Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Kingdom People

From today's devotional

There is no more dramatic word than “birth,” the word Jesus used to describe the radical “delivery” of our life from sin into God’s kingdom (John 3:3, 5). But almost matching that dynamic metaphor is Paul’s saying, “He has conveyed us into the kingdom.” This word was used when ancient kings took captive peoples and transported them to another land, usually as slaves. 

But here, we as former slaves now taken captive by our Savior King are being transported from former bondage in sin to the liberated atmosphere of His daily presence. “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). 

While our ultimate “transporting” will be into His presence at His coming, in the meantime He has not left us at the mercy of the “dark rulers” of this present age (1 John 5:19; Eph. 6:12). We are His people, proclaiming His praises (1 Pet. 2:9), showing His good works (Matt. 5:16) and holding forth His Word (Phil. 2:15, 16). We have come under the rule of our supreme King who also is the Lover of our souls; who has “conveyed” us unto His kingdom to serve kingdom enterprises.