by Jacob Ninan
Different ideas about the kingdom
Different ideas come to people when they think of the kingdom of God. The Jews in the days of Jesus were looking for the Messiah to come and retake their kingdom from the Romans. That was one reason why they got upset with Jesus because He was talking about another kind of kingdom – which was not of this world (Jn.18:36). Some Christians relate the kingdom to the one which Jesus will establish on the earth when He returns. Even though that is true, that was not what Jesus was talking about mainly when He was here. For some other Christians, the kingdom of God is the same as heaven to which Jesus will take them. Strictly speaking, we are going to be on the new earth that Jesus will create after this present earth gets burnt up. However, that also is not the kingdom Jesus was referring to mostly when He spoke about the kingdom of God.Learning from the Lord's prayer
We can get a clear understanding of what Jesus meant by 'the kingdom of God' when we read the first part of what is usually referred to as the Lord's prayer. "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven'" (Matt.6:9,10). The kingdom of God is a domain where He is recognised and submitted to as King, and where His will is being done. If we are in this kingdom, these will be the two marks that characterise us – recognition of God as our Lord and King and obedience to whatever He tells us. In that sense, it is not even a real place, but wherever there is someone who has this spiritual relationship with God. Therefore, it is a spiritual kingdom.The laws of the kingdom of God are spiritual, coming into our heart and mind through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not about keeping certain rules of behaviour. But, as we worship our King, as we recognise more of His attributes of might, knowledge, wisdom and sovereignty, and His character of holiness, righteousness, justice, love, compassion, kindness, mercy and patience, we wish to become like Him, think like Him and do everything in the way He wants.
Your kingdom come
The more we do this in our practical life, the more His will gets done on the earth as it is in heaven. When we pray, "Your kingdom come," what we mean is that more of our life may get tuned to the kingdom and also that more people will come into the kingdom. The reason why we have to pray this is because, as we can see, everything in our life is not yet what God wants, and most of the people on earth are still outside His kingdom.How to enter
The only way we can enter this kingdom is through being born again, through repentance from our sins and faith in Jesus as our Savior (Jn.3:5). We must not assume that we are in this kingdom based on some casual decision we have taken in response to the preaching of the Gospel. A lot of preaching has become toned down to such an extent that there is almost no cost for becoming a disciple of Jesus – anyone can just walk in! Our old ways of walking according to the flesh must be repented of when we choose the way of God (Gal.5:19-21). However bound we may have been in sin in the past, God can wash us and set us apart for Him (1Cor.6:11).Walking in the kingdom
Jesus compared entering this kingdom to a merchant of pearls, who, when he found a pearl of greatest value, sold off all his other pearls and bought it (Matt.13:45,46). Certainly salvation is given to us freely, without our having to do anything to deserve it or earn it. At the same time, it is also true that when we come into this salvation we value it so much that we give up many things which we were holding on to earlier. Many things of this world become incompatible with the kingdom of God and so we gladly give thm up (1Jn.2:16).Change of lifestyle
Also, once we have entered into the kingdom of God, our values and lifestyle become aligned to those in the kingdom. Our interests move from 'eating and drinking' to godly values (Rom.14:17). We receive power from the Holy Spirit to deny ourselves in order to do the will of God (1Cor.4:20). We recognise our poverty in ourselves and learn to cling on to God in total dependence (Matt.5:3).Have we actually entered the kingdom?
How we enter the kingdom of God is very important. Not everyone who has faith in God or in Jesus has actually entered the kingdom of God because the way to enter is only through being born again. Those who have been healed miraculously or have had some prayers answered in the name of Jesus may have faith in Jesus as the Son of God. They may have come 'near' to the kingdom of God (Lk.10:9). Some others may have got convinced intellectually that Jesus is the Saviour (Mk.12:32-34). Some may have grown up in Christian homes and accept the teachings of the Bible. But in many cases like these, there may not have been a personal recognition as sinners before God, repentance from sin, and faith in Jesus who died in order to become our Saviour. Without the experience of this personal 'conversion' and being born again, people can be 'so near and yet so far away'. Also, having entered, if we slide back into a life according to the flesh, the passage we read from Galatians warns us that those who practise such things will not inherit the kingdom of God – will not be there in the eternal kingdom of God.Once we have entered the kingdom of God by His grace and through our faith, we ought to live in a way that befits the citizens of the kingdom of God (Eph.4:1). We have responsibilities also regarding others in the kingdom and those outside according to God's individual calling for us.