Living for the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus!

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” – Romans 14:17-19 NIV

All of us ought to know that living for the kingdom of God and living for the world is totally different and completely opposite to each other. Living for the kingdom of God has eternal value but living for the world has lasting value. Hence, the word of God declares, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) In fact, the word of God urges us that all of us meant to live for the kingdom of God, due to the fact that we are part of God’s creation and we have been created to be the images of God (Genesis 1:26-31). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30) Therefore, all of us are called to be followers of Jesus Christ, even though the kingdom life is going to be hard (Matthew 16:24-27) and we have to walk in the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14). This is also because Jesus Christ paid our death penalty and has given us eternal life (Romans 6:23). Because of this, God has poured His Spirit into us after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, to guide us in the right paths of becoming the righteousness of God (John 14:15-27). This is part of the reason why Jesus was willing to crucify Himself on the cross as an atonement of our sins (John 16:7-15).

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:1-13)

Although the world is probably going to reject us and persecute us for our faith in Jesus Christ (John 15:18-21), some of the people are counting on us to be the lights of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:14-16) through God’s love (1 John 4:11-12). This is probably because of the power and the fruit of the Holy Spirit working within us (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus Christ calls and even prayed for all of us that we may be in unity (John 17:20-23). The main reason for this is that all of us are members of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), as God has presented us holy in His sight through Christ’s physical body (Colossians 1:21-22). Therefore, since all of us are members of Him, we meant to be members of one another in Him (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Because of this, we need to abide into the true vine, which is Jesus Christ (John 15:1-17).

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15)