House Church Connections in the kingdom of God

While Matthew refers to ‘kingdom of heaven’, others refer to ‘kingdom of God’. In respect to a largely Jewish readership, Matthew may have been careful to not use ‘God’s name’. The Jews believed that God was so holy, that to utter His name would be dangerously disrespectful. This was based on the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain. 

Matthew repeatedly uses language in his gospel that respects Jewish values. 

For our understanding, ‘Kingdom of God’ and ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ are interchangeable. The ruler of Heaven is God. Therefore, the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ is the reign of God. 

‘Change your way of thinking continually because the reign of God is coming upon you.’ 

If God is the King, then who is Jesus? He is the prince that has come to do the King’s business. The Son of God has come to earth on a mission to save humanity from their sin. 

The Kingdom of God values humanity. That is why we repent. We recognize that God loves us and does not want us to be destroyed. Our thoughts toward God must change. 

Repentance is continual because the gospel teaches us how to live with Heaven’s values. Jesus taught the disciples to pray ‘let your Kingdom come here on earth, as it is in Heaven.’ 

If God’s ways are to be established in our lives, we must pray that it happen and align our thoughts with Jesus’ thoughts. 

We are not simply voting ‘Jesus for president’ and then returning to our everyday lives. We are joining a revolution that requires us to lay down everything.

So Now What? 

Professor Brian Russell says: 

We live in a time of overlap between the present age and future reign of God. Biblical scholars often talk about the coming of God’s kingdom in terms of a tension between the “already” and the “not yet.” In other words, Jesus inaugurated the reign of God through his life, death, and resurrection, but its full consummation awaits a future date. God’s kingdom is present now wherever and whenever God’s will is done, but there still remains a day in which God will usher in God’s eternal reign and bring an end to the present age.[i]  

Until God’s will is fully in control, we will keep repenting. We will keep aligning our lives with the values of God’s Kingdom. 

The reoccurring message of Jesus remains. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. 

 Kevin Rogers

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