CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KINGDOM / CHURCH

The “stone” Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream of a great image broke the image into pieces (Daniel 2:31-45). The stone grew and became a great mountain. It was a prophecy of the church that would be built by Jesus in the first century (Matt. 16:18). Instead of it being a worldly kingdom, it would be a spiritual kingdom and would fill the whole earth.

THE KINGDOM / CHURCH IS A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM
Jesus said to Pilate: “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation” (Luke 17:20). At Athens in Greece Paul preached, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands” (Act 17:24). The writer of Hebrews tells us that the kingdom is made up of “the spirits” of just men, not their bodies. “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb. 12:23). Peter refers to the kingdom / church as a “spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5,9).

THE KINGDOM / CHURCH IS UNIVERSAL
It reaches around the world and its Gospel is preached in every land. It began in Jerusalem and spread throughout Judea, then Samaria and around the world. Paul wrote to those in Colosse: “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Col. 1:23). Isaiah prophesied that “all nations shall flow into it” (Isa. 2:2) and that is exactly what it did and continues to do. The Lord’s eternal kingdom is not limited to one place or nation.

THE KINGDOM / CHURCH HAS ONLY ONE HEAD
Its head is Jesus the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Paul declared: God the Father “hath put all things under his feet [Jesus], and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23). To the brethren at Colosse he wrote: “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).

THE KINGDOM / CHURCH IS THE CALLED-OUT BODY
Sinners are called out of the world and translated into the church of Christ when they Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess and are Baptized into water for the forgiveness of their sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:37, Acts 22:16). “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13). The saved constitute a “...chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

THE KINGDOM / CHURCH WAS/IS THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-11). What God had in store in the Old Testament (his kingdom, his church) was revealed in the New Testament. It had been kept secret through the ages, but was revealed to the apostles (cf. Eph. 3:2-7; 1 Cor. 2:6-9; 1 Peter 1:9-12; Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:26-27).

THE KINGDOM OF GOD, THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, IS NOT OUT OF DATE
The Lord instituted it and is its head (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18). It will continue until he comes again. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor. 15:24). Salvation is in Christ and to be in Christ is to be in his church (Col. 1:2; 3:15; Acts 2:38,41,47). In him is “no condemnation” (Rom. 8:1). Salvation is in him (2 Tim. 2:10) where “all spiritual blessings” are found (Eph. 1:3).

(adapted)

Garland M. Robinson