Here's a question I've had for a long time. What is the Kingdom of God? If we're talking about a God who has created all things, isn't everything God's Kingdom? Yes and no. Jesus spoke of it as something exclusive, conditional, and somehow separate from the rest of the phycial universe. So what is it? Is it the church? Is it a thing? Is it a group of people? Is it heaven? It must involve something on this earth because the Lord's prayer speaks of it coming - Thy Kingdom come - to earth. Is it spiritual? Can it encompass the physical? Politics? Society? Work? Play? Extracurricular activities?
What part do I have in that Kingdom? Am I in it? Why does Jesus refer to it as a Kingdom? Does it have an army? It must have a King, and that would be the Son of God, the King of Kings. How much does He rule over now? How does He rule from the right hand of God? What is His relationship to the rest of the world, that part of the universe that is outside His Kingdom? Or is that an illegitimate question? Is anyone outside His Kingdom? Why? How do they get in? Can they get out? Who are His subjects? How do you know who His subjects are? What activities do Kingdom subjects engage in? What is their aim in serving this King? How do we honor this King?
The questions go on and on. Do you have any thoughts on this question? Please blog them.
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Here's a subject you'll not exhaust, and it surely will prove to edifying. Where shall we start?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be clear that there are different aspects of the kingdom of God; or maybe we should say "phases" or "stages" of the development of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is universal, it is spiritual, it is already realized, yet not in full because there are aspects of it that are still yet to come.
Some do not think it is already realized, but they believe we must wait for a future event - the return for Christ. I say that Christ is already seated upon the most powerful throne in heaven or on earth - He's seated at the right hand of God. There are aspects yet to come. His Father is in the process of putting all things under His feet, according to Hebrews.
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