Duncan Christian Reformed Church

The Kingdom of God

The message Jesus brought was short yet wide-ranging. “The time has come,” Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). What does the kingdom of God look like? Paul expresses it in an all-encompassing way: “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ (Eph 1:10; also Col 1:20). Those words are an allusion to the Genesis story of the creation of the heavens and the earth. In Genesis 1 God is behaving as he really is, the King who commands and causes to take place. On the last day of creation he describes for us what the kingdom looks like (taken from Genesis 1:28).

Fellowship with God. “God blessed them and said to them...” In the beginning God makes it clear that he wants a relationship with us. This is sometimes referred to as “walking with” God (Gen 3:8; 5:24; 17:1). God shows his love for us in this, and asks our love to him in return.

Marriage between husband and wife. “'Be fruitful and increase in number...'” In the beginning God makes it clear that he honors marriage and the relationship it represents. Made in the image of God, when a husband joins himself to his wife, they create more image bearers to reflect the magnificence of God on earth (Gen 5:1-3).

Society: “'fill the earth.'” We're not just called to love God; we're to love one another as well. Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is anyone we might come into contact with (Luke 10:25-37). This love includes showing justice to the powerless in our society (e.g. Deut 10:18-19). The church is God's instrument today to show the world what love looks like (John 13:34-35).

Culture: “'subdue [the earth].'” In other words, we're to discover the God-given potential there is in the earth: like the possibilities of building cities, discovering technology (tools), art, science (see Gen 2:19; 4:2; 4:17; 4:20-22). The place of work in our world fits in here. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people” (Col 3:23). There is nothing we do that should be considered “secular”!

Government: “'Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'” Should believers be concerned about the environment; the depletion of fish in the sea; pollution? We ought to be taking the lead on discovering solutions to problems like these!

This, then, is the kingdom. It is all-encompassing, covering every aspect of our lives. There is nothing that does not involve us as church. Thankfully, Jesus rose from the dead to make the reality of his kingdom possible today!

Pastor Walt Vanderwerf