God, the creator, made everything possible in the world. It through Him that I am understanding more about myself than before. I believe that God’s kingdom is endless and profound. Paul talked about the Kingdom of God in his letter to the church in Rome: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." In his book Gospel and Kingdom: A Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament, Graeme Goldsworthy uses the definition God's people in God's place under God's rule” and in the book The Bible and the Future, Anthony Hoekema defines God’s Kingdom as the reign of God and sovereignty in human history through Jesus Christ. God’s purpose is the redemption of his people from sin …show more content…
and from demonic powers, and the final establishment of the new heavens and the new earth." Although these definitions are wide-ranging, they help us have a better understanding of what the Kingdom of God means.
After learning more about myself through Christ I’ve come to believe that God’s Kingdom is “the spiritual reign of God on earth.” Every single human being has a specific place in the Kingdom of God. He created all humans different from each other with different qualities, abilities and gifts for that specific reason. This is what makes us unique. As we each hold a specific place in the Kingdom of God, God also has a plan for our lives. I believe that although we have free will, God has already written what is going to happen. Therefore, no matter how many left or right turns I make, God knew that before it happened. We are all children of God with different callings. Our calling should determine what in God’s Kingdom were we designed to accomplish for …show more content…
God. Finding out what our calling is can be difficult at times.
Since God made us all unique, we all have something different to put on the table. While some of us have obvious outstanding skills, others struggle to find a specific quality, and think we’re just average. Unfortunately, that may often times be because people define gifts from God as performance skills. If someone isn’t good at sports, music, crafts, etc… they might say they have no skills. However, when the Bible addresses the spiritual gifts, it addresses gifts such as wisdom, service, exhortation, evangelism, etc… In their true form, none of these gifts can be used for self-exhortation, which differentiates spiritual gifts from other gifts.
God entrusts us with gifts and talents in order to sow seeds in his Kingdom. In Matthew 25, the parable of the talents compares two servants – one who used his talents to sow and reap, and one who kept his hidden. God gave his gifts not for our own use, but for others. We are not to keep our talents for ourselves, but we are to use them in the Kingdom of God. This concept is mentioned in the bible. “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians
5:17). It is through redemption that humans are creatures with a purpose and meaning in the Kingdom of God. I have not always fully comprehend this verse. In fact, I thought for a while that verse had a literal sense; but in reality, this verse talks about restoration in a spiritual sense. God washes away the old “us” and places a new us, a completely new spiritual creature. We are changed from the inside out for the glory of God, and only through that transformation can we find our place in the kingdom of God. During the first Monday speaker lecture, the concept of being vulnerable was introduced to us. Most leaders do not understand this and see it as a negative thing. However, contrary to common misconception, vulnerability is not weakness, it is an act of courage. Through vulnerability, we are allowing ourselves to be emotionally exposed. And I believe that within the kingdom of God, we must learn to be vulnerable towards each other. We are one body, and a body divided is no good. By being vulnerable to each other, we allow ourselves to be a part of one another in a deeper emotional way. Leaders must learn to be vulnerable to the ones they lead, and those being led must learn to be vulnerable to those who lead them. In the book Vivid by Aaron Baart and Syd Hielema, we are told about “being alive.” This refers to that exhilarating feeling people get when they can feel the Spirit of God with them. However, that feeling isn’t always with us at all times. I remember when I made the decision to give my life to Christ, I could constantly feel the presence of God with me at all times. I knew for a fact that I was a part of the Kingdom. But that feeling didn’t last forever. While I felt God’s constant presence, it was easy and almost effortless to strive for a relationship with Him. I could sit for hours reading my Bible and talking to God. But that feeling soon began to fade, making it more difficult to spare time for God. While at youth group, the speaker spoke of a time he was in a similar situation and used an interesting analogy to help me understand. When we give our lives to Christ, we are like new-born infants in the Kingdom of God. God the Father holds us in his arms, and we can always feel his presence and love. We have full faith in Him. But as time passes, the Father teaches us how to walk without being held. The Father is still there, standing right behind us, watching our every step, ready to catch us as soon as we stumble, but we do not feel the warm embrace of Him holding us. We might feel really scared and unconfident during that transition of being held by God to learning how to walk, and unfortunately, many that do not understand the spiritual side of this give up on God thinking it was just a one-time feeling with no meaning. Leaving that youth group, I knew that regardless of how I felt, I would be part of God’s Kingdom, and that God would be watching me at all times, even when I did not feel his presence. We may do things at times that make the Father proud, and he will run and hug us, making us feel fully alive once again. But we must also learn to live a non-feeling-based relationship with God. I am still learning how to fit in the Kingdom of God, and to some extent believe I always will be. There so much more to be done in the Kingdom that we will always have more to explore. For now, I am using the gifts and abilities God has given me to be a part of the community around me. I use my athletic abilities to play at Dordt college. But there is a lot more to do. And as Christians, we must use every aspect of our lives to glorify God and expand his Kingdom in every situation.
The continuous reading of Cornelius Plantinga Jr.’s book Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living, has left me lingering on a lot of thoughts towards my relationship with God. In the conclusion of his book, Plantinga focuses on the redemptive qualities of God as well the the redemptive possibilities of mankind. Another main subject is the vocation in the Kingdom of God, correspondingly the Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Plantinga (2002) states clearly, “given Jesus’ summons, his followers have always understood that to be a ‘Christ person’
While studying the Kingdom of God from the perspectives of Derek Morphew in Breakthrough and Charles H. Kraft in Christianity with Power, it has opened my mind up to completely new and interesting discoveries when considering the power that has already been given to God’s children while here on earth. It is utterly mind blowing realizing that many Christians, including myself, have not tapped into their full potential of unleashing the expectations of the risen Savior. Christians have come to believe that they are helpless and powerless against any of Satan’s attacks; however, that belief is not the reality that Christ intended when He laid down His life on the cross. When Jesus came to live on earth and walk among His people, He came not only with a goal to unleash His Kingdom, but He also came with the supernatural ability to unleash His Kingdom and thereby impressing upon His children the victorious ability to daily live in supernatural abundance. He came for so that those who believe in Him would be set free and no longer held bondage. Kraft stated in Christianity with Power, “But Jesus acted as if healings and other uses of spiritual power to overcome natural, human, or spiritual conditions ought to be the normal occurrences” (Kraft, 1989, p. 102). Derek Morphew stated it this way in Breakthrough, “the mysterious nature of the kingdom consists of the fact that it is always here, almost here, delayed and future” (Morphew, 1991, p. 66).
The greatest gift someone can receive from another is his or her faith. Faith in someone indicates that even though they cannot see the rest of the road, they harbor enough trust to take the first step. Many religions call for their followers to have unwavering faith, even when certain stories or situations may lead them to question its veracity. The followers of Yahweh generally reap rewards for their confidence and loyalty in their Lord. On the other hand, God usually punishes their adversaries. The aforementioned statement means a person’s faith determines the degree of the benefaction. The people in the Old and New Testament perform and receive miracles based on the level of their faith in God.
Benchmark Assignment: Gospel Essentials There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets and denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview. God In the Christian worldview, God is the one and only God. He is the sovereign creator of everything.
God’s Kingdom is a place where He places His servants in order to see the world as He does and serve in His Kingdom. His Kingdom, also known as “the House that God built,” is a place that always has pressing needs and it is important for Christians to understand their “calling” in God’s Kingdom. As Frederick Buechner states, “The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet,” Christians need to first recognize the needs of the world and become inspired enough to be actively involved in the coming of God’s Kingdom. Reflecting on God’s Kingdom and the pressing needs within the Kingdom, there are many issues and needs that I have become inspired to begin involving myself with in resolving. Also, I
"The Kingdom of God Is Within You." . Dover Publications , 8 Sept. 2006. Web. 5 May 2014. .
I’ve always loved tool sets. Whether it was my first tool box, a chemistry set, or Batman’s utility belt, they offered a set of elements that, when used individually or combined, could solve a wide range of problems. When I read the Scriptures about the fruit of the Spirit, I connect with it because it feels like a “Christian utility belt” of tools for any situation. Particularly, it is a powerful combination for solving problems in the workplace. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The Kingdom of God defined by the Israelites as a physical place here on earth. The Kingdom of God is also called the “Kingdom of Heaven.” It means God’s rule in the lives of His chosen people and His Creation. In the Old Testament, the people in God’s kingdom were the Israelites. In the New Testament and now, the people in God’s kingdom are those who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, then God’s kingdom will become visible to all people. The term “Kingdom” according to (Kingdom of God,2011) means the rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy. It can also be used in the context of a divine kingdom, the term Kingdom appears 13 times in Matthews, 7 times in Luke and 2 times in John.
Several contemporary theologians have defined spiritual gifts. Through studying all the different Greek words that translators translate into spiritual gifts, Towns has describes, “a spiritual gift is spiritual in character (pneumatikon), sovereignly given by God in the Holy Spirit (charismata), to minister to others (diakonia), in the power of God (energema), with an evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves God
A biblical doctrine that I feel is important is spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are defined as any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. Spiritual gifts can refer to more natural things, like teaching, administration, or creativity. This is obviously more prevalent than the other way spiritual gifts have appeared, in a miraculous since. These kind of miracle gifts would include things like prophecy and healing. Even with these two different distinctions, there is a sizable list of the specific gifts mentioned in the Bible. Some of them include: apostles, evangelists, prophets, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, faith, administrators, pastors, helpers, and showing mercy. These are some
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is God’s gift, not of works lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8 (The
In my thoughts, a talent is something you can be born with or grow to have. For me, I feel that I was born with, as well as developed, the talent of drawing and seeing things in a unique perspective. When I was younger I can remember sitting at the table or on the floor drawing and coloring on any kind of paper I could. I was also a quiet child which helped me grow to become a more introspective individual. There were moments when I was younger and playing make believe with my siblings and friends that I could actually envision a whole new scene on the
...work. Additionally, in the parable of the ten talents we learn a little about God’s view for Christians on debt.
His plan is that we mature in our knowledge and understanding of His ways— living vibrant lives in obedience to Him.
. And I want us to look at our text to see more clearly and specifically the sovereignty of God in regards to salvation. There are some words here that we need to examine such as foreknowledge, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. This is the progression of our salvation and we are saved according to the predetermined plan of God.