To Which Gospel are you Referring?
Kingdom...
The Gospel of What?
“Are You Saved?”
Anyone who has ever been within a religious institution will understand that question. It is THE question of the religious church! That assurance that when you leave this planet, you have fire insurance and are NOT going to be a resident of Hell.
That was NEVER a question of the early church. The Gospel that is to be preached by the disciples was not a gospel of salvation. Salvation in the scripture is a step, a beginning, but the Gospel to be proclaimed is that of the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Matthew 3:1-3 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the LORD: Make His paths straight.”
John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, Christ is the King of this Kingdom.
What the Kingdom is NOT
Before getting into what the Kingdom of God is, let’s look at a couple of things that the Kingdom of God is NOT.
1. A Democracy – Webster defines democracy as “government by the people, usually through elected representatives.” Here in America we certainly understand this system. We elect people to office based on our opinions and they run the show. If we don’t like the job that they are doing we don’t vote for them next time. The Kingdom – any Kingdom really, is not set up to work democratically. A King is not elected by the people’s votes but is usually King because of family connections and inheritance. The King does not need the support of his constituency to do His job – He just needs to be a King who does what is best for His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is no different. Jesus is the King – because His Father crowned Him so. He does not need your approval, your vote, or your support to be King of His Kingdom. But He is a good and righteous King who is ruling by what is best for His Kingdom.
2. The Church (the Ekklesia) – The other thing that the Kingdom of God is not is The Church -- any church – denomination, system, or otherwise. The Ekklesia is a ruling body in and for the Kingdom’s use – not the other way around. The Church is to be, in the end, the Bride of the King – spotless and without flaw. To think that The Church is the Kingdom is a dangerous way of thinking.
What the Kingdom is…
I can think of no other place to look for the definition of the Kingdom than in the Word of God. Therefore, let’s see what digging through the scriptures tells us. What do the Scriptures say?
· Matthew 4:23 …healing every disease…
· Matthew 6:33 “…seek first the Kingdom…”
· Matthew 10:5-8. …heal the sick, raise dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.
· Mark 10:15 …receive the Kingdom as a child
· John 3:3 …born again, see the Kingdom.
· John 3:5 …of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom.
· Romans 14:17 …righteous and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
· 1 Corinthians 4:20-21 …consists in power
Understanding that the scripture refers to a Gospel of the Kingdom to be preached is to understand a fuller picture of the truth. It is not about just getting someone to say a sinner’s prayer, but about proclaiming the freedom that Jesus secured for us. Freedom from sin, from bondage, from worry – Freedom through healing physically and emotionally – Freedom of demonic torment through deliverance – in some instances freedom from pre-mature death through resurrection. These are the promises of the Kingdom.
It is a Kingdom that is to be sought out in our lives by being born again of water (baptism) AND Spirit (baptism). We may have been involved in a water baptism in our walk. That is a physical expression of your beliefs and it is important. But there is another baptism that is spoken of in the scripture and necessary to perceive Kingdom thinking – that is of the Holy Spirit. It is not anything that needs to be spooky or in the midst of a big production. You just need to ask the Holy Spirit to baptize you with His presence – to fill you and guide you -- guide you toward the Kingdom to fulfill the promises that we all seek - righteousness, peace, and joy (in the Holy Spirit).
The Kingdom of God contains many principles: Salvation, being Born Again (water & Spirit), inner healing, Physical Healing, Deliverance, Wholeness, Laws, and Benefits. Are you living in this Kingdom, cultivating your citizenship with the power of the Holy Spirit – or are you just “saved?”