Modern Application of the Kingdom
Doctrine
The experience of the Kingdom is a reality for the life
of a believer and it is presented through the Lord’s Prayer and a Holy Spirit
filled life. These two methods of application are taken respectively from Jesus
Christ and Paul as they encouraged their contemporaries to live in out a
Kingdom of God life.
The
Lord’s Prayer
The disciples came to Jesus and asked to learn to pray
and Jesus taught them what is known as the Lord’s Prayer. The key phase for
this study is “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done” (Luke 11:2 KJV). The Kingdom
of God was a reality to Christ. He knew the Kingdom was at hand and even presently
among the Jewish people, due to His presence and the sovereign works of God
being accomplished. The question is then why would there be a need to
continually pray for the Kingdom to come? Christ knew that even though the
Kingdom of God was breaking through in a new way during His life on earth,
there was an expected Kingdom to long for. The understanding of a final kingdom
that has yet to be realized should be on the forefront of every believer’s mind
as they face the struggles of the present age.[1]
Jesus instructs believers to expect the Kingdom of God through prayer.
The second part of that phrase “thy will be done”
directs believers to go beyond expectation to an evidenced Kingdom. For God’s
will to be done on earth should be understood that just as Christ brought the
Kingdom to fruition in His lifetime, His followers should also see the Kingdom enter into this world. The Blumhardts (Authors, Theologians) saw this
as believer's acts of reconciliation such as attempts to help the poor and apprehending social justice.[2]
However, Jesus was not limited only in care and humanitarian effort; He
operated in miraculous signs and evangelism. Paul encouraged believers to
engage in a Life in the Spirit which opens up the possibility for miraculous
Kingdom of God evidence.
The
Spirit Filled Life
The Holy Spirit has been sent on the earth since the day
of Pentecost to work in the world and specifically in the lives of believers.
Paul was quick to point out the work of the Holy Spirit, especially through
the use of the gifts of the Spirit and the evidences of the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit filled life is a choice,
Paul commends the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). He also
presents the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of choosing to walk by the Spirit
(Gal 5:16, 22). The fruit of the Spirit are evidence of a Kingdom of God
lifestyle. The gifts of the Spirit function in a similar way in that they are
used to promote Kingdom lifestyle, however, the gifts work for the empowerment
and glorification of the Kingdom on earth.
The lists of the gifts of the Holy Spirit often overlap
but are not complete or limited but seem to emphasis participation in the
Kingdom of God. Paul says that the gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit
(1 Cor 12:7). This truth would allow that anytime a gift of the Spirit is
active that the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, is in the Church.[3]
The agreement over which gifts are active in the church is definitely debated
but the more important concern is that some gifts be active and evidenced
through supernatural ability to witness or work through miraculous manifestations
such as healing. The concern should be that through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom
of God is being experienced by all believers in the present and expected in the
future.
Conclusion
"The Kingdom of God is at hand" is a powerful statement by
Jesus Christ that expresses a truth that is often overlooked in modern
Christianity. The Old Testament informs believers of the actual presence of God
on earth ruling a nation of promise. The New Testament shows us how God shifted
from a national localized presence to an encompassing presence through the work
of the Holy Spirit. The prophetic nature of Jesus’ claims of a Kingdom of God
also tells believers that there is a coming Kingdom of God. All these
manifestations of the Kingdom of God solidify the truth that the Kingdom of God
is ever present just as God, Himself is ever present. The issues of God’s
sovereignty over all things compounded with His promises to Abraham, David and
the Church, which is the Holy Spirit, dictate that the Kingdom of God is a
constant reality that must be recognized and that believers are called to
experience at all times.
Thanks for taking time to read my blog. I hope that the Kingdom of God is a constant reality in your life. I know in my own life I often struggle to remember that I am living not only in my earthly realm but I am involved and participating in the Kingdom of God.
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