{"id":19249,"date":"2019-05-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/the-coming-kingdom-069\/"},"modified":"2019-05-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T05:00:00","slug":"the-coming-kingdom-069","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/the-coming-kingdom-069\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coming Kingdom 069"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[96],"series_event":[470],"sermon_service_type":[474],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-19249","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-colossians","series_event-the-coming-kingdom","sermon_service_type-wednesday-evenings","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"The Coming Kingdom 069","sermon_date":"20190515","sermon_month":"5","sermon_year":"2019","sermon_notes":6662,"sermon_slides":6663,"sermon_mp3":6665,"sermon_id":"515192318195856","series_or_event":470,"service_type":[474],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":96,"chapter_and_verse":"1:13","sermon_transcript":"Andy Woods\n\nThe Coming Kingdom\n\n5-15-19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Colossians 1:13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lesson 69\n\nLet\u2019s take our Bibles to the Book of Colossians, chapter 1 and verse 13.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking a little bit at my calendar, it looks like we have tonight and then two more Wednesdays after tonight, right?\u00a0 And then we\u2019re going to have a summer recess [laughter], you need time to metabolize all this data we\u2019ve been force feeding you.\u00a0 And we\u2019re continuing to move through this study on the kingdom, I did write a book (as you know) called The Coming Kingdom<\/em> and everybody gets one that wants one that\u2019s taking this class.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t got one just see me and we\u2019ll make sure you get that.\n\nOne of the reasons we\u2019re trying to take on this subject is it really is a topic that if you understand it it\u2019ll take you through the whole Bible.\u00a0 So it\u2019s sort of a great way to capture synthetically what the whole Bible is about.\u00a0 We\u2019re in chapter 19 of the book, hoping to finish chapter 19 tonight, God willing.\u00a0 But we\u2019re in the part of the study where we\u2019ve been teaching that the kingdom has been offered and rejected by Israel in the first century, not cancelled but\u2026 what\u2019s the magic word?\u00a0 Postponed! \u00a0So that\u2019s our model of the kingdom, we believe that the kingdom is postponed and if that\u2019s true people like to quote what about this passage, what about that passage.\u00a0 So we looked at passages from the life of Christ that allegedly teach the kingdom is now, answered those passages from the Book of Acts allegedly teaching that we\u2019re in the kingdom now, answered those.\u00a0 And we\u2019re in the midst of looking at passages from the teachings of the Apostle Paul.\u00a0 So we just have two more to cover with Paul, Colossians 1:13 and Colossians 4:11 and then we\u2019ll be into the general letters in the Book of Revelation, which I think will go by fairly fast.\n\nBut one of the verses that people use over and over again, and if you get into any discussion with somebody on this topic whether we\u2019re in the kingdom or not at some point someone is going to quote Colossians 1:13, so let\u2019s see if we can tackle that one tonight.\u00a0 \u00a0Paul says, concerning the Christian, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 So according to this upon faith alone in Christ alone I\u2019m transferred from Satan\u2019s kingdom, the domain of darkness, into God\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0 My goodness, it sure looks like I\u2019m in the kingdom now, doesn\u2019t it?\n\nThere\u2019s a parallel passage in the Book of Acts, Paul also speaking there, his words are recorded for us anyway, Acts 26:17-18 and there he\u2019s recounting his testimony, how he got saved, and what God said to him and he recalls this, \u00a0\u201crescuing you from the Jewish<\/em> people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, [18] to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan\u201d you know, the domain of Satan, the rulership of Satan, \u201cto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 So very clearly there again we\u2019re told that when a person trusts Christ, like Paul, he\u2019s taken from Satan\u2019s domain to God\u2019s domain.\u00a0 So if we\u2019re in God\u2019s domain now certainly we must be in the kingdom, you say, there must be a spiritual form of the kingdom present.\n\nLet me just sort of remind us of something that Charles Ryrie said; we quoted him very early in our study on the kingdom.\u00a0 Charles Ryrie said this: \u201cBecause the King was rejected, the messianic, Davidic kingdom was (from a human viewpoint) postponed.\u201d\u00a0 So there\u2019s the \u201cP\u201d word, \u201cpostponed\u201d and maybe you can breathe a little sigh of relief there because I\u2019m not making things up, I\u2019m just teaching what some of the mainline teachers (like Charles Ryrie) taught on this.\u00a0 \u201cThough He never ceases to be King and, of course, is King today as always,\u201d notice this next line, \u201cChrist is never designated as the king of the church.\u201d Acts 17:7 and 1 Timothy 1:17 are no exceptions, and Revelation 15:3, \u201cKing of saints,\u201d KJV, is \u201cKing of the nations\u201d in the critical and majority texts). Though Christ is King today, He does not rule as King<\/u>.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s one of the points we\u2019ve been making.\u00a0 \u201cThis awaits His second coming. Then the Davidic kingdom will be realized (Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:15, 20). Then the Priest will sit on His throne, bringing to this earth the long-awaited Golden Age (Psalm 110).\u201d<\/em>\n\nSo you can see that our theology lines up perfectly with what Ryrie is saying.\u00a0 But he makes the point here that Christ in the present age is nowhere designated as the King of the church.\u00a0 And that\u2019s sort of disappointing to people because it wrecks a lot of worship songs because everybody is singing about King Jesus this and King Jesus that.\u00a0 Nobody wants to hear some guy come along and say Jesus is never called the King of the church. But in Colossians 1:13 He makes the statement that we just talked about.\u00a0 Verse 13 is followed by verse 18 isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 And what is Jesus called, verse 18?\u00a0 He is the \u201chead of the body\u201d of the church.\u00a0 [\u201cHe is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.\u201d\u00a0 Colossians 1:18]\n\nAnd so this is something that\u2019s really important to understand.\u00a0 Jesus is never called the King of the church; that\u2019s not denying the fact that He will reign as King one day but His present occupation is not king but is high priest.\u00a0 And if you want to really understand what Jesus is doing today the New Testament gives different images than King subject.\u00a0 He\u2019s called the groom and we\u2019re called the bride, Ephesians 5:22-23.\u00a0 [Ephesians 5:22-23, \u201cWives, be subject<\/em> to your own husbands, as to the Lord. [23] For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being<\/em> the Savior of the body.\u201d]\n\nAnd here in Colossians 1:18 we\u2019re called the body and He\u2019s called the head.\u00a0 Obviously He has a powerful position but it doesn\u2019t say there that He\u2019s King.\u00a0 And I think that\u2019s something that\u2019s important to keep in mind when you read a passage like Colossians 1:13 where we\u2019ve been transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u00a0 [Colossians 1:13, \u201cColossians 1:13, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d]\n\nI think it\u2019s important to let verse 13 have its place but also verse 18, where Jesus is never called the King of the church, He\u2019s called the head of the body, the church.\u00a0 So with that being said how would myself, as a person that believed the kingdom is future, how would I handle Colossians 1:13?\u00a0 Now I think there are obviously two ways of handling it that work.\u00a0 One is, and you may remember this, we covered it, I think in the first lesson we taught on the kingdom and we\u2019re already on lesson sixty-eight so you may not remember that far back, but one of the first things we said out of the gate is that there\u2019s a difference between the Universal Kingdom and the Theocratic Kingdom.\u00a0 Now does anybody recall that we mentioned that?\u00a0 Even if you don\u2019t recall it just say yes because it\u2019ll make me feel better.\u00a0 [Andy laughs]\n\nAnd\u00a0 you might remember at the very beginning of the study we drew a distinction between the Universal Kingdom and the Theocratic Kingdom.\u00a0 The Universal Kingdom is the left hand column, the Theocratic Kingdom\u00a0 is the right hand column.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nUniversal Kingdom\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Theocratic Kingdom\n\nTime\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal (Psalm 93:1-2)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Future (Daniel 2:44)\n\nScope\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Universal (Psalm 103:19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Earthly (Daniel 2:35, 44-45)\n\nRule\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0God rules directly (Daniel 4:17)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0God rules indirectly through a human (Ps. 2:6-9\n\nExistence\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Always (Psalm 93:1-2)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Contingent upon a human response (Ex. 19:5-6; Matt. 3:2; 11:2-6, 14; 23:37-39)\n\nAlva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom <\/em>\u00a0(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 19-21\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThe Universal Kingdom is always here.\u00a0 It\u2019s always in effect; we\u2019ve never disputed that there\u2019s a Universal Kingdom where God is sovereign at all times and all places.\u00a0 What we have said is the right hand column, the Theocratic Kingdom where God rules through a man, that was lost in Eden and will not be restored until the millennial kingdom.\n\nSo how do we know that there are two kingdoms like this, a Universal Kingdom in which God always rules and a Theocratic Kingdom.\u00a0 Well, you can sort of surmise that by just looking at different Bible verses.\u00a0 For example, some verses say that the kingdom is eternal.\u00a0 Psalm 93:1-2.\u00a0 [Psalm 93:1-2, \u201cThe LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.\u00a0 [2] Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.\u201d]\u00a0 Other verses say no, the kingdom is completely future, Daniel 2:44.\u00a0 [Daniel 2:44, \u201cIn the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.\u201d]\n\nConcerning the scope of the kingdom some verses say the kingdom is something that God rules over, He rules over everything. That\u2019s Psalm 103:19.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other verses say no, He\u2019s going to rule in the future over the earth.\u00a0 Daniel 2:35, 44-45.\u00a0 [Psalm 103:19, \u201cThe LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.\u201d\u00a0 Daniel 2:35, \u201c\u201dIn the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0[Daniel 2:44-45 \u201cInasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.\u201d\u00a0 [45] In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.\u201d]\n\nSome verses talk about how God directly rules everything, Daniel 4:17.\u00a0 [Daniel 4:17, \u201cThis sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.\u201d]\n\nOther verses, like Psalm 2:6-9 teach that He indirectly rules through a man.\u00a0 [Psalm 2:6-9, \u201c\u201cBut as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.\u201d\u00a0 [7] I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, \u2018You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.\u00a0 [8] Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the\u00a0very<\/em>\u00a0ends of the earth as Your possession.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [9] You shall\u00a0break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.\u2019\u201d]\n\nSome verses teach that the kingdom is always in existence, Psalm 93:1-2.\u00a0 [Psalm 93:1-2, \u201c \u00a0<\/sup>The LORD \u00a0reigns, He is robed in majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.\u00a0 [2] Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.\u00a0 Other verses say no, the kingdom only will come when Israel repents and trusts in Christ as her Messiah.\n\nSome verses say that God is always ruling; other verses attach the rulership of God to a human response, Israel\u2019s response to her King.\u00a0 Exodus 19:5-6, Matthew 3:2, Matthew 11, Matthew 23, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0end of the chapter, etc. etc.\u00a0 [Exodus 19:5-6, \u201cNow then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My\u00a0own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;\u00a0[6] and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.\u2019 These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.\u201d\u00a0 Matthew 3:2, \u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d]\n\nSo the question is all these verses seem to be contradicting each other unless you understand that the Bible basically presents two kingdoms; there is a Universal Kingdom always in effect when God is always ruling and that never changes and we\u2019ve never challenged the fact that that kingdom is always in the distance.\u00a0 What we\u2019re dealing with is the Theocratic Kingdom which is future on the earth where God rules through a man.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nUniversal Kingdom\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Theocratic Kingdom\n\nTime\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal (Psalms 93:1-2)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Future (Dan 2:44)\n\nScope\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Universal (Psalm 103:19)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Earthly\u00a0 (Dan 2:35, 44-45)\n\nRule\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0God rules directly, (Daniel 4:17)\u00a0 \u00a0 God rules indirectly through a human (Psalms 2:6-9)\n\nExistence\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Always (Psalms. 93:1-2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Contingent upon a human response, (Ex. 19:5-6; Matt. 3:2; 11:2-6, 14; 23:37-39)\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThat right hand column was what was lost.\u00a0 It won\u2019t be restored until the millennial kingdom.\u00a0 The left hand column is always in effect.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s important to understand because a lot of people, when you talk about a postponed kingdom they\u2019ll say well, you don\u2019t believe God is sovereign, you believe God has lost control of the world.\u00a0 And not in the universal sense He hasn\u2019t, but in the Theocratic sense He\u2019s not ruling directly over the world through a man as He will in the millennial kingdom.\u00a0 So hopefully that helps a little bit.\n\nSo why am I bringing up this distinction right now between the Universal Kingdom and the Theocratic Kingdom?\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a way of understanding Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 It says, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,\u201d and I think it\u2019s completely possible that Colossians 1:13 is not making any statement whatsoever about the Theocratic kingdom, on the right hand column but is simply reaffirming the Universal Kingdom in the left hand column.\n\nSo this could be a statement about the Universal Kingdom and have absolutely nothing to do whatsoever about the Theocratic kingdom.\u00a0 And so people, when they quote Colossians 1:13 they usually don\u2019t make that distinction at which point you can respond and say well, are you talking about the Universal Kingdom or the Theocratic kingdom?\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0And usually they\u2019ll look at you with a blank stare because they\u2019ve never heard that distinction before.\u00a0 Has anybody heard of that distinction outside of this class, the Universal Kingdom and the Theocratic Kingdom?\u00a0 I have a few hands, very good.\u00a0 Most people have never heard of this.\n\nAnd it\u2019s highly likely that\u00a0 Paul here in Colossians 1:13 is talking about the Universal Kingdom because what he does is he juxtaposes God\u2019s kingdom with Satan\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0 See where it talks about the \u201cdomain of darkness\u201d?\u00a0 That\u2019s Satan\u2019s parallel kingdom that\u2019s in operation.\u00a0 And just as Satan\u2019s parallel kingdom is in operation so is God\u2019s kingdom in operation.\u00a0 You know, Satan\u2019s kingdom, ever since Genesis 3 is alive and well on planet earth.\u00a0 Did you ever read the book by Hal Lindsay, I love the title, Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth<\/em>.\u00a0 I mean, that\u2019s just a fantastic title because it describes the kingdom of Satan, which is in effect today.\u00a0 That\u2019s what the world system is marching under and it\u2019s running parallel with God\u2019s Universal Kingdom.\u00a0 In fact, John, in 1 John 5:19 says, \u201cWe know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.\u201d\u00a0 So I think it\u2019s highly likely that Paul is talking here about the Universal Kingdom because he parallels it with Satan\u2019s Universal Kingdom which is also in effect as well.\n\nFor some verses that distinction won\u2019t work.\u00a0 For example, you might remember what Jesus said early in His ministry, \u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s what John the Baptist preached, Jesus preached, the twelve apostles preached, and the seventy preached.\u00a0 There\u2019s the saying from John the Baptist, \u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d\u00a0 Matthew 3:1-2, \u00a0Jesus said the same thing.\u00a0 Matthew 4:17, \u201cFrom that time Jesus began to preach and say, \u2018Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 [Matthew 10:5-7, \u201cThese twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: \u201cDo not go in the<\/em> way of the<\/em> Gentiles, and do not enter any<\/em> city of the Samaritans; [6] but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And as you go, preach, saying, \u2018The kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d]\n\nAnd a lot of people say well that\u2019s talking about the Universal Kingdom.\u00a0 The problem is that can\u2019t be talking about the Universal Kingdom because it talks about how God\u2019s kingdom has drawn near.\u00a0 See that.\u00a0 The Universal Kingdom never draws near; the Universal Kingdom is always near and it\u2019s always in effect.\u00a0 So sometimes the distinction between the Universal Kingdom and the Theocratic Kingdom is useful towards handling certain passages, like Colossians 1:13, but it\u2019s not going to work with other passages, like Matthew 10:5-7, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:2, etc. [Colossians 1:13, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d Matthew 4:17, \u201cFrom that time Jesus began to preach and say, \u2018Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d\u00a0 Matthew 3:2, \u00a0\u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d]\u00a0\u00a0 But it seems like it works (to me) in Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 But it seems like it works for me in Colossians 1:13.\n\nSo what am I trying to get at? I\u2019m trying to make a long story short here.\u00a0 Colossians 1:13 says, \u201cFor He rescued us\u201d as Christians, \u201cfrom the domain\u201d or the kingdom of Satan or \u201cdarkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,\u201d\u00a0 That could be a statement not so much about the Theocratic Kingdom \u00a0but the Universal Kingdom.\u00a0 So this kind of defeats us of this class that the Theocratic Kingdom is future and postponed.\u00a0 And if Colossians 1:13 is talking about the Universal Kingdom rather than the theocratic kingdom them our use of that verse doesn\u2019t jeopardize our hypothesis at all of a postponed kingdom.\u00a0 Hopefully what I said there makes a little bit of sense.\u00a0 So just kind of ruminate on it a little bit.\n\nBut let me give you a second way to sort of understand Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 And here\u2019s a couple of fancy words; another possibility is to draw what\u2019s called a Dejure<\/em> vs. Defacto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 Now that\u2019s vocabulary we\u2019ve introduced before.\u00a0 I think we introduced it maybe last week, or the week before.\u00a0 Does that ring a bell at all?\u00a0 Okay, we\u2019ve got a few hands.\u00a0 Dejure<\/em> means legal; Defacto <\/em>means factual.\u00a0 So the Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction means there are certain things that are ours legally, by virtue of our relationship to Jesus but they are not factually present.\n\nFor example, one of the legal realities that you have is a resurrection body; it is ironclad certain that one of these days you will be put in a future resurrection body because Christ\u2019s resurrection is called the firstfruits, heroes, therefore who else will rise?\u00a0 We will rise.\u00a0 So Dejure <\/em>legally the resurrection body is yours but factually are you currently enjoying a resurrection body?\u00a0 If you guys are\u00a0 you don\u2019t look like it from my angle, and I don\u2019t think I look like it from your angle.\u00a0 And my wife says you get one cup of coffee per day so I went and got this great big cup that looks like a barrel, a big Texas cup you know. So we have to keep loading our bodies up with all these chemicals just to get enough energy to get out of bed, etc. in the morning.\u00a0 In fact, when you\u2019re in your resurrection body, maybe the Lord will let\u00a0 you drink coffee just for enjoyment but you won\u2019t need it to energize your body.\u00a0 In fact, you won\u2019t even be getting out of bed in the morning because you won\u2019t need any sleep.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t that be something.\u00a0 Like these little kids that run around, energizer bunnies, they don\u2019t need any sleep, they just go and go and go and that\u2019s sort of what you\u2019re going to be like in your resurrection body.\n\nSo Dejure<\/em>, that\u2019s legally yours.\u00a0 It\u2019s not Defacto<\/em> present.\u00a0 Does that make sense?\u00a0 So I believe this is a great way to handle Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 When Colossians 1:13 says, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,\u201d\u00a0 what it\u2019s saying is legally you\u2019re a citizen of the Theocratic Kingdom\u00a0 that\u2019s coming.\u00a0 Dejure<\/em> legally, that\u2019s your identity but factually the Kingdom is not here yet.\u00a0 That\u2019s another way, a legitimate way, to handle Colossians 1:13 in light of a postponed Kingdom.\n\nLet me give you some reasons, I have four of them there, why I think the Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction is completely legitimate for understanding Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 The first reason is the nature of the prison letters.\u00a0 Who knows what the prison letters are, there\u2019s four of them. What are they?\u00a0 Philippians, one of them our Bible is opened to, Colossians, now Colossians has a companion piece called Ephesians, and then there\u2019s one more, it\u2019s only one chapter, it starts with a P, we\u2019ve got Philippians, that\u2019s four chapters, what one am I thinking of?\u00a0 Philemon.\n\nAnd here\u2019s basically the order of them.\u00a0 Ephesians was written first, Colossians was written second, Philemon was written third, Philippians was written fourth and we put them in that order because you go through those four letters, Paul is in prison in Rome, so they\u2019re called the prison letters.\u00a0 And as you go through those letters what\u2019s happening is Paul\u2019s optimism about his release from prison\u2026 remember, he\u2019s in Rome waiting his trial before Caesar, his optimism is increasing.\u00a0 So his optimism is sort of going up about getting out of jail soon, from a human perspective.\u00a0 And by the time you reach Philippians his jail sentence is about ready to end, at least that\u2019s the way he writes and the things that he communicates.\n\nAnd so your Protestant New Testament won\u2019t put them in that order for you but chronologically that\u2019s the order that they\u2019re written in: Ephesians first, Colossians second, Philemon third, Philippians last.\u00a0 And these are four letters called the Prison Letters and they are all written while Paul is in prison in Rome.\u00a0 And this is\u00a0 Paul\u2019s last journey where he was taken as a prisoner to Rome, and why does he want to get to Rome?\u00a0 Because God told him you\u2019re going to preach the gospel in Rome.\u00a0 The church at Rome was one of the only churches, other than the Colossian church, that was started without the help of an apostle and it was a real critical church.\u00a0\u00a0 You see it there in the west, in Italy, and Paul wanted to make sure they were on the right footing theologically.\n\nAnd Paul got the gospel to Rome because he kept insisting on his right of a trial before Caesar.\u00a0 Now Paul was smart, he was a Roman citizen and he knew that Roman citizens had rights and he knew that if he kept insisting on this trial eventually he\u2019d have to appear before Caesar.\u00a0 And you see Paul using that strategy all the way through the Book of Acts, particularly here in Acts 27 and 28, the three missionary journeys are over now and he wants to get the gospel to Rome.\u00a0 Acts 27 and 28 records that journey beginning there in Jerusalem and migrating west all the way to Rome.\n\nAnd once Paul gets to Rome the year is about A.D. 60-62 and you can read about his two year experience there at the very end of the Book of Acts.\u00a0 In fact, if you were to read Acts 28:16-31 it\u2019s basically Paul in Rome and he\u2019s there for two years under house arrest as he\u2019s awaiting his trial before Caesar.\u00a0 And it\u2019s in that place of house arrest that he writes these four prison letters which are Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians.\u00a0 So Colossians is one of these prison letters.\u00a0 And \u00a0\u00a0in the prison letters it\u2019s were Paul really starts to develop the Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 I mean, he really gets down to business and starts drawing a distinction between things that are legally ours but are not\u00a0 yet factually present.\n\nOne of the things he mentions in the Philippians letter, in Philippians 3:20, \u201cFor our citizenship is\u201d where? \u201cin heaven,\u201d now is that a Dejure<\/em> statement or a Defacto<\/em> statement?\u00a0 It\u2019s Dejure<\/em>, legally our citizenship is in heaven.\u00a0 Are we in heaven now?\u00a0 Sugarland Texas is a great place but it certainly isn\u2019t heaven.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 So it\u2019s like the resurrection body; it\u2019s legally ours but factually it\u2019s not present yet.\n\nAnd then when you go to the Ephesians letter he makes another distinction between Dejure Defacto<\/em>\n\nand he says, \u201cAnd raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.\u201d\u00a0 [Ephesians 2:6]\u00a0 Is that a Dejure<\/em> statement or a Defacto<\/em> statement?\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s Dejure<\/em>, in other words, did you know that as a Christian that\u2019s your identity?\u00a0 Not only is your citizenship in heaven but as I currently speak you are now seated with Christ \u201cin the heavenly places.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s a pretty awesome legal reality, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 So whenever you get depressed during the day or when you\u2019re down on\u00a0 yourself or whatever you just remind yourself of what your identity is.\u00a0 Legally that\u2019s how God sees\u00a0 us, \u201cin the heavenly places\u201d seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father but obviously factually we\u2019re not there yet.\n\nSo he makes this kind of statement in Ephesians and I believe he\u2019s making a similar kind of statement in Colossians.\u00a0 Colossians 1:13 once again says, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 I believe that Paul\u2019s statement there needs to be understood as a Dejure<\/em> statement, the same way Ephesians 2:6 is understood as a Dejure<\/em> or legal statement.\n\nAnd you say well why are you so confident of this?\u00a0 First of all, he writes Ephesians and Colossians at the exact same time, A.D. 60.\u00a0 Those are the first two letters he wrote when he finally got to Rome.\u00a0 Number two, he\u2019s writing them from the exact same place.\u00a0 Where is he when he writes both letters, Ephesians and Colossians?\u00a0 He\u2019s in Rome.\u00a0 Beyond that when you look at a map it\u2019s very interesting, there is less than a hundred miles between Ephesus, to whom the Ephesians letter is written to, and Colossae who the Colossians letter is written to.\u00a0 And so you see there Paul in Italy, in the west, in Rome, and I\u2019ve got a circle around a bunch of cities and within that circle if your eyes are real good you can see it, maybe you can see it better on your handout, but you can see in that circle many cities but two of which are Ephesus and Colossae.\u00a0 And I just want to show you how close Ephesus and Colossae are to each other; they\u2019re less than a hundred miles apart.\n\nSo it\u2019s obvious that when Paul addresses those two cities he\u2019s dealing with overlapping themes and so if there\u2019s a Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction in Ephesians (everybody interprets Ephesians 2:6 that way) why can\u2019t there be a Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction in Colossians 1:13?\n\nBeyond that, not only are Ephesians and Colossians written at the same time, from the same place, to almost the same audience, situated less than a hundred miles apart from each other, but Ephesians and Colossians are meant to be understood together.\u00a0 In other words, you\u2019ll read things in Ephesians and you say wait a minute, I already read that in Colossians.\u00a0 And you read things in Colossians and you say wait a minute, I already read that in Ephesians.\u00a0 Have you\u00a0 noticed that when you read those two letters?\n\nEphesians is focused on Christ\u2019s body which would be the what?\u00a0 The church!\u00a0 I mean, Ephesians is all about that, the church, that\u2019s where we\u2019re told about the mystery of the church, that\u2019s where we\u2019re told about the fact that He\u2019s the groom and we\u2019re the bride, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.\u00a0 Ephesians is all about the body.\u00a0 Now what is a body mean unless it\u2019s going to be a headless horseman?\u00a0 A body needs a head; now what book do you think we should study to learn about the head of the body?\u00a0 If Ephesians is about the body then Colossians is about the head, Jesus Christ.\u00a0 So if you take Ephesians and Colossians separately you\u2019re reading about a head without a body or a body without a head, which would be a monstrosity.\u00a0 And the Holy Spirit has designed these two books to be understood together.\n\nSo what\u2019s my point?\u00a0 My point is given the close relationship between those two books written the exact same year from the exact same place to virtually the same audience, containing overlapping themes.\u00a0 If I can understand Ephesians 2:6 as a Dejure<\/em> statement why can\u2019t I understand Colossians 1:13 as a Dejure<\/em> statement?\u00a0 See that?\u00a0 [Ephesians 2:6, \u201cand raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Colossians 1:13, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,\u201d]\u00a0 In other words, if Ephesians 2:16 is a Dejure non Defacto<\/em> statement why can\u2019t I understand Colossians 1:13 the same way?\u00a0 So when Colossians 1:13 says He has \u201ctransferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son\u201d it\u2019s completely reasonable to look at that and say you know what?\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s not talking about the presence of the kingdom factually, that\u2019s talking about my legal identity in the coming kingdom.\u00a0 Do you follow what I\u2019m doing here with this?\n\nLet me give you a little bit more evidence why I\u2019m convinced that there\u2019s a Dejure non Defacto<\/em> statement in Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 Colossians 1:13 is preceded by Colossians 1:12.\u00a0 Have you read verse 12?\u00a0 What does it say in verse 12?\u00a0 \u201cGiving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance\u201d the Greek word kl\u0113ro<\/em>s<\/em>, \u201cof the saints of light.\u201d\u00a0 Then it says, verse 13, \u201cFor he has rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\n\nSo you notice right before verse 13 is verse 12, just before it talks about the kingdom it talks about inheritance.\u00a0 What\u2019s an inheritance?\u00a0 An inheritance is something that is legally yours but are\u00a0 you enjoying it factually in the present?\u00a0 Not yet, but it\u2019s still legally yours.\u00a0 It\u2019s in the bank, it\u2019s coming to you one day, it\u2019s in the will, it\u2019s in the trust or whatever, it\u2019s just not something that you presently can access in terms of money or whatnot. And you\u2019ll notice that the word \u201cinheritance\u201d there is used in verse 12, so I think we need to understand the word \u201ckingdom\u201d as an inheritance, something that\u2019s not here yet but something that\u2019s legally ours.\n\nIn the parallel passage that we read earlier, Acts 26:18, \u201cTo open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an\u201d what\u2019s the next word, \u201can inheritance\u201d that\u2019s the exact same Greek word.\u00a0 So what is the kingdom?\u00a0 The kingdom is an inheritance.\u00a0 It\u2019s something that\u2019s yours, it\u2019s a certainty, but it\u2019s not yet present.\u00a0 Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction.\n\nOver in 1 Peter 1:4 Peter explains what an inheritance is;\u00a0 \u201cto obtain<\/em> an inheritance\u201d now notice this is a slightly different Greek word, kl\u0113ronomia <\/em>which comes from the same root as kl\u0113ro<\/em>s<\/em>, so it\u2019s almost an identical word, \u201ctoo an inheritance which is<\/em> imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved\u201d where? \u201cin heaven for you.\u201d\u00a0 So it\u2019s a future reality.\u00a0 So since verse 12 comes before verse 13, verse 13 of Colossians 1 is speaking of the kingdom, verse 12 is speaking of an inheritance, I\u2019m very confident that we can use the concept of kingdom in Colossians 1:13, the Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction, legally yours but it\u2019s just not yet a factual reality.\u00a0 And I\u2019m just sort of stacking up evidence, if\u00a0 you will, as to why I think there\u2019s a Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction in Colossians 1:13.\n\nNow in Colossians 1:13 it\u2019s interesting, it mentions another word, domain, \u201cFor he has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 This could be also a Dejure Defacto<\/em> because that is exactly what has happened to you the moment you put your personal faith in Christ.\u00a0 Your whole legal identity was changed.\u00a0 In fact, once you put your personal faith in Christ you\u2019re no longer under Satan\u2019s domain.\u00a0 Did you know that?\u00a0 1 John 5:13 says, \u201cFor we know that no one whose born of God sins but he who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s your legal identity.\n\nHowever, in fact, de facto<\/em>, factually do you still as a Christian have to wrestle with Satan?\u00a0 Yes or no?\u00a0 If your answer is no then I want to get the secret to your life because I wrestle with Satan and the demons in my fallen nature and the world system all the time.\u00a0 Even though my legal identity is such that I\u2019m no longer under Satan\u2019s domain that doesn\u2019t mean that factually, de facto<\/em> I don\u2019t have a moment by moment daily battle with Satan.\u00a0 If I wasn\u2019t involved in a moment by moment daily battle with Satan, Ephesians 6:12 wouldn\u2019t have to be in our Bibles, would it.\u00a0 [Ephesians 6:12, \u201cFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces<\/em> of wickedness in the heavenly places<\/em>.\u201d]\n\nYou remember Ephesians 6:13, \u201cTherefore, take up the full armor of God,\u201d why would I need to do that?\u00a0 \u201cFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood,\u201d people aren\u2019t your enemy, we think people are the enemy, it\u2019s the IRS, that\u2019s the enemy, or whoever.\u00a0 It\u2019s actually the devil using people.\u00a0 \u201cFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces<\/em> of wickedness in the heavenly places.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Yet at the same time, even though that\u2019s a factual reality the Bible still declares the legal reality that \u201cWe know that no one who is born of God sins but he who is born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.\u201d\u00a0 [1 John 5:18]\n\nI mean, how could 1 John 5:18 tell me the evil one does not touch me, but then Ephesians 6:12 comes along and tells me that I\u2019m in a wrestling match with the devil?\u00a0 I mean, which is it?\u00a0 Well, this supposed contradiction starts to get harmonized once you become sensitive to the de jure<\/em> de facto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 See that?\u00a0 De jure legally, 1 John 5:18, is true, absolutely true.\u00a0 However, on a factual basis we\u2019re still in a wrestling match with Satan. \u00a0And basically what I\u2019m suggesting is that Colossians 1:13 is in that vein because it also uses the word \u201cdomain.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain\u201d that\u2019s the Greek word exousia<\/em>, which is also used to describe powers in Ephesians 6:12.\u00a0 \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 [Colossians 1:13]\n\nSo just as exousia<\/em>, domain, is making a de jure<\/em> de facto<\/em> distinction in terms of our relationship to Satan, we\u2019re not legally his but we\u2019re still factually in a wrestling match with him.\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what Colossians 1:13 is saying.\u00a0 I mean, legally my citizenship is in the coming kingdom but that doesn\u2019t mean factually I\u2019m there yet.\u00a0 Do you follow that?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So I\u2019m just stacking up evidence as to why a de jure<\/em> de facto<\/em> distinction is a completely legitimate reasonable way of handling Colossians 1:13.\u00a0 Yet people when they quote the verse to support their theology will never talk about the distinction that I\u2019m giving you here.\u00a0 And if you understand that distinction you can understand why in the mind of God we\u2019ve really been transferred into His kingdom and you can also say at the same time the kingdom is not present.\u00a0 It has to do with a legal versus factual distinction.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same way you handle Philippians 3:20, our citizenship is in heaven.\u00a0 [Philippians 3:20, \u201cFor our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;\u201d]\u00a0 Ephesians 2:6, we\u2019re seated with Christ in the heavenly places.\u00a0 [Ephesians 2:6, \u201cand raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.\u201d]\u00a0 We\u2019re seated with Christ in the heavenly places, and all of this is a big, BIG distinction that Paul is developing in this two year period in Rome where he writes those four prison letters.\n\nOne more very fast reason why I\u2019m convinced that there\u2019s a De facto de jure<\/em> distinction is because of the word \u201credemption\u201d in Colossians 1:13; actually verse 13 is followed by verse 14 so you see what I\u2019m doing here?\u00a0 All I\u2019m doing is putting Colossians 1:13 in the context, looking at the verses that precede it, looking at the verses that follow it.\u00a0 Verse 13, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Now look at this, [14] \u201cIn whom we have redemption,\u201d that\u2019s the Greek word apolytr\u014dsin \u00a0\u201credemption, the forgiveness of our sins.\n\nQuestion: have I been redeemed already or is my redemption still future?\u00a0 And the answer to that question is yes, it\u2019s both, because the Bible uses redemption in both senses.\u00a0 You remember what redemption is, right?\u00a0 Redemption is to be released from bondage through a proper Passover sacrifice offering.\u00a0 If you want to understand redemption read the story of the Jews in bondage in Egypt in the Book of Exodus where they were in bondage for four hundred years.\u00a0 And then God told them to sacrifice the Passover Lamb which had to be sinless and so forth.\u00a0 And through all of that and through the death of the firstborn and all the things that God did there, through the right sacrifice the Jews were released from bondage.\n\nSo that is what\u2019s happened to us as Christians, because of the right sacrificial death, of Jesus Christ, we have been released from bondage.\u00a0 Our sins have been forgiven, redemption has already occurred but guess what?\u00a0 There\u2019s more bondage we\u2019re to be released from later.\u00a0 In what sense?\u00a0 How about your body?\u00a0\u00a0 Does your body need redemption?\u00a0 Well, wait a minute, I\u2019ve already been redeemed.\u00a0 You have, praise the Lord, but have\u00a0 you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?\u00a0 I mean spiritually you\u2019ve already been redeemed but this carcass that we\u2019re in that\u2019s decaying needs redemption as well.\u00a0 So I have been redeemed and my body is yet to be redeemed.\u00a0 So sometimes redemption can be used in a future sense.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that what Romans 8:23 says, \u201cAnd not only this but we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves.\u201d\u00a0 Anybody groaning lately?\u00a0 Earl, I don\u2019t mean to broadcast his problems but he was telling me about a terrible that he had recently and I know he\u2019s groaning.\u00a0 So you guys out there in cyber space can pray for Earl as he\u2019s healing.\u00a0 Maybe you didn\u2019t want you medical stuff all over the world but prayer helps, right.\n\nNot only this, but we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves.\u00a0 [24] waiting eagerly for adoption as sons as the redemption of apolytr\u014dsis<\/em> of our body. \u00a0\u00a0Now how is redemption used there, past or future?\u00a0 It\u2019s future, and what I\u2019m suggesting is that\u2019s how Colossians 1:14 is using the word redemption also.\u00a0 [Colossians 1:14, \u201cin whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.\u201d] And if the redemption is future then the kingdom associated with that redemption must be what?\u00a0 Future as well.\n\nLuke 21:28, \u201cBut when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption\u201d apolytr\u014dsis<\/em> \u201cis drawing near.\u201d\u00a0 Now is redemption there past or future?\u00a0 It\u2019s future, and what I\u2019m suggesting is that\u2019s how it\u2019s used in Colossians 1:14, as a way to under\u00adstand verse 13 meaning the kingdom is future.\n\nRomans 8:23, we\u2019ve already dealt with.\u00a0 You remember Ephesians 1:13-14, remember Colossians is the companion piece with which book?\u00a0 Ephesians!\u00a0 Paul says, [13] \u201cIn Him also after listening to the message of truth\u201d the gospel, \u201cof your salvation--- having also believed, \u00a0you were sealed in Him with the spirit of promise [14] who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption\u201d there\u2019s our word again, of apolytr\u014dsis<\/em>, \u201cof God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.\u201d\u00a0 Now you look at that, is our redemption there past or future?\u00a0 It looks like it\u2019s future.\n\nWell how do I know I\u2019m going to get that future redemption?\u00a0 Because God\u2019s given a down payment.\u00a0 You know what a down payment is.\u00a0 A down payment is where the buyer promises through payment to the seller that the buyer is going to make subsequent what?\u00a0 Payments!\u00a0 So how do you know you\u2019re going to get your future redemption in the future kingdom, in your future body?\u00a0 Because God has already given you a down payment.\n\nWhat\u2019s a down payment according to that verse?\u00a0 The Holy Spirit which is living where?\u00a0 Inside of you!\u00a0 The fact that the Holy Spirit is currently living inside of you is a down payment from God guaranteeing that everything He has for your future redemption, including the future kingdom and the future body is from God\u2019s point of view a done deal.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a matter of time because God Himself cannot lie and He has already put a down payment down.\u00a0 And when\u00a0 you put a down payment on something it guarantees other payments are coming. But my point is redemption here is used in the future tense.\n\nHow about Ephesians 4:30?\u00a0 \u201cDo not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.\u201d\u00a0 So the Spirit of God is inside of me and I\u2019ve been sealed for redemption and here redemption is used in which sense, past tense or future tense?\u00a0 Future tense!\u00a0 So what is the BLT?\u00a0 What\u2019s BLT?\u00a0 Bottom Line Time.\u00a0 If believers can be said to be legally liberated from Satan and redeemed, despite the fact that these are not factual realities in the present, then why cannot the exact same thing be said for the believer\u2019s relationship to the kingdom mentioned in the exact same context?\n\nWhy am I sort of high on this distinction between\u00a0 Dejure Defacto<\/em>?\u00a0 Number one, it\u2019s part of something that Paul develops in the prison letters and Colossians is one of the four prison letters.\u00a0 Number\u00a0 two, the context of these verses indicates an inheritance which is something that you factually enjoy later but legally it\u2019s yours now. It mentions domain, and that same word is used to describe our relationship to Satan; we\u2019re no longer under Satan\u2019s domain legally but we fight him every single day, and his demons.\u00a0 Again, a Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 And then, number four, the context of these verses also mention redemption which as we\u2019ve tried to demonstrate clearly can refer to something future.\n\nSo if all of that is true how would we understand Colossians 1:13?\u00a0 Back to the verse, what does it say here, \u201cFor He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 How would I understand that in light of the fact that I believe the Theocratic Kingdom is future.\u00a0\u00a0 I can understand that as a statement of the universal kingdom rather than the Theocratic Kingdom, that\u2019s a possibility.\u00a0 But I think a far better way to understand it is the\u00a0 Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 Legally what has happened is my whole identity is changed, right down to my citizenship but I\u2019m not factually yet in the kingdom\u2026 a Dejure Defacto<\/em> distinction.\u00a0 And I tried to give you the evidence why I think that\u2019s what Paul is doing here in Colossians 1:13.\n\nA couple of fast quotes here, only two slides, I say that for my wife\u2019s benefit, she says don\u2019t put those long quotes up there, you\u2019re going to bore people to death.\u00a0 So I try to actually cut them down in the interest of marital harmony.\u00a0\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\nSo here\u2019s a quote from E. R. Craven and he says concerning Colossians 1:13, he\u2019s someone I\u2019ve been referring to a lot in this study.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In 1874 he says concerning Colossians 1:13, \u201dAt first glance, the passage apparently teaches that believers are already translated de facto<\/em> into the Basileia;\u201d Basileia is the Greek word for kingdom.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026it may however legitimately be regarded as teaching a de jure<\/em> translation. Not only does this interpretation bring the passage into that great mass of Scripture\u201d and see what he\u2019s saying there?\u00a0 He\u2019s saying I\u2019m going to interpret the word \u201ckingdom\u201d the way it\u2019s used everywhere else in the Bible.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to [can't understand word] with a special K so the present spiritual kingdom when there\u2019s not any other biblical evidence to support it.\n\nSo if you\u2019re coming up with an interpretation of Scripture that\u2019s out of harmony with the rest of Scripture you need to rethink that interpretation because the Bible at the end of the day has to be completely consistent because God can\u2019t lie!\n\n\u201c\u2026it may however legitimately be regarded as teaching a de jure<\/em> translation. Not only does this interpretation bring the passage into that great mass of Scripture but it seems to be required by the immediately preceding and succeeding contexts\u201d isn\u2019t that what we just did tonight?\u00a0 We didn\u2019t just look at verse 13, we looked at verse 12 and verse 14.\u00a0 \u201cbelievers are not yet delivered de facto<\/em> from the exousia\u201d <\/em>authority \u201cof Satan\u201d why? Because they have put on the full armor of God. \u201c(Eph. 6:12), nor have they yet received de facto<\/em>, certainly not in completeness, the apolytr\u014dsis\u201d <\/em>[ which means what?\u00a0\u00a0 Redemption.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been redeemed but we\u2019re not perfectly redeemed yet \u00a0because part of our redemption is what?\u00a0 Future.\n\nI give you this quote because I want you to understand that the interpretation I\u2019m giving you here is consistent with what greats in the past have said.\u00a0 In other words, the reason I like these quotes is I don\u2019t want you guys to think I\u2019m in here making up doctrines, because a lot of you have never heard the futuristic kingdom belief, the present manifestation of the kingdom is such a common belief and you come to a church like this and because the kingdom is future you think I\u2019m making things up.\u00a0 All I\u2019m saying is I\u2019m interpreting the Bible (and this verse) consistently with how the greats of the past have interpreted it.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I give you this quote from E. R. Craven, 1874.\u00a0\u00a0 [\u201cExcursus on the Basileia<\/em>,\u201d in Revelation of John, J. P. Lange (New York: Scribner, 1874), 97]\n\nAnd then one other fast quote from Alva J. McLain who wrote The Greatness of the Kingdom<\/em> which is a classic on this subject.\u00a0 He says concerning Colossians 1:13, \u201cThe context here suggests that the action must be regarded as de jure<\/em> [by right] rather than de facto <\/em>[in reality]. \u00a0Believers have been \u201cdelivered .\u00a0.\u00a0. from the power of darkness,\u201d the apostle declares. Yet in another place he warns that we must still wrestle \u201cagainst the rulers of the darkness of this world\u201d (Ephesians 6:12). Our translation into the Kingdom of Christ, therefore, must be similar to that act of God when He \u201craised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus\u201d What verse is he quoting there?\u00a0 \u201cEphesians 2:6. Although we are not yet de facto<\/em> seated in the heavenlies, the thing is so certain that God can speak of it as already done. In the same sense, we have been (aorist tense) transferred judicially into the Kingdom of our Lord even before its establishment.\u201d\u00a0 [Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive Study of the Kingdom of God as Set Forth in the Scriptures (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 435.]\n\nSo legally we\u2019ve been transferred into the kingdom but actually the kingdom is not yet here.\u00a0 Does that make sense at all. So this is consistent with what others in the past have said and I think that\u2019s the best way to handle Colossians 1:13.\n\nAnd the next time we\u2019re together we\u2019ll tackle Colossians 4:11 which won\u2019t take us too much time and then we\u2019ll be moving into the general letters, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, etc. and looking at some alleged kingdom now verses used in those letters.\n\nAnyway, I hope I didn\u2019t lose anybody tonight and we\u2019ll let folks go; you get out at exactly 8:00 o\u2019clock, the Spirit is moving, the pastor stops on time, and if you\u2019ve to go to collect your kids or otherwise take off feel free.\u00a0 And for those that want to stick around for Q & A we can do that also.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t