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The Kingdom Consciousness of a True Disciple (part three)
By Jay Wegter
The Kingdom has come among men, but not with political power and force which compels every knee to bow before the glory of its King. The parables of Matthew 13 embody this new revelation which is a mystery. Like a seed cast on ground, the message of the Kingdom may be fruitful or unfruitful, depending on its reception (Mt 13:3-8). The church age form of the Kingdom has indeed come to men, and in quickening power of sovereign grace, the hearts of the elect are made willing to enter. But, the present order in the world is not disrupted—the sons of the Kingdom and the sons of the evil one grow up together in the world until the harvest (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43). Like the proverbial tiny mustard seed, the present form of the Kingdom, though insignificant and despised in the world will one day be a great tree (Mt 13:31-32). This same Kingdom, like a bit of leaven hidden in a bowl of dough, will yet fill the earth (Mt 13:33) (G. E. Ladd, “The Kingdom of God,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter Elwell, Ed., Baker, 1984, p.
- Blessed are you that you have been granted eyes to see and ears to hear—that you might perceive the infinite wealth and beauty of the King and His Kingdom (Mt 13:16). Blessed are you to have been given the gifts of faith and repentance to depart from your idols and your attraction to the works of the devil, the imposter king. For, the Kingdom is coming in glory—on that day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord and rightful King (Phil 2:9-11). The mystery of the Kingdom of God coming in humility instead of glory was an utterly new and amazing revelation. Yet, Jesus warns that men should not be deceived. Though the Bearer of the Kingdom was put to death and condemned as a criminal—it is nevertheless the Kingdom of God. Like buried treasure, or a priceless pearl, the acquisition of the Kingdom merits any cost or sacrifice (Mt 13:44-46). The humility of the Kingdom in its meek ‘Lamb form’ ought not lead to a misunderstanding of its true nature—for it one day will divide the good from the evil in eschatological salvation and judgment (Mt 13:47-50). To see the value of the Kingdom in its present form requires a work of divine grace. The gift of saving faith allows the elect to spiritually discern the preciousness of Christ and the Kingdom (1 Cor 2:12-14). In this age the ‘sons of the Kingdom’ are called to heroism; they will experience sufferings (2 Thess 1:5), and tribulation in the cause of Christ (Acts 14:22). But God will rescue them from every evil and save them for His heavenly Kingdom (2 Tim 4:18; 2 Pet 1:11; 1 Cor 6:9-10). When Christ comes back in His glory to set up the Kingdom on earth, the 'Lion program’ will be a radical new world order. We will share in perfect fellowship with Christ and will share His authority (Mt 26:29-30; Lu 20:34-36; Rev 2:26-28). Again, to our ears (tuned to the ‘bounciness’ feel good alien values of modern Evangelicalism), the Kingdom proclamation that Christ is ‘Lord of the cosmos’ can sound too other worldly—too fantastic, too fictional. But, in the face of those inner objections we must ask, “Do you know who Christ really is?” “Are you aware of the seriousness of His call to be an overcomer?” (Rev 2-3; 21:7). “Are you staggered by the majesty and vastness of His Person?” (Col 1:15-20). The present Church age realm of the Kingdom in the world shows that the dynamic power of God’s reign has indeed invaded this evil age. The Kingdom has been ‘spiritually inaugurated’ in that the saints have been delivered from the power of darkness and the tyranny of sin (Col 1:13; Rom 6:21-23), and they now enjoy the spiritual blessings of God’s reign. Jesus said that since John the Baptist the Kingdom of God has been preached and men enter it with violent determination (Lu 6:16) (Ibid, p. 610). Exercising that level of determination is what true believers do—the violent determination needed to enter the Kingdom depends upon your estimation of the King and His Kingdom! We are continually pressing in and entering the Kingdom each day—that is a function of genuine saving faith. But, it needs to be said that the Kingdom is not the church. It is impossible to substitute the church for the Kingdom in such passages as: Acts 8:12; 19:8; 28:23. Yet, there is there is an inseparable relationship between the two. The church is a fellowship of believers who have accepted His Kingdom offer, submitted to His rule, and entered into its blessings. Thus we may say that the Kingdom of God creates the church. The redemptive rule of God in Christ brings into being a new people who receive the blessings of the divine reign. The Kingdom also works through the church. The disciples preached the Kingdom of God and performed signs of the Kingdom (Mt 10:7-8; Lu 10:9, 17). Yet, the church is entrusted with the ‘keys of the Kingdom’ (Mt 16:18-19; Lu 11:52) (Ibid., p. 611). Because of the mystery of the Kingdom in its present form, and due to the humiliation of Christ in the ‘scandal’ of the cross, the natural man is offended by the gospel—he regards it as ‘weak and foolish’ (1 Cor 1:21-25). Therefore, the Kingdom must be received with childlike faith (Mt 18:3). The Judas’ of the world have esteemed Christ and His Kingdom to be on the loser side of the tally. What a shock it will be when Christ returns in wrath and conquest—with the doors of mercy finally closed, the King comes back as Judge—all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see Him ‘coming with the clouds’ (Rev 1:7-8).