#23 The Inner Kingdom

From Meditations on the Epistles of John, by Samuel Froehlich

But as the first man, by faith in the lie, fell away from God and became darkened, so must we now, by faith in the truth, fall away from the devil so as to become enlightened. Then God establishes His Kingdom in us in righteousness, peace and joy. This inner kingdom of God is indeed still invisible and hidden at the present time, as the fruit of the first appearance in the flesh, but at the second appearance of Christ in glory it will be revealed. And he who has not now received the inner kingdom of God cannot enter in the future kingdom of glory (Luke 17). Therefore all is established upon faith and our eternal salvation depends upon the use we make of the time of grace. But as faith in the word from the beginning works unto salvation, conversion and rebirth, so must it afterwards work unto obedience, in love, unto the end, so that in the foundation of the right faith there is nothing else than love, which keeps the commandments of God or continues in Christ and then in the Father also. We believe only in the proportion that we love.