Saturday, April 18, 2009

Salvation and the Kingdom of God

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about what it means to have salvation or, to use another phrase that Jesus often used, to be part of the “Kingdom of God.” It seems to be a common understanding among many Christians that salvation is primarily about going to heaven when we die. The more I read the Scriptures, however, the more I am led to believe that salvation is more of an invitation to participate in what God is doing in the world, than it is a ticket to receive (at some point in the future) the benefits of what he has done. It is about being invited to become a citizen of the Kingdom, with all the corresponding responsibilities (and blessings), right here and right now. Most importantly, we are invited to love and serve others as Christ loves and serves us. When we experience the love of Jesus Christ, we find that we understand this invitation for what it really is: the opportunity of, not merely a lifetime, but of an eternity.

(Next – The invitation)

2 comments:

Andrea said...

Amen. It is much larger than a one-shot deal and if we set our sights only on that unpredictable moment of death, we are guilty of a sort of myopia. We are indeed invited to be citizens and servants of the King.

However, not only is that an invitation to become a citizen but it is also an invitation to become a son or daughter--children of God! It's the heart of the Father asking us, "Would you like to come and live in My house and be My beloved child?" Of course, just as He commands obedience to our earthly fathers, answering His call means submitting to His house rules. We can't be princes and princesses if we hold out any measure of rebellion to the King.

-Z

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John 1:12-13 (NASB)
12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 8:15-16 (NASB)

15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...

1 John 3:1 (NIV)
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Joel said...

Certainly, there are multiple levels to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We are citizens of the Kingdom, but you are right that we are also invited to be children of the King. One awesome thing about the salvation that we are called into is that it is deep enough to allow for, if not mandate, multiple layers of meaning.