These Last Days (6)

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of Hisgovernment and peace
There willbe no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever. Isaiah 9.6, 7

The Rule of King Jesus
The Word of God came to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ in order to accomplish the redemptive plan of God and inaugurate the Kingdom and the divine economy that Kingdom brings to light.

He did this, as He frequently testified, by bringing the Kingdom of God into the affairs of human history and calling all those who would follow Him to seek that Kingdom as their first priority. Making disciples and building the Church creates a setting and context, a font and wellspring, a sign and outpost in communities all over the world, for seeking and advancing the Kingdom of God. Seeking the Kingdom of God must be the defining priority for all our earthly activities, for only thus can we expect to see the knowledge of the glory of the Lord coming to light in these last days (Matt. 6.33).

The Kingdom of God is the rule of King Jesus, in the power of His Spirit, by which He is reconciling the world and all things in it back to His Father and ours, making all things new, replacing the darkness of sin and fear with righteousness and peace and joy in the Spirit, and bringing the knowledge of the glory of God to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (1 Jn. 2.8; Rom. 14.17, 18).

Kingdom and glory
The realization or attainment of the Kingdom of God is the objective of the divine economy, toward which the work of making disciples and building the church are directed. God is glorified as His Kingdom advances. As His Kingdom advances, it affects all areas of life, everything which in these last days is in the thrall and power of an economy other than that which God intends. For as the Kingdom of God grows, by the Word and Spirit of God, in and through the Church, every sector of society, all of culture, and every human being are brought into contact with a reality infused with transforming power not of this world.

Over the past 2,000 years of Christian history, the Church has been the healthiest and has contributed the most good to the world when this vision of the Kingdom of God has been the motive force in all her endeavors.

In our day, when we have turned the faith of Jesus Christ into a shrunken and personal thing (David Wells), this vision of the Kingdom of God is all but nonexistent. Of course, every Christian knows about the Kingdom and believes in it, at least to an extent. But while many claim some affinity with or identity in the Kingdom of God, how many have actually made the Kingdom turn and are striving with all their strength to lay hold on that glorious domain? The evidence of this world-transforming power is sparse in our world today, suggesting that churches have lost their focus and are seeking something other than the Kingdom of God.

Seeking the Kingdom
But what does it mean to seek this Kingdom?

First, it means to understand the Kingdom and its peculiar nature. God’s is a Kingdom where righteousness, peace, and joy proliferate in the Holy Spirit (Heb. 14.17, 18). In the Kingdom of God true spiritual power is at work (1 Cor. 4.20; Acts 1.8), and holy virtues spread out from the churches to touch, affect, and infuse all aspects of life and culture with the life of Christ and the glory of God (Gal. 5.16-23). Christians should have some sense of what that might look like in their own lives, churches, and communities; and pastors should preach and work toward that vision fervently, tirelessly, and with full conviction.

Second, seeking the Kingdom requires that each believer take up the challenge of growing in Kingdom virtues and skills as a part of our everyday walk with the Lord (2 Pet. 1.5-11). Here our calling to make and be disciples intersects with Christ’s command to seek the Kingdom, and our prayer that this Kingdom might come on earth as it is in heaven. The Kingdom of God is at work within believers and their churches, and among and through them in the larger communities in which they live.

Third, we need to proclaim the Kingdom, as Jesus and the apostles did. We need to tell our neighbors, with great joy, that a new power has broken into human history, a new hope is held out to us, a new economy is unfolding all around us, and new promises can light our paths through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We must proclaim this message without compromise and with great joy, and we must back up our proclamation with works that bring the newness and glory of the rule of Jesus into all of life and culture.

Finally, we must pray fervently for the coming of the Kingdom. The progress of God’s Kingdom in these last days is the work of our Lord Jesus, and He will be pleased to do this great work through us if we will turn consistently to Him in prayer.

The divine economy is unfolding and flowing and straining toward the realization of the Kingdom of God. Are we?

For reflection or discussion
1.      What do you understand by “the Kingdom of God”?

2.      Meditate on Daniel 2.44, 45 and Isaiah 9.6, 7. How did these two prophets regard the Kingdom of God?

3.      Suggest some practical, ongoing ways for seeking the Kingdom of God. How will you know when you are making progress in the Kingdom?

Next steps – Preparation: How strong is your understanding of the Kingdom of God? Or of what it means to seek the Kingdom? Talk with some Christian friends about these questions. How can you help one another in this high and holy calling?

T. M. Moore

This week’s ReVision study is Part 10 of a 10-part series, “The Kingdom Economy.” You can download “These Last Days” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.