On Earth as It Is In Heaven: The Kingdom Parables

Most of us are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it in heaven. When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, this was his first desire: for God’s Name, God’s Kingdom and God’s Will to become more a reality on this earth, as it already is in heaven. If this is Jesus’ great desire, then it must be ours as well. And in order to join God in the work of seeing more of this good kingdom come, we need to understand what exactly it is.

It turns out, Jesus talked a lot about God’s kingdom in his life and ministry. When he first launches his ministry—on Jesus’ Day One in the job, if you will—he declares this announcement: The Kingdom of God is here! (Mt 4:17,  Mk 1:15). The people in Jesus’ day were longing for God’s kingdom. They were eagerly anticipating the day when God would set the world right—free people from all wrong-doing and usher in God’s rule of love and justice and peace. Jesus’ announcement that this new reign had begun with his arrival changed everything! It meant this kingdom is not just a future reality, but also a present reality! 

But that understanding didn’t quite match the reality or expectations of Jesus’ contemporaries. If God’s kingdom was finally here, where exactly was it? Why weren’t Israel’s enemies being overturned, why wasn’t Jesus mobilizing a mighty military, why was evil and injustice still permitted? Jesus had to repeatedly explain—in various ways with various tools—how God’s kingdom is different from what they expected. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a series of parables about the kingdom to do just that. In this short mini-series, we’ll look a four aspects to God’s kingdom to help us enter into its reality more fully. The first two weeks focus on Jesus correcting unrealistic expectations about God’s kingdom. The second two weeks focus on Jesus’ invitation to respond to such a kingdom. The ultimate aim is to recognize God’s kingdom and choose to more fully participate in it, so that God’s good rule will become more and more a reality on this earth, as it already is in heaven. May it be so!

Absolute Security: Romans 8

Absolute Security

Who doesn’t want to feel secure? When you feel secure, you feel safe, accepted, and loved. Instead of feeling anxious about a recent diagnosis or upcoming test, you know inner peace. You have hope and confidence that, whatever is going on in your life, ultimately, things will work out for the good. Adding the descriptive term “absolute” means that we are unquestionably, undeniably, completely, utterly, entirely, definitely…secure!

Imagine not having such security! No sense of safety, acceptance, love, or peace. No hope or confidence concerning the future. Unfortunately, it’s the way many people live. Every institution and relationship to which they’ve turned has only failed them. Life is marked by despair.

Instead, God wants us to bask in the enjoyment of our security and new identity in Christ—to know love, safety, acceptance, confidence, and a solid, well-grounded hope concerning the future because of our relationship to Him.

Romans 8 is the chapter to which we turn for encouragement and solid hope. In the 12 weeks we will be living in this chapter, despite what may be going on in our lives, my prayer is that we will develop a robust faith in the promises of God that will lead to our experiencing overwhelming confidence and security for the present and the future. Our church is in the grip of Christ, and so are we!

Romans 8 has everything. It begins with “no condemnation” and ends with “no separation.” Between those incredible bookends, the chapter includes teaching on our justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (8:1–4), continues with a description of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (8:5–13), and then speaks about our being adopted as children of God (8:14–17). It addresses the significance of suffering (8:17–18), the prospect of glory (8:17–18), the final redemption of our bodies (8:17–25), and, in fact, the restoration of all creation (8:19–21). It reassures us that as we wait for our resurrection and final transformation (8:23–24), the Spirit helps us in our weakness (8:26) and even prays for us (8:26–27).

There’s more. Romans 8 also teaches us about the good and sovereign providence of God in our lives (8:28), and that His goal is to transform us into the likeness of Christ (8:29). Indeed, Paul says, nothing can stop God from bringing that to pass (8:30). No one can successfully oppose us, bring any charge against us, condemn us, or finally separate us from God’s love for us in Christ (8:31–39).

Believers in Christ who are grounded in the themes of this chapter will enjoy greater security. We will then be motivated, out of gratitude, to live lives of worship and service. We will desire to share this amazing message with friends, fellowship with other believers, and grow even deeper in our faith, which will lead to even greater security, worship and service…and so on…as the cycle continues!

Absolute Security: Romans 8

Candidate Sunday

Absolute Security: Romans 8