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God’s REIGN: The Kingdom Among Us
I publish here to provide my readers with what I believe to be a powerful and useful way to engage God and the Bible. Please do not download and share. I pray you will be blessed and that in the blessing you will be inspired to advance God’s Kingdom through loving neighbor.
The Age to Come
I will use the Bible to break The Kingdom Kind of Life down into the practical daily application of Kingdom Reign in our actual hard lives. In order to do that, it will be useful to talk through a few different ways in which the Bible is using the word kingdom so as not to apply the wrong use of the word to the wrong application.
I have turned to two modern theologians for guidance on the definition of The Kingdom Kind of Life: Dallas Willard and George Eldon Ladd. Both have written extensively on this subject, and I recommend their books.
Ladd argues that the best way to break down the word kingdom as Jesus uses it is in terms of ages. He argues that some of the language in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible loses its potency in this regard. He spends a significant amount of time in his book breaking down key passages in terms of this age and the age to come. For example, in Luke 20, when Jesus responds to a question on marriage, he gives two responses. One for this age, and one for the age to come. Here is the verse in the KJV:
“The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20:35-37 KJV
Ladd states that the phrase “of this world” is better translated “in this age.” This principle applies to many texts and many translations. My goal is not a deep dive into the Greek and I am not qualified to do any more than parrot Ladd’s understanding. I agree with Ladd that a nuanced change in our understanding of the holy text significantly impacts how we read Jesus’s teachings. The idea that there are different ways of understanding Kingdom in different ages is a constructive conclusion which I have drawn from Ladd’s book.
Ladd defines Kingdom as God’s Rule. The manifestation of that rule varies, based on the age to which the rule is being applied. God’s Rule in ancient Israel manifests differently than his rule in a Christian who has the Holy Spirit living inside him, which in turn manifests differently in the age to come when Satan is defeated and death is vanquished. This idea helps us better apply the word kingdom to the various ages and explains why Jesus uses the same word, kingdom, with different implications depending on which age he is talking about.
Embracing the truth of Willard’s book, The Divine ConspiracyB, changed my life. I studied Ladd more recently, but it is clear to me that Ladd influenced Willard. Ladd’s book The Gospel of the KingdomA is a great book for breaking down the concept of Kingdom. Since there is significant alignment between Ladd and Willard, and since Ladd’s work predates Willard, I will usually use Ladd’s terms and definitions. One thing Willard is famous for is emphasizing “Go and Do” in his understanding of the Kingdom life. Willard argues that we cannot expect material change in our actual lives until we start doing the things King Jesus taught us to do.
Combining Willard’s “Go and Do” principle with Ladd’s understanding of the various ages helps us surrender to God’s Rule in our actual lives. We experience the Kingdom Kind of Life when we live, guided by the Holy Spirit inside us, and surrendering to his Kingdom Rule as we understand it. When we actually live in alignment with those instructions, we are the living manifestation of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus warned us repeatedly that our actual behavior (not just our choice to become a Christian), impacts our material reality in the age to come, and should inspire us to “Go and Do” the things Jesus taught. Here is one example.
“Jesus told his disciples: ‘There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master’ “Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,” he replied. The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ The asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “A thousand bushels of wheat,” he replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:1-13 NIV
This story provides us a glimpse into Jesus’ understanding of eternal reality and how we are to utilize our time and resources in this age. Our behavior in this age impacts our here and now, it also impacts our experiential reality in the age to come. When we live now in alignment with God’s Rule, we will reap the rewards in accordance with God’s Rule in the age to come. This is the Kingdom kind of understanding of eternal reality. Embracing this understanding awakens us to the Kingdom Kind of Life.
We are living in an age where the Holy Spirit is available to us to help us live the Kingdom Kind of Life here and now. We need only to ask, then listen and obey the Holy Spirits promptings. We are blessed of all people to have that privilege, a privilege that was not available to the Old Testament Jews with a very few exceptions. Jesus thought this was a really big deal when he described it in the Upper Room. He said we would not be alone. He said he would send a Helper that would:
- Never leave us (John 14:16)
- Lead us to all truth (John 14:17/16:13)
- Give us peace of mind and heart (John 14:27)
- Make our joy overflow (John 15:11)
- Testify about Jesus (John 15:27)
- Convict the world of sin (John 16:8)
- Tell us about the future (John 16:13)
What a wonderful age to be alive! What an amazing and powerful gift we have been given! Learning to abide in Jesus through the person of the Holy Spirit is the most wonderful experience we can have in this age. Learning to abide in Jesus through the Holy Spirit is the most effective way to store up for ourselves treasure where:
“moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:20-21 NLT
In many of Jesus stories, he contrasted the people who live in alignment with Kingdom life and those who don’t. Matthew recorded a series of Jesus’ stories that appear to be told in the timeframe between the triumphal entry and the cross. In Matthew 24 the disciples are on the Mount of Olives, looking back at Jerusalem, and commenting on the beautiful buildings. Jesus responded that none of these stones would be left on the other. In this, Jesus foresaw the total destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. [As fires broke out and destroyed the temple, the gold melted and flowed into the foundations. Over time every stone was turned over to recover the gold.]
Jesus spoke about other apocalyptic events and described his sudden return. He followed up the prophecies with three instructional stories about the Kingdom.
The first story is about ten maidens waiting for the bridegroom to return. The conclusion is that the five maidens who were prepared and waiting with extra oil were included in the party, and the five who were not prepared were shut out (See Matthew 25:1-13).
The second story is about a landowner or king going away on a long journey. As he departs, he gives bags of money to three people to care for in his absence. After a long time, the king returns and asks for an accounting of what each person did with the money. The one who did nothing with his money is thrown out (See Matthew 25:14-30).
The third story in the series describes a great sorting event in which the King takes one group and says to them:
“Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:34 NASB
Then Jesus says to the other group:
“Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” Matthew 25:41 NASB
In all three stories, the people’s actions in this age impacted the outcome in the age to come. Each group was somehow held eternally responsible for their choices now in this life. In the third story, the King focuses on how we treat the hungry, thirsty, stranger, sick, and those in prison. How we treat the disadvantaged among us appears to be a factor in our eternal destiny.
Now I realize these are just three of many stories that instruct us on our eternal future. Other elements factor into our eternal destiny. Appendix A in the back of this book provides a more complete description of eternal salvation.
These stories point us to the heart of God and give us some hints of behaviors we can get involved in to get to know him better. They also provide us with behaviors that will result in positive outcomes in the age to come.
A few things about these stories that I find worth pointing out:
1. There is a message of always being prepared for the bridegroom’s return.
a. It could be a very long time, and we won’t know the time of the King’s return. (When framed against the span of a single human life, this statement is as true today as it was when Jesus spoke these words).
b. Spend your time and money wisely and invest with the expectation of return in the age to come.
2. Be cautious in quantifying the multiplying talents. I have met people who use the number of converts to measure a successful ministry. Jesus spoke of fruit being multiplied – “even 100 fold”. But Paul defines fruit as:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 WEBUS
Multiplying talents could apply as much to these character attributes as to the number of converts.
3. There is a focus on action on behalf of those less fortunate, people who are in desperate need. The idea that God cares deeply about the less fortunate and is frustrated with followers that don’t help the less fortunate occurs throughout the Bible. It is a major theme in both the Old and New Testaments.
4. Our actions now are measured, and we are rewarded and punished in the age to come based on those actions.
5. None of the people in these stories have particular religious jobs. They are not teachers, preachers, or missionaries. These are ordinary people living their ordinary lives in alignment with Kingdom purposes.
6. The recipients of their love and good works are also ordinary people without merit. They are people who have not behaved in a particular way in order to receive love.
One of the fastest ways to engage with someone and get them talking is to engage with their passions. They will talk for hours if you can get them talking about what they are most passionate about. You will learn about them much faster by understanding their passions. God is like that. As we begin to understand what He is passionate about, we gain more insight into His heart and what behaviors really please Him. By understanding his character, we can better discern His voice and see His hand in the world. In my experience, even God is more likely to speak up when we are going around doing the stuff he is passionate about. One of the best ways to learn what he is passionate about is to study the Bible.
The Book of Isaiah is a complex mosaic written by Isaiah towards the end of his life. It summarizes a lifetime of prophecy, bouncing around from the people of Israel on the brink of exile, to the coming of Messiah, to the New Jerusalem when Jesus returns and reigns there, and evil is vanquished. This book provides us glimpses into God’s Reign in different ages. He gives us a warning that people of Israel will be exiled for failing to align with God’s Rule in their age. Then he talks about a time when Messiah will come, and God’s Reign will change to manifest in individual hearts. Then he describes scenes where there is an actual physical kingdom on earth, and God’s Reign shows up differently in that context. It’s a rather difficult read, but the book is full of beautiful descriptions of the nature and character of God.
Note: If you have struggled with reading Isaiah because of the disconnected nature of the text, I recommend J. Alec Motyer’s commentary titled “The Prophecy of Isaiah”
The following section blends Isaiah 58 with my commentary in bold. Isaiah 58 contrasts the people of Israel’s behavior with what God actually desires.
“For day after day they [the people of Israel] seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’”
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.”
Isaiah says our actions speak louder than our lip service. When we act with quarreling and strife and take advantage of the less powerful, God is displeased.
“Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?”
The following text gets to the heart of God and gives us a clear picture of actions that align with what he is passionate about:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
These are the good deeds that make us shine like the sun in a dark world (see Matt 5:14, Philippians 2:15 for similar language.)
“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”
When we act this way, God comes close and guides us.
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”
More ways that we can achieve alignment with God and his character:
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:2-11 NLT
Let us not make the same mistake the people of Israel did. Instead, let us align with God’s Reign in our age. As we engage with God in prayer, let us look at our calendar and checkbook and see if we are living in alignment with the heart of God as described in this text. Let us look at our business practices and how we treat the workers we encounter in the course of our lives and compare them to this text.
If we are out of alignment, let us petition God in prayer for courage and guidance on how, when, and where to make concrete changes in our behavior that align with God’s heart. When we do that, we are more likely to experience his loving presence and become aware of our role in advancing His Kingdom on earth as it is in the heavenly realms.
Nearly all of Jesus’ stories focus on our actions now. When we look honestly at our actions, most of us discover they fall well short of Jesus’ descriptions of the Kingdom Kind of Life. Once we become aware of our shortcomings in the context of the larger world around us, we quickly discover how inadequate we are for the task of being God Ambassadors. When we are awakened to how little most of us actually do with regards to the things God cares about, we can become overwhelmed with shame and guilt. Awareness of this reality can be a good thing when it leads us to repent. In the middle of the Revelation 3 passage, we see this instruction from Jesus:
“So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19 NIV
I would suggest that earnest repentance is the first step towards obtaining the gold, white garments, and ointment for the eyes. Earnest repentance involves coming to God in the honest heartbroken prayer of confession. It also includes turning away from our selfish ways, and towards His ways. Only through prayer can we begin to awaken to God’s heartbeat within us. I am confident that God’s heartbeat within us will guide us toward a passion for the disadvantaged in our communities and around the world.
Revelation 14 tells us that deeds follow us after we are dead:
“And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’” Revelation 14:13 NASB2020
Good deeds are mentioned in almost every New Testament book multiple times. Good deeds are the outcome of a life lived in alignment with the Holy Text as directed by the Holy Spirit. Let us have eyes to see, robed in our good deeds that we might receive our eternal rewards.
Life On the Rock 