Friday, November 7, 2014
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
MILLENNIAL MYTH BUSTERS: MYTH 5: PHYSICAL OVER SPIRITUAL
Perhaps the greatest danger of Millennialism is how it twists the Christian's view of God’s kingdom. By focusing on a future earthly reign of God's Church, it takes what is spiritual by nature and turns it into something physical. This particular myth certainly plays well with human desire and attachment to the materialism of this world. This misunderstanding concerning God's kingdom is perhaps the greatest of Millennial dangers to our faith. But even if it is, it should also be the one we are best equipped to refute. The entire purpose of our faith as Christians is centered on the hope we have in Christ our Savior as members of His kingdom. What a privilege and blessed opportunity we have to speak up and defend that hope!
As with all things Millennial, their treatment of God's kingdom is heavily influenced by their other beliefs. Every aspect of Millennial belief puts a physical twist on God's spiritual meaning. A figurative reign of completeness is understood as a literal, physical kingdom. The picture of Israel as a spiritual nation of believers is understood as the physical race. The importance of conversion by the power of the Gospel is understood as a physical resurrection of believers only and introduces an unseen Second Coming of Christ which Scripture never teaches. Turning the spiritual into the physical certainly creates many falsehoods and problems but perhaps none more serious than diminishing the very purpose of Christ's coming.
Do you remember the first message Jesus spoke in His ministry? He said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This simple message immediately taught the spiritual nature of Christ's work and kingdom. His reign was established by destroying the power of sin and making people new men and women through faith in His forgiveness. We need not wait for these effects to kick in sometime in the future for we have them today--not physically, but spiritually by faith in our hearts. This is why Christ also stated that "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), and that His "kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36).
May our hope ever be in that which God has truly given us, not the vain pleasures of earthly power and wealth, but "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:4-5).
