The Kingdom of God and Total Depravity

>During the Midwest Vineyard conference last week and then again this past Sunday (7/11/04), Derek Morphew, a Vineyard theologian from Cape Town, South Africa, was our teacher and preacher. I thought he was just terrific.

He clearly and persuasively articulated the essence of the Kingdom of God. He was clear that the the New Testament says that the future kingdom does in fact break into our present lives (healings occur, lives are dramatically and instantly changed). Yes, the future does indeed break in now.

Moreover, Morphew is equally certain that the future kingdom hasn’t totally come yet. There’s a now-but-not-yet component to God’s kingdom that God in his sovereignty both designed and understands. We humans never will fully comprehend the kingdom of God this side of heaven. We live by faith. The kingdom of God is here, and the kingdom of God is not yet here. Both are absolutely and simultaneously true.

Of course, when Jesus was on the earth it was the same way. The kingdom of God was fully here when he was on earth — as evidenced by so many dramatic miracles — and yet Jesus was clear that the kingdom of God awaits us all in the future. Read Matthew 23-25. There is day coming, Jesus says, when all of history will be consummated and we will be ushered into a new heaven and a new earth. At last, the future will have fully and completly arrived — the KINGDOM will have COME. Now we only see through a glass darkly, as Paul says in I Corthinthians 13. Just look around you, if you don’t believe this. There are plenty of folks to still pray for.

The kingdom principles of the now and the not yet are both true. There, in a nutshell, is the great unfathomable mystery of the kingdom. Yes, there’s a tension here. No doubt about it. Trying to resolve the tension will not work. It cannot be done. Not in this life. It’s better to merely embrace the tension, lift your hands heavenward and say to Jesus: “Your kingdom come.”

BUT, HERE’S THE DEAL, Morphew says this reality absolutely must not stop any of us from praying for others. He argued that we must understand that the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness always are vying for our allegiance. There will be this kind of battle until we die, even though we are even now being transformed from glory to glory.

Here’s what Morphew said about the tension we all feel: “Get used to it.” In other words, don’t be surprised that after attending a wonderful service or having a powerful prayer time with someone you suddenly discover that sin is crouching at your very door, waiting to pounce. Don’t be surprised, and don’t quit praying for others. If we wait to start praying for people until we completely have our lives together, it will never happen.

Look around the whole earth from north to south, from east to west and it’s true that the bond of human depravity is common among all humans and all races. All humankind is in desperate dependence of God’s mercy. The only hope of redemption is in Jesus. He is the Savior, the healer, the Lord of the universe.

So brothers, keep praying to the one to whom every knee will bow and every tongue will one day confess.
Ask his kingdom to come — “Come Holy Spirit.” Then watch and see if he suddenly breaks forth the future kingdom into the present age.

Expect it to happen, brothers! Don’t be surprised that sin is ready to pounce at any given moment. God will protect, brothers. Keep praying, keep believing, keep expecting…