{"id":16634,"date":"2024-11-20T04:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/?p=16634"},"modified":"2024-11-20T09:47:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:47:51","slug":"the-kingdom-of-god-in-the-baptist-faith-and-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/article\/concise\/the-kingdom-of-god-in-the-baptist-faith-and-message\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kingdom of God in The Baptist Faith and Message"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) <\/em>is the statement of faith adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. This statement addresses the traditional doctrines of God, man, sin and salvation, and it also includes a section on the Kingdom of God<\/a> (which I\u2019ve numbered for ease of reference):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

[1] The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and [2] His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. [3] Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God\u2019s will be done on earth. [4] The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What does this paragraph mean? In this article, I\u2019ll unpack each enumerated sentence in turn and elaborate on a few implications, especially for the present age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. General Sovereignty Over the Universe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We read first, \u201cThe Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Established by Creation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s general sovereignty over the universe was established by the act of creation. The sovereignty of God\u2019s decision to create, uninformed and unmoved by anything outside of himself, establishes the paradigm by which every sphere of sovereignty is defined. By providence, God brings to bear his sovereign creative power in the ongoing natural order and the workings of all its forces, its animal constituents, and its rational beings. Every event within that sphere manifests the sovereign power and immutable will demonstrated at every point of the six days of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Continued by Providence<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

He has not only created all things but rules all things with precision by that very power of creation (Col. 1:16\u201317).  As he brought the universe into existence by his will and Word, so now he \u201cworks all things according to the counsel of His will\u201d (Eph. 1:11 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Manifested in Judgment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Within this kingdom of the created order, God executes judgment (Acts 17:24, 31). All the words, deeds, thoughts, and intentions of all persons will be judged, from the first breath of Adam to the last person born to procreation. In the final day no protest will arise, for each will know that he is liable to divine retribution (Rom. 3:19). As Nebuchadnezzar discovered in a demeaning providence, \u201cHis kingdom endures from generation to generation . . . and no one can ward off His hand or say to him, \u2018What have you done?\u2019\u201d (Dan. 4:34, 35 NASB). \u201cThis is my Father\u2019s world\u201d rightly states the truth that all that the Lord has made, he rules. It is a distinct manifestation of his kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. A Kingdom of Redemption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Kingdom of God also implies God\u2019s \u201cparticular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.\u201d This proposition is virtually synonymous with the next sentence, \u201cParticularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ.\u201d These words emphasize that faith is an unvarnished, disarmed, completely reliant reception of the free gift of God\u2019s saving work through Christ. The Man who judges in righteousness is the same who accomplished perfect righteousness for redemption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The particularity of this kingship is contained in full in the covenant of redemption founded in divine foreknowledge and consisting of all saving graces from election to glorification. \u201cWhom he did foreknow, he also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son . . . Moreover whom he predestinated<\/em>, these he also called<\/em>; whom he called<\/em>, these he also justified<\/em>; and whom he justified<\/em>, these he also glorified<\/em>\u201d (Romans 8:29, 30 NKJV, emphasis added). These verbs point to the unilateral sovereignty of God\u2019s kingship in salvation. Nothing is redeemed that he did not foreknow. As the triune God is the King of creation, providence, and judgment, even so he is the king of his redeeming purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible identifies Paul\u2019s work of evangelism and strengthening the disciples as \u201ckingdom\u201d work. In Acts 14:22, Paul, after the near-death experience of stoning, instructed believers to continue in the faith saying, \u201cThrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.\u201d In Ephesus, Paul entered the synagogue and for three months was \u201creasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God\u201d (Acts 19:8 NASB). He saw these ideas as synonymous\u2014\u201cto testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God,\u201d and his ministry in which he \u201cwent about preaching the kingdom\u201d (Acts 20:24, 25 NASB). We also see this identification at the end of Acts (Acts 28:23). In the last verse of Acts, Luke described Paul as \u201cpreaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (Acts 28:31 NASB). Paul\u2019s letter to the church at Colosse unfolds these principles; Paul writes that God has \u201cdelivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins\u201d (Colossians 1:12\u201314 NKJV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus introduced this kingdom to Nicodemus when he said, \u201cUnless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.\u201d He then restated it, enhancing the reality that an effectual and cleansing operation of the Holy Spirit must produce this, saying, \u201cUnless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God\u201d (John 3: 3, 5 ESV). The confession describes this Spirit-wrought faith as a \u201ctrustful, childlike commitment.\u201d The Son of God came from heaven as the Son of Man for the very purpose of being \u201clifted up\u201d (John 3:14) as the sin-bearer to remove sinners from condemnation. Spiritual new-birth produces the faith by which one enters into the kingdom as the \u201crealm of salvation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By such childlike faith the kingdom of God is inhabited (Matt. 19:14). The redeemed community experiences the kingship of Jesus in this way. \u201cThe King of Love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am His, and He is mine forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The Kingdom in this Present Age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The confession goes on to assert, \u201cChristians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God\u2019s will be done on earth.\u201d Seeking to inculcate kingdom values in this present age is an element of Kingdom work. We pray, \u201cYour kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven\u201d (Matt. 6:10 NKJV). Even as we work for the kingdom consisting of the redeemed ones, so we \u201clabor that the Kingdom may come.\u201d We learn much about these Kingdom values from the conditions that existed in an unfallen world, the mandates given in a fallen world, and the principles of judgment by which God will exclude people from the eternal kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, these three spheres coalesce in a single standard of righteousness that constitutes love of God and love of neighbor. The Ten Commandments, their summary into two tables, the specific applications of them in the New Testament, the fruit of the Spirit, and the command to be holy establish a kingdom focus for human life (Mark 12:29\u201331; Galatians 5:13\u201314, 22\u201323; 1 Peter 1:13\u201316). All of this consummates in the appearance of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and his perfect execution of the redemptive task assigned him by the Father. In this, the announcement of the angel to Mary comes to pass: \u201cThe Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end\u201d (Luke 1:32\u201333).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several contemporary pressing issues may be seen in the principles established in Eden. God gave to the parents of the entire human race (Gen. 1:26\u201331; 2:7\u20138, 15\u201317; 20\u201325) an established order for human society, a set of principles valid for all time: the race consists of male and female, marriage of a male to a female, the bearing and birth of children, cultivation and rule over the natural order for human prosperity, and obedience to God\u2019s commands. Kingdom work, therefore, involves seeking to establish the order set forth in the original condition of innocence and positive goodness within human society. Today, there are three particular areas of this heavenly kingdom that are under assault: the male and female binary, human sexuality, and abortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Male and Female<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We labor for the kingdom, therefore, when we defend the ordering of male and female (Gen. 2:27; 5:2) as a divine prerogative. Seeking the Kingdom of God involves opposition to all attempts to confuse the natural binary of male and female. \u201cIt is He who has made us,\u201d refers not only to the single genetic origin of the race in Adam, but to each individual (Ps. 139: 13, 15). God made Adam\u2019s body before he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). Then out of the body of Adam, God took a rib, and \u201cHe made into a woman,\u201d Eve, as the only creature fit for Adam (Gen. 2:22). As a matter of creation and propagation, God controls the gender of all his image-bearers, permanently fashioning according to his omnipotent operation upon their \u201cunformed substance.\u201d Certainly, within the church, transgenderism is untenable at every point of Christian profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, transgenderism is a seed for the destruction of human relations in society as a whole. Paul places strong oughtness<\/em> in the reality of God\u2019s created order in describing the sinfulness of dishonoring of the body as an act against the Creator (Rom. 1:24, 25). To \u201cglorify God in your body,\u201d (1 Cor. 6:20) as a redemptive principle implies that the creature\u2019s honor of the Creator is an original expectation. Acting as salt and light and seeking to teach this aboriginal truth of God\u2019s constitution of humanity is kingdom work. Jesus taught that \u201cWhoever does and teaches them [the Law and the prophets] will be called great in the kingdom of heaven\u201d (Matthew 5:13\u201316; 19). This section of Scripture includes the absolute expectation of honoring the creation ordinance of humanity\u2019s existence as permanently (and contentedly) male and female. Taking a biblical stance on the issue of transgenderism is kingdom work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The Nature of Human Sexuality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We labor for the kingdom when we seek to foster healthy marriages in the church and society. This includes biblical instruction in maintaining happiness, respect, love, orderliness, and spiritual unity with biblical roles between husband and wife. kingdom work includes instruction in the fundamental creation reality that marriage consists of the union in loyalty, commitment, and body between a man and a woman. Teaching and preaching that the marriage relationship is the only legitimate sphere of sexual engagement honors the rule of God over his creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see this in Paul\u2019s instruction to the Corinthians. In conversion, they were washed and sanctified of all kinds of sexual immorality including fornication, homosexuality, and effeminatism\u2014that is, men imitating the role of the woman in sexual relations (1 Cor. 6:9; See also Rom. 1:26\u201327). Also, the faith that brings justification (\u201cYou were justified\u201d) includes repentance from these things. Defending homosexuality while claiming to believe and propose the doctrine of justification by faith is an absolute inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This present moral restitution in conversion implies that those who do not repent of such conduct will be found guilty in the day of judgment. Paul reminded those who professed to have a saving relation with Jesus that \u201cimmorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God\u201d (Eph. 5:3\u20135).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Included in a long list of moral violations are these perversions with the judgment that \u201cthe unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God\u201d (1 Cor. 6:9). Specifically, Paul says, \u201cDo not be deceived, neither fornicators, not idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals . . . will inherit the kingdom of God\u201d (1 Cor. 6:9\u201310 NKJV). We must not \u201cbe deceived.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the glorious picture of the \u201cthrone of God\u201d in Revelation 22:1\u20135, we learn that excluded from it are \u201cthe dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood\u201d (Rev. 22:15). Both the propagation and reception of falsehood in these areas of absolute divine command and intention concerning sexuality intensifies the evil of the transgression. God does not whisper about these things; rather, he flies banners across the heavens announcing this judgment on evil perversions to the whole world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Abortion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even so, abortion is a grotesque violation of kingdom righteousness as portrayed at creation, in providence, and in judgment. When conception occurs, an image-bearer, a real human person comes into being (Gen. 4:1, 25; 5:3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30, 32). The consistent testimony of Scripture is that the male \u201cbegets\u201d a child. That is the only point in the reproductive process in which the male is involved. \u201cMethuselah . . . begot Lamech.\u201d Lamech was there\u2014he existed\u2014at the moment that he was begotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the woman\u2019s standpoint, the moment of begetting is called conception. David knows that his moral nature was established at conception\u2014\u201cIn sin did my mother conceive me\u201d (Ps. 51:5). Mary was told that she \u201cwould conceive and bear a son,\u201d and at the moment of conception her child would be holy\u2014the holy thing begotten (Luke 1:31, 35).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kingdom work involves building a thoroughly biblical doctrine of conception to confront the lies of the world about life. Killing a baby from the moment of conception and at any time forward is flat out murder. Neither the sexually immoral nor murderers will inherit the kingdom of God. It matters nothing at all in the final judgment that a murderer of the unborn is legal in human courts. Before the throne of God, the killing of the conceived child is murder. Even this, however, is forgiven in the redemptive kingdom for those who genuinely attain childlike faith in the propitiatory substitution in the cross of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. The Return of Christ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The confessional article ends with the simple biblical truth, \u201cThe full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.\u201d At that time, we will see the full manifestation of what is presently true. Through him all was made, in him all hold together, and all judgment is committed to him, for he not only is the Divine Lawgiver but the embodiment of human righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has power to subject all things to himself. His power will grant his redeemed their glorified bodies, every knee will bow at his name that is above every name. In the resurrection the Father seated Christ \u201cat his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come\u201d (Eph. 1:20\u201321). At that subjection of all things, the Son will place it all under the Father\u2019s eternal dominion (1 Cor. 15:28). Then the glorious relations within the triune God will be eternally and increasingly manifested in that the \u201cthrone of God and of the Lamb will be in it\u201d and the \u201cSpirit and the bride say, \u2018Come\u2019\u201d (Rev.22:3, 17). This omnipotence, infinite glory, and sovereign prerogative will operate for the benefit of the saints, for \u201cThey will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever\u201d (Rev. 22:5 ESV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Far from being an abstract concept, the kingdom of God has real significance in our world today. The kingdom is ruled by an omnipotent king who orders the universe. This king welcomes his enemies to enter his kingdom of citizens and partakers of the kingdom blessings\u2014if they relate to the king by repentance and faith in the gospel of Jesus. Kingdom citizens have real obligations to fight back on the kingdom of the world by living out and advocating for kingdom ethics\u2014which includes the male\/female binary, marriage as the only right expression of sexuality, and abhorrence of abortion. Jesus Christ will return and consummate the kingdom of God on earth, and all of the kingdom citizens will worship God in glorified bodies for eternity. This is the story of the kingdom of God rightly told in the Baptist Faith and Message<\/em>, it is the story of the history, and it is the story of every kingdom citizen who trusts in Christ alone for salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What can we learn about the particulars and implications of the Kingdom of God from the Baptist Faith and Message?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"What can we learn about the particulars and implications of the Kingdom of God from the Baptist Faith and Message?","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[32,12,1813,38],"tags":[90,770,521,273,1074,921,1532,740,756,181],"scripture-reference":[],"post_folder":[],"ppma_author":[152],"class_list":["post-16634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-concise","category-november-2024","category-theme","tag-abortion","tag-baptist","tag-baptist-faith-message-2000","tag-gender","tag-kingdom","tag-kingdom-of-god","tag-providence","tag-redemption","tag-second-coming","tag-southern-baptist-convention-sbc"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/karsten-winegeart-l8Gxa7174NQ-unsplash-scaled-e1731935112270.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-01-13 11:55:52","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"authors":[{"term_id":152,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"tom-j-nettles","display_name":"Tom J. Nettles","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/thomas-j-nettles.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/thomas-j-nettles.jpeg"},"author_category":"","job_title":"","church_city_state":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","church_site":"","user_url":"","description":"Tom Nettles<\/b> has most recently served as the Professor of Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Along with numerous journal articles and scholarly papers, Dr. Nettles is the author and editor of fifteen books. Among his books are By His Grace and For His Glory<\/i>; Baptists and the Bible<\/i>, James Petigru Boyce: A Southern Baptist Statesman<\/i>, and Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles H. Spurgeon<\/i>. Tom and his wife Margaret are actively involved with the ministry of LaGrange Baptist Church in LaGrange, Kentucky."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16634"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16674,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16634\/revisions\/16674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16634"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-reference","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-reference?post=16634"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=16634"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=16634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}