The Kingdom of God

The Bible teaches many things regarding the kingdom of God. When John was preparing for the coming of Christ he taught, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matthew 3:2. Jesus ministering likewise taught, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel” Mark 1:15. Jesus also taught, “Verily I say unto you, There are some here of them that stand by, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God come with power” Mark 9:1. John and Jesus both taught that the Kingdom was “at hand”, or drawing near. Jesus taught that some people would live to see it come with power. Therefore, the Kingdom has already been established.

Many people believe that the Kingdom is a futuristic Kingdom that has not yet been established. However, the Bible teaches that the Kingdom is here, now, on earth. To this fact John and Jesus testified. The Kingdom of God is forever linked to belief in the Gospel, Mark 1.15. Jesus taught his disciples to teach that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand”, (Mark 10.7), stating, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” Luke 10:9.

Philip the evangelist also taught about the kingdom, “But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” Acts 8:12. Philip preached about the kingdom and Christ and the people, believing, were baptized. Why were these people baptized upon hearing a message about the Kingdom and Jesus? The Bible teaches that God adds one to the church through baptism, Acts 2.41, 2.47. Paul likewise taught about the kingdom and Christ, “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him” Acts 28:31. The kingdom of God, belief in the Gospel, teaching about Jesus, and baptism into the church are forever related because of the teaching of God in the Bible. The kingdom is the church, which Christ built, Matt. 16.18-19.

Paul stated about salvation, “Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love” Colossians 1:12-13. “Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28. “Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father” Revelation 1:5-6. All of these things are present tense, not future tense.

The church is God’s kingdom on earth. At the end, Christ will deliver the kingdom back to God, 1 Cor. 15.24. Baptism puts one into the kingdom. Have you been baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2.38, and been added to the kingdom, Col. 1.13?