In His Name Devotionals
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
In His Name Devotionals
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
“Thy kingdom come.” (Matthew 6:10)
Someday Christ will return. In the meantime He rules in the hearts of those who love Him.
Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus gave us a mandate to evangelize the lost and to teach them His Word (Matt 18:19-20). When you do this, sinners are converted and are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13). That’s how His Kingdom grows.
Conversion is a work of the Spirit in the heart of unbelievers, who come in contact with Christ and by so doing, desire to obey His Word. He uses a myriad of people and circumstances to accomplish that work, but common to every true conversion are key elements: invitation, repentance, and commitment to obedience.
In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus, by way of a parable, invites people to come into His Kingdom. As an evangelist, you too should not only present the gospel but invite others to respond to what they have heard.
In Mark 1:14-15 we read, “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Repentance means to feel sorrow over your sin and to turn from it (2 Cor 7:9-11).
True repentance results in a desire to obey the commands of His Word. Acts 2:38 teaches us that we are to then be baptized for the remission of sins. Repentance and baptism result in a commitment to respond to the righteous demands of the Gospel. Jesus says to a wise scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). The scribe had all the information necessary for entering the Kingdom. What he lacked was a commitment to act on what he knew. “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). You might know everything about the Kingdom, but Christ’s rule is not established in your heart until you have made a complete commitment to it...which means obeying the Holy Word of God.
When you pray for Christ’s Kingdom to come, you are praying an evangelistic prayer that you take part in answering. Be faithful to proclaim the Gospel, and make intercession for unbelievers a regular part of your prayer life.
