BY GREG CRUM

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17

What are the pillars of God’s kingdom here on this Earth? What foundational truths ground those that aspire to be a part of the body of Christ? According to Romans 14:17, a right relationship with the Almighty, peace, and joy. Now, the vast majority of churches in our area do a wonderful job laying a foundation of the importance of “getting right” with God, but do we show the same concern for projecting the truths of peace and joy to our community? Do people know that living for Jesus opens up the potential for a life of tranquility and genuine happiness?

The last several weeks we have spoken of our “higher calling” in Christ Jesus—the calling believers have to be “Christ-like” progressively as we conform to the image of God’s Son as illustrated in the pages of the Bible. We’ve said that when we are “born again,” the Holy Spirit comes to abide in our spirits and He brings with Him the character of God.

This character, or perhaps better said, these characteristics, are what enable us to think, speak, and act more and more as Jesus would as we grow in Him. With that said, we also noted that this process isn’t automatic. It takes a purposeful effort on our part to allow God to grow His fruit in us. Our call, or challenge, is to develop these characteristics in our lives and demonstrate them consistently. How? By feeding these attributes our thoughts and exercising them in our daily lives.