Dear Loved Ones,
Several months back, as I meditated on this subject, phrases came to mind about what Kingdom Living really is. Perhaps these will be of benefit to you, for in much of this, you will hear that we do the "living" by correct attitudes, words, and actions.
Kingdom Living is Becoming Like the King:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2Pe.1:3-4).
Kingdom Living is to submit to the King. As we submit, we find that we gain HIS heart, and begin to treat others like HE treats them.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mk.12:30-31).
So, Kingdom Living is to have the heart of the King and to treat others like the King does, loving them no matter who they are, what they look like, or what they do. Because of this becoming like HIM, we receive Kingdom benefits. As we seek the Kingdom first, we find that much good comes to us.
“but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps.1:2-3).
As we meditate on the Word, we find that revelation comes and our speaking changes to match what HE says, and so we start getting what HE says we can have. This is the same as a “tree” which has plenty of water so that it produces bountifully.
Part of this Kingdom Living is to seek His Kingdom first.
“For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt.6:32-33).
Kingdom Living is to have the Divine Nature Applied:
In Kingdom Living, the old nature put to death and we are to live in the new. As we noted above, He has granted to us very precious and great promises, that we might “…become partakers of the divine nature.” This takes place as we walk in faith and have the King’s divine nature applied in us. It means we also break out of any “religion” and into the expression of that divine nature. Certainly, we will experience testing in this growing up in Him, but it is a condition of the heart that demonstrates Kingdom Living.
Kingdom Living is Having a Kingdom Heart:
Mentioned above in Matthew 6:33, Kingdom Living is seeking His Kingdom first. That means we catch the vision and heart-beat of the King. It means we act on the opportunity to help someone while it is an opportunity. Also, we see that Kingdom Living is having a changed/cleansed heart.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn.1:9).
That Kingdom Heart means also that we cease to present our members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but we “…present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Ro.6:13b).
In Kingdom Living, Relationships are required:
Kingdom Living is living out proper relationships in the church. After all, Kingdom Living is relationship, not religion. Religion is a set of rules to live by, while relationship means we walk in love and in unity with our brothers and sisters. Too, Kingdom Living is laying down our lives for others and the King.
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1Jn.3:16).
Kingdom Living is growing up to maturity under the King’s leadership, as well as making sure to reconcile any differences with other citizens of the Kingdom. This means that we will “travel light” by removing all envy, jealousy, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fear.
Further, Kingdom Living is accepting what God says about us and refusing what man says that will drag us down. This means we will deepen our relationships with others when trouble comes through right attitudes. Further, we will leave unsaid what would have been wrong at the tempting moment. Yes, Kingdom Living is to say the right thing in the right place.
Kingdom Authority is Ours:
Since Kingdom Living is living in the domain and under the authority of the King, we are to submit and obey the King.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Ja.4:7).
This also means that Kingdom Living is taking up our cross and following Him.
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Mt.16:24-26).
This Kingdom Living includes declaring and enforcing by faith the will of the King. It is to rule in the here and now.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn.8:31-32).
That truth makes us free by our enforcing HIS Word.
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk.11:23-24).
This means that Kingdom Living is overcoming by speaking to the problem, instead of seeking to escape from the problem. It is taking the authority the King has given us to bring the order and change needed.
In Kingdom Living, a Kingdom Mindset is Required:
Kingdom Living is being free from the curse of the Law, which is a different mindset from religious people.
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree’” (Gal.3:13).
This means we allow the King to change our thinking, acting, and talking, by HIS Word to us. This is also to have the patience for the King to bring to pass HIS preparation and perfection in us.
Kingdom Living is to bring death to the old so we can live in the new, and is the opposite of selfishness. It is to live in largeness of life, while selfishness is smallness of life. We could say that Kingdom Living is giving up what we cannot keep so we can receive what we cannot buy.
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt.4:19).
Those who were fishermen of fish gave up that to become “…fishers of men.” That means they put Kingdom Living above all other priorities, including how they previously made a living. They had to get a changed thinking so they could get a changed result. It was changed thinking so as to lay a foundation for success, which we see in the first day of the Church.
“Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language” (Ac.2:6).
We see the end result of this, as Peter had preached, when “…they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Ac.2:41).
Too, Kingdom Living is seeing what God wants that we want also, and then seeing ourselves achieving it. It is to remove the word “impossible” from our thinking and speaking. It is to refuse to live in the rut of low expectations. Kingdom Living, then, is to be led by our dreams instead of being pushed by our problems. It is to understand that “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right” (Henry Ford).
Kingdom Living Brings Effectiveness:
Kingdom Living is recognizing our liberty and using it in the effectiveness of freeing others.
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Ro.6:18).
Since we are free, we can be as noted above, “…fishers of men,” and they can be free also, by the same blood that freed us. So, we find that Kingdom Living is having and fulfilling the Kingdom purpose.
Too, Kingdom Living is discipleship, with the goal of training to function properly in the Kingdom. It is receiving and applying revelation of Kingdom principles.
“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Ac.14:22).
This exhortation of the disciples was that they might live in the pursuit of the King and His Kingdom purposes. It also meant that they were being encouraged to achieve by focusing on what is important.
Too, Kingdom Living is refusing to allow today’s success to hinder tomorrow’s success. Too often we shout with joy and linger on the present and not move toward what will be important in the future. After all, Kingdom Living is seeing the opportunity in the situation instead of the impossibility of it. But if we linger on our past success, we will likely not care enough to change the situation we or others are facing. If we fail to do so, we will not seize the opportunity that exists in the present.
Kingdom Living is Prosperity:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3Jn.1:2).
As our soul prospers, we will find that Kingdom Living is receiving the provision, peace, prosperity, and protection of the King. This is to be in the process of receiving the ultimate end of the full provision from the King. Too, it is to learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Not all will become financially independent, unless they apply the Word in their lives, prospering even their own soul.
Too, Kingdom Living is taking of the benefits of the Kingdom and then distributing to others. God brings prosperity to us for a reason, and that reason is to benefit others.
“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Ps.35:27).
Favoring HIS righteous cause is to seek to help others who have not come to the understanding of how much God wants to bless them also. After all, Kingdom Living is recognizing the difference between being poor and being broke. To be “poor” is a mind-set, while “broke” is just a temporary situation. To think we are “poor” is to not recognize life’s unlimited possibilities in HIM. What we are saying is that Kingdom Living is recognizing that we already have all we need. So, it is vital to recognize the opportunity that lies within us.
Kingdom Seekers Will Take Certain Actions:
Those actions include repentance in the presence of the King, persevering in the purity of His Kingdom purposes, and knowing that Kingdom Living is to take a test that teaches us a lesson. It is submitting to the government of God and refusing to live in slavery to religion.
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1Pe.1:7).
Kingdom Citizens Have Particular Attributes:
Growing up in Kingdom Living means we will walk in several attributes, including: a) total allegiance to the King; b) living in liberty; c) following our commitment to the King; d) living under the discipline of the King; e) enjoying righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; f) being single minded about the King; g) always identifying with the King; h) allowing His providence to work for our benefit; i) learning to control our attitudes and having the right attitude before the situation comes about; j) having good attitudes so we can refuse the limitations of bad ones; k) recognizing that the dream we have is an answer to the question we have not yet learned to ask; l) turning our dreams into reality; and m) walking in the Spirit. This last is the most critical, for without walking in the Spirit, we will not have the attributes HE wishes for us.
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Ro.8:9).
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal.5:16-17).
Kingdom Living is trusting in nothing but the King. It is submitting to the King and His direction, and being obedient to HIM.
Kingdom Stewardship Is Involved:
Kingdom Living is becoming a good steward of what the King has put in our hands. It is to walk as He wants so He can display us to the world.
“And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath” (Lk.12:42-44).
This means that Kingdom Living is stewardship of the benefits of the Kingdom, being a doer of the work instead of a critic. Thus, Kingdom Living is to make an effort, take a risk, and believe for a change, so that we and others can benefit.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Roger Price
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