COMING AND ENTERING OF GOD’S KINGDOM?
Jesus taught his disciple to pray to the Father, “thy kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). But he told a gathering of people, “some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power” (Mark 9:1). What does the Bible say about when and how a person may enter God’s kingdom?
THE NATURE OF GOD’S EARTHLY KINGDOM
Once, on being asked by some power-seeking Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21).
Jesus told his disciple he spoke in parables, (sayings that could have more than one meaning) so that his followers could understand things of the kingdom; but that others would not understand (Matthew 13:10-15).
The biblical Word of God says the natural man or unbeliever cannot understand the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Speaking more clearly to his followers about God’s kingdom, Jesus said “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). But the Lord spoke of a kingdom of his subjects who are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:14-16).
The Lord said you must be born again of the Spirit by believing in the Son of God to understand and enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-16)
COMING OF GOD’S SPIRITUAL KINGDOM ON EARTH
Some of those who heard Jesus say the kingdom of God would come before they died were still alive when the Holy Spirit came with power. Jesus told his disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Bible reveals that the spiritual kingdom of God came with the power of the Holy Spirit to born-again believers on the day of Pentecost. The disciples began to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit; and over 3,000 people believed and we saved that day. (Acts 2).
BECOMING PART OF GOD’S KINGDOM ON EARTH
The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins and causes them to turn to Jesus Christ for salvation and become part of God’s kingdom (John 16:8). The biblical Word of God says: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)–The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through the atoning blood and death of his only Son, Jesus Christ6:23; John 3:16). Whoever repents and believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are born again of the Holy Spirit into the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8; Acts 2:38).
GROWING IN GRACE AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE KINGDOM
- It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- The kingdom of God is love, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22-23)
- You receive power when the Holy Spirit is comes on you (Acts 1:8; Acts 2).
- People of the kingdom of God is in a power struggle with spiritual forces of the devil; but God’s people receive instructions on how overcome them (Ephesians 6:12-18
- Jesus triumphed over the forces of the devil on believers’ behalf, by the blood of his atoning death on the cross (Colossians 2:15.
- You receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you to live as subjects of the Lord; and to become like him (Roman 8:29).
COMING TOGETHER OF GOD’S EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY KINGDOM
- Jesus taught his disciple to pray: Our Father in heaven, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10.
- Jesus Christ , the Son of God said he was “the one who came down from heaven” to die that whoever believes might have eternal life in heaven (John 3:13, 16)).
The Word of God says, whoever repents and believes in Jesus Christ become members of God’s Spirit-filled kingdom on earth (John 3:16; Acts 2:38). Jesus said he was going away to heaven to prepare a place for his followers on earth. And the Lord said he would come again to receive his people on earth to be with him and his people in heaven forever (John 14:1-3).
When he comes again, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (2 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
