About the Kingdom of God

There are over 150 references to the “Kingdom” in the New Testament alone. Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven.” Mark, Luke, John and the other writers of Scripture use “Kingdom of God” (KOG). In both phrases, “Kingdom” is the same word in Greek (the original, written language of the New Testament) and the phrases carry the same meaning: “basileia,” which means “the realm in which a sovereign king rules.”

Kingdom: RULE, REALM or REIGN

If we don’t understand the Kingdom of God and our role in His Kingdom, we will be tempted to believe that our role as ambassador and disciple maker is optional as a Christ follower.

How do we keep ourselves from being tempted to believe that our role as ambassador and disciple maker is optional?

ANSWER: Staying in remembrance and understanding Jesus’ sole reason for coming to Earth was not only for Jesus dying for our sins so we can go to heaven, but for this thing called the Kingdom of God.

Jesus preached about the KOG.
He lived the KOG.
He came to make men, women and children citizens of the KOG.
He died for the sake of the KOG.
He rose from the dead to secure the KOG.
The New Covenant is about the KOG.
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to ensure the KOG would be lived out on the earth through believers until His return.
When Jesus returns, He will fully establish the KOG on the earth.
All people, Christian and non-Christian, will be judged according to the rules of the KOG.
Jesus is the King of the KOG.
The Father will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord of the KOG.
All of Jesus’ teachings were about the KOG.
Jesus spent 40 days on the earth after He rose from the dead teaching His disciples about the KOG before His final ascension into heaven.
Paul’s ministry and letters were about the KOG; Peter’s ministry and letters were about the KOG; John’s ministry and letters were about the KOG.

Common misconceptions about the KOG:

A geographical location
The nation of Israel
A church
A democracy
Limited to or identified by a culture
Inherited or received through natural birth

Biblical truths about the KOG:

It is the “rule or reign of God.”
It’s the whole plan of God.
It is God’s rule and reign that are expressed in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
It is His rule over everything: the universe, the earth, nature, mankind, the animals and the spiritual realm.
Everything was, is, and will be under His rule/reign/authority – without exception.

What does the Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven) mean, and what does that mean to me as a Christ follower?

The Kingdom of God is the bedrock to understanding Jesus, the Christian faith and our roles as disciple makers on this earth, today. It is the very purpose of our existence on this earth as human beings.

The Kingdom has always been the central message of God’s Word (Bible), and it is what God has always been invested in. Using His people to advance His Kingdom has always been His plan. (Matthew 6:33)

The only way the Kingdom of God can be seen is through PEOPLE living under His Rule.

When we pray for and seek the Kingdom of God, we are also praying for the rule and reign of the Kingdom of God in our lives. This is when Jesus is in charge in us and through us. Jesus said, “For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), where He was speaking of Himself.

When you are under Jesus’ lordship, and when He is in control of your life, that is the Kingdom of God.
It is not rules and regulations, but “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
When we claim that Jesus is in charge and is Lord of our lives, we become ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom NOW, and we live to make way here on earth for God’s purpose. It is for His will and His GLORY, not our own!

The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-10

“Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

God’s Kingdom will come through whom? US

Through whom will God’s will be done? US

Where has God’s Kingdom come? Here (Earth)

What does it mean to be an ambassador in God’s Kingdom?

An ambassador means being a LABORER in God’s Kingdom. We are not to simply become citizens of the Kingdom of God and then wait for the day of our supernatural transport into eternity. We are to participate in the advancement of the Kingdom of God, right here and right now.

Every baptized member of the Body of Christ (The Church) is called to be an ambassador of God's Kingdom. No matter how old or young we are, God wants us to surrender to Him, so He can use us as His ambassadors to this declining world. Children, teens, young adults, those in middle age, and those in the autumn of their physical years are all called to be Christ's Ambassadors—right now!

Though we must rejoice in every day of life that God grants to us, we must never be completely "at home" in the flesh. We must always yearn and hunger to become full spiritual members of the God Family.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Paul explains that if we are truly in Christ, we must be a new creation, putting off old and ungodly ways, ideas, habits, thoughts, feelings and attitudes. God calls us so we can assist Him in the mission of spreading His Gospel to the world—a ministry or teaching of reconciliation (v. 18). We have a message to proclaim, through word and deed, which emphasizes human beings being reconciled or "brought back" to God through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (v. 19).

The Commandments of God:

What do the Commandments of God mean to us as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom?

The commandments are the “rules” of the KOG.
The commandments are more than do’s and don’ts. They express the character of God, the way God wants to be loved, and the lifestyle of the KOG.
The commandments are meant to define and distinguish the Christian from the rest of the world — citizens of the Kingdom of Light vs. citizens of the kingdom of darkness.
When you obey the commands, you place yourself under God’s rule and reign.
When you disobey, you reject God’s rule and reign over your life.
We express love to God by obeying His commands. (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3)
The summary of all the KOG rules of the Old Testament is found in Matthew 22:37-40; the Great Commandment (love God and love people).
The summary of all the KOG rules of the New Testament is found in John 13:34-35; the New Commandment (love others the way the Father loves you — sacrificially).
The new “vehicle” for the spread of the KOG upon the earth is no longer through a people “gathered” (Old Testament: via the nation of Israel), but rather through a people “scattered” (New Testament: via the Church Body).
This is the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 (loving others means we “go” to them — we initiate).
God is love. God does love. The commands tell us how God wants to be loved. The KOG is love.
God’s rules applied to our relationships is love.

We only have TWO Choices:

The Kingdom of God OR the kingdom of darkness, you CANNOT live in both.

“The Kingdom of God is wherever Jesus rules without resistance.” –Jerry Brandt

By: Susanna Kozlow