In order to have and be the Kingdom of God, we have to understand the Kingdom. This understanding can be elusive for us because the Kingdom is totally unlike the systems and expectations of the world in which we live. Even the religious experts and scholars of Jesus' day did not understand the Kingdom. Jesus' own disciples struggled with it, trying to fit it into a worldly understanding. They expected the Kingdom to manifest in a natural, visible manner. Even after seeing Jesus minister in miracles, they were asking how and when the Kingdom would come. Jesus answered:
"The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, Lo, here: or, Lo, there: for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." Lk. 17:20-21
The Kingdom is not in a building where we can go, nor at a location to which one may make a pilgrimage. As they say, "You can't get there from here". The Kingdom can only be found inside you, inside me. This is something foreign to worldly thought, foreign to even religious systems that have modelled themselves upon worldly concepts. Jesus went even further in describing the Kingdom of God at the questioning of His own disciples, who witnessed the Kingdom every day with Him:
"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them. And said, "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name, receiveth Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Mt. 18:1-6
Even His disciples could not separate the Kingdom of God from their worldly mindset. They thought it must be that there are greatest positions, and titles to be had in the Kingdom, as there are on earth, and asked how to get them. However, Jesus told them that child-like love, faith, trust, dependence and humility were the measuring sticks of greatness in God's Kingdom. Those who despise these things as unimportant will never even get into the Kingdom! Those who bring harm to these precious child-like lovers, and believers of God, will find themselves to be most tormented.
How can we attain this child-like spirit upon which the Kingdom rests? We must be converted. The Greek meaning of converted means to turn one's self around, to revolve, to change one's mind, to turn back again. We can see this in the example of the child, as Jesus instructs us to change our minds from our worldly thinking, and to turn back to the love, faith, trust, and humility we started out with as children, but grew away from because of our worldly experiences, attitudes and education. The perceptions of this world will never inhabit the same place as the Kingdom. We must also be careful of whom we judge to be unimportant, or not worthy of honor in the Kingdom. God's standards are not the same as the world's.
שׁוּב
The Hebrew word for converted is shuwb. It means to return, turn back as in the Greek. However, it also includes the idea to reject, refuse, relinquish, repel, repulse, hinder, and return to the starting point. We are rejecting and refusing the worldly attitudes, and instead, we are turning back to our starting point (like the child). Each of the letters of the Hebrew word, shin, vaw, beth, show us a spiritual picture of consuming and destroying, in this case, the worldly ideas and character, and being joined together, dwelling inside, within, amid. Jesus spoke about this in regards to the Kingdom:
"If ye love Me, keep My commandments (Mt. 22:37-40). and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Jn. 14:15-18
With the Kingdom inside of us, comes also the presence of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, and in us. Again, Jesus says that the world cannot receive this, because it cannot see this, nor know (understand) this.
With the inward dwelling of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is the Kingdom, comes the character or qualities of the Kingdom:
"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom. 14:17-19
Though the Kingdom cannot be seen, the evidence of the Kingdom can and should be seen from each of us. Righteousness used in this scripture is not a religious concept (Mt. 5:20), but it means an equity of character, to be holy, innocent, and just. It is meant to be evident, or seen. Peace extends beyond the idea of the absence of turmoil, but includes quietness, prosperity (Mt. 6:31-34), atonement (unity through reconciliation). Joy is delight and exceeding gladness to be found in His presence within us (Ps. 16:11). The word joy in Greek, chara, is also the root of the word for the gifts of the Spirit, which we treasure so highly.
These things, which make up the character of the Kingdom, with which we serve Christ, makes us approved by both God and men. This character of the Kingdom also edifies the Church.
The Kingdom of God is not of this world, nor like this world, and to attain it, we must be converted, and we must enter it as humble little children. To enter the Kingdom, we must understand it.
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