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The Church is The Kingdom
Many people do not understand the church, its nature, what It is, and how it differs and excels all other organizations, bodies, associations, orders, and such like to which people can belong. Naturally, not understanding, nor realizing its importance, they are inclined to never become members of it, or postpone entering into it, or, if already a member, not as devoted to it as they ought to be. Much of the misunderstanding is due to the confused, contradictory, unscriptural way the church has been presented by the religious teachers of the world. It is our intention to learn how the Bible presents the church.
When we speak of the church we have no reference whatever to any denomination that has, does, or ever shall exist. There is no Biblical authority for the existence of any denomination. The church is not a denomination, has no kinship with denominations, is not composed of denominations, and is never presented in terms of denominationalism. But the church is presented to us as God's kingdom.
We learn by making comparisons, observing similarities and likenesses of things. We learn about new things in terms of things we already know. When Christ came to establish the church and reveal its nature, He knew it would differ from anything men had known, yet it would bear similarities to things they understood. He defined the church in terms common to man's understanding. This was characteristic of His teaching in parables. He presented the church as a kingdom, telling of the parts of the kingdom and the way people become citizens of it.
A Monarchy
The church is a monarchy with Christ as King. That the church and the kingdom are one and the same is evident from certain Scriptures. Some contend that Christ came to establish His kingdom, but when the Jews rejected Him, He postponed its establishment and provided the church, something of a temporary substitute, intending to establish the kingdom the next time He comes. This doctrine makes the church and the kingdom different from each other. But the Bible teaches they are the same thing.
Daniel 2 tells of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in which he saw an image with a head of gold, a breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron with feet a mixture of iron and clay. These parts of the image represented kingdoms of the earth. There came a stone "not made with hands," that is, from God, that smote the image and ground it into pieces, with the stone growing throughout the world. The meaning was that the stone from God was superior to the kingdoms represented by the image.
The head of gold was Babylon that would be followed by inferior kingdoms. In the days of the fourth kingdom, God would establish His kingdom that would surpass all others. Following Babylon came the Persian, Grecian, and Roman Empires. It was in the days of the Roman kingdom that Jesus came and established the church, God's kingdom.
"At Hand"
John the Baptist preceded Jesus preaching that people must repent, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He, Jesus, the apostles, and the seventy Jesus sent out to preach, eighty-four inspired preachers in all, preached the kingdom was "at hand," nearby, soon to be, nigh upon them. If the kingdom was postponed, as some claim, these eighty-four preachers were false teachers.
Jesus said the kingdom was going to be established in the lifetime of some who heard Him preach (Mark 9:1). If He postponed it, He preached falsely. He said it would come with power, and told the power was the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
On Pentecost (Acts 2) the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles; they preached as the Spirit gave them utterance; people heard the Word, believed the Word, obeyed the Word, and were added to the church (Acts 2:47). With the coming of the things Jesus said would mark the coming of the kingdom, the church came into existence. Hence, the church and the kingdom are the same.
When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper He said He would not commune with His disciples until in the kingdom. Paul gave instructions to the church in Corinth concerning the partaking of the Lord's Supper. Those in Troas (Acts 20:7) observed the Lord's Supper. They were in the church. Therefore, we know the church and the kingdom are one and the same. Paul said the members of the church in Colosse had been delivered out of the power of darkness and "translated... into the kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians 1:13). How could they be in the kingdom if Jesus has not established it yet? Those in the church were in the kingdom.
The same is true concerning words written by John (Revelation 1:9) to members of the churches of Asia. Those in the church were in the kingdom as John was in the kingdom.
Jesus used the words "church" and "kingdom" interchangeably in Matthew 16:16-18. An honest consideration of the Scriptures will Insist that the church is the kingdom and vice versa.
Four Essentials
The kingdom consists of at least four essentials: a king, subjects, a territory, and a law. Jesus Christ is the King of the kingdom of God. It was said He was to be a king even before His birth (Luke 1:31-33). It was to this end that He was born (John 18:37). He is called "the King of kings, and Lord of lords." (1 Timothy 6:15). He is the monarch of the kingdom.
His subjects are those who are members of the church. All people are subject to Christ in the sense that they are accountable to God through Him. But only those who are members of the church have submitted themselves to His kingship. He is the head of the body, which is the church (Colossians 1:18). As head of the church, He is also King of the kingdom. Those in the church are subject to Him (Ephesians 5:24), and those in the kingdom are His subjects. We are "fellow citizens with the saints" when in the church" (Ephesians 2:19).
At present the kingdom is IN the world but not OF the world. The territory of the kingdom is not a geographical location but exists in the hearts of men (Luke 17:21). The boundaries of the kingdom cross the boundaries of earthly nations (Acts 10:34). The gospel is for everyone of the whole world (Mark 16:15). Daniel 2:35 speaks of God's kingdom becoming a great mountain and filling the earth. All nations were to flow unto It (Isaiah 2:2).
Someday, at God's pleasure, when Jesus returns, the kingdom shall be delivered to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Notice, when Jesus comes, it is not to SET UP the kingdom, but to DELIVER UP the kingdom to God. Those who are citizens of that kingdom shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13ff). Then shall be the "new heaven and new earth," a new habitation, for those of the kingdom (2 Peter 3:13).
The law of the kingdom is the "perfect law of liberty." (James 1:25). Israel lived subject to the law of God as given through Moses. But we live subject to the truth that came through Christ (John 1:17). The former law did not take away sins nor make one whole before God. Jesus took away the first law that He might establish the second (Hebrews 10:9). "Lo, I come to do thy will. He taketh away the ftrst that he may establish the second." He abolished the first in His death (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15). The will by which we are saved is the second will, the will of Christ (Hebrews 10). It is that law by which we shall be judged (John 12:48).
Delivered to God
Realizing that the kingdom shall be delivered to God, that Christ is the Savior of the church (Ephesians 5:23), we should be members of it. But how does one become a citizen in the kingdom of God? He is "translated" into the kingdom (Colossians 1:13). This means he is changed, removed from one relationship to another. He is delivered out of the darkness of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light and life of the kingdom of God. There is a change of relationship. Let us illustrate.
Suppose a person wishes to change citizenship from England to the United States. What must he do? He cannot just "claim it." He first hears of the United States and decides he wants to become a citizen. He then applies for citizenship according to the laws of the U.S. Learning the terms of entrance, then meeting them, he is granted citizenship. It is no different, in principle, in becoming a citizen of God's kingdom, the church.
One must first hear of this kingdom wherein is salvation. He decides he wants to be a citizen therein. He learns the terms of entrance. When he has done what the law of the kingdom says he must do, he is given, granted, citizenship.
Terms Of Entrance
What are the terms? We know the blessings make entrance into the kingdom so important. What must we do? Upon hearing the gospel of Christ that He is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind, realizing that we are lost in sin and without hope, unable to save ourselves by ourselves, we must put our faith, trust, confidence in Jesus, the Christ, thesonof God. We must obey His commands to repent (Luke 13:3), confess our faith in Him (Luke 12:8,9), and be baptized to be saved, for the remission of sin, into Christ (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27). Having done this, God adds one to His church (Acts 2:47), which is the kingdom, as we have learned.
Nobody can set their own terms of entrance. We become citizens of God's kingdom God's way or we do not become citizens at all. All of us are in one of two existing spiritual kingdoms, God's or Satan's. If in Satan's kingdom, there is nothing but eternal death and punishment awaiting us. In God's kingdom there are all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), salvation and heaven. Each one must, and can, decide for himself or herself in which kingdom he wishes to live and die. But only those who are faithful, loyal citizens in the kingdom of God have the promise of eternal salvation in heaven.