10 Characteristics of Kingdom Culture
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…”
—Philippians 3:20
Every place has a culture. The dictionary defines a culture as “the sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another.” In other words, a culture is the “norm” for any given group of people. What is acceptable in some places may not be acceptable in others. How do you determine that? Culture. So, what’s the culture of the kingdom of God? Are we carrying the characteristics of kingdom citizens?
I remember when I was East Africa on a mission trip years ago. The pastor came to my friend to greet him with a compliment and said, “Chris, you look fat!” My friend wasn’t sure whether to laugh, get offended, or just take the compliment. In their culture, carrying a little extra weight meant prosperity, i.e. you are able to afford more food. While I thought it was hilarious, I realize we just had a culture clash!
It’s important to know the culture you’re in.
The Kingdom of God has a culture. As believers in Christ, we’ve been born again and have entered the kingdom. We’ve entered into a new culture. We have a new way of life now.
It reminds me of the lyrics to the worship song called “The Blood”:
“I don’t walk like I used to
I don’t talk like I used to
I’ve been washed from the inside
I’ve been washed from the inside outHallelujah, Hallelujah
I know it was the blood
It could’ve only been the blood”
What is the culture of the kingdom? What is this new way of life? Ed Cole said, “The characteristics of the kingdom emanate from the character of the king.” If we want to know what the culture of the kingdom is supposed to be, we have to look at the King.
Taking cues from the character of the King, here are 10 characteristics of Kingdom culture:
1. Love
Interestingly, you don’t find Jesus saying, “I love you” anywhere in the New Testament, but you do see Him demonstrating love over and over again.
Love is an action.
Paul wrote (potentially) the most popular words on love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
Take time to read it on your own. But just look at the first two characteristics of love:
“Love is patient, love is kind.” (1 Cor. 13:4 NIV)
Normal life in the kingdom of God is showing patience and kindness.
When your kids are acting up.
When your job is frustrating.
When you find out someone talked about you behind your back.
When people are rude toward you.
When you get cut off in traffic.
Love is showing kindness and patience through it all.
Why? Because that’s our culture. That’s how our King does it.
2. Honor
Honor looks like reverence for God and respect for others.
It’s living with a healthy fear of the Lord and honoring God in all we do.
We honor others because we are honorable people. We treat others with dignity and respect. Not because they always deserve it, but because it’s who we are. It’s our culture.
“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
—1 Peter 2:17
Jesus modeled this by valuing people and treating them with dignity. He showed the utmost respect to His Father in everything He did.
3. Integrity
Remember the old saying, “Your word is your bond”? It meant your word could be trusted.
Jesus is a King whose word can be trusted.
What about you? How trustworthy is your word?
I don’t think it means never making a mistake or never changing your mind. But it does mean taking responsibility for your actions and becoming a trustworthy person.
That’s kingdom culture.
4. Servanthood
Jesus came as a servant (Mark 10:45).
He is a King who is so secure in Himself that He can go low and serve. His life was serving people. He took the role of a servant and washed His disciple's feet! (John 13:5)
Can we follow our King in His selflessness and serve others?
Are we humble enough to clean toilets if need be?
Can we help others in need, even if it’s inconvenient?
Can we prefer someone else’s needs above our own?
5. Humility
C.S. Lewis wisely said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
Though Jesus was God in the flesh, Philippians 2:8 tells us that He humbled Himself. From the highest point—being God—to the lowest point—becoming man—this was the ultimate act of humility. Yet, in this, He was showing us the way.
James 4:6 reminds us, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble people recognize their need for God and rely on His strength.
Are we able to humble ourselves and admit when we’re wrong?
(Repentance is key to entering the Kingdom)
Are we able to let go of the need for attention?
Can we lower ourselves enough to avoid having to win every argument?
Our King showed us what true humility is.
6. Kindness
Throwing it back to a characteristic of love, kindness is kingdom culture! (Col. 3:12)
No matter how “edgy” or harsh your family background may be, it doesn’t define who you are now. In Christ, you are a new creation.
Reach out and pray for someone in need. Share encouraging words with a friend.
Christ showed kindness. We can, too.
7. Devotion
Jesus made sure He would find time to pray and be with the Father.
It’s normal kingdom culture to be prayerful, worshipful, and rooted in the Scriptures.
Make time for prayer, worship, and the Word. Kingdom people are devoted to their King.
8. Righteousness
Righteousness, holiness, and purity—these three words are deeply connected.
Righteousness is doing what is right in the eyes of the King.
Holiness is being set apart for the King.
Purity is living in alignment with the ways of the King.
Together, they point to lives that are fully devoted to Christ.
Christ has given us His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), and now we live it out. We’ve set ourselves apart for Him, choosing to live pure lives, free from the defilement of sin.
9. Forgiveness
The entire gospel is about forgiveness!
Jesus forgave us our sins! We get to forgive others.
Kingdom culture is a bunch of forgiven people who forgive others.
10. Supernatural
Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts. 1:8).
Supernatural power is normal for the Christian!
One of the best ways to demonstrate that God is real and He loves people is through miracles, signs and wonders.
A witness is someone who produces evidence. In the context of Acts 1:8, we get to produce supernatural evidence that points people to Jesus.
(I wrote an entire book on how to walk in power that points to Jesus. Check it out here)
THE CULTURE OF THE KINGDOM
There are so many characteristics in the culture of the kingdom, but at its core, it reflects the character of the King.
Just like the culture clash I experienced in East Africa, there may be some ways in your life that don’t “line up” with kingdom culture. Those are great opportunities to become more like Jesus! We’ve been given a new nature in Christ, we’re citizens of heaven, and now we’re learning to live it out. His kingdom is the culture we were always meant to live in.
This is the culture in the kingdom!
Question: What would you add to this list? Which aspect of Kingdom culture challenges you the most, and how can you step into it today?