The Kingdom is righteousness, joy, and peace by the power of the Spirit of holiness

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Paul emphatically stated that the “Kingdom of God is absolutely in fact not a matter eating or drinking but of righteousness and/coupled peace and/coupled joy by the means of the Holy Spirit” (a). His argument in context is that the “righteousness” of God is no longer through obedience to OT commandments or Traditions of the Elders than expanded on them, but in trusting-relying-faith on Christ, “who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and/also sanctification and/coupled redemption” (b) “so that IN Him we might become the righteousness of God” (c). Righteousness, peace, and joy come ONLY from trusting-relying-faith in The Unconditional-Love of God shown through Christ and His Holy Spirit (d). “Righteousness, peace, and joy” are ONLY by the unconditional-favor-of-grace of God through Jesus, not because of our works (e), “filled with all joy and peace through our having trusting-relying-faith, so that by the dunamis enabling-power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope” (f). <Notes> a) Romans 14:17, b) 1 Corinthians 1:30, c) 2 Corinthians 5:21, d) Romans 1:17, 3:5, 21-22, 5:5, 10:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 5:22-23, e) Romans 11:6, f) Romans 15:13.

In fact, having only the logos gospel message of Jesus without the dunamis enabling-power of the Holy Spirit is simply powerless!  “For the kingdom of God does not consist in [religious] talk but dunamis enabling-power” (a). Paul was sent to “preach the logos gospel message, but absolutely in fact not with logos messages of eloquent wisdom (b), lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its dunamis enabling-power” (c). “My speech and my logos message were absolutely in fact not with plausibly-convincing logos messages of wisdom, but demonstrating-proof of the Spirit and/coupled of dunamis enabling-power, in order that your trusting-relying-faith might not in possibility rest in the wisdom of men but in the dunamis enabling-power of God” (d). Maybe the reason much of today’s Church brings so few people to Christ is that it is not Full-gospel or Charismatic but relying only on the logos gospel message of The Truth! It is a powerless message!  <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 4:20, b) like the Pharisees and Greek debaters, c) 1 Corinthians 1:17, d) 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.

Reflection:

As Christian musicians, are we presenting a powerless gospel message, even if we are eloquently speaking it?  Are we afraid of a full or charismatic gospel and leaving the demonstrating-proof of the Holy Spirit out?  Are we trying to have the blessings of the kingdom without embracing the enabling-power of the kingdom?

Prayer:

Lord, we totally surrender to You.  We offer none of our works for Your kingdom, but rely completely on Your Holy Spirit to empower us for “Thy kingdom to come and Thy will to be done on earth as it already is in heaven.”

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