The Kingdom of God is within you?

I want to start by thanking you for visiting my blog. I hope that my essay, “The kingdom of God is within you” inspires, encourages, and blesses you. Now I want you to know that I am not a Bible scholar or someone who has studied at some Bible college. I am a regular guy, an ordinary person just like you. Who not too long ago, began his quest to find God.

The things I share are things I believe God is teaching me. But I am human, and I do not want to mislead anyone unintentionally if I am wrong. So I ask that you do not take my word for it. Instead, I ask that you take it to God. Anytime anyone shares anything with you(even if it is me). You should always take it to God. Real revelation and understanding can only come from God. If we are genuinely seeking him whole heartily, we find him, and if we ask him, he reveals the truth. The truth might not always look like what you expected, or like anything anyone might have taught you, but one thing is for sure: the truth will set you free.

Todays Topic

Today I am going to write about when Jesus said in the book of Luke (17:21), “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” I will explain what I believe it means, and how it applies to us. The revelation that I am going to share with you has blessed me tremendously, and I pray that it blesses every single one of you as well. To explain what this verse is talking about, I am going to share many things that brought me to this understanding. This will most likely be a long post, but I promise that I will try and make it worth your time.

Before We Begin

Not too long ago, in 2018, I began my quest to find God. I gave my life to the Lord in May of that year. Like everyone who begins seeking God, my journey began after huge tribulations in my life. I began looking for God when I hit the lowest point in my life. The day I gave my life to the Lord was the day that my heart desired more than anything in this world to be with God.

At the beginning of my new journey, I was terrified because I did not understand what it all meant. I did not understand the truth behind what the scriptures were teaching us, and I did not understand the true nature of God, which is love. (Check out my essay: ” It’s the spirit that gives life,” where I explain in greater detail what the Fear of the Lord is.) I came into this new journey with a pre-imposed belief that came from what the world teaches about God; that God is a cruel, vengeful God. Not realizing how far away from the truth this was.

Seek First the Kingdom of God

All of the fears I was going through came from, the religious beliefs I was pre-programmed to believe. These fears came from not understanding the truth. It also did not help that I was chasing after others to teach me, who also did not know the truth.

Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 

As believers, in the beginning, we go chasing after others to teach us. We go looking for leaders of congregations(whatever denomination we think is correct) because we believe that these church leaders might have a closer relationship with God. We believe that we need their help to find God. Now I am not saying church leaders are bad people, not at all. Most of these people (if not all) are just like us, wanting to be with God.

We go looking for other people to teach us because we are worried that we might not understand what the Bible is saying if we don’t. When we first read the Bible for ourselves, it seems daunting and beyond our grasp. So we worry and think, “how will I be able to understand?” Not realizing that we do not have to worry. God already knows that we do not understand, he also knows what we need. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 
Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

If we are sincerely seeking God, he will give us the understanding. He will reveal to us the meaning behind the scriptures. We are told to “seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” This means that if we put God first and we seek his righteousness (meaning to be like him, loving, forgiving, etc.) that he will give us the truth, the understanding we need.

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Does this mean that we can not fellowship with others, that we can not congregate? No, It does not mean that at all. It means that we need to put God first; we need to get in the word for ourselves and ask the Father to teach us and not man.

The scriptures might not make sense to us at first, but if we continue studying one day, it will all make sense, and the truth will set us free from the lies. Free from the false beliefs.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Joh 13:7  Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 

It is the Spirit that gives life.

When the Lord reveals the truth to us, we come to find that the scriptures have a deeper meaning behind them. We find that its the spirit that gives life and not the letter. This means that it is not the letter’s face value; not the literal interpretation that will set us free, but the deeper lesson behind the letter.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

We are often unable to see the deeper lesson being shared with us because we are not open to the idea: that things we have been previously taught could be wrong. We have a hard time letting go of the things we think are true(even though they might be wrong). We hold on to false beliefs because we are afraid to be wrong, so we hold on to them tightly. When something different is revealed to us, which goes against the things we believe to be true, we think it is a lie from the enemy. We say to ourselves, “no, that is a false message.” When this happens, the kingdom within us becomes divided. We are a broken house divided by lies and truth. Unable to discern between the two.

Mar 3:25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 

When we are not open to the idea of being wrong, and we believe that we already know all there is to know, we make ourselves unteachable. We become veiled from the truth. It won’t matter how much we read the Bible. We will not be able to see the true meaning of the scriptures because the lies(we are unable to let go of) will prevent us from seeing the truth.

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 
2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 
2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 

The kingdom of God is within you

When we deny ourselves, deny what we think we know, we become ready to learn the truth. Not everything we have been taught is true, not everything we see means what it means because it is the spirit that gives life and not the letter.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

When Jesus was asked when shall the kingdom of God shall come, he responded, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation (meaning you will not be able to see it with your eyes): Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! (it won’t be a physical place that you can point towards or walk to). He said, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” What does he mean “within you”?

It means that everything that is of the kingdom of God; love, a forgiving heart, the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance), all good things from God is within you.

Jer 31:33  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

This also means that everything in scripture is about you. All of these stories live within you. These stories are about you overcoming your old self. These stories are about Christ saving you.

When we first start reading the scriptures, we are still veiled from the truth. We look at the stories as events that happened in history, and we do not see the connection to our own lives. We try to use the experiences of the individuals in these stories as a way to learn from their mistakes.

When we look at the stories in the bible as a history book we are looking at them like this:

And we do not see the connection between these stories and our lives. But Jesus said, “the kingdom of God is within you.” Which I believe means this:

This means that every story is about you, every good guy, and every bad guy is you. Every city, every town, every kingdom is you. Its the story of all of us, overcoming our old selves. Its the story of dying to our old ways of the world and overcoming through Christ.

Many of my current essays and future essays are seen through this perspective. Now, does this means that I do not believe these events literally happen? No, it does not mean that at all. I believe everything that is written in scripture happened the way it is written (some will disagree, and that is ok). In scripture, we are told that everything happens first in the natural (which means in real life) and then second in the spirit (meaning within you). We are also told that all those events that happened to these people happened as an example for us.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 

1Co 10:11  These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained. 

You are the Temple of God

The kingdom within you also means that Christ lives in you. The spirit of the living God lives within you. That is why the Father is sometimes referred to as “The Lord of Hosts.” What is the meaning of the word host? According to the Oxford Language dictionary, the word host is defined as: “a person who receives or entertains other people as guests.” That means that our bodies are the host that receives the Lord of Hosts, the spirit of God. That is why we are called the body of Christ.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 

Fear Not, God is with you!

In the book of Joshua, the Lord tells Joshua(all of us) that just like he was with Moses, he will be with Joshua(all of us). “Fear not for I am with you wherever you go.” He is talking to all of us. He is saying, do not be afraid because no matter what, he will never fail us, nor forsake us, because he is with us wherever we go. Why is this? Because he loves us and because he lives within us.

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 

Jos 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. 

Deu 31:6  Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 

Isa 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 

Shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Everyone wants to see the kingdom of God, but not everyone is open to seeing it. Because many of us are not ready to let go of the false teachings that we believe: the belief that God lives in a faraway place in the sky, a place outside your reach. But wait, didn’t Christ say, “Behold the kingdom of God is at hand”? This means the kingdom is within your reach, and it is not far away.

It is a difficult thing to let go of a belief that we think is true. We have to be open-mind; that what we have been taught could possibly be wrong. When we are open-minded, the Lord opens our eyes, and we are now able to see the truth, a truth that others are unwilling to see.

Luk 10:24  For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

We block ourselves from seeing the truth when we continue accepting the lies(fornicating). When we put the lies before the truth (idolatry), when we marry the lies(adultery), When we no longer possess the seed, which is the word of God (effeminate). All of these, plus more(unrighteousness, covetous, etc.) will prevent us from inheriting(from seeing) the truth, the kingdom of God (the kingdom of God is within you).

1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 
1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

But God loves us, and he is with us. If we repent(means turn away) from our sins(which means missing the mark) and confess our sins, he is just and will forgive us.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

In that day you will know

The day our eyes are opened, we come to learn that he has always been with us. He has been with us since the beginning. But we were not able to recognize him. Every time in our lives that we came to an important crossroads(important decision), he was the positive voice in our thoughts who was always encouraging us, telling us: “you can do it, do not be afraid.” But more often than not, we would ignore his voice and follow the other voice speaking to us, “Don’t even try; you are not good enough.” That negative voice that comes from the enemy(In a future post, I will explain who the enemy truly is) who has been deceiving us our whole lives. So we doubted that God was even with us. But when the truth is revealed, you come to find that he has always been with you.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Food for Thought

Here is something interesting to get the mind thinking. In Hebrew, there are two words that are commonly used in the Old Testament for the word earth. The first one can be found in Genesis 1.

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

The first word used for earth in Hebrew is spelled “ארץ” and its pronounced “Eh-rets.“(Eretz) This word means “land,” and you can see it being used in scripture when referring to the promised land. Like when scripture says, “land of milk and honey” (Deu 26:9). Another example is when the Lord told Abraham, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.”(Gen 12:7)

Then there is the second word in Hebrew used for the word earth(and for ground). This word is “אדמה,” and it is pronounced “ad-aw-maw'”(Adam-ah). Interestingly, this word is a feminine form of the word Adam “אדם.” This version of the word earth implies that we are the earth(our human body). It is a feminine form of Adam because it represents man(mankind)before possessing the seed. Before having the seed that gives life (that seed is the word of God). The scriptures say that God formed man from the dust of the ground(Adam-ah). (Gen2:7). Which I think means, God formed man (male or female who possess the seed) from the dust of the ground (from those who did not possess the seed).

So I will leave you with a thought to get the mind thinking, some food for thought. If the kingdom of God is within us, and the earth(Adam-ah)is a picture of us before knowing the truth. What does it mean when the Bible says, “and I saw a new heaven and a new earth”?

Conclusion

I want to thank you for making it to the end of this post. I know this was a long essay, but I hope that what I shared blessed you. I want to encourage everyone(including myself) to get into your Bible and just keep reading. Always asking the Father, “teach me.” Be in your word and be open to the idea that not everything you once believed is true. Things may not make sense at first, but that is okay because, as we continue in his word, things will begin to make sense. The truth will start to cast out the lies. If we are seeking God and asking him to teach us, he will, and if he is the one teaching us we will never be misled.

I also want to recommend that the next time you get in your word, try reading it from that perspective. That all of these stories are talking about you. I recommend looking up the meanings(Hebrew and Greek meanings) of all the names and cities. The meanings of these words will reveal another story within the scriptures. I also recommend looking at Bible software like e-Sword or Blue Letter Bible, which allows you to look at the Bible with Strong’s numbers. These tools will open the opportunity to dive deeper into the scriptures.

If you disagree with what I wrote, that is ok. Like I mentioned before, this is what I believe the Lord has taught me, but I am human, and I could be wrong, so do not take my word for it. Instead, I encourage you to take everything to God. Because when we ask God, he reveals the truth to us.

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

I love you all, thank you again.

God bless!