“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17
Dear Ones:
Why did the Lord Jesus come preaching the kingdom of God, even using phrases like, “…the kingdom of God has come near you,” and, “…the kingdom of God is within you?” Why did He command that men should “…seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness?” What is it about the kingdom of God that makes it a central element in the preaching of Christ to the world? Perhaps we can begin to understand by the words of a hymn: “Blessings abound where’re He reigns; The prisoner leaps to lose his chains, The weary find eternal rest, And all the sons of want are blessed.” What is the hymn-writer seeking to say? It is simply that, where Jesus reigns as Lord in the life, and all is submitted to Him, then the blessings of His reign will be known. What are those blessings? The first is the unveiling of God’s righteousness, that which is eternally right and true, the very bedrock for understanding our existence, its purpose and power. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews wrote: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God…(the truth, that which is right).” (11:3) Also, the reign of Christ means partaking of the blessings of that kingdom. It is under His reign that the believer is not only brought into peace with regard to being reconciled with God, but also, in the very experience of the God of peace. Just after announcing to His disciples that He would be leaving to go be with the Father, Jesus declared: “Peace I leave with you…MY peace I give unto you.” (Jn. 14:27) This “peace that passes understanding” is part of that immense blessing in Christ, to be known and experienced in an ever increasing way. But there is another “blessing,” and it is that of HIS joy. He calls it, “…the joy in the Holy Spirit.” What is this? Like the peace of God, it cannot be explained or adequately described, but we can see the effects of it as we look at John the Baptist as an unborn babe in the womb of his mother. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the mother of Jesus, she declared: “…the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” The joy of God is communicated to us, even to a babe, by the Holy Spirit. When the believer is in line with the purpose and person of God, in Christ, there is in the Kingdom of God, the knowledge of that which is true and right, righteousness, and the experience of the very peace and joy of Christ. How then can one come to know the King of this Kingdom of heaven, on earth? And how can the experience of the kingdom be known in an ever-increasing way?
In speaking to Peter concerning the building of His church, the Lord Jesus, the King, gave him a promise: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt.16:19) What did Jesus mean? A key is an instrument for opening a door, in order to give access or an opportunity. In reading the remainder of the passage, we see that the characteristic of these keys, is that they are accompanied with spiritual authority, an authority that is seen realized on earth, then settled in heaven. On the day of Pentecost, we see Peter rising and preaching the word of God. As Christ gave this key of power and authority, so a door of blessing and hope for thousands, will be opened. The promise of the Father, the outpouring of the Spirit, will result in the communicating to Peter of the words of Christ. It is as God’s words, the keys, are proclaimed in the power an demonstration of the Spirit, that thousands will come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Dear Father, enable us today to seek FIRST Thy kingdom, by surrendering all to Christ the King. Then, the blessings of that kingdom, will be realized by faith, in an ever-increasing way, in and through our lives for others. We thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad