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We've been talking about descriptive phrases
used of Christians in the Bible,
children of promise, sons
of the resurrection, and sons
of Light.
In this article we want to talk about another
phrase we don't hear very often, sons of the
kingdom.
Sons of the Kingdom: Not By Physical Birth
After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus entered Capernaum
and a centurion begged Him to heal his servant,
who was paralyzed at home.
Jesus told the centurion He would come to his
house and heal the servant, but the centurion
said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under
my roof, but just say the word, and my servant
will be healed. For I also am a man under authority,
with soldiers under me; and I say to this one,
'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and
he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does
it" (Matt. 8:7-9).
When Jesus heard the centurion, He marveled
and said, "Truly I say to you, I have not found
such great faith with anyone in Israel. I say
to you that many will come from east and west,
and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of
the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness;
in that place there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth" (Matt. 8:10-12).
Note that Jesus said, "the sons of the kingdom
will be cast out into the outer darkness" (Matt.
8:12).
Here, the sons of the kingdom are Jews
claiming to be God's children based on their physical
birth. But Jesus says they'll be cast into outer
darkness, which is hell, the place of eternal
punishment (Matt. 25:30, 46).
We're not sons of the kingdom because of our
earthly heritage, but because of our spiritual
heritage.
Christians: True Circumcision, Spiritual Circumcision
Christians are the true circumcision -- true children
of God.
- "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers,
beware of the false circumcision; for we
are the true circumcision, who worship in
the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus
and put no confidence in the flesh" (Phil.
3:2-3).
We were circumcised with the circumcision of
Christ when we were baptized. This is the moment
we became of the true circumcision, and a child
of God.
- "And in Him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision made without hands,
in the removal of the body of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ; having been buried
with Him in baptism, in which you were also
raised up with Him through faith in the
working of God, who raised Him from the dead"
(Col. 2:11-12).
Christians: Born Again, Enter the Kingdom
When we were baptized into Christ, and spiritually
circumcised with His circumcision, we were born
again of water and the Spirit.
- "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . .
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God'" (Jn. 3:3-5).
Having been born again, we're members of God's
kingdom, and sons of the kingdom.
Christians: Good Seed, Sons of the Kingdom
Jesus taught the parable of the tares by the Sea
of Galilee to a crowd of people. In the parable
He compared the kingdom of heaven "to a man who
sowed good seed in his field. But while his men
were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares
among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat
sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became
evident also" (Matt. 13:24-26).
At the harvest the tares were gathered up first
and burned, then the wheat was gathered up into
the landowner's barn (Matt. 13:30).
Later, Jesus explained the parable of the tares
to His disciples.
- "And He said, 'The one who sows the good
seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the
world; and as for the good seed, these are
the sons of the kingdom; and the tares
are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy
who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest
is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels'"
(Matt. 13:37-39).
The sons of the kingdom are the good seed sown
by Jesus. And the tares are the sons of the evil
one, the devil (cf. 1 Jn. 3:10).
After the sons of the devil are cast into hell,
the sons of the kingdom remain, shining forth
in the kingdom of their Father.
- "'Then the righteous will shine forth
as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears, let him hear'" (Matt. 13:43).
Conclusion
Everyone is either a child of God or a child of
the devil (1 Jn. 3:10).
As Christians, we're God's children and sons
of His kingdom.
And as sons of God's kingdom, we're blessed
with innumerable gifts, the greatest of which
is a home in heaven.
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