“And another also said Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God” – Lk. 9:61-62.
In this Scripture, our dearest Lord Jesus stated a general Kingdom-principle that was applicable to this prospective follower’s situation. Let us break down this Principle.
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God among mankind was re-presented as an arrangement or system, a position and a lifestyle that ensures the rule of God in a person or place. And it comes about through Jesus’ Person, Principles and Performance, being the one who brought it on His shoulders – Is. 9:6.
You know, mankind is an invisible spirit with an unseen soul but lives in a seen or physical body– 1Thess.5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Beloved, the Kingdom of God is to affect all aspects of your being i.e. your spirit, soul and body – Matt. 13:33, “The Kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
The Kingdom in your spirit
The Person of Jesus Christ makes you experience the Kingdom as an arrangement or system of God for your personal life – Jn. 1:12; Gal. 3:26. Here, God affects your person or human spirit i.e. your whole system through the born-again experience.
This is the first and most important relationship you can have with the Kingdom. It is because the King of the Kingdom Himself comes to live in your spirit; to empower you to be just like Him in essence i.e. a king or queen on earth.
The Kingdom in your soul
Then Jesus’ Principles (or what He stood for and taught) makes you have the Kingdom as a spiritual position within your soul i.e. your will, mind and emotions – Lk. 17:21.
Therefore, although the Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom now, it is to be experienced on this physical earth by practically exhibiting Kingdom-righteousness, peace and joy in your will, mind and emotions– Rom. 14:17.
Here, Jesus’ Principles informs your inner-life on practical daily basis. Beloved, may you be so filled with Jesus’ Principles inside, treasuring it in a manner that it affects your whole soul i.e. your will, mind and emotions, for its abundance within you – Amen!
The Kingdom in your body
Finally, the Performance of our dearest Lord Jesus (before, during and after the Cross) makes you experience the Kingdom as a current practical lifestyle on this physical earth – Rom. 5:17; 1 Jn. 4:17.
You know, the Kingdom is ultimately for the physical and that is why it is initially put within the physical bodies of mankind – Lk. 17:21. Here, you reign in all aspects of this present physical life practically, as the royal that you are, by the Blood or Performance of Jesus – Rev. 1:6; Rom. 5:17. Hallelujah!
The Kingdom in Heaven
Beloved, as a spiritual arrangement, the Kingdom of God is not just for the future, but is the spiritual Nation of God into which Jesus’ believers are translated – Col. 1:13, “He hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”You know, a nation is an arrangement or designfor people to live in.
So, it is the dear Son of God, i.e. our Lord Jesus’ Person that makes us access God’s Heavenly Kingdom now, for the future, by accepting Him as Saviour and Lord – Rom. 10:9-10.
The Kingdom in mankind
Beloved, we have just seen that by believing in the Person of Jesus, you are spiritually translated into the Heavenly Kingdom. But, this Kingdom is also spiritually positioned within you at the same time of your spiritual translation.
This positioning-within potentially makes you a thoroughbred and thus an ambassador of God’s Nation on this earth – 2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20.
Now, in this capacity, you live by Jesus’ Principles or what He stood for and taught. You know, our Lord Jesus was the first Ambassador of God’s Kingdom on earth, thus the need to re-live out the Principles He stood for and taught.
The Kingdom in earth
So dear friend once positioned with you on this earth, the Kingdom of God is to be your lifestyle on earth – Matt. 6:10. It is just like the position of righteousness that you receive at the new birth – Rom. 5:17, 19.
As you know, your righteous position translates into a practical lifestyle of righteousness on earth now- 1 Jn. 3:7; 1 Cor. 1:18. The Kingdom of God as a present-day lifestyle, therefore, requires that you experience what God has ordained for you on daily basis in this earthly life.
Thus, the Kingdom is a life of tasting Heaven-on-earth; in the two inseparable aspects of life i.e. as a King and priest or both secularly and spiritually – Rev. 1:6; 2 Pet.1:3.
The Kingdom-life now
In other words, as a way of life, God wants you to experience on daily basis, His system of peace, prosperity, power, purity, preservations, possibilities, Presence of God, purpose of God, pleasures or joy, passion or unconditional-love etc.
My friend, this is how the Kingdom of God is to express itself in your daily life now for the future. Yes, Kingdom-life is for now, and that is why our dearest Jesus lived it on earth for us to follow.
You can be fit now
My friend, if Kingdom-life starts now, then you have to be fit for it now.
Being fit for the Kingdom of God, therefore, refers to being qualified to practically experience or taste the Heavenly-Kingdom in all aspects of your spiritual and secular life on this earthly kingdom now.
