Saturday, October 10, 2015

The Exception is the Rule in The Kingdom of God



UV 1554/10000 The Exception is the Rule In the Kingdom Of God
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17 v 21

The kingdom of God lies within us and amongst us. How we lead and manage ourselves on a day to day basis tantamounts to God’s rule in our lives. God is sovereign in our lives. His Word is the law written in our hearts and minds. The kingdom of God does not have a physical location in time and space but it is where we are and it is inside us. Are our thoughts, desires and emotions directed and centered on Jesus, the author and finisher of life? The answer to this question determines whether the kingdom of God lies within us? Do we have a constant sense of the presence of the Lord that fills us with reverence and awe ?Are our hearts filled with an understanding of the agape love of God? Are we availing His grace to live from moment to moment?


Do we experience the freedom, joy and blessedness inside of us that comes from living a life that is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, the Creator, Ruler and Redeemer of the world and of heaven? The answer to this question will enable us to test if the kingdom of God lies within us. Do we look to the Lord for enablement, empowerment and enrichment as He is the King or do we look to our own efforts, our connections or to other people? Do we seek the Lord’s help in resolving issues in our lives, to solve problems and to deal with difficulties and challenges? We should know that He is not only the Creator and Redeemer but He is the law giver, the law adjudicator and the executor. We realize that we are not just ordinary citizens or subjects of the kingdom of God but we too are kings having authority over the spiritual realms. We can be instruments or agencies to manifest the grace, greatness and power of God in everyday life.

When we are part of the kingdom of God, we have an abundance mentality. We are not bound by limitations in time, resources or ability. We do not wait till we get to heaven to practice a heavenly attitude, mentality and temperament. The love, power, wisdom, glory and grace of God can be perceived here and now and in so perceiving we are both transformed and we become transformers. We influence other people too that they too can experience the kingdom of God here on earth. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we exhibit the qualities and do the things described by Jesus in the sermon on the mount. We practice a poverty of spirit regardless of our status, achievements or success in life. It implies that we know we are always beholden to the Lord for salvation by grace. We will never show a trace of arrogance, pride or conceit. We will be contrite and broken before Him. We display a zeal for righteousness in the practice of our faith and in leading our lives in practical or real ways. When we are insulted, persecuted or harmed in any way for reasons of our faith and allegiance to Jesus, we comfort ourselves with the example of Jesus and the hope of rewards at His hand in His time. We will go to the Lord for comfort in the areas of our sorrows and pains frequently and without hesitation. He becomes the first resort of our comfort and counsel. We will do our best to maintain a pure, principled and chaste life style with discipline and integrity of heart without developing a judgemental, hypocritical or hypercritical view of others, extending to others the same benefit of faith and mercy the Lord extended to us in His grace. As we practice these qualities, we are greatly blessed and we become a blessing. To be blessed is to be exceptional. Joseph was exceptional among his brothers. David was exceptional among his brothers. We have heard this saying, “ It is the exception not the rule.” But in the kingdom of God, the exception becomes the rule. The ordinary are called into the kingdom of God but they are made exceptional through their encounter with Jesus, the King in a kingdom of spiritual kings.
Prateep V Philip

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