What Exactly Is the ‘Kingdom of God’?
Our Father … your Kingdom come, your Will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven.
You cannot enter the Kingdom unless you are born again
(in Spirit). (John 3:3)
People will say ‘here it is’
or there it is’ but the Kingdom is
within you. (Luke 17;21)
John the Baptist said, “
Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is
near”. (Matthew 3:1)
Those who practice the works
of the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom
(Gal 5:19)
Blessed are those who are
poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom
of Heaven. (Matt 5:3)
Seek first the Kingdom of God, then all other things
will be given to you. (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus said, “I must preach
the Kingdom of God … because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:43)
The Kingdom of God is a
spiritual umbrella over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God.
Those who defy God’s authority and refuse to submit to Him are not part of the Kingdom
of God; in contrast, those who acknowledge Christ as their Savior and repent
for their sins are forgiven and enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus said His
kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and He preached that repentance is
necessary to be a part of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17).
Jesus referred to Himself
and His ministry as the Kingdom of God. Paul told us that if we
yield to our sinful nature we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the
Presence of God’s Spirit and Christ in us, teaching and enabling us to do the Will
of God. The Kingdom of God is an inner rule that governs our behavior so we are
pleasing to God and righteous in His sight.
“The Kingdom of God is . . .
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17).
The Kingdom of God draws
near in the coming of the Messiah; it is the Good News!
The Kingdom is present in
the person of Jesus, the Messiah, the Word of God made flesh.
The Kingdom of God is
different than the physical world but its affect on us is stronger than what we
see. The impact in our lives from dwelling in God’s Kingdom affects our health,
family, marriage, work, everything. We transition from hearing the truth of the
Kingdom to it becoming our new home. It’s like hearing about a country verses
traveling there. The Kingdom of God is within us. It is God’s Spirit and Jesus
living within us. It is Jesus taking over our soul and moving in as King and us
stepping aside. It is us being reconciled back to God through Christ’s
sacrifice and dwelling in the presence of God and all that He is. In His
presence, His Kingdom, we can experience His love, mercy, truth, joy, peace,
rest, comfort, deliverance, healing, power, strength, protection, provision,
purity, goodness, purpose, beauty, wisdom, counsel, freedom, instruction,
perfection and sovereignty … all far beyond what the world offers. And when
those things fill your life your life changes dramatically. As we seek God’s
face with our heart and soul in the truth of His Word, then these treasures
become a part of our lives. When we move to God's Kingdom, everything else in our lives will fall into it's proper place. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, then all these things will be added on to you."
Some thoughts:
How does the Kingdom of God
change you? Physically, mentally and spiritually?
How can we live in a way
that demonstrates the Kingdom of God wherever we are?
What is the impact of doing
good work in the places God has called us to be?
What does it mean to do good
work and why does it matter?
Does my good work every day
make a difference for eternity?
What has Jesus commanded us
to do with the good news about the Kingdom?