In Matthew 6:33, we are told to “…seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
My question is, what and where is the Kingdom of God?, and how can we seek ‘it’?
The world describes a kingdom as “a country ruled by a King or Queen”, “an area that is controlled by a particular person, or where a particular quality is important”, and “an area of activity”.
Before we summarise what God’s Word describes a kingdom as, let us examine what God’s Word tells us about His Kingdom.
Luke 17:20-21 states:
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Jesus tells us that God’s Kingdom is within us. Therefore, it is not a physical place where we can book plane tickets to and visit. As I grow in my faith, I have learnt to pay attention to the words that make up the Word of God. Jesus says that the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom where God dwells. I believe this to mean that a space of God, a realm of God, an area of God dwells within us. This makes sense when we read 1 Corinthians 3:16 which states that “…you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in us.”
Could Jesus be referring to the temple of God’s spirit in us, as the Kingdom of God within us? I believe so.
A kingdom is an area controlled by a particular person. A temple is a building used for religious worship.
Throughout the Old Testament, there are examples of God’s temple being built, then rebuilt. God’s temple used to be a tent which was carried by the Levites through the desert, when the Israelite’s were dwelling in the wilderness. A few generations later, after Israel had gained their promised Land, and were ruled by Solomon, Solomon decided to build a physical temple for God, which would house the Ark of the Covenant – which contained God’s presence.
Therefore, the reason why a temple of God would be built would be to contain God’s presence. If God’s Spirit is His presence, and His Spirit (presence) dwells in the temple within our body, then that means that the Kingdom of God is the Presence of God within us.
From now onward, I will use the words Kingdom and Presence interchangeably.
To further explain, Jesus tell us in John 18:36 that:
“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
God’s presence is not of this world, because God created this world. His presence is from another place – his physical kingdom, which is Heaven. This can sound confusing, however if we pay attention to the words again, we will realise that Jesus justified the Kingdom of John 18:36 with a place. Heaven is repeatedly described as
Both the Kingdom of God, and God’s Kingdom of Heaven refer to a place where God dwells. I believe that Jesus used the Kingdom of God, to refer to God’s presence within us, is because Heaven is the place where God dwells, he is King over Heaven’s domain. So, if He calls God’s Presence within us, the ‘Kingdom of God’, He means that God’s presence dwells in us, just as His presence dwells in Heaven. So God is King over the domain of Heaven, and over the domain within us – our hearts.
*For my fast for humility, I will truly tap into my heart, and focus on the Kingdom of God’s presence within me. I will fast to starve my flesh, and feed the Kingdom within me. This will allow me to prioritise and seek God first because His presence dwells in my heart, and not my stomach.*
I could write about the Kingdom of God forever! However, I will stop here and leave you with one more truth about the Kingdom/Presence of God.
If you would like me to write a series about the Kingdom of God, please leave a comment below!
*
One Truth about the Presence of God a.k.a the Kingdom of God.
- The Kingdom of God grows within us. We do not see it growing, but a time will come when we can reap the benefits of its existence within us. (Mark 4:26-27). The Kingdom of God can start off small, but it will soon spread out from within us, and allow others to be drawn to it. The Kingdom of God emanating from within us will allow others to have rest, and give them the resources to build their homes in it. (Mark 4:30-32)
Useful Links:
roseineden.wordpress.com 
2 thoughts on “What & Where is God’s Kingdom? | Day Three”