Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/30/2023
Foundation Scriptures:
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 serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Romans 14:17-18 KJV
a. Jesus declared: My Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).
b. It is a spiritual Kingdom and cannot be inherited by flesh and blood
(1 Cor. 15:50).
c. The Kingdom of God is not about rituals and/or works program.
d. It is not circumcision of the flesh, but circumcision of the heart
(Rom. 2:29).
e. Salvation—entrance into this Heavenly Kingdom—cannot be earned by human effort.
f. It is a free gift that you receive by faith in Jesus Christ, and by obedient submission to His will.
g. Galatians 2:16a KJV — Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
h. We have right-standing with God because Jesus paid the price for our sin.
i. 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV — For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
j. The righteousness of God is acquired through faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those that believe—no matter who they are and what they have done (Rom. 3:22).
k. Jesus bore our sins on the tree, the cross, so that we, being dead to sins, should now live unto righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).
2. Righteousness Through Jesus Christ.
a. You are righteous because you are washed in His blood, forgiven of sins, and a brand-new creature in Christ.
b. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV — Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
c. Because of the Blood of Jesus, we are clothed in robes of righteousness (Job 29:14; Is. 61:10).
d. Fine linen, clean and bright, which is the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:8).
e. Because God’s grace reigns in our lives, we are enabled and empowered to conduct ourselves righteously, do righteous deeds, and enjoy eternal life.
f. Romans 5:21 KJV — That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
g. Because we are dead to sin, we are alive unto righteousness; we are freed from sin and have become servants of righteousness
(Rom. 6:11; 18).
h. Sinners are servants to sin—they belong to the devil and do what he does.
i. God’s people are righteous and holy as He is righteous and holy, and they do good works.
j. If we know that God is righteous, we know that everyone who is righteous, and does righteous deeds, is born of Him and belongs to Him
(1 John 2:29).
3. Walking in Righteousness.
a. Imitate your Father and follow and act like Jesus (Eph. 5:1; 3 John 11).
b. If you belong to Jesus, we should see the fruits of righteousness in your life.
c. Philippians 1:11 KJV — Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
d. Put off the corrupt old carnal sin nature, renew your mind to the Word of God, and put on the new, regenerated nature, which is created in God’s image, and in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:22-24).
e. Do not act like the world—godless, prideful, arrogant, lustful, covetous, competitive, angry, jealous, envious, etc.
f. Flee, run away from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness (1 Tim. 6:11).
g. Ephesians 5:9 KJV — (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth).
4. Kingdom Peace.
a. The inhabitants of God’s Kingdom are filled with His peace—peace with God (Rom. 5:1) and peace with one another (Heb. 12:14).
b. This peace of God passes all understanding—it is both heart-peace and peace of mind.
c. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV — Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
d. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts (Col. 3:15).
e. God’s wisdom and righteousness are pure, peaceful, and full of good fruits.
f. James 3:17-18 KJV — But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
g. Joy and peace go hand in hand.
h. Romans 15:13 KJV — Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
i. Galatians 5:22-23 KJV — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
5. Kingdom Joy.
a. God’s Kingdom and His people are filled with joy and rejoicing because of His presence and His blessings—both temporal and eternal.
b. When Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria, the people, in one accord, received his message and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ
(Acts 8:5-8).
c. They saw the miracles and healings that God did through him, and the people who were delivered of devils, and there was great joy in that city!
d. Acts 13:52 KJV — And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
e. Even amid great opposition and persecution, the Gentiles who accepted the Lord and became disciples of Jesus Christ, were full of joy and the Holy Ghost.
f. 1 Thessalonians 1:6 KJV — And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
g. If you trust and obey Him, God is able to help, preserve, and keep you from falling (failing, sinning) and to present you blameless and faultless before the presence of His glory with exceedingly great, triumphant joy and exultation (Jude 24).