Implications of the Gospel of the Kingdom – David Grabbe cgg.org

The word gospel means “good news,” but conflicting ideas exist about what that is. Most consider it simply to be that Jesus died for the sins of humanity, which is indeed good news. But the good news that Jesus himself brought was about the Kingdom of God; that is, God’s rulership. God promises to claim rule over all the kingdoms and nations of this world. The world will finally experience peace and prosperity.

That’s good news because man’s governments have failed. Humanity cannot solve its own problems because they originate in the human heart, which is out of alignment with the Creator. We observe the negative consequences all around us.

Recognizing that the gospel message is not only about Christ’s sacrifice, but also about the literal rulership of God over the earth, has profound implications. One important consequence is that true Christians should not be caught up in the political wrangling of the day.

God decides who is in power. Nobody steals elections from Him. And God can influence leaders to serve His purpose, regardless of their persuasion; Christian or pagan, conservative or liberal. Regardless, we are told to pray for leaders, specifically so that God’s people can live in peace.

The crisis of this world is moral, developed over generations of turning away from God. Conservatism is not the same as biblical morality. It cannot save us. When we believe the gospel of the Kingdom, we endure the politics of physical nations but do not get caught up in them because they are not where our hope or confidence lies. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Our identity comes from belonging to and following Jesus Christ, not picking sides in the factions of the day.

We are to pay attention to our own lives relative to God. Our words and lives should point to the One who called us into an understanding of God’s way. God will shake the kingdoms of this world, but we are inheriting a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.