Thy Kingdom Come: Discussions on the Kingdom of God

When we were ‘born again’ we instantly entered into the kingdom of God. But what exactly is this kingdom? The phrases ‘kingdom of heaven’ and ‘kingdom of God’ occur one hundred times in the New Testament and form the core of many of Jesus’ parables yet many believers remain uncertain as to the nature of this kingdom. They are not the only ones.

The mighty prophet and herald of the Messiah, John the Baptist, proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom and called the people to repentance and baptism in preparation for it. Yet when Jesus came on the scene and said “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” John, imprisoned at the time, sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah or they should look for another. Clearly, John was not seeing what he perceived to be the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, was also confused about this kingdom and the means of entrance into it and so he came by night to seek Jesus for answers.

It is important that we understand the nature of the kingdom of God because of its centrality to the will and purposes of God for the salvation of our world. In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Thy Kingdom Come,” but what exactly are we asking God to do when we so pray? If we see the kingdom as something purely eschatological, meaning something to wait for, then we will miss our purpose and possibly lose our salvation. On the other hand, if we see the kingdom as something present, it will impact the way we live and do ministry.

It is my hope and prayer that this series of messages will help you to better understand the kingdom of God, what it is, how it is accessed, what are its expectations in terms of culture and conduct, and what must be done to secure your place in it. With a better understanding of the kingdom comes a better response to our prayer “your kingdom come.”