How to help change your planet - two more points

FACT FOUR  We're already the advance guard of God's kingdom

• When Jesus started teaching and preaching, his message was, "“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)  He told his disciples, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you." (Mark 4:11) Jewish people were looking forward to a day when the glory of God would be seen throughout the earth, and his standards would prevail everywhere. Jesus aid: that day has started, and although you don't see it everywhere on earth physically yet, the kingdom is already ruling over the hearts and minds of humans who have trusted me and made me King.
• And so we're living as agents of the kingdom to come, and we need to show in our lives and relationships just what the kingdom is all about. The way we treat people, the priorities we have in our lifestyles, the way we vote and the rules we follow - it's all part of being part of God's kingdom.
• But although the kingdom is here, a day is coming when we'll see it in all its fulness - when Jesus at last returns to quell the forces of evil and restore true justice and peace to God's creation. We can give people glimpses of that coming day in the way we live in society right now.

FACT FIVE  We're also soldiers - there's a war on

• The Apostle Paul wrote to his younger friend Timothy, "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." (2 Tim 2:3,4) If you're a soldier, you have to live differently. There are disciplines you must follow. There are priorities you must observe. Otherwise, your enemies destroy you quickly!
• Although God's kingdom is coming, it isn't here yet, and "the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). So we need to be disciplined, alert, always ready for action. A Christian just doesn't live like other people do in this world. We're people of the future. We don't have to live for pleasure and entertainment all the time right now; we're on our way to something far more glorious.
• The good news is: we don't have to do the fighting. We have "the whole armour of God" to help us, and all we have to do is "stand firm" (Ephesians 6:10-17 - a great passage to memorize). We are "more than conquerors through him who loved us". So we can be confident and secure! But we also need to be ready to repel the Enemy's attacks!

WHERE NEXT?

Go to the review to check you understand and remember

Go to another three important Bible passages on this topic

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