A Spiritual House
The bible tells us that Jesus went proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. He said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43
This kingdom is something you cannot touch or physically see
but He told us that the kingdom of God is at hand. So how are we in this
kingdom?
Peter explains this to us in 1 Peter 2:4-5:
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been
rejected by men but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as
living stones, for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ.
Peter is giving us a physical example (a stone) of what each
of our spirits are in the kingdom of God. Of course, we are living stones
because everything that is in God is living. When we were born again, our
spirits were revived and now are living in Jesus. That connection with Jesus has
brought us to life in the kingdom of God and now we have that connection to
God.
Peter has firsthand knowledge of this because Jesus renamed him “the rock” in
Matthew 16:18:
“I also say to you that you are Peter, upon this rock
I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
The word Peter in the Greek is Petros, meaning a piece of
rock. The Greek word for rock in this scripture is Petra, meaning a mass of
rock.
Very enlightening when you look at the full meaning of these
words.
Jesus told Peter that he would be a rock, one of many that
would make a massive rock and that would be His church. We are living stones
and part of that massive rock that is His church when we are born again.
This massive rock is resting in and on Jesus who is the
cornerstone and the foundation of it all. (Isaiah 28:16)
So why go through all this detail?
Well, when we can have a mental picture of a house being
built stone by stone, we can start to understand that there really is a spiritual
house built on the foundation of Jesus, and we are living in it. Each week there
are many spiritual houses gathering and that makes up the kingdom. When we can
see ourselves connected like that around the world, I believe it will make God’s
kingdom stronger.
Unity in the kingdom of God is what it is going to take in
these last days. Jesus said “the gates of hades will not overpower it” meaning
that when the kingdom is all of one accord there is nothing that can stop it.
Let’s be of one accord in Jesus. This does not mean that
everyone will agree on everything. But if we just live in God’s will for our
lives, we will be of one accord.
What is that?
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give
thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
When our focus is continuously on our King, the kingdom will be
unstoppable.
