Kingdom Expansion: Righteousness and Peace

 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”  Philippians 1:3-11.

Think of someone you know who really knows God; their confidence in Him is unwavering, right? Isaiah (32:17) prophesied that “The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.” Apostle Paul was one of these people, and he tells the Philippian Church that he is confident that God would bring to completion what He had started in them when they first received the Gospel of the Kingdom that Paul had brought to them when they first met.

PRAY

Give thanks for Christ in you, the hope of Glory (Col 1:27).

Paul was now writing to the Church at Phillipi, praying for them to move on from Salvation to Kingdom Expansion. Paul knew that his church was to be blameless, pure, and filled with the fruit of righteousness, and he rejoiced in God’s free gift of righteousness that they had received by faith alone.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). When people encounter the kingdom, they experience righteousness – God’s character, God’s nature, God’s way of doing things. In fact, they experience Jesus. The subsequent fruit of the Kingdom is peace. James (3:18) tells us “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest (fruit) of righteousness.

Paul was fuelling the fire for Kingdom Expansion, by praying that the church in Philippi would move forward from their position of being made righteous, to bearing fruit, being filled with fruit that comes from righteousness.

PRAY

Meditate on being an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour (Isaiah 61:3). Draw near to the Vine and ask that you would continue to produce fruit that comes from righteousness.

Paul prayed specifically that their love would grow in knowledge and depth of insight, so they may be able to discern what is best. Holy Spirit is empowering you today to know and choose God’s best.

PRAY

Ask Holy Spirit to focus your gaze and your thoughts on Jesus, that you would better understand and know His ways, and joyfully choose what is best.

As I write this, following a time of prayer we at All Nations have been discerning that it is springtime. So, I declare from Psalm 85:10b - 13 TPT, that because “Righteousness and peace have kissed. Flowers of your faithfulness are blooming on the earth. Righteousness shines down from the sky. Yes, the Lord keeps raining down blessing after blessing, and prosperity will drench the land with a bountiful harvest. For deliverance (righteousness) and peace are his forerunners, preparing a path for his steps.”

Let righteousness and peace prepare a way for Jesus’ steps to expand out into your world today.

-           Gary Worrall