In these years we have been wholly convinced that the Lord is working toward a fuller recovery. For instance, the Gospel of grace and the Gospel of the kingdom must be joined together in the Gospels, these two were never separated. Only in later years does it seem as if those who have heard the Gospel of grace know little or nothing of the Gospel of the kingdom. Thus, the two have been separated. But the time is now ripe for both Gospels to be united, so that the people so that people who can become thoroughly saved, forsaking everything and wholly consecrating themselves to the Lord.
— Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit, 1950
For modern Christians, the Gospel is associated with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. The Good News in our minds is that God has forgiven us, and we can be saved. This is the Gospel of grace.
But there is another Gospel, the Gospel of the kingdom. The Gospel of the kingdom tells us that we are citizens of a new nation.
And in this new nation, there is a King.
Under the lordship of our King, Jesus Christ, we are not only forgiven and set free, but also given new commands. We are not simply saved to enjoy the rest of our lives in comfort and luxury. We are now knights, yeomen, and servants of our King.
For generations we have become too accustomed to thinking in entitled ways about our rights as citizens. Very little thought is given to the responsibilities of a citizen towards his country. This is true both in the church and in Western society at large.
Responsibilities are seen as liabilities to be avoided. Most Christians work just as hard as unbelievers to minimize responsibility and make our duties as comfortable and easy as possible.
This should not be so. A Christian should rejoice at the commands of his King.
“And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” — Psalm 119:47
We have got the Good News mixed up. We somehow think that Christ’s Gospel is that we don't have to care about anything anymore. As if the Good News is that we can be lazy and fat because God has forgiven us.
The Gospel of the kingdom is not that we have no duties, but that we can now rejoice in our duties as free citizens, not as enemies of the King, enslaved to addiction and sin.
The Good News leads to a new life of productive work, not a life of Netflix and chill. The Good News has good fruit. The Good News is that we no longer love our sin and love to be slaves to it, but instead we love our Saviour and love to do His bidding.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15
This is the Gospel of the kingdom. The Gospel of the kingdom is that we are now free citizens of a Royal Hierarchy in which we are not the King, but we are Family.
We have been adopted into the house of the Prince. This should cause us to stir up our energy to do good works even when it is painful and exhausting—because of our love for our King. Selfish ambition hates our place in the hierarchy. Such pride is anathema to the Gospel of the kingdom.
The Gospel of the Kingdom has been rejected because it hurts our pride. We hate it because is political and hierarchical. We despise it because it places us below our King. We fear it because it may place us below our brother in Christ.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3
Our age of “human rights” and liberation despises the idea that some other people are more significant than ourselves. This egalitarian rebellion rolls up the hierarchy to the King Himself. This pride is what caused Lucifer to challenge the Creator. Modern Liberalism is anti-Gospel of the kingdom. We will not submit. We hate the idea of it. We hate that God has the control in His kingdom and we do not.
“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” — Matthew 19:30
So all of our human worth will perhaps be wasted in this kingdom. We would much rather create a meritocracy here on earth where we can earn our place through our strength and intellect instead of believing the Gospel of a kingdom where our place is bestowed upon us from above because of the goodness of our King, not ourselves.
It is not us who earned it, but Christ.
The power of the kingdom comes from the King.
Christians block our King’s power when we refuse to submit to his kingdom. Instead we love ourselves and we refuse to let ourselves be broken on His altar. But God will patiently discipline us until we allow Him to have His way with us.
We must put everything on the altar. Let us pray as follows, “Lord, I put my all on the altar. Cut away through me so that the church may find a way. I would not be one who both blocks You and thus blocks the church.”
Step by step God is instructing and dealing with his children. Again and again we sense His hand upon us. So shall it be until the day arrives when the church is indeed the full manifestation of God.
— Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit