Living in the Kingdom of Light
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Brian Shilhavy
Apr 27, 2008, 2:00:36 PM4/27/08
to Created4Health
This next article has been a long time in coming! It is the first one
of 2008. Hopefully I can find more time to get the next foundational
article out before tackling the issues! Overseeing Tropical
Traditions, our Philippine company, and educating my children takes up
most of my time these days. Any revisions or updates to this article
(along with proper formatting) will be found on the website here:
http://www.created4health.org/kingdom_of_light.htm
Blessings,
Brian
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Living in The Kingdom of Light
In the last article on the Rebirth, we saw that there are two
spiritual kingdoms operating in the world today: the kingdom or rule
of darkness, and the kingdom of light. Satan is the ruler of the
kingdom of darkness, and Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kingdom of
light. The spiritual kingdom of light is more powerful, just as in the
natural realm when light and darkness collide, light always overcomes
darkness immediately. We enter into the rule of Jesus, the kingdom of
light, through spiritual rebirth. Spiritual rebirth is necessary to
enter into the kingdom of light, and results in eternal life and
ultimately perfect health. It also has tremendous benefits for the
present time. So once we are born again and have left the kingdom of
darkness and entered the kingdom of light, it is time to take a look
around and see what this new kingdom is all about!
This article will just be a brief survey regarding living in the
kingdom of light, the kingdom of Jesus. The most comprehensive record
of life in the kingdom of light is the New Testament portion of the
Bible. The New Testament record of the Bible starts with the
miraculous birth of Jesus, the record of his life, ministry,
teachings, death, and resurrection, and then continues on with the
writings of first believers who began to walk in the kingdom of light
after Jesus was resurrected and went up into heaven. The New Testament
record contains many stories of the kingdom of light invading the
kingdom of darkness and setting people free from their sicknesses and
problems. To truly understand all the truths and benefits of living in
the kingdom of light, a thorough reading and understanding of the New
Testament is essential.
Our King: The Resurrected Jesus
So as we begin our survey about living in the kingdom of light, the
first person we must consider is our King! Jesus is the ruler of the
kingdom of light. The apostle Paul wrote a very nice description of
our King and our relationship to him in his letter to the Colossian
believers:
May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his
glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with
patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit
to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the
kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought
us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free,
that is, our sins are forgiven. Christ is the visible likeness of the
invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created
things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth,
the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords,
rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him
and for him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with him
all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the
church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son,
who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first
place in all things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has
in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided
to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through
his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all
things, both on earth and in heaven. At one time you were far away
from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and
thought. But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has
made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and
faultless, into his presence. (Colossians 1:11-22)
There are many important things written here about Christ, and we have
discussed some of them in previous articles. Notice also that this
passage states that he is "head of his body, the church." The terms
"body" and "church" here could be used interchangeably with the
"kingdom of light." It refers to all those who have entered the
kingdom through spiritual rebirth. The believers in Christ are often
referred to as members of his "body," or collectively as the "church."
The English word "church" can have many shades of meaning, and in
today's culture it usually refers to a building in a geographical
location. But that is not the normal meaning in the New Testament
writings. The original word from the Greek language, the language that
the New Testament was written in, is "ecclesia," which literally means
a "called out assembly." The emphasis is on the members and their
relationship to each other, not a physical location. Christ's "church"
is a living and operating organism, with Christ as the head directing
everything. In this sense, the term "body" is probably a better term
to understand in our relationship to Christ and to one another. Here
is how the apostle Paul described it in his letter to the believers in
Corinth, which is part of the New Testament Bible:
Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one
body, even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way,
all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been
baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been
given the one Spirit to drink. For the body itself is not made up of
only one part, but of many parts. If the foot were to say, "Because I
am not a hand, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it
from being a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, "Because I
am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it
from being a part of the body. If the whole body were just an eye, how
could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? As it
is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he
wanted it to be. There would not be a body if it were all only one
part! As it is, there are many parts but one body. So then, the eye
cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" Nor can the head say to
the feet, "Well, I don't need you!" On the contrary, we cannot do
without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; and those parts
that we think aren't worth very much are the ones which we treat with
greater care; while the parts of the body which don't look very nice
are treated with special modesty, which the more beautiful parts do
not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to
give greater honor to those parts that need it. And so there is no
division in the body, but all its different parts have the same
concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers, all the
other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other
parts share its happiness. All of you are Christ's body, and each one
is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
So each one of us is uniquely created and gifted to be a part of the
kingdom of light. To experience all that God has for us and to enjoy
good health, we must live in the proper relationship with Jesus as our
head, and in service to one another within the body/church. Much of
the New Testament is composed of letters written to believers
(churches) that gathered in certain areas, teaching about these
concepts.
Our Citizenship: Heaven
We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
Paul's letter to the believers in Philippi
When we are born again into God's family and enter the kingdom of
light, we obtain a new citizenship and a new future. We become
citizens of heaven, and aliens (or foreigners) here on earth. We
remain here for a purpose, until either Jesus returns physically to
earth to setup a new physical kingdom, or until we go through physical
death and go to heaven to be with Jesus. But we no longer belong here
on earth. It is not our permanent home. Therefore, we should never
allow our hearts to become too attached to earthly things, since they
will all be destroyed in the future anyway. That includes our physical
bodies. They are a part of the natural realm, and we will have new
spiritual bodies in heaven.
The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam
came from heaven. Those who belong to the earth are like the one who
was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came
from heaven. Just as we wear the likeness of the man made of earth, so
we will wear the likeness of the Man from heaven. What I mean,
friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God's
Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality. Listen to this
secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds,
we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of
an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to
die again, and we shall all be changed. For what is mortal must be
changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what
cannot die. So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed
into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: "Death is
destroyed; victory is complete!" "Where, Death, is your victory?
Where, Death, is your power to hurt?" Death gets its power to hurt
from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. But thanks be to God
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! So then, my
dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for
the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is
ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:47-58)
For those of us walking in the kingdom of light, and members of God's
family, any sickness we must endure in the present life is always
temporary. The world is broken and decaying because of sin, but our
citizenship is not of this world! We are only here temporarily as
resident aliens, or foreigners. As such, it is expected that we do not
"fit in" since most people still walk in the darkness. It is difficult
and tiring to always be different, to be going "against the crowd" and
to be viewed as weird, eccentric, or whatever the people walking in
darkness think of us. But we have to keep our eyes on our true King,
walking by faith and having fellowship with the other members of the
kingdom of light, the believers. We are also called "saints" which
literally means "holy ones", not because we ourselves are really holy,
but because Jesus is holy, and his death on the cross for our sins
made us holy also. We are only holy because of our relationship to
Jesus.
When Jesus was on earth before his death and resurrection, his
disciples were expecting him to setup a new earthly kingdom. He tried
to explain to them that his kingdom was not of this world, and that he
had to voluntarily experience death on our behalf so that our future
in heaven would be secure.
"Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and
believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I
am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it
were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know
the way that leads to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him,
"Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way
to get there?" Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the
life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known
me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on
you do know him and you have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord,
show us the Father; that is all we need." Jesus answered, "For a long
time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever
has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the
Father'? Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you," Jesus said to
his disciples, "do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me,
does his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and
the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do. I am
telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do---
yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the
Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the
Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for
anything in my name, I will do it. "If you love me, you will obey my
commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals
the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot
see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and
is in you. "When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will come
back to you. In a little while the world will see me no more, but you
will see me; and because I live, you also will live. When that day
comes, you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me,
just as I am in you. "Those who accept my commandments and obey them
are the ones who love me. My Father will love those who love me; I too
will love them and reveal myself to them." (John 14:1-21) the apostle
John's record of the life of Jesus recorded in the New Testament
We are aliens and foreigners living here on earth, but Jesus has not
left us alone. We still have access to him in heaven even while we
live here on earth! In the meantime, we wait for his return and the
day when he sets up his new kingdom on a new earth.
Our Power: The Holy Spirit
As we noted above in John chapter 12, Jesus promised his disciples
that when he left this world, he would send another "Helper", the Holy
Spirit. In verse 26 of the same chapter he said: "The Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything and make you remember all that I have told you."
Paul later went on to explain in his letter to the believers in
Ephesus that the promised Holy Spirit was God's "stamp of ownership"
on us, and would give us access to His power.
And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the
Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God
put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had
promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God
has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give
complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory! For
this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for all of God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks to
God for you. I remember you in my prayers and ask the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will
make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him. I ask
that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know
what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the
wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his
power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same
as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death
and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world. Christ rules
there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he
has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in
the next. God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the
church as supreme Lord over all things. The church is Christ's body,
the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.
(Ephesians 1:13-23)
The Holy Spirit in our lives gives us access to the same power that
raised Christ from the dead! It is important to note that the Holy
Spirit is a person, not just a force. We must yield and submit to His
leading, as we submit to Christ's leadership. If we give in to sin and
the temptation to live like people who are in the kingdom of darkness,
we limit the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and
is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit
of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness
of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away
falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for
we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the
sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let
the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work
with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone
in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such
as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give
grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and
wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along
with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:22-32)
The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we yield to him gives us
new purpose and meaning in life, as the Holy Spirit equips us for
service within the body of Christ. Along with this equipping we can
expect to receive special gifts that are uniquely suited to us and our
purpose in the kingdom of light, as we serve Jesus our King and one
another. A few places in the New Testament that give lists of the
kinds of gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us are I Corinthians chapter
12, Ephesians chapter 4, and Romans chapter 12, although these lists
are not exhaustive by any means.
While this is just a brief summary of the work of the Holy Spirit in
our lives, it is worth noting briefly two aspects of the power of the
Holy Spirit that can have a tremendous impact on our health. In the
Ephesians 4 passage above, the last sentence says: "Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you." There is tremendous power in this verse to release
healing in your life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to forgive
people who have wronged us or hurt us if we are simply operating in
our own strength, in the strength of our sinful nature. Being
tenderhearted and forgiving are "fruits" of the Holy Spirit. Paul very
clearly explained the contrast of the works of our sinful nature, and
the fruits of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the believers in
Galatia:
What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not
satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature
wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants
is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and
this means that you cannot do what you want to do. If the Spirit leads
you, then you are not subject to the Law. What human nature does is
quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions;
in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they
fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into
parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do
other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do
these things will not possess the Kingdom of God. But the Spirit
produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as
these. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their
human nature with all its passions and desires. The Spirit has given
us life; he must also control our lives. We must not be proud or
irritate one another or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5:16-26)
Forgiveness, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is one of the most
powerful forces in the universe, and it carries great power to heal.
As we have discussed in previous articles, true health is more than
just the physical realm. The spiritual realm has tremendous impact on
our physical health, but most health-care solutions in western culture
today deal only with the physical. The opposite of "tenderhearted" and
"forgiving one another" is bitterness and anger, and an unforgiving
spirit. These are works of the sinful nature (and often empowered by
the ruler of the kingdom of darkness) that have the power to cause
great physical sickness and disease, especially if they are present in
us over long periods of time. When we live in the kingdom of darkness
before being born again, we are tricked in our minds into thinking
that anger and bitterness towards others gives us power over them. But
it isn't true. Just the opposite is true. Anger and unforgiveness in
our hearts give the spiritual forces of darkness power over us! But
once we enter into the kingdom of light, and we are stamped with the
Holy Spirit and have access to his power, we can forgive past hurts
and pains people have committed against us, with the result that
tremendous physical healing can follow that no medicine, herb, or any
other natural means can accomplish. If the Holy Spirit is leading you
to forgive someone right now, kill your pride and yield to the Spirit
and watch the healing that will follow!
The second fruit of the Spirit that has tremendous power for health is
faith. Most of us live in western culture that exalts science and the
natural realm, and has no room for faith. The book of Hebrews in the
New Testament describes faith:
To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain
of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that people of
ancient times won God's approval. It is by faith that we understand
that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen
was made out of what cannot be seen.... No one can please God without
faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and
rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-3,6)
It is by faith that we receive all the blessings that God wants to
give to us, including health. As members of God's family, we know the
future. Not the day-to-day events that will happen in our lives, but
we know that the earth and the physical realm is winding down, that
the present earth will be destroyed and that Jesus will come back to
setup a new kingdom on a new earth. We know that whatever sickness or
difficulties face us today are only temporary, because our bodies will
be transformed into spiritual bodes where sickness and death are gone
in heaven. We don't know all the pages of our story between here and
there, but as far as our foreign residence on this earth goes, we know
how the story ends.
We will cover the subject of faith much more in future articles.
Our Battle
The kingdom of light here on earth is a spiritual kingdom. We still
reside in the natural realm, where death and disease still operate.
The kingdom of darkness is still the predominate kingdom, for now.
Therefore, each day is a battle as the two kingdoms collide. We are
not removed from the daily battle, we are just empowered to endure it,
and to overcome it.
In fact, as members of the kingdom of light we now become special
targets of the spiritual powers operating in the kingdom of darkness.
The apostle Peter wrote: Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil,
roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be
firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other
believers in all the world are going through the same kind of
sufferings. (I Peter 5:8-9) The more we yield to the Holy Spirit and
overcome our sinful nature, the more intense the attacks from the
opposition become. No, life in the kingdom of light does not get
easier, but it gets better, because now we are on the winning side!
The more Godly we become as we grow in our relationship to Christ and
the Holy Spirit, the more of a threat we become to the kingdom of
darkness. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ
Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12) The apostle Paul in his
letter to Timothy
In our daily battle, it is important to recognize the true enemy.
Flesh and blood people are not our enemies in the spiritual realm.
Every human being is created in the image of God and has incredible
value. But people walking in darkness are deceived by the ruler of the
kingdom of darkness, and his forces. These spiritual rulers and forces
are our true enemies. They are in the spiritual realm, not the
physical. Those who are deceived and walking in the darkness still
have a chance to see the light, and find God's love and forgiveness.
That is why Christ tells us to love our enemies in the physical realm,
because we may be their only hope to hear the truth. Paul taught about
this in his letter to the Ephesian church.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13)
We will also face daily temptations to leave the light and wander off
into the darkness, where we don't belong. It is a daily struggle, and
our only hope is to place no trust in ourselves, but only in the work
of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives. We must obey the teachings
of Christ, and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the
most eloquent chapters in the New Testament illustrating this, and our
victory over our sinful nature and spiritual enemies, is Romans
chapter 8. So I close this article with one of the most brilliant
pieces of literature written by the apostle Paul. I personally
committed this chapter to memory when I was a young believer many
years ago, and you would probably do well if you did the same.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ
Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law,
weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on
the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and
peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it
does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the
flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the
Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the
Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to
the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according
to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the
deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of
God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to
fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as
sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then
heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer
with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the
creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of
God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will
be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of
the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And
not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope
that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we
hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what
to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is
the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good, for those who are called according
to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also
called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he
justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us
all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who
shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that,
who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is
interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we
are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be
slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:1-39)
of 2008. Hopefully I can find more time to get the next foundational
article out before tackling the issues! Overseeing Tropical
Traditions, our Philippine company, and educating my children takes up
most of my time these days. Any revisions or updates to this article
(along with proper formatting) will be found on the website here:
http://www.created4health.org/kingdom_of_light.htm
Blessings,
Brian
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Living in The Kingdom of Light
In the last article on the Rebirth, we saw that there are two
spiritual kingdoms operating in the world today: the kingdom or rule
of darkness, and the kingdom of light. Satan is the ruler of the
kingdom of darkness, and Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kingdom of
light. The spiritual kingdom of light is more powerful, just as in the
natural realm when light and darkness collide, light always overcomes
darkness immediately. We enter into the rule of Jesus, the kingdom of
light, through spiritual rebirth. Spiritual rebirth is necessary to
enter into the kingdom of light, and results in eternal life and
ultimately perfect health. It also has tremendous benefits for the
present time. So once we are born again and have left the kingdom of
darkness and entered the kingdom of light, it is time to take a look
around and see what this new kingdom is all about!
This article will just be a brief survey regarding living in the
kingdom of light, the kingdom of Jesus. The most comprehensive record
of life in the kingdom of light is the New Testament portion of the
Bible. The New Testament record of the Bible starts with the
miraculous birth of Jesus, the record of his life, ministry,
teachings, death, and resurrection, and then continues on with the
writings of first believers who began to walk in the kingdom of light
after Jesus was resurrected and went up into heaven. The New Testament
record contains many stories of the kingdom of light invading the
kingdom of darkness and setting people free from their sicknesses and
problems. To truly understand all the truths and benefits of living in
the kingdom of light, a thorough reading and understanding of the New
Testament is essential.
Our King: The Resurrected Jesus
So as we begin our survey about living in the kingdom of light, the
first person we must consider is our King! Jesus is the ruler of the
kingdom of light. The apostle Paul wrote a very nice description of
our King and our relationship to him in his letter to the Colossian
believers:
May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his
glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with
patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit
to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the
kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought
us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free,
that is, our sins are forgiven. Christ is the visible likeness of the
invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created
things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth,
the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords,
rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him
and for him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with him
all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the
church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son,
who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first
place in all things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has
in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided
to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through
his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all
things, both on earth and in heaven. At one time you were far away
from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and
thought. But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has
made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and
faultless, into his presence. (Colossians 1:11-22)
There are many important things written here about Christ, and we have
discussed some of them in previous articles. Notice also that this
passage states that he is "head of his body, the church." The terms
"body" and "church" here could be used interchangeably with the
"kingdom of light." It refers to all those who have entered the
kingdom through spiritual rebirth. The believers in Christ are often
referred to as members of his "body," or collectively as the "church."
The English word "church" can have many shades of meaning, and in
today's culture it usually refers to a building in a geographical
location. But that is not the normal meaning in the New Testament
writings. The original word from the Greek language, the language that
the New Testament was written in, is "ecclesia," which literally means
a "called out assembly." The emphasis is on the members and their
relationship to each other, not a physical location. Christ's "church"
is a living and operating organism, with Christ as the head directing
everything. In this sense, the term "body" is probably a better term
to understand in our relationship to Christ and to one another. Here
is how the apostle Paul described it in his letter to the believers in
Corinth, which is part of the New Testament Bible:
Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one
body, even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way,
all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been
baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been
given the one Spirit to drink. For the body itself is not made up of
only one part, but of many parts. If the foot were to say, "Because I
am not a hand, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it
from being a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, "Because I
am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it
from being a part of the body. If the whole body were just an eye, how
could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? As it
is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he
wanted it to be. There would not be a body if it were all only one
part! As it is, there are many parts but one body. So then, the eye
cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" Nor can the head say to
the feet, "Well, I don't need you!" On the contrary, we cannot do
without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker; and those parts
that we think aren't worth very much are the ones which we treat with
greater care; while the parts of the body which don't look very nice
are treated with special modesty, which the more beautiful parts do
not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to
give greater honor to those parts that need it. And so there is no
division in the body, but all its different parts have the same
concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers, all the
other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other
parts share its happiness. All of you are Christ's body, and each one
is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
So each one of us is uniquely created and gifted to be a part of the
kingdom of light. To experience all that God has for us and to enjoy
good health, we must live in the proper relationship with Jesus as our
head, and in service to one another within the body/church. Much of
the New Testament is composed of letters written to believers
(churches) that gathered in certain areas, teaching about these
concepts.
Our Citizenship: Heaven
We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
Paul's letter to the believers in Philippi
When we are born again into God's family and enter the kingdom of
light, we obtain a new citizenship and a new future. We become
citizens of heaven, and aliens (or foreigners) here on earth. We
remain here for a purpose, until either Jesus returns physically to
earth to setup a new physical kingdom, or until we go through physical
death and go to heaven to be with Jesus. But we no longer belong here
on earth. It is not our permanent home. Therefore, we should never
allow our hearts to become too attached to earthly things, since they
will all be destroyed in the future anyway. That includes our physical
bodies. They are a part of the natural realm, and we will have new
spiritual bodies in heaven.
The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam
came from heaven. Those who belong to the earth are like the one who
was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came
from heaven. Just as we wear the likeness of the man made of earth, so
we will wear the likeness of the Man from heaven. What I mean,
friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God's
Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality. Listen to this
secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds,
we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of
an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to
die again, and we shall all be changed. For what is mortal must be
changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what
cannot die. So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed
into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: "Death is
destroyed; victory is complete!" "Where, Death, is your victory?
Where, Death, is your power to hurt?" Death gets its power to hurt
from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. But thanks be to God
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! So then, my
dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for
the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is
ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:47-58)
For those of us walking in the kingdom of light, and members of God's
family, any sickness we must endure in the present life is always
temporary. The world is broken and decaying because of sin, but our
citizenship is not of this world! We are only here temporarily as
resident aliens, or foreigners. As such, it is expected that we do not
"fit in" since most people still walk in the darkness. It is difficult
and tiring to always be different, to be going "against the crowd" and
to be viewed as weird, eccentric, or whatever the people walking in
darkness think of us. But we have to keep our eyes on our true King,
walking by faith and having fellowship with the other members of the
kingdom of light, the believers. We are also called "saints" which
literally means "holy ones", not because we ourselves are really holy,
but because Jesus is holy, and his death on the cross for our sins
made us holy also. We are only holy because of our relationship to
Jesus.
When Jesus was on earth before his death and resurrection, his
disciples were expecting him to setup a new earthly kingdom. He tried
to explain to them that his kingdom was not of this world, and that he
had to voluntarily experience death on our behalf so that our future
in heaven would be secure.
"Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and
believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I
am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it
were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know
the way that leads to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him,
"Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way
to get there?" Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the
life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known
me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on
you do know him and you have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord,
show us the Father; that is all we need." Jesus answered, "For a long
time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever
has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the
Father'? Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you," Jesus said to
his disciples, "do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me,
does his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and
the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do. I am
telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do---
yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the
Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the
Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for
anything in my name, I will do it. "If you love me, you will obey my
commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals
the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot
see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and
is in you. "When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will come
back to you. In a little while the world will see me no more, but you
will see me; and because I live, you also will live. When that day
comes, you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me,
just as I am in you. "Those who accept my commandments and obey them
are the ones who love me. My Father will love those who love me; I too
will love them and reveal myself to them." (John 14:1-21) the apostle
John's record of the life of Jesus recorded in the New Testament
We are aliens and foreigners living here on earth, but Jesus has not
left us alone. We still have access to him in heaven even while we
live here on earth! In the meantime, we wait for his return and the
day when he sets up his new kingdom on a new earth.
Our Power: The Holy Spirit
As we noted above in John chapter 12, Jesus promised his disciples
that when he left this world, he would send another "Helper", the Holy
Spirit. In verse 26 of the same chapter he said: "The Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything and make you remember all that I have told you."
Paul later went on to explain in his letter to the believers in
Ephesus that the promised Holy Spirit was God's "stamp of ownership"
on us, and would give us access to His power.
And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the
Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God
put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had
promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God
has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give
complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory! For
this reason, ever since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for all of God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks to
God for you. I remember you in my prayers and ask the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will
make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him. I ask
that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know
what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the
wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his
power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same
as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death
and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world. Christ rules
there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he
has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in
the next. God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the
church as supreme Lord over all things. The church is Christ's body,
the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.
(Ephesians 1:13-23)
The Holy Spirit in our lives gives us access to the same power that
raised Christ from the dead! It is important to note that the Holy
Spirit is a person, not just a force. We must yield and submit to His
leading, as we submit to Christ's leadership. If we give in to sin and
the temptation to live like people who are in the kingdom of darkness,
we limit the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and
is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit
of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness
of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away
falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for
we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the
sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let
the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work
with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone
in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such
as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give
grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and
wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along
with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:22-32)
The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we yield to him gives us
new purpose and meaning in life, as the Holy Spirit equips us for
service within the body of Christ. Along with this equipping we can
expect to receive special gifts that are uniquely suited to us and our
purpose in the kingdom of light, as we serve Jesus our King and one
another. A few places in the New Testament that give lists of the
kinds of gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us are I Corinthians chapter
12, Ephesians chapter 4, and Romans chapter 12, although these lists
are not exhaustive by any means.
While this is just a brief summary of the work of the Holy Spirit in
our lives, it is worth noting briefly two aspects of the power of the
Holy Spirit that can have a tremendous impact on our health. In the
Ephesians 4 passage above, the last sentence says: "Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you." There is tremendous power in this verse to release
healing in your life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to forgive
people who have wronged us or hurt us if we are simply operating in
our own strength, in the strength of our sinful nature. Being
tenderhearted and forgiving are "fruits" of the Holy Spirit. Paul very
clearly explained the contrast of the works of our sinful nature, and
the fruits of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the believers in
Galatia:
What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not
satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature
wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants
is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and
this means that you cannot do what you want to do. If the Spirit leads
you, then you are not subject to the Law. What human nature does is
quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions;
in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they
fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into
parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do
other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do
these things will not possess the Kingdom of God. But the Spirit
produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as
these. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their
human nature with all its passions and desires. The Spirit has given
us life; he must also control our lives. We must not be proud or
irritate one another or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5:16-26)
Forgiveness, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is one of the most
powerful forces in the universe, and it carries great power to heal.
As we have discussed in previous articles, true health is more than
just the physical realm. The spiritual realm has tremendous impact on
our physical health, but most health-care solutions in western culture
today deal only with the physical. The opposite of "tenderhearted" and
"forgiving one another" is bitterness and anger, and an unforgiving
spirit. These are works of the sinful nature (and often empowered by
the ruler of the kingdom of darkness) that have the power to cause
great physical sickness and disease, especially if they are present in
us over long periods of time. When we live in the kingdom of darkness
before being born again, we are tricked in our minds into thinking
that anger and bitterness towards others gives us power over them. But
it isn't true. Just the opposite is true. Anger and unforgiveness in
our hearts give the spiritual forces of darkness power over us! But
once we enter into the kingdom of light, and we are stamped with the
Holy Spirit and have access to his power, we can forgive past hurts
and pains people have committed against us, with the result that
tremendous physical healing can follow that no medicine, herb, or any
other natural means can accomplish. If the Holy Spirit is leading you
to forgive someone right now, kill your pride and yield to the Spirit
and watch the healing that will follow!
The second fruit of the Spirit that has tremendous power for health is
faith. Most of us live in western culture that exalts science and the
natural realm, and has no room for faith. The book of Hebrews in the
New Testament describes faith:
To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain
of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that people of
ancient times won God's approval. It is by faith that we understand
that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen
was made out of what cannot be seen.... No one can please God without
faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and
rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-3,6)
It is by faith that we receive all the blessings that God wants to
give to us, including health. As members of God's family, we know the
future. Not the day-to-day events that will happen in our lives, but
we know that the earth and the physical realm is winding down, that
the present earth will be destroyed and that Jesus will come back to
setup a new kingdom on a new earth. We know that whatever sickness or
difficulties face us today are only temporary, because our bodies will
be transformed into spiritual bodes where sickness and death are gone
in heaven. We don't know all the pages of our story between here and
there, but as far as our foreign residence on this earth goes, we know
how the story ends.
We will cover the subject of faith much more in future articles.
Our Battle
The kingdom of light here on earth is a spiritual kingdom. We still
reside in the natural realm, where death and disease still operate.
The kingdom of darkness is still the predominate kingdom, for now.
Therefore, each day is a battle as the two kingdoms collide. We are
not removed from the daily battle, we are just empowered to endure it,
and to overcome it.
In fact, as members of the kingdom of light we now become special
targets of the spiritual powers operating in the kingdom of darkness.
The apostle Peter wrote: Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil,
roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be
firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other
believers in all the world are going through the same kind of
sufferings. (I Peter 5:8-9) The more we yield to the Holy Spirit and
overcome our sinful nature, the more intense the attacks from the
opposition become. No, life in the kingdom of light does not get
easier, but it gets better, because now we are on the winning side!
The more Godly we become as we grow in our relationship to Christ and
the Holy Spirit, the more of a threat we become to the kingdom of
darkness. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ
Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12) The apostle Paul in his
letter to Timothy
In our daily battle, it is important to recognize the true enemy.
Flesh and blood people are not our enemies in the spiritual realm.
Every human being is created in the image of God and has incredible
value. But people walking in darkness are deceived by the ruler of the
kingdom of darkness, and his forces. These spiritual rulers and forces
are our true enemies. They are in the spiritual realm, not the
physical. Those who are deceived and walking in the darkness still
have a chance to see the light, and find God's love and forgiveness.
That is why Christ tells us to love our enemies in the physical realm,
because we may be their only hope to hear the truth. Paul taught about
this in his letter to the Ephesian church.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13)
We will also face daily temptations to leave the light and wander off
into the darkness, where we don't belong. It is a daily struggle, and
our only hope is to place no trust in ourselves, but only in the work
of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives. We must obey the teachings
of Christ, and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the
most eloquent chapters in the New Testament illustrating this, and our
victory over our sinful nature and spiritual enemies, is Romans
chapter 8. So I close this article with one of the most brilliant
pieces of literature written by the apostle Paul. I personally
committed this chapter to memory when I was a young believer many
years ago, and you would probably do well if you did the same.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ
Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law,
weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on
the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and
peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it
does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the
flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the
Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the
Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to
the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according
to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the
deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of
God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to
fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as
sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then
heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer
with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the
creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of
God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will
be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of
the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And
not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope
that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we
hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what
to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is
the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good, for those who are called according
to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also
called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he
justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us
all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who
shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that,
who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is
interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we
are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be
slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:1-39)
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