In Mark 4, the Lord gives a series of parables that revolve around the kingdom of God. I think there are many believers who don’t realize how important a correct understanding of the kingdom of God is when it comes to interpreting the Scriptures.
In a short parable, the Lord says the kingdom of God is like a man who plants seed in a field. The seed grows. After a period of time, there will be a harvest.
Even people (like me!) who are not farmers and know nothing about raising a crop understand these principles. But what is the Lord telling us about the relationship between the kingdom of God and a farmer’s planting seed in anticipation of a harvest?
Throughout church history, including today, most Bible teachers have said that this parable teaches that the kingdom of God is here right now. The details might vary, but the basics of this view are that the Church is the kingdom. Like a crop in the field, it is growing. This growth would include the addition of new believers. Some would say this growth is seen when the Church changes the world. We are called to transform society.
This is all in anticipation of the day when we all “go to heaven.” While Christ will rule over everything on that day, this view also teaches that He is already ruling now. He is seated in heaven, ruling His kingdom through the Church.
It is very common to hear people say that the kingdom is “already, but not yet.” It is already here in the Church, but it is “not yet” because the complete display of Christ’s kingdom will come when we are no longer in bodies of flesh and sin and death are no more.
Think about the logical ramifications of such a belief. If I believe that the kingdom is here now and that, as a member of the Church, I am already a citizen of that kingdom, then I should work for the transformation of my country. If the kingdom is here and is pictured as a growing crop, I would expect to see more and more people come to faith and society become more and more godly.
We are in an election cycle right now. We often hear the following refrain: “Christians are commanded to vote. They should vote for those who will promote the kingdom of God and cause it to grow. If Christians do what God has commanded us to do, we will see the crop grow. If we don’t, another generation of Christians will. Whether we or believers in the future do it, God’s kingdom on earth will expand.”
Only a small percentage of Bible teachers, of which I am one, say that the kingdom of God is not yet here, that the Church is not the kingdom of God, and that the kingdom of God will not come until Christ comes and rules on the earth.
In this parable, the growing seed is not the kingdom. It is the seed of Christ’s Word that says the kingdom is coming. People will believe that message and will be citizens of that kingdom when Christ returns. It is a message that says we can lay up rewards in that coming kingdom.
Since the Church is not the kingdom, it is not the mandate of the Church to improve society. In this election cycle, it is wise to vote for those you think will make our lives better and will promote righteousness. But it really has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. It isn’t here yet.
