"There is room, there’s a place, in the kingdom of God for you. There is room, there’s a place, there is work that we all can do." So goes the chorus of the song "There Is Room In The Kingdom" (Sacred Selections for the Church, song no. 80). Let’s notice a few ways in which it is true that there really is "room in the kingdom."

There is room in the kingdom of the Christ for more citizens. God translates men out of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, in Whom there is redemption (Colossians 1:13,14). Jesus’ kingdom, the church, will never face the threat of being overcrowded. There is no such thing as too many people in the church. Of first century congregations it is written, "And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily" (Acts 16:5).

There may be restrictions on the number of persons allowed in some businesses, schools, and clubs, or on athletic teams, but there are no such restrictions in God’s kingdom. Jehovah wants all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), and since salvation is in the body or kingdom of the Christ (Ephesians 5:23; 2 Timothy 2:10), then it follows that God wants all men to enter His kingdom via the new birth (John 3:3,5).

There is room in the kingdom of the Christ for people from all backgrounds. The Lord Jesus bought the church with His blood (Acts 20:28). What He established is not a kingdom for only those people of one skin color, one nationality, or one educational background. Such a limited concept is just not in God’s word.

What we do read in God’s word is this: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). God’s kingdom is open to all that are willing to obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). It is for men and women of all races, all nationalities, and all educational levels. God forbid that we should have the distorted concept that the kingdom is exclusively for those lucky people that look and act just like we do!

Jesus charges us to be perfect in love as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:45-48). That certainly would include the idea of doing our best to help people of all backgrounds have the chance to hear, believe, and obey Jesus’ saving gospel (Romans 1:16,17). It would also mean sincerely accepting each person that obeys from the heart that saving doctrine (Romans 6:17,18), regardless of their background.

There is room in the Christ’s kingdom for any task you can do, small or great, for the benefit of the kingdom. Do you look at yourself as someone that is not capable of doing something wonderful and "out of this world" in the work of the Lord? Don’t despair. Every child of God has God-given talents. What each of us needs to do is use them for our Lord’s glory. Regardless of whether we count ourselves as a five-talent, two-talent, or one-talent person, we need to use whatever has been given into our hands for the sake of the Master (cf. the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30).

Jesus once said, "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42). Jesus takes notice when His disciples give a cup of water to others! Jesus takes notice when we use His word to comfort one another in times of sorrow (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Jesus takes notice when we edify others (1 Thessalonians 5:11), are hospitable to others (Hebrews 13:2), or do a number of things that others may consider to be little affairs. Remember, "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Hebrew 6:10).

Yes, there is room in the kingdom – room for more citizens, room for people from all backgrounds, and room for your work and mine. Let us all determine to give our greatest effort to bear fruit for the glory of the Lord (John 15:8).

-- Roger D. Campbell