Seeing Is Believing

Seeing is believing, or so the saying goes. It is the philosophy that guides most people these days. If they can't see it they won't believe it. Yet people are fascinated by the supernatural. They will read horoscopes, believe in ghosts and demons, become fascinated with vampires, werewolves and zombies. Yet if you talk about Jesus and the Kingdom of God these same people will scoff and ask you to prove it. They would rather believe in the fanciful tales of Bigfoot than in the Creator who loves them.

People's insistence on proof makes it a bit harder to explain Jesus and the Kingdom of God. If the Kingdom was tangible, had borders with a great big castle, people might begin to believe but even then I have my doubts. Jesus stood right in front of people and raised the dead but they still did not believe. The Kingdom is not a physical thing although there are physical manifestations. But the fact that people don't believe might be our fault because we don't even understand the Kingdom:

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

In this sense the Kingdom of God is here now because it is in you and will physically manifest through you. As citizens of this Kingdom it is extremely important that we read the citizen manual so we will know if we are living by the rules. I don't mean the "do's" and "don'ts" but the deeper rules; the ones that provoke you to love your enemy and to do good to those who hate you.

This is not natural to those who live by the flesh, but for those who have been crucified with Christ, who no longer live, who have Christ living in them and who live by faith in the Son of God, it is a wondrous mystery living out through us. This is why Jesus said that there had to be a new wine skin because the Kingdom of God was being poured into us and if we were still the old wine skin we would be destroyed.

This is why we no longer play by the rules of this world. This is why we walk and talk different. This is why our actions look strange compared to others. We don't worry and we are not afraid. We are not upset at the lose of material things. We don't operate by hatred and vengeance, nor are we motivated by jealousy and envy. Ours is a spirit of love and sacrifice. We live for others. We live to bless. We live to demonstrate the love of Jesus and to tell everyone what he has done for us. We have peace at all times because we live by the Kingdom rules.

You are the only part of the Kingdom many people will see. You are the only Jesus they will know. If you are not operating by the Spirit, if you are at odds and trying to live the Kingdom in your flesh, then the fruit of the Spirit will not be present as it should. You will still carry the title of Christian but you will not be demonstrating the Christ, which will not be to his glory. Who you live for will determine if people get to see the Kingdom that is inside of you. Please, live for Jesus so others will be saved before the end arrives. It is our purpose as citizens of the Kingdom. Live by the rules. Seeing is believing so they need to see Jesus in you.