Gospel of Salvation versus Gospel of the Kingdom Perspective

Let me start by defining what I mean by the gospel of salvation and the gospel of the kingdom. When I say the gospel of salvation I mean the view that limits the work of the ministry of Christ to the salvation of people, usually with an emphasis on getting as many people to heaven before they die. Whilst this is not necessarily an incorrect way of seeing the work of Christ, my premise is that it is very limited and captures a limited aspect of the work of Christ. The gospel of the kingdom acknowledges the scope of the gospel of salvation and yet understands the ministry of Christ to not only entail the eternal destination of people but also acknowledges the present empowerment of the saints in redeeming God's good creation back to its original pattern. Meaning that the gospel should affect not just the eternal destination of the believer but also impact the here and now through the work of ambassadorship in the life of God's children.

We are empowered to not just see people go to heaven, but by the grace of God to see heaven (God's kingdom) expressed on the earth, bringing healing, justice, and peace to people, people groups, industries, regions, and nations. Whilst we may not see this outworked in perfection until Jesus returns, we nevertheless have a responsibility and kingdom calling to leave things better than when we arrived.

The word “world” in 2 Corinthians 5 is the word (kosmos); This term has a range of meanings in the New Testament, including the physical world, the universe, the human inhabitants of the world, and the world system or order.

The reason this matters to us as marketplace believers is because it shows us the scope of our callings is greater than just getting people saved (as important and wonderful as that is). We are also called to model and bring the Lordship of Christ into the environments of our workplaces and businesses. To model heaven on earth as ambassadors and representatives of the King of Kings.

Believing God to bring the expression of His kingdom into our marketplace settings might look like walking out our roles with the highest integrity, kindness, diligence, and genuine concern for your fellow work colleagues. It might look like advocating and influencing company policy so that people are treated with dignity and respect whilst also being productive and engaged workers. There are many applications of this once we take the limitations off around just getting people to say yes to Jesus. (Without discounting this amazing moment also).

I invite you to join me in a prayer today around this revelation between the gospel of salvation versus the gospel of the kingdom:

Father,

I thank you that the gospel is not just good news for people but it is good news for your entire creation. I am humbled that you would trust me as your ambassador of this great truth, and help me to bring expression and life through your empowering Holy Spirit in my marketplace setting to what heaven on earth looks like. I thank you that you also empower me to be a witness of salvation to my work colleagues who might not know your love yet. Help me to be an effective witness for you. I love you and thank you for this kingdom calling in and to the marketplace in Jesus' name.

Amen