New to Faith: Bible Reading PlanSample

New Kingdom

When you choose to follow Jesus, you become part of a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Since most of us live in a democratic nation, consider what this means.

A kingdom is a place where a king rules. He has power and authority, and people obey and pledge allegiance to him. The Kingdom of God is a present reality in which people choose to live under God’s reign by obeying and pledging allegiance to Him.

At the beginning of the Biblical narrative, our world was once part of the Kingdom of God. Then humanity rebelled against God’s rule, seceding from His Kingdom and falling under the oppression of new spiritual powers. The Biblical authors describe these powers as dark, evil forces ruled by Satan or “The Adversary,” a spiritual being who opposes God and His goodness. Without God as king, humanity is held captive to these dark, spiritual powers responsible for division, violence, and death in God’s good world.

God’s response was to enter our world and free humanity from enslavement by these powers. While Jesus was on earth, he demonstrated authority over evil forces by healing the sick, bringing the dead back to life, and exorcising demonic spirits. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He showed that He had conquered these powers. He created a way for humanity to escape the Kingdom of Darkness and return to the Kingdom of God through faith.

Remembering your new identity as a part of the Kingdom of God empowers you to seek God's will on earth by embodying His justice and love. Let’s look at some Bible passages that talk about the two kingdoms. Keep in mind that the Biblical authors use poetic words to describe these two realities, such as dark and light.

Question: How does understanding that you’ve been freed from the kingdom of darkness and brought into God’s Kingdom change the way you see your present reality?