Life in the Kingdom of God

What is life in the Kingdom of God?

  1. Some would limit the Kingdom of God to their church denomination.
  2. Others would say it only starts in the afterlife when we meet God in Heaven.

Warning

Greek philosophy and Christian teaching have offered different accounts of the soul and human destiny, yet many Christians still believe that the immortal soul of a Christian goes immediately and conciously to heaven to live with God. While it is unclear where this unbiblical idea originates, the striking parallel with Greek philosophy and Roman mythology may have influenced this Christian belief in this regard.

The Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven is God's everlasting rule, not a distant place or a physical territory (Psalm 145:13). The God the Father rules from heaven, but His authority extends to earth. Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. — Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

God the Father has given Jesus authority to rule under Him (Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:28). Jesus announced that the Kingdom had drawn near, called people to repent and believe the good news, and demonstrated God's concern through healing and deliverance (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:23).

Jesus later described the Kingdom as having arrived. When he cast out demons by God's Spirit, he said that the Kingdom of God “has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28, ESV).

Paul also wrote that God had delivered believers from the domain of darkness and transferred them into the Kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This describes belonging to the Kingdom as a present reality.

God's Kingdom is everlasting (Psalm 145:13). Christ's present reign, however, does not mean that every enemy has already been defeated. Paul wrote that Christ must reign until all his enemies are under his feet, with the end still to come (1 Corinthians 15:24–25).

Those who humbly trust and obey the Father and His Son are called to seek God's Kingdom above status and possessions, and to serve one another (Matthew 6:24,33; 18:1-4; 20:25-28). The Kingdom is marked by righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17).

The Kingdom also has a future fulfilment. Jesus taught his followers to pray for its coming, and Paul looked forward to the destruction of death (Matthew 6:10; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

Death

Genesis places human life on earth under God's authority. God blessed the first humans and told them to be fruitful, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over living creatures (Genesis 1:28). He placed the man in Eden to work and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). Eden can be understood as an early picture of human life under God's rule.

Adam's disobedience brought death to mankind (Romans 5:12-19). The obedience of Jesus and brought the gift of righteousness and life.

Scripture describes death as the loss of life, not as life continuing unchanged elsewhere. Ecclesiastes 9:5 says that the dead know nothing, and Psalm 146:4 describes human plans perishing when a person returns to the earth. Daniel 12:2 compares the dead to those asleep in the dust who will awake.

Salvation

Salvation is God's deliverance of people from sin and permanent eternal destruction. Christians still die, but God promises resurrection and eternal life through Jesus Christ (Daniel 12:2; John 3:16-17). God the Father sent Jesus, whose death and resurrection stand at the centre of that deliverance (Romans 4:25). Eternal life is God's gift through Jesus Christ, not a wage people earn (Romans 6:23).

Jesus called people to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:14-15). This is not merely to acknowledging that they exist, but instead to believe the good news of Christ which is to trust (have faith) in God.

Important

Baptism is a fitting responses to the good news. The apostles called hearers to repent and be baptised in Christ's authority (name) (Acts 2:38).

For example, imagine the scenario: A rich man tells you that if you give him all your money, every cent of it. He promises that he would return a multiplied amount, 100x more than the original, within the same day. What's the catch? There will be no contract, nor do you have any way to enforce it. You also have no evidence that he will do it. Simplify acknowledging that the rich man is capable won't get your money. Most people will probably call it "a scam", because they have no relationship this man.

But let's say this rich man is a family member you dearly trust and with whom you have an outstanding relationship. You know he does this because he loves you. That changes the picture.

Trust depends on relationship. Relationship is only possible after reconciliation. We have all sinned and disobeyed God's laws. That is why repentance is cruxial to reconcile with God.

Obedience is evidence of trust. Faith is not an acknowledgement of God's existance or capabilities. If is a way of living and acting in obedience and dependance of God. For example, Abraham had no Bible, no temple, no church, no sacraments, no pastor and no worship band. Yet he trusted God and obeyed Him and that was counted righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:20-21).

Note

The illustration about money was used because most people can relate to it. I am not encouraging the "prosperity gospel" here. God does not promise money. But He does promise eternal life which is worth far more than all the treasures in the world (Matthew 16:26, 19:29).

Righteousness

Righteousness concerns being right before God and living in a way that reflects his character. Abraham trusted God's promise. Abraham gave glory to God by trusting that God could fulfil His promise (Romans 4:20-21). Faith is not confidence in one's own strength of belief. Faith is reliance on God and His promise. Paul connects this justification by faith with peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

The Father desires a loving relationship with his people, not mere outward compliance. He showed His love by sending His son so that people might have life through him (1 John 4:9-10). Those who receive Christ and believe in his name are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him (Psalm 103:13).

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

— Romans 8:15-17 (ESV)

Believers can approach God as their Father rather than live in fear as though they were only slaves. Their obedience is a response to His love and belongs to their life as His children (Romans 8:15). As John writes, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Jesus teaches that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love one's neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40).

Righteousness is not optional. A single confession, considered apart from continuing trust and obedience, is not a substitute for a life turned towards God.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

— Matthew 7:19-24 (ESV)

Jesus warned that confession is not enough for salvation. Doing "the will of the Father" is a lifestyle of obedience. James describes faith without works as dead (James 2:14-17). These passages make righteous living important without presenting good deeds as a bribe that purchases salvation.

God saves by grace through faith, and good works are the intended fruit of that grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). Believers who sin are called to confess rather than pretend to be without sin (1 John 1:8-9). Righteous living is not a claim that a person has never needed forgiveness.

The prophets also connect righteousness with how people treat others. The LORD calls for justice and care for the vulnerable, rather than religious observance that ignores wrongdoing (Isaiah 1:16-17). Jesus likewise identifies justice, mercy, and faithfulness as weighty matters (Matthew 23:23). Such conduct reflects the character of the God whom believers trust.

Glory

God's glory is His revealed greatness, worth, and splendour. People glorify Him by recognising His character and responding with praise, trust, and faithful living. The heavens declare God's glory (Psalm 19:1), and His people are called to declare His glory among the nations (Psalm 96:3).

Jesus taught that good works can lead others to glorify God the Father (Matthew 5:16). Such works are not a way to earn salvation. They express a life shaped by trust in the God who saves. The future glory promised to God's children also belongs to his purpose of restoring creation (Romans 8:17-21).

Paul compares present suffering with the future glory God will reveal to his children. He also says creation awaits freedom from corruption when they share in that glory (Romans 8:18-21). This hope points to God's power and generosity, rather than to honour people earn for themselves. In the meantime, trust and faithful conduct honour him.

The psalmist calls on the nations to acknowledge the LORD's glory and strength (Psalm 96:7-9). This response includes worship and recognition of His rule, not merely admiration for the world He made. God's people can direct others' attention to Him through both praise and conduct.

Afterlife

Through Jesus, God the Father brings people into His son's kingdom (Colossians 1:13-14). The good news concerns forgiveness and reconciliation, not a return to paradise achieved by human effort.

This restoration has begun, but its completion remains future. Paul says that death is the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). The biblical hope thus moves from creation and human failure towards redemption, resurrection, and a renewed creation.

Resurrection

The biblical hope is that God will raise the dead.

The prophets speak of resurrection and its outcomes. Isaiah describes the dead living again:

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. — Isaiah 26:19 (ESV)

Daniel distinguishes the outcomes of this awakening:

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. — Daniel 12:2-3 (ESV)

Jesus promises that the righteous will share in the Father's kingdom:

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. — Matthew 13:43 (ESV)

God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Paul calls Jesus the firstfruits of those who have died. His resurrection is the foundation of the hope that those who belong to him will also be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Paul places their resurrection at Christ's coming and at the last trumpet. The dead will be raised imperishable, and believers who are still alive will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:22-23,51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

To explain the resurrection body, Paul compares what is buried to a seed and says that God gives it a body as He chooses. What is sown perishable is raised imperishable; what is sown in weakness is raised in power (1 Corinthians 15:35-44).

Resurrection gives hope to those who have died without requiring them to possess an indestructible soul.

Judgment

God's judgment takes human conduct seriously. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says that God will bring every deed into judgment, including what is hidden. Paul says that each person will give an account to God (Romans 14:10-12), and Acts 17:31 says God has appointed Jesus to judge the world in righteousness.

Jesus' account of the sheep and the goats connects judgment with how people treated those in need (Matthew 25:31-46). Judgment according to deeds does not mean that human effort purchases salvation. All need God's mercy and the deliverance he provides through Jesus (Romans 3:23-24). The deeds considered in judgment show that trust and its absence have consequences in life.

Scripture presents both eternal life and destruction as real outcomes, rather than assuming that everyone receives the same inheritance (John 5:28-29). Jesus speaks of those in the tombs coming out, so judgment is connected with the raising of the dead, not merely with events during the present life.

The promise of righteous judgment also means that wrongdoing is not ignored. The judge appointed by God will judge the world in righteousness, and God has given assurance by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31). This warning belongs alongside the invitation to repent and receive God's mercy. See God's Judgement.

New Earth

God remembers those who fear Him and promises to spare them as His treasured possession (Malachi 3:16-18). The hope of life beyond death rests on resurrection, while creation itself is to be freed from corruption (Romans 8:19-23).

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

— Psalm 16:10-11 (ESV)

Tip

"Sheol" is the Hebrew word for a grave. This has nothing to do with Greek mythology.

Jesus told his disciples about their future in the new world and the inheritance promised to those who follow him:

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” — Matthew 19:28-29 (ESV)

Paul describes the resurrection and the change from mortality to immortality:

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

— 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 (ESV)

Paul quotes:

And Yahweh of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For Yahweh has spoken.

And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God in whom we have hoped that He would save us. This is Yahweh in whom we have hoped; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

— Isaiah 25:6-9 (LSB)

Paul connects the future of God's children with the future of creation itself:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

— Romans 8:18-23 (ESV)

Isaiah describes the enduring new heavens and new earth, where all flesh worships before the LORD:

“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before Me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, declares the LORD. — Isaiah 66:22-23 (ESV)

Since "all flesh shall come to worship", the interpretation is that this is a period in time when all the flesh of those who choose not to worship God did not remain or was destroyed.

Peter also looks towards God's promise, while warning of judgment:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. — 2 Peter 3:10-13 (KJV)

Peter's language of fire and dissolution warns against treating the present order as permanent. The promised new creation is characterised by righteousness.

Revelation describes a new heaven and a new earth, where the holy city comes down from God. God dwells with His people, wipes away their tears, and brings no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:3-4). The one who conquers inherits these things and is called God's son (Revelation 21:1-7).

The vision describes the holy city as the bride, the Lamb's wife, using images of gates, foundations, measurements, and precious materials (Revelation 21:9-21). Its splendour need not require every feature to be literal. The nations walk in its light, and the river and tree of life picture life and healing (Revelation 21:3,24; 22:1-2). God's servants see His face, serve him, and reign for ever (Revelation 22:1-5). These promises concern resurrection and renewed creation; they do not describe a state between death and resurrection.

Conclusion

The biblical hope rests on God's gift: his kingdom reaches earth, and his salvation calls for trust and a transformed life. Believers look to resurrection, judgment, and eternal life in God's promised new earth, where his people honour him and dwell in his presence.