South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-06
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
1. Gods Kingdom Is Spiritual. Je
sus was a remarkable teacher, he not
only spake in the pictorial language
OF the east. but he had a style and
method of speech which no man has
ever been able TO duplicate. His words
can only be understood when studied
sympathetically. or when seen from
Christs standpoint When he said,
The kingdom of God is within you,
he did not say that the kingdom or
God only existed in the individual. He
meant, doubtless, that pre-eminently
his kingdom was spiritual, and that
each man in turn in whose heart was
the kingdom of God, would make up
the larger or the aggregate kingdom.
The Jews, and even Christ's disciples,
were expecting an earthly kingdom.
They expected a rule and reign or
earthly splendor; to see Christ living
in an earthly palace surrounded by
a standing army of victorious soldiers
which would conquer their conquerors,
and make the Jewish nation supreme
in the world. They were like the So
called Christian nations today, who
think that standing armies and huge
naVies are necessary for the stability
of a nation and for establishing a
reign of righteousness upon the earth.
History repeats itself, and we need
the warning that Christ gave his dis
eiples. when he said that the ideal
kingdom is within us. Christs king
dom consists in principles, and not in
power. in works or righteousness, and
not in war, for THE kingdom of God
is not meat and drink; but righteous
ness and peace and joy"
2. God Sets Up His Kingdom i'm
Every Disciples Heart. When the
reign of love is established in individ-
uals. and finally in nations, then the
millennium will have come for which
waiting. but it will not come before
this has beer accomplished. What we
call conversion results in browning
God the king Of our lives, and appoint
ing him TO live in us and reign over
us. The kingdom Will not come TO
any person until this has been done.
The kingdom of God. in all It's regal
splendor and power, comes to every
individual Christian when he allows
the Holy Spirit 10 rule in his heart.
When the Holy Paraclete has full pos
session of us and is made our only
guide, then will the kingdom be estab-
lished I'm our lives. When our wills
are absolutely subordinated to the VIII
of God, we shall receive the answer
Thy kingdom come and thy will be
done in earth as in heaven" Gods
kingdom is = monarchy in every heart.
3. Those Who Expect an Earthly
Kingdom Will Be Disappointed. There
appear to be many good people, who
expect Christ to reign on the earth
in a material or visible way, but
think they are just as far astray in
their expectations as were the Jews
l nnnnnrnincr Of
I believe and teach that God did not
have his first best plan carried out.
and that Jesus was disappointed in
his original expectation concerning his
mission to the Jews and to the world.
Christ wanted the Jews to accept of
him, but instead they with wicked
hands crucifed and slew him. Had
they accepted of him he truly would
have reigned on the earth, but not
in that earthly or spectacular way
which the kings OF the earth had done.
He would have established a reign of
righteousness, not by might nor by
power, after a worldly sort, but by
the conQuering power Of love and
righteousness. He never intended to
reign on the earth in physical or mill
tary grandeur and he never will.
! Christ will some day actually reign
on the earth, but his kingdom will be
| spiritual and not carnal. He will, In
! that day, have conquered all hearts
and Will sway and influence all minds
4. Know Ye Not That Your Body
Is the Temple OF the Holy Spirit
/ Many good people, who | must believe
I are the children of God. do not recOg-
nize that God literally dwells in their
hearts in the person Of the Holy Spirit
\ When they actually realize this glOri-
\ Gus fact and promise Of Jesus, and
when the church. as a church. recog-
nizes Gods indwelling presence, then,
and then only, will the world be Chris
\ tianiZed and all the influential men
such as our lawmakers and judges, or
creators of opinion. will be under the
sway of the Spirit of God, and through
this reign and rule of righteousness
/ the earth will be conquered and
\ Christ will reign. In that day there
/ Will be no war. no rivalry between
nations or individuals. God, for the
/ first time in history, will reign and
\ rule in his own world. Christ will
\ have conquered his enemies, not by
/ destroying them, but by winning them
to his standard. In that day all the
/ Old Testament predictions about the
glorious reign Of the Messiah will be
I fulfilled: in that day The wolf shall
dwell with the lamb and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid" and
They shall beat their swords into
\ plowshares and their spears into prun-
/ ing hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall
\ they learn war any more"
I Copyright. 1914. bv r s Davidson }