“The Kingdom of God is Within You”

When Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus about the kingdom of God and being born of the Spirit, He made a comparison to the wind.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus said that you cannot tell when the Spirit comes and where it goes, except by the sound that you hear.

On the day of Pentecost, we see what Jesus was talking about to Nicodemus. This was the first time that God poured out His Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:1-4 ¶And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Apparently, the sound of those in the upper room all speaking in tongues sounded like the wind. It does not say there was a wind; it says there came a SOUND from heaven AS of a rushing mighty wind. Just as Jesus said, they could not tell when the Spirit came or where it went, but they heard the sound – they were all speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus explained similarly about the kingdom of God to the Pharisees.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

How can the kingdom of God be within us?

The kingdom of God is within us when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached how we can receive the Holy Ghost.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV