The greatest problem in understanding and living in the Kingdom of God for us is the fact we reside in a democratic republic in the United States.  We vote and elect our leaders, and we uphold ideals like freedom, liberty, justice, and many more.  The issue with our Faith is that the Kingdom of God is a different type of governance in the spiritual realm.  It requires us to let go of those very ideals we hold to submit to a king, which is radical considering our country was founded as a result of a revolution against a king.  How do we live as citizens of God’s kingdom?

From the very beginning, God has been seeking to establish His kingdom in our lives.  In Genesis, we know that God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27).  For God to place His image in us is His way of claiming us for Himself.  His intention is to be the supreme leader and guide in our lives.  The problem is that the kingdom was surrendered by humanity to Satan.  By sinning, humanity stated to God that He was not the king of their lives.  Satan was.  By sinning, Adam and Eve were trying to establish themselves as king and queen, but sin can never place ourselves as the head.  We are under the servitude to the sin, thus the prince of evil and tempter would be the king to those who sin.  There was a need for God to reestablish His kingdom in our hearts.

In the lead up to the Incarnation, there is constant hope in Israel that the Messiah will come to establish the new and everlasting kingdom.  Many even thought that the Messiah would conquer Rome and set up a kingdom like they had with David.  As Christ told Pilate at His trial, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John 18:36).  Knowing that His kingdom is not here is key to understanding the Kingdom He seeks to establish in our lives.  He is crucified shortly after this moment, but the Cross is not the end.  The Cross is His throne.  He is taking back His kingdom from Satan and death by dying on the Cross, conquering death, and – in a great victory – resurrecting.  Through this saving and loving action, Christ cements His everlasting kingdom. St. John depicts it as, “a throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian” (Revelation 4:2-3).  The green of the jasper indicates the divine life of the one who sits on it, and the red of the carnelian indicates the flesh that was taken on and given for our salvation.  Christ forever has taken the throne as king of the everlasting kingdom.

What does this mean to us?  We proclaim Christ as King, but do we live it in our lives?  As I said before, here in the United States we value our freedom and our ability to choose things for ourselves.  We do not surrender those rights very often.  Democracy works in our worldly lives and in many ways it is a good thing to have.  But Christ tells us that though we are in the world, we are not of the world.   Eternally, we belong to the Kingdom of God.  We must surrender to the rightful king in Christ.  We are not meant to be the final commander of our lives.  That is what Adam and Eve sought and failed to find.  They, and humanity, became slaves to sin.  Christ came to liberate us from that sin; to be the king of our lives. Thus, we are called to submit ourselves to the One who won that victory for us.  And not surrender that freedom to anyone else, including ourselves.  To submit to the kingdom of God is meant to surrender our free will to the one we wish to be our king.  He is the dominate force in our lives.  He is the One who guides us into making decisions.  The one who influences how we think and act.  Everything in our lives is infused with the One and true King, Jesus Christ.