Because of the Kingdom ...

What is your mind set on today?  How are you actively managing your thoughts and intentions today?  I really believe that what we do in our "every-day-living" is a result on what we've set our minds on and that is an issue of control.

By not giving God daily control over our lives we open ourselves to drifting into the natural flow and pattern of this world ... something that God warns us of and even expects us to stand against (see Romans 12:1-2). 

In Romans 6 Pauls writes this about our those who've given their lives over to God through the grace of Jesus Christ:  "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14)."  

It's that word Dominion that caught my attention today.  It reminded me of the "kingdom" metaphors used in the Bible to describe God's reign and rule.  It reminded me of the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is both one yet to come and one that is here and now because of Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ, we live in and experience the kingdom of God.  Because of Christ we have the authority and power of the kingdom of God within us and available to us.  Because of the kingdom of God in our lives, God has DOMINION over us, under his Grace.

Dominion is that idea of:   1) to be lord of, to rule, have dominion over; 2) of things and forces; a) to exercise influence upon, to have power over.  [Strong's Concordance]

So I wonder, as we live in the Kingdom of God do we live under God's influence in our lives or the influence of sin?  What has a draw on our lives?  What are we giving attention to?  What are we setting our minds on?

The Kingdom of God is about freedom and LIFE.  Sin - which brings bondage and death (you know it to be true) - has NO dominion over you.  But God's rule because of Christ and through the Holy Spirit in us, has dominion and that leads us to LIFE.

Because of the Kingdom we have LIFE.

-Ben