The Kingdom is within you

As a young Christian in college, I was taught that Jesus did not mean it when he said to some Pharisees, "The kingdom of God is within you." What He really was "The kingdom of God is in your midst." But that is not logical. He was answering a specific question first of all. "Shall the kingdom come with external signs?" Jesus was an external sign; so were his miracles. It would not make sense to answer that particular question the way he did unless he meant what He said: "The kingdom of God is within you."

Second, His statement was aspirational. In other words, He could have said, "The kingdom of God should be within you." Thus, he reaffirmed that salvation is by faith alone. Faith is within you, in your heart. It is not that there are no external effects. "Faith without works is dead," but first you have to have faith. Jesus meant it when He said that the kingdom is within you. It is either in your heart, or you don't have it at all, even if Jesus Christ is standing in your midst.

Start and end with your heart -- if you do, the externals will show themselves.