The Gospel of grace has been preached for some two thousand years, but the Gospel of the kingdom of God has been relatively sidelined for the same period of time. The Gospel of grace is about the salvation of mankind that Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of this world, so that man can be reconciled back to God. The Gospel of the kingdom of God is about the coming Government of God that God will restore through Christ to bring about world peace and righteousness (Revelation 11:15). They are two sides of the same coin yet diffferent in context and purpose. The Gospel of grace is the means by which born again sons of God will be able to inherit the kingdom of God as members of God divine Family. The kingdom of God is the ultimate destiny of man for which purpose they were born into this world.
But strange as it may seem, the majority of Christians simply have no clue what it is all about. Some think that the kingdom of God is the church, others think it is the faith in Jesus Christ. Still others opined that it is everything about Christianity. But the Scripture is clear that the two are not the same. Acts 8:12 states, 'But when they believe Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptised'. Similarly, another passage in Acts 28:32, the Apostle Paul 'preaching the kingdom of God AND teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him'. From these two passages, it is clear that the Gospel of grace and the Gospel of the kingdom of God are two separate matters.
It would seem that one has to believe both sides of the Gospel for one to be born again as sons of God and members of the God divine Family. Jesus Christ while He was on earth, He kept talking about the kingdom of God again and again, even in most of His parables to His chosen disciples. In Luke 4:43, Christ states categorically, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent'. The preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom of God is one of Christ primary purpose for coming down to earth. His role as a Prophet is to bring the good news of the Gospel to the world as given Him by God the Father. But tragically, very few in Christiandom truly understand. That is the end game for mankind. His death and resurrection is the way to the kingdom of God, for those who would accept salvation on God's terms - a 'give' way of life through discipline and obedience.
When Christ emerged as an overcomer (and hence qualify as King in the coming Kingdom) through the testing in the wilderness by Satan, the first thing He did was to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). Since He qualified as the Firstborn Son of God (Adam failed the test), He will rule the coming kingdom of God together with 'His brethren' ('second born' sons of God) who will be resurrected and born again as spirit beings to help Christ rules as the King of kings and Lord of lords in the coming millennial age. Such important teachings in the Bible is seldom preached in churches, if at all. Most of the time, one hears only social gospel rehashed over and over again! But there is no record in the Bible that either God the Father or Christ approved the preaching of such gospel.
It is clear that most would not want to hear the Gospel of the kingdom that Christ came to preach, let alone propagate it. During the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, he did not want the Gospel of the kingdom to be preached for fear of rebellion and coup d'etat. That was why Christ warned His audience, 'Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven (God), but he who does the will of my Father in heaven'. (Matthew 7:21). Notice that the will of God the Father is for mankind to hear the gospel of Christ and Christ preached the gospel of the kingdom of God - the message of good news that was commissioned by the heavenly Father. All witnesses are commanded by God to hear Him (Christ)! The kingdom of God will usher in the supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of man (Rev 11:15), when the whole world will be ruled by Christ and His disciples as immortal and powerful spirit beings.
The Apostle Paul warned in Galatians 1:6-9 that those who preached another gospel (such as social gospel) will be accursed - stated in verse 8 and repeated in verse 9 - showing the seriousness of such disobedience, perhaps a double curse! Make no mistake, it is the Gospel OF Christ and not a Gospel about Christ. Christ is the means to the consummation of the Gospel! No one has the right to alter the Gospel commissioned by God the Father, preaching the means and not the end of the Gospel message. It has to be the full Gospel or it is no Gospel at all!
That was why wherever and whenever Christ or His disciples preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God, miraclous healings, signs and wonders follow to authenticate that that is the Gospel that God wants preached. In these lasts days, the Gospel of the kingdom of God will again come into focus. As Christ said at the Mount of Olives, 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come' (Matthew 24:14). The preaching of the Gospel was at hand when Christ started it (Mark 1:14-15) and still is at hand now as long as Christ has yet to return to usher in His kingdom. Herbert W. Armstrong was the man that spent most of his life on preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God in obedience to God's commandments.
Since then and till now, the kingdom of God is open to all who will strive to enter and inherit it (one must enter in order to inherit the kingdom of God) - Matthew 11:12. And the only way to enter and inherit it as members of God's royal Family is to born again (John 3:3,5) as spirit beings come the First Resurrection when Christ returns. The only way to qualify is to be an overcomer (Rev 3:21) through discipline and obedience with the help of the Spirit of God (Philippians 2: 12-13).That is why people who are called and will to be chosen will keep on pressing into the finishing line as if in a competitive race. Will you have the faith of Christ to take the word of God at its face value or would you rather obey the words of man trumpeting some wrong cause? Christ is standing at the 'door of your heart' to give the final call (Rev 3:20) and the choice is your to make.
