Not far from the Kingdom of God

 

"Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'" (Mark 12:34)

Jesus stated that the scribe who answered wisely was close to the kingdom of God but didn't say that he was inside it. To be in God's kingdom, one must be born again and become a member of God's family.

A person isn't in the kingdom of God merely because they know the Truth but because they love the Truth. They aren't there just because they answer wisely but because they act with wisdom. They aren't there simply because they read the Word of God but because they obey it. Being near a place and being inside it are different things. If I stand near a luxurious house, I'm neither a resident nor even a guest of that house, even if I am not far from that house. The inhabitants of the kingdom of God are those who were born in that Kingdom.

From my diary,

November 3,  2023