Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come" (Luke 11:2b). There's a lot packed into those three words! But one simple thing we see here is that Jesus wants us to ASK for the kingdom to come. He wants us to DESIRE God's kingdom! This is one reason he told us to pray for it to come - so that we would have this thought before us; that this great truth would fill our hearts: that God has a kingdom, and it has broken into our world through Jesus Christ. It is here now, partially and spiritually in the lives of those who bow the knee to King Jesus. But it is still coming in fullness. The Day will come when the Kingdom of God is here, physically and fully!
It is here 'already.' But the fullness is 'not yet.' It is here, and yet it is coming!
Until that Day comes, Jesus wants us to think about it, hope in it, long for it and pray for it to come.
When God's kingdom comes in fullness:
- Partial healing in this life will become full and final healing - new bodies with no more sickness or death!
- Progressive growth in maturity will become perfection!
- Scattered local churches who are 'one' spiritually will become 'one' physically! We will be together - the people of God!
- Our stumbling in sin will become total victory in experience. No more sin...ever!
- Partial justice in this life will fade away into complete justice; every wrong made right.
- Sweet tastes of God's presence in this life will give way to unbroken fellowship with God! We will be with him forever!
- Faith will become sight!!
In that Day, what Christ accomplished for his people at the cross will be fully applied in our actual experience. We will not only be declared righteous in heaven (justification), and be growing in righteousness more and more (sanctification), but we will actually BE righteous in Christ (glorification). Jesus will be with us and will reign as king.
What a Day that will be!
So let us pray from our hearts,
"Father, your kingdom come!!"
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