When the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us because we walk according to the Spirit, then we have righteousness. Righteousness, as we pointed out in the previous message, signifies the expression of God, His image. When we have righteousness, we have the expression of the God we serve and worship. Because we have this expression as the spontaneous righteousness we live out by the Spirit of life, others can be convinced and subdued. For this reason, those who oppose us may eventually be convinced by seeing the expression of God lived out of us.
In Romans 8:4 Paul speaks of the righteous requirement of the law, and in verse 29 he speaks of the image of God’s Son: “Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He should be the Firstborn among many brothers.” If we put this verse together with verses 2 and 4, we have the Spirit, righteousness, and the image. Day by day, we need to walk according to the Spirit of life so that we may fulfill the righteousness of the law. This is equal to being conformed to the image of God’s Son.
We may wonder how we can be conformed to the image of the Son of God. The way to be conformed to His image is to walk according to the Spirit of life so that the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us. Then we shall have righteousness, and this righteousness is the very image of the Son of God. Therefore, the Spirit produces righteousness, and righteousness is the image.
Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In this verse Paul gives us another aspect of righteousness. In Romans 8 we have righteousness related to the Spirit of life and issuing in the image of the Son of God. But in Romans 14:17 righteousness is related to the kingdom of God. In this chapter the kingdom of God denotes the church life. The meetings of the church are an exhibition of the kingdom of God. In the church life we have a condition and a situation that shows others what the kingdom of God is. The church life is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is righteousness.
Paul’s word in Romans 14:17 corresponds to what is written in the Old Testament. According to Psalm 89:14, righteousness is the foundation of God’s throne. This verse can also be translated to say that righteousness is the establishment of God’s throne. God’s throne is established with righteousness as the foundation. The book of Isaiah also has much to say about righteousness. For example, Isaiah 32:1 says, “Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness.” Here righteousness is again related to the kingdom. Where God’s righteousness is, there His kingdom is also. Furthermore, Hebrews 1:8 and 9 say, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” These verses are a quotation from Psalm 45.
In the Old Testament righteousness is often synonymous with the kingdom. Therefore, righteousness is related to government, administration, regulation, and rule. Righteousness means that things are set up and maintained in good order. Where there is righteousness, everything is headed up in a proper way. This is the kingdom.
Righteousness first issues in the image of God. Then righteousness establishes the kingdom of God. In Romans 8 we have righteousness and God’s image, and in Romans 14 we have righteousness and God’s kingdom. Both the image and the kingdom are based on righteousness.
Let us now apply this aspect of righteousness to our family life and our church life. When a husband and wife are not happy with each other and the situation at home is not pleasant, there is no righteousness, no image of the Son, in their family life. Likewise, the kingdom of God is not present, for God’s kingdom is righteousness. Others observing the situation will not receive any impression of the image of Christ, the expression of God. However, suppose a brother and his wife live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit. They will be happy, and their children will be happy also. What a glorious family life that would be! Others will be able to see the image of God and realize that the kingdom of God is present in that family. This is righteousness in the family life.
Suppose in a particular church the saints are murmuring, criticizing, and gossiping. Furthermore, suppose that in the meetings there is disorder. If a church is in such a condition, there is no expression of God and no kingdom of God there. But suppose that instead of murmuring, criticizing, or gossiping, there are forbearance, praise, calling on the Lord, and fellowship. Moreover, suppose the meetings are living, in good order, and rich in function. Surely in such a church we can see the kingdom of God full of righteousness. Everything there is orderly and peaceful.
The goal of the new covenant ministry is to minister the all-inclusive Spirit of the processed Triune God into others to be their supply. Simultaneously, this ministry dispenses Christ into the believers as their righteousness. Then as the believers live and walk according to the Spirit, they will be in a condition that expresses God and that gives an impression of the Son of God. Furthermore, they will actually be the kingdom of God established in righteousness, set in order, and properly headed up. They will also have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is the result of the new covenant ministry. By contrast, the result of today^s different ministries is that there are differences of opinion, division, and disorder.