Understand that the KINGDOM of GOD is WITHIN US!
October
27 Bible Reading: Luke Chapters 16-18
Understand that the KINGDOM of GOD is WITHIN US!
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when
the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of
God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See
there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God
is within you" (Luke 17:20-21)
The theme of
the kingdom of God runs through both
Testaments, focusing God’s purpose for world history. In the Old Testament God
declared that He would exercise His kingship (His sovereignty, Daniel 4:34, 35)
by ruling over people’s lives and circumstances through His chosen King, the
Davidic Messiah (Isaiah 9:6, 7) in a golden age of blessing. This kingdom came with Jesus and is known
wherever the lordship of Jesus is acknowledged. This golden age of blessing is
an era of salvation from sin and fellowship with God, leading to a future state
of complete joy in the “new heaven and
new earth” (Rev. 21:1).
The above verses
indicate that there was an aspect of kingdom promise involved in Jesus’ first
coming. The kingdom of God is among earthly kingdoms today; but one day the
kingdom of God will swallow up all rival kingdoms (see Rev. 11:15). In vv.
22–37, Jesus makes it clear that the
kingdom has two phases—one now
and one to come. In the beginning of
His kingdom on earth, God first prepares a King to rule; then He gathers a
people for Him to rule over; then He gives the Ruler a realm in which to reign.
The kingdom now is the presence of God alongside earthly kingdoms. The power of
God is shown now in the distribution and work of the Holy Spirit in His power (see
1 Cor. 4:20). One day, however, Jesus will rule over all, and He will share
that rule with His people (see Rev. 2:26, 27; 5:9, 10; 20:4–6).
In contrast
to the expectations of the Pharisees, the kingdom of God was not external in
the political domain, but rather internal and spiritual. The phrase “within you” (v. 21) may be translated “in your midst”. The fact that the
kingdom of God was in their midst meant that it was present through the person
and work of Jesus who was among them. Through His death many would come to
believe in Him, thereby becoming members of God’s eternal, invisible kingdom
(John 3:3; Col. 1:13).
We all know
that Jesus died and rose up from the dead on the third day. Before He left for
His heavenly abode to be seated on the right hand of His Father, Jesus promised
to send the blessed Holy Spirit to be with us in order to lead and guide us
(see John 14). According to His promise, Jesus did send the blessed Holy Spirit
to His church that was assembled in the upper room on the day of Pentecost (see
Acts 2). From that time on, this kingdom is present in its beginnings now as
the ‘Interior Kingdom’.
For many
Christians, the kingdom of God is a reality to be experienced in the heart, which is the inner life of the individual believer. This reality is
substantiated by the following verse: "For
the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Since "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1
Cor 15:50), this kingdom is essentially a spiritual reality in a believer’s
life.
