In this series we’ve been pulling the curtain back to see our inner selves more clearly, specifically to see the motives that move us through life. Parallel to such revelations, we’ve been looking more closely at what it is to live for God’s Kingdom – those agendas that we want to trade-up for.
Obtaining clarity on Kingdom objectives allows us to hone in on what tactics our enemy uses to tempt us to live for ourselves – so that we can stand against his schemes and put our all into living for Jesus’ agenda, in the Father’s will.
But none of this – not any of it – can we do in our own strength. Paul makes it clear that all our struggling and striving is for naught unless we rely on the strength of Christ in us (Philippians 4:13). And such strength derives from one place – One Person. The Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of Christ in us is the ultimate hinge – the pivotal point in the hidden agenda of the Kingdom of God. Without the Spirit, we’re doomed to live the continuous cycle of sin → consequence → repentance → rescue → sin as the Israelites did when they lived Spirit-less thousands of years ago (ie: the Book of Judges).
But. With the Spirit of the Lord, we have all we need to respond to life without ulterior motives and for the King we love – “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
Righteousness
Paul, in each of his letters, addresses real, rubber-meeting-road situations in the churches he has planted. The Roman church, in particular, faced huge divisions between the Jewish and Gentile believers. Both groups sought to live for Jesus, to be ‘made right’ in Him. But they differed on how to achieve such righteousness.
The Jews tended to fall back into their rule-following ways – understandably since that’s all they’d known for generations. Jesus’ upside-down ways1, however, chafe with such checkbox religion (Galatians 2:21). God’s Way is not about outside-in living, where we follow rules about the ‘right’ foods or ‘right’ outward signs (ie: circumcision). God’s Kingdom is about living this set-apart life from the inside-out1 – where we focus on renewing our minds and realigning our hearts (Romans 12:2). In other words, it’s not about living by a long list of laws but about becoming like Jesus.
This righteousness, it’s not legalistic rule-following.
That’s why Paul tells the Philippians not to be distracted by those who demand the outward sign of circumcision to ‘prove’ righteousness. Rather, they’re to trust that “the real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry (3:3 MSG). Those who “who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised” – in their hearts (3:3 NLT; Jeremiah 4:4).
There’s a story in Zechariah set in the era of God calling the faithful remnant out of exile and back into His presence – and their home! He appoints Zerubbabel to lead the charge, but it’s no easy feat. Jerusalem has been leveled. The Temple, a heap of rocks. The wall, a holey mess.
In His kindness, God speaks to Zerubbabel through His prophet, Zechariah, offering realistic encouragement, because He knows that each stone laid would feel like slow progress. God wants Zerubbabel not to despise small beginnings, for “God rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10).
God’s word of truth to Zerubbabel reveals the way of enduring trials and long labor.
And, it’s not by might.
It’s not by power or strength.
It’s by God’s Spirit (v.6).
These prophetic words are echoed by Paul when he tells the Philippians, and us, that we can do anything and everything that God calls us to – like starting over – because Christ strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). And that inner strength to keep going? The way of getting ‘set right’? They come only from the Spirit!
The Holy Spirit in us is our strength and our way to live rightly in Christ.
Peace
This strength comes to us from a hidden source: the Spirit in us. Paul knows this life of faith is no sprint – but a marathon. The deep, inner strength that is needed to endure, to persevere for the long haul, is of a completely different sort than what’s needed for a quick race.
I think of parenting. In those toddler days, I needed spurts of strength to just get through the days that felt so long. Most of my cries for ‘help’ were to make it to bedtime.
But now that I have thirty years of parenting behind me, my perspective has changed. And so have my prayers. While I still need God’s help for each moment and every day, I find myself praying for endurance – the staying power of running alongside each son, however that might look, for the rest of our lives.
I may have longed for external peace in those days of diaper changes and wailing infants. But these days, it’s the inner peace I crave. I long to silence the worry I carry for each son. So, Paul’s words to the embattled Philippians has become my heart’s cry:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. …Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:6-7,9
What I’m coming to understand about God’s Kingdom is that it’s not without trials and struggles. We believers are not immune to wayward hearts and weighty burdens. Certainly God has the power to calm every storm (Mark 4:39), but He rarely does so. Not out of meanness. Not out of spite or retribution. But from His wisdom.
He knows that sometimes it is in the standing firm through the storms, with Christ as our shield and anchor, that we grow stronger (Romans 5:1-5). “Sometimes He calms the storm; other times He calms the child.”2
The God of Peace is with us. He envelops us in the safety of His wings (Psalm 91:4). And He enhances our inner resolve with His Holy Spirit as we pray and give Him thanks (Philippians 4:6). And that peace of His, it guards our hearts and minds, giving us “a sense of God’s wholeness” so that we can trust everything will come “together for good” and will settle us down (v.7 NIV and MSG).
The safe place provided by our Maker is not visible but hidden. It’s the secret place David describes (Psalm 27:5, 139:15). It’s the “safe place to hide from the pressures of this life and even the backbiting lies of the Enemy.”3 It’s where we go for shelter – the place of “covering where we can hear the healing whispers of God” because “He is the secret place.”3
Our Secret Place, that’s where peace resides, which makes the Spirit our means to peace.
Joy
There’s a repetitive idea that launches Paul into the whole, “do not be anxious” coaching moment (Philippians 4:4).
REJOICE
The context for Paul’s exhortation to “always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” falls right after calling out two women in the Philippians church for not getting along (v.4 NLT; Philippians 4:2-3). Further context, Paul writes this entire letter from “the pit of hell, a Roman prison cell.”4 Conflict. Prison. Neither context causes me to feel joyful. You?
But that’s just it. In the Kingdom of God, joy is not a feeling.4 We aren’t called to praise God when we feel like it. We aren’t meant to be able to conjure up joy as if it were simply positive thinking.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
And like its counterparts, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, true joy comes to us only by way of the Spirit – when we are so connected to Him that we grow and mature. Like fruit.
Paul demonstrates to us that often joy “originates from a place of suffering and sadness.”4
Oh, we should reread that. Sit on it. Give those words space to do a work in us! Friends, I’m living in a season that holds, at the same time, much goodness and sadness, much hope and hard, much prayer and perseverance. But it’s not often that I stop to consider that joy is in all the struggling. It’s not intuitive. It seems, well, backwards.
Backwards because we live in a world, in flesh, that seeks happiness and comfort – and I’m learning that these fall well-short of what living in God’s Kingdom has to offer: Fruit of the Spirit, like joy.
“Joy is supernatural.”4 In other words, the joy God offers is simply not natural.
Joy is also action.4 Sixteen times in his letter from prison, Paul proclaims that the persecuted Philippian church should rejoice or have joy. Not because they will feel it. But because they can choose to live from it, with it – because joy can be experienced as we exercise our faith through the actual act of rejoicing!4
Just last week, I read another writer’s Instagram post who lamented that she was tired of living as a grumpy, overly-focused-to-the-point-of-scowling-at-the-world kind of Christian. And that really got my attention!
Paul exudes joy as he lives in Christ and for Christ – despite his circumstances. Jesus prays that we would live in this world with “the full measure” of His joy (John 17:13). Yet, how many believers do we encounter – in person or online – that carry within them this vital fruit of the Spirit?
I like to imagine myself, all of you, and the whole world of Jesus followers living with joy. With that picture in my mind’s eye, I am bowled over by how alluring God’s Kingdom would then become to everyone else in the world.
So, while joy is action – something we can choose to have through our rejoicing in the Lord – it remains of the Spirit. The joy of the Lord, our strength, will always be sourced by the Spirit (Nehemiah 8:10).
We seek to live in and for the Kingdom of God – His way, His will, His agendas. Now we know that His Kingdom looks like living righteously, in His peace, and with His joy by the Spirit (Romans 14:17). As often as we’ll try, this way of moving through the world with faith doesn’t happen by our strength or might. But by His Spirit.
So, it seems that the Holy Spirit, the Hidden One who dwells within us, is God’s hidden agenda. The Third member of the Holy Trinity makes this Kingdom living possible by offering strength for all we need to live righteously – and to live with His peace and joy. We can lay down all our attempts to do this faith-life on our own because we have a secret, supernatural Spirit in us!
Father God, we feel growth happening within us – our faith matures. Like fruit on a vine, we remain in You, receiving all You have for us so that we ripen, full of your flavors of love and joy and peace. And we confess that even as we grow, we still fall short. We strive in our strength, living by our own plans. We seek out peace in unfruitful ways – like conflict avoidance and isolation. And we forgo living with joy because we forget that we’re meant to have joy in You, Lord. Forgive us, we pray. Lord Jesus, thank You for opening our eyes to this Kingdom-life You’ve given us. Help us to lean-in to your truth and grace, love and peace, joy and strength everyday. Help us to cease building our own kingdoms of comfort and worldly happiness. Thank You that, even in the storms of life, Your voice, “Peace! Be still!” will always be our truth – even if it’s our hearts and minds that find peace rather than the waves that crash around us. Holy Spirit, we long to know you more. The eyes of our hearts continue to be opened as we learn more about who You are and how You work. We marvel at your supernatural ways of leading us into righteous living. We pray that You would continue to teach us the ways of God’s Kingdom. We pray that You would convict us when we go off the path. Help us find our way back to You and keep in step with You. We are so grateful to You, the One who dwells in us, for making a way for us to live righteously with peace and joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(inspired by John 15:4; Galatians 5:22,25; 1 John 1:9; Nehemiah 8:10; John 11:25, 1:17, 14:27, 17:13; Mark 4:39; Ephesians 1:18-21; John 16:8; Romans 14:17)
Resources: I love sharing with you the books, podcasts, articles, and anything else that has inspired, encouraged, or taught me. These are humble offerings with no expectations.
- 1 – The ‘inside-out’ and ‘outside-in’ language is borrowed from The Daily Text, 9/7/17, JD Walt.
- 2 – These are lyrics to a worship song from decades back, “Sometimes He Calms the Storm,” which I found in this article about Phlippians 4:6.
- 3 – Quoted from Christy Nockels book, The Life You Long For, p.124
- 4 – The Daily Text, 9/6/17, JD Walt
- There’s a Christian band who have a curious name, We the Kingdom. I’ve always thought it clever, but not until this series did I get it. But they obviously do. They recognize that they are the Kingdom of God. Just as we are the Kingdom of God. Well, We the Kingdom’s songs are a thought-provoking and clever as their name, so I love including their songs when I’m able. Their song, “God is on the Throne” is on our current playlist, “Hidden Agendas,” Its themes are perfect for a series about trading our agendas in for God’s — for His Kingdom agendas. More specifically, some of the lyrics fit for the weekly topic. Like this week’s:
When I am anxious, when I’m afraid
I find the strength when I call on His name
I’m safe in His arms, safe in His heart
And nothin’ can take me away - In this week’s”Teacup Video” I’ll be talking more about Paul and his complete reliance on the Holy Spirit. I hope you’ll tune in — and chime in! You can find all the videos on my Facebook Author Page and Instagram — and…my YouTube ‘channel’!
- Y’all, we’re nearly halfway through the year — which means we’re nearly halfway through unpacking the layers of ‘hidden’ in Scripture and the Spirit-led life. In my most recent issue of my newsletter, The Abiding Life, I learned a lot exploring more of my unhealthy ways of hiding. What I WANT is to live hidden in Christ! If you didn’t get May’s newsletter and want it, email me. You can subscribe here.
Rhythms: As my newsletter’s title infers, we seek to develop an abiding life in this space — a place where we can get informed but also be transformed as we learn to abide in God’s presence throughout our days. I like to think that developing rhythms is one way to aid us in our desire to become more Christlike. In this series, we’re putting into practice the rhythm of repentance.
Last week we talked about how John the Baptist preached repentance. Some wondered if he might be the Messiah, but John was clear — he was not Messiah. However, he was preparing all the people who would listen for His coming! It strikes me that John’s role was to soften hearts about the presence and role of sins in people’s lives. He led them into repentance as a way of making them ready for Jesus.
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire
Matthew 3:11
- This week, let’s ponder what the role of repentance is in our lives. Water can wash us on the outside, but only the Spirit can cleanse our insides. I pray that we will listen for the Spirit this week and lay down, repent of any sin that remains while trusting that the Spirit who convicts also comforts and guides and gives God’s wisdom. Repentance may not feel great, but the fruit of it is FREEDOM. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
- And while it’s not a spiritual practice or rhythm, I invite you to share this site. It’s my most sincere hope that what we explore here together will encourage others to step more fully and deeply in their walks with Christ.
Featured Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash. “All the Bits and Pieces” photo by Sahand Babali on Unsplash.