The Kingdom
Luke 12:29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
1Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
So now we can know at least two things about the kingdom. It has nothing to do with how things are going in your natural life and what you can do to make God accept you by keeping rules, making great sacrifices, or worrying about such things. Paul, in Romans 14, makes it clear that trying to keep up with all the rules on what to eat or not to eat is not the kingdom, and there is no need to trample over a weaker brother to prove you can do something they can’t. That is what is meant when it says the kingdom is not eating and drinking. In other words, it is not about surviving or trying to advance oneself with God by rule-keeping.
It is also not about saying the right thing. It is about possessing a power that is beyond your natural self. The kingdom is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness, Peace, and Joy are much more important than many may realize. They are the foundational evidence of the kingdom. They are gifts that cannot be earned but can be possessed. They profoundly impact a child of God’s sense of overall well-being despite any circumstances, good or bad.
The three things that are the very foundation of the kingdom (Righteousness, peace, and joy) are received by faith. Jesus said, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” That must be believed.
Seeking the kingdom is seeking righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. By receiving Jesus by faith, you possess God’s righteousness. You can also walk in the peace and joy Jesus had.
Jesus said, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
When Jesus spoke this, He was teaching the disciples about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to them after Jesus ascended. If you haven’t been baptized with the Holy Spirit, it’s likely that the peace and joy that comes with becoming convinced of righteousness by Him are lacking. In that case, you should seek the kingdom. Seeking to be baptized with the Holy Spirit is aking to seeking the kingdom. He is our Comforter and the One who teaches us all things about Christ. To be afraid of Him is to deny the revelation of righteousness at the level we are meant to, which will lead to a lack of peace and joy.
Righteousness is mentioned first because until we get that right, we cannot know peace at the level Jesus promised us. Without peace, no deep, inexpressible joy is evident to us. Peace is the gateway to that kind of joy in our lives. Never forget that the joy of the Lord is our strength. To possess all this as we should, we need the help of the Holy Spirit. We need to be kingdom seekers! I encourage you to let a desire for the kingdom arise in you today.
