Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And after saying this, he came out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no grounds at all for charges in His case. (vv. 36-38)

Through the mouths of the prophets in the OT, God said that the Israelites were destroyed because they disobeyed the law. If righteousness came from obedience, the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ would be right. But we know that righteousness does not come from obedience because of what God said concerning the new covenant.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

Only God is righteous and He is the definition of righteousness. Everything He says and does is righteous. No one is righteous until he/she is reborn from God. In other words, one must be washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. (Revelation 22:14)

Obedience comes as a result of God’s grace. A son’s obedience to his father does not earn him the sonship. A father shows his love to his son. Obedience follows naturally. Because of the Father’s love for His Son, Jesus Christ obeyed Him. Because of His complete and absolute obedience, we are saved.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)

As you can see, it is not Christ’s obedience that saved us but it is God’s love. Those who follow the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ do talk about God’s love. But their understanding of righteousness makes God’s love sound strange. They do not think that God’s love is the foundation of His kingdom. They focus on the law and punishment. On the other hand, we focus on God’s love.

When we talk about the cross of Christ, we must not think that it is from Christ’s own initiative or will. The Father loves His only begotten Son eternally. The Father enabled Him to do all His will. His ultimate will is the kingdom, the church. And His will is for the church to become one with Him. Only through the Son, the Creator and His creation are in complete unity. With this in mind, we understand the fall of mankind.

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 5:30)

The church’s relationship with God may be summarized in one word: faith. Faith is based on the knowledge of God and God’s love for His people. Anyone who has true faith knows God and His love. Faith is a gift of God. Otherwise, grace is no longer grace. Those who believe in God and understand His will are His people. We are one with Him and confess that He is the only God. Therefore, we are considered righteous in the sight of God. He is the God of the Bible. He is the God of the Word. He is the God of Truth.

Anyone who tries to build God’s kingdom on the earth is false. Many Christians think that they need to help God to build His kingdom on the earth. These people typically initiate wars, disorder, and violence. They try to conquer others by their power. But true children of God do not associate with them or help them.

When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?” But He turned and rebuked them [and He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they journeyed on to another village. (Luke 9:55-56)