LOVE: THE FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
by W. G. Guy
It is necessary to give some introduction as to what the kingdom of God is and how it applies to us on earth. The kingdom of God is His domain or where He has dominion; thus kingdom refers to the king’s dominion. The earth is part of God’s kingdom but he has leased it out to mankind to be under man’s dominion.
Psalm 115:16 – The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Genesis 1:27-28 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
(Note God’s command to “replenish the earth” which means to re-populate it with mankind now made in the image and likeness of God. The previous population was not in the image and likeness of God, and being under Lucifer’s dominion “the anointed cherub that covereth”, went in rebellion against him, so God had to destroy all those life forms and begin anew.)
Since Lucifer (the devil) was jealous of man being given dominion over the earth, which was his position eons before the six day re-creation, he sought to regain the position he lost when he rebelled against God. He did this by his deceitful beguiling of Eve, (Mrs. Adam), who God also called Adam.
Genesis 5:2 – male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
(Please refer to The Love Story listed at: www.victoriouslivingbiblestudy.com to see the full detail and explanation of the event that introduced sin in the garden.)
When both Adam’s submitted to Lucifer’s treachery they came under his control or dominion; since then the earth has been under the devil’s dominion. Submitting to the ploy of the devil brought the earth and mankind into Satan’s realm as the god of the earth, delivering their dominion over to him. As proof for those who question that the devil is the god of this world consider how the devil tempted Jesus.
Luke 4:5-6 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
This is why Jesus had to come to earth as a man in order to redeem mankind back into relationship with God, and under God’s dominion; (which is why the truly born-again call Jesus Christ “Lord”.) Jesus is also referred to as the King of Kings which refers to His position in the Kingdom of God, and in which the saints (redeemed sons of God) are kings under Him to rule with Him in His coming kingdom. Now that the introduction is completed, let’s look at the role of LOVE.
The scripture tells us that God IS LOVE: 1 John 4:8 - for God is love.
Since God is love, this tells us much about His character and nature, it also tells us much about His kingdom and what it is like. God has given commands to His people that they are to love – first to love God and then to love others. The Ten Commandments reveal this as His law to follow. All Ten Commandments are about how to love. The first five are about loving God and the next five are about loving others beginning with your parents. These last five laws declare what not to do to others if you love them.
In the Old Testament, love and the character and nature of God is commanded, and as such is external to man. In the New Testament, love is internal being placed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit of Christ that we receive.
Romans 5:5 – because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
As being under the New and better Covenant, we have the ability to love within us, if only we allow it to flow by putting aside the selfish old nature.
Romans 13:8-10 – Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
When Jesus was challenged by a lawyer who represented the Pharisees about keeping the law, Jesus clarified the Ten Commandments by simplifying them down to two: Love God and love your neighbor (or one near you).
Matthew 22:36-40 – Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
As we see both Jesus and the apostle Paul declared that LOVE is fulfilling the Law. Thus LOVE is vitally important. Why, because it is the basic foundation of the kingdom of God; the basis of God’s domain and dominion. Love is the basic nature and character of God – His image and likeness is the essence of love! Love is His prime character trait which mankind has been lacking since the garden!
Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Most of us know about the sin part of this verse, but few understand what is meant by “come short of the glory of God”. The “glory” comes from the Greek word doxa which means “dignity”. Mankind lost the dignity of God at the event of sin entering mankind in the garden. The dignity of God is His character and nature – which is also called the “fruit of the spirit” and identified in the Bible.
Galatians 522-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Note that the very first fruit mentioned is love,which is the prime fruit. Now consider the steps to spiritual maturity that are listed by the apostle Peter:
2 Peter 1:5-8 – And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (love). For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
Please notice how these steps to spiritual maturity are introduced by saying that these are necessary to be “partakers of the divine nature” – God’s nature! Also notice that the final step to spiritual maturity is Love, (charity – which is giving, caring, sharing, having mercy, compassion, and forgiveness).
2 Peter 1:4 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Now back to Galatians to see that the sinful carnal nature of all of mankind is contrary to the image and likeness of God, and will not be able to inherit or enter into the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 – Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Obviously the sinful old nature of mankind is the opposite of what is required to be part of the kingdom of God. That sinful nature of the flesh, called the “old man” by the apostle Paul must be “put off” or died to.
Ephesians 4:21-24 – if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Galatians 5:24-25 – And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
This is an effort of the soul, not your spirit. Your spirit is reborn upon acceptance of Jesus atoning work on the cross. However, your soul, (how and what you think in your mind) must be changed as you grow in the knowledge of His Word.
Romans 12:1-2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Please understand that the character and nature of Lucifer is what mankind submitted to back in the garden; and it became the sin nature of the flesh that must be removed. That nature is not permitted in the kingdom of God. Jesus came to restore God’s divine nature to those who accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross in atonement for all our sins.
Accepting Jesus gets you the born-again experience as His Spirit enters into you giving you eternal life. However, repentance and turning away from sinful, lustful, selfish living is needed. That carnal nature of the old man needs to be put off, or died to, in order to allow the new life of Christ to shine forth in and from you. Too many Christians have not matured in the things of God to demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit, which is the likeness of Christ. This is not being taught in most churches today. Jesus identified the process as that of becoming a disciple which requires dying to self, and staring the new life as a child that needs to grow to maturity.
Matthew 18:2-3 – And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Becoming a disciple, a true follower of Jesus, requires denying the self with its selfish lusts which are easily enticed by the devil.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 14:27 – And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Denying self, with its fleshly appetites, is our responsibility; we already received the gift of life from Jesus by accepting Him as savior; now we must follow Him in obedience. This is what water baptism of repentance symbolizes; dying to self, burying self. and rising up into a new life in obedience to and in following Him as our example.
Please understand that the carnal flesh is SELFISH and selfishness is the opposite of love. People think the opposite of love is hate – wrong. Selfishness is all about getting or taking; Love is all about giving – just the opposite. Selfishness is the basic cause of sin, (and divorce) – doing something to benefit self, or taking something that does not belong to you, etc. Love benefits others and does not seek to benefit self, (as detailed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
In this writer’s version of this passage is: “greater love has no man than he gives to the benefit of others even at his own expense”. Just imagine how life would be on this earth if people actually lived this way. That is the way it is planned to be in the kingdom of God.
That is why love is the foundation of the kingdom of God.
