What is the difference between the world and the kingdom of God?
The world is the system of values, desires, and loyalties that operates apart from God; the kingdom of God is His rule and reign breaking in through Christ. They are opposed to each other. You belong to one or the other, and the Spirit convicts you of which one is shaping your life.
This question arose from studying How does the Spirit convict the world of sin? and What is the flesh versus the Spirit?.
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What the Scripture says
The world is a system, not just a place
When John says 'Don't love the world,' he is not talking about the physical creation, which God made and called good. He is talking about 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' the system of values that says pleasure, possessions, and status are what matter most. It is the world that rejected Jesus.
Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
The kingdom of God is His rule breaking in
Jesus said, 'The Kingdom of God doesn't come with observation,' but 'the Kingdom of God is within you.' It is not a territory or a political system; it is God's authority and reign, present now in the hearts of His people and coming in fullness when He returns.
Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Jesus' kingdom is not of this world's order
When Pilate asked if Jesus was a king, Jesus said His kingdom was 'not of this world.' It does not advance by violence or politics, but by truth, love, and the Spirit. The cross looked like defeat; it was the greatest victory in history.
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
The two kingdoms are in conflict
Paul says God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. The transfer has happened; you are no longer under that rule. But the old system still exerts pressure, and the Spirit convicts you of where your loyalties lie.
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;
When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
Choosing one means rejecting the other
Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money. John says, 'If anyone loves the world, the Father's love isn't in him.' The two systems make competing claims on your heart, your time, your money, and your allegiance. There is no neutral ground.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.
As you read, you may wonder…
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Explore further
What does it mean that the world hates Jesus?→Jesus Christ trail“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”What is the kingdom of God?→The Gospel trail“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.””What does it mean to be made in God's image?→Who We Are trail“God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”
Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
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