Monday, March 20, 2006

Thoughts About the Kingdom of the World and the Kingdom of God

God's rule does not begin in heaven. That may seem like an obvious statement. But reflect on it for a moment: God does not begin ruling when we get to heaven. He is already ruling. Are we willingly--indeed JOYfully--under his rule? God ruling over us doesn't begin when we get to heaven; he rules over us now... IF we will have him as our Ruler. We don't begin to follow his lead in heaven, we follow his lead now. We are currently the subjects in his kingdom... if we will have him as our King.

Satan is currently opposing God's rule and trying to usurp His authority so that he (the devil) can reign instead. The devil has the "whole world" under his control (1 John 5:19). That's what the Bible says--the WHOLE world! What is Satan trying to use the whole world to accomplish? He wants to make God's ways look undesirable. He wants to make God's ways seem "burdensome". He wants other things to seem more "fun" than walking in harmony with our Creator. Satan wants us distracted so that the distraction becomes a sort of false reality.

But we--the Church, those who hold to the testimony of Jesus--have another mission, handed to us by God Himself. It is our mission to make God's wisdom known (Eph. 3:10)--to make Him look good, to make His Ways appear as they really are: wonderful, peaceful, joyful, full of goodness, lovely, etc, etc, etc. This is why we are hear.

It is OUR job to break down Satan's distractions, to destroy everything that sets itself up against the TRUTH--we don't want people to buy into Satan's false reality any longer. We are to demolish any argument, reveal any deception, and shed light on all darkness. See 1 Cor. 10:1-5. We don't want people to fall for the devil's lies. The devil has sold millions of people a false hope--a LIE. God's ways actually do bring peace, love, joy, and hope. Walking according to the ways of "the world", which the devil controls, will only bring misery--it would mean walking against everything that we were created to be. A creature trying to go against that for which he is created is most miserable.

And so, we NOW find ourselves right in the middle of a great struggle. The struggle is invisible to most, but it is as REAL as any war that is being fought on the face of the planet today. We must take a step back and recognize the battle. If we don't, we will buy into the lie. We cannot walk around carelessly in the world--the world which is under the control of the devil. We cannot lightly tread in this place. That's why the Bible tells us so often to be sober, to be vigilant, to be careful, to walk circumspectly, to be alert, to be self-controlled, etc. For our enemy the devil currently walks around like a lion seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But what a wonderful salvation we have! Jesus came so that the blind may SEE! Oh, if you are blind to much of what I have written, pray that you may have eyes to see, and ears to hear! Jesus opens prisons doors and sets captives free. Our salvation has come. He has delivered us and he will continue to deliver us.

A huge part of Salvation is this: being brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light--the kingdom of the Son (Col. 1:13). Salvation does not only concern "sins forgiven", "hell avoided", or "heaven promised". Salvation includes these things, but even more. What are we saved from RIGHT NOW? Have you been saved from the kingdom of Satan and brought into God's Kingdom? Are you demolishing the deceptions of the devil and making God's ways look wise and loving and good? How sad if we wear a name tag that says "kingdom of God" and yet we relish in the things of the world! How hypocritical!

When our time comes and our lives end, we will continue existing in the kingdom of which we are now a part. If we are belong God's Kingdom NOW, we will be in God's Kingdom in heaven too. If we belong to the world now, we will later be in the kingdom of the one who manipulates the world--the devil. Let us war against the world. We must choose sides now. The world or God--you can't follow both. Do not be conformed to this world; rather be TRANSFORMED (Romans 12:1-2). Let us not be a part of this kingdom. Rather, let us give up all this world, to attain that which is True. "He who seeks to save his life will lose it; he who loses his life for my sake will keep it for eternal life" (Matt. 16:25).

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Galatians 4:3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Praise God for such a wonderful Salvation! He saves us from an empty way of life NOW. He has delivered us from a wandering existence and filled us with eternal purposes! What a wonderful God we have. May he receive glory. Use us, O Lord, to gain the attention you are due; may all creation praise your holy name.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen! Let us be seperate unto God for His glory.

Anonymous said...

Amen! Let us submit to God in everything...for His glory.

Anonymous said...

Re: John 2:15-17, this reference should be "1 John 2:15-17, in case someone is not too familiar with it.

Encouraging to hear from those who are walking on the way of life, and have an ear to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.

God Bless this witness.

WebServant said...

Thanks, Robert, I'll fix it. :-)

Anonymous said...

The scripture that really spoke to me in this post was that we should boast only in the cross because this way the world is crucified to us and us to the world. It's nice to have a formula for protection. Our cross and God's strength and grace to carry it keeps us safe and saved. God help us to love our crosses and have faith to know you can and do and will deliver us! Amen! That scripture is a sword in my hand to tell me how to not love the world. Love and accept the crosses He has for us. Let's Do It Family, Let's posses the land! Yeah this is GREAT!!! thank Yeshua!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!