Too many sincere evangelicals and even mainline denominations get the whole mission of Christ wrong. There is no "social gospel," though there is a "social commission" to fight for social justice and defend and remember the poor and needy, reaching out to all in desperate straits. But we are not to usher in God's kingdom on earth for His kingdom is spiritual in our hearts, as Andrew Murray eloquently wrote in his book, The Kingdom of God is within You. He already rules the hearts of His children and is called the Emperor of Love because He has conquered more with love than Muhammad by the sword.
We are entreated to pray that God's kingdom to come in the Lord's prayer, and what is meant is that it begins with us and us doing our part in the Great Commission. The kingdom is a reality to those who inherit it, and the only way is to come as a child and in faith, not head first that is! We must all take that initial leap of faith, not into the unknown or the darkness, but as a step into the light. We realize that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit and is not in word but in power and wherever Christ rules hearts, there it is. We are enjoined to preach the gospel of the kingdom till He comes to assume it. Entering the kingdom doesn't refer to heaven, but to the abundant life in Christ that is available to every believer if they seize and claim it by faith. It must be received in the heart and one must make room in his heart for the Lord who knocks at its door.
When the fulness of time had come, (cf. Gal. 4:4), the first advent of Jesus was completed. The "Desire of all Nations," (cf. Haggai 2:7), surprised the Jews who had anticipated the Messiah for centuries but the wrong vision of Him. They fully expected deliverance from Rome and return to national glory as was in the days of King Solomon. Little did they know that Jesus had come but that He must be a Savior first and King second. His mission in coming was to die!
He was the One to whom the kingdom belonged and was the rightful heir, and was even proclaimed the King of the Jews, the Son of David that is. Jesus had said that His kingdom was not of this world and that it was not "of this world." We have business trying to usher in the kingdom of God by political maneuver or fiat and to advance the kingdom of Christ ourselves as Bradford of the Mayflower fame, and Winthrop of Massachusettes Bay Colony fame had attempted.
Many sincere but misguided believers have attempted to establish a Christian nation; e.g., John Calvin and Oliver Cromwell--both utter failures and counterproductive to the work of God and the Great Commission which is supposed to be Job One and when we keep the main thing the main thing, this is our priority and focus. We are to save souls not nations. We are mere lights to show God's truths and salt to preserve the institutions of the government established by God. Thus we are called to wreak havoc on the social order nor to be revolutionaries even if we live in a communist country
It is now a reality that the kingdom of God is within us! John the Baptist and Jesus had both announced that the kingdom of God was at hand! Believe me, Hab. 2:3 says "the vision is for an appointed time .. and ... it shall surely come, it shall not tarry." We see God's kingdom already established worldwide in the hearts of the Church at large throughout the world. Jesus has been given all authority and has doesn't just reign but he truly rules as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
If His kingdom were of this world, Jesus said we'd fight for it, but it isn't! We are, first of all, citizens of heaven before any earthly loyalties. The church started out as a Jewish sect in Jerusalem to become the official religion of the Roman Empire by AD 325 under Emperor Constantine, who converted. Now His church is a worldwide phenomenon and power to be reckoned with in religious and cultural influence. It's the largest religion by affiliation in the world with over 1.6 billion adherents who claim the moniker, Christian. He rules in our hearts only when we surrender the throne of our hearts to Him and give Him our sole allegiance and ownership of our lives putting Him at the helm.
Israel was expecting the Messiah and missed Him for the most part except for God's remnant because of ignorance, and let's hope that Christ's church is expecting and ready to meet the Lord when He comes again to reign in His Millennial Kingdom. But what ought we do till He comes? We are to be engaged in our doing business as would be usual, worship the best we can, watch for signs of the times, pursue righteousness as a witness, and occupy till He claims His throne. Soli Deo Gloria!
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