“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10).

The reference to “Kingdom of God” occurs thirty-one times in Luke’s gospel. Specifically, in Luke 4:43, Jesus preached “the good news of the kingdom.” What does the Kingdom of God imply? It implies that Jesus has overcome the enemy, He is the ruler, that he is the Victor! And it is good news because it means that he is redeeming a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue in fulfilment of God’s covenant promises, and that he is extending his rule until the day when “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Robert Browning, a renowned poet, penned these famous lines: “God’s in his heaven—All’s right with the world!^” This sounds lovely, but it is misleading. In analyzing the words, we can begin to realize that truth of the first part: God is in his heaven. However, the second part indicates a future state. All is not right with the world, right now. There is a deeper sense, though, that we as believers do belong to the Kingdom of Heaven now, but because Christ has not yet returned to bring us to our heavenly home, we still live in a corrupted world, a world where everything is not right. This divided state is sometimes called the “already/not yet.”

This scripture describes this already/not yet state: “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” because the kingdom of God is in your midst.’” (Luke 17:20-21). In other words, the Kingdom of God is now, but unbelievers are unable to see it because of their spiritual blindness. On the other hand, God has revealed the Kingdom to believers who can already enjoy many benefits of the Kingdom of God. For example:

1. Jesus has already completed his atoning work of salvation. “It is finished,” he declared from the cross.
2. Believers are already justified, that is, declared not guilty, through faith in Jesus Christ.
3. The Holy Spirit already indwells all believers.
4. Jesus ascended to heaven where he already sits “at the right hand of God.”
5. Resting on the promises already fulfilled, we can continue to rest with assurance on Jesus’ promise of ultimate victory for his bride, the Church. “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

When you feel like things cannot get worse in this life, remember: As a believer, you are already redeemed and justified and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is your King. This world is temporary, but we have the promise of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

And when you feel complacent or even contented with your life here on earth, remember to give all the glory to your Lord and Savior who is the source of all your benefits.

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16).

In Christ,

Judy