I have been beside myself as I watch the wrath of man on display. The best way I could summarize it is an attempt of man to accomplish God’s righteousness for Him. I can understand when sinners act out of their ignorance but it is difficult to watch believers who join in and want to accomplish God’s righteousness for Him.
I was reminded this week, with all the insanity going on around us, of two scriptures that I thought summarize my thoughts well;
Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost…that’s the Kingdom of God – Romans 14:17
Man’s wrath cannot accomplish the righteousness of God. – James 1:20
The first one, Romans 14:17, discusses what represents the Kingdom of God and its measurement of what’s true and acceptable. It measures fruit. If and when we see these things, we know we’re in the Kingdom of God. Nothing else can produce such things.
The second one, James 1:20, depicts a stark contrast to expose what’s going on around us. Man is trying to accomplish God’s righteousness using wrathful and vengeful methods. It cannot work.
We’re called, as men and women of God, to keep the light of the Kingdom shining in a dark and dreary world. We’re also called to preserve the flavor of the Kingdom in a world that has grown bitter and calloused.
A pursuit of righteousness produces the Kingdom
A pursuit of Godly peace produces the Kingdom
A pursuit of joy in the Holy Spirit produces the Kingdom
Can we produce the Kingdom of God by pursuing these things and abandoning all else that does not resemble the King and His Kingdom? As human beings, we’re masters at trying to do for God what He alone can do. When we understand His will and His purpose, do we then take it upon ourselves to mete out justice and produce the right result? Or do we stop and ask God what the righteous posture is while allowing God to accomplish His own righteousness?
While I say righteousness is a standard in the Kingdom. I don’t mean the kind we achieve on our own. Scripture clearly calls that ‘filthy rags’. I mean the righteousness of God Himself is what represents the Kingdom.
When I say peace, I don’t mean the temporal, cosmetic peace we can create on our own. I mean the peace that is a part of the God nature, for Christ Himself is called the Prince of Peace. That’s the peace of the Kingdom.
When I say joy in the Holy Ghost, I don’t mean the joy of knowing that the Holy Ghost is with us. I mean the joy that flows out of being filled with the Spirit and being able to say “…in Him I live, in Him I move, in Him I have my being…” That’s the kind of joy unspeakable that represents the Kingdom of God.
Our wrath and vengeance, however justified, can never accomplish the righteousness of God. Lay down your weapons, your justifications, your righteous standards, your measurement of what should be done, your ideas on who’s right and who’s wrong, your thoughts on other human beings, the government, the law, justice, the past and the future, and seek Him who is Righteousness. Him who is Peace. Him who is Joy in the Holy Ghost. For that is the Kingdom of God.
One more scripture I love…”the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). Why do we fight for such lowly kingdoms when we’re sons and daughters of such a high King?
Nelson Masinde 