Written by: Greg West
In 1972 E. Stanley Jones’ book, The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, was published. The book was the result of another preacher challenging Jones to “codify the laws of the kingdom of God”. Jones already knew that the Kingdom of God was Jesus’ main theme in his teaching and was also aware that few people understood it. He concluded that Jesus and the Kingdom of God were inseparable. I was introduced to his writings at the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission at Asbury Theological Seminary. His writings have had a powerful influence on my understanding of Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jones found the title of his new book within these three verses from Hebrews:
Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Jones writes:
“I was in Russia in 1934, and I saw people building a civilization without God. And doing it enthusiastically. It hit me pretty hard. I needed reassurance, and so I went to my Bible one morning in Moscow, and these words arose out of the Scriptures: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28-29).
“Oh,” I said, “We have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Not only will it not be shaken but it cannot be shaken. Because it’s ultimate reality.” The kingdom of communism is shakable. They have to hold it together by force. The kingdom of capitalism is shakable. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a heart attack, the stock market plunged $4 billion. But the kingdom of God is not shakable. It’s ultimate reality.
I lived on that verse, exultingly, that day. I came back the next day hungry for more. Another verse arose out of the Scriptures: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). “We’ve got an unchanging Person. He’s forcing change, modification upon us all. But he, himself, is unchanged and unchanging. I came out of Russia with two things in my mind and heart: the unshakeable kingdom and the unchanging Person. Now they’ve come together. Coalesced. He is the kingdom embodied. Absolute goodness and ultimate authority looked out of his eyes. God not only redeems through Christ—he also rules through Christ. In him I find absolute authority and absolute love.”
Jones wrote of modern man, “He is confused – the most confused and yet the most intelligent person that ever existed. He knows everything about life, except how to live it.” If Jones were here today, how much louder would he proclaim this truth? Today we have the internet at our fingertips, access to worlds of information, and with simple voice prompts to our phones, AI can write us a book! Yet, there is so much shaking, and the people know it. The institutions of finance, medicine, science, government and yes, religion and the church have all been shaken and I would argue are still shaking. They shake because they lack the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. People do not know ‘how to live’ because that have not yet found themselves in the redemption story of the King. They do not yet know that their sins have separated them from God, that they need a Savior and Lord. They do not yet have eyes to see that the Lord Jesus offers forgiveness of sins, everlasting life, and Kingdom citizenship.
You may be aware that there is a significant uptick in church attendance among Gen Z and that many are coming to authentic faith in Jesus! They are becoming new creations in Christ, children of the Kingdom by grace through faith! There is a stirring in our culture. People are looking for something steady, something absolute and many are finding the ‘unchanging person’ of Jesus! When I worked with college students, they said things like, “Chaplain, you’re doing the spiritual thing, I’m an earth and environmental science major, so we’re in different worlds” and “I can’t teach the Bible and pray in my profession, I’m an education major heading into the public schools.” They incorrectly perceived a ‘sacred – secular’ split. I responded, “You’re doing creation care, it’s very spiritual” and “I promise you; you will pray as a public-school teacher. Christ is there as well, and the kids will sense the love of Christ in you!” If we do not instruct people about the Kingdom of God, that is, God’s reign and rule right here on earth as it is in heaven, then their inadequate ‘individual’ gospel will limit them and possibly be discarded as it does not address all of life! The truth is, that it all belongs to God and we get to be on a rescue mission with Him in this fallen world as ambassadors of Christ the King.
I’ll see you soon at Conference where together we will worship Jesus, the King of Kings, and pursue the advance of His Kingdom!