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Hardships

             They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. (Acts 8:21-22)

 

            It seems as if Paul and Barnabas used “the Kingdom of God” in different way than Jesus had. It’s basically the way we tend to use it: more of an event in the future than a present reality. This makes sense. When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, He was at the center of the range of God’s influence and creating that influence. But Jesus was no longer walking among them. There was (and is) one degree of separation when Paul, Barnabas, you, or I refer to the kingdom. If we made the claims Jesus did about the kingdom, we would be claiming equality with Jesus.

            On coming under God’s influence, we enter the kingdom of God, but at the same time, we must wait for the full measure of that kingdom. It might be said that the kingdom of God enters us on being born again, but we don’t fully enter it.

            The main thing that today’s passage tells us about the kingdom of God is that kingdom citizenship doesn’t eliminate all difficulties. Quite the opposite. It brings them into our lives. We’re not in charge anymore. Worse, those who thought they were in charge of us feel their control threatened. Hardships result.

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