The Kingdom of God Today - 4
GOD'S INTENTION
God has an intention! He wants His manifold wisdom be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
It was according to His wisdom that God created every thing, natural and spiritual. And everything was as He intended it to be. Romans 11'34 says:
"For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
Until Adam sinned against his Creator.
Immediately following that, God revealed His renewed intention and how it would be restored. He told Satan:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel,” Genesis 3'15.
Over time God spoke through the Prophets of this One who would come. The apostle Peter says:
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven," 1 Peter 1'10-12.
Finally,
"... when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law," Galatians 4'4-5.
The time had come for the age of God's renewed purpose: His Kingdom. It came into view with the birth of His Son. Called Jesus, He would be what His name means, "God is salvation".
God had said to Satan: "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel". And Satan felt it from the day Jesus was born.
Jesus presented the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He taught, preached, presented, represented and made it His New Covenant Kingdom of God.
After He had completed the work His Father had sent Him to do, He was received up into heaven and glorified.
At that point "the fullness of the time" had been fulfilled in every respect. Thus, the Holy Spirit came and filled Believers. And because Jesus had accomplished everything necessary for the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom of God (His intention) could begin.
The words to the Hebrew Believers, and by extension to Gentile Believers, sum it all up:
"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son," Hebrews 1'1-2.
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So this is the age in which the manifold wisdom of God is to be made known by Christ's Called-Out People through the preaching and witnessing of the Good News of the Kingdom of God to all the nations, as Jesus said:
“... this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come," Matthew 24'14.
His final words prior to ascending to be with His Father were:
“... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The first to witness was the apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost. Interestingly, later in his first letter, he refers to "... those who have preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven," 1 Peter 1'10-12.
However, there was one very significant and very crucial man absent that Day who would become antagonistic toward everything and everyone to do with Jesus. In spite of that Jesus was not antagonistic toward him. Little did he know that the Lord would call him him to a historic ministry.
His name was Saul, later called Paul. By the time the Lord intervened in his life, he was well into his passion of violently rooting out every Believer he could find, man or woman.
But one momentous day Jesus shook him to his core, physically and spiritually. He identified Himself and confronted him (Acts 9'1-6). Paul yielded himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, saying “Lord, what do You want me to do?”. Saul also found himself unable to see.
The answer to his question came through a certain disciple named Ananias. Jesus had also called on him. Referring to Paul "... the Lord said, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel'," Acts 9'15.
Ananias laid his hands on him and Paul's sight returned. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and immersed in water (Acts 9'18-19). He was now ready to make known the manifold wisdom of God in the Good News of Christ and the Kingdom.
Sometime later he explained his calling further:
"... to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me," Acts 26'18.
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When unbelievers' spiritual eyes are opened they begin receiving Kingdom understandings. As they act on them, enabled by the Holy Spirit, they begin making known God's manifold wisdom. And the principalities and powers go on the defensive.
Nevertheless, they still attempt to deceive Believers out of the powerful Kingdom understandings of God's wisdom they are receiving.
But Satan is also aware of the power of deception. But in response to an attempt to cast out a demon by the sons of a Jewish priest, the "... evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know and Paul I know; but who are you?',” Acts 19'15.
Believers have power of Satan. But above that, Jesus achieved one absolutely wonderful thing for His People. And that is, free and open access to the Father's Throne of Grace. Plus, the privilege of standing in His presence with boldness .
So, Paul began following Jesus' example of doing the Father's will and living differently. Also, he came to realise that something else goes with this call from the Lord:
"... I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life," 1 Timothy 1'16.
His Christ-Kingdom way of life was a pattern to be lived out for sinners to see - and for Believers to follow.
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Two Powerful Understandings
Among the amazing Kingdom understandings that Believers begin receiving when they are born again, there are two that are foremost. They are critical and crucial and can only be given by the Holy Spirit Himself. No "special", "holy" person or religious ceremony can convey them.
They are: 1. Being immersed into the Body of Christ, becoming a member of it and 2. being in the kingdom of the Son of the Father's love. Every Believer can possess these understandings in their hearts. Here are the scriptures:
1. "For by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body" : "... now you are the body of Christ and members individually," 1 Corinthians 12'13,27.
2. The Father "... has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love," Colossians 1'13.
It's easy to just read these scriptures and not see the extent of their significance. They should be read carefully, because they are absolute spiritual realities. The moment you repented and received Christ they became your realities:
- you were immersed, placed, into into the Body of Christ, making you a member of it
- the Father has delivered you - and you are in the Kingdom of the Son of His love
They are specific and relevant in regard to your place in the Kingdom of God. They happened when you were born again. Possess them and benefit from them.
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"My Father and Your Father"
When Mary Magdalene unknowingly encountered Jesus following His resurrection, He said this to her:
“Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God’,” John 20'17.
These words must be some of the greatest anyone could ever hear. But the first thing to notice about what He said to Mary was, "go to My brethren". He put her mind at rest by referring to the disciples as "brothers".
Way back she had heard Him say, “... whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother” (Mark 3'35). (Years later the writer to the Hebrew Believers wrote:
"... both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren," Hebrews 2'11.)
And by saying: "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God”, He was putting them equal to Himself in His relationship to the Father. In effect, He was declaring them to be joint-heirs together with Him.
Later, in the days and months following the Day of Pentecost, the Apostles and Paul, preached these powerful understandings.
From Pentecost on God would be "Our Father" whenever His Children gathered together and "My Father" when alone.
All these wonderful things are wrapped up in these wonderful words:
"... because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”, Galatians 4'6.
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Serving Christ, Glorifying The Father
Paul said that "... the kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God ...," Romans 14'17-18. (This follows on from "Living It" on the Menu.)
Believers serve Christ by doing acts of righteousness. Because Jesus' life was all about serving His heavenly Father, His wish is that His Followers do the same. And:
"... all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us," 2 Corinthians 1'20.
As Philippians 2'11 says: "... every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".
So, serving Christ with acts of righteousness and peace and joy is about relating to the Father, in an intimate and powerful relationship as Jesus did.
He was Kingdom-oriented and He demonstrated the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Some His acts of righteousness included healing the sick and casting out demons. And although a Believer is unlikely to be involved in these things to the extent that Jesus was, He still gives us the authority.
His example:
"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick," Matthew 8'16.
He also said, “... if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you," Matthew 12'28.
And again He said: “... if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you," Luke 11'20.
The Disciples found that the authority over the powers of principalities and powers, that Jesus gave them, was very successful. So much so that they were a bit too joyful about the results:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you’", Luke 10'1,3 10-11.
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven,” Luke 10'17-20.
Where there is success, naturally there is joy. But notice that Jesus had to correct them about that. Obviously it was important. Nevertheless, before He did it He reconfirmed that the authority and power He had given them was still theirs.
After that He warned them not to rejoice about success but to rejoice over the very much greater heavenly blessing.
The Lord wants His New Covenant Kingdom of God preached and demonstrated. That's part of making known the manifold wisdom of the God.
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Having A Christ-Kingdom Disposition
Everything Jesus achieved during His earthly lifetime was for His Saints. In addition to choosing the 12 Apostles He chose Paul to preach the Good News of Christ and the Kingdom of God, particularly to Gentiles.
At the same time he was making known the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers of darkness.
He says to all Believers:
"Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern," Philippians 3'17.
He says "walk the talk like I do". To do that requires a certain disposition. He wrote this to the Roman Believers:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God," Romans 12'1-2.
And to the Corinthian Believers who seemed to be in danger of being overtaken with the claims of idol worship, he said:
"And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'
Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty,” 2 Corinthians 6'16-18.
This godly disposition is what could be called a Christ-Kingdom disposition. It can be seen in the lives of Saints who feature in the word of the Kingdom scriptures, Acts 1'1 through to Revelation 3'22. That's the Kingdom of God today.
It's a way of life, simply doing the will of our heavenly Father His way with a willing the heart serving Christ. And knowing that obeying our Father pleases Him and is a blessing to us.
"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children," Ephesians 5'1.
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Next: Since We Are Receiving A Kingdom.