Access the Kingdom of God within you

One of the benefits of reading the Gospels over and over is how they give us a picture of life in the kingdom of God. Because Jesus operated out of that kingdom, he was so full of compassion and justice that he temporarily suspended his own arrest to lean over and heal the wound of his captor’s servant (see Luke 22:51). (Imagine—he could have made his captors disappear.) 

Out of that kingdom Jesus understood the necessary manipulation of matter, so that walking on water was possible not only for himself but also for a disciple he wished to teach. In many intriguing conversations with him, others saw that he lived out of a place completely different from this planet. 

The idea that the kingdom of God is within us, that it is present and available to all who seek it, is one of the most exciting truths of Scripture. Life in this kingdom is possible today as I do mundane things that could bore me, as I work at projects that seem beyond my skills, as I deal with people whose presence reveals my pride or impatience. With this vision of the kingdom, I am released from these earthly shackles and freed to live another kind of life. 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Read through the first four chapters of a gospel, perhaps John. Look closely at the person of Jesus, especially how he behaved and taught. As you read, think about these questions: 

-Where do you spot Jesus living out the kingdom of God—where what God wants done is done—through his teachings, behaviors, and choices of whom to associate with? 

-How well did those around him spot the kingdom of God in him? 

-What do you learn about the kingdom of God—its nature, powers, and character—from what Jesus did and said? 

After you’ve finished, sit and ponder what fascinates you most about life in the kingdom of God. What touches you? What scandalizes you—makes you gulp hard? What confuses you? Respond to God about these things.

 [1] For development of this understanding, please see chapters 1–3 of Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998).



 

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