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the dominion of God

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matthew 6:9-10 ESV)

But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  (Matthew 20:25-28 ESV)

"The dominion of God is a very different sort of dominion from what we understand by the word in ordinary human relationships. As Jesus pointed out, the nations of the world exercise dominion over one another by force. Had Jesus’ dominion been of that sort, were his kingdom of this world, his disciples would doubtless have used force to protect and extend his kingdom or rule. But the dominion of God is a dominion which flows from righteousness and love. This is how God exercises his dominion in heaven and therefore also on earth. In heaven, the will of God is done because those who are there love God and love the rightness of God’s will. God exercises his dominion through the glad obedience of perfect hearts."  (Broughton Knox, The Everlasting God)


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