The sad part about this is that many of those professing to be members of the Kingdom of God have traits typical of the world. This ought not to be!

 

O Christian, where are you today? Are you trying to live the best of both worlds? With one hand, are you holding onto Jesus and with the other still clinging to the world and its ways?

 

Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through this message. May the Word of God itself reveal your true state and position.

 

In Romans 14:17, the Apostle Paul defined the Kingdom of God with these words - "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
In 1 John 2:16, the Apostle John defined the Kingdom of this world with these words - "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

 

One kingdom centers around righteousness, peace, and joy - while the other centers on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

 

One kingdom deals with spiritual qualities and graces and rises above outward or external things. The other kingdom deals specifically with physical, earthly, and external things and qualities.

 

The Kingdom of God deals with Christ's dominion or sway over the souls of men. It is an heavenly sphere of life where His Word and Spirit govern. His subjects are in thorough subjection to Him and manifest His reign in their hearts through their every day existence. Every thought of theirs is brought into subjection to His Holy Mind.

 

The Kingdom of this world - on the other hand - is under the rulership of Satan. He promotes this vast system which exists independent of God and consists in evil, immoral, and sinful pleasures. All of its ideas, morality, philosophy, psychology, desires, governments, cultures, educational systems, medicine, art, music, etc. display a spirit of rebellion, resistance, or indifference to God, His people, and His Holy Standards. Everyone under this domain is characterized by a marked hostility toward the Lord Jesus Christ and His people and refuse to submit to His truth which exposes their sinful ways.

 

In the Kingdom of God, Jesus has His seat in the souls of men. In the Kingdom of this world, Satan rules through their flesh.

 

In God's Kingdom, you will discover a soul-subduing and life-changing power unlike any other. In the Kingdom of this world, you will discover a soul-rebelling and life-destroying power.

 

The Kingdom of God is founded on the absolute difference between right and wrong and works to the end of establishing virtuous dispositions and holy gladness in its subjects. The Kingdom of this world has a twisted concept of right and wrong and works to produce subjects who have perverted dispositions which cause them to revel in sin.

 

"...not meat and drink; but..."

 

The Kingdom of God does not stress the physical. Its top priority is the spiritual.

 

 

What is "righteousness"? Among other things, it consists of a holy conformity to God...the faithful discharge of all duties toward Him and men...doing His will...living without sin...displaying holiness of heart and life...and being led by a right motive. 

 

As opposed to hostility, condemnation, contention, and strife, "peace" means living in concord with others. This stems from the soul being reconciled to God.

 

"Joy" denotes not having any kind of mental agony or distressing fears.

 

As you look upon these traits, you can easily conclude that those in the Kingdom of this world are definitely lacking in any form of holiness, love, or inner peace. 

 

On the contrary, they are filled with such things as - "...the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..."

 

 

"...the pride of life..." - This entails having a spirit of arrogance, haughtiness, and self-sufficient independence which disregards God as Lord and negates His Word as the final authority on matters...seeking to exalt, glorify, and promote oneself as the center of life...thirsting after ambition, honor, applause, admiration, praise, honor, and titles...having an arrogant assurance in one's own resources...as well as living in a luxurious and pompous manner.

 

The opening quote stated - "In order to serve Christ, we must possess and manifest righteousness, and peace and joy, through the power of the Spirit of God..."

 

But what about all those Christians who are seeking to serve Him while following after sinful pleasures and those things which pamper, excite, or inflame the flesh? What about all those believers who are seeking to serve Him while viewing things which are appealing to the eyes and give way to sinful pleasures or who covet the fineries of this life such as wealth, treasures, and possessions? Or those who have an obsession with titles, applause, praise, and the admiration of men? Or even those who strive to exalt and promote themselves in relationships?

 

Just how many Christians are guilty of having one - if not all - of the three characteristics of the world in their lives? They claim to be servants in the Kingdom of God, yet their lives exemplify "the lust of the flesh," "the lust of the eye," and "the pride of life" more than they exemplify holiness of living, serving God from a right motive, the absence of contention and strife in their homes and relationships, and being so enthused and joyous about the things of God.

 

 

Remember what the opening quote stated - "In order to serve Christ, we must possess and manifest righteousness, and peace and joy, through the power of the Spirit of God. For these things there is, there can be, no substitute. Without that, however great your knowledge and profession and zeal may be, your service is a vain oblation..."

 

 

To which Kingdom do you really belong?