Luke 17: 20-21

(Luke 17: 20-21)

『And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, 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.』(Luke 17: 20-21)

When Nicodemus came to Jesus, Jesus said to him. "You cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born again from above." The kingdom of God is a place of righteousness, joy, and peace. But there is sacrifice in the kingdom of God in this world. In the words of Luke 17: 20-21, "with + in" of "the kingdom of God is within you"
This is the word above you. The word "on you" means "where the born again gathers." The kingdom of God in the born-again is related to salvation, but the kingdom of God "where the born again gathers" is connected to power. So when believers gather, the kingdom of God comes.

『In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.』(Luke 12: 1)

The Pharisees think that they are living their faith, but they are just religious. It is great to have more than ten thousand people gathered. But Jesus did not first speak to them about the kingdom of God, but to the disciples first. The number of disciples was few. And Jesus told his disciples what Luke 12: 29-32.

 

『And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.』(Luke 12: 29-32)

We must preach the word of God for the kingdom of God to come to this world. Jesus said: The things of this world are not first, but the things of the kingdom of God must be first. The born again preach the kingdom of God first. If you are not born again, seek the money of this world first. 1 John 2:15 says:

 『Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 』 Many people around Jesus and a small number of disciples are different. 2000 years have passed since Jesus died. What do the people of the Church ask first? Luke 12: 33-34 says:『Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 』

When a person is joined to Christ who died on the cross, he calls God the Father. This is a son adopted by God. Those who are adopted by God do not like the things of this world. For they are alive to God's kingdom and dead to the world. Although his body is alive, he is dead to the world and reborn as a people of the kingdom of God. Ephesians 4: 22-24 says:『 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.』

『Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;』(Colossians 3:9)

The standard of old and new depends on whether you are born again. The past must die before it can be reborn. How can you die? It is not suicide, but the belief that the body of sin is dead with Jesus. So never fall into sin again. Thus, the born again fight the temptation of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who are contaminated with sin cannot be improved. Only die to be born again. People do good to wash past sins, live alone on the mountain, and reflect on past sins, but they eventually sin again unless they die with Jesus. But the dead with Jesus do not love the world. In 1 John 3: 9 says:『Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.』

 Baptism is not the washing of sins, but the rite of dying for sins. But some churches incorrectly teach that "baptism is to wash away sins." The blood of Jesus has two meanings. First, God buys those who repent from Satan (meaning of redemption). Second, God washes the living from Satan. Thus, as a sinner in the past, he has a good conscience. Peter said in 1 Peter 3:21:

 『The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:』

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