Romans 14:17 (KJV) “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
In our Scriptural text, Apostle Paul was addressing disputes in the Roman church over dietary practices and sacred days (Rom. 14:1–6). Some believers felt free to eat all foods; others abstained from some foods for conscience’ sake. So, Apostle redirects the attention of the believers to what matters most in the kingdom of God – righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, not meat and drink. Righteousness, peace, and joy are three core realities produced by God’s rule through the Spirit, in the life of a believer.
Righteousness means “right standing with God through Christ Jesus” (justification). In justification, the Almighty God declares a sinner who confesses his sins and repents of them, RIGHTEOUS. He forgives his sins and accepts the believer as though they had never sinned. Hence, the Bible says, the LORD God made Jesus Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2Co. 5:21). As a result of this act of justification, we have PEACE with God (Rom. 5:1), which is freedom from the feeling of guilt and condemnation (Rom. 8:1). This is also called, “the assurance of salvation.” Righteousness and peace with God produce the JOY of the LORD. Hallelujah!
Written by: Andrew A. Esemudje