Kingdom of God – Good News

12-15 mins read

It’s been three months since I wrote a blog. Other projects have taken up my time, but I’m back to it and will be publishing three blogs in the ‘Kingdom of God’ series in the next week or so.

Gospel

You might have heard of the word ‘gospel’ in the context of the Christian faith, such as ‘the gospel message’ or ‘the gospel of John’. The word ‘gospel’ simply translates ‘good announcement’ or ‘good news’. In other words, the Christian message is one of good news. This good news is recorded in the four gospels – the accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection recorded by the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at the start of the New Testament.

Bad News First!

The gospel is good news because it provides the antidote to some pretty bad news about the human condition. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he says this:

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2.1-3, 11-13 (New Living Translation).

Paul describes our lives without God and outside His Kingdom. You are:

• ‘dead in your transgressions and sins’ (v.1).
• ‘living in sin like the rest of the world’ (v.2).
• ‘following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature’ (v.3a).
• ‘subject to God’s anger’ (v.3b).
• ‘Living apart from Christ’ (v.12a).
• ‘Outsiders to God’s ways’ (v.11, MSG).
• ‘not knowing the covenant promises God had made’ (v.12b).
• ‘Without God’ (v.12c).
• ‘without hope’ (v.12c).
• ‘Far away from God’ (v.13).

Wrongdoing (sin) in our lives causes separation between us and holy (without sin) God. We are spiritually dead and are living far apart from Him, which perhaps explains why so many people live in ignorance of God’s existence and also live in despair (without hope).

God’s Invitation

It is only as we understand the bad news about the mess we are in that we can fully know how good the good news is! In all our mess and muddle, God came to earth in the person of Jesus in order to re-establish connection with rebellious people alienated from Him. He wants to bring us alive spiritually and enable us to live in relationship with Him.

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood.

John 1.14 (The Message paraphrase)

And Jesus issues an invitation. He says: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3.20).

Jesus stands at the door of your life. He’s knocking. He’s calling out to you. This Bible verse is depicted by the pre-Raphaelite artist Holman Hunt in his painting ‘the light of the world’ (below). The original painting hangs in St Paul’s cathedral.

One person pointed out to Hunt that he had missed off a handle on the door. But Hunt pointed out that there was only a handle on the inside. In other words, only you can let Jesus into your life. He stands. He calls. He waits. Will you let Him in?

In middle eastern culture, sharing a meal together was effectively doing life together. Meal times were key times for affirming and deepening friendships.

Through this invitation to you, it’s like God is saying, ‘Are you done with trying to do life alone? Do you want help? Shall we do it together?”

You need to do four things:

• Reply (RSVP). Welcome Him into your life.
• Receive…all the good things He has for you.
• Repent. Change direction.
• Rely…on Him.

RSVP

RSVP (from the French) means a reply is required. Reply to Jesus’ invitation. Open the door of your life. Welcome Him in. Allow Him in to do life with you. You can invite Him in by praying a simple prayer like this one…

Lord Jesus Christ,
I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my
life (take a few moments to ask His forgiveness for
anything particular that is on your conscience).
Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that
I know is wrong.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me so
that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the
gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift.
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be
with me forever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

If a person prays and means what they say, God will live in them from that very same day

This is the most important decision you will ever make. Welcoming God to come and do life with you changes everything, now and forever. At the age of 10 years and from a non-Christian single parent family, I invited Jesus into my life. I’ve never gone back on it and I’ve never regretted it. You might not feel any different immediately but, believe me, you will soon begin to change for the better – and people around you will notice it too.

Receive

How do you benefit? In so many ways! Here are a few benefits… forgiveness, freedom, full life, family membership and a future inheritance – all of which is fantastic!!

Forgiveness… “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. THEN God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins” (Colossians 2.13). So many people live with guilt and shame. On an Alpha course I was helping with, a guest said: ‘If I could ask God one thing, it would be: can I be forgiven?’ The answer for that guest and for you is ‘Yes’!

But if we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, [God] will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

1 John 1.9, The Passion Translation

Freedom. You need no longer be a slave to fear or addiction or other bad habits. God will set you free! The Apostle Paul says, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Full life. When you welcome Jesus in, He will bring you fully alive. There are two Greek words for life in the New Testament – bios which means existence or life (as opposed to death), and zoe which means full or abundant life, referring more to the quality of that life. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) or ‘life in abundance’ or ‘rich and satisfying life’. Don’t settle for less life than you need to!

Family membership. The Apostle John says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1.12). You are a son or daughter of your Heavenly Father, and a citizen of His Kingdom! “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything he has promised us” (2 Corinthians 1:22).

Future inheritance. Jesus said, “I am…Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all” (John 11:24). Jesus rose again from the dead. He conquered the grave and shares His victory over death with His followers. There is life beyond the grave. Everyone who believes in Jesus will rise again from the dead. The Apostle Paul says, “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance [eternal life] he promised” (Ephesians 1:14). “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8.11).

Christianity is the largest movement of all time. It is the only one that never loses a member through death. Mother Teresa was asked shortly before her death, ‘Are you afraid of dying?’ She said, ‘How can I be? Dying is going home to God. I have never been afraid. No, on the contrary,’ she said, ‘I am really looking forward to it!’

When they lay you in the ground, they won’t be burying you. They will simply be burying your old, tired body that you no longer need. You will have a new one and you will be enjoying heaven! Those of us who are born again by the Spirit of God and are therefore citizens of God’s Kingdom will see all those who have gone before us when we go home.

Repent

Turn things around (re-). Change the way you live. Go to a higher level, God’s level (pente, penthouse). Stop going your own way and go His way. Do things His way, not your own way. That’s repentance. Do life with God; start living as He directs.

It starts with your thinking. Without changing your mind, you won’t change your speech and actions because they all have their origin in your thinking.

Let God transform you by changing the way you think.

Romans 12.2, NLT

God will transform you, but you must be willing and cooperative. Repentance is a process, not a one-off decision. It will take the rest of your life – repenting of things whenever God by His Holy Spirit shines a light on them.

God’s Kingdom life is all about getting freer and freer. He wants you to live in freedom and joy. That’s why it’s good news!

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The testimony of a young man from June 2017… Last Saturday, I went to the Alpha day away. As a non-Christian, I was both nervous and excited to see what was planned for the day. As I’ve only recently started my faith journey, I wanted some proof that meant something to me, something I personally could feel.

The time finally came and what happened next will stay with me forever. We prayed and called upon the Holy Spirit to come and fill us all and make God’s love known to us. At first, I started to feel very nervous and was looking at everyone else but I thought ‘I want this more than anything.’ So I opened up my heart and prayed, ‘please show me you love me! come fill me and make me feel whole’. Moments later, I felt like I was lifted from my feet and swept up by a huge pair of arms! At first, I was scared (heavy breathing and panicking) but then I realised that my prayers were being answered! I had the biggest smile on my face and my whole body became numb and warm.

Nothing could wipe the smile off my face in that moment; I even started to laugh and kept repeating to myself, ‘I feel it; He loves me!’ It was at this moment that the evidence I wanted was here. I went to the floor and enjoyed the feeling and moment for a good while! For a few moments, I physically couldn’t stand! I was that happy and overwhelmed, my body felt out of my control. I shed tears but of joy not sadness; I was laughing a lot with a few of the group leaders.

After a troubled past and the need to feel loved from a father figure after losing my own father five years ago, I finally felt whole! I’ve never felt happier in my life and that happiness has remained with me. In the few days since these events, I’m still smiling. I’ve spoken about being baptised next month. I’m very excited to work for God and look forward to growing with you all. I can’t stop telling the story of my journey so far.

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Rely

The Apostle John writes, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3.16, NIV).

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

John 3.16, the Message

To receive life instead of death and reconciliation to God, we simply have to ‘believe in Jesus’. Do you believe in Him? Lots of people say they “believe” in things but their belief costs them nothing. But in this verse in the Greek, ‘belief‘ is an active verb and it means “trusts, clings to, relies on, depends on…” So, when these verses talk about “believing in Him“, it’s not talking about a vague state of mind. 

(1)  Will you trust Him?  When my daughters were very young, they would launch themselves off the top stair and trust that I would catch them. Their trust in me was scary at times (happily, I never missed catching them)!

Blondin, a famous circus performer, was famous for his tightrope walking across Niagara Falls. Here’s his story…

People were happy to trust Blondin until they had to act on it! God is trustworthy. He will never let you down. 

(2)  Will you cling to Him? You’re out at sea in a small boat and suddenly a storm blows up.  You’re hit by a massive wave and the boat begins to capsize.  You jump for it; you can hardly swim.  You’re cold, frightened, tired.  You think you’re going to die. Then suddenly, something lands in the water close to you.  You look up and see a life ring. 30 metres away, you see the lifeboat and the crew ready to pull you aboard. You grab the ring. You cling to it, knowing it is your lifeline. When Jesus died on the cross, He threw you a lifeline. Grab it; cling to it. Otherwise, sin will pull you under.

(3)  Will you rely and depend on Him? People around us aren’t always reliable. Perhaps you’ve been let down and learnt only to rely on yourself. In fact, being independent and self-sufficient are often considered virtues these days. But there will come a time, sooner or later, when you will come to the end of yourself. What will happen when you get to that point? Loneliness and despair? Eventually, your own resourcefulness and cleverness will run out. God is as solid and steady as that piece of rock. He is reliable.

“…whoever believes in me – relies on me, trusts in me, clings to me, depends upon me – will not die but will have eternal life”, life which begins when you become a christian and is as much to do with quality as it is about quantity. Not many of us would want an everlasting helping of the sort of life we live down here. God promises us a better quality of life with Him.

Now that is Good News! You’re invited to share in it. You need to…

• RSVP
• Receive God’s good gifts
• Repent and start living God’s way
• Rely on Him because only He can transform and renew you.

I love this short presentation (less than 5 mins) on the Good News by the Bible Project. I think you will, too!