The Kingdom Of God

Matthew 3:1-2
In those days, John the baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

Matthew 6:10
Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:13
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!

In the conversation regarding addiction/recovery, we are wanting to point to the work and person of Jesus as being the Power needed to retain a new life.
That He is the way, or direction, we need to look to and follow in order to break free from the power of sin/addiction. 

This introduction of Power, through the presence of God's Holy Spirit in our life, is the source that will propel us into a new dimension of living. One that has escaped us at every turn. As some in recovery say....."God did for me the very thing I could not do for myself."

This interjection of God into our situation and life is what is known as the Kingdom of God. God's rule is eternal and universal in the sense that he is, and was, and he always will be the supreme ruler of all things. (pg.7 - Kingdom of God VBI course). 

As we work these steps and we come to the place of surrender of will and life over to God, we find that His power will break into our affairs and situations we face. He does so by changing us. Changing our hearts and not only our minds. The Kingdom rule of God confronts all the spiritual forces that the devil and his kingdom have brought to bear to keep us in this old way of living. A life of bondage and sin that manifests itself through our choices. In other words, all you have to do is look at the decisions that we made when we were totally out there living for the next high, the next fix...the next promise of relief.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I rely on 
I John 3:8 to address the desire of Christ to come to our aid. 
Here is the I John passage from the Amplified Bible:
But he who commits sin (who practices evildoing) is of the devil (takes his character from the evil one), for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (Destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works of the devil (has done). 

Did we not take on the character of the evil one? Lying, stealing, immorality, anger, jealousy, manipulation, and on and on and on? Yes!
But then Jesus was revealed. We are aware of Him and His capabilities to free us from the penalty of sin......the power of sin.....and the presence of sin. He is revealed to our hearts and then we respond by turning to Him.
Once we acknowledge our need for Him, then the destruction of the works of the devil,in our lives, begins.

The first destruction of the devils works is a destruction of the character we have adopted from him. The Holy Spirit begins to change the very nature of our heart and we begin to see life differently. 

Take a look at the evidence of our old nature or character that was under the influence and control of the devil.
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the doings (practices) of the flesh (old nature) are clear (obvious). They are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I previously did, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Sounds like a who's who of addictive behavior, doesn't it?
Now lets take a look at what happens when God intervenes in our life through His rule and reign being brought to bear to address our problems.
Galatians 5:22-24
But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence) faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (Self-restraint) against such things there is no law (That can bring a charge). And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

Such is why we are instructed to pray..."Your Kingdom Come (The rule and reign of God in us and through us)....Your will be done (That is power at work in us. It is God's will to change us into the image we were originally created to have, not the one that sin warped and distorted. The verse closes by saying....on earth as it is in heaven. We are asking God to splash on us from His fullness..to bring the mandate and power of heaven into our time and space to intervene in our affairs and lives. 
This is the heart of all recovery.
The interjection of the Kingdom of God into a situation and life that has no hope or way out.
Thank you Lord, that you arm is not so short it cannot save. Or your ear so dull that you cannot hear.
May we see more and more of your Kingdom in our lives and in our families.

God on you...
mb