Click here to read the first part.
In part one of this series, we discovered that all humanity (as the Son of God) has always been part of the Trinity. The Kingdom of God is a present reality, here and now, whether you are aware of it or not. The question is how you become aware of the full reality of that Kingdom in the here and now, and then begin to live from that reality. That is what parts two and three are about.
“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven, that whoever eats of it does not die.” (John 6:49,50)
“Everyone who lives and believes in Me will not die forever; do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
The reality of the Kingdom of God
Through the fall in our consciousness, our thinking has become darkened. As a result, we no longer perceive the world from God’s perspective — the Kingdom of God — but through the lens of good and evil, the so-called realm of darkness. As a consequence of this fall (not as a punishment from God!), we have come under the curse of sin and death. Yet this fall does nothing to diminish the reality of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is still just as real as it was at the foundation of the world: it is among us and even within us.
Metamorphosis
The cross is meant to be a revelation of the Way through which you become fully aware of the Kingdom of God here and now. Walking in that full reality goes hand in hand with complete deliverance from the curse of sin (missing the mark) and (physical) death.
Salvation and rebirth are not static events that occur through belief in certain doctrines, after which you go to heaven when you die. They are about a Way of Life: the renewal of your mind, the illumination of a darkened consciousness, a radical mind shift. It is about eyes being opened to the reality of the Kingdom of God — here and now. Not as a foretaste for later, but to truly walk in that full reality without seeing physical death.
This requires a profound and lasting inner transformation that will also manifest in your body (as within, so without). Paul describes this as a metamorphosis — a transformation from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:1–2) — not through physical death, but in life itself. This metamorphosis comes through a radical mind shift: you begin to think, believe, and live from a completely different perspective — that of the Kingdom of God (the mind of Christ) — rather than from the darkened human perspective (the mind of the flesh). This inner transformation leads to the glorification of your physical body (Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 12:2–4).
The cross inevitably brings change
Every view of the cross leads to a certain renewal of the mind. Depending on your perspective, the cross brings a certain degree of transformation in your life. Below are three ways of viewing the cross and the changes they bring.
The most well-known view — especially in the West — is penal substitution. Its core idea is that Jesus, as a substitute, made the forgiveness of sins possible. This is often accompanied by the belief that after death, you go to heaven instead of eternal hell. If you believe you are guilty and deserve punishment, this view brings freedom from guilt. The joy and gratitude that follow can deeply change your life. However, this perspective does not lead to the metamorphosis from glory to glory, nor to complete deliverance from sin and death here and now. Life remains a kind of waiting room for heaven. The full reality of the Kingdom remains something for the future.
A second view, which has gained ground in recent decades, is Christ Victor. Here the emphasis is on Jesus’ victory over evil. Believers see themselves as sharing in that victory — though not yet fully manifested. This view creates space for signs, miracles, and healing as expressions of the Kingdom in the present. It brings greater freedom in thinking and acting and can lead to visible breakthroughs. Yet even here, the fullness is often still tied to life after death. This perspective, too, does not lead to the full metamorphosis or to walking in the complete reality of the Kingdom here and now.
A third, growing perspective is that of radical grace. Based on Jesus’ words “It is finished,” it teaches that Jesus has accomplished everything for everyone, and that ultimately all will be well. This brings deep peace and rest. The pressure to perform falls away. This shift in thinking also profoundly changes a person. Yet even this view does not automatically lead to the metamorphosis in which you live in the Kingdom here and now without seeing physical death. For many, this too remains a future reality.
In all three perspectives, the focus is on something Jesus is believed to have done as a substitute. In each case, there is a certain level of awareness of the Kingdom, yet none leads to complete and lasting restoration. It remains partial healing, while physical death is still seen as the gateway to the full reality of the Kingdom.
My position is that as long as your view of the cross is defined by what Jesus — as the exclusive Christ — has done for you as a substitute, the true message of the cross will pass you by.
The true message of the cross is aimed at a metamorphosis from glory to glory, leading to full restoration and to walking here and now in the complete reality of the Kingdom of God. The cross reveals the Way to full awareness of what has always been: the Kingdom of God. This goes hand in hand with complete deliverance from sin and death. The perishable will be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53–54). Your body is destined to be conformed to the glorious body of the Lord (Philippians 3:21).
The righteousness of the Kingdom
All people have been justified from the beginning because they were created in God’s image. Righteousness in the Kingdom is not a legal status based on meeting certain standards. You are not righteous because you are good enough, nor because Jesus fulfilled the law for you.
Divine righteousness is about wholeness: complete, without defect — in spirit, soul, and body. From God’s perspective, this is already true for everyone. Jesus did not come to establish this truth, but to reveal it. From your perspective, there may still be brokenness; the effects of sin and death are still visible. Therefore, a process is needed in which your consciousness is renewed so that your experience aligns with the reality of the Kingdom of God.
This is the reconciliation process: the complete removal of missing the mark. The cross is meant to show you the Way to full awareness of this wholeness. Jesus offered his life as a living sacrifice, demonstrating what this Way looks like. He sought to open your eyes to a life that leads to full transformation — without the need to see physical death.
The cross calls for a radical mind shift. This transformation cannot be done for you. You must undergo it yourself, here and now. Your view of the cross is crucial in this. If you continue to believe that Jesus has fully accomplished your salvation as a substitute, the urgency to actively participate in this process disappears (Philippians 2:12). After all, why would you, if everything has already been done for you?
Summary
Part 2 shows that the Kingdom of God is already a present reality, but that our darkened thinking prevents us from seeing it. The cross is not presented as a substitutionary solution, but as a revelation of the Way to a radical inner transformation — a mind shift — through which we become aware of this reality and begin to live in it.
Various common views of the cross do bring change, but they do not lead to full deliverance or lasting metamorphosis. The core message is that true salvation lies in a process of awakening and renewal of the mind, leading to a “metamorphosis from glory to glory” — here and now, not only after death.
The cross therefore invites active participation in this inner transformation, so that the full reality of the Kingdom of God becomes visible in our lives.
Click here to read the third and final part of this blog series.
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