Rejoicing in the Kingdom

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; 

but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

Roman 14:17

Sorrow and sighing is of the world because of sin, but joy and peace is of the Kingdom because it is holy and good. The Kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Spirit, producing eternal spiritual fruit. Joy is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.  Isaiah 35:10  

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Isaiah 65:17-19  

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.  Matthew 25:21

The prospect of salvation and eternal life brings joy.

The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!  Psalm 21:1  

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Psalms 51:12 

I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.  Psalms 132:16  

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.  Isaiah 12:3  

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9   

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:1-4

The kingdom of God at this time is spiritual in nature.  As a child of God, we reside there spiritually and therefore currently have access to the benefits of kingdom living.  Afterwards, when Jesus returns for His people, there will be everlasting joy when God's Kingdom is established on earth.  Joy and gladness is not only a deep inward feeling, but it is also expressed in visible celebration when God's people gather together. Speaking of our future home, God says, 

"Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations."    Isaiah 60:15

In the meantime, while we still occupy this world,  the Apostle Paul advises us to 

"rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!"  Philippians 4:4

Even though these words were penned centuries ago, people nowadays are not much different than the Philippians. We wrestle with external circumstances affecting our joy.  We strive to find the value in suffering.  We long for God to pour more of Himself into us that we might mature in our understanding of His ways without stopping to consider that God has already extended everything necessary for kingdom living.  The irony in each of these instances is the not so obvious common denominator.  When Paul told these Christians in Philippi:

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  Philippians 2:4

He was promoting an idea that goes completely contrary to our natural impulse to make everything about ourselves.  He was advocating unity through humility.When it comes to external circumstances, unity through humility is realized as we fellowship to remind each other that joy springs from the internal, not the external.  The value in suffering emerges when our transparency about past struggles becomes other's motivation to continue pressing onward.  Desiring more of God is a tangible reality when we come together in humility because everyone thrives in an environment where there is more affirmation than criticism.  Living in this fashion completely violates the human ego because it insists that the only service with significance is service directed toward another's benefit.  As we follow Christ and understand His ways, we have faith to believe that though you may suffer for a while, God has a better plan for us:

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  1 Peter 5:10

This is a 'brace yourself' scripture letting you know that though you may suffer, it won't last forever and even after that there is a place reserved for us where there will be peace and joy forever more!  Not only that, in spite of your negative situation, because you are a child of God and a citizen of the kingdom, you still have peace in your situation as you believe that God is in control.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers

—most of which are never even seen—

don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, 

to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. 

People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, 

but you know both God and how he works. 

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. 

Don’t worry about missing out. 

You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, 

and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. 

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.  

Matthew 6:30-35 (Msg)

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  Matthew 6:30-35

Rejoice in that!

(Biblical Studies)

09/21/13
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