The Return of the King

[Gary Petty] Jesus said He came from heaven to bring the message of the Kingdom of God. That was over 2,000 years ago. Why is humanity still a mess? Has the promise of God's deliverance failed?

Before His death, Jesus claimed that He would return, not as an itinerant Jewish preacher, but as the King of Kings sent by Almighty God. For Christians who believe in Jesus as the Son of God, this return isn't a vague, ethereal discussion for theologians. The return of Jesus as the King of Kings supplies focus for how Christians are to conduct our lives right now.

Paul, one of the earliest followers of Jesus wrote, He, speaking of God the Father, has rescued us from the domain or kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves and whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Let's take a close look at what Paul wrote here. He said, God has rescued us from the domain, the kingdom of darkness.

The first step to accepting Jesus as King is to urgently understand the need to be rescued from the rule of spiritual darkness. No political group, no educational facility, no church can change the human heart. Only God can help us understand why we live in conflict, despair and confusion and change our full nature.

This is what Jesus called repentance, to perceive the spiritual darkness that touches everything in our lives and surrender our lives to God so we can be rescued. Paul explained that to be rescued from a meaningless life you must be transferred into the kingdom of God's Son. To be transferred into the kingdom of God's Son isn't just about going to church or believing some biblical teachings, nor does it just refer to Christ's return in the future.

It means giving up everything right now to become a citizen of that kingdom while anticipating Christ's future return. Paul wrote that to be transferred into the kingdom of God you must first be redeemed.

Biblical redemption means that you have been sold into spiritual slavery, imprisoned in this darkness that you cannot escape. You have no currency that can be used to pay your way out of the domain or kingdom of darkness. Instead, someone must purchase you and save you, rescue you from this hopeless situation. The Gospel tells us that the only way out of our dark spiritual prison is to accept the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as Christ as the price of what you and I deserve because of our spiritual crimes.

To believe that God simply accepts our corrupted human nature spits in the face of Jesus as He is crucified. The belief that our response to the sacrifice of Jesus is anything less than total surrender to God spits in the face of Christ as King.

Paul then said that you must receive forgiveness of sins. When you truly repent, you are rescued from the kingdom of darkness through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ and you then receive freedom from the chains of sin and death through God's forgiveness.

Accepting this forgiveness leads to a lifestyle of submitting to the virtues and laws of the kingdom of God, His present rule in your life. When this change happens, you recognize Jesus Christ as your Savior and as your King.

The reality of living under Christ's kingship now produces a change in motivation, in values, in desires and purpose.

The Sermon on the Mount has at times been called the Constitution of the Kingdom of God. It outlines how Christians are to be citizens of His kingdom while still living in a foreign country, what Paul called the domain of darkness.

Transferring allegiance to the Kingdom of God actually changes your motivations and your values. You want to know what you really value? Make a list of what you think about, how you spend your time, and how you use your resources. This will be a clear understanding of what you actually value.

Here's what Jesus teaches about kingdom values in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you eat, or what you drink, nor about your body, what you put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them, and then listen to this, are you not of more value than they?

You know, we all need physical food, shelter and clothing in order to survive. And yes, it is important to take care of our physical needs and enjoy the good things God has created for us.

But Jesus teaches that these things can't be the entire focus of our lives. To understand this, you must understand first of all what Jesus just said, and that's the value God puts on you. The desire He has for you, and even the expectations for you and your future. Jesus continued, Therefore, do not worry saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?

For all these things the Gentiles, which just means people of all nations, seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. God is aware of your physical needs. He's not asking you to join a monastery and give up all pleasant experiences and practice a life of poverty. This is about considering your motivations, values, desires and purpose.

And here's how Jesus summarizes this passage in the Sermon on Mount. He said, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. And this is how the followers of Jesus are to spend their energy seeking first the kingdom of God, God's rule, seeking God's will, seeking the principles and laws of His kingdom as the focus of everyday life. And righteousness seems like a deep religious word. It simply means to be right. You must accept that only the Creator of life knows how life works and be willing to seek His right ways and have Him change your heart and mind.

Jesus didn't say that it is wrong to enjoy success or good things and the comforts in life. But life in the kingdom of darkness isn't fair. And life in the kingdom of darkness is cruel and is based on contradictions and lies and death. It's the source of our suffering. Peaceful contentment in this messy life comes from trusting God and living our lives in His expectations.

Have you ever considered that God has expectations for your life and for your future?

Accepting His expectations means a life change at the core of who you are, the very core of who you are. Living for the future kingdom is explained in the Sermon on the Mount.

Now let's look at one other teaching that explains the scope of what it means to live for Christ's return. Jesus said, You have heard that it was said to those involved you shall not commit adultery but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

You know, Jesus isn't saying that all sexual desire is wrong. He is saying that having sexual desire for anyone who is not your husband or your wife is a value of the kingdom of darkness.

You see, one of the hardest things to accept about yourself is that the darkness is even inside of us. Part of who we are likes the darkness.

To come into the light of God's kingdom, it means our very nature must be changed. This ultimately means that being a citizen of the kingdom of God changes your daily purpose for living.

Now, if you want to understand and respond to Jesus Christ as King, we have a number of videos and study aids to help you. Go to ucg.org/bt499 to watch a video, The Shocking Teachings of Jesus: The Gospel of the Kingdom, and read or order your free copy of our study aid, Christ Reign on Earth : What it will be like. This site also includes other videos on the exciting news of Christ's return. ucg.org/bt499

So let's review how you can be transferred into the kingdom of God while anticipating Christ's return.

First, make a list of what you think about, how you spend your time, and how you use your resources. Then read the Sermon on the Mount and see if your motivations and values match the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Constitution of the Kingdom.

Two, use the Sermon on the Mount to make a personal mission statement on how to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in everyday life. Consider how to accomplish this mission statement in your life. This is going to take some time and some prayer and some thinking and some reading. It's going to take some work.

Number three, use the Sermon on the Mount to summarize God's expectations for your life. Pray for insights and write down those expectations and review them daily.

Christ gives His followers a purpose and a mission to live as citizens of His Kingdom and promote Kingdom values in every relationship, in our work, how we play, even how we think.

There is only one solution to the darkness in the human heart. It is the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings to establish God's Kingdom on this earth. You can be a citizen of that Kingdom now and be, as Paul said, rescued from the domain, from the Kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of the Son He loves and who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

And this hope gives you a reason to get out of bed every morning and face another day in the Kingdom of darkness while living in the light of God.

If you want to understand or respond to Jesus Christ as King, we have a number of videos and study guides to help you. Go to ucg.org/bt499 to watch a video, The Shocking Teachings of Jesus: The Gospel of the Kingdom, and read or order your free copy of our study aid, Christ's Reign on Earth: What It Will Be Like. The site also includes other videos on the exciting news of Christ's return. ucg.org/bt499.