The Kingdom of God is Now

One of my relatives belongs to a cult, those that go from door to door with a message that sounds biblical but falls short. Last week he said that we have troubles and sickness because we live in “Satan’s system” and that one day, all of that will be over. He expressed hope in a future utopia where everything would be perfect. 

As I thought about his ideology, I agree there is a sense where Satan does have reign over this world, or at least part of it. He does cause much sorrow in this world. However, the Bible calls him the prince of darkness and darkness is the realm where he rules. 

There is another kingdom; the kingdom of God. Luke quotes part of the Old Testament that foretells how the Messiah will do something to that realm because He will come . . .

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79)

When Jesus came, John spoke of Him as light, and Jesus called Himself the Light of the world. No darkness can remain darkness against even a tiny candle so it is easy to see what happens when Jesus comes into the darkness of Satan’s kingdom.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

Later on, the New Testament says much about the change because Jesus Christ is the light of this world. This change does not happen to the realm of darkness but to the people He delivers from it.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13)

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

In other words, Jesus delivers those who believe in Him from the rule and dominion of Satan. Instead of living in darkness and under his rule or his system, we live in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Our lives are not dominated by the devil or his doings. We are released from the power of sin and the power of this liar and destroyer who once held us in his clutches. 

Of course Christians look forward to the future where there will be no sin, but we also have the power and presence of God now. He is our King and we are members of His kingdom and his family from the moment we believe and are saved. Satan may be at work in the world around us, but we are not of this world. The Bible says that our citizenship is in heaven and that we are here as God’s ambassadors, representing Him until He returns.

Instead of a fearful desire to do all the right things so we can have a future with God, those who believe in Jesus Christ can enjoy Him right now. From the moment Christ came into my life, He began giving me light instead of darkness and placed me in a kingdom that cannot be conquered by Satan or anyone else. It is a kingdom where the King is not only in charge, but takes care of His subjects, supplying our every need.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:13–16)

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My Lord and my King, I bow before You today, thankful that You delivered me from Satan’s system and transferred me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. What is so amazing is that I didn’t need to do anything to earn or deserve this — nor could I. Salvation is by grace through faith, and even faith is a gift from You so that no one can boast. Thank You for being my King, for being faithful and kind, for upholding me when I fall and lifting me up when I am down. Thank You also that as I rely on You, You take care of everything — my needs, my wants, even the desires of my heart. Knowing and serving You is a privilege and a blessing. Thank You.

Salvation is like a new car . . .

Buying a new car bears some resemblance to the Christian experience. The decision is made that a new car is needed, so we take a look at the model we want in the showroom or on the lot, taste what it will be like with a test drive, put down our money in exchange for a bill of sale, then wait until we can take delivery. In anticipation, we keep looking at that piece of paper, for in it our new car is fully described. Not only that, the paper says that it is ours; we just don’t have it fully in our possession yet, but our hope is secure until that day.

I thought of this reading Psalm 119:18 this morning. The verse says, “My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.”

Salvation is mine in three parts; I am saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved. God has forgiven my sin and removed its penalty from me. I have a whole book that tells me eternal life is mine, just like the car that I’ve not yet parked in my garage.

I’m still in the test drive stage though, discovering that He is giving me victory from the power of sin even in this life. The future looks sweeter and sweeter as those tests help me realize His ability to give victory over sin in my present experience of driving along the roads of this life.

However, that book, His Word, says that one day salvation will take me totally out of the presence of sin. Then full salvation will be fully mine. Until then, I look to the paper, the Word of God which assures me of this fact.

This is what the psalmist is talking about. He knows the past tense of salvation—that he is saved from its penalty. He knows the present tense and this verse might express his longing for more of that experience of being saved from sin’s power. He hopes in God’s Word because it contains the promises of God. From the Word, he knows that God will work in his life and give him victory over sin.

But he also longs for that future salvation where sin is no longer a present issue but past tense. He longs for the time when God has removed sin totally and he is saved out of its presence and into the presence of God.

Every time I am overcome by my sinfulness, I experience the same longing. When I confess my sin to God, I enjoy the sense of being forgiven and His promise to cleanse me from that sin (1 John 1:9), but I also look forward to that day where this sin/confess/sin/confess cycle will no longer be part of my life. Because this is written in His Word, I can be certain that this “hope” is a sure thing. I just cannot take delivery yet.