Living in the Kingdom of God

In my message, Heaven Now, last Sunday, I shared some thoughts about why we keep ourselves from living the potential of heaven in the here and now. You may listen on Facebook or YouTube. I equate “heaven” with the conscious awareness of the Kingdom of God within. As the master teacher, Jesus, said in the gospel of Thomas,

"If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you, and it is outside of you.”

What do we mean when we say that the Kingdom of God is “within” us? What is the Kingdom of God? What do we mean by “within?” 

Unity minister and author, Eric Butterworth, helps to answer these questions in his book, Discover the Power Within You. He says that the Kingdom of God is not a place in space, thus “it is not somewhere to go, but something to be.” He further states that the Kingdom of God is the full potentiality of spirit which is expressed in each of us. This could be more clearly and directly stated as the potentiality of spirit expressed as each of us. 

The Kingdom of God within is not located within a particular point in space and time, but is that essence of life that is constantly evolving and expanding in expression. French author, Voltaire, is quoted as saying, “God [the Kingdom of God and the power within] is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.” It is that expanding and evolving, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient life that is the power within.

In chapter 18, page 224 of the book, Butterworth relates the story of when the disciples asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom come?” to which Jesus replied “When the without shall become as the within.” What Jesus was saying is that when we realize the power within and express the full potential of that power, then the external, or the world, will reflect that full potential.

As Butterworth states, “Life is growth and unfoldment, and life is lived from inside out.” In other words, using Unity terminology, when we fully embrace and embody the Christ, the full potential of humanity, then we will bring forth the Kingdom of God upon the earth. We will usher in, as is envisioned in the book of Revelation, the reign of peace on the Earth. 

Butterworth says, “Jesus’ message of the Kingdom is the message of wholeness.” Wholeness is a concept that can also be described as perfection, completion, containing all, or not broken or damaged. All of these concepts represent what Jesus teaches is the spiritual Truth of each of us. In our natural state of being, we are complete, unbroken, and perfect: we are whole, thus in our natural state we embody the Kingdom of God. Because we are whole, we can also say that the Kingdom of God is within us, as us. When wholeness is fully realized within our conscious awareness, which we can describe as being “within,” we will demonstrate that state of consciousness in the physical realm. This is the foundational teaching of Unity. 

The Kingdom of God realized is the perfection of God made manifest in all aspects of our lives, including the body, self-expression, finances, and relationships. We access the Kingdom of God, or the power within, by entering the Silence through prayer and meditation. In the Silence, realization of Oneness is actualized, and in this state of conscious realization the Kingdom of God consciousness is activated. Through the power of intention and the expression of our thoughts and words, the power within is demonstrated in our lives. It was this realization, actualization and activation that facilitated Myrtle Fillmore’s healing, and the healing of countless others.

“The Power with” is the fullness of God expressing as each of us. It is not contained within our bodies, or even within our minds. It cannot truly be contained “within” anything. It is the power in which we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) 

I can best comprehend it when I think of it as the power within which I am. I like to think of the Truth of me, the ‘I Am,’ as the idea of the full potential that exists in the Mind and the Heart of God, which I also interpret as the Kingdom of God. I Am within the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of God is within me.

It makes perfect sense when I realize that, in Truth, all that is REAL (Radiant Eternal Abundant Life) is the Kingdom of God, so all that is real must exist within it, and all that is real must embody only that Truth. As I embrace that as my spiritual Truth, and keep my mind stayed on that Truth, I am at peace. When I am at peace, I think thoughts of peace. When I think thoughts of peace, I express Love. When I express Love, I experience joy. When I experience joy, I bring forth the Kingdom of God on the Earth. 

I invite you to join me in affirming: “I am eternally in the Kingdom of God, I know the power that I am, and I express that power fully.”