The Kingdom In You
“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 by observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ FOR INDEED, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU” (Luke 17:21, NKJV).
The root word for Kingdom in the Greek language is Basileia, which means authority, rule, kingship especially of God both in the world and in the hearts of men. The kingdom of God is distinct from the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God is God’s influence in the earth, it is God’s sovereign will being done on earth through men. The Great Britain colonized about a quarter of the entire world, changing cultures and establishing the will of the Queen in several major countries. This colonization was done by agents of the British colony. God wants to spread His will and the culture of Heaven to the earth through His children who are His agents and are empowered by the Holy Spirit (the Main Agent) (Matthew 6:10). Below are some ways we help extend His kingdom on earth:
The Greatness within: Every child of God carries greatness within them. God put in us inherent abilities when we were born, and also gave us spiritual endowments and gifts when we became born again. For instance, God put in Gideon the ability to deliver Israel from their strong enemies (the Midianites and Amalekites). Gideon never realized the greatness he carried within until it was revealed to him. Greatness is a seed resident in the child of God. Greatness has to be connected to purpose for it to fully manifest. To unleash the greatness within is to serve humanity with the gifts and endowments of God (Acts 13:36). Greatness done within the will of God glorifies God and furthers His agenda on earth. How well are you serving the world with your God-given gifts?
The Anointing within: The anointing is the power and influence of the Holy Spirit resident in the child of God (1 John 2:20,27). It is usually defined as the yoke-destroying and burden-removing power of God. It is God’s power exclusively given to His children to solve human problems. A story was told of John G. Lake, a missionary to South Africa in the early 1900s. While he was serving there, the bubonic plague, a deadly plague was on rampage, killing many people. He was quoted to have said, “As long as I walk in the light of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, no germ will attach itself to me.” He requested that the germs be placed in his palms and under a microscope, it was seen that the germs died in his hands and he was never infected. He had a revelation of the working and operation of the anointing within that also flows out through him. When the anointing is displayed the influence of the kingdom increases. Jesus said unless people sees signs and wonders they will not believe; in other words, they will not allow the kingdom of God in their hearts. The anointing is displayed as we become intentional and careful with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
The Righteousness within: Righteousness is being right with God and doing right with His help. God’s kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14). Righteousness is a force that exalts and impacts positively on society. Righteousness is a seed implanted in the heart of the believer when he/she gets born again (1 John 3:9). We are to allow the seed of righteousness within to grow and impact our world for the better. The more righteous people there are in a society, the better for the society. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because God couldn’t find ten righteous people there (Genesis 18:16-33). Righteous people practicing righteousness further the cause of God on the earth.
CONCLUSION: Everything in its raw state has little or no value. As we begin to nurture and allow the treasures within (as exemplified above) to find expression through us we, further the kingdom of God here on earth. This should be our focus because then and only then does our life become impactful and significant.