Restoring The Rule of the King -
In the Fullness of Time.
Genesis, the first book in the Bible, tells how everything began. Before the creation of anything, there was God. The phrase, “In the beginning, God…” says it all. The Triune God exists in eternity, and because He is not limited by time and space, finite humans cannot fully comprehend Him. God in His beneficence, decided to create the universe and reveal Himself to His creation. After creating all that is needed to support and sustain life, God created living things and finally created humanity in His image to work and rule the earth. Humanity gets the bits and pieces of what is revealed at a time.
Adam and Eve in the garden lacked nothing - they had no sense of deprivation, no sense of needs not met, no pain, and no sorrow. Eden was paradise.
That was what humanity lost when Adam and Eve, not content with paradise, rebelled. Humans were misled into believing that all that was seen to be good by the Creator was not good enough for them. They were looking for something better and lost everything. Instead of enjoying God’s blessings, humanity fell into sin and brought the curse upon itself and the earth. From the Fall, humanity has struggled under the curse placed on it, and on the serpent, and the earth.
But loving God, full of mercy, decided to give humanity another chance - an opportunity to retrace their steps back to Him. So God embarked on a mission of restoration. Dr. Mark Young, President of Denver Seminary characterizes the whole Bible as the story of God’s mission - to bring back humanity to the fellowship they enjoyed with Him in Eden. It is a story that has a beginning and an end. Genesis 1 and 2 give us a sense of life in God’s garden in the beginning.
The present age witnesses the advent of Jesus, the Messiah - Son of God and Son of Man - who laid down His life as a ransom for our sins. “For God so love the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Jesus restored broken relationships between the individuals who responded to God’s offer of peace by believing in the atoning work on the cross - the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts 3:21 says, “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
The Age To Come:
The coming age which will be ushered in at the return of Christ is a time when the kingdom of God will transform the whole universe.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8: 22- 23).
Here’s what will happen to this age:
“Lift your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies” (Isaiah 51:6).
There will be a renewal/restoration of all things. Not only will evil be overthrown but creation itself will be liberated from bondage and decay.
“See, I will create new heavens and new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
Revelation 21: 1-22:5 gives us a sense of the restoration in the age to come as God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Once again humanity will live in perfect harmony with God: there will be no tears and no lack. No sun and no moon will be needed. The presence of Christ is the light by which humanity lives. There the river of life flows and those around it bear fruits. People from all tribes, tongues, and nations come and worship, paying tribute to the one true God.
The Universal Kingship of Christ:
Jesus reigns now and will continue to reign until He hands the kingdom to the Father. His righteousness will fill the universe.
Revelation 11: 15 puts it this way:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”
The Task Before The Church:
Jesus said this about the end time:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come” (Mathew 24: 14).
If you are a Christian (member of His body), here’s where you come in. The kingdom of God works in this age through the gospel. The Church has the mandate/commission to evangelize the world until the end of the age (Mathew 28: 19-20, Mark 16: 15-2, Luke 24: 45-49).
The early church took the task seriously.
Acts 8: 4-7,12 and Acts 28: 23-31 give us a sense of what making disciples meant for Philip in Samaria and the apostle Paul in Rome. Within 40 years of Christ’s death and resurrection, the gospel had reached all the cultural centers of the Roman world. In the last one and a half centuries, a lot has gone into spreading the gospel globally - especially to Africa.
However, the gospel’s spread in the 21st century has taken a new turn assuming different shapes and forms in different cultural settings. Significantly, the messaging has changed both in content and focus. What is presented as gospel in modern-day churches differs from gospel messaging in the mid-20th century. There’s a shift from the message of new birth and sanctified Christian lifestyle to one of success in earthly pursuits, and material prosperity.
Popular charismatic theology emphasizes that Christians can and should enjoy health, wealth, and prosperity because they belong to the kingdom of God. They emphasize a Christian’s right to freedom from the evil one based on believers’ standing in Christ. Some argue that the church is the kingdom hence the emphasis on getting the church organized and structured to ensure obedience to auhority.
It looks like the “serpent” has again sneaked into the body and successfully sown the seed of rebellion. Making new converts and spiritual transformation from among unbelievers is becoming a thing of the past. Evangelicals with little or no concern about biblical truth, view the kingdom as existing in the spiritual realm beyond the reach of ordinary Christians.
That being said, we do acknowledge the commitment of some local churches to the cause of evangelizing the world and their immediate neighborhoods, with outreach programs like sending and supporting missionaries abroad, Bible Clubs for teenagers, and Men and Women groups devoted to studying the Scripture and encouraging one-to-one witnessing. We identify with one of such churches.
What Is Involved:
Paul demonstrated what it means to spread the gospel. He fully proclaimed the gospel - taught the word, walked the walk, and performed signs and wonders all through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15: 18-19).
He demonstrated how it is not enough to preach and teach but also to get involved, and practice what we teach.
We have a responsibility to redirect believers’ attention from a preoccupation with transient/temporal issues of this world to their calling as God’s chosen people - a royal priesthood and holy nation - partnering with God in His overarching mission of restoration now and in the age to come.
Kingdom Lifestyle:
God desires a person who will express His rule, and be His people (Titus 2: 14, 1 Peter 2: 9–10). This has more to do with what we are rather than what we do (Romans 14: 17; 1 Corinthians 4: 20). The kingdom of God finds expression in the lives of each of us in Christ’s church. Kingdom living is not conforming to a list of do’s and don’ts — what you wear, what you eat, and where you go. It is not rules and regulations but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These are positive qualities.
Righteousness, Peace and Joy — What they mean in the life of a believer.
RIGHTEOUSNESS means we have been put right before God. Legally, believers are in the right standing to God and are obligated to give it expression in their daily lives (Romans 5: 1; 6: 11-13, Hebrews 10:14).
PEACE: We have peace with God. Jesus is our peace, having reconciled us to God. God loves us as much as we love our wayward children. Even more. We love our children despite their shortcomings. Similarly we do not lose our peace (sonship) with God because we fall short — even though the peace of God is disturbed when we fail to live kingdom lives (Isaiah 9: 7). His Spirit in us convicts us of our sins. Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.”
Peaceful living under pressure makes an impact and displays the kingdom lifestyle. In other words, when Christ rules the heart and mind, peace rules the day (Romans 6: 13).
JOY is a condition that is experienced in the heart. Joy in God is more than a feeling but a state of heart and mind not affected by outward circumstances. Joy comes from within and may be inexpressible. But happiness dictated by what happens is expressible and momentary. One can be happy this moment and be unhappy the next (1 Peter 1: 8).
Scripture affirms that Peace and joy are fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).
