Don’t forfeit your Kingdom rights

Regardless of which country or political system on earth we are in, every believer’s true and everlasting citizenship is in heaven, where God rules all the kingdoms of the earth from. When Jesus came down from heaven to earth, He kept proclaiming that the Kingdom of God had come near His people. What does this mean, and what are its implications for us today?

 

Philippians 3:20-21 ESV  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

2 Chronicles 20:6 NLT  He prayed, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!

John 6:38 ESV  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

The Kingdom of God does not just refer to heaven, and we do not have to wait until we enter heaven to experience the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is already here amongst true believers.

Luke 17:20-21 NLT  … Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

Jesus’ Kingdom authority

God created everything — all the heavens, all the host of heaven (the planets, stars etc.), the earth and all its creatures, all human beings, all angels and spiritual beings. There are both visible and invisible thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. (There is much in God’s Kingdom we cannot full comprehend or grasp!)

Nehemiah 9:6 ESV  “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Colossians 1:16 ESV  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Although God created everything, not everything has bowed before His authority. Satan and his fallen angels have rebelled against God. Mankind has rebelled against God.

Revelation 12:7-9 ESV  Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Psalm 107:10-11 ESV  Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

In His infinite wisdom and love, God does not insist on forced subservience from His creation. God welcomes our grateful worship, He does not enslave or subjugate us. But there will come a time when Jesus Christ will come back to destroy every rebellious “ruler and authority and power”, and restore everything under God’s authority. That is when “the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed” and place that Kingdom under Jesus’ authority. Jesus’ Kingdom will have no end.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way…

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NLT  After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

Daniel 2:44 ESV  And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

Luke 1:33 ESV  … of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Good News! God’s Kingdom is here

When Jesus was on earth, He actively preached the good news about God’s Kingdom. He called people to repent and believe in the gospel, because “the Kingdom of God is near.” (The book of Luke, for example, quotes Jesus as mentioning the Kingdom of God over 30 times.)

Mark 1:14-15 NLT  … Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Jesus was not only referring to His second coming where He will bring everything under His rule and authority. 

God’s Kingdom is already being established on earth in every believer who repents of their sins and turns wholeheartedly to Jesus as their King and Saviour. We have been “delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of God.”

Colossians 1:13-14 ESV  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

These changes cannot be observed with physical eyes. They occur in the unseen with our spirits. As we accept Jesus as our Saviour and are baptised in His name, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts. 

This is how we are “born again” and enter the Kingdom of God in our spirit! The Holy Spirit marks us as someone who has been purchased by Jesus and is now a “citizen of the Kingdom of God”.

Luke 17:20-21 ESV  Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” 

Acts 2:38 ESV  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3,5 ESV  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21-2 NIV  Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Our citizenship in the Kingdom is something we personally experience, it is not something we just talk about.

1 Corinthians 4:20 ESV  For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

• We will experience God’s daily presence | The Holy Spirit will come to live with us, and we will be His people (Revelation 21:3)
• We will experience emotional renewal | God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and free us from sorrow and pain, as we obey His commandments to forgive others, and let go of bitterness and malice in our hearts in Jesus’ name (Revelation 21:4)
• We will experience renewed lives and mindsets | God will make all things new, His Spirit will correct and transform us to become more like Jesus (Revelation 21:5)
• We will experience spiritual vitality | God’s Spirit will refresh our spirits with the water of life that comes from heaven, we will never feel spiritually dry or empty (Revelation 21:6)

Revelation 21:3-7 ESV  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

The evidence of God’s Kingdom in our lives is witnessed through the signs, wonders, miracles, and the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings about in us, including the casting out of demons and healing of sickness in Jesus’ name.

Hebrews 2:3-4 NLT  So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Such power and authority that we receive as Kingdom citizens help us stand undefeated “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This is because the Kingdom we inherit is far greater than any other kingdom!

Ephesians 6:12 ESV  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Side note: We do not often think about the huge magnitude of what Jesus did in order to bring us into His Kingdom, that even “the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.” God, the magnificent Creator of all things, far superior to all visible and invisible beings that He created, humbled Himself to be born as a man, in a position lower than His own angels, in order to save us! All praise to God almighty, who is full of grace and compassion. He is certainly generous and full of goodness.

1 Peter 1:12 ESV  … And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

Hebrews 2:9-10 ESV  But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Don’t forfeit your Kingdom rights

Believers who know their Kingdom rights will live with radical love, joy, peace, power, and self-control. They recognise that they are not subjected to the demands and pressures of this world, which is currently under Satan’s dominion. They are no longer under the devil’s power.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV  for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

John 15:19 ESV  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

1 John 5:18-19 ESV  We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Rather, Kingdom believers are filled with the power of Jesus Christ to please God and do His will, without fear, anxiety, shame, regret, or oppression. 

• They love God more than the trappings of this world | James 2:5 NLT  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?
• They trust God with pure hearts like little children | Mark 10:15 ESV  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 
• They get aggressive against sin | Mark 9:47 ESV  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 
• They exercise their power and authority to expel demons and to heal | Luke 9:1-2 ESV  And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 
• They joyfully preach about the Kingdom | Luke 9:1-2 ESV  And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 

Kingdom believers know that they have authority over all the power of Satan and evil spirits, and that nothing can harm them when they obey God as King.

Luke 10:19 ESV  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Blocked from the Kingdom of God

Satan and evil spirits will use whatever means possible to rob us of our Kingdom inheritance — whether through ignorance, blasphemy, spiritual slumber, persecution, or distraction. As long as demons can keep Christians asleep, hoodwinked, and easily devoured, their own dominions on earth can remain unchallenged … at least for the time being.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 ESV  For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1. Ignorance and unbelief 

On repeated occasions, God has lamented that His people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. 

Hosea 4:6,14 ESV  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge … a people without understanding will come to ruin!

Isaiah 5:13 ESV  Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.

Jesus talked openly about the Kingdom of God in the Parable of the Sower. He explained that the devil snatches away our understanding about the Kingdom when we don’t understand it fully i.e. this is the seed that falls along the path. 

Matthew 13:18-19 ESV  “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

Often, this happens because the Kingdom has been mis-represented or under-represented to us. We haven’t been exposed to or seen enough authentic testimonies of the gospel of the Kingdom. Hence, when we read the New Testament, our hearts and eyes are closed to the message of the Kingdom that is plainly set before us. Our hearts are hardened due to unbelief.

Matthew 24:14 ESV  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations… 

Ephesians 4:18 ESV  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

1 Timothy 1:13 ESV  … But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,

2. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

When Jesus first started preaching about the Kingdom of God, the religious leaders opposed Him vehemently. (Some of the religious authorities did believe in the gospel, but they were afraid to confess it and be put “out of the synagogue.”) Their hearts were so hardened against the Kingdom of God that it grieved Jesus and provoked him to anger.

John 12:42-43 ESV    Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Mark 3:5-6 ESV  And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Putting up a united front, they even claimed that Jesus expelled demons through Satan’s power in an attempt to discredit Him — thereby blaspheming the Holy Spirit and committing the one unpardonable sin against God!

Matthew 12:24-26,28,32 ESV  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

The arrival of God’s Kingdom on earth threatened the religious leaders’ authority, orthodoxy, status and control of the people. Religion thrives on human authority, human rationale, human control, predictable outcomes, as well as traditions and programmes.

Indeed, the Kingdom works that Jesus did were far from predictable or orthodox. No one can second guess God. To think we know how God “should” do things is presumptuous and idolatrous. In other words, to think we can fully explain or predict God’s plans elevates us to be like gods who are above the Lord. God’s ways are far beyond our ways. It would be foolish to try to squeeze God into any of our personal frameworks.

1 Samuel 15:23 ESV  For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

When the works of the Kingdom are too “outside the box” or “outside one’s comfort zone”, they are quickly demonised by the religious, who in turn, will also prevent others from entering the Kingdom. We need to be careful not to fall into this trap or worse, blaspheme the Holy Spirit by demonising the works of God’s Kingdom. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit locks us out of God’s Kingdom not just for now, but forever.

Matthew 23:13 NLT  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

3. Spiritual slumber through sin

God’s Kingdom is a kingdom of light. Those who continue to wilfully sin, in spite of the Holy Spirit’s warnings and conviction, quench the Kingdom of God in our hearts. The light that was once in us grows dim or can eventually be snuffed out. The Bible warns that “if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (Note: If there are addictions and sinful patterns that we find ourselves unable to break on our own self discipline, we may need to consider seeking deliverance from demonic strongholds through prayer. Some demonic strongholds come down through our ancestral family line and may not be related to our own choices.)

1 John 1:5-6 ESV  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Ephesians 5:5,8-9,14 ESV  For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God… for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Sin has a way to darken our understanding and knowledge of God. We start to listen to lies from the god of this world and deceive ourselves with excuses and rationalisations. Satan and evil spirits can begin to blind our minds until we can’t see the light of the Kingdom altogether. This is especially true for those who have not renounced but continue with idol worship or witchcraft, because such practices give evil spirits legitimate reasons to operate in a person’s life. If we do not turn back to God, we are in danger of being overcome by a spirit of deep sleep, as the Lord Himself turns us out of His Kingdom. One symptom is one is that we sit in churches but find it hard to stay awake or understand the teachings of God’s Kingdom. Also, see The deadly cost of a spirit of slumber amongst Christians

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Isaiah 28:15,29:10 ESV … for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”… the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep…

Acts 28:27 ESV  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

4. Falling away due to persecution

The Bible shows that our Kingdom status will lead to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit — but also to rejection and suffering.

Romans 14:17 ESV  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV  This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

Let us remember that opposition to God’s Kingdom is nothing new, just as the prophets of the past were killed for representing the Lord. Jesus Himself has warned us of the persecution that will come for believing God’s word about the Kingdom and the danger of falling away.

Luke 13:34 ESV  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!… 

Matthew 13:20-21 ESV  As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

If Satan and evil spirits cannot deter believers from seeking the Kingdom of God first, they will use another tactic — persecution. They will provoke family, friends, and even strangers to ridicule, slander, ostracise, and abuse those who desire to walk by faith. 

Matthew 6:33 ESV  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We should welcome genuine questions about the Kingdom and pursue the Holy Spirit’s revelation as a united body of Christ. On the other hand, we need to beware anyone who insidiously or viciously sows discord and drives disunity within God’s Kingdom. This is the work of evil spirits, not the Holy Spirit. 

Ephesians 4:1-4 ESVI therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit …

Romans 16:17 ESV I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

As Romans 12:12-19 shows us, we should leave God to judge those who persecute us and continue to demonstrate the Kingdom to them by remaining joyful, patient and constant in prayer, blessing those who persecute us. Let us ensure that we do not allow the mocking and hurtful words of others to render our faith fruitless, but continue to shine for the Kingdom of God.

Romans 12:12-19 ESV  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

5. Distracted by the cares of the world and riches

When Jesus was on earth, the devil tried to tempt the Lord to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. Essentially, Satan was asking Jesus to forsake His immense eternal Kingdom for the temporal kingdoms on this planet. How ironic that the devil could even think of such a thing!

Luke 4:5-8 ESV  And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

Yet this is a deception Satan uses very successfully against God’s people.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus warned against following the “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” which choke the word of the Kingdom.

Matthew 13:22 ESV  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Today, we are consumed with sustaining the kingdom of the “self”. We worry about how other people view us, how we can enjoy life, how we can please those we love, how we can earn more money, how we can secure the future for our families etc. We desire (i.e. covet) the same things that other people have so that we don’t feel like we are falling behind. We believe that having enough money will make us happy, when it only takes just one catastrophe to lose it all.

2 Timothy 3:1-2,5 ESV  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self… having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 

1 Timothy 6:17 ESV  As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

The apostle Paul put it this way, “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:6-9 ESV)

We can build little empires on earth with no promise of contentment. We may even be shut out of the eternal Kingdom one day because we have only invested in our own little kingdoms, rather than the Lord’s. Kingdom people seek to fulfil the Lord’s will on earth. We can be content whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, because we are assured that our real rewards and treasures await us in heaven.

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

How can I experience the Kingdom of God?

We do not get to experience the Kingdom by only scrupulously studying the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit’s revelation of God’s will, we are likely to mis-interpret God’s Word about His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the One who opens our spiritual eyes and understanding. 

So first, we need to ensure that we have believed in and received Jesus as our King, repented of our sins, and been baptised to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts. This is a necessary procedure in order for us to be transferred into the Kingdom of God. Then, we also need to be aware of the following points.

Romans 10:9 ESV  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Colossians 2:12-15 ESV  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

1. Follow God’s will

First and foremost, Jesus has shown us that to be part of God’s Kingdom, we need to be willing to do His will in all things. He is our good and perfect King. 

Matthew 7:21 ESV  “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.

2. Become childlike

One other important condition is to become as humble as a child. Little children are by nature trusting, sincere, curious, adventurous, unfiltered, and unassuming.

Matthew 18:2-4 ESV  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Being childlike means we do not hold onto any preconceived ideas or presumptions, but simply receive what the Holy Spirit has for us. This doesn’t mean that we don’t ask questions. God welcomes children who seek to learn more about His Kingdom. Being child-like is to recognise the higher and ultimate Authority above us and have an open trusting heart towards Him. We defer to God for all matters, big or small. He is the One who sustains us and provides for us.

Kingdom humility will not self-justify, judge others, self-elevate or resist change if it is God’s will. In God’s Kingdom, the least on earth will be the greatest.

Luke 13:29-30 NLT And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”

3. Be committed 

God is always faithful to us, He will guard us against Satan’s schemes. But the Bible does warn us against being double minded towards God. 

2 Timothy 2:13 ESV  If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV  But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

James 1:7-8 ESV  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Jesus has said that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God. When we are not fully committed to God’s Kingdom, Satan and evil spirits will easily lure us back into their dominion. 

Luke 9:62 ESV  Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

4. Produce Kingdom fruits

The Kingdom of God is given to those who will faithfully produce its fruits. Without the demonstration of the fruits of God’s Kingdom on earth, the Bible will be seen as just a legalistic list of religious do’s and don’ts. This does not honour nor point people to an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent God.

Matthew 21:43 ESV  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

Matthew 13:23 ESV  As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Kingdom believers demonstrate the authority of God’s Kingdom on earth as they cast out demons, speak in new tongues, lay their hands on and heal the sick, and so on. Their lives will also demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:17-18 ESV  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The fruits of the Kingdom grow over time, as we continue to mature in the Holy Spirit. Where the apostle Peter was at one time impulsive and immature in his faith, he demonstrated the fruit of the Kingdom of God in powerful ways later in life. His shadow alone was enough to heal the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits.

Matthew 16:18-19 ESV  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Acts 5:14-16 ESV  And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Kingdom citizenship grants us God’s divine power to live a godly life and carry out God’s will on earth, because our names are written in heaven. This is not something we can earn or even deserve. It is the inheritance God gives to those who are renewed and sanctified by Jesus, through our obedience to His Word and the Holy Spirit. God gives us His rich Kingdom inheritance to us because He is faithful and loves us. Hallelujah! 

2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 

Luke 10:17-20 ESV  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  

 

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