Righteousness, peace and joy are blessings God our Father has blessed us with through and in Messiah Jesus His Son in The Holy Spirit.

“Then don’t let your good be slandered, for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:16-17.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah.” Ephesians 1:3 (Ephesians 1:6-9)

Our righteousness is God’s new covenant justice.

Messiah Jesus turned the feast of Passover sign into the spiritual action sign of the new covenant. We participate in this action sign in the Lord’s Supper.

The primary spiritual action sign of the feast of Passover first celebrated when God rescued the Jews from Egyptian bondage was a Lamb that was slain (Exodus 12:1-13) The feast of unleavened bread was annexed to and celebrated with Passover. (Exodus 12:14-20)

“The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed. Yeshua sent Peter and Yochanan, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” Luke 22:7-8 (Mark 14:12) emphasis added.

“¹⁴When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. ¹⁵And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; ¹⁸for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁰And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:14-20 NASB emphasis added.

“²³ For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Yeshua on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. ²⁴ When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” ²⁵ In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 emphasis added.

Messiah Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Peace that passes all understanding guards our hearts and minds.

“⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶ In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua.” Philippians 4:4-7.

Peace is the environment of God’s kingdom in which we, His new covenant community, thrive. By His Spirit, He gives us grace to relate in accord with His righteousness, in the peace mode.

Jews greet and say goodbye to one another saying shalom aleikhem “peace be upon you” and responding aleikhem shalom “unto you peace.” It is a sign of kinship among God’s people. Jesus often used this blessing.

We share a spiritual lineage as God’s children and heirs of eternal life in the kingdom of God that is to come (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 21-22). God has called us into His kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:12) to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which we have been called. That way is the way of peace/ Shalom.

Paul urges us to keep the oneness/unity of the Spirit by living together in peace.

“So I, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live as people whom God has called should live. Be humble and gentle in every way, be patient and lovingly bear with one another. Do your best to keep the oneness of the Spirit by living together in peace/shalom: one body and one Spirit — even as you have been called to share one hope — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over us all, works through us all, and lives in us all.” Ephesians 4:1-6 AAT.

Messiah Jesus shows us how our joy might be full.

Through the parable of the Vine and the branches, Jesus shows us how to relate in such a way that our joy might be full. He is the Vine. We are the branches. Jesus encourages us to be connected and to allow His life to flow in us and through us.

“If you stay in Me and what I say stays in you, ask for anything you want, and it will be done for you. You glorify My Father when you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Stay in My love. If you obey My commandments, you’ll stay in My love, as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and stay in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.
This is what I order you to do: love one another as I have loved you. No one has a greater love than he who gives his life for his friends. You’re My friends if you do what I order you to do.” John 15:7-14 AAT (John 15:1-27).

“….that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah — whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, 9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:7-8 (1 Peter 1:1-25).

“Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Yeshua, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 1:1-3.

The Kingdom of God is in The Holy Spirit.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s Torah, neither indeed can it be. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Messiah, he is not his. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:1-11.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quoted is from World Messianic Bible.

 

~ Bill Bremer

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Bill Bremer is Founder and Managing Director at Kingdom Relationships Colorado.

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