The Kingdom is Righteousness
There are many reasons why Jesus had to come to earth.
Salvation; deliverance; making God known; victory over evil; and KINGDOM
Question – what is the Kingdom of God?
It is where God rules.
But listen to what the Bible also tells us what the kingdom is:
Romans 14:17
AOV) Want die koninkryk van God is nie spys en drank nie, maar geregtigheid en vrede en blydskap in die Heilige Gees.
AMP) [After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Kingdom = righteousness.
Righteousness = having a right standing with God.
BWE) The kingdom of God is not about what a person eats and drinks. But it is about living in a way which is right with God. It is peace. It is joy because a person has the Holy Spirit
MSG) God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy.
Psalm 45:6 as repeated in Hebrews 1:8
AMP) Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
AMP) But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).
This then means that if we are in the kingdom we are in righteousness and if we are in righteousness we are in the kingdom. If we can draw a comparison there are 4 very important things to take notice of.
1. It is within us.
Luke 17:21
AMP) Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]
That means that righteousness is also within us; in our hearts.
Psalm 40:10
AMP) I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation. I have not hid away Your steadfast love and Your truth from the great assembly.
BBE) Your righteousness has not been folded away in my heart; I have made clear your true word and your salvation; I have not kept secret your mercy or your faith from the great meeting
It is already in us to live in a way which is right with God. Righteousness and kingdom can not be separated from each other. The one is the other.
2. It comes by faith.
Genesis 15:6
AMP) And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God)
The moment Abraham believed he received much more than righteousness; he also received the kingdom of God.
Romans 3:22
AMP) Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction
Romeine 4:21 – 24
AMP) Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone, But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Hebrews 11:7
AMP) [Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world’s unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).
It is time to change our religious thoughts. For many years we have separated kingdom from righteousness and has believed that we first need righteousness before we can receive the kingdom of God. But the two are the same. If I have the one I also have the other.
3. You must see it to enter into it.
John 3
Nicodemus comes to Jesus to talk about His power to perform miracles.
John 3:3
Still Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus tries to teach him.
John 3:5
Jesus says if we cannot see the kingdom we can not enter into it. In the same way we can thus say that if we do not see righteousness we can not enter into it. We need to understand that righteousness and kingdom is something we need to enter in.
Psalm 17:15
AMP) As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]
The mark of a kingdom is the presence of a king.
When we enter into righteousness / kingdom, we will see His face.
In Psalm 69 David is talking to God about people that are doing wrong, and then he asks from God the following:
Vers 27
AMP) Let one [unforgiven] perverseness and iniquity accumulate upon another for them [in Your book], and let them not come into Your righteousness or be justified and acquitted by You.
YLT) Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness.
We need to enter into His righteousness / kingdom. But first we need to be able to see it.
Psalm 118:19
AMP) Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness; I will enter through them, and I will confess and praise the Lord.
This is a call from someone on the outside, whishing to really enter into that which God has in store, but it was not possible because of the veil and the Law. Then comes the very familiar part – verses 22 – 23.
Then vers 24
We have lots of songs containing these words. Every time we come together we say this is the day of the Lord. But according to this context the day of the Lord is the day that Jesus died on the cross and opened the gates to enter into righteousness.
We He shouted “It is finished” the gates to the kingdom were flown wide open. Now we can enter into the gates of righteousness.
4. We must seek it.
Matthew 6:33
We need to seek His righteousness and kingdom.
Psalm 23:3
He leads us in paths of righteousness.
Psalm 24:3 – 6
AMP Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. [Matt. 5:8.] He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]!
Proverbs 15:9
AMP) The way of the wicked is an abomination, extremely disgusting and shamefully vile to the Lord, but He loves him who pursues righteousness
Listen to this promise:
Proverbs 21:21
AMP) He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor.
We must have a hunger for it and seek it earnestly.
Zephaniah 2:3
Matthew 5:6
1 Timotheüs 6:11
AMP) But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness
We need to understand that the kingdom id righteousness and that it is already in us and it comes by faith but we must enter into it and we must seek it.
Let us close with a few Scriptures.
Psalm 89:15 – 17
AMP Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance! In Your name they rejoice all the day, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment], and by Your favor our horn is exalted and we walk with uplifted faces!
Psalm 119:40
John 16:8
AMP) And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment:
The Holy Spirit will bring a demonstration of righteousness / kingdom.
Isaiah 32:15 – 18
We need a demonstration again and that is why we need to seek and enter into righteousness so that we can behold His face and be satisfied.
