In Romans 14:17 Paul says that the kingdom of God is righteousness. The proper church life is a life of the kingdom of God, and this kingdom is righteousness. In the Bible righteousness is the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments. Our basis for saying this is Romans 8:4. This verse says that when we walk according to spirit, the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us. Therefore, righteousness is the fulfilling of the law, and the law is the image, the expression, of God. This means that righteousness is the expression of God. Hence, righteousness is God’s image. When we walk according to spirit, we certainly shall not have any god other than God Himself. Likewise, we shall not have idols, we shall not take God’s name in vain, we shall have a sign that we belong to God, and we shall fulfill all the other commandments. This is to live a life of righteousness. This righteousness, the fulfilling of the law, is the expression of God.
To live a life of righteousness is to live in the kingdom. This kind of life is a life that is governed, regulated. Is your daily Christian life a life in the kingdom? Many of us have to admit that our daily life is not a life in the kingdom, a life where everything is regulated, governed, and ruled. How can we say that our life is a life in the kingdom, if we are careless with material things, not right with others, and loose in the way we talk? Furthermore, we may give testimonies that are not accurate, and we may be covetous. As a result, we are not righteous. There is no rule, regulation, or government in our living. If this is the case, we are not people in the kingdom of God.
Do you know what the kingdom of God is? The kingdom of God means that everything is under God’s regulation, rule, and government. This kingdom is righteousness, the expression of what God is. Psalm 89:14 (lit.) says that righteousness is the foundation of God’s throne. God’s throne is established in righteousness. Moreover, Isaiah says that when the kingdom comes, it will be filled with righteousness. In the Gospel of Matthew, the book on the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord Jesus emphasized righteousness. He said that we must hunger and thirst after righteousness and even be persecuted for the sake of righteousness (Matt. 5:6, 10). He also said that we must first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). He told us that if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, we shall not be able to enter into the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 5:20). According to Revelation, the bride will be adorned with righteousness (Rev. 19:8). The fine linen garments of the bride will be her righteousness. Thus, the appearance of the prepared bride will be of fine linen, of righteousness. Furthermore, 2 Peter 3:13 says that righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and new earth. There will be a kingdom, a government, that will be justified by God. This righteous condition will be the issue of life.
Today on earth, apart from God’s people, there is no righteousness that expresses God. There is nothing justified by God which is the issue of life. On the contrary, everything is condemned. When God looks upon this earth, He condemns it, for the entire earth is under death. Because death is everywhere, condemnation comes in. However, with God’s redeemed people, the church, the situation is very different. The church is filled with the Spirit of life, and this Spirit of life issues in a state, a condition, that is altogether righteous. This condition can be justified by God in every way and in every aspect. This is the righteousness that is the expression of God in life. Such a condition of righteousness will continue into the next age. As we have pointed out, the bride prepared for the marriage of the Lamb will wear righteousness. Her entire appearance will be the expression of life. With her, there will be nothing of death or condemnation; everything will be of life and righteousness. This righteousness signifies the fulfilling of God’s requirements and also a rule, a regulating, under His government. Again I say, this righteousness is the expression of the righteous God.
A person approaching the tabernacle from afar would first see the fine linen. Since linen signifies righteousness, this means that a person approaching the tabernacle from a distance would see righteousness. The appearance of the tabernacle and the outer court to those outside is of linen, of righteousness. Likewise, the appearance of the church today as God’s kingdom is righteousness, the appearance of the bride prepared for Christ will be righteousness, and in the new heaven and new earth in eternity there will be the expression of righteousness. Linen is produced from the plant life. Hence, it is an issue of life. This signifies that righteousness is the issue of life.
When others contact the church and examine the church, they should be able to say that in the church life everything is in order and under the rule and regulation of God. This is to see the fine linen, to see righteousness. This is the kingdom of God and the expression of the righteous God.
The tabernacle was set up in a sphere of white linen, that is, in a sphere of righteousness. This means that righteousness became the sphere of the tabernacle. The church also has its existence in a sphere of righteousness. This was the reason Paul charged the church at Corinth to cast out the sinful one from the church life. Because the church is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is righteousness, there should be no disorder in the church. The church must be in a sphere of righteousness.
Furthermore, this righteousness is also the boundary of the church. Outside the church there is confusion, disorder, and uncleanness, but inside the church everything is clean and in a proper order. Outside the church, nothing is under the rule of God, but inside the church everything is under the control and regulation of the Spirit.
The new covenant ministry is a ministry of the Spirit, which ministers the Spirit into the believers. This Spirit brings in the life supply, which issues in righteousness. Righteousness then becomes the expression of the righteous God.