What Is Sin?

 

Sin is generally thought of as something bad. But exactly what is sin? How does the Bible define it? What is the Bible’s teaching about sin?

The Bible says a lot about sin. It tells us that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that sin leads to death (Romans 6:23).

In order to avoid sin, it’s essential we know exactly what sin is. So how does the Bible define sin?

The clearest definition of sin that we find in the Bible is 1 John 3:4: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (King James Version). Let’s examine this scripture to discover what it is telling us about sin. To understand it, we can consider the range of meaning of the Greek words John used.

What is the meaning of the Greek word for sin?

The Greek word John used for sin is hamartia.

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon notes that this word at its root meant “a failing to hit the mark,” and in the New Testament it is always used in an ethical sense. In 1 John 3:4 Thayer’s defines it as “that which is done wrong, committed or resultant sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act.” Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates defines it as “missing the true goal and scope of life” (The Complete Word Study New Testament, p. 884).

Zondervan Expository Dictionary of Bible Words notes that the Greek word hamartia and related words “incorporate the full range of meaning of all three basic Hebrew words [for sin], hata, pesa, and awon. Like them, hamartia assumes a divine standard or norm and portrays humanity as missing the mark. Yet sin is also seen in the NT as rebellion and as conscious deviation from known right . . .

“Sin is not only missing God’s mark; it is an inner reality, a warp in human nature, and a malignant power that holds each individual in an unbreakable grip” (p. 568).

Thankfully, God has a plan to set us free from this slavery to sin (Romans 6:1-14; see our booklet Change Your Life!).

So to sin can be to miss the goal or target—or even to rebel, reject or ignore God’s standards. It is to fall short of what God expects of us. We can think of sin as the opposite of righteousness. Righteousness is living within God’s just and right standards, while sin is failing to live by those standards.

What is the meaning of transgression?

The Greek word for transgression in 1 John 3:4 is anomia, which is a combination of a, meaning without or against, and nomos, meaning law. So the literal meaning of anomia is without law or against law. The New King James Version translates this word as “lawlessness” (to live or conduct oneself as if there is no law).

So the apostle John defined sin as transgression of the law (or lawlessness, law-breaking). Essentially, sin is making a decision—or living a lifestyle—that violates the law of God.

This basic definition of sin as being a transgression of the law is also found in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language, and the Hebrew words for transgression and transgress reveal additional understanding of sin. The Hebrew word for transgress is abar, meaning to “cross over.” It can also mean to “turn away” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, #5674). The Hebrew word for transgression is pesha, which means rebellion or revolt or sin (Strong’s, #6588).

Consider 2 Chronicles 24:20, “The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: “Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper?”’”

A very encouraging scripture states: “Blessed is he whose transgression [rebellion, sin] is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). The Hebrew word for sin here is chataah, which means an offense (Strong’s, #2401). So when our transgressions and sins are forgiven, that means our rebellion and revolt against God is removed from us.

What law defines sin?

The law we break when we sin is the law of God found in the Bible. So, rephrased, 1 John 3:4 states that sin is violating the law of God. The primary laws God gave to guide human conduct are the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20).

We can transgress those laws in two ways:

• We can live a general lifestyle of lawlessness. This means we live a self-willed way of life without any thought or care for the restraints of God’s law. For instance, people who make all their decisions according to their passions or desires are living in a condition of lawlessness.
• We can transgress a specific commandment. For instance, God’s law instructs us to “not steal” (Exodus 20:15). If we ignore that law and steal something, we have transgressed the law—and sinned.

Both the general lifestyle of sin and committing specific acts of sin bring undesirable consequences.

God’s law was given to show mankind the best way to live in harmony with God and others (Luke 10:27). God gave the law as a blessing and intended it to guide mankind into an abundant way of life (John 10:10). He wants all people to have prosperity, peace and joy in their lives.

When we live within the guardrails of God’s 10 Commandments, we free ourselves from all sorts of suffering caused by breaking those commandments.

Jesus and the law

Did Jesus uphold the law of God, or did He do away with the commandments? He answered that question directly in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

“Fulfill” means the opposite of “destroy.” He gave full meaning to the law and summarized it into two overall great commandments. (To go deeper into what Jesus meant when He said He came to fulfill the law, read “Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?”)

When a man asked Him, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39).

These two great commandments are a synopsis of God’s 10 Commandments. The first four commandments state how we are to love God. The last six commandments state how we should treat one another. Breaking any of these commandments is sin.

Blessings for obedience

From the beginning, God established blessings for obedience to His law and penalties for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15). God has designed human life to work best when it is aligned with His law. He envisioned ancient Israel modeling obedience so that other peoples would learn to obey and be blessed.

But ancient Israel sinned—they did not obey God, just as modern nations today do not obey God. The world exists in a state of sin and continues to write a sad, violent history.

A time is coming when Jesus Christ will return to rule the earth and end moral confusion. He will establish God’s law as the law of the world. All people will come to understand the law. They will learn what sin is and what the consequences of lawlessness are. Of course, people will still be people—there will be sin that must be forgiven. But they will be led by a moral and upright government and will experience righteousness, peace and joy.

People everywhere will love the law and the rewards for obeying it. In the future government of Jesus Christ, the prophecy of Jeremiah will be fulfilled: “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you’” (Jeremiah 7:23).

Other Bible verses that define sin

Though 1 John 3:4 gives the Bible’s most basic and clear definition of sin, there are a number of scriptures that give additional definitions of sin:

• “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
• “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
• “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17).

These scriptures show that sin is also much broader than just breaking the letter of one of the 10 Commandments. Sin can be making a decision based on unfaithfulness to God and can also be neglecting to do what’s right when we have the opportunity. To learn more about this kind of sin, read our article “Sins of Omission: Do They Exist?”

How to be set free from sin

Sin is against God, and it brings the death penalty (Romans 6:23; see “What Is the Meaning of Romans 6:23?”). But God provides a way we can have that penalty removed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice and have our sins washed away through baptism, we then cease being slaves to sin and become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). Righteousness is the opposite of lawlessness. It is striving to live within the boundaries of God’s law (Psalm 119:172).

We can experience a great measure of peace and stability in keeping God’s law today. “Moreover by them [the law, testimony, statutes, commandments and judgments] Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11). “But let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you” (Proverbs 3:1-2).

You need to learn more about God’s law and about how to overcome sin.

Download our free booklets God’s 10 Commandments: Still Relevant Today and Change Your Life! They will give you a concise, easy-to-read guide to what the Bible teaches on these vital subjects.

Sin: What Does the Bible Say?

 

The Bible states “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4 ), the breaking of God’s law. In other places sin is defined as “missing the mark.” Understanding the Bible’s teachings about conversion, justification, sanctification, repentance and forgiveness rests on a thorough knowledge of sin.

Because sin has been downplayed over the years, it’s difficult to convince people of its reality and the seriousness of breaking God’s law. If no one is concerned about sin, why would they earnestly seek a Savior? Because people are ignorant of sin, God must arouse an awareness of sin in those He draws to Him.

Everyone is a sinner. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There is a frightening reality in continuing to sin. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ).

Therefore, understanding sin is important because life without repentance of sin ends in death. God’s forgiveness and a transformed life of overcoming sin leads to salvation. Read more about sin in the related articles. And see our booklet Change Your Life! for more about how to overcome sin and become right with God.

Change: Transforming Your Life to God’s Way

 

“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired,” someone once said. Are you one who is sick of what is going on in the world?

Or, perhaps, are you tired of how things are going in your own life? Do you see the need for change, but wonder what to do?

In our search for happiness and peace, we humans have left no stone unturned, trying all the ideas of the greatest philosophers, teachers and religions.

What’s missing? Surely by now we should have discovered the paths to contentment and harmony.

Change comes only when we begin to think radically differently, or, as the apostle Paul put it, when we are “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Such renewal, he said, is revolutionary. It’s radical. It is based on proving “what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Oh, we’ve already tried that, people say. Really? Actually, although He tells us what we need to do to transform our way of thinking and living, Jesus Himself said that most people—including the religious—have failed to really understand and do what He said!

Since we haven’t been able to change the world with our own ideas, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at His. Your life can be better! Come behind the scenes with us and read the surprising truth about what God really says about how to transform your life!

Messiah’s Message: Repent

 

After explaining that the time was fulfilled and that the Kingdom of God was at hand, Jesus urged people to repent. What did He mean by this?

The first two statements of explanation that Jesus gave as He preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God—“The time is fulfilled” and “the kingdom of God is at hand”—were covered in previous articles in this series. We now come to the first of the two commands Jesus issued: “Repent” (Mark 1:15).

In the previous article we noted that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). Our human body must be changed to a “spiritual body” (verse 44) if we are to be part of this Kingdom.

Obeying Christ’s command to “repent” is the first step in the process that prepares us for change from flesh and blood to spirit. This change is necessary in order for us to become members of God’s immortal family and rulers within His eternal Kingdom (John 1:12; Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

Repentance: a key theme

Encouraging people to repent of their sins was an integral part of the gospel Jesus preached. Commenting on two occasions where people had lost their lives, Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5, emphasis added throughout). Later, He “began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent” (Matthew 11:20).

The historical record shows that the disciples Jesus trained also “preached that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). As Peter explained, repentance and then baptism were the initial steps Christians must take when they respond to the gospel (Acts 2:38).

Repent means a change of mind and deeds

The Greek word that is translated repent in the New Testament means “to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness” (J.P. Louw and Eugene Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 1988). A person who repents realizes that he or she has been sinning—breaking God’s holy and beneficial law—and that he or she needs to change.

The calling and stimulus for wanting to repent—to change our lives—comes from God the Father (John 6:44). As Paul wrote to members at Rome, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

Although the realization of our need to change may come in various ways—a key moment in life, a time of contemplation, hearing a specific message, the example of a friend—it is always marked by a change of “heart”—that is, our way of thinking (Acts 2:37). Instead of ignoring God’s instructions as we had been doing, the primary focus in our lives becomes earnestly learning God’s law and living in accordance with it. God’s way of life is now our life. We love God’s instructions and want to do what He expects of us (1 John 5:3).

Understanding that a dramatic change in thinking occurs when people repent of their sins, some have referred to this event as “giving your heart to the Lord.” And while our hearts are indeed at the center of this process, we must also understand that repentance is far more than simply an emotional moment. When we truly repent, we will also act differently—that is, by living righteously—and we will continue living righteously for the remainder of our lives.

Genuine repentance is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing way of thinking and living in accordance with God’s instructions found in His Word—the Holy Bible.

Repent of what?

If we are going to obey Jesus’ command to repent, we must also understand what He expects us to repent of. The obvious answer is that we must repent of our sins—the times we have broken or ignored God’s law. As Peter told the crowd in Jerusalem, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

The Bible says “sin is lawlessness,” specifically meaning transgressing God’s laws (1 John 3:4). In light of this, what would have been some of the sins Christ commanded the people of the first century and us today to repent of? Here are a few sins to consider.

• Breaking the 10 Commandments (Matthew 19:17; John 15:10; 1 John 2:4).
• Not observing the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8; Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2; Hebrews 4:9).
• Not observing the biblical festivals (Leviticus 23:2; Matthew 26:17; Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 5:8).
• Sexual acts before or outside of a traditional marriage (Matthew 19:4-6, 18; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6).

Sadly, many within mainstream Christianity no longer understand what sin is. Many teach or condone some of the things Jesus expects people to repent of. The honorable traits of tolerance, love and respect have been so distorted and misapplied that many now think Jesus approves of the very things that were sins in the first century and that continue to be sins today.

While our hearts are indeed at the center of this process, we must also understand that repentance is far more than simply an emotional moment.Though their hearts and emotions may indeed be touched by the Messiah’s message, too many have mistakenly continued living in opposition to God’s teaching. Those who neglect or fail to understand this more complete understanding of repentance—that it includes our minds and our obedience to God’s instructions in the Bible—are not properly responding to the Messiah’s command to repent.

God hasn’t changed His mind about what is and isn’t sin (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). In order to truly repent, we must accept God’s definitions of sin and then alter our conduct accordingly.

After repentance, baptism

The biblical response to real, genuine repentance is baptism. As Peter told the crowd gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Baptism represents our sins being washed away (Acts 22:16). The Holy Spirit helps us understand God’s timeless instruction in spite of religious confusion in the world around us (John 16:13; 1 John 5:19). This power from God (Luke 24:49) strips away spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 3:14-16; Ephesians 4:18); and when we receive it via baptism, it identifies us as “children of God” (Romans 8:9, 14, 16). 

In addition to these wonderful benefits of having God’s Spirit, there is still another important blessing that God extends when His Spirit is present within us. It is the guarantee of receiving eternal life. As Paul wrote, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit” (Romans 8:11).

The new life we will receive will be eternal. As Paul further explained, this life will come when we are changed from natural bodies formed from the dust of the earth to ones that are immortal and similar to God in composition (1 Corinthians 15:35-53; 1 John 3:1-2).

Repenting of our sins and being baptized for the forgiveness of those sins so we can receive the Holy Spirit are thus necessary steps for us to enter the Kingdom of God. Again, as Jesus stated, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

In the concluding article in this series we will examine Christ’s command to “believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). 

For further study on repentance, see the Life Hope & Truth article “What Is Repentance?” and the ones in the section on baptism.

The Kingdom of God Is at Hand

 

As Jesus Christ came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, He said that this Kingdom is “at hand” (Mark 1:15). What did He mean by this?

Jesus spoke of several key themes concerning the good news of God’s coming Kingdom: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). 

In our article “The Time Is Fulfilled: Four Proofs Jesus Was Messiah,” we saw how Daniel 9:25 indicated that Jesus would begin His ministry in A.D. 27. Just as God through His prophet Daniel had predicted, Jesus arrived at this time to begin preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. As Jesus noted, the time of waiting for Him to preach the gospel was over. This important step in God’s plan had been fulfilled, and now the Kingdom of God was at hand. 

What did Jesus mean when He said, “The kingdom of God is at hand”?

Understanding this question has been confusing for many. Some have assumed that the Kingdom is simply in one’s heart. Others have suggested that it is the Church. Others say that this Kingdom is in heaven. Few have been able to accurately harmonize the teaching on this subject in the Old Testament with what is revealed in the New. 

Before we focus on what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God being “at hand,” we need to carefully consider what the Scriptures reveal about the Kingdom of God before Jesus’ preaching. Then we will have a basis for understanding Christ’s statement.

The Kingdom of God is mentioned in the Old Testament

In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the monarch had a dream predicting three major gentile empires that would follow his Babylonian Empire (Daniel 2:1-43). Historically, these successive empires turned out to be the Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires. God, through Daniel, gave the interpretation of the king’s dream (verse 19). 

The last part of the dream and its explanation was: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (verse 44). From this passage we can see that the Kingdom of God will rule over all people and nations.

God reiterated this point through the prophet Zechariah, who in describing the second coming of Christ to earth said, “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). This point is restated in several New Testament passages (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 11:15; 17:14; 19:16).

What and where does Christ say the Kingdom will be?

When Christ appeared on earth as a human, it was clear that this Kingdom did not yet rule over the earth, and the early Christians eagerly awaited its arrival. Unfortunately, this teaching regarding the Kingdom of God being a kingdom that would come to earth and replace all civil governments disappeared from mainstream Christianity over the centuries following Christ’s death. 

As previously noted in this series, historian Edward Gibbon documented how this teaching of the Kingdom of God being a literal kingdom gradually disappeared from mainstream Christianity. Most churches today consider this teaching archaic and outdated. See “The Four Elements of a Kingdom” below for further explanation of how the Kingdom of God will indeed be a literal kingdom here on earth. 

As for the “what” and “where” of the Kingdom, the Old Testament revealed that it would be a future kingdom to be established on earth, first ruling over humans for a thousand years and then continuing for eternity. 

Jesus’ teaching that “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15) began adding to the understanding of the Kingdom of God. In His statement that the Kingdom of God was at hand or “near,” as the Bible in Basic English and Good News Translation have it, Jesus was saying that He, as the representative of the coming Kingdom of God, was available to teach people about this future Kingdom.

Who will be in the Kingdom of God?

In the time of Daniel, God had revealed through the prophet that “the saints [those studying, learning and living in accordance with God’s law] of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever” (Daniel 7:18).

This prophecy indicated that the saints and this kingdom would be eternal, but there were few details about how people could enter this Kingdom. 

People who faithfully respond to Jesus’ gospel are destined to rule with Him as kings and priests over the physical nations and peoples who will exist when He returns (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). But an important concept to note is that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). 

In order to become a member of this Kingdom, one’s human body must be changed to a “spiritual body” (verse 44). As Paul put it, “This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (verse 53). The Kingdom of God will include faithful followers of Christ who have been changed into spirit. 

These spirit beings who were previously mortal will assist Christ in ruling over the mortal humans who remain alive on earth after all the devastation that will occur prior to His return. Thus, an eternal kingdom composed of and administered by spirit beings will rule over mortal humans during the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth.

Of course, since this is an eternal kingdom, it will continue forever even after the millennial reign of Christ comes to an end. 

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Even though God’s Kingdom will not be established on earth until Jesus returns, He expects His followers to be seeking His Kingdom now. As Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33, King James Version).

Seeking God’s Kingdom “first” means giving it the highest priority in our lives. Illustrating this point, Jesus likened this Kingdom to a “pearl of great price” (Matthew 13:45-46).

What else can we do to seek this Kingdom? We can regularly pray for it to come. We learn this from Jesus’ instruction on how to pray.

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come,” He said (Matthew 6:9-10).

We also seek God’s Kingdom when we seek God’s righteousness, in the sense that we’re preparing to be rulers with Christ in it. Jesus will rule in righteousness, and His Kingdom will bring justice and equity to all. When we live now by God’s laws, we internalize God’s values and prepare for our future roles assisting Jesus in His role as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

For additional study on this responsibility, see the article “Seek First the Kingdom of God.”

The Church and the Kingdom of God

Because Christians are expected to seek God’s Kingdom now, some have assumed that the Church is God’s Kingdom on earth. While God does want Christians to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), the Church is not the Kingdom.

A good way to describe the relationship between the Church of God and the Kingdom of God is found in the words of the late Herbert W. Armstrong. This religious educator said that the Church is the Kingdom of God in embryo.

Similar to the way an unborn human embryo grows in his or her mother’s womb, Christians in this life are growing in understanding of God and His righteous character. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and, upon our repentance and baptism, encourages us and empowers us to live God’s way of life. But our spiritual birth and entrance into God’s Kingdom will come when Jesus returns and our bodies are changed into spirit.

As Paul noted: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:50-53.

Now that we have the basics regarding what the Kingdom of God is and what God expects of us in preparing for it, let’s consider a few passages that are often misunderstood.

Is the Kingdom of God within you?

One day when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered: “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21, emphasis added). From this passage some have mistakenly concluded that the Kingdom of God only exists in people’s hearts or minds. 

While the Kingdom of God currently exists in heaven, it is destined to also encompass all peoples and nations here on earth.The Greek word entos, which is translated “within” in this passage, can also be translated “in the midst of” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, “Within”).

Several Bible translations (including the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, the Modern King James Version and Green’s Literal Translation) use this “in the midst of” translation. 

What Christ was saying was that He, a representative and the future King of this coming Kingdom, was standing in their midst. Without doubt, this is the better translation since the Kingdom of God was not in the hearts of the skeptical religious leaders Jesus was answering. 

While God’s Kingdom is to be in our hearts and minds, the Kingdom of God is far more than a philosophic mind-set. For further study of Luke 17:20-21, see the Life, Hope & Truth article “The Kingdom of God Is Within You.”

Citizenship in heaven

In Philippians 3:20, Paul said that “our citizenship is in heaven.” Based on this passage, some have mistakenly assumed that this means Christians will go to heaven in order to become part of God’s Kingdom. As we have already seen, Jesus Christ will return to earth and establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. 

While the Kingdom of God currently exists in heaven, it is destined to also encompass all peoples and nations here on earth.

As John saw in vision: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15). Christ will bring the “times of restoration of all things” to the earth (Acts 3:21).

Learn more about the good news of the Kingdom of God Jesus preached (Mark 1:15) in our related articles:

• “Messiah’s Message: Gospel of the Kingdom.”
• “The Time Is Fulfilled: 4 Proofs Jesus Was Messiah.”
• “Messiah’s Message: Repent.”
• “Messiah’s Message: Believe in the Gospel.”