This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom

There is a lot of talk today about the Kingdom of God and rightfully so.  Perhaps no other phrase is more foundational to the message and ministry of Jesus than the Kingdom of God.  Unfortunately, too many confuse what Jesus means by the Kingdom or distort it to fit their own theological, political, social, or economic prejudices.   The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 says:

The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.*

The BF&M 2000 seeks to strike a balance between two extremes when discussing this issue.  Here’s the question.  Is the Kingdom of God here already or still in the future?  Are we to build the Kingdom now or await the Kingdom at the return of Christ?

Consider the biblical evidence.  Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as already present.  In Luke 16:16 Jesus notes that the law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaim.  Likewise, both John the Baptist and Jesus both began their ministries by proclaiming, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).  Jesus is always seen building the Kingdom and His followers are portrayed as working for the Kingdom, building the Kingdom.

But the Kingdom is also portrayed as future.  In Luke 19 Jesus tells a parable about a man in a far off country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return (Luke 19:2).  The man is undoubtably Jesus Himself who will leave in order to return as King.  In fact, Luke notes that this is the very purpose of the parable.  Verse one notes that Jesus told the parable because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.

So which is it and why does it matter?  Is the Kingdom of God present or future?  The answer has to be both and we must affirm both.  This is not a contradiction, but a paradox.  The Kingdom of God is both here and not yet and to emphasize one over the other is to fall into dangerous ground.

Liberalism has traditionally emphasized the present reality of the Kingdom and thus turn the gospel into social justice.  The gospel has nothing to do with the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross, instead the cross becomes an example for us to follow.  Thus Christianity is about humanitarian aide, not about repentance from sin.

Fundamentalist Christians, on the other hand, emphasize the future hope of the Kingdom and thus become obsessed with end times prophecy & escapism.  As a result, they refuse to see the needs around them.  The cross, then, is only about saving our souls and not about regeneration.  The gospel is about getting ourselves into heaven and oftentimes fails to change the person to meet the needs around them.

It is against these two extremes we must emphasize both the present reality and the future hope of the Kingdom.  The gospel of the Kingdom means that we have been redeemed and transformed and the work of the Christ on the cross and resurrection changes who we are now in the hopes we will be finally changed at the resurrection.  The Kingdom is both and, not either or.  The gospel is both here and now and, at the same time, future.  We are saved (past), being saved (present), and will be saved (future).  The Kingdom is the same.

Our responsibility, then, is to both build the Kingdom by calling on souls to repent trusting in the work of the gospel to change the person and to change the community, &, at the same time, we long for the day that Christ recreates this imperfect, fallen, depraved world and restores it.  Thus we must look for the work of the gospel here and at the same time long for the gospel to be completed at Christ’s return.  We long to be with Christ, but in the meantime, we have work to do.  Let us then build the Kingdom knowing that one day the King will return and we will give account for how we have been serving Him.

Thus let us pray, Your kingdom come.  Your will be done.  On earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).


*  Gen 1:1; Isa 9:6-7; Jere 23:5-6; Matt 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Rom 5:17; 8:19; 1 Cor 15:24-28; Colo 1:13; Heb 11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Rev 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22.


This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Introduction
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Scripture
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - God
This is Who We Are  What a Baptist Is and Believes - God the Father
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - God the Son
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - God the Spirit
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Man
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Salvation
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes -  God's Purpose of Grace
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Church
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - Baptism
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Lord's Supper 
This is Who We Are:  What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Lord's Day