A Christian Guidebook: What Is the Kingdom of God? (4)
… for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness… Romans 14.17
What is righteousness?
The Kingdom of God presents a particular character to the world: righteousness. Where the rule of King Jesus comes to expression through the citizens of His Kingdom, righteousness is on display. The power of the Kingdom of God flows to bring this character into being, as electrons flow to make light or wind flows through turbines to make electricity.
Where Jesus rules, righteousness obtains, for the Kingdom of God is righteousness.
But what is righteousness?
Righteousness is whatever God says is right, and whatever God declares to be righteous has been revealed to us in His Word. When, having read and studied God’s Word and communed with Him in prayer, we learn how to love Him and our neighbors in whatever ways we can, righteousness appears. The more we do such things, the more righteousness will be seen in us, and the more our inner self—our soul—will be shaped for righteousness.
But this righteousness is not anything we’re able to gin up. It is, rather, the righteousness of Jesus, imparted to us and expressed by us through the Kingdom power of the Holy Spirit. Every little kindness, every thoughtful word of encouragement, every duty joyfully performed, every proper manner and courtesy observed during a meal—all such quotidian conduct is righteous and builds righteousness in us and brings glory to God (1 Cor. 10.31).
The Law of God is holy and righteous and good (Rom. 12.17). Jesus is the Righteous One, and thus all His Word in Scripture is righteous. We can know what God says is right, and by the power of the Kingdom at work in us, we can be righteous in Jesus Christ.
How can we obtain it?
When it comes to righteousness we do not so much “obtain” it as “express” it. Righteousness is like a new suit of clothes which is way, way too big for us because we’re just children. The suit is beautiful, and when we have it on, well, we look a little snappier. But it’s obvious we need to grow some to fill out the full beauty of this suit.
Righteousness is like a Jesus suit, but it’s a suit we can never grow into fully. All our righteousness is external to us before it becomes internal and outward through us. It’s in Jesus and His Spirit. It’s described for us in the Scriptures, beginning in the Law of God. But we mustn’t think that we can just go out and “do a little righteousness” on our own, just because we see what the Scriptures teach.
No. We need Jesus. To see Him in His glory. To devote ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. To be filled with His Spirit every moment of the day. To call for His wisdom and strength and grace to enable us to be His witnesses. To grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3.18).
As we do these things, earnestly seeking Jesus and His Kingdom through them all, we grow into our Jesus suit a little more, and a little more of His righteousness is expressed through us.
The effects of righteousness
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that righteousness is like salt and light (Matt. 5.1-20). When it is present, it has effects. It illuminates the goodness of God in the world, and it preserves that goodness against decaying influences.
The righteousness for which Kingdom citizens hunger and thirst has the effect of making us shine like the noonday sun: “He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Ps. 37.6). Righteousness is God’s doing, and when He does it, we shine like light, and like the sun when it casts no shadows. And, if only a little, we preserve whatever is good in the world within our reach.
But the righteousness to which we’re called is not exhausted in personal ethics. It extends to cultural transformation, the care of creation, and the rebuilding of institutions so that they honor God and do good work (cf. Rom. 13.1-4). We are the salt of the earth! We are the light of the world! Where the Kingdom of God is present and advancing, holy spiritual salt and light lend their good effects to people, places, and things, and people can see the reality of the Kingdom in the righteousness it imparts.
Righteousness stands out; it shines like a light in a dark place and adds savor to blandness. The effect of this salt-and-light presence is that people realize God is at work, and they give Him glory and honor (vv. 13-16). Our calling is to make ourselves as salty and as light-filled as we can, for the Kingdom of God is righteousness (Rom. 14.17, 18).
And overarching these glorious effects is the Kingdom blessing of peace. Peace is the condition that the Kingdom of righteousness spreads to all who know it.
Search the Scriptures
1. How would you explain righteousness to a new believer? To which Scriptures would you turn?
2. Meditate on Matthew 5.13-16. How should the light and salt of righteousness appear in your life?
3. Read Romans 7.12, Matthew 22.34-40, and 1 John 5.1-3. What is the role of the Law of God in helping us to grow in righteousness?
Next steps—Transformation: Spend some time meditating on what it means that the Kingdom of righteousness should show through you as salt and light. In what specific ways would you like to see more of these effects in your life?
Additional Resources
If you have found this study helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
