In modeling the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to seek “Your Kingdom Come.” This is probably viewed by most as a bringing of Heaven to earth. In other words, it’s something we long for in a future tense.
What is forgotten or ignored, though, is the present perspective of “Your Kingdom Come.” Yes, we should desire the Lord’s future kingdom. However, God’s kingdom should also reign in the hearts of our lives.
Reading through Edward’s journal entries for the early July days of 1723 when he drafted this resolution, it’s clear that he was pondering the chances of regret and even the assurance of his salvation. Probably not so much the instance of bringing Heaven to earth.
As we dig deeper, I’ll explain why I frame it that way.
Jonathan Edwards Resolution 50
Edwards’ Resolution #50 (in my modernized language)
Resolved: Heaven is real and I will live a life worthy of entering into it when it is my time.
When we ask for “your kingdom come” in the Lord’s prayer, what are we asking? Yes, God has promised his chosen a kingdom. But how are you preparing yourself to enter it? Transform us oh Lord, so we might be ready to enter into it, along with a multitude of nations.
God Has Promised a Kingdom
Edwards was often pondering the moment he would enter into heaven. He was also very intentional about preparing himself for that day. As such, he diligently sought to instill in himself a character of discipline, a trait he gained from his Puritan upbringing.
In his journal entry for July 3, he observes that he is too passive when it comes to minor things. He believes it’s because he does not see worth in small matters. Yet, he resolves to correct that perceived wrong.
Why is this?
Perhaps it has to do with the way Edwards viewed the world. He saw every insect, blade of grass and drop of water as the work of our creator. And that means we live as his creation, in a broader context among a total creation of God. You might wonder if he thinks we are living in God’s kingdom already.
And, as Jesus tells us, God’s kingdom is at hand:
Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
– Matthew 3:2 (NLT)
God Will Continue to Transform
Having established that God is king over all things, we should be mindful that this includes those things of earth. And yet, it sometimes seems like God is not here. What about times of evil? Times of sickness? When unexplained bad things – such as infant mortality, tragic accidents, etc. – happen?
Where is God then? If it’s Heaven on earth, where is the king?
So often, we are left asking that question. Or perhaps we are asking why?
Yet, maybe – just maybe – we should be asking ourselves, “how should I respond?”
Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.Let all that I am praise the Lord.
– Psalm 103:20-22 (NLT)
The angels (“as it is in heaven”) always obey God’s will – his commands – perfectly and joyfully. We too should be striving for it on earth as well. Let us pray that God would continue transforming us and the world into a place where everyone joyfully obeys.
God’s Kingdom is for All Walks
In 1751, Jonathan Edwards moved to the frontier mission outpost of Stockbridge. He served there for about seven years, pastoring the English congregation. Edwards also served as a missionary to the Mohican and Mohawk tribes. He explained to them how nobody saved them and how God as Jesus came to save them. Many of them came to understand and know the saving grace.
He lived among them, shared their mutual affection for nature and respect of the earth. His family came to think of them as their family, with his son learning their language and even claiming to think in their language. He even desired to continue his father’s ministry among the Mohawks and Mohicans.
Certainly, this was controversial. At a time when the tribes had been devastated and conquered many would view them as second class, Edwards was steadfast in serving them. As he did, he reflected upon what revelation tells us about heaven…
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
– Revelation 7:9 (NIV)
So if you are longing for Heaven, begin to fulfill it here on Earth. Seek “your kingdom come” both in Heaven, and on earth. For God promised a kingdom for his chosen. And who are his chosen?
As Albert Mohler explains, God’s kingdom, “…consists of those who are drawn from every tongue, and tribe, and kindred, and nation—as we see—from every people group, from every nation, who were redeemed from all the nations.”