One Throne
“The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” - Psalm 103:19 (NIV)
If I asked you to define the Kingdom of God, what would you say?
If you’re anything like me, you’d probably picture a place. Heaven, maybe. The new earth. The family of God. I know that’s where my mind has always gone. None of those answers are entirely wrong, but lately I’ve realized they’re incomplete.
One of the simplest observations has completely changed how I read Scripture: the Kingdom of God is first and foremost God’s reign.
Psalm 103:19 says, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (NIV). Notice it doesn’t say God’s kingdom merely exists over all. It says His kingdom rules over all. That’s the language of authority.
Even the Greek word Jesus uses—basileia—points us in this direction. While it can refer to a kingdom or realm, its primary emphasis is the reign and authority of a king. In other words, the Kingdom isn’t primarily a place on a map. It’s wherever the King is recognized as King.
That makes Jesus’ first public proclamation even more striking: “The time has come... The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, NIV). He wasn’t simply announcing a future destination. He was announcing that the reign of God had broken into history because the King Himself had arrived.
Of course, the Kingdom isn’t fully here yet. We still pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). We live in what theologians often call the “already, but not yet.” Christ reigns today, and one day every knee will bow before Him. The Kingdom is present, but it has not yet been fully consummated.
I wonder, though, if we’ve become so focused on waiting for the Kingdom that we’ve forgotten to live under it in the present.
It’s surprisingly easy to treat Jesus like a trusted advisor instead of a King. We ask for His opinion on our relationships, our careers, our finances, or our plans, but we still reserve the right to make the final decision. We want His guidance without always yielding to His authority. How often do we think of Jesus as Savior but forget He is King?
If the Kingdom is God’s reign, then there really isn’t such a thing as selective submission. A king doesn’t exercise authority over only the parts of his kingdom that his subjects approve of. His reign extends over all of it.
Yet isn’t that what we’re often tempted to do? We gladly surrender the parts of our lives that feel comfortable, while quietly holding onto the areas we’d rather govern ourselves. We invite Jesus into our Sunday mornings but hesitate to hand Him our relationships. We trust Him with eternity but not always with our finances, our ambitions, our schedules, our politics, our desires, or our disappointments. Sometimes we even approach Scripture the same way—embracing the passages that affirm what we already believe while explaining away the ones that confront us. We begin treating God’s Word like a buffet instead of the decree of a King.
The problem is that the Kingdom doesn’t operate on shared authority. There is one throne. One King.
Every day we’re faced with the same choice: Will I submit my life to the reign of the King, or will I continue trying to rule my own little kingdom? There isn’t really a middle ground. Every area of our lives is under someone’s authority—either ours or His.
That may sound restrictive until we remember who this King is. John Piper writes, “God decided the kingdom of God would be most gloriously revealed in a crucified and risen King.” This is the King who laid down His life for His people. His authority isn’t arbitrary, self-serving, or oppressive. It is perfectly wise, perfectly just, perfectly good. His commands aren’t meant to diminish us but to lead us into the life we were created for.
Maybe that’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). Before we’re asking God to change the world, we’re inviting Him to rule our own hearts. We’re asking Him to bring every corner of our lives under His good and gracious reign.
Surrendering to Him isn’t losing freedom; it’s finally coming under the leadership we were created for.
That’s what Jesus invites us into.
When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we’re not only asking God to make all things new one day. We’re also inviting His reign into our lives today. Into our ambitions. Our fears. Our conversations. Our calendars. Our decisions.
Because the Kingdom of God isn’t primarily where God lives - It’s wherever God is truly King.
bytaylormcgee
