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Our Creed
The Kingdom of God
Preamble : Today, the Kingdom of God is recognized
the essential core of the teaching of Jesus. It is not, therefore,
either a new doctrine or the latest theological trend. What is new, however,
is the emphasis that the Holy Spirit currently is placing on this theme. This
central revelation includes an awareness of the power of personal and social
transformation that is possible through the Gospel, as well as a renunciation
of the privatization of faith in order to fully live out its social and political
implications. Such
a change in mentality is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. It
opens the way to a greater manifestation of the Kingdom of God in society
and in the nations through the Church. In addition, it increases the
impact of the church on society and makes its message more pertinent for
our generation.
1 The purpose of the Kingdom
Eternal plan of the Father before the creation of the world, the Kingdom of God can be described as the sudden emergence of God in the world, coming in His power to destroy the tyrannical domination of the devil over the individual, the community, its social structures, the nations and Creation, bringing peace and both personal and social well-being. His eternal kingship, challenged by the devil, was never shaken: in the Old Testament, God never ceased to be King of his people and King of the nations. At the same time, His kingship had to be fully manifested by His victory over evil and the liberation of His people. This victory extends to all of creation. The Kingdom of God is the dynamic reign of the Lord who is at work in history in order to restore all authority to his Son in order to fill all in all. Consequently, it is the manifestation of the very presence of God in all spheres of life, whether by the sovereign and miraculous activity of His Spirit, or by the incarnation of His wisdom and will as His Word is put into practice. It is the benevolent purpose of God, whose objective is the restoration, not the destruction, of all things. This purpose is a global one that gives meaning to every action we take.
Rom. 8:18-21; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 1:9-10; Rev. 21:1-4.
2 The inauguration of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God was manifested, and in a certain sense, unveiled by
the first coming of God's son, Jesus. During his earthly ministry,
Jesus announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, taught the principles
and the lifestyle appropriate for it, and demonstrated its present and active
reality through the miracles he performed. The cross, the resurrection and
the Ascension constitute key stages in the manifestation of the Kingdom
of God, by which Jesus destroyed the authority over creation that the devil
had usurped and destructively exercised.
Christ trained and sent His disciples to carry on and extend the work of
the Kingdom.
Matt. 11:3-6; Matt. 12:28; Matt. 28:19; Mark 1:15; Acts 10:38; 1 John 3:8.
3 The power of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God manifests itself today by the power of the Holy Spirit in the nations and in creation through the ministry of the Church, whose mission is to announce the Good News of salvation to every creature, and to help to heal the nations. The Holy Spirit is the power of the age to come. By it we are born into eternal life and sanctified in every part of our being through the destruction of the effects of sin. This enables us to regain our humanity in Christ and to be renewed and healed in our bodies as a sign of the kingdom which is to come, so that we may be equipped to serve the plan of God in the nations. It is this same Spirit who, at the resurrection, will transform our mortal bodies in order to give us spiritual bodies adapted to the eternal kingdom.
Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 4:20; 1 Cor. 15:20-22; 1 Cor. 15:42-57; Phil. 3:20-21.
4 The people of the Kingdom
Through the process of redemption, Christ gave birth to a new humanity, the Church, which is called to pursue the cultural mandate of Adam. The Church carries out this mission by serving the world through the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Stripped of all political, economic and military power, clothed with the authority of the Word of God and guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church is the servant of its generation. It is called to make known the principles of the Kingdom of God in all spheres of human life, both public and private.
The Church can be led to challenge the established order, when that order
becomes opposed to justice, to peace, and to the values fundamental to the
Kingdom of God. On its way to the celestial city, its responsibility is to
train citizens for the present age.
This vision of the Kingdom of God leads the Church as a whole, and each
disciple of Jesus in particular, to consider the present world as a mission
field, and to seek to manifest the presence and the wisdom of God in all areas
of life while working for righteousness and peace. To do this, each
disciple is called to develop the full potential God has given him, and to
productively use all his talents and abilities, whether intellectual, artistic,
spiritual or of some other nature, for the Glory of God and the blessing of
the community.
Gen. 1:26-28; Matt. 13:36-43; Matt. 25:14-30; Mark 10:42-45; Rom. 5:12-17; Rom. 14:17.
5 The scope of the Kingdom
This vision of the Kingdom of God is founded on the principle that the redemption Christ accomplished extends from the individual through the nations and all parts of society to all of creation. This vision is different from a gospel of salvation limited to the personal dimension with no direct influence on our environment. This vision expands the field of redemption to include/opens the field of redemption to all of created reality and considers the Gospel as the most powerful instrument of personal and social transformation. All spheres of human society (economics, politics, education, family life, civic life) are subject to renewal and transformation by the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. The vision of the Kingdom of God commits us to live fully our double citizenship, earthly and heavenly, with no separation, but in true harmony, whether in our professional, social, or political commitments. In this sense, this vision of the Kingdom of God raises all human activity to the level of service to God and to the human community, and sees this activity as the means by which our God-given talents are developed and used in every area of life to which they apply. It is these same talents for which we will be held accountable to God. Finally, this perspective abolishes all separation between clergy and laity, and between ministry to the Church and ministry to society.
Col. 1:19-20; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:13-18.
6 The culture of the Kingdom
In the perspective of the Kingdom of God, the Bible is the Word of God
addressed to every person in every age. In it, each generation must
find the principles of life adapted to its particular historical context
so that it may be witnesses to the relevance of the will of God for that
generation and collaborate with Him in the transformation of all things. The
Bible is the manual, the “Manufacturer's handbook” for
individual life as well as for the life of nations. It contains the fundamental
principles that govern personal, family, civic, economic and political life,
and it is man's job to discover those principles, ones that make it
possible to live life to the fullest.
This vision of the Kingdom of God leads us, on the one hand, to examine
our culture in the light of biblical principles, and, on the other, to develop
a biblical vision of the world, a culture of the Kingdom. Far from leading
to conformity, this process, undertaken with humility, involves a continuous
effort of discernment and vigilance against all forms of deception, by which
we are invited to a permanent renewing of our minds in order to anchor all
of our thinking in Christ. This work is one aspect of the mandate to
evangelize and to defend the faith that Christ entrusted to the Church.
Matt. 4:4;Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 2:8; 1 Pet. 1:13.
7 The hope of the Kingdom
This vision of the Kingdom of God feeds on the hope of the renewal of all things. All creation is destined for renewal by God in order to serve as the new dwelling place/habitation for the new humanity that will take place at the second coming of Christ. After the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of men and nations, but also of the devil and his angels, the new heavens and the new earth will appear, and there, justice will reign. This same hope, far from encouraging withdrawal from the world, enables us to experience a real continuity between this age and the age to come, in the firm belief that the power of transformation is already at work in and for believers. This hope implicitly includes an awareness of the real responsibility entrusted to humanity and to the Church. It gives meaning and value to daily life, and enables man to endure the tension between the already-past and the not-yet reality of the Kingdom of God.
Matt. 19:28; Heb. 2:8; 2 Pet. 3:12-13; Rev. 21:1-5.