Pleasing God and Men – Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (4)

Pleasing God and Men

Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (4)

God’s Kingdom is for His glory and mankind’s blessing.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17, 18

King Jesus wields a scepter of uprightness as He rules from His throne, assembling His holy nation unto Himself (Ps. 45:6). That scepter declares the character of the Kingdom as outlined in God’s holy and righteous and good Law (Rom. 7:12). Jesus Himself fulfilled that Law, and He continues to rule according to it and all His Word. He commands His citizens to pursue greatness in the Kingdom by learning, obeying, and teaching His Law.

The Law of God thus defines the character of the Kingdom which expands to include all the peoples of the earth through the humble, loving, holy, service and witness of those who are citizens of that realm. We who have received that Kingdom must give thanks and lay hold on the grace required to realize its full promise (Heb. 12:28).

As the Kingdom increases in and through those who believe, righteousness, peace, and joy become the characteristic “aura” of their lives and work. We serve Christ in the Kingdom when we concentrate on the pursuit of such virtues according to the teaching of God’s Law. Serving Christ in this way is acceptable to God, Who has made us His treasured possession. And serving Christ in this way bring the approbation of men as well, even those who despise the Lord (cf. Ps. 81:15 NASB).

Learning, obeying, and teaching the Law are not onerous responsibilities. They are, rather, the way to grow in the grace and greatness of the Kingdom and to prepare for serving others in the world. Greatness in the Kingdom is determined by the “violence” with which we pursue such holy objectives (cf. Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16).

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.