The Kingdom Within
The Kingdom Within Us.
The Kingdom within a kingdom is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is invisible to us. However, it is a spirit; we can feel its involvement and witness its activity if we don’t deny His desire to use us. This activity of the Holy Spirit continues to function daily, although we may never be aware of its presence. There are many interpretations of the Kingdom of God; some say it’s a literal, symbolic kingdom, some say it’s a figure of speech (metaphor, simile …), and some firmly say it’s spiritual. Which one do we have to believe is true?
Matthew’s gospel described Jesus as the King, and the message about the Kingdom of God was to give assurance to early believers and encourage them to be strong and remain faithful, and the reward is at hand. This already gives us a sense of who to listen to and find where the Kingdom is. So, the simplest way to understand the Kingdom of God is through Jesus Christ, who will reign as King and show us where and what is the Kingdom of God and His immeasurable authority.
According to Jesus, the Kingdom exists in the lives and hearts of the redeemed. It was revealed to those who heard and did it and not to those who never understood it. The Kingdom of God is also called the Kingdom Of Heaven. It is the spiritual realm over which God is in control as the supreme authority. Jesus Christ will fulfill God’s will as King of kings and exercise sovereign power on earth.
Who is worthy to inherit the Kingdom? The family of God is the heir to the Kingdom and partaker of His divine nature, and whoever is the family member will receive a divine gift that no human effort is needed to achieve. Jesus’ message is about God and the Kingdom as handwritten in the Gospels.
Christians were puzzled when the end of the world did not occur within a generation when some of the apostles were still alive. Matthew 24:34—”Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.” Luke 9:27—”But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” The strength of the faithful (the church) weakened when these things did not happen, and now understanding the Kingdom could be more perplexing.
Though the Kingdom of God is slowly being absorbed into the mind of believers, understanding its connection to the church’s life remains confusing and not indwelling in the heart. However, the Kingdom of God would be fully realized only after the end of the old world in conjunction with Judgment day. This means that everyone will experience death, which we will pass before one can enter the Kingdom of God. Those who will not be able to make it will not have any knowledge of what has happened.
When Jesus was about to depart from this earth, His disciples had the opportunity to ask Him one last question. So they asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b). He patiently answered. He said: “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7–8).
When Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world,” it more likely indicates a spiritual kingdom in every believer’s heart. If it is physical, we should have known it. Jesus would have told us in the way he taught us that the Kingdom is near us. Instead, Jesus sent out seventy disciples to every city to preach the word and said, if they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, “The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know that God’s Kingdom has come near you.” Read Luke 10:1-12 for the whole passage, and you will be glad you did.
God is all in all!