The Medical Missionary, vol. 18
April 21, 1909
“The Kingdom of God—II. ‘The Kingdom of God Is within You’” The Medical Missionary, 18, 16, pp. 308, 309.
ALONZO T. JONES
MAN was created for the glory of God. God was to be manifest in him. He was to reflect the image and glory of God. God’s will was to be done in him as that will is in Him whose the will is. God was to dwell in him, and his whole life and character was to be that of God manifest in the flesh. MEDM April 21, 1909, page 308.1
Thus in the heart and life of man, God was to be enthroned. All of the rule, all of the authority, all of the power, was to be his through the Spirit, at the ever-responsive will and spirit and the free choice of the man. This was, and was ever to be, the kingdom of God in the man. MEDM April 21, 1909, page 308.2
But this realm and dominion was surrendered by man to another, and the throne in this kingdom was usurped by another—the wicked one. The rule, the authority, and the power became that of the usurper. The character manifested became that of the wicked one. The law of the kingdom became the law of sin, instead of being the original law of the kingdom—the law of God; the law of sin and death prevailed, instead of the law of the Spirit of life and righteousness. The kingdom, instead of being the true one of light and liberty, of righteousness and peace and joy, became a kingdom of darkness and bondage, of sin and war and discontent. MEDM April 21, 1909, page 308.3
In this kingdom there is perpetual war. For no sooner was the kingdom surrendered to the enemy, and the usurper had taken the throne, than the word of God was spoken: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.” This divinely implanted enmity against the evil one, and against his wicked rule, awakens the soul to the consciousness of the evil that reigns in the kingdom of the soul, and to a hatred of the evil and a longing for the reign of the good. This there springs up a war for freedom from the bondage, a struggle for deliverance from the captivity, of this strange and foreign kingdom and dominion. MEDM April 21, 1909, page 308.4
But it is a war of constant defeat; and so of greater bondage and deeper captivity, of the longing, struggling soul. “For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.1
Thus in the kingdom there is always war, and always defeat; never peace, because there is never victory. Deliverance can never come that way. In that kingdom man is subject to a power that is mightier than he. The man can not break off the power, and the usurper will not yield his rule; he will “not let his prisoners loose homewards.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.2
But O! Soul, be of good cheer. There is deliverance. “The Lord hath laid help upon one that is mighty.” Invite in they rightful King: Him “whose right it is” to reign. Welcome Him to His own rightful place in His own native kingdom. Give Him his own place upon His own throne, in His own Kingdom within you. He is asking, knocking, waiting and longing, to come in.” Let Him in. “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.3
Then with the rightful King enthroned, all power is His. “He breaks the cruel power of sin; He sets the prisoner free.” He delivers the captive, He “puts down all rule and all authority and power”—all the rule of dark passion, all the authority of evil habit, all this power of sin and of the evil one. All things are put under His feet. He is first King of Righteousness, and after that King of Peace. He reigns in righteousness only. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.4
Thus the soul being “delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear Son,” the kingdom of God as the kingdom of God indeed, with the divine and rightful King enthroned, is “within you.” Thus the war of defeat and captivity is over and the good fight of faith proceeds. Peace reigns forever, because the king of righteousness and peace reigns forever; and “he is our peace.” In Him there is victory forever. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith—the faith of Jesus. MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.5
This is the kingdom of God with you in truth; the King himself in the kingly place on his throne in his own native kingdom; the law of the kingdom, the holy character of the living king himself: “the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” And as this holy law of the King is made manifest in the kingdom through the eternal Spirit of the eternal King whose the kingdom is; for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.6
This is the kingdom of God “come within, and this is the will of God “done” in this his kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.7
This is the kingdom of God indeed “within you,” in which, by the reign of Christ, all other rule, all other authority, and all other power, is “put down” and the kingdom is delivered up to God even the Father. and “God is all it all.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.8
And every soul in whom the kingdom of God is thus established can with glad heart and voice join the heavenly chorus “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which are and wast and art to come, because thou hast taken unto thee thy great power and hast reigned.” MEDM April 21, 1909, page 309.9