Recently, the concepts of the Government and Economy of God have become buzz words in certain Christian circles. Let’s try to dig past their trendy usages into a more thorough explanation of their meanings.
1. Please read the following:
Mt 2:2 [NIV]
2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
—The wise men.Mt 21:6-11 [NIV]
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
—The people in JerusalemMt 11:1-6 [NIV]
1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
—John and His DisciplesAc 1:6 [NIV]
6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
—Jesus’ Own Disciples
Do you think that those who knew Jesus in these contexts also knew the essence of His Kingdom? If not, why?
2. Was all of this in God’s mind when He created man to enable him to rule in righteousness and justice?
3. Give a brief observation of how God governs His Kingdom?
4. What is the essence of Kingdom Economy?
Questions for Meditation and Application
1. What does is mean to rule on God’s behalf? How are you qualified for this task?
2. How can you succeed in the Kingdom Economy?
3. In what spheres do you think God gives you the right to rule? How are you to do so?
4. Define order, law, and prosperity in the context of a Kingdom.
This is post is _Part 6_, the last in the series The Government & the Economy of the Kingdom of God. To use this as a growth tool to better understand your own calling, you might start by reading the explanation of this series, Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4 and Pt 5.
Photo credit: Leo Reynolds