Spiritual Kingdom, Spiritual Struggle – Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (7)

Spiritual Kingdom, Spiritual Struggle

Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (7)

The focus of our struggle for Kingdom greatness is spiritual.

“My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36

The Kingdom promised to Shiloh, outlined in God’s Law, fulfilled by Jesus Christ, given to His followers, and opposed violently by the unbelieving world is not, in the first instance, a temporal domain. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom. Thus we must expect that, as we study, learn, practice, and teach the Law of God in that Kingdom, our focus first of all and at all times is going to be spiritual.

This does not mean that the outworking of that learning will not take a temporal form. It will, as we worship God and serve our neighbors. But serving sinful neighbors with the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Spirit can be a risky business. We may be mocked and ridiculed, rejected and scorned, and even persecuted for our efforts. If we do not have the strength of Jesus’ spiritual Kingdom working within us at such times, we will grow weary in well-doing and thus draw back from seeking the progress of the Kingdom.

So our focus must always be, first, on the unseen aspects of our lives—our minds, hearts, and consciences. We must ever work against the law of sin to bring our souls into submission to our risen and reigning King, in line with the teaching of His Law and Word. As we are revived in our souls, day by day, we will have the renewed focus and strength we require to force our way forward, by loving service, in and for the Kingdom against the anger and opposition of demons and men.

As we do, we will bring the holiness, righteousness, and goodness of God’s Law, and all the truth of His Word, to bear against the people, cultures, and societies of the world. But if we do so with humility, service, patience, and long-suffering, the hope in which we stand in the Kingdom of God (Rom. 5:1, 2)—hope renewed each day as we submit to the Law of our King—will show forth in all our earthly endeavors. And some, at least, of those whom we serve will be provoked to ask a reason for the hope that keeps us going (1 Pet. 3:15).

And then we can tell them, as Jesus explained to Pilate, “Our Kingdom is not of this world.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.