For those of you who have just joined us, you need to read through “The Kingdom of God” first.

Luke 17:20-21 KJV

https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/17-21.htm

20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21) The kingdom of God is within you.–The marginal reading, “among you.” has been adopted, somewhat hastily, by most commentators. So, taken. the words emphatically assert the actual presence of the Kingdom. It was already in the midst of them at the very time when they were asking when it would appear. The use of the Greek preposition is, however, all but decisive against this interpretation. It is employed for that which is “within,” as contrasted with that which is “without,” as in Matthew 23:26, and in the LXX. version for the “inward parts,” or spiritual nature of man, as contrasted with the outward, as in Psalm 103:1; Psalm 109:22; Isaiah 16:11. It was in that region, in the life which must be born again (John 3:3), that men were to look for the kingdom; and there, whether they accepted it or rejected it, they would find sufficient tokens of its power.

To continue from “The Kingdom of God” and working off how I interpret the above scripture, let me offer some thoughts:

Firstly, Jesus spoke much of the Kingdom of Heaven (Note kingdom of God and The Kingdom of Heaven are one and the same.) as recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew. See Matthew 18:25; 20:1,22:2, 25:1, 14. These scriptures describe how a follower of Jesus ought to behave and not behave.

Secondly, I came to see that the study about God (Theology), was not the same thing as knowing God. This fact is proved by the scripture in John 17:3 Where we are told that the only route to eternal life is – ‘knowing’ God. The Greek root word here is the same as that used in the bible for the sexual union between woman and man. This is a figurative expression of the relationship that I must have with God. The degree to which this relationship is in place with God is the degree to which I will live my life in the Kingdom principles. As I grow in this lifestyle, the Kingdom principles become visible to others and a reality to me.

Thirdly, this reality is driven by a love for God, which cannot come to me through intellectual understanding, but only by heartfelt desire. God spoke this of King David. “He is a man after my own heart.” Acts13:22. Loving God is a heart to heart experience. Intellectual study about God is religion. The Scribes and Pharisees had studied the scriptures, which taught them about God, but their teachings were not from their hearts, but from their intellect. Their intellect blinded them to the understanding of God’s heart and their ultimate end was jealousy and hate for Jesus, to the point of willing Him to be crucified.

Jesus understood the heart of His Father, because the Spirit of God was within Him. Through communication and power via God’s Spirit within Him, Jesus was able to perform extraordinary miracles  in His short ministry here on earth, not to mention the wisdom of the words that flowed from his lips. There is no record of any human on this earth having achieved miracles as Jesus did.

Fourthly, there is no record on earth that Jesus asked his father’s help in His  performance, throughout His ministry. The reason: He understood that the Spirit of His Father, within him, was all He needed to practice his powerful ministry.

Jesus was not educated, (John 7:15) His wisdom was not from intellect, but the Spirit of His Father within in Him.

“….Neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Thank fully, I need look no further than inside of me to find God and learn how I may live His Kingdom principles.

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