The Future Kingdom

Read: 1 Peter 1

We have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:4-5

IN WORD

To those who think the Kingdom is only a future event, we point to the promises and prayers Jesus lavished on His followers, as well as the Kingdom assignments He gave to them and us. But to those who suggest that the Kingdom is only in the here-and-now, we point to verses like these. We have an inheritance, but we don’t yet experience it fully. We are saved, but there is a salvation that is coming and is not yet revealed. We live in a Kingdom era, but the Kingdom shifts into a different era when the King comes again. We partner with Him to build the Kingdom until He comes, but it will never be fully established until that day. Those who are future-oriented need to know that the Kingdom is now; the now-oriented need to know something much greater is coming.

Wherever you stand on that spectrum, you can always seek more of the Kingdom in the present as well as stir your hope for the Kingdom in the future. Both are fully appropriate. And it’s worth noting that however fully you are participating in the Kingdom now, Peter says you and your inheritance are being shielded through faith by God’s power until you see the Kingdom coming in all its fullness. Your faith today is like a seed that will manifest its potential glory when Jesus comes.

IN DEED

Seek the manifestation of the Kingdom now in every way possible, but know that whatever you experience of it is merely a foretaste of future glory. It isn’t always easy to live in the now and not-yet, but to emphasize either one to the exclusion of the other is to have an unbalanced perspective on the King’s purposes. Never let your future hope distract you from present opportunities, and never let present experiences undermine your future hope. You are not only a citizen of two realms; you live in two ages. Make the most of both.

ADDITIONAL READING: Mark 4:26-32

The great thing is to be found . . . living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years.

C. S. LEWIS