In search of the kingdom... Part 1 kingdom righteousness

This will begin a series of posts that are entitled in search of the kingdom. The kingdom that is being searched for is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. I have run into individuals that taught that there was a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God but that is pure nonsense. In the gospel of Matthew Jesus is recorded as saying kingdom of heaven instead of the kingdom of God. The best theory that I have heard is that since Matthew was a primarily Jewish gospel, written to a strictly Jewish audience, and the fact that the Jews did not like using the name God for fear that it was too holy to utter, Jesus used heaven to alleviate that problem knowing that all knew that when he spoke of the kingdom of heaven he was in fact referring to the kingdom of God.

Mat 5:20  For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!

What possible righteousness could go beyond, exceed, the righteousness of the experts in the law and the Pharisees? We get a clue from Paul's letter to the Philippians. The experts in the law were the scribes or the rabbis'.  Of course the Pharisees were a sect of Jews that strictly adhered to the law. So, it is safe to say that Jesus was referring to the righteousness that comes from observing the Law. However, look and read this... Php 3:6  In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. Paul states that as a scribe and Pharisee, he was blameless in the righteousness that is stipulated in the law. What possible righteousness could exceed or go beyond that you ask? The answer of course is the righteousness of God. Here is how Paul explained it, again in Philippians. Php 3:9  "and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness."

The righteousness that Jesus was alluding to was his righteousness that would only be bestowed on humanity after he had faithfully finished the work he came to do which was to believe God unto death and restore a right relationship with humanity as the "last Adam." Did I tell you that I have grown to love the NET bible? I did in an earlier post about the faith of, or faithfulness of Christ, but I must tell you again. I love the fact that my righteousness comes from Christ's faithfulness! Isn't that an awesome concept? It does not come from my adherence to the Law. It comes solely from Christ's faithfulness who was the representative human, or the last Adam. Again, as stated before in the blog posts on the faith of Christ, we apprehend this righteousness of Christ based on our faith that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

So then, here is an important fact about what the kingdom of God really is. First and foremost, it is established on the faithfulness/faith of Christ Jesus. You are really misled when you think that it is based on your faith in Christ. You merely apprehend the benefit that Christ provides by your faith in Him. Did I say it is already done? Did you shout when you heard? It is easy to see from this that current evangelical doctrine is off the mark when it comes to this most important part of what the kingdom is.

The kingdom is a place where people completely rest in the faithfulness of Christ Jesus.