Building the Kingdom of God; Transformation

May 10

Read: John 3:1-8, 2 Cor. 5:17, Gal 2:20, Romans 6:4, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26, 1 Cor. 2

Building the Kingdom of God;

Transformation

The Kingdom of God is a place of TRANSFORMATION. It is a place of “newness”. In som many different ways this picture is painted for us through the scriptures… Let’s take a look:

1.) You are “born into” a new family

“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Jesus tells Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom of God you must be “born again”. We are born into a new family when we come to Christ - born into the family of God. To enter the Kingdom means being welcomed by a whole new set of “brothers and sisters” in Christ!

2.) You are made a “new creation”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)  In the Kingdom of God you are made a new creation… utterly transformed! Your old self actually passes away and is “put to death” with Christ. (cf. Gal. 2:20)  Life in the Kingdom is marked by being transformed into the likeness of Christ. (cf. 2 Peter 1:4,5)

3.) You walk in the “newness of life”

“…in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4) The Kingdom is a place where we get to walk in “newness of life”… a new way of living and functioning in this world. The old self and the old patterns of the world do not function in the Kingdom of God.

4.) You are given a “new heart”

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” In the Kingdom of God, we are given a “new heart”. Our old stone heart is removed and replaced with one that is soft, malleable, one that beats for the Lord. In the Kingdom of God - the Lord transforms your wanter so that you want what he wants… he “writes his law on your heart”. (cf. Ezekiel 11:19,20, 36:26)

5.) You are given a “new mind” and a new Spirit

“…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God…Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Cor. 2:10,12,13)  To enter into the Kingdom of God and come to Christ means being given the Spirit of God (The Holy Spirit). This is a new Spirit within us… it is a new way of thinking that is different than the world. (cf. 1 Cor. 2 ) In fact, we are entrusted with the very mind of Christ: ““For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16)

This is not an exhaustive list, but a sample of the many ways that we are transformed and made new in Christ Jesus. The Kingdom of God is clearly a place of newness on so many fronts and in so many ways. We must not think that “things will never change” or that “people can never change”. Christ is in the business of transforming places and people! The enemy will often try to convince us that there is nothing “new” or exciting in store for us… and this is simply a LIE. Read these words form the scriptures:

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him” - (Is. 64;4 / 1 Cor. 2:9)

God has powerful, transformative, and new things in store for you. He is not finished with his work in this world nor is he finished with his work in YOU. The Kingdom of God is a place marked by transformation. What new things… what change… what growth does he have in store for you today?! Love you guys. - JDP