“And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust.”

~ Romans 15:12 ~

Christ will most certainly dwell as King of kings and Lord of lords on this earth.  He made heaven and earth to dwell and reign over His creation from the earth.  The truth of the God of heaven setting up His kingdom on earth is one of the major doctrines, if not the major doctrine of the scriptures.  Redemption is necessary to fulfill His eternal purpose in Christ, but is a means, not an end.  The kingdom of God is to be understood properly.  The kingdom of God is physical, built with the hands of God; however, His dominion exceeds geography, boundaries, and locale.  All is God’s and His way and paths will be carried out as well, stemming from a heart that loves and is after His heart. 

One of God’s paths is communion and fellowship bred by charity, joyously had among-st the triune God themselves.  God is equal in essence but diverse and distinct in their roles, experienced in perfect harmony and communion – loving subjection toward another.  Communion and fellowship will be an eternal feature of the kingdom of God in heaven and earth – mutual, loving subjection one to another to the praise of God’s glory.

As the church the body of Christ we ought to understand that kind of unity we are to have, seeing that God “reconciled the world” and “hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”.  Therefore, we are without excuse to properly understand and function in the fellowship God has called us unto, that is, “God…called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”  The point is that our fellowship isn’t in us, flesh, or some temporary association or program.  Our fellowship is from and in His Son.  This is where each member of the body of Christ joins and it is here that we are to have no divisions, but be joined together in mind and judgment.

Yet, there is another substantial matter of the scriptures that yields communion for us today.  Israel’s fulness and glory as it relates to the world, the Gentiles in the future is for our learning. A feature we are to possess now in preparation of what they and we will possess in the life to come. 

In Romans 15:8-12 our Father has Paul accomplish a few things, one is to realize and appreciate, when properly understand, what Israel’s rise over the Gentiles is for; that is, to “sing”, “rejoice”, “praise”, “laud”, and “trust” the Lord with the Gentiles.  When the God of heaven sets up His kingdom on this earth and reigns in its midst over the king and nations of the earth it will function as light and salt to the nations.  The head of the nations, Christ ruling in Israel, as Israel rises to power will be strong, but not for high-mindedness sake as her history is plagued by, but for the pleasure, edification, and goodness of the nations weaker than her, so much that the Gentiles will glorify, praise, laud the Lord with Israel.  This hopeful outcome of God’s fulness with Israel is a matter that is for our learning. Today there is no Jew or Gentile in the body of Christ, such scruples of the conscience on lesser matters ought not become divisive or contentious, but rather with the principles of the kingdom of God working in each member of the body of Christ we will manifest that “life to come” – now, with its “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

~ Romans 15:13 ~

Look Up,

Josh Strelecki, Pastor-Teacher