The Kingdom Of God Is Now-and Not Yet: What That Means for Your Life and Ministry

What is the Kingdom of God?

It’s a phrase that Christians are familiar with, but when asked to precisely define what it is, where its boundaries are, and what it looks like, the concept of the Kingdom of God becomes difficult to explain. I aim to answer this question: What is the Kingdom of God? I will argue that the Kingdom of God exists in an already, but not yet concept, where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has been crowned King and reigns now, and yet it has not fully arrived on earth until the day of judgment. Based on biblical evidence from both the Old and New Testaments, the Kingdom of God teaches believers to live under the authority of our crowned King, even while living as aliens, ambassadors in a foreign land, which has significant implications for life and ministry.

Foundations of the Kingdom: God's Reign in the Old Testament

The phrase “Kingdom of God” is not found within the Old Testament, but that doesn’t mean that it is not there. In fact, the kingdom of God is visible throughout the Old Testament. Conceptually, God’s kingdom—His reign, rule, and sovereign authority—is a core concept throughout both the Old and New Testaments. George Ladd teaches that “the biblical idea of the Kingdom of God is deeply rooted in the Old Testament and is grounded in the confidence that there is one eternal, living God who has revealed Himself to men and who has a purpose of the human race which He has chose to accomplish through Israel.”[1] This purpose, revealed through God's covenantal dealings with Israel, sets the stage for the unfolding drama of redemptive history and anticipates the coming of a greater King and an everlasting Kingdom.

The kingdom of God exists in an already, but not yet, existence. God’s rule goes beyond the physical, into the metaphysical and spiritual realms. This is true today, and it was true for God’s people in the Old Testament. This reality is echoed when the Bible says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). Although, for the Old Testament church, the kingdom of God manifested itself differently than what we see today. Throughout history, there have been some who believed and taught that the kingdom of God was ruled and run through human institutions.[2] However, Protestants have essentially always concluded that it is God who rules His kingdom directly, not mere imperfect men. This was true in the Old Testament, for the Israelites, the New Testament, and after the canon of Scripture was established.

During the days of the Old Testament, God’s people were gathered together as a nation, ethnically and religiously. Their government was established by God, along with their rules, laws, and regulations. God said, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God. . .” (Exodus 6:7). It was God, not men, that established their laws, rules, and regulations (Exodus 24:12; Leviticus 18:4-5; Deuteronomy 4:5-6; 31:9-13). It was God Himself who penned the Ten Commandments, a truth echoed here, “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments . . .” (Nehemiah 9:13-14). Therefore, the entire framework of Israel’s religious, moral, and civil life was not the product of human invention, but a divine institution—established, revealed, and upheld by the sovereign hand of God.

The Israelites, God’s chosen people, His Old Testament Church, were led by God for generations. However, there came a time when the Israelites called out to God, asking for an earthly king. The Bible says, “Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do ot walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations’” (1 Samuel 8:4-5). The Israelites had looked to their neighbors, how their cultures and societies were established and run, and they foolishly sought to replace God, the Creator of all things, their true King, with an earthly king. Samuel protested (1 Samuel 8:6-7; 19-20), but the Israelites demanded a king, which was not just a political shift, but also a spiritual rejection of God’s kingship.

God granted the Israelites their request but also offered a sharp warning (1 Samuel 8:9) that their earthly king would rule over them, sending their descendants to their deaths in battle and working them in the fields (1 Samuel 8:11-18). In effect, the Israelites, God’s chosen people, rejected God as their king and, looking to their neighbors, asked to be governed by an imperfect man (1 Samuel 8:7). Although Israel rejected God’s direct kingship by demanding a human monarch, God, in His sovereignty, wove even this misguided request into His redemptive plan. He used the institution of the monarchy to advance His purposes and to foreshadow the coming of a better King. After granting Israel’s request and sending them someone who appeared kingly, King Saul, God eventually raised up David—a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14)—and established a covenant with him that carried enormous kingdom implications: “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).[3]

This Davidic covenant marked a key development in the unfolding narrative of God's kingdom. The kingdom of God in the Old Testament was no longer ruled by God through law and covenant, but now included a royal lineage through which God's Messiah would one day come. Though tainted by human sin, this established royal monarchy became a vessel for God's promise of an everlasting kingdom. The Psalms regularly reflect this hope in God's rule through His anointed king (Psalm 2; Psalm 72; Psalm 89), pointing forward to one who would fully embody God's justice, righteousness, and authority.

Even in the midst of exile and the collapse of the physical kingdom, the prophets held out hope—not merely for the restoration of a political kingdom, but for a renewed, spiritual reign of God among His people. Isaiah prophesied of a coming child who would bear the government upon his shoulders and reign with righteousness and justice forever (Isaiah 9:6–7). Daniel envisioned a day when “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44), and again in Daniel 7:14, a Son of Man is given “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.”

Therefore, throughout the Old Testament, we see that the concept of the kingdom of God encompasses both His sovereign rule over all creation and His divine reign among His covenant people. While the physical kingdom of Israel was flawed—marked by rebellion, idolatry, and eventual judgment—the prophets pointed forward to a better kingdom—one that would be eternal, unshakable, and ruled by a righteous King.

The prophets sets the stage for the arrival of Jesus in the New Testament, who comes proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The Old Testament lays the foundation by showing that the kingdom of God is not merely a political reality, but a redemptive reign—a kingdom inaugurated by God, fulfilled in Christ, and extended to all who submit to His rule.

From Prophecy to Presence: The Kingdom of God in Christ

The stage was set, and the world was ready for God’s kingdom to come into the world. The prophets had long spoken of a king who would rise from the lineage of David. Jeremiah declared, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). Likewise, Ezekiel prophesied of a Davidic shepherd-king who would reign forever under a covenant of peace: “My servant David shall be king over them . . . and I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them” (Ezekiel 37:24-28). The Israelites waited expectantly for this promised King, anticipating a glorious restoration of God’s rule. But when the kingdom finally arrived, it was not through military might or political power—it was through a humble carpenter from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem.[4] And it changed the world forever.

When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on human form and dwelt among humanity, He did so with a definitive proclamation: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). With those words, Jesus announced the inauguration of the kingdom of God—a reign that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and yet radically redefined expectations. His earthly ministry revealed that the kingdom had come near in His very person. He healed the sick, cast out demons, forgave sin, commanded the wind and waves, and taught with divine authority. These signs demonstrated that the rule of God had broken into the present world through the person and work of the King Himself.

Jesus’ kingdom, however, did not resemble the earthly monarchies of the Old Testament or the Gentile nations. When Jesus said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,” (Mark 12:34) he was not referring to a “. . . place like a country, a state, or a continent. That would be to reduce God to the image of an earthly king or ruler . . .”[5] His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Rather than establishing a geographic nation, Jesus called individuals into personal submission to God’s reign through faith and repentance. That said, geographically speaking, the kingdom of God can be found in the heart of every born-again believer. He declared that entrance into the kingdom required spiritual rebirth: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This was not a kingdom limited by race, region, or ritual—it was a kingdom composed of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation who bowed the knee before their rightful God King. It was at this point that the claim to being God’s people was taken from the Israelites and given to a “. . . new nation called out of darkness,” to those who are producing fruit (Matthew 21:43).[6]

Though the kingdom had come, it had not yet arrived in its fullness. Jesus taught in parables to explain this mystery of the already and not yet kingdom. In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31–32), the kingdom begins small but grows into something vast. In the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Matthew 13:24–30), the kingdom advances in the midst of evil until the final judgment. Jesus’ teachings, although cloaked in symbolism and mystery, taught that while the kingdom had been inaugurated in His first coming, it would not be consummated until His return. Until then, believers live as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, and yet aliens on the earth (Philippians 3:20: 1 Peter 2:11), awaiting the day when the King returns to judge the nations and establish His reign forever.

The New Testament church lives in this transitional time. Believers are described as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)—language that echoes the identity of Israel in the Old Testament, now applied to the multinational church. The apostle Paul describes the kingdom not in terms of external structures, but as spiritual and metaphysical reality. Christ now reigns from heaven (Ephesians 1:20-22), and believers are already seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), yet they still pray, “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10), longing for the day when the reign of Christ is made visible on the earth.

Although Christ is reigning from His heavenly throne, the consummation of the kingdom is still to come. The New Testament ends with a vision of the future where Christ returns, defeats all His enemies, and ushers in the new heavens and new earth. Revelation declares, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). At that time, God’s redemptive reign will no longer be contested, hidden, or partial. The King will dwell among His people, and the curse of sin will be no more (Revelation 21:3–5).

Therefore, the New Testament presents the kingdom of God as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises, centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a present spiritual reality and a future glorious hope. Christ has been crowned King, and His people now live as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, empowered by the Spirit, shaped by kingdom values, and proclaiming the good news until the day their King returns. The church today does not merely look back at the kingdom’s arrival or forward to its fulfillment—we live within it, under the rule of Christ, and carry its message to the world.

Implications Of The Kingdom Of God For Life And Ministry

Most Christians have heard the phrase, “the kingdom of God,” but few have considered what it means, where its boundaries are, and even fewer have considered how it applies to believers today. Developing a biblical understanding of the Kingdom of God changes everything. It alters how we understand the story of Scripture and how we live in the present. If Jesus Christ is the reigning King and if we are truly citizens of a spiritual kingdom that has already begun, then our allegiance, purpose, and daily lives must reflect that greater reality. Knowing that the Kingdom of God is already here, yet not fully realized, provides a clear framework for how believers ought to live and serve in the time and place God has assigned to them.

As born-again believers acknowledge and meditate on the fact that they have been saved by grace and brought into this kingdom through faith in Christ, they no longer belong to this world. The Apostle Paul reminds them, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). This citizenship has real implications. It means that believers are aliens and sojourners on the earth (1 Peter 2:11). Their decisions, motivations, and goals must no longer be dictated by worldly standards or fleshly desires, but by priorities established by our reigning King. Christians ought to desire to live under the authority of a crowned King, and this allegiance reorients every aspect of their life—how they use their time, approach their studies, serve the church, and prepare for ministry.

The Kingdom and Individual Calling

Developing an understanding of the Kingdom of God gives clarity and weight to our individual calling. The Christian's life is not aimless; they have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of the beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This means that they now reside in the world, not to live for themselves (Luke 9:23), but to represent the true King within it. Believers have not been called to build large storehouses of valuable possessions on this earth, but to proclaim and display the reign of Christ through gospel witness, sacrificial love, and faithful obedience.

Below is my personal perspective on this. I included it as an example for you to see how to view vocations from a biblical lens. I encourage each of you to consider your own situation. How does the Kingdom of God influence your individual calling?

Personally, my vocational goal is to shepherd God’s people and to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12), and I see this responsibility now with greater urgency. I am not simply entering a profession—I am stepping into the role of an ambassador of the kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). My aim is not to grow a platform, a church brand, or an audience—that path radically increases the chances of compromise—but to make Christ known and to disciple others live under His lordship. The Kingdom of God demands that I be more than a religious teacher or a spiritual guide. It calls ministers to be servant-leaders who point others to the risen King with their words, actions, and the way they love His people.

The Kingdom and High Educational Pursuits

My time at Spurgeon College and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is not just about academic development—it is preparing me and other students for service in God’s kingdom. Every course taken, every book read, and every assignment completed is a part of God’s equipping process to make Christians more knowledgeable and fruitful for His glory. Knowing that we live under Christ’s reign gives urgency and purpose to our education. We are not simply aiming to pass tests or finish papers; we are being shaped for gospel ministry. Therefore, we ought to faithfully dedicate ourselves to the Lord no matter the phase of life that we find ourselves in, giving Him our firstfruits.

The Kingdom mindset protects us from drifting into pride or performance-based identity. It is not our job to save every soul that we encounter—only God can effect that type of change in their hearts (Ezekiel 36:26-27). We are merely laborers in the field (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). Dwelling on this fact ought to humble us and also compel us to steward this time well, knowing that we are being entrusted with truth not for the sake of knowledge alone, but to proclaim it with conviction and compassion in a world that desperately needs to hear the voice of the King.

The Kingdom and the Local Church

If Christ is King, then His churches throughout the world are outposts of His Kingdom in this world. The local church is not just a place of worship or community but a visible expression of God’s redemptive reign. As a church member, Elder, and Pastor—someone who has been called to lead—I see the Kingdom shaping every part of our life together. It is the shepherd's task of “... proclaiming the word, the true doctrine” to all who will listen.[7]

Being kingdom-focused shapes our preaching—we declare Christ crucified, risen, and reigning. It shapes our discipleship—we teach others to obey all that He commanded. It shapes our fellowship—we are not merely a group of like-minded individuals, but a blood-bought family under the lordship of Jesus. It shapes our mission because we do not exist to grow in comfort or popularity but to live as light in the darkness, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to our neighborhoods and the nations.

The church is where I have the privilege to serve, but it is also the place where I am conformed into the image of Christ. The Kingdom calls me to humility, sacrifice, and a long view of ministry. It reminds me that I do not serve for my own name, but for the glory of the King. Whether I am preaching a sermon, visiting the sick, discipling a young believer, or stacking chairs after a potluck, all of it is kingdom work when done in joyful submission to Christ.

Although this is true for me and other ministers, wherever we are called to serve, God has strategically placed us there for your good and His glory (James 1:2-4; Romans 8:28-29). Therefore, we ought to continually seek out ways to glorify Him despite whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

The Kingdom and Everyday Life

A biblical understanding of the Kingdom changes how Christians live their lives. It teaches them that there is no separation between how we are to behave within the walls of the church and how we are to behave in our everyday lives. Every part of our lives is lived under Christ’s reign. Therefore, whether we are parenting children, working a part-time job, engaging with a neighbor, or sitting in a class, we do so as citizens of the Kingdom. We do not need to chase earthly success, approval, or comfort, because believers are already citizens of a greater kingdom (Hebrews 11:16).

This mindset challenges believers to remain faithful. It calls them to serve others when no one is watching, to pray when no one else does, and to firmly and unwaveringly stand for truth even when it costs us everything. The commitment requested is extreme: calling believers to lay down their lives for the King and seeking God’s kingdom of restoration and reconciliation.[8] The Kingdom of God is not about building brands but following our King. This is how we ought to desire to live, and this is the kind of ministry that we ought to desire.

Concluding Thoughts

We live in a world that is depraved and hostile to the truth. But our King is alive, He has risen, and He will come again. Until that day, we ought to desire to be found faithful. We should seek to live each day with our eyes fixed on Christ and a heart eager for His return. We must proclaim the gospel, equip the church, and disciple the next generation—not with fear or fatigue—but with the joy and confidence that comes from knowing my King is on the throne.

The Kingdom of God is not just a doctrine to be studied—it is a reality to be embraced. It defines who Christians are, how we live, and what we do. By God’s grace, we ought to desire to live as faithful ambassadors of that kingdom, trusting in the power of the King who reigns now and forever.       

[1] George Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1959), 15.

[2] Mark Granquist “Rereading Neibuhr’s: The Kingdom of God in America,” Word & World 43, no. 2 (Spring 2023): 120.

[3] Martin Davie, Time Grass, and Stephen Holmes, New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), 520.

[4] William Temple, The Kingdom of God: A Course of Four Lectures (London, England: MacMillan and Co., Limited, 1914), 19.

[5] Paul Fiddes, Baptists And The Kingdom of God: Global Perspectives, ed. T. Laine Scales and Joan Chaves (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023), 15.

[6] James Evans, The Kingdom of God: Its Origin, Nature and Duration (Mount Morris, IL: Work Steam Printing House, 1882), 7.

[7] Herman Van Alten, “The Progress of the Kingdom: Calvin’s Pastoral Care for Rulers,” Unio cum Christo 9, no. 1 (April 2023), 19.

[8] Tim Dickau, “Seeking the Kingdom of God as a Church in a Postmodern Age,” Direction 48, no. 1 (Spring 2019), 50.