A simple definition of the kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God. Christ came and ushered in the rule and reign of God on the earth in a whole new dimension. No longer was the presence of God contained in the holy place in the temple. Jesus came as a sacrifice for our errors. After the resurrection of Jesus the presence of God was available to all of humanity. Now the rule and reign of God is upon the earth in us.
There is a time in the future where the rule and reign of God will be a complete work. George Eldon Ladd said we now live in the presence of the future.
Having laid this as a groundwork, we can truly say that our purpose as Christ followers on the earth is to extend the rule and reign of God. This is the greater reality. We are no longer citizens of this present age but are citizens of Gods kingdom. Our lives are to reflect this reality. Our actions, our thoughts are to be vessels of the kingdom of God. We are now ambassadors of our fathers kingdom. We carry His full authority as ambassadors of His kingdom.
So our thoughts, our worldview, our perspective, our ethos is to be one of the kingdom of God, not of the kingdom of this world. I was thinking today how we have data thrown at us that does not work with the kingdom. Our feelings, our experience, this worlds ideas give us an ethos that goes against the grain of the kingdom. When someone is rude to me on the freeway. There are instincts that kick in and my desire is to be rude back. Oh you cut me off, I can do that also. But my kingdom ethos is different. In this paradigm, I may be directed to pray for that person or rejoice in Gods goodness at that moment.
I pray I can learn to embrace a kingdom ethos in a more holistic way in my life.
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