DAY
36: THE REALM OF THE KINGDOM
SCRIPTURE:
The kingdom of God cometh not with
observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or
lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating
and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17-18
OBSERVATION:
Reflect. The kingdom of God within
us. What is a kingdom after all? It is where a king rules. Therefore, it is the
king that we submit to that determines which kingdom we belong to. On this earth,
we are citizens of our respective countries, but spiritually, we know that this
citizenship is only temporary. In fact, we are only aliens sojourning on this
earth, and our true citizenship lies in a different kingdom, one where the
Great King rules our hearts. Even now, His kingship is already established in
the hearts of those who are absolutely loyal to him, even upon the pain of
death. And who is this Great King? It can only be our Lord Jesus! It is to
Jesus that we have our first and foremost allegiance. The rulers of this world
come and go, but our loyalty is always first of all to our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to have
His kingdom within us? It is to live our lives according to His ways. It is not
outward or physical. It has nothing to do with eating and drinking. Instead, it
is serving God in the righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! Indeed,
God is love, and how beautiful and majestic is God’s love. However, the primary
characteristic of God that we see most emphasized again and again throughout the
Scriptures is God’s righteousness! And how can we become righteous? The entire
book of Romans is a careful explanation by the apostle Paul on this great
Scriptural truth. At the core of it, we are justified by faith alone, and faith
come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Yet faith without deeds is
dead. Faith that does not act out in service to Christ is not faith at all, and
one must question whether he really has received the righteousness of Christ if
he does not desire to serve and please Christ more and more.
What follows righteousness?
Peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant is so much great than the
Old because of the great work of the Holy Spirit in us – teaching us, guiding us, leading us. Ultimately, the Holy
Spirit will lead us to serve Christ, and as we seek to please Him, we become
living sacrifices acceptable to God, and approved by men for God’s favor rests on
us.
APPLICATION:
Have a sense of the kingdom
of God within us. Wherever our hearts are readily yielded to God, therein lies
His kingdom already within us. Yet our
soul is like a city, with many streets and buildings. Many lie dormant or are
uncommitted to God. As the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and cultivates His
way within us, it is our part to work with Him to allow the necessary
experiences to teach us and mold us more and more into the persons God wants us
to be. Growing in righteousness, we know we please God, when we are open to Him
to help us change towards His image.
PRAYER
We praise thee and worship
thee, Heavenly Lord, for You are our Great King, and You are our ruler. We pray
O Lord, that You will be the ruler of our entire lives. Search within us and
show us, precious Holy Spirit, where we should change, and how we can learn to
please God more and more. Lead us O Lord, to really grow in Your righteousness,
which we seek from deep within us. Teach us to hunger and thirst for Your
righteousness. Lead us in the way everlasting. We praise You and love You. Be
the King of our lives now and forever. In Jesus name, Amen.
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