The Kingdom of God – Now or Later?

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The Kingdom of God – Now or Later?

August 19, 2015 by DoneWithReligion

When we hear someone talk about the Kingdom of God, usually our first thought is a place in the distant future. A place we go when we die and leave this earth. It is where God lives somewhere way up in the sky, a place where we will live with Him forever.

Yet, when reading about the Kingdom of God in the bible, it sounds to me it is not some far away, future place. It is right now, and right here. A place where we live daily with our Father. Jesus said in John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them”. To me, if God has made his home with us, then we are certainly living in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus mentioned that the Kingdom of God is within us. He said that we were to ask that God’s will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

The following excerpt from the article ‘Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God’ found on colsoncenter.org website is a brief explanation of the Kingdom of God:

The Hebrew word for kingdom is malkut and its Greek counterpart is basileia. Both terms primarily mean “rule” or “reign.” Only secondarily do they denote a realm, sphere, or territory over which a rule or reign is exercised. Both terms have a dynamic or active meaning, and refer to the exercise of God’s power, dominion, or sovereignty.

So then, we see that the expression “Kingdom of God” does not refer to heaven or the church or the heart or to moral reform or to a future realm. Rather it refers to the active, dynamic exercise of God’s rule, authority, dominion, and power in the world!

So when John the Baptist announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he meant that God’s rule was just about to break into the world through the Messiah. When Jesus Christ Himself preached and proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, He meant that in and by Himself, God was exercising His power and authority in a redemptive way against all the evil in the world!

In short, the Kingdom of God is the rule of God manifested in Christ to bring redemption to the earth. No wonder the Kingdom is the central theme of the New Testament! …

Another good point is made on the web site thegospelcoalition.org, stating: Jesus is the kingdom. Where the king is, there is the kingdom. This is precisely why Jesus says to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21)…

I have come to believe more and more that the Kingdom of God is not necessarily talking about the coming heavenly kingdom, but it is our life with God right here and now. Our old, earthly man was crucified with Christ on the cross and a new man was raised up with Christ. Jesus is our king, and we are living with him in his kingdom every day.

Another interesting perspective on the Kingdom of God entitled ‘What is the Kingdom of God about?’ and written by Susanne Schuberth, can be found at the following link:

https://enteringthepromisedland.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/what-is-the-kingdom-of-god-about/

Posted in christian living, Kingdom of God | Tagged gospel, Gospel Coalition, heaven, John the Baptist, Kingdom of God, pharisees, salvation, Susanne Schuberth | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on September 4, 2015 at 5:16 AM Jordan Varnedoe

Jesus tells a parable to make the point that the kingdom is not yet here. As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.

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on August 19, 2015 at 5:15 PM DonewithReligion

Thank you. I appreciate your comment.

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on August 19, 2015 at 5:14 PM DonewithReligion

Thanks Susanne. I appreciate the kind words.

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on August 19, 2015 at 5:14 PM DonewithReligion

Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate you reading my article. Also enjoyed reading your article ‘Why be a Christian’. Very good.

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on August 19, 2015 at 4:27 PM freeoneindeed

I agree 100%! The kingdom is where the King has made His abode.

Thank you Done, you nailed it again!

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on August 19, 2015 at 3:11 PM Susanne Schuberth (Germany)

Thank you very much for the link to my blog, Mike. I just reread what I wrote there since I had forgotten about it completely. 😀 Indeed, your post clarifies what mine did not. Very well written!

Every blessing to you and your wife!

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on August 19, 2015 at 2:48 PM tonycutty

In fact here’s my blog entry on the subject: http://www.flyinginthespirit.cuttys.net/2015/07/15/why-be-a-christian/

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on August 19, 2015 at 2:47 PM tonycutty

Absolutely. This is exactly what God has been saying to me for some time now. The Kingdom is now; eternal life begins now, we have already passed from death to life. Jesus came not to preach salvation, interestingly, but He came to preach the Kingdom of God. And He demonstrated the presence of the Kingdom by showing that He had brought the Kingdom into the here and now by performing His miracles and doing His teaching. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the evil one, and He began that right away, not just at Calvary (although of course that was the culmination of the battle), but in breaking the power of the enemy in the lives of everyday people on a daily basis. He showed how life should be lived, in service and in bringing God’s power to everyday people. He the continued His work through His people, through Acts and right up to the present day. Another great work of this age is the book ‘Culture of Honor’ by Danny Silk, in which this sort of thing is discussed in detail.

Bringing the Kingdom into the here and now. That’s what Jesus did, and is still doing today.

Great article, and beautifully expressed. This is God’s message for this time: Kingdom power, here and now. Thank you for writing this piece which just confirms everything God has been saying to me. Brilliant!

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