What Has the Kingdom Actually Given Us?
A couple of days ago, I was driving to work and talking to the Holy Spirit like I usually do, and in that moment it really hit me - what a privilege it is that I can speak to Him, and He speaks back. Not in a creepy or dramatic way, but in the quiet stillness of His voice that I've learnt to recognise and yield to over time. I started thinking about how much access I’ve been given simply because I belong to Jesus. That salvation isn’t just forgiveness; it’s access, relationship, and inheritance. And I found myself questioning whether I really understand the full extent of what the blood of Jesus has secured for me, or whether I’ve been living beneath it without even realising.
One of my prayers for 2026 has been, “Lord, let me live in the fullness of everything You’ve paid for with Your blood.” Not just know it or quote it, but actually live from it, everyday.
Back in 2022 I was led to really meditate on 2 Peter 1:3, it says we’ve already been given everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of Him. I was in the park, on a prayer walk when the Holy Spirit said to me “If you lack anything it’s not because I’ve not given it to you, but because you have not received it”. From this I realised the issue isn’t access, it’s knowledge, understanding, and habitual consciousness. And that’s where this bible study series really began. This isn’t about chasing something new. It’s about understanding what’s already ours. It’s about being intentional in slowing down and asking, “What exactly has salvation given me access to?” What are the actual privileges of the Kingdom of God?
To be honest, the phrase “the Kingdom of God” has always felt more theoretical than personal to me. It’s one of those church phrases that I’ve found is often preached from the pulpit, but not always broken down in a way that can practically be applied to the reality of day-to-day life: parenthood, business, studying, friendships, and everything in between. And when I look at some expressions of modern Christianity, I don’t always see the kind of freedom Jesus described or the kind of rest Scripture promises. What I do see a lot of is striving. There’s a very subtle pressure to keep refining yourself, to keep improving, to keep proving that you’re growing. And over time, that kind of atmosphere can make faith feel heavier than the invitation Christ actually gives.
Now… let me just be clear, because this isn’t me dismissing growth. I’m not against refinement, at all. Spiritual growth, character, and spiritual maturity are all very necessary. We are meant to be shaped, and Scripture makes that clear throughout the bible. Even Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52), so development itself isn’t my issue. My pondering isn’t whether we grow, but how and by what we are being formed. I’ve come to learn that there is a real difference between being shaped by the Potter and striving for self-development in the flesh. One is surrender; led by the Holy Spirit, steady, very intentional, and rooted in our identity in Christ. The other is self-construction and is often driven by pride, comparison, and the need for validation from man. When refinement comes from the Holy Spirit, it is usually very uncomfortable (unfortunately) - I’m speaking from lived experience lol, but my anchor in these seasons is always James 1:2-4. When it is self-centered, it carries pressure, because everything depends on you. One leads toward wholeness and Christlikeness. The other usually leads to burnout and that unsatisfying feeling that no matter how much you improve, it’s never quite enough.
When I went back to study the Gospels more deeply, I noticed something that unsettled me… in a good way. The tone of Jesus often felt different from the tone of modern church culture. Jesus speaks of adoption, not audition, reminding us that we receive “the Spirit of adoption” by whom we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15), which to me suggests there’s a level of security we find in him that has nothing to do with our church performance. Jesus invites the weary into rest before He instructs them in discipline (Matthew 11:28). Jesus tells us to draw near with confidence to a throne defined by grace (Hebrews 4:16), not hesitation, and Jesus promises a Helper who will dwell within us, not distance Himself from us (John 14:16-17).
The deeper I studied, the more I realised that the structure of His Kingdom is built around belonging first and transformation second. Still, the more I study and meditate on the scriptures, the more I realise that in my lack of understanding I had reduced the Kingdom of God to moral instruction rather than covenant relationship. But then it hit me (again), if the Kingdom is first about being brought into the household of God, and not negotiating entry into it, then belonging must come with privileges. And not privilege in the modern, self-elevating sense, but privilege in its original meaning, which is - access granted because of relationship. Access to a Saviour who “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25), which actually implies that my spiritual growth and stability is not sustained by the strength of my own devotion alone. Access to mercy that renews itself each morning (Lamentations 3:22–23), whether or not I realised I needed it the night before. Access to divine provision that Scripture says equips us with “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), even when circumstances feel uncertain. Access to repentance that restores my soul and my faith rather than humiliates me. And access to a presence that does not withdraw the moment I become aware of my weakness.
All of that being said, I’m still learning what it means to live from that access instead of striving toward it. This bible study series, just like all of my other blog posts, is not me teaching from a place of “I’ve arrived”, but a reflection on what I am beginning to understand as the Holy Spirit gently deepens and corrects my thinking, and not necessarily by introducing something new, but by taking me deeper into what has always been there in Scripture. There are things I used to agree with on an intellectual level that are only now being embedded on a spirit and soul level in the way I respond to pressure, disappointment, or offence. There are also aspects of the Christian life that used to feel solely like a chore that I am beginning to recognise as a gift, and that paradigm shift has changed the space of my faith entirely. Because if repentance is restoration rather than rejection, and if mercy is programmed into the rising of the sun every morning rather than rationed reluctantly, if worship is participation in something that is already established in the Heavens rather than a performance in which we are trying to earn the Father’s attention, and if closeness to God has already been secured through Christ, then maybe…just maybe, this modern Christian life should be less about earning nearness through religious activities and routines, and more about learning how to live from it.
In this series, I’ll be exploring what I have come to understand as the privileges of The Kingdom of God; a seated Intercessor, the indwelling Spirit, the invitation to draw near, sustaining mercy, divine provision, repentance, and access to the throne, not as vague theoretical ideas to master, but as realities that should shape how we live. As I said before, this isn’t me speaking from the top of the mountain. I’m very much still in the process as well. I’m still learning, still unlearning, still allowing the Spirit to teach me what belonging to God actually looks like.
Welcome to my new blog-bible study series: ‘The Privileges of the Kingdom of God’
Let’s go deeper.
P, xo
