The late President Eisenhower, according to a news report, admitted that once while in discussion with a prominent Russian general he was at a loss to know what to answer. Precisely what is the American ideology is what the Russian wanted to know. He could tell Eisenhower exactly what the Communist ideology is. He could spell it out clearly, and he wanted the famous American general to do the same concerning his nation’s life-and-world view. Eisenhower was honest—enough to admit that the Russian had him stumped.
Pluralism, not only ethnic but especially religious, makes it impossible for Americanism to arrive at a spiritual ideology with consistency and a clear sense of direction. Great soldier though he was, Eisenhower was apparently caught off guard when he was brought face to face with something of this realization.
But tragic as this may have been, it is an even greater tragedy that Americans largely couldn’t seem to care less about this. Materialism and secularism are the unwritten creed by which they live. So let’s eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. At best, the pursuit of a healthful ecological niche may capture men’s fancy for the preservation of their kingdom of this world. But the kingdom of heaven what kind of gobbledygook or pie in the sky is that?
But now the greatest tragedy of all is that we too, although professing Christians, might find ourselves in an awkward quandary if we were challenged to spell out the ideology that motivates us in all we do, giving meaning and purpose to all of our lives. Honestly now, do we really know what the Christian life is all about? Or do we allow the affluence of suburbia, like a heady wine, to blur our vision of what the Lord has set before us as priority number one? Time out from the rat race to keep up with the neighbors is surely of the essence if we are to recapture the vision of the kingdom, without which life call never be worth the living.
Priority Number One – A recent correspondent is concerned to know whether those who publish THE OUTLOOK are as kingdom-minded as they ought to be. We are grateful for this writer’s inquiry in as far as it affords this editorial opportunity to say unequivocally that, according to our Lord’s clear instruction, the quest for the kingdom is to be upheld and cherished as priority number one.
Sad indeed is the plight of anyone who never gives thought to what should be the priorities in his life or who is badly mixed up about them. But doubly sad is the plight of him who on Sunday regularly says “Lord, Lord” with his lips while his life gives no evidence, during the rest of the week, that He is serving Christ as His King.
Frequently one hears it said by those of the Reformed faith that they are committed to the Kuyperian idea of the kingdom. And that with good reason: it was the renowned theologian-statesman Abraham Kuyper (1837–1920) of The Netherlands who did so much to develop and to popularize the vision of promoting the kingdom in every area of Christian life.
Indefatigable as a crusader for this sacred cause, Kuyper saw his dream become a visible reality in the establishment of the Free University of Amsterdam; he wrote and spoke prodigiously (for example, his monumental three-volume Pro Rege [For the King] and his Stone Foundation Lectures on Calvinism delivered at Princeton, October, 1898); and, pressing ever on, at last he became Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Abraham Kuyper was consumed with a holy passion for the coming of Christ’s kingdom, and is therefore not without good reason that we should speak of the Kuyperian concept of the kingdom.
Fundamentalists, in their avowal that evangelism must be priority number one for the Christian, may think that placing the kingdom at the head of the list is to be regarded as an innovation by John Calvin, a concept out of keeping with the thrust of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, 20. Let it be readily granted that Calvinism is a life-and-world view with the kingdom high on the list of priorities. To this clay we can enthusiastically recommend the reading and study of The Basic Ideas of Calvinism (1956) by the late Dr. H. Henry Meder. At the time this book appeared, Rev. Peter Van Tuinen gave it this glowing and well-deserved tribute in a review for The Calvin Forum:
“At a time such as ours, when Fundamentalism is making serious inroads into many conservatively Reformed circles, the kind of study that Dr. Meeter offers here is well-nigh as basic and indispensable as the Heidelberg or the Westminster Catechism.”
Let it be granted then that, under God, our debt to John Calvin for having clarified and sharpened our thinking concerning the kingdom and Christianity as a life-and-world view is immense. Georgia Harkness said it well: “The sixteenth was a great century. It was the century of Raphael and Michelangelo, of Spenser and Shakespeare, of Erasmus and Rabelais, of Copernicus and Galileo, of Luther and Calvin. Of all the figures that gave greatness to this century, none left a more lasting heritage than Calvin” (John Calvin, the Man and His Ethics, p. 258).
But it was not Calvin, Kuyper, or anyone of the kind who actually originated the idea of the quest for the kingdom but rather, our Lord Himself. Priority number one was established by Christ when in His Sermon on the Mount (a better name for it: Sermon on the Kingdom) He said: But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). That we are to seek the kingdom first does not indicate a time order but rather one of importance.
The criterion for what we do in every area of life must always be the promotion of the kingdom. This kingdom vision is not to be mistaken for anyone’s recent discovery or brain-child. Rather, it is at the heart of the historic Christian faith and it has received its authenticity from Christ Himself. And lest there be any misunderstanding: all for the kingdom is synonymous with all for the glory of God.
Not of this World – Brief, simple, and sharp is this familiar definition: The kingdom of heaven is God’s gracious rule in the hearts and lives of His people. Assuming this definition to be correct, it follows that the kingdom is spiritual, that its citizenship is restricted to believers, that it is a present spiritual reality, and that its consummation awaits the return of our Lord and “the times of the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21)
Scriptural warrant for this conclusion that the kingdom is spiritual and not of this world is made abundantly clear in such passages as the following:
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, There! for lo, the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21).
When Pilate asked Jesus about his kingship and kingdom, our Lord answered: “My kingdom is not of this world . . . Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:36, 37).
Paul tells us that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
What now is the relation of the kingdom of God to the church? Two concentric circles may be used to illustrate this relation. The smaller circle in the center represents the church, with a larger circle around this to represent the kingdom. There can be no kingdom citizenship and activities apart from those who are in and of the true church. Radiating from the church as the center, spokes may he drawn to indicate the various areas or phases of kingdom activity such as: the family and home, the school, the state, science, art, industry, labor, and all of society in which Christians become involved.
From this it follows that we must be realistic enough not to expect men and society in general to he brought within the pale of the kingdom. Our Lord’s word to Nicodemus is still as true today as ever: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be horn anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Organization. education, propaganda, and crusading, all have their place and purpose in our quest for the kingdom; but, apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, all these will be futile in our efforts to extend the kingdom into the hearts and lives of others.
It would indeed he difficult to improve upon the late Dr. H. Henry Meeter’s statement concerning this in his book The Basic Ideas of Calvinism:
“History proves that the Kingdom of God and ideal social conditions can never come about through natural development, either by governments or any other natural way. This great ideal, the Kingdom of God, that perfect state, will alone be realized by Jesus Christ, and not by natural means but by supernatural grace. That kingdom He has already planted in this world. It is begun in regeneration, continued in sanctification, consists in this present dispensation in spiritual realities only, will one day become both spiritual and material when, as a result of His redemption, out of the ashes of this old world will arise a new earth wherein dwelleth, righteousness. And over this Kingdom, which is the continuation of that royal power over the Kingdom of God at creation; Christ, the last Adam, and not the State’s authorities, has been placed. Furthermore, this task of Christ belongs in the realm of special grace and lies in the domain of the Church, not of the State” (p. 105).
Evangelism and the Kingdom – Does someone demur at this point and say that evangelism rather than this quest for the kingdom must be priority number one? Anyone who does might be reminded that his argument is not with me but rather with Christ Himself who said it plainly that our quest for the kingdom must be first.
To this it may be added that evangelism does play a prominent role in our quest for the kingdom. In· deed, it is thrilling for the evangelist to think of a convert being saved from death and hell to live forever with God in heaven. But it should be even more thrilling to realize that evangelism is actually an invasion of the kingdom of darkness to have souls delivered from the domain of Satan to be incorporated into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! To realize this is to get evangelism into proper focus. It is only then that the Great Commission will be seen to be God-centered rather than having it begin and end in man.
The Aeolian Harp – The quest for the kingdom is an assignment second to none. The strongholds of Satan in every area of life appear so impregnable and overwhelming; and, except for the eye of faith, our numbers and resources may seem so minuscule as to cause despair. It was with this in mind that Abraham Kuyper wrote the following unforgettable conclusion to his famous Stone Lectures:
“Now the period in which we are living at present, is surely at a low ebb religiously.
“Unless God send forth His Spirit, there will be no turn, and fearfully rapid will be the descent of the waters. But you remember the Aeolian Harp, which men were wont to place outside their casement, that the breeze might wake its music into life. Until the wind blew, the harp remained silent, while, again, even though the wind arose, if the harp did not lie in readiness, a rustling of the breeze might be heard, but not a single note of ethereal music delighted the ear. Now, let Calvinism be nothing but such an Aeolian Harp—absolutely powerless, as it is, without the quickening Spirit of God—still we feel it our God-given duty to keep our harp, its strings tuned aright, ready in the window of God’s Holy Zion, awaiting the breath of the Spirit.”
Lead on, O King eternal!
Pluralism, not only ethnic but especially religious, makes it impossible for Americanism to arrive at a spiritual ideology with consistency and a clear sense of direction. Great soldier though he was, Eisenhower was apparently caught off guard when he was brought face to face with something of this realization.
But tragic as this may have been, it is an even greater tragedy that Americans largely couldn’t seem to care less about this. Materialism and secularism are the unwritten creed by which they live. So let’s eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. At best, the pursuit of a healthful ecological niche may capture men’s fancy for the preservation of their kingdom of this world. But the kingdom of heaven what kind of gobbledygook or pie in the sky is that?
But now the greatest tragedy of all is that we too, although professing Christians, might find ourselves in an awkward quandary if we were challenged to spell out the ideology that motivates us in all we do, giving meaning and purpose to all of our lives. Honestly now, do we really know what the Christian life is all about? Or do we allow the affluence of suburbia, like a heady wine, to blur our vision of what the Lord has set before us as priority number one? Time out from the rat race to keep up with the neighbors is surely of the essence if we are to recapture the vision of the kingdom, without which life call never be worth the living.
Priority Number One – A recent correspondent is concerned to know whether those who publish THE OUTLOOK are as kingdom-minded as they ought to be. We are grateful for this writer’s inquiry in as far as it affords this editorial opportunity to say unequivocally that, according to our Lord’s clear instruction, the quest for the kingdom is to be upheld and cherished as priority number one.
Sad indeed is the plight of anyone who never gives thought to what should be the priorities in his life or who is badly mixed up about them. But doubly sad is the plight of him who on Sunday regularly says “Lord, Lord” with his lips while his life gives no evidence, during the rest of the week, that He is serving Christ as His King.
Frequently one hears it said by those of the Reformed faith that they are committed to the Kuyperian idea of the kingdom. And that with good reason: it was the renowned theologian-statesman Abraham Kuyper (1837–1920) of The Netherlands who did so much to develop and to popularize the vision of promoting the kingdom in every area of Christian life.
Indefatigable as a crusader for this sacred cause, Kuyper saw his dream become a visible reality in the establishment of the Free University of Amsterdam; he wrote and spoke prodigiously (for example, his monumental three-volume Pro Rege [For the King] and his Stone Foundation Lectures on Calvinism delivered at Princeton, October, 1898); and, pressing ever on, at last he became Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Abraham Kuyper was consumed with a holy passion for the coming of Christ’s kingdom, and is therefore not without good reason that we should speak of the Kuyperian concept of the kingdom.
Fundamentalists, in their avowal that evangelism must be priority number one for the Christian, may think that placing the kingdom at the head of the list is to be regarded as an innovation by John Calvin, a concept out of keeping with the thrust of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, 20. Let it be readily granted that Calvinism is a life-and-world view with the kingdom high on the list of priorities. To this clay we can enthusiastically recommend the reading and study of The Basic Ideas of Calvinism (1956) by the late Dr. H. Henry Meder. At the time this book appeared, Rev. Peter Van Tuinen gave it this glowing and well-deserved tribute in a review for The Calvin Forum:
“At a time such as ours, when Fundamentalism is making serious inroads into many conservatively Reformed circles, the kind of study that Dr. Meeter offers here is well-nigh as basic and indispensable as the Heidelberg or the Westminster Catechism.”
Let it be granted then that, under God, our debt to John Calvin for having clarified and sharpened our thinking concerning the kingdom and Christianity as a life-and-world view is immense. Georgia Harkness said it well: “The sixteenth was a great century. It was the century of Raphael and Michelangelo, of Spenser and Shakespeare, of Erasmus and Rabelais, of Copernicus and Galileo, of Luther and Calvin. Of all the figures that gave greatness to this century, none left a more lasting heritage than Calvin” (John Calvin, the Man and His Ethics, p. 258).
But it was not Calvin, Kuyper, or anyone of the kind who actually originated the idea of the quest for the kingdom but rather, our Lord Himself. Priority number one was established by Christ when in His Sermon on the Mount (a better name for it: Sermon on the Kingdom) He said: But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). That we are to seek the kingdom first does not indicate a time order but rather one of importance.
The criterion for what we do in every area of life must always be the promotion of the kingdom. This kingdom vision is not to be mistaken for anyone’s recent discovery or brain-child. Rather, it is at the heart of the historic Christian faith and it has received its authenticity from Christ Himself. And lest there be any misunderstanding: all for the kingdom is synonymous with all for the glory of God.
Not of this World – Brief, simple, and sharp is this familiar definition: The kingdom of heaven is God’s gracious rule in the hearts and lives of His people. Assuming this definition to be correct, it follows that the kingdom is spiritual, that its citizenship is restricted to believers, that it is a present spiritual reality, and that its consummation awaits the return of our Lord and “the times of the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21)
Scriptural warrant for this conclusion that the kingdom is spiritual and not of this world is made abundantly clear in such passages as the following:
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, There! for lo, the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21).
When Pilate asked Jesus about his kingship and kingdom, our Lord answered: “My kingdom is not of this world . . . Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:36, 37).
Paul tells us that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
What now is the relation of the kingdom of God to the church? Two concentric circles may be used to illustrate this relation. The smaller circle in the center represents the church, with a larger circle around this to represent the kingdom. There can be no kingdom citizenship and activities apart from those who are in and of the true church. Radiating from the church as the center, spokes may he drawn to indicate the various areas or phases of kingdom activity such as: the family and home, the school, the state, science, art, industry, labor, and all of society in which Christians become involved.
From this it follows that we must be realistic enough not to expect men and society in general to he brought within the pale of the kingdom. Our Lord’s word to Nicodemus is still as true today as ever: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be horn anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Organization. education, propaganda, and crusading, all have their place and purpose in our quest for the kingdom; but, apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, all these will be futile in our efforts to extend the kingdom into the hearts and lives of others.
It would indeed he difficult to improve upon the late Dr. H. Henry Meeter’s statement concerning this in his book The Basic Ideas of Calvinism:
“History proves that the Kingdom of God and ideal social conditions can never come about through natural development, either by governments or any other natural way. This great ideal, the Kingdom of God, that perfect state, will alone be realized by Jesus Christ, and not by natural means but by supernatural grace. That kingdom He has already planted in this world. It is begun in regeneration, continued in sanctification, consists in this present dispensation in spiritual realities only, will one day become both spiritual and material when, as a result of His redemption, out of the ashes of this old world will arise a new earth wherein dwelleth, righteousness. And over this Kingdom, which is the continuation of that royal power over the Kingdom of God at creation; Christ, the last Adam, and not the State’s authorities, has been placed. Furthermore, this task of Christ belongs in the realm of special grace and lies in the domain of the Church, not of the State” (p. 105).
Evangelism and the Kingdom – Does someone demur at this point and say that evangelism rather than this quest for the kingdom must be priority number one? Anyone who does might be reminded that his argument is not with me but rather with Christ Himself who said it plainly that our quest for the kingdom must be first.
To this it may be added that evangelism does play a prominent role in our quest for the kingdom. In· deed, it is thrilling for the evangelist to think of a convert being saved from death and hell to live forever with God in heaven. But it should be even more thrilling to realize that evangelism is actually an invasion of the kingdom of darkness to have souls delivered from the domain of Satan to be incorporated into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! To realize this is to get evangelism into proper focus. It is only then that the Great Commission will be seen to be God-centered rather than having it begin and end in man.
The Aeolian Harp – The quest for the kingdom is an assignment second to none. The strongholds of Satan in every area of life appear so impregnable and overwhelming; and, except for the eye of faith, our numbers and resources may seem so minuscule as to cause despair. It was with this in mind that Abraham Kuyper wrote the following unforgettable conclusion to his famous Stone Lectures:
“Now the period in which we are living at present, is surely at a low ebb religiously.
“Unless God send forth His Spirit, there will be no turn, and fearfully rapid will be the descent of the waters. But you remember the Aeolian Harp, which men were wont to place outside their casement, that the breeze might wake its music into life. Until the wind blew, the harp remained silent, while, again, even though the wind arose, if the harp did not lie in readiness, a rustling of the breeze might be heard, but not a single note of ethereal music delighted the ear. Now, let Calvinism be nothing but such an Aeolian Harp—absolutely powerless, as it is, without the quickening Spirit of God—still we feel it our God-given duty to keep our harp, its strings tuned aright, ready in the window of God’s Holy Zion, awaiting the breath of the Spirit.”
Lead on, O King eternal!