Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN YOU

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21

Many of God’s people have more than they realize. This recalls a story of a young, Baptist preacher in seminary. His father was a Freewill Baptist minister. The young man was burdened for his father because he believed, and preached falling from grace as believed by that denomination of churches. As the young preacher grew in grace and knowledge, he had a long, private discussion with his father. It left the father in tears of joy, saying, “Thank God, I have so much more than I ever thought I had.”

This illustrates a lot of modern day Baptists, and their lack of knowledge of the kingdom of heaven. They long for it to come, not realizing they already have it. Think about it!

Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached the very same initial message to the house of Israel: “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 3-4. The people of God of long ago were offered the New Testament kingdom of heaven. They were to repent of making the ways of God crooked (bad doctrine) and receive the heaven-sent baptism of John. While many did so, the nation officially did not. In rejecting the messenger of heaven and his offer to them, they did not prevent the kingdom in its present stage from being received. Thus were the natural branches cut off, and the nations incorporated into the trunk of the tree of faith: the precious New Testament Church; the pillar and ground of the truth; the bride of Christ; the kingdom of heaven.

During the ministry of Jesus, the Pharisees demanded of Him an answer of when the kingdom of God should come. His answer to them was, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21.

The Hebrew letter puts it this way, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29.

So, while the kingdom of God among men will realize progression as in the millennial reign and the heaven age, it will still be the kingdom that is present today. Hebrews 12:27 speaks of a universal shaking that is yet to come. It is a shaking to remove things made, including present creation, that things which cannot be shaken may

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