Erin raised a good question in the last blog when she said “Do you think the kingdom in any way depends on our obedience?”
My immediate response was “yes” and “no.” Yes in the sense that we are to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt. 6:33). Yes in the sense that the kingdom of God is “within you” (Lk. 17:21) and we determine whether the “King” rules us or we rule ourselves. Yes in the sense that we can chose to be a part of God’s kingdom purposes and thus be agents of the kingdom on earth; yet “no” in the sense that we cannot stop the purposes of God on earth.
Matthew 11:12 (NIV) tells us “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Now the meaning of this verse has been somewhat debated. I have studied the arguments and I am most in agreement with William Hendriksen on this one!
The argument is around the phrase “forcefully advancing.” It can be interpreted as either the passive voice (where the subject receives the action), or the middle voice (where the subject is usually active.) The first interpretation would suggest that the kingdom of God is suffering from violent men (which does not seem consistent with the rest of scripture or the immediate context.) The second interpretation would suggest that the kingdom of God is being seized eagerly and that forceful men (e.g. men of courage, fortitude, determination) are embracing it. I think the second interpretation makes more sense and is more contextually appropriate.
Hendriksen says that ever since the days of John the Baptist the kingdom, “has been pressing forward vigorously, forcefully. It is doing so now, as is clear from the fact that sick are being healed, lepers cleansed, the dead raised, sinners converted to everlasting life, all this now as never before. Still, by no means everybody is entering. Many, very many, even now are refusing and resisting. But vigorous or forceful men, people who dare to break away from faulty human tradition and to return to the Word in all its purity, no matter what be the cost to themselves, such individuals are eagerly taking possession of the kingdom; that is, in their hearts and lives that kingship or reign of God and of Christ is being established.” (New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. 1973).
So the bottomline is that we do not “stroll” into the kingdom of God! We must be strong and courageous, resisting the forces of darkness in order to take possession of the kingdom. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we submit and take hold! So to answer Erin’s question, yes, it does to some degree depend on our obedience. However, God will always have a people who will submit to His rule and take hold – so no, our disobedience will never thwart God’s larger kingdom plan. What do you think?
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3 comments:
Well said Paul!
Erin, I believe that the Kingdom of God is all encompassing. We are never outside the Kingdom. We may not be "experiencing" the blessing of the Kingdom and we may not be "living out" the Kingdom, but we are never outside the Kingdom.
The analogy that comes to mind when talking about the advancement of God’s kingdom related to our obedience is that of citizenship in a country. The king or president will advance his policies, laws and agenda. Not all of those present in the country are citizens, let alone law abiding citizens, yet the king’s agenda advances. The advancement can be slowed, but not thwarted (at least when we are talking about God’s agenda). The consequences of personal obedience or disobedience affect mainly the citizen and not the advancement. Consequences such as a distant and strained relationship to the king, not having access to social security, schooling, medical care, police, military and legal protection are just a few examples. With God’s Kingdom there is a different list: salvation, freedom, peace, truth, liberty, holiness, morality, power, the presence of the Holy Spirit etc. The degree to which we experience those elements is the degree to which we obey.
For what ever reason, God chose us to advance His kingdom. I believe a large part of that advancement is convincing those who are already “in the kingdom” but who are not experiencing the kingdom.
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