The Kingdom
The wrong views about the kingdom of God.
In our fragile and changing world where Leaders come and go; Nations rise and fall; life springs and fades away but the word of God remains the same and unchangeable. In the past, the prophets like Daniel have done their bits in the old testament prophesying God's kingdom. In the new testament, the chief speaker Jesus himself illustrates in verbal and visible image of the kingdom with no single but varied definitions to enable a clearer and better understanding.
Today it is in the heart of the believers to give their interpretations of the Kingdom. In doing so many errors are created for the fact that followers of Christ prefer to rattle with things of materialistic nature and their immediate needs. It is obvious the Church Gospels tend to concentrate intentionally or unintentionally on these things with so much emphasis on things that are pleasing to the flesh; material comfort rather than focusing on Spiritual cleansing. In preparation for Christ's second coming, Church Gospels today should draw more attention to this.
These errors are wrong views about the spiritual nature of God's Kingdom and these wrong views are misconceptions from individualism, humanistic, spiritual up-righteousness, religious implications and national anticipation against the sacrificial nature of the Kingdom. To assess these wrong views we start with individualism and summarise with the implications of these fragile claims and flaws.
Individualism: individual righteousness is a hallmark that fails to uphold the kingdom of God from the spiritual point of view. Man as an individual has the wrong views of who should be a King to inherit a Kingdom. Realistically, from the earthly point of considerations; Jesus as an individual is only a son of a Carpenter, a common Jewish boy with no royal attachment of earthly coronation or a political background. Jesus on the cross was mocked with a label of flattery“Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” How then could He become a King to bestow a Kingdom?
Humanly, we have different personalities and desires as a person. Jesus displays no desire of wanting to be at the top. Certainly he does not belong to any political party to obtain support or back up on his affairs if ever. Human beings we have the mind-set to use other beings to climb the ladder of success; such a political recipe. Jesus even asked Peter to withdraw his sword. There again is a slam on the City Jesus was born; Matt.2:6 “Bethlehem ….you are by no means the least of the leading cities in Judea” Man now asks, “Tell me how could one from the least of areas and with such a mind-set against war and destruction became King to acquire what Kingdom?
Spiritual up-righteousness: when man attends this level of righteousness, he elevates his standard above those of God hence he becomes unduly over righteous and tends to possess the power to dictate who is going to hail or to heaven (to inherit the kingdom) because he has set his own standard of righteousness and judge others by it. The bible narrates this as being 'excessively over righteous' and this could lead man to question God's way of dealing with things. Man needs time to redress unfortunately, there isn't much time left because we are on the last days.
Error of Nationalism: again and again people have formed their own image of what the Kingdom of God is supposed to be 'a dream nation'. The Jewish Nation has already claimed God's favourite by circumcision and no one takes it away from them. Her claim of course is on a religious basis for her nationalist activities; which is hideously a political venture for a political Kingdom; a kingdom by all means if necessary to be established by the sword. King Herod was afraid to lose his Kingly position when he had the birth of Child Jesus. Matt.2:13 “......Herod will be looking for the child to kill Him”
Church error: is a religious implication on the faith we have in Jesus as the King. Today too many religious organisations in large and small scales have flooded the earth; each with own values and beliefs which contribute immensely to the wrong views. There are always those who believe they have a natural right of access to the Kingdom. Our traditional Roman Catholic theologians tend to equate the kingdom of God as to whoever was entrusted with the Key decides who comes through the gate of the Kingdom. Of course the apostle Peter is assumed the first Pope; Matt.16:18 confirms Christ's promise to Peter, “You are a rock and on this rock foundation I will build my Church. Man, we should be aware that the 'Church' here is not the biggest City building or Cathedral but the people. 1Cor.3:16 Says you people are God's temple. Again Acts 17:24 says that God does not live in Man -made temple (the church). Whatever we do, we will give account of as individuals not as a Church.
Our famous bible translator, eloquent reader and speaker the organisation of Jehovah Witness; though this organisation is doing a great job to make the word of God go round with the door to door practice, perhaps the only Christian organisation witnessing to God in this formula; she also seems to claim ownership of God's Kingdom. This attitude is like the Pharisees in the bible who imagined they have the Kingdom of God bottled up in their code of practice. Read: 2Timohy 1:8“........do not be ashamed of witnessing for the Lord;........take part in suffering for the good news. Same 2Timohy 1: 9 continues “.........and the Lord call us to be his own people;(in God's Kingdom) not because of what we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
The Society of “Born Again Christians” of our era tends to disassociate themselves from others just like what the scripture says about the teachers of Law and the Pharisees of the old. Matt.23:5 what they wear on their foreheads and the fringes on their long garments; is for attention seeking rather than a mark of noble behaviour. These Churches likewise many other semi-groups of Christians functioning exclusively in their little corners of God's universe with the belief that no one else matters but them. Some rally around on street Crusades others with open invitations calling, “Come! our church is the best, come and receive the Salvation of God” How confirmed is God's salvation confined within the four corners of the Church walls? Jesus in his kingly rule is bigger than any church. We forgot that too much noise or loudness of something real, can make it fraudulent. Jesus is gentle and meek with his teachings and his followers should adapt to that Christ-like-attitude.
Consequences of the flaws:To recall, Jesus went to victory by accepting and not by refusing the cup of suffering. Any attempt to shade off this knowledge makes Christians became victims of an unreal triumphalism. Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. Why the fuss about the flaws? Because Jesus is the greatest teacher of all time. Should we find his teaching wrong and distort, this will bring other areas of teaching be it politics, sex education, work ethic, social justice to zero because his teaching is involved and affects all other areas of teaching and learning in life.
Heavenly Assurance: All of the above are empty and fragile claims and flaws. The implications are obvious and clear. Now that we are more aware of them, they reveal what we are doing wrong to think of two parallel and eternal Kingdoms. It will be wise if Man takes evil more seriously. It is God's Kingdom alone that is permanent and eternal. Message of Restoration carries double assurance; our faith in Jesus the King wherever it comes from, will secure us a place at the Messiah's banquet only if we draw closer to the 'word' in the scriptures and comply with his teaching. In all, Jesus had the Centurion Soldier to testify his kingship. Matthew 8:10-12