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God’s kingdom may be categorized in three different ways: 1) the kingdom of grace, 2) power, and 3) glory.
Kingdom of grace: It consists of all those who have been converted to Christ and have submitted to the His Lordship. They are citizens of His kingdom and obedient to His law. We recognize that God’s kingdom stands in direct contrast to the kingdom of Satan. The devil is the “ruler of this world” and the “prince of this age.” In sum, the kingdom of grace refers primarily to the church. Kingdom of glory: The kingdom of glory refers primarily to the escaton. It includes those who have died and are currently with the Lord in heaven. Its main reference point is the future coming of Christ, wherein the redemptive plan of God is comes to its consummation, sin is abolished, and God’s kingdom is brought to its fully realized state. Kingdom of power: We must not forget that God rules over all. Genesis 1 shows us the Lordship of God over all creation. The heavens above and the seas beneath are part of God’s kingdom. Even though the fall created a disruption in the kingdom, God still upholds all things by the power of his word. The creation may groan under the curse of sin, but it still is subject to God in all things. Kingdom Work Defined It may refer to the work of the church: the preaching of the gospel, administration of the sacraments, church discipline. Its substance is the teaching ministry whereby saints are comforted and built up and sinners are called to repentance and faith. It may refer to the work of ordinary laity and their everyday vocations: The call to “take dominion” was a kingdom commission. So any form of godly work may be defined as kingdom work. So, the CPA who files your tax returns can be doing kingdom work just as much as a minister. The mother who changes diapers, raises her children, and prepares a healthy supper is fulfilling the cultural mandate. Mowing your grass or fixing up a run down house may be kingdom work. Demonstrating compassion upon the needy or creating a bionic leg for an amputee may be kingdom work. This is because it is seeking to extend or demonstrate the rule and reign of God.
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 So you married a sinner? Welcome to the club. We all have. But you are just in luck, Providence Church's latest newsletter deals with that very topic.
In this issue I draw again from the sage Puritan counselor, Richard Baxter, to gain Biblical advice on Loving Your Sinful Spouse. |
Kindled Fire is dedicated
to the preaching and teaching ministry of Matt Timmons. Matt is blessed to be a husband, father, and pastor in Ashland, Ohio. Hopewell
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