ICS Daily Devotions
Born Again into God’s Kingdom
Mark 4:11-12 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ “
During Jesus’ time, the Kingdom of God was a mystery because nobody knew how it was going to unfold. Nobody would have thought anything good would come out of Nazareth! The people of Israel were waiting for the Messiah to restore to them the kingdom to the glorious days of King David or Solomon, an earthly kingdom. They asked Jesus when He was going to restore the kingdom of Israel. They were thinking of an earthly kingdom whereas Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of God.
Kingdom of God refers to the Kingdom under the rule of God and God is the King. The Kingdom of God has come to us, however, not the complete rule because of the sin of Adam and Eve. The dominion of this earth is still under the influence of the devil.
2 Corinthians 4:4 Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
While the whole world is under the sway and influence of the demonic forces, we are partakers and children of the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus was teaching about the Kingdom of God and how we are to walk in faith after receiving Him as our Lord and Savior. The Kingdom of God will come into the lives of those who believe and His eternal reign over the earth will come after the judgment of the devil.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ produces faith in our heart when we respond to the grace of God. We have faith to believe that Jesus died for us and acknowledge that we are saved by grace through faith. Therefore, those who have ears, let them hear what the Word of God says and teaches!
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
We have been given the right to become the children of God the moment we acknowledge Christ to be our Lord and Savior. We are then given the righteous position to enter into the Kingdom of God. Once we are born again, we are citizens of the earth and heaven. We have spiritual and earthly positions. We operate in faith in our spiritual position and inheritance while we are on earth. The world is still under the influence of the devil and the earth has not been redeemed. Neither are we in the new kingdom of heaven and earth yet. We do not live in a perfect world.
Therefore, it is very important to listen to the Word so that we will know how to walk in faith and claim the promises of God that are found in the Word and wait for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of our Lord!
Sermon series: There is power in the seed
