The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus is a message of life and salvation for men and women in every nation.
After his resurrection, Jesus declared - “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations!” - As the Lord over all things, he dispatched his disciples to proclaim his sovereignty and the good news of salvation to men in every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or female, even to the “uttermost parts of the earth.”
By his self-sacrificial death, he established a “priestly kingdom” comprised of men and women from every nation and people, and it is for this very reason that the entire creation declared him “worthy” to receive all power, honor, and glory in the book of Revelation – (Revelation 5:5-14).
THE FINAL WORD
In the death and resurrection of His Son, the God who created all things has “spoken” His definitive and final “word.”
The “word” spoken previously “in the prophets” was true but partial and preparatory. Jesus was the first and only one who has “achieved the purification of sin,” and therefore, he alone has taken his seat “on the right hand of the majesty in high places” where he reigns over all things – (Hebrews 1:1-3).
According to Paul, the righteousness of God is available to all men “through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe, FOR THERE IS NO DISTINCTION.” Sin is the Great Leveler that condemns every man to bondage and decay. In the end, one’s ethnicity, gender, or economic status makes no difference – Death awaits all.
[World Map - Photo by Andrew Stutesman on Unsplash]
But now, through Jesus, anyone may receive right standing before God, and all on the same basis, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, poor or rich namely, and that from faith in Jesus Christ:
“A righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all that have faith, for there is no distinction… Or is God the God of Jews only, and not of the nations also? Yea! of the nations also, if at all events God is one, who will declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through their faith” – (Romans 3:22-30).
And Paul employs his radical monotheism to make the point. The one God of Israel is the God of Jews and Gentiles. No man is advantaged or disadvantaged before Him because of biological descent. And if the God who created all things is truly one, then He is as much the God of the Gentile as He is of the Jew - (Colossians 3:11).
NEW PEOPLE OF GOD
“In Jesus,” God is creating a new people from every social and ethnic group. Regardless of national origin, every person who places faith in Christ begins to conform to his image. And in this new humanity, any distinction based on race, gender, culture, or economic status is wholly inappropriate – (Ephesians 2:15).
No nation or society can claim Jesus or his message as its exclusive possession. The announcement of salvation and the enthronement of Christ is a message of life for all humanity.
Unfortunately, both political movements and the institutional church have long histories of linking Jesus and his gospel to specific nations, cultures, and even economic theories.
These wicked endeavors amount to hijacking and domesticating the Christ of Calvary to advance the political and social agendas of wicked men. And they are incompatible with the universal Kingdom of God over which Christ NOW reigns supreme.
The gospel transcends all national and social boundaries. Any attempt to limit it by such means violates the very heart of its message. And Jesus has tasked his disciples with proclaiming this Good News throughout the earth - to the “uttermost ends of the earth” - and all free of charge.
This task must be completed before the end of this fallen age when Jesus returns in glory. The day is coming when sin, Satan, and death will vanish from the earth. Creation itself will be liberated from decay and death when Jesus appears “on the clouds.”
This Good News is for everyone. In the truest sense, this is a universal faith. All men have sinned, and all need the salvation that is available in Jesus. No one deserves it, but God has graciously made it available to all men on the same basis - faith in Jesus Christ.
