Sons of the Kingdom Filling the Earth!

But as many as received Him,

to them He gave the right
to become the children of God,

even to those who believe in His name,

who were born, not of blood

nor of the will of the flesh

nor of the will of man,

but of God.

John 1:12-13

God spoke to Adam and Eve and said to "be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." His desire was for the earth to be filled with people. God loves people and wanted an entire earth full. Of course we know what happened--sin entered and the life of God died within the nature of mankind. Still, Adam and Eve began to fulfill God's command to fill the earth, yet wickedness increased and God shortened man's lifespan to 120 years.

Noah was a righteous man, and God spoke to him instructing him to build the ark so he and his family would be saved. After the flood, God told Noah and his sons to "be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." Just like He said to Adam and Even. He even said, "populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." Once again, God wanted lots of babies! However, the people became wicked again. At some point, man's lifespan became shortened to 70 or 80 years. God did not just want a planet full of people, but a planet full of His people--righteous people--who would walk in His ways of love and goodness. For there to remain a family of godly people, man's days had to be cut short. It would just take too long to fill the earth with righteous people otherwise, for God is taking into consideration the righteous people of all generations.

Jesus told the parable of the tares among wheat. He is as one who sowed sons of the kingdom into the world. The enemy came and sowed sons of the evil one. The landowner said to let them both grow together until the harvest, so as not to damage the good seed. At harvest time the angels will remove the evil ones and then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father! We have both "growing together" right now on the earth. Yet God doesn't just want a planet full of bodies, He wants Sons of the Kingdom filling the earth!

When God spoke to Abraham, He didn't tell him to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth, like He did Adam, Eve and Noah. Instead He said "I will make you a great nation," and "I will multiply you exceedingly...I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you..." Abraham was not told to be fruitful and multiply. He was told God would do it through him. God established His covenant with Abraham and through it we see that He began separating a people unto Himself.

John says of Jesus, "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Now we have those who are not just born, physically, but those who are born of God spiritually. These are a people who are not just born because a man and a woman decided to have a baby--but born of the will of God!

Jesus told Nicodemus, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...you must be born again." When is it enough? When will Jesus return? God said to fill the earth--with righteous people. Only He knows when the population of the kingdom has reached the point where it's time to harvest. In the meantime, let's continue to fulfill the command to populate the earth with those who are His, by going into all the world and preaching the gospel to all creation, making disciples of all nations.

Genesis 1:28; Genesis 6:3-8; Genesis 9:1, 7; Psalm 90:10; Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 17:2, 6; John 1:11-13; John 3:5-6; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19