Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
There's a phrase used in Christianity to describe the kingdom of God, and they call it the "already but not yet" kingdom. It's an interesting phrase—what does it really mean? Well, when we think about the kingdom of God, it's really easy to think of it as a physical place that one day will be established when Jesus comes back and He makes a new heaven and the new earth, and He sits on His throne with all authority as King.
Yet the scriptures also talk about the kingdom of heaven as something that God is building now and something that we can receive. How could it possibly be both something that we look forward to and something that is here right now?
Built Through His People
We learn about that in our verse today, Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28. The author says, Since we are receiving a kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe, for our God is a devouring fire.
When we wait for Jesus to return, yes, we look forward to that kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth. But God is actually building His kingdom now, and He's not doing it with brick and mortar. He's not putting up walls and putting roofs up. He's building it through people. He's building kingdom citizens—you and me, people who want to follow Him and be a part of His kingdom under His rule and reign.
It's interesting. One of my kids' favorite games right now is to play kings and queens, and their favorite part of the game is telling the citizens—i.e. me and my wife—how to live. They tell us, "No, you're not supposed to say that," or "We talk like this," or "You need to go over there. That's your home and this is how you can help out."
Nobody taught them how to do this. They just started to realize on their own that people from different places, different cultures, and different backgrounds all act a certain way. If you want to be a part of a collective community, there's certain things that bind people together.
Citizens of a Greater Kingdom
This is true for the Kingdom of God. Though we are here in this world, we are not of this world. The Bible says that God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
I want to ask you, what kingdom are you living for? Are you living for the kingdom here in this world, or are you living for a greater kingdom? The beauty of the gospel is that God takes everybody from different cultures and different communities, different nationalities, different upbringings, different family origins, different stories—whatever you come with—God calls you in and then He takes His Spirit and He puts Him inside of us, and He unifies us to live like people in His kingdom. He leads us to think a certain way, to observe the world a certain way, to respond to the problems and afflictions that people go through in a certain way, and ultimately to love a certain way.
Living for the Kingdom
How does the world view you? If you take five seconds to look around, this world is falling apart. But Jesus is establishing a new kingdom, one that we can receive right now. Let's go and worship our King with reverence and awe as we live as citizens of His Kingdom.
