When the Kingdom of God Presses on the Kingdom of Man

Now after John had been taken into custody, 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.” (Mk 1:14-15)

 

Throughout the Bible we see accounts of God at work.  Certainly, God’s sovereignty is always active, but there seem to be times and places where His influence is more keenly felt. This was true during the earthly life of Jesus.  As the coming King, He often proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God.  

 

This term, “The Kingdom of God” primarily refers to God’s kingly power exercised over creation and people. His message and His miracles were demonstrations of His kingly authority.  He had a new message, one that went well beyond the law and the prophets of the Old Testament. And He saw a dramatic response to this message.  Those who responded were literally "pressing into" His kingdom.

 

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. (NKJV, Lk 16:14-17)

 

Throughout history, there has been a cosmic struggle between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Man.  In the Gospels we see great power and forward progress.  And Jesus promised a victorious mission for the church in advancing the Kingdom of God against the influence of the devil.

 

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. (Mt 16:18-20)

 

There seem to be times in history when God's Kingdom is pressing on the kingdom of man.

 

Church history shows a slow advance that ebbs and flows over time.  There have been times of great awakenings and revivals, and times of declining light and influence.  In the early days, multitudes came to Christ and local congregations flourished.  But it seems that as the church gained political and social power, it lost its spiritual power.  Times of persecution were the greatest times for the church. 

 

It appears Christianity was never designed to be a force for political change, but rather a force of individual transformation.

 

The Reformation brought us back to the clear understanding of salvation through faith and the supreme authority of the Word of God. The First and Second Great Awakenings stirred western societies to repent and seek the Lord as their first love. When you read first hand accounts of these Awakenings you see incredible numbers of people coming to Christ from all walks of life.  You see dramatically changed lives.  Society changes.  Crime is down, marriages are restored, drunkenness decreases, and church growth is phenomenal.

 

In recent years, the Campus Revivals of the late 60's and early 70's and the Jesus Revolution (as it has been recently called) saw a new generation converted to Christ and committed to the Great Commission.There was something happening in the culture that was tangible and unexplainable.  It was as though the Kingdom of God was pressing on the Kingdom of Man.  There was a strong sense of the presence of God.  There was an urgency to the gospel message which was poignant.  Young people felt a strong compulsion to pursue full-time Christian work.  Many felt a strong personal call to the ministry. On many campuses Jesus had become the issue.  I remember my first prayer meeting as a young believer.  It seemed to me that Jesus was present in that small meeting.  I thought, "So this is what a prayer meeting is all about, Jesus actually attends."

 

Those were unique days.  Since then, my wife and I have served in evangelism and discipleship for the past 50 years.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  You can't reproduce the days of the Jesus revolution, or the cultural realities, but you can reproduce your personal walk with Christ every day.  You can share Christ in the power of the Spirit.  You can enjoy the encouragement of the Word of God, and the power of prayer.  You can walk by faith, not by sight.

 

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave very specific instructions.  

 

Matthew 6:9–10 (NASB95): Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

 

One of God’s primary agendas is to bring the Kingdom of God down to man. This is made possible through our Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice for sin, death, burial, and resurrection make a way for all who believe to be united with Him.  As He lives in our hearts through faith we become His witnesses. By His Spirit we become salt in a decaying world and light in the darkness. 

 

We know that one day soon, the Kingdom of God will totally overtake the kingdom of man.  We look forward to that day.

 

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 11:15)

 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. (Rev 12:10)

 

Unless otherwise noted, all passages in this post are from New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).