You have 30 seconds during an elevator ride to explain the Kingdom of God to a co-worker. Or a new believer asks you to explain the Kingdom of God. Or, during your morning prayer, you begin to wonder whether you are seeking the Kingdom of God. How would you know? What would you say? Today’s excerpt from The Kingdom Turn is found on pages 14, 15
“Paul tells us that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. In our personal lives, all our relationships, all our involvement with culture – in all these areas, where now the various worldviews of relativism and materialism hold sway, we are seeking at all times to realize more of the Kingdom of God, His righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.
“Righteousness describes the character of the Kingdom. It is the character of Jesus, the Law of God, and all the moral teaching of the Bible. We must learn righteousness, or holiness, and then ‘put it on’ every day, in every situation, in all our words and deeds; not our righteousness, of course, but that of Jesus Christ.
“Peace is the condition brought about by a life of righteousness. When we live in righteousness we are ‘in step’ with Jesus Himself, and He is, after all the Prince of Peace. His peace reaches us to the depths of our souls, so that nothing can shake us from that overall sense of wellbeing which walking in righteousness produces.
“Joy is the consequence of righteousness and peace. As we work to bring the character of the Kingdom into every aspect of life, and know the peace that comes with that, joy and rejoicing lead us to worship God with gladness and gratitude. Thus God is glorified and we experience His glory, just as He intends.
“And all this, of course, can only be accomplished ‘in the Spirit,’ as Paul says. The Spirit is the power for our pursuit of the Kingdom and glory of God. And if you’ve made the Kingdom turn, incredible, unlimited power is available to you, for the asking. But you must, of course, dare to ask.”
For reflection or discussion
1. How much do the character, condition, and consequence of the Kingdom of God describe your life?
2. Can we know the joy of God’s Kingdom apart from the righteousness and peace of it? Explain.
Most Christians, I suspect, hardly ever talk about the Kingdom of God, much less actively seek it. For those believers who do, it can be a confusing and uncertain quest. Which is why we need to do our best to understand and go deeper in the Kingdom every day. Share today’s podcast with a friend. Sit down and listen to it together, then talk about what you’ve heard. You can order The Kingdom Turn from The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
