The Book's Purpose

• Glorify the Ruler of the Kingdom of God
• Explain the nature of the Kingdom of God
• Clarify the requirements of membership in the Kingdom of God
• Articulate the dangers of rejecting the Kingdom of God
• Highlight the Gospel of Christ as the central message of the Kingdom of God

The Book's Message

In the culture of the 1960s, as the scientific age raged against Christian doctrine, Dr. Jones preached 12 sermons on the nature of the Kingdom of God. In them he expounded the teaching of the Bible regarding truth’s certainty, the Kingdom’s teaching, and God’s power through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The King's Proclamation

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel’ ” (Mark 1:14-15).

In today’s cultural climate, nothing is needed as much as a sense of what is true. The world is confused regarding the central truths of Christianity, and the Church itself is mainly responsible. But neither the Church nor the world need be confused, for the central truths of the Kingdom of God are embodied in Christ and introduced in this verse.

Christ came preaching a clear and certain message. He did not invite followers to travel on an uncertain course but to follow Him and believe in Him. And He entrusted this message to His followers, that on His authority they would proclaim it with certainty and conviction. The Church has a message, and it should be delivered to an unbelieving world with clarity.

What is the message?

Christ exposed the sin and hypocrisy of mankind and preached a message of hope and deliverance. Man need not continue imprisoned in his fallen existence, if he will listen to and believe in the Christ of God.

Man’s condition is hopeless, but he need not seek out truth or salvation for himself. He need only believe in the message proclaimed through and embodied by Christ. But modern man is convinced God is nonexistent. In this scientific age, he trusts in the advance of man’s knowledge over the dogmatic claims of the Bible. But for all his searching, man cannot solve the problem of his hopelessly wicked heart. For all his scientific knowledge, he has no more answers than generations past had. The answer to his condition lies not in what he has yet to discover but in what God has already made known and what Christ has already done.

So man’s salvation lies not in what he can understand or know but only in what God has done. God acted in history and brought to pass His promise of salvation. It was fulfilled and accomplished through His Son Jesus Christ, and so mankind now has only two options: Believe in Christ and be saved from judgment or reject Him and endure eternal punishment. It is the most joyous news the human ear can hear, for it carries the promise of forgiveness and the assurance of peace between rebellious man and a righteous God.

The First Priority

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

In stating the command of the Kingdom in this way, Christ separates Christianity from all the other philosophies and religions of man. He makes it clear that faith in Him is not something we add to our beliefs. Rather, it the thing that radically alters the essence of all we believe. Christ knows the problem with man is fundamental and essential.

But where does mankind go wrong?

Man goes wrong because he thinks wrongly; he thinks in a way that leads him to act wrongly. He maintains wrong priorities: money, food, drink, and clothing. People think and act as if their lives were material only as they disregard their spiritual nature. So they enslave themselves to the material body, leading themselves to anxiety, fear, and worry. This is why we live in an age of tranquilizers.

So man, to recover from his fallen position, must gain a right view of life. For this reason, Christ proclaims we are to seek first the Kingdom of God. He reveals that man is more than a body—he is also a soul. People may seek after their physical needs, but they will always be dissatisfied. The first priority, according to Christ, is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. There is no satisfaction in the human soul apart from God, and there is no peace with God without righteousness.

Christianity demands a total commitment, a new life. Man cannot know the transforming power of Christianity until he is completely given to it. Man is unable to overcome his sinful nature and must seek after the Kingdom of God. He must recognize the truth revealed in Christ. He must acknowledge the foolishness of living for his material body only, and seek after righteousness. He must understand that without righteousness, there is no enduring blessing from God. And he must know that the righteousness which pleases God comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.

When a man or woman comes to this place, he or she finds peace from Christ and forgiveness from sin. He becomes a child of God and a servant of His Kingdom. She is transformed in her nature and made new. He is set free from guilt of sin; she is set free from fear of death.

Not With Outward Show

“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you’ ” (Luke 17:20-21).

Christ proclaims the certain message of this Kingdom and clarifies its first priority. So man asks, What does this Kingdom look like, then? From the very beginning, the nature of it was misunderstood by the Jews. Pilate, Jesus’ brothers, and Christ’s disciples misunderstood as well. Protestantism, at times taking up the sword to convert the world by force, has misunderstood the nature of God’s Kingdom. Even contemporary Christian culture misunderstands.

The proponents of a social Gospel believe the Kingdom will come through political and social action. They anticipate only a physical kingdom. But in these verses in Luke 17, the Lord exposes their error by explaining that the Kingdom of God is within.

It is a Kingdom of power. When Christ came, He demonstrated power and authority possessed by no other man. The Kingdom of God came when Christ was in the world. He had authority over demons, over nature, and over sickness, disease, and death.

The Kingdom of God also encompasses the realm of the rule of God. Because God rules in the hearts of His children, the Kingdom is also present in all who have faith in Christ. The visible church is not the Kingdom of God, for there are many within the visible church, or within a particular religion or denomination, who are not under the rule of God. Rather, the Kingdom is within the hearts of those believing in Him.

The day will finally come when the Kingdom will be visible. The Bible promises a day when Christ will return to reign over all the earth. It foretells the end of the church age and the beginning of the physical rule of Christ over the earth.

To enter this Kingdom, man cannot imitate Christ, nor can he believe only those doctrines agreeable to him. He must recognize Christ as the incarnate God. He must agree to His demands. His righteousness must exceed the greatest human standards. He must see his utter failure to meet those standards and agree that his guilt deserves the just punishment God requires. Then, He must plead for mercy before a holy God and look upon Christ, pierced for his sin, and believe upon Him for his salvation. He will then enter the Kingdom, and the Kingdom will be within him.

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17).

Man so misunderstands the nature of the Kingdom that he mistakenly equates religion with the real Kingdom. Christianity is not primarily a system of worship. This was a mistake of the Jews, who could not recognize Christ because of His unexpected rejection of certain aspects of their system of worship. Man also falls into the mistake of equating Christianity with morality. He thinks if he lives a certain way and does certain things, he is a Christian.

True Christianity begins with righteousness. Since man has no righteousness in himself, Christianity begins with God, the source of righteousness. Christianity lifts us to God, focuses us upon Him, and enthralls us with Him. Because man must face God in judgment, Christianity condemns all men as sinners that they may not seek righteousness in themselves. They must look to Christ to live.

What does looking to Christ accomplish? Man cannot change himself. He cannot live up to the perfect requirements of the law of God. He cannot attain moral perfection, or righteousness. But Christ did all this. And by dying, Christ took upon Himself the punishment for sin. Thus, man may look to Him and receive credit for the moral perfection Christ attained while being forgiven the debt and punishment of sin. Christianity is not an accomplishment of man, but from beginning to end the amazing accomplishment of God in Christ!

From this truth comes the peace and joy of the Christian. What greater peace can man have but reconciliation between himself and God? What greater joy can man have but forgiveness of sin, wherein the work is accomplished by another and applied to his credit? This peace and joy transcends circumstances, so the believer stands apart from the reactionary lives of unbelievers as immovable and steadfast in their faith in Christ.

The great distinguishing mark between the Christian and the religious person is that the Christian understands his incapability of righteousness. He has ceased striving to prove his worth to God, instead putting his hope in Christ. He is set free from the curse of the law and made alive to live in righteousness. He is set apart from this world unto God and lives in righteousness, peace, and joy.

The Mystery

“The disciples came, and said unto him, ‘Why speakest thou unto them in parables?’ He answered and said unto them, ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand’ ” (Matthew 13:10-13).

There is great confusion about why the Lord spoke in parables. Many today would have us believe that it was to make the grand and transcendent truths of the Kingdom of God accessible to the common people. They say this: by illustrating His teachings with common imagery, He helped make plain the teaching of the Gospel. They go on to explain that this is what is wrong with Christianity today. We must make the message of the Gospel more understandable to today’s culture.

The verse above contradicts this position. Christ explains His reasons for speaking in parables. It was to conceal truth, not clarify it. He proclaims the Gospel as a mystery revealed only by the Spirit of God to those chosen by Him. We cannot mistake the nature of the Gospel if we are to first understand it ourselves and then proclaim it to others.

The Christian message is a mystery. It is anything but plain and simple to the worldly listener. It is unlike any other message ever conceived by the human mind. The fact that even Christ’s disciples struggled to apprehend His message illustrates this fact. The plainest statements made by Christ were not understood by them until after His death and resurrection. When we consider the struggles of Nicodemus or the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, it is clear that this message of Christ was anything but simple. It is understood only by those to whom it is given. In fact, at the end of His ministry Christ spoke more plainly than at any other time. It was then, when the crowds began to understand what He was saying, that they crucified Him.

Why is natural man unable to hear the Gospel message? It is his pride of intellect, prejudice, and carnality. Man believes that he understands and that he does not need instruction from an uneducated carpenter who lived many years ago. He is predisposed against Christianity, having rejected it without even giving it serious consideration. He loves his life and pleasures, and he is unwilling to see them as God sees them. He is blinded though he sees, incapable of understanding the mystery of the Gospel.

What is this mystery? It is the means whereby God redeems man. The world can know nothing of how God transforms the life of a believer because it is foolishness to him. Though the Bible explains from beginning to end God’s plan of salvation, man cannot apprehend the perfection of God’s wisdom in it. Christ’s death on a cross is foolishness to the world but the power of God for those who believe.

Considering the mystery of the Gospel becomes a judgment. It divides all of mankind into two categories: those who apprehend the mystery and those who do not. To those who have, even more will be given. To those who have not, even what they have will be taken away. Therefore the Gospel cannot be modified to fit a culture. It is a mystery, as such it is understood only by those to whom it is given.

Power

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).

When Paul preached, he relied not on the persuasiveness of his speech but on the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Christianity in its practice is powerful, but tragically the Church today lacks this power. A great many have intellectual interest in the teachings of Christianity as philosophy. This is not how Christianity came to mankind.

Speculative belief carries no power. Someone holding this type of belief fails to know the power of God to transform a sinful, unbelieving heart and fails to attract anyone else to Christianity. Christianity today is much like this: there is a great deal of talk but no transformative power.

In reality, nothing is more powerful than the person of Jesus Christ. Our years are measured by His birth. His message transformed the course of history, turned Rome on its head, and through the Protestant Reformation transformed whole nations and cultures. The Kingdom of God is not an armchair philosophy. It boasts the most amazing stories of ordinary people participating in extraordinary works of God because Christianity is the demonstration of the power of God.

The Gospel’s power is not in what man has done but in what God has done. Christians do not testify of what they’ve done to be saved but of what was done on their behalf. Man does not take up Christianity; he is taken hold of by it.

Israel’s history demonstrates this fact: God delivered Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. Israel did not deliver itself. Throughout Scripture we see that God by His mighty right hand works for Israel according to His will and by His own power accomplishes all His purposes.

Christ demonstrates the power of God. We see God’s power in the virgin birth. It is evident in the teaching of Christ, which had authority and certainty. He demonstrated His power in the working of miracles: calming the storm, healing the sick, feeding thousands, and raising the dead. Above all, Christ demonstrated the ultimate power by rising from the dead!

Certain believers knew this power on the day of Pentecost, and three thousand were added to their number in one day. “And so later it was said of the Christians, ‘These men that have turned the world upside down have come hither also’ ” (Acts 17:6). Though most of these men were ordinary and uneducated, they demonstrated a power beyond the natural ability of man.

This power manifests itself first and foremost in bringing conviction of sin. It brings man before the throne of a righteous and holy God, exposes sin, convicts of guilt, and brings with it the terror of judgment. Secondly, the power of the Holy Spirit enables humans to believe in the Gospel. The power of God also creates new life in the believer. It converts him from sinful thinking to holy and righteous living. It empowers her to face the difficulties and challenges of this life and gives power to face death with a peaceful and joyful heart. A professing Christian who does not know of any of these experiences has not known the Gospel of Christ.

The Three Men

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, ‘Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.’ And he said unto another, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.’ Jesus said unto him, ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God.’ And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:57-62).

Upon first reading this account, the apparent harshness of Christ is surprising. These three men seem genuine in their desire to follow Christ, yet they are not met with open arms. Many churches today eagerly bring into fellowship any who profess willingness to follow Christ, but Christ Himself teaches us something about what makes one worthy to follow Him.

The first man said he would follow Christ wherever He went. Christ’s response was that foxes and birds have homes, but He has nowhere to lay his head. What did Christ mean by such a response? Christ recognizes the man’s enthusiasm, then tempers it with the true nature of the Kingdom of God. This man no doubt witnessed much of Christ’s works and teaching. In his enthusiasm he committed himself to following without understanding the nature of God’s Kingdom. This man did not realize that the Kingdom was not visible and that Christ Himself had come to give His life. Christ emphasized the true nature of His Kingdom through this first man.

Christ invited the second man to follow Him. The man asked only for permission to bury his father. It was a phrase meant to delay the commitment of following Christ for a more convenient time. It is something many people do. They agree the teachings of Christ are good, His claim on them is valid, and yet pray with Saint Augustine: “Lord make me good, but not yet.” They fail to see the urgency in entering the Kingdom of God. Just like this man, they put it off. Christ rebukes the man for his hesitation and calls him to action. “Let the dead bury their own dead,” Christ says. The Kingdom of God is life to the soul, and life’s affairs are trivial compared to the glory of Christ.

The third man hears Christ’s call and asks permission to bid farewell to his family. Christ’s response reveals the totalitarian demands of the Kingdom upon believers. He compares it to plowing on a farm. Just as it is impossible to drive a straight plough while looking backward, so too does the Kingdom of God require total commitment and unconditional surrender. It is reminiscent of Lot’s wife, who longingly looked back upon Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. This woman’s divided loyalty cost her life.

When a person believes the truths of the Gospel and understands the nature of the Kingdom of God, he willingly abandons all to Christ. Nothing in this world should hold her gaze but our Savior. If this world is sick with sin, he should have no trouble turning from it and toward the Savior~the cost of following Him and serving Him with wholeheartedness.

The Only Hope

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Many believe the Bible no longer speaks to man. They do not realize that it explains the very elemental and fundamental truths regarding nature, man, and God. It reveals remarkable insight with honesty and truthfulness. It explains why things are as they are and how they can be rectified.

There is much to be learned from the Bible. It warns of the danger of deception. As seen in the account of Adam and Eve, man’s fall is a consequence of his deception. Throughout the Bible that warning continues. Even in the Early Church, believers were deceived by false teachers, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the deceitfulness of sin.

Man deceives himself and disbelieves the Bible for several reasons. He believes man is fundamentally different now compared to Bible times. He thinks that because our knowledge has changed our understanding of moral truth must change as well. He believes that the Bible’s ideas of right and wrong are outdated and morality is relative. He believes his morality can be separated from doctrine. Thus, he may do right without having to accept the tenets of Christianity. Finally, he believes that if God is love, He won’t judge or punish.

The passage cited reveals the deception of these beliefs. It exhorts the believer not to be deceived: those who break God’s righteous laws will not inherit the Kingdom of God. We should build our concept of God from the Bible alone.

The Bible teaches that God is concerned above all with righteousness. It reveals the unrighteousness of man. He has turned his back on God while enslaving himself to his own lusts and passions. In God’s sight, all mankind is sinful and condemned. Scripture reveals that man can be cleansed of sin and purified from guilt by the blood of Christ. The Gospel condemns all under the law, eliminates hypocrisy, and offers the cure to man’s guilt. Man cannot pull himself together; he must come to Christ who becomes his righteousness, forgives his sins, and brings regeneration to his heart.

True Riches

“Jesus looked around, and saith unto his disciples, ‘How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and saith unto them, ‘Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God’ ” (Mark 10:23-25).

The story of the rich young ruler surprises many people. Here is a man who had it together. He was good, yet he was outside the Kingdom of God. How can this be? Even the disciples are surprised by Christ’s answer to this man~ their understanding of the Kingdom was certainly shaken. Christ shows we must shed our preconceptions about the Kingdom and come to Christ as children to enter the Kingdom.

The rich young ruler was satisfied in his goodness. He came to Christ with a question about eternal life, but fully expected to be validated in his pursuit. Instead, the rich young ruler went away sad. Why?

First, he went away sad because of what Christ did not say. He came expecting to be confirmed in his suspicion that he was good enough. Many come to Christ this way, thinking they can add Christ’s teaching to what they have always suspected and believed.

Second, he did not expect Christ’s answer to be so difficult. He thought that by striving he could enter the Kingdom of God, and Christ here reveals the difficulty of entering. It is not by mere effort that we become children of God.

Third, he was sorrowful because of what Christ did say. Christ revealed the inaccuracy of his selfassessment. He professed to have kept the commandments since he was young. Yet just one command of Christ revealed his idolatry~his trust in money. He thought he was put together, but he lacked understanding of his true need.

Finally, Christ clarified that the Kingdom is to be entered His way. The cross is foolish to those perishing, but it is Christ’s way. He commands believers to take up their crosses and follow Him.

The rich young ruler did not realize who Christ was and why He came. He did not recognize the truth about himself. He did not realize the reality of treasure in heaven. From his example we learn the fatal error of relying on anything but Christ. We learn the sorrow that results from turning away from Him instead of abandoning self-righteousness for His true righteousness.

So Near and Yet So Far

“And the scribe said unto him, ‘Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, ‘Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question’ ” (Mark 12:28-34).

This interaction reveals several facts about the nature of the Kingdom of God. This scribe was not far from the Kingdom, yet he was not in it. Clearly, one is either in or out of the Kingdom of God. There is no middle ground. While this man answered Christ well, he was not in the Kingdom of God.

Much uncertainty exists today about who is in the Kingdom of God. But this Kingdom is clearly defined in Scripture, and the way into it is Christ alone. No one can become a Christian without a definite work of rebirth. The presence or absence of this work of God should tell each man where he stands.

There are differences in people’s relative position to the Kingdom. Some can be near but outside, others can be far away. However, regardless of their relative position, to be outside the Kingdom is to be apart from it. Though the scribe was not far from the Kingdom, he was outside it. Unless he enters, he will forever remain outside the Kingdom.

Why did Christ say he was not far from the Kingdom? This man seemed to be applying his reason and logic, his intelligence, to the truths of the Kingdom. He showed his respect and appreciation for the Lord and was drawn to Him. He affirmed the resurrection and recognized the spiritual nature of the demands of the law of God.

Yet he was still outside the Kingdom because his knowledge was theoretical. While he asked an excellent question regarding the law, it never occurred to him to ask if he had kept it. Because of this, he also never asked what man should do when he has not kept the law. He never recognized his own need for a savior. He could never enter the Kingdom of God without this realization.

This account reveals that it is not enough to be impressed by Christ or His teaching. We must realize our relationship to the Kingdom, understand the requirements for entering it, and move beyond intellectual interest to personal and real application of the implications of the Gospel.

Born Again

“Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ ... Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God’ ” (John 3:3,5).

The wise and learned Pharisee comes to the Jewish carpenter by night to ask a question. Before he finishes his introduction, Christ shatters his concept of the Kingdom by revealing the radical truth of rebirth.

Christ reveals much about the Kingdom and His person in this exchange. He reveals His penetrating insight, His ability to see right into the heart of a person and identify where she is mistaken. Christ searches the heart of man and knows him better than he knows himself.

The reaction of Nicodemus reveals his complete misunderstanding of the nature of the Kingdom, a reaction that confirms Christ’s insight. Christ says that a person must be born again! This radical phrase explains why Christianity cannot be added to other philosophies. It must overthrow them.

Man cannot enter the Kingdom unless until he is born again, because his life is corrupt. The Kingdom of God is of righteousness and light. It cannot be entered into without complete transformation. However, to be reborn and thereby enter the Kingdom is not something man can do for himself. It is God’s work, God’s gift. Man can only recognize his need, repent of his sins, acknowledge his helplessness, and trust in the mercy of God. Nicodemus was challenged by this because such a concept is so foreign to the mind of man. Nevertheless, it is God’s way.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Moved

“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven … Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:25, 28-29).

Regarding the Kingdom, man dares not refuse Him who speaks. Christ revealed the nature of the Kingdom, the nature of man, and the way to enter. Why is it so important to heed the voice of Christ regarding the Kingdom?

First, it is important because Christ is speaking. The world is filled with people who think they know the answers to life. But true answers are only found in the Bible, the Word of God, and the words of Christ. Because He speaks, the matter must be considered urgent. His voice once shook the earth at the giving of the law, and it will shake the earth again, along with the heavens. Mankind must listen because God is Who He is, and He will judge all things.

Second, man must listen because the world is temporary. Each day he moves closer to giving an account for the life he has lived. Each person will one day stand before God in the Judgment. Apart from the Gospel, no one will be able to stand before God. All are condemned by sin apart from Christ. Only the sprinkling of the blood of Christ prevents consummation by the fiery judgment of God. All things will be shaken, and only those who are in Christ will remain.

Third, we listen because Christ reveals the glories of the Kingdom. In the Kingdom we receive forgiveness of sins. We are reconciled to God and made His children. As such, we are born again and become heirs to God’s blessings. We are promised the glory of the next world.

Finally, the voice of Christ regarding the Kingdom must be heeded because this Kingdom cannot be moved. Throughout history, nothing has overcome the Church of God. A day will come when all the theories and designs of this world will come to nothing, yet the Church will remain. Christ has already defeated every enemy of the Kingdom and has made the way for man to enter into it. The way is simple: repentance of sin, admission of helplessness, and belief on the Lord Jesus Christ.