance, works, etc.
But the Lord Jesus never
overstated the truth when He announced that entrance into the Kingdom of GOD is
by the New Birth alone (John 3: 5 – 8). By this, the Lord makes it clear that
entrance into the Kingdom is by Grace alone through faith alone, just as Paul
emphasizes (Ephesians 2: 5, 8).
No one can dispute that the
Kingdom of GOD is entered into by the Holy Spirit rebirthing an individual’s
spirit, rather than by observing feasts and ritualistic performances or
activities. The Gospel of Grace being the message of the Kingdom of GOD.
What this implies is that a person’s response to the Gospel of Christ, i.e. the Grace Gospel reflects their position as far as the Kingdom of GOD is concerned. To receive the Grace Gospel is to receive the message of the Kingdom of GOD. Christ is also the Gospel of Grace. This is because the message of the Gospel is not just about Christ, but is also Christ Himself. Christ is everything the Grace of GOD describes.
RIGHTEOUSNESS,
PEACE, AND JOY
Paul emphasizes that the Kingdom of GOD is Righteousness,
Peace, and Joy (Romans 8: 17).
∎Righteousness means; GOD’S nature in us
that makes us of equal standing with Christ. This implies equal rights, equal inheritance, and equal privileges with Christ and the Father (Romans 5: 17). No more sense of inferiority,
guilt, fear, or sense of unworthiness. We have finally arrived. now we must throw
away the flawed righteousness that religion claims to give, which is the righteousness
that is based on human performance, which is totally bankrupt.
∎Peace indicates that there can never
again be any barrier between us and GOD forevermore (Romans 3: 25; 5: 1; Ephesians 2: 13, 14). Our relationship with GOD
can never be stifled. Not now, nor ever. It also means we keep making progress
in our walk with the Father. Progress that isn’t based on the works we perform,
but that is based on the discovery of eternal truth that comes through the knowledge
and understanding of the Word.
∎Joy means that the Father is forever pleased with us as His eternal family (Ephesians 5: 2; 1 John 2: 2) And that His joy over us has nothing to do with whether we meet up or not. Whatever our human shortcomings, nothing can undo His eternal bond with us in the New Birth. This reality remains beyond the realms of time. Based on this, we rejoice forevermore (1 Thessalonians 5: 16).
The joy also signifies the Fathers joy automatically
is ours, and overwhelms us as we have our attention fixed on the Father’s
undying Love for us, which is based on the perfection of Christ’s work on our
behalf.
THE
KINGDOM NEVER COMES WITH SIGNS
Some get carried away by the outward
show of religious folks and the religious show of certain denominational
groups. Those things are misleading. They keep up their outward acts just in
the same way the Pharisees, and the religious teachers of the time of Jesus' first advent. Those things are just mere human formulations. There’s no power in
them. Except the power to deceive and hold captive the ignorant.
All of these are the
things the Lord Jesus meant when He said the Kingdom of GOD
doesn’t come with signs or outward observation? But comes within (Luke 17: 20,
21).
Are you looking for the
kingdom of GOD outwardly? Then look no further. Those telling you to look here
or there for the Kingdom of GOD are far from reality. The Kingdom isn’t
something that can be physically pointed to or located physically (here or there).
The Kingdom of GOD is a spiritual reality, not a physical, earthly kingdom. It
is not in outward appearances of those who wear some special religious
uniforms, or regalia, or those that carry religious relics. Nor is it about
physical locations such as Church cathedrals, and so forth.
It exists only in the
heart and life of anyone who Believes in Jesus Christ. It is an inner,
spiritual presence. The Kingdom is present wherever Jesus is present and
wherever His Grace and truth is embraced.
The Kingdom of GOD isn’t
a place. That’s why Jesus made the statement “lo here! or lo there!” (Luke 17:
20, 21).
By this statement, Jesus
is making it clear that the Kingdom of GOD is not a place, but an experience.
This experience is the New Birth or Salvation experience.
The Kingdom of GOD isn’t
just an experience, but it’s also a person – Christ!
THE
KINGDOM HAS ALREADY COME
If you are waiting or praying to enter the Kingdom
of GOD when you get to heaven then you have to drop such a delusional idea.
Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom of GOD has come
or is here already. He proclaimed its arrival in His first advent when He
spoke of the Kingdom of GOD being within (or among) the Jews in His first
advent (Luke 17: 20, 21). The word “within” in Luke 17: 20, 21 is understood in two ways. And both are correct. On one hand, it implies the formation of the Kingdom of GOD
within the heart of anyone who receives Christ. On the other hand, Jesus is also
referring to His presence among the Jews as the Kingdom of GOD in their midst.
Secondly, He told the Jews that since He was casting
out demons among them by the power of GOD, then it meant that the Kingdom of GOD
had come upon them (Matthew 12: 28, 29; Luke 11: 20). But they never took
seriously what Jesus was telling them. The Kingdom of GOD was already available
then, but no one was able to get in until the New Birth had become commissioned.
This took place when the Holy Spirit came after Jesus had been glorified at the
Father’s right hand, after His ascension.
Today the Kingdom of GOD is received or consummated
in the New Birth.
Jesus' statement in Matthew 6: 10, which required the
Jews to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of GOD, is not a prayer for us to
pray today. This is because the Kingdom of GOD has finally been. This was just
a temporary prayer format or template that Jesus gave, not to the Church or
Christians, but to the Jews, pending when the consummation of the Kingdom of
GOD would take effect and become receivable through the commissioning or
availability of the New Birth.
Anyone praying “Thy Kingdom come today” is seriously
disconnected from reality.
Furthermore, whosoever believes that they have
to wait till they get to heaven before receiving or entering the Kingdom of GOD
is simply groveling under the spell of religion.
THE
KINGDOM OF GOD AND ANGELS
The Kingdom of GOD is the highest realm of existence
in the entire universe (created and uncreated). It is actually the very realm
of GOD and His personal family of the New Creation. Every other forms or realm
of existence, in the universe are all under the authority or sovereign power of
the Kingdom of GOD, which governs the entire universe.
Now let me drop another bomb here. Angels and other
heavenly creatures are members of the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13: 41; 18:
10; Revelations 5: 11), but they’re not members of the Kingdom of GOD in the
sense that we are of the Kingdom of GOD in Christ. Angels and other heavenly
creatures are not in the realm of the Kingdom of GOD, nor do they carry the
Kingdom of GOD within them as we do in Christ.
I know this may sound tough to a lot of you because
it’s not the usual traditional or religious teachings most Believers have
been religiously indoctrinated with for hundreds of decades. But I’m going to
stick to my guns.
Angels and other heavenly creatures are merely servants
of the Kingdom of GOD. They serve us. But they are not members of the Kingdom. I
say this for the following reasons:
There’s no specific Bible passage that explicitly
states that angels are “members” of the Kingdom of GOD. However, the Bible does
clarify that the only connection angels and other heavenly creatures of GOD
have with the Kingdom of GOD is as servants to the Kingdom of GOD (Psalm 91:
11, 12; 103: 20; 148: 2 – 6; Matthew 13: 41; Hebrews 1: 14). I wish I could
explain more on this here, but space will not permit.
Secondly, angels and other created heavenly
creatures can not be members of the Kingdom of GOD as we are in Christ, because
entry into the Kingdom of GOD is by the New Birth (John 3: 5 – 8). The New Birth is not for angels or
any other created heavenly creature.
This knowledge is very important because it further
enlightens us about our exalted position in Christ.
Nevertheless, angels and other heavenly creatures
will forever serve the purpose and cause of the Kingdom of GOD (Hebrews 1: 14).
The saving activity of GOD through the New Birth
of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 13) amid His creation and the privileges of this salvation or New Birth are described as the Kingdom of GOD.
The Kingdom of GOD is in Christ and
entry is the New Birth or regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
You're forever blessed!
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