Building Bridges to the Kingdom
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“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” Matthew 25:31-34
Sometimes Christians limit the scope of their spiritual responsibility to the Lord and their local church. But the Word of God says that every single believer around the world is related to us as an arm is connected to a body. We are all part of the body of Christ. If our vision for service stops at the local church, our effectiveness for the kingdom will be diminished.
Life Lesson: Time management
Are you still growing spiritually?: Check your compass and let God lead you
God’s kingdom is the realm where He rules in the hearts of men and exercises His authority. We who have been saved by the grace of God are a part of the kingdom, which is set up in the hearts and lives of all believers. One of these days, that realm will also be a physical reality with a new heaven and new earth. Until then, we should all be at work to build the kingdom by sharing the message of Jesus Christ with the world. That is the task of the church – it is the same mission that was given to the 11 disciples just before Jesus ascended to heaven. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Our responsibility is to construct the bridge of understanding about God’s grace. The Holy Spirit ultimately walks a lost person across the bridge, but we are charged with building it in the first place. Certainly God could have chosen to write a message in flaming letters across the midnight sky. Then people from every culture could see the Gospel, recognize the presence of God, and be saved. But instead, He placed His plan of salvation in the hands of each of us so we can take part in His work. Now is the time to build bridges for Jesus.
Question: How do you see your current role in God’s Kingdom, as it has been revealed so far on Earth?
About this Author: Charles Stanley
