The Blossoming of the Scriptures

[T]he Scriptures are like a rose, one that began to bud early in the Old Testament as God, the great Kingdom Builder, established His kingdom in the garden of Eden. Even when the Devil used Adam to desecrate this kingdom, the Scriptures continued to blossom as God began rebuilding His kingdom. He called Abram to be the father of a new kingdom-people who would live in a kingdom-place. He saved the Israelites from Egypt and brought them to the promised kingdom-place in the days of Joshua. Again, though it was defiled in the days of the judges, God reformed the church in the days of David and Solomon, giving His people a temple at which to worship. Finally, the rose of Scripture came to full bloom with the coming of our Lord--"God with us" (Matt. 1:23), "the Word" who was "made flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us" (John 1:14).

--Daniel R. Hyde, God in Our Midst: The Tabernacle & Our Relationship with God (Sanford, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012), Kindle location 491. 

The Criterion for Being a Christian

What is the criterion for someone's being a Christian? It is the fact that he or she has received citizenship not because of social, cultural, racial, or moral location but because of the grace of the King. Once an alien (Eph. 2:19), he or she is now a citizen with full rights and privileges in a new community.

--Stephen Um, "The Kingdom of God" in The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices (edited by D.A. Carson and Timothy Keller; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 203.

No Degrees of Citizenship in God's Kingdom

Since the gospel confirms the Christian of his legal standing and permanent status, he can gain confidence in knowing the truth that no degrees exist in citizenship.

In other words, either you are a citizen or you are not; either you are a child or you are not. This truth will repudiate any false notions and insecurities about one's performance determining his status as a citizen. In other words, one does not become a second-class citizen when one is less obedient and a first-class citizen when one is more obedient.

--Stephen Um, "The Kingdom of God" in The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices (edited by D.A. Carson and Timothy Keller; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 202-203.

Members of God's Kingdom

Christians conduct themselves in relationship to others in ways that adorn the gospel, seek the other's good, and bring glory to Christ. They do this because they are members of a radically different community, God's kingdom, and are in union with the person in charge of history.

--Stephen Um, "The Kingdom of God" in The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices (edited by D.A. Carson and Timothy Keller; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 202.

What is the Kingdom of God?

What is the kingdom of God? Most modern dictionaries will define the word as a "sphere," "realm," or "place." This explanation has misguided interpreters away from the biblical understanding that emphasizes the rank, rule, reign, dominion, and royal authority of God.

--Stephen Um, "The Kingdom of God" in The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices (edited by D.A. Carson and Timothy Keller; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 194.