The Difference Between Being a Citizen of the Kingdom of God and Inheriting the Kingdom of God

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... he cannot enter the kingdom of God... For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:3, 5, 16)

Birth into God's Family and Becoming a Citizen of the Kingdom of God

These verses in John 3 teach that a man must be born again, granting him eternal life (God's life) - through faith in Jesus - in order to "enter" and "see" the kingdom of God. This is the actual process and blessing of being birthed into the royal family of God. This is becoming, at the very moment of faith in Jesus, a real child of God, born into the kingdom and granted citizenship there.


The Purpose of Royal Birth

Birth into the family of God is not an end but a means to an end. Birth into a royal family has as an end to assume the purpose of royalty: to ascend a throne and inherit a kingdom.

But for this to happen, the royal child - who has a prospect of ruling and inheriting - must submit to his parents discipline in order to cultivate the character and qualities necessary to reign with justice and righteousness. And in the absence of submitting to that training and/or in the event of lapsing into prolonged immorality, there is the danger of forfeiting that conditional privilege of ascending the family throne and inheriting the kingdom.

Just think of Prince Andrew whose moral lapses had him removed from his royal privilege and titles. Due to his failures, he forfeited much. But something we should keep in mind in all this is that he still is a citizen of Great Britain, though he lost the privileges of his royal status.


Entering and Inheriting the Kingdom, Contrasted

Here is the thing. We become a child of our King and God, and citizens of the kingdom of God, by grace through faith in Jesus, at the instant of believing in Him for His free gift of eternal life. This citizenship is eternal and irrevocable. But our royal privileges are not. We will only inherit the kingdom of God and co-rule with the Lord Jesus should we submit to His character training in this life and develop the necessary qualities of royalty, while at the same time keeping from the moral lapses listed here:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:10-11)

Jesus Invites You to Assume Your Royal Identity and Share in the Administration of His Kingdom

Christian, you were born into the family of God for a purpose: to realize God's original plan and design for man - dominion over creation.

Jesus Christ has qualified you, by His death and through your redemption, to be reinstated to the place of privilege and to be restored fully to God's image. Jesus Christ won His place as Supreme Ruler and Inheritor of all things through His humility, obedience, and suffering (Philippians 2:5-11), and desires to lead you into the same experience (Hebrews 2:9-11, 18). He is inviting you to share His inheritance and throne with Him:

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne as I overcame and was granted to sit with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)

Encouragement

Submit to discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ and learn from Him all the lessons of life on the pathway of suffering that leads to sharing a throne with Him.

And by so doing, you will safeguard yourself from forfeiting the royal privilege you were born to, and you will be granted to share in Christ's reign and share in His kingdom inheritance.

Amen.