God’s Kingdom

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told us to welcome God’s Kingdom. This devotional reading looks at what the coming of God’s kingdom entails.

Nuggets

  • There can be only one King – God.
  • God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
  • God’s kingdom hasn’t arrived yet.

I wonder what was going through the apostles’ minds there in Galilee. The Jews had been looking for a military Messiah. They wanted someone who would overthrow the Romans.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

But wasn’t it really more than that? The Jews wanted a king again (I Sam. 8: 4-22).

Instead, they had the crushing defeat of the crucifixion, then the uplifting victory of the resurrection. Now, Jesus is going away again.

I wonder if the disciples connected “… This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1: 11, NIV) with “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn. 14: 3, NIV) yet.  Probably not.

They probably weren’t at the “… If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” stage that John 14: 28 (NIV) tells us about. Jesus kept telling them what was going to happen (Jn. 14: 29); but the concepts were so foreign to them, they don’t get it.

Let's Put It into Context

To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.

Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.

Devotions in the Commit to Grow Our Habits study

Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6: 10 NIV)

Thy

“Your kingdom come …. (Mt. 6: 10 NIV)

There can be only one King – God.

The concept of God, as we’ve talked about already, can be totally confusing to some. Beyond the desire not to have someone else controlling us, we just have trouble understanding Who God is and what He is about.

A quick recap – God is above all other gods. Therefore, His kingdom is the greatest kingdom.

Since there is only one God, we have to follow His plan. He controls our coming and going (Ps. 121: 1).

Jesus is the One Who is praying, but it is also His kingdom that is coming. Why is He King?

  • Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man.
  • He is a descendant of David.
  • This is His reward for suffering and dying to complete the Plan of Salvation.

Resource

No, we aren’t contradicting ourselves here. “I [Jesus] and the Father are one” (Jn. 10: 30 ESV).

Kingdom

“Your kingdom come …” (Mt. 6: 10 NIV)

God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.

The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that describes His sovereign reign. In this kingdom God can control our character.

The best news is that, since God is eternal, so is His kingdom.

You see, God wasn’t interested in an earthly kingdom. This earth is temporary.

God’s main interest isn’t in our physical bodies. God will provide what we need and heal us when these bodies break down. But God knows those were temporary.

The kingdom God establishes is a spiritual kingdom. He is more interested in our eternal condition. He is interested in our souls.

Let’s look at it another way. God’s kingdom is the Church.

We see the church as splintered because we have created all these demonizations and individual churches that make up the whole.

Mangey reminded us that God sees the Church as one. It is singular because “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4: 4-6 NIV).

Resource

God doesn’t have multiple standards where He — or we — get to choose which one we are following. He has one set of laws and commandments for everyone.

The only way to gain salvation is through Jesus. Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.

  • Sin is not believing that Jesus is our Savior to save us from our actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
    • Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues and to serve and worship God.
      • Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
        • Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
        • Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
        • Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
      • Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin. 
      • Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
    • Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart.
      • Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
    • Spiritual death is the spiritual separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
      • The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

Glossary

The ABCDs of Salvation

If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.

A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord

D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us

The Disciple’s Job Description

To seek the kingdom of God, we submit our whole hearts and lives to God. We can only find it through submitting to Him.

We think we can gain entrance to God’s kingdom by doing good deeds – essentially being a good person. We can’t.

We can only be ushered into God’s kingdom when we commit to becoming like Him. Our character must be like His.

Luthardt explained it this way. He wrote, “The way of its coming is an inner, a spiritual, a moral one.”

Resource

No, working in God’s kingdom is not going to be easy. One of the biggest struggles is going to be our acquiescence to His Will.

Some may think that the Kingdom of God is only applicable to His subjects – His disciples. Nope.

“For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God” (Rom. 14: 11 NLT).

Every knee means everyone – living and dead. God is Creator of all, not just His disciples.

Every applies to everyone.

Come

“Your kingdom come …” (Mt. 6: 10 NIV)

God’s kingdom hasn’t arrived yet.

The significant word here is come. We haven’t seen all we are going to get.

Brown made an interesting statement. He said that it has to come in the church.

Resource

Ooo, baby! Doesn’t God’s kingdom come to us at conversion?

Well, yes and no. Remember, regeneration comes at conversion, but then we have to go through sanctification.

Conversion is the product of repentance, when we turn away from our sins and return to God, that secures salvation.

  • Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to change our sinful ways to ways of righteousness through obedience.
  • Obedience means submitting ourselves to the will of God as it is presented to us and living our lives accordingly.

Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification is the transformational process of the mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.

Glossary

Sanctification is a process. We have to get it to the heart level. Therefore, God’s kingdom comes to us throughout the process.

Since it is a process, we need to pray for the process. Our prayers should be to stay in God’s Will.

Praying also shows how much we want for God’s kingdom to come. So, that is how God’s kingdom comes in the Church.

When we usually think of God’s kingdom coming, we think of Jesus’ second coming. It is only then — when everyone bows to Him — that the process of His coming will be complete.

No, the process isn’t complete yet because we are not totally obedient to God.

Saphir made a great observation. If the kingdom of God has to come to us — and it is not here yet — that further confirms that being a good person is not enough.

Further, we cannot go to the kingdom. It has to come to us. God calls us to salvation.

Resource

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

Let’s look at this from another way. It is to our advantage that God’s kingdom hasn’t come yet.

If we haven’t ABCDed yet, we still have the opportunity to do so. Once Jesus comes, we can’t change our decision. It has already been finalized.

We have ever how much time is left to finish maturing. A lot of times, it is called getting right with God. We need to not procrastinate and do it.

gods-kingdomFB

Making the Connections

So, how does prayer fit into this? Easy. This is so much bigger than us.

Think about it. It is a hard process, one that where we will need help. We can only tap that help through prayer.

One way we navigate the Sanctification Road process is helping Sovereign God expand His kingdom. We have to do it in His way, in His time, under His direction – through Him.

The only way we can figure what all that means is to be in constant communication with Him. That communication is prayer.

How Do We Apply This?

  • Sincerely and earnestly pray to God to seek and to use us to expand His kingdom.
  • Consecrate ourselves to God’s service.
  • Seek God’s blessing as a reward for obeying Him.
  • Pray for God’s kingdom to be established here on earth.
  • Pray that everyone seeks the coming of His kingdom.
  • Pray that we get God’s kingdom to the heart level now.
  • Ask God to reign in our hearts now.
  • Pray that God’s truth be evident in the world today.
  • Pray for an eternity filled with holiness and joy.
  • Pray for unity.

Resources

Our Father. You love us so much. You sent Your Son to earth to die this cruel, horrible death. You set Him up with friends who just didn’t get what He was saying. But He accomplished part one of Your plan. Lord, we are waiting for part two – His second coming. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, not on these lives we are living. Give us the strength to navigate the Sanctification Road. Bring us home to be with You eternally. Amen.

What do you think?

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