What is the kingdom of God? We need to answer that question. Why? So we can understand what Jesus taught. His teaching wasn’t only about getting people saved so that they could go to heaven when they died. That is a wonderful teaching and tremendous assurance for those who are saved. Yet, when you read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus’ message over and over again was about the kingdom of God. He said, “The kingdom of God is like this” and then He would give illustration after illustration. So what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is not a spiritual, mystical concept of something to be experienced in the afterlife. The kingdom of God is a present reality to be lived and experienced right now by those who claim Jesus Christ as their King. If Jesus reigns in your life, then the kingdom of God is in your life. If Jesus is King in your home, then the kingdom of God is already in your home. The kingdom of God is wherever Jesus has been made King.

Scriptures
Proverbs 12:25, 15:1; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 13:6; Colossians 1:13, 3:17, 4:6; 1 Timothy 6:18

Verse
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Thought
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His hearers that they were salt for the earth and light for the world. He was saying to His followers, in every age, that they shouldn’t compromise their beliefs about Him and His kingdom. He was saying that we need to come into a closer relationship with Him so He can use us to be the salt and light to people who don’t know Him. He was saying that we don’t have to hide from the world because He wants to spread His influence to all people by using His followers. We’re to spread the influence of His kingdom every where we go. How we see the world determines how we’re going to fulfill His challenge. When you watch the network news and see all the stuff going on in the world that might be offensive to what you believe and what God’s Word teaches then you may be tempted to tune it all out and write off all the people engaged in those things. When you see people doing and saying things you would never do or say, do you see those people as bad people to be despised or do you see them as lost people without Jesus Christ in their lives?

Questions
Is Jesus King in your life? How would someone know He was the King of your home? When was the last time you were the salt for the earth to another human being? Do you think God is asking too much of His followers when He says they are to be salt for the earth and light for the world? Do you remember a time in your life when someone was the light for the world to you? How hard is it for you to salt the earth with words of patience? If our good deeds don’t save us, then what good are they?

Response
Ask God to give you spiritual eyes to see where you can be used by Him to be salt for the earth and light for the world. Make it your prayer to be a kingdom person who looks for opportunities to salt your conversations with words of grace and light the world with deeds of grace.

Prayer
Dear King Jesus, please open my spiritual eyes to see people as you see them and not as I would. I want to spread your influence wherever I go and I am willing to have you use me to be the salt and light to people I come in contact with every day. Use me King Jesus to bring people into your kingdom so that they may be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life starting now and lasting forever. In Your name I pray. Amen.