When Jesus said that his kingdom was not of this world he meant that it wasn’t now and would never be in a literal physical sense such as the nations of old that had kings and the Roman Empire. When the Jews said, “We have no king but Caesar” in John 19:15, they demonstrated their lack of spiritual awareness. They turned their back on God and his Son at that point. That set the stage for the crucifixion and the coming reign of Christ, not on earth but in the hearts of mankind who would hear the news of salvation and obey the gospel.   

When the first Day of Pentecost came after the resurrection, Peter preached the gospel to the assembled Jews. He made it plain that they had murdered Jesus by hanging him on a cross. Peter told them, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36) Here they stood guilty of violating the law, standing in condemned before God. In verse 37 we find these words: 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  Here were men and women who had cried out for Jesus to be crucified and now they stood spiritually naked before the assembled throng, terrified by what they had done and now they were looking for a way out of their dire dilemma.

Peter had the opening to tell the violators and the others what to do to be saved in Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Verse 41 tells us that many obeyed the gospel. Here we see the words of Jesus being fulfilled, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. They were born of the water and of the spirit, and entered the kingdom of God; the church wherein Jesus reigns in the hearts and minds of the members. This was also fulfillment of Christ’s words Luke 9:27: But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.  Many who heard those words were present on the Day of Pentecost and saw the kingdom arrive with word and with power of the Holy Spirit. 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:1-5)

The apostles wrote many words, and no doubt spoke many words of which there are no records, to teach new converts the way of Christ and to remind the older ones of their obligation to live the new life by letting Christ reign in their lives. As was pointed out in Part II, the reign will be Christ or sin since there is no in between. The word occurs 17 times in 16 verses and leaves no doubt that Jesus is reigning now in his kingdom, his body, the church, whose members are the children of God. In I Corinthians 15:24, Paul writes of the end of time as we know it: Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. He is going to deliver the church to God according to the promise and then in verse 25: For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Yes, Jesus is reigning now, sitting at the right hand of God, the Father. Hebrews 10:12-13 reveals: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. His numerous enemies, unbelievers, politicians, judges, tyrants, atheists, and scoffers, are being vanquished as this is written, but they still believe they can prevail.

Paul drives home the necessity of allowing Christ to reign in the believer’s life in the letter, 2 Timothy 2:11-14: It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. When Christians are faithful they reign with him. If they aren’t faithful, he remains faithful but will deny us on that day of his second coming. As Paul said in Romans 6:3-4: that the believer must remember the following: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Walking in newness of life is brought about by the reign of Christ directing ones behavior through the teaching revealed in the Bible by the Holy Spirit.   

06-15-2007 DEC

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