...Kingdom of God
...Not of the World
17
For the kingdom of God
is not meat and drink;
but
righteousness,
and peace,
and joy
in the Holy Ghost.
18
For he that in these things
For he that in these things
serveth Christ
is acceptable to God,
and
approved of men.
19
Let us therefore
Let us therefore
follow after the things
which make for peace,
and
things wherewith
one may edify another.
-Romans 14:17-19
-Romans 14:17-19
Our Father is giving us a picture of the priorities that should be our main focus in life ... if we desire to be a part of His Kingdom.
"Meat and drink" represent feeding our physical body ... not just about what we eat and drink ... but about making a vital choice regarding our physical worldly needs and our eternal spiritual needs.
Of course ... God knows we need to eat food and drink liquid to live ... but is emphasizing here ... the need to compare and prioritize these needs in our life.
If we choose to belong to the Kingdom of God ... then our physical needs must be secondary to to our spiritual needs.
Our first and foremost focus should be on pursuing:
(1) righteousness
(2) peace
(3) joy
Righteousness will give us peace
... and ....
peace will give us joy
... and ...
"the joy of the Lord will give us strength"
(Neh. 8:10)
... all found in and through the Holy Spirit ... the Light found burning in the Lamp of the Word of God ... which also enlightens our heart and life
... causing us to "serve" Christ by fulfilling our calling in this world ... and our part in His eternal mission
... which is to make Him ... and His provision of escaping judgment and the fires of hell ... known to others.
Our priority must be spiritual ... because nurturing the spiritual life ... affects our eternal life
... and the type of spiritual power required to do this nurturing ... only the Holy Spirit can provide.
Furthermore ... "righteousness" ... "peace" ... and "joy" are freely given by the Holy Spirit to facilitate our "service" to Christ.
Through these means ... we "serve" Christ ... are "acceptable" to God ... and even "approved" by men.
"approved"
[G1380]
= considered genuine
Being "approved of men" does not always mean that we will find favor with men and not suffer persecution.
On the contrary ... God's Word tells us that if we live godly ... we will surely suffer persecution (2Tim.3:12).
Man's "approval" ... in this case ... refers to how some men evaluate our relationship with with God.
When we have true "righteousness" ... "peace" ... and "joy" ... it may be evident to those around us ... that our relationship with God is real
... therefore some may love us ... while others may hate us ... because the genuineness of our relationship with God verifies that He exists
... and when a righteous God really does exist ... everyone that comes in contact with us ... is motivated to consider their own state of sinfulness.
Therefore ... considering a possible negative reaction ... from others ... to our relationship with Jesus Christ ... the Apostle Paul exhorts us to focus on the need of promoting "peace"
... which will provide opportunities to avoid hateful responses and:
"edify"
[G3619]
= build up
[Dictionary]
= promote (spiritual) health
= strengthen .. esteem
= accelerate .. increase
... Kingdom of God
... Not of Man's Words
1 Corinthians 4:
18
Now some are puffed up,
Now some are puffed up,
as though
I would not come to you.
Through this exhortation ... the Apostle Paul is offering correction ... to teachers in the church ... that according to previous verses ... are abusing their positions by:
... being prideful and haughty
... presumptuous
... contentious
... judgmental
... and according to following verses ... greatly in need of Paul's later teaching on the priority of "love."
First of all ... teachers are exhibiting a prideful attitude ... without any fear of being corrected ... thinking that Paul would not be paying them a visit.
However Paul tells them:
19
But
19
But
I will come to you shortly,
if the Lord will,
and will know,
not the speech of them
which are puffed up,
but the power.
Paul is assuring the Corinthian church that he definitely will be coming ... and coming soon
... and when he arrives ... he will be examining the methods being used to teach
... and he will not be evaluating their "speech" ... how eloquent they speak ... but will be examining the type of "power" it carries.
The Apostle Paul is looking for evidence of their speech being inspired by the "power" of the Holy Spirit
... not harsh ... self-motivated ... oppressive ... haughty ... controlling exhibitions of their perceived superior ... positions of "authority."
20
For the kingdom of God
20
For the kingdom of God
is not in word,
[man's word]
but in power.
[Holy Spirit power]
21
What will ye?
What will ye?
shall I come unto you
with a rod,
or in love,
and
in the spirit of meekness?
-1 Cor. 4:18-21
-1 Cor. 4:18-21
Paul is getting ready to reprove the Corinthian church and is warning them that they cannot talk their way out of their sin.
The Kingdom of God embodies the power of God. He asks them ... "Which is it going to be? Shall I come with a rod of correction or in love and meekness?"
The heady and high-minded in the church think that they can use their verbal gymnastics to stand against Paul and the power of the Kingdom of God
... but Paul is ready to use the "rod of correction" ... if he must ... unless they change their attitude.
Usually the "rod of correction" refers to physical discipline or spanking a rebellious child.
Paul is not referring to physical correction ... but to a very strong presentation of the Word ... which is "sharper than any two-edged sword."
"For the word of God
is
quick,
and
powerful,
and
sharper
than
any twoedged sword,
piercing even
to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit,
and
of the joints
and
marrow,
and
is a discerner of
the thoughts
and
intents of the heart."
-Heb. 4:12
This is a heart issue ... so this sort of correction can be a very painful experience ... especially for the rebellious.
Those who love the darkness rather than the Light ... and work hard to hide their sin ... instead of dealing with it
... may retaliate against the truth and falsely accuse those who attempt to help them separate from their sin
... even calling them "hateful" ... "rude" ... or "unloving."
When we encounter this retaliation ... God instructs us to withdraw from such people ... because their response reveals that they are scorners and do not have the capacity to receive the Word of God
... (See: Proverbs ... Chapter 9 and 13).
When the first love was lost ... mankind also lost the power of God.
Nevertheless ... the power of the Kingdom of God will be experienced again ... when the Mystery of the First Love Lost is finally solved ... and hearts are changed.
* * * * *
To receive eternal life
with Jesus Christ:
▪ Scroll to the top
of this blog
▪ click on the gift
wrapped in gold
in the left column
▪ and follow the
directions with
a sincere heart.
♡♡♡
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