Since believers today have the power of the Holy Spirit within them, why can’t we establish the Kingdom of God on the earth? That is a question which theologians have debated for nearly 2 thousand years. Some say that we can and that we should. Others say that it can not happen until Christ returns to personally rule on the earth. As you may have guessed, I hold the latter view. The reason is this. Today, God has ordained in His perfect wisdom to allow the devil to have great power and authority within the world system. In fact, the Apostle Paul said that the devil is the “god of this world”.
2 Cor 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)
However, the devil has very little power over the believers of this age as long as they yield to the power of the Holy Spirit.
I Jn 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (KJV)
To experience the power of the Holy Spirit, the believer must learn to separate himself from the things of this world system.
I Jn 2:15-16
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- is not of the Father but is of the world. (NKJ)
The devil has used his power and authority to ensure that success within our present world system depends upon playing the devil’s game. For Christians to rule the world today, they would have to gain power by means of deceit and manipulation. Then to maintain power, they would have to abuse human rights and severely limit individual liberties. I am afraid that the Christian religion has been very successful through the years because it has maintained its power over people by these very means. These methods will never establish a spiritual kingdom.
We can praise the Lord that God has used even the evils of the Christian religion to accomplish much for His glory. God used the Christian religion to give us the Bible as we know it today. Even though the Christian religion has little regard for the truth of the Bible, it has spread the word of God along with its many heresies for nearly two thousand years. The ways of God are marvelous and mysterious, and regardless of the method of propagation, the word of God is alive and powerful. It brings people out of the darkness of this world system and into the light of Jesus Christ. Reportedly, D.L. Moody said that our world is a sinking ship. It is not our job to save the ship but to rescue as many people as we can before the ship goes down.
When the Lord Jesus returns to set up the New Covenant Kingdom, the world will experience the personal presence of the Lord Jesus, and human hearts will be filled with the Spirit of God. The devil will be stripped of all of his power, and the curse will be lifted from the earth. In this new world system there will be liberty and justice for all.
Micah 4:3
3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (NIV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
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