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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Inner Kingdom, #2
And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. (Luke 13:29, 30)
There is an outer kingdom. Notice the above.
There also is an inner kingdom.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31,32)
The Lord is willing to enter us and to dine with us if we are willing to receive Him, if we have the time for Him and are ready to cease from our own striving in order to have fellowship with Him.
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. (Song of Solomon 2:4)
The new covenant has two dimensions.
The first dimension has to do with our keeping the many commandments and exhortations of the New Testament.
For example:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance [appropriate to repentance]. (Acts 26:20)
God is interested that all people everywhere, especially His elect, turn from their wicked ways and live a righteous and holy life. We see this in the Great Commission: "Teaching them (the baptized of the nations) to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: . . . ." (Matthew 28:20).
We have stated that the new covenant has two dimensions. The first dimension is our keeping, through the power and wisdom of the Spirit of God, the commandments found in the New Testament writings.
If we keep the commandments of the Lord we come to the second dimension of the new covenant. The second dimension of the new covenant is the forming and dwelling of Christ in us.
Every true Christian has the Spirit of Christ in him. But in order for us to receive the full indwelling of the Father and the Son we must be faithful to do what is written in the Scriptures. As we obey the Holy Spirit we are strengthened by the Spirit in our inner nature. Then Christ is able to dwell in us to a much greater extent than we have known.
Speaking to Christians, Paul says:
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; . . . . (Ephesians 3:16, 17)
Many—perhaps most—Christian people never come to the second dimension because they have not been faithful in the first.
To be continued.