The Kingdom Perspective

UV 1689-10000 The Kingdom Perspective
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17 v 21
The first and foremost change that happens in a believer’s heart and mind is a change of perspective or how he or she looks at life, the world and his or her personal circumstances. Instead of a worldly or kingdom of man perspective, we develop a new creation perspective or kingdom of God perspective. We look at the immediate through the lens of the eternal. Instead of man going to the kingdom of God, God brought the kingdom of God to us through His Son Jesus, the Crown Prince of Heaven. Jesus not just brought the kingdom near us but He installed it in every believer through the ages. We are therefore a kingdom of priests and kings. We are the living temples of God. We are the living stones with which the temple is built. The law of God or the Word is written by the Spirit on our hearts, minds and spirits. The kingdom is not geographically located in space and time but it is situated in each of us and all of us. The rule of God is established in us and through us. The Lord executes His will through us.

The grace, beauty, righteousness, peace, joy and power of God is within us and we realize it day by day, moment by moment in our personal relationship with the Sovereign Creator through His Son Jesus. The kingdoms of man perishes but the Kingdom of God lasts forever. The kingdom of man revels in the exhibition of brute power while the kingdom of God is established not by might or by power but by His Spirit. The kingdom of man relies on the power of the sword and the strength of horses, a symbol for the vast array of weapons and arsenals developed by mankind. The kingdom of God relies on the power of the Word and the Spirit. The kingdom of man operates on the principles of fear and control. The kingdom of God operates on the principles of love and freedom.

The kingdom of God is an all encompassing perspective and world view: it includes all of our being, all of our relationships, all of our thoughts, words, deeds and reactions. The kingdom of man becomes irrelevant after our deaths but the Kingdom of God enables us to see God, the Ruler of our lives, the Saviour of our souls face to face. The kingdom of man is impersonal, formal and distant. The kingdom of God is personal and intimate. The kingdom of man values us on the basis of our status, contributions, abilities but the Kingdom of God values us on the basis of who we are intrinsically. We do not have to travel far but only need to look within to find the kingdom of God. The kingdom of man is hierarchical and bureaucratic while the kingdom of God is flat: anyone can approach the throne of His grace on the basis of faith in Jesus. Anyone can seek audience and obtain remedy.

Prateep V Philip