Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 3
He calls the church a “mediatorial kingdom,” not the “absolute kingdom,” and says it will be “credible because we’ll live in repentance when we fail.” What does this teach about God’s expectations for visible holiness now, and how should repentance function in a kingdom-community without pretending perfection?
Another way to ask: If the church should be believable by living holy lives and repenting when we fail, what should “visible holiness” look like now, and how do we repent without acting perfect?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript suggests God expects the church to be a real, visible demonstration of his kingdom ideals now, even though it won’t be perfect; repentance is how the community stays credible—honestly dealing with sin rather than denying it.
- He distinguishes between the present kingdom and the future one: “our expression of the kingdom is not the absolute kingdom…This is a mediatorial kingdom.”
- He argues the church isn’t yet the absolute kingdom because Jesus must “wash the church by the water of the word and make it holy,” implying ongoing sanctification.
- He says the demonstration “won’t be perfect, but it will be credible because we’ll live in repentance when we fail.”
- He explains the church’s purpose: “demonstrating heaven on earth” and showing “what the whole world would look like if everybody obeyed the king.”
- He emphasizes pursuing holiness seriously: “we pour our whole heart into making that church the spotless church that God wants it to be.”