The Present Kingdom | New Covenant Truth

God’s eternal plan was always in Christ Jesus. The shadows, the feasts, and the apostolic transition all pointed toward a full reality that could only be revealed in Christ. The apostles served as a bridge from the old covenant into the new, laying a foundation from which the church now speaks, not from nothing, but from the Word already given.

The kingdom has come. The kingdom is not geography, politics, territories, earthly borders, or a physical rulership that can be located with the eyes. Jesus defines the kingdom as God’s reign in Christ, established through Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation. Luke 17 removes the expectation of ocular evidence: nobody will say, “See here” or “See there,” because the kingdom of God is within.

Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. Paul therefore identifies its substance as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, not eating and drinking. These realities may be expressed outwardly, but they cannot be touched or seen as physical objects. The kingdom remains unshaken whether or not the world is shaken, because it is spiritual and is experienced only in Christ.

Daniel foresaw a kingdom that would crush every other kingdom and stand forever. Jesus then announced that the time was fulfilled and that the kingdom was at hand. Christ’s resurrection, exaltation, Pentecost, and the outpouring of the Spirit became signs that the King had received all authority. Peter declares that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, and a kingdom cannot stand without a King.

Paul speaks of believers as already delivered from darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love. The final removal of the old covenant temple system in AD 70 confirmed the end of that old world and left Christ’s eternal kingdom standing. Jesus’ words about some standing before Him not tasting death before seeing the Son of Man coming in His kingdom therefore belonged to that generation.

Christ reigns now, and believers reign with Him even while living through struggles in this world. The kingdom grows from within like a mustard seed, not by theatrics or things that impress the eyes. God has made His home within His people. The present kingdom is therefore lived by walking in righteousness, peace, joy, forgiveness, grace, love, generosity, victory over sin, and the authority already given in Christ.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The kingdom has already come. [05:37] The kingdom is not a future sample that leaves believers waiting for the real thing later. Christ has completed what was necessary for His reign to be established. Postponing joy, peace, and righteousness becomes unnecessary when the kingdom is understood as a present reality in Christ. [05:37]
• 2. Christ’s reign is not earthly. [20:57] Christ’s kingdom is not sustained by borders, governments, fights, or changing regimes. Worldly instability cannot shake a kingdom that is not of this world. A believer’s standing in Christ must not be attached to the noise and struggle surrounding earthly life. [20:57]
• 3. Believers have been conveyed into Christ’s kingdom. [42:31] Paul uses completed language: God has delivered and conveyed His people. Entry into the kingdom is not a prize still hanging ahead for those who work hard enough. Redemption through Christ’s blood establishes believers in the kingdom of the Son now. [42:31]
• 4. God has made His home within. [57:22] God’s dwelling is not something believers must pressure Him to bring down through intense effort. Christ and the Father have come to make their home with those who love Christ and keep His word. Awareness of God within changes prayer, identity, and everyday life. [57:22]
• 5. Kingdom life carries visible fruit. [01:02:33] Forgiveness, grace, love, generosity, and victory over sin are not religious decorations. These are kingdom values flowing from the reign of Christ within. The kingdom may not come by observation, but its reality expresses itself through Spirit-empowered living.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:11] - God’s Eternal Plan in Christ
• [01:36] - Feasts and the Timetable of Redemption
• [02:19] - The Apostles’ Transition Work
• [05:16] - Phase Three: The Kingdom Has Come
• [08:41] - What Is the Present Kingdom?
• [11:48] - The Kingdom Does Not Come by Observation
• [16:43] - Christ’s Kingdom Is Not of This World
• [18:59] - Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
• [23:05] - When Did the Kingdom Come?
• [32:00] - Christ Exalted as Lord and King
• [37:33] - Pentecost and the Signs of Arrival
• [42:16] - Conveyed Into the Kingdom
• [45:33] - AD 70 and the End of the Old Order
• [48:44] - Characteristics of the Present Kingdom
• [55:23] - Living in the Kingdom Now
• [63:42] - Correcting the Future Kingdom Misconception
• [71:46] - Already Citizens of God’s Kingdom

Bible Reading

Luke 17:20–21
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’” [11:48]

Colossians 1:13–14
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” [42:31]

Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” [18:59]

John 18:36
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’” [16:43]

Observation questions

1. What were the Pharisees asking Jesus in Luke 17, and how did Jesus redirect their expectation of when and how the kingdom would come? [12:07]
2. What three realities does Paul name as the substance of God’s kingdom in Romans 14:17, and what does he say the kingdom is not about? [19:20]
3. In Colossians 1:13–14, which actions are described as already completed for believers, and what is the connection between being transferred into the kingdom and receiving forgiveness? [43:20]
4. According to John 18:36, what would Jesus’ servants have done if His kingdom were from this world, and what does their not fighting reveal about His kingdom? [17:31]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus says that the kingdom does not come in ways that can be observed, yet Paul says righteousness, peace, and joy are its reality. How can something unseen still become clear through a believer’s life? [19:31]
2. Colossians says believers have already been transferred into the kingdom of the Son. How does this completed language challenge the idea that believers must work hard to gain entrance into God’s kingdom someday? [43:27]
3. If Christ’s kingdom is not from this world, how should believers understand the difference between earthly instability and their secure standing in Christ? [20:57]
4. The kingdom grows like a mustard seed rather than through impressive outward display. What kinds of growth might be easy to overlook but still show the reign of Christ is becoming active in a person or group? [54:29]

Application questions

1. In what area of life have you been postponing peace, joy, or righteous living until your circumstances improve? What would it look like to receive these as present realities in Christ this week? [06:48]
2. When news, politics, conflict, financial pressure, or personal problems feel overwhelming, what tends to shake your sense of security? How can the truth that Christ’s kingdom is unshakable shape your response? [21:06]
3. God has made His home with His people. How might greater awareness that God is with you and in you change the way you handle a stressful conversation, a temptation, or a lonely moment this week? [01:02:01]
4. Believers can reign with Christ while still facing real struggles in this world. Is there a current struggle that you have been using to measure your standing with God? How can you separate that struggle from your identity in Christ? [51:17]
5. Kingdom life expresses itself through forgiveness, grace, love, generosity, and victory over sin. Which one of these needs to become more visible in your everyday relationships, and what is one specific action you could take? [01:02:40]
6. Since the kingdom is not merely a future hope but a present reality, how could you encourage someone who feels that God’s peace, joy, or forgiveness is always far away? [01:15:00]