An Unshakable Kingdon

When most of us think of kingdoms we think of world powers with clear borders, carefully marked out by walls of defense. But note what Jesus says about His. “20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, ’Here it is,’ or ’There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within[2] you” (Luke 12:20-22). The kingdom is within. It’s known and marked by the faith of God’s people, a faith worked in their hearts by the power of God’s Word and that word is sure and certain. It’s made that way, not by wishful thinking; but, as the writer of our text assures us in chapter 1; in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ; the fulfillment of God’s OT promises and the one Himself who rose from the dead just as He said.

That’s how Paul could write in Romans 8:28, despite all that confronted him; that he was absolutely confident that all things worked together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. All things work together for good, even those things that tend to leave us all shook up in this world. And then he went on to boldly claim just 10 verses later that he was convinced “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[13] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He was standing on the only firm and solid ground He could, on Christ Jesus and His Kingdom, grounded in the word; which is exactly where we can still stand today.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Watchman Nee. Watchman Nee became a Christian in mainland China in 1920 at the age of seventeen and began writing in the same year. Throughout the nearly thirty years of his ministry, Watchman Nee was a unique gift from the Lord to the church. Though imprisoned for his faith in 1952 and remaining there until his death in 1972; his words have become an abundant source of encouragement to Christians throughout the world. And so they are for us today.

Nee once told of a new convert who came to see him in deep distress. "No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord. I think I’m losing my salvation." Nee said, "Do you see this dog here? He is my dog. He is house-trained; he never makes a mess; he is obedient; he is a pure delight to me. Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son. He makes a mess, he throws his food around, he fouls his clothes, he is a total mess. But who is going to inherit my kingdom? Not my dog; my son is my heir. And you are Jesus Christ’s heir because it is for you that He died." We are Christ’s heirs, not through our perfection but by means of His and His grace.

That’s such a snapshot of our lives isn’t it? Like the young man who came to Nee, we’re all shook up. We’re wrapped in stress. We’re wound up in despair. We’re looking for something, anything we can stand on and it can’t be found. Even our own lives are such a mess at times. If that’s all we stand on we can’t help but fall. But here’s God’s sure promise: “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons…7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:5,7). It’s a comfort, a sure hope that Nee didn’t pull from thin air; but from the only solid truth he had experienced and found – Christ Jesus and His word. And here too, “though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,” (Psalm 46:2) we are given stand firm to the end and be saved.