Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
The earnest desire of the believer is for the Kingdom of God to come and possess this earth.
When Jesus sent out his disciple to preach, they were to preach the Kingdom!
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2 [KJV]
If we preach the Kingdom we must be preaching obedience to the Ruler of that Kingdom and that is something lacking in the preaching of today. Modern evangelism deceives the people. Instead of "Just as I am without one plea" it says, "Just as I am I always will be". Coming to Christ for salvation is more than an intellectual assent that everyone is a sinner... it means changing one's citizenship and allegiance. Coming to Christ does not mean that the Kingdom of God changes to fit our lifestyle and sinful ways. On the contrary when a sinner comes to Christ he must leave the world behind.
Jesus clearly taught that we cannot serve two masters.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24 [KJV])
Jesus taught repentance for entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17 [KJV]
Jesus also taught that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the pharisees we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20 [KJV]) How is it possible to attain that level of righteousness?
The answer of course is that none of us are righteous enough to enter the kingdom of heaven and that is why Christ came and died and took our sin on himself so that we might be made righteous through faith in His sacrifice for us.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21 [KJV]
So for us to enter into the Kingdom of God we must have faith in Christ. By virtue of believing God his grace is poured out to us and we are washed, cleansed and forgiven. We enter in through faith. Now that we are in God's kingdom we are to serve Him and follow after righteousness.
This is only difficult to understand if a person has decided to be persnickity. Is it so hard to understand that we are not righteous outside of Christ but if we are in Christ we must turn from sin and follow Him? We are not righteous enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven without Christ but if we are with Christ then we walk with Him. He is not walking in sin so if we walk with him we do not walk the opposite direction.
This world continues in sin. The kingdoms of this world are allowed power for a time in order to prove the righteousness and justice of the Kingdom of Heaven.
His kingdom will come when Christ returns. The nations of the world will bow before Him at that time.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (I Corinthians 15:24 [KJV]
So as we pray the Lord's prayer we earnestly seen the Kingdom of God in our own lives now and earnestly desire the day when His Kingdom will rule over all the earth. Thy Kingdom come!
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