The Gospel and the Kingdom of God

The Bible talks a lot about the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. In fact, a quick search on biblegateway.com turns up 90 occasions where the Gospel is mentioned and 96 where the Scriptures talk about the Kingdom of God. What’s the connection? And why does it matter?

We generally think about the Gospel in terms of the “Good News” proclaimed by Jesus and His followers. It is the message about God’s redemptive work accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is the means by which we come into the Kingdom of God.

As followers of Jesus, however, we don’t just proclaim the message of the Gospel. We don’t just point people to the door to the Kingdom. We’re supposed to go through that door and live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. What’s remarkable is that when people see us living by biblical values, some are drawn to God themselves. Is it the proclaiming of the truth (the Gospel message) that draws people to God, or is it the living out biblical values that attracts them?

Jesus Himself said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29, emphasis added).

If we’re honest, the Kingdom of God is a bit mysterious. We don’t always know how it works. But both sharing the Gospel message and living out what the Bible says are essential. Somehow (we don’t know how) they work in tandem to advance God’s Kingdom.

The Navigators Calling is, “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.” It’s why we spend time and effort telling people about the Good News—about how they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ personally.

The stories show God working in and through us. It’s a combination of the message and the life that God uses to bring people to Himself—and to advance His Kingdom. Sharing the Gospel is about more than simply passing on the “facts” of salvation. It’s more than words. As Paul shared with his Corinthian brothers and sisters, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).